Analects 8.13
The Analects (論語), BOOK VIII. T'AI-PO 泰伯第八
子曰、篤信好學、守死善道。危邦不入、亂邦不居、天下有道則見、無道則隱。邦有道、貧且賤焉、恥也、邦無道、富且貴焉、恥也。
1. The Master said, "With sincere faith he unites the love of learning; holding firm to death, he is perfecting the excellence of his course.
2. "Such an one will not enter a tottering State, nor dwell in a disorganized one. When right principles of government prevail in the kingdom, he will show himself; when they are prostrated, he will keep concealed.
3. "When a country is well-governed, poverty and a mean condition are things to be ashamed of. When a country is ill-governed, riches and honour are things to be ashamed of."
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
- 篤dǔdeep, serious; genuine, sincere, true
- 信xìnto trust, to believe; letter, sign
- 好hǎogood, excellent, fine; proper, suitable;
- 學xuélearning, knowledge, science; to study,
- 守shǒuto defend, to guard, to protect; to cons
- 死sǐdead; death; impassable, inflexible
- 善shàngood, virtuous, charitable, kind
- 道dàomethod, way; path, road
- 危wēidangerous, precarious; high
- 邦bāngcountry, nation, state
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 入rùto enter, to come in; to join
- 亂luànanarchy, chaos; revolt
- 居jūto live, to reside; to dwell; to sit
- 天tiānsky, heaven; god, celestial
- 下xiàbelow, underneath; inferior; to bring do
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 見jiànto see, to observe, to meet, to appear
- 無wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 隱yǐnto hide, to conceal; secret, hidden
- 貧pínpoor, needy, impoverished; lacking
- 且qiěmoreover, also (post-subject); about to,
- 賤jiàncheap, low, mean, worthless
- 焉yānwhy? where? how?; strange; thereupon, th
- 恥chǐshame, humiliation; ashamed
- 也yěalso, too
- 富fùabundant, ample; rich, wealthy
- 貴guìexpensive, costly; valuable, precious
Passages with shared wording
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.