Analects 6.13
The Analects (論語), BOOK VI. YUNG YEY 雍也第六
子曰、孟之反不伐、奔而殿、將入門、策其馬、曰、非敢後也、馬不進也。
The Master said, "Mang Chih-fan does not boast of his merit. Being in the rear on an occasion of flight, when they were about to enter the gate, he whipped up his horse, saying, 'It is not that I dare to be last. My horse would not advance.'"
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
- 孟mèngfirst in a series; great, eminent
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 反fǎnreverse, opposite; contrary, anti-
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 伐fácut down, subjugate, attack
- 奔bēnto rush about; to run, to flee
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 殿diànhall; palace; temple
- 將jiāngthe future, what will be; ready, prepare
- 入rùto enter, to come in; to join
- 門méngate, door, entrance, opening
- 策cèto urge, to whip; method, plan, policy
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 馬mǎhorse; surname
- 非fēinot, negative, non-; to oppose
- 敢gǎnbold, brave; to dare, to venture
- 後hòuafter; behind, rear; descendants
- 也yěalso, too
- 進jìnto advance, to make progress; to come in
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi The Secret of Life
- Analects 14.34
- Mencius 4B.27
- Zhuangzi Knowledge travels North
- The Doctrine of the Mean Passage 20
- Zhuangzi The Great Supreme
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.