Analects 7.31
The Analects (論語), BOOK VII. SHU R 述而第七
子與人歌、而善、必使反之、而後和之。
When the Master was in company with a person who was singing, if he sang well, he would make him repeat the song, while he accompanied it with his own voice.
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
- 與yǔand; with; to; for; to give, to grant
- 人rénman, person; people
- 歌gēsong, lyrics; to sing, to chant
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 善shàngood, virtuous, charitable, kind
- 必bìsurely, certainly; must; will
- 使shǐcause, mission, orders; envoy, messenger
- 反fǎnreverse, opposite; contrary, anti-
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 後hòuafter; behind, rear; descendants
- 和héharmony, peace; calm, peaceful
Passages with shared wording
- The Doctrine of the Mean Passage 25
- Zhuangzi The Secret of Life
- Zhuangzi Tsê Yang
- Tao Te Ching Chapter 73
- Analects 12.23
- Zhuangzi The Universe
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.