Analects 7.15
The Analects (論語), BOOK VII. SHU R 述而第七
子曰、飯疏食飮水、曲肱而枕之、樂亦在其中矣、不義而富且貴、於我如浮雲。
The Master said, "With coarse rice to eat, with water to drink, and my bended arm for a pillow;—I have still joy in the midst of these things. Riches and honours acquired by unrighteousness, are to me as a floating cloud."
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
- 飯fànmeal, food; cooked rice
- 疏shūto neglect; to dredge, to clear away; la
- 食shífood; to eat
- 飮yǐndrink; swallow; kind of drink
- 水shuǐwater, liquid, lotion, juice
- 曲qūcrooked, bent; wrong, false
- 肱gōngforearm
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 枕zhěnpillow
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 樂lècheerful, happy, laughing; music
- 亦yìalso, too; likewise
- 在zàiat, in, on; to exist; used to indicate t
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 中zhōngcentral; center, middle; amidst; to hit
- 矣yǐparticle of completed action
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 義yìright conduct, propriety; justice
- 富fùabundant, ample; rich, wealthy
- 且qiěmoreover, also (post-subject); about to,
- 貴guìexpensive, costly; valuable, precious
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 我wǒI, me, my; our, us
- 如rúas, as if, like, such as, supposing
- 浮fúto drift, to float; mobile, temporary, u
- 雲yúncloud; to say, to speak
Passages with shared wording
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.