Analects 6.3
The Analects (論語), BOOK VI. YUNG YEY 雍也第六
子華使於齊、冉子爲其母請粟。子曰、與之釜。請益。曰、與之庾。冉子與之粟五秉。子曰、赤之適齊也、乘肥馬、衣輕裘、吾聞之也、君子周急、不繼富。原思爲之宰、與之粟九百、辭。子曰、毋、以與爾鄰里鄉黨乎。
1. Tsze-hwa being employed on a mission to Ch'i, the disciple Zan requested grain for his mother. The Master said, "Give her a fu." Yen requested more. "Give her an yu," said the Master. Yen gave her five ping.
2. The Master said, "When Ch'ih was proceeding to Ch'i, he had fat horses to his carriage, and wore light furs. I have heard that a superior man helps the distressed, but does not add to the wealth of the rich."
3. Yuan Sze being made governor of his town by the Master, he gave him nine hundred measures of grain, but Sze declined them.
4. The Master said, "Do not decline them. May you not give them away in the neighborhoods, hamlets, towns, and villages?"
Character glossary
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 華huáflowery; illustrious; Chinese
- 使shǐcause, mission, orders; envoy, messenger
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 齊qíeven, uniform, of equal length
- 冉rǎntender; weak; to proceed gradually
- 爲wèido, handle, govern, act; be
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 母mǔmother; female elders; female
- 請qǐngto ask, to request; to invite; please
- 粟sùoats, millet, barley
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 與yǔand; with; to; for; to give, to grant
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 釜fǔcauldron, kettle, pot
- 益yìto profit, to benefit; advantage
- 庾yǔgranary; storehouse
- 五wǔfive; surname
- 秉bǐngto grasp, to hold; to maintain, to presi
- 赤chìred, scarlet; blushing; bare, naked
- 適shìmatch, comfortable; just
- 也yěalso, too
- 乘chéngride, mount; to make use of; to ascend;
- 肥féifat, plump, obese; fertile
- 馬mǎhorse; surname
- 衣yīcloth; clothes, apparel; dress, coat
- 輕qīnglight, gentle; simple, easy
- 裘qiúfur coat; surname
- 吾wúI, my, our; to resist, to impede
- 聞wénnews; to hear, to smell; to make known
- 君jūnsovereign, ruler, prince, monarch, chief
- 周zhōuZhou dynasty; circumference
- 急jíanxious, worried; hasty, quick; pressing
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 繼jìto continue, to carry on; to succeed, to
- 富fùabundant, ample; rich, wealthy
- 原yuánsource, origin, beginning
- 思sīto think, to ponder, to consider; final
- 宰zǎito slaughter, to butcher; to govern, to
- 九jiǔnine
- 百bǎione hundred; numerous, many
- 辭cíwords, speech; to resign, to take leave
- 毋wúnot; do not; surname
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 爾ěryou; that, those; final particle
- 鄰línneighbor; neighborhood
- 里lǐunit of distance equal to 0.5km; village
- 鄉xiāngcountry, village; rural
- 黨dǎngpolitical party, gang, faction
- 乎hūinterrogative or exclamatory final parti
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi On Declining Power
- Analects 5.25
- Analects 13.1
- Analects 5.7
- Zhuangzi The Secret of Life
- Zhuangzi Tien Tzŭ Fang
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.