Analects 5.6
The Analects (論語), BOOK V. KUNG-YE CH'ANG 公冶長第五
子曰、道不行、乘桴浮于海、從我者、其由與。子路聞之喜。子曰、由也、好勇過我、無所取材。
The Master said, "My doctrines make no way. I will get upon a raft, and float about on the sea. He that will accompany me will be Yu, I dare say." Tsze-lu hearing this was glad, upon which the Master said, "Yu is fonder of daring than I am. He does not exercise his judgment upon matters."
James Legge (1861), Confucian Analects, The Chinese Classics vol. 1 (1861; 2nd ed. 1893) — public domain.
Character glossary
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 道dàomethod, way; path, road
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 行xíngto go, to walk, to move; professional
- 乘chéngride, mount; to make use of; to ascend;
- 桴fúbeam, rafter
- 浮fúto drift, to float; mobile, temporary, u
- 于yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 海hǎisea, ocean; maritime
- 從cóngfrom, by, since, whence, through
- 我wǒI, me, my; our, us
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 由yóucause, reason; from
- 與yǔand; with; to; for; to give, to grant
- 路lùroad, path, street; journey
- 聞wénnews; to hear, to smell; to make known
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 喜xǐto love; to enjoy, to be happy; joyful,
- 也yěalso, too
- 好hǎogood, excellent, fine; proper, suitable;
- 勇yǒngbrave, courageous, fierce
- 過guòpass; to go across, to pass through
- 無wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 所suǒplace, location; "that which", a particl
- 取qǔto take, to receive, to obtain; to selec
- 材cáitimber; material, stuff; talent
Passages with shared wording
- Mencius 7B.37
- Zhuangzi Hsü Wu Kuei
- Analects 12.12
- Mencius 6B.13
- Analects 9.26
- Zhuangzi On Declining Power
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.