Analects 8.19
The Analects (論語), BOOK VIII. T'AI-PO 泰伯第八
子曰、大哉、堯之爲君也、巍巍乎、唯天爲大、唯堯則之、蕩蕩乎、民無能名焉。巍巍乎、其有成功也、煥乎、其有文章。
1. The Master said, "Great indeed was Yao as a sovereign! How majestic was he! It is only Heaven that is grand, and only Yao corresponded to it. How vast was his virtue! The people could find no name for it.
2. "How majestic was he in the works which he accomplished! How glorious in the elegant regulations which he instituted!"
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
- 大dàbig, great, vast, high, deep
- 哉zāifinal exclamatory particle
- 堯yáoa legendary ancient emperor-sage
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 爲wèido, handle, govern, act; be
- 君jūnsovereign, ruler, prince, monarch, chief
- 也yěalso, too
- 巍wēihigh, lofty; eminent, majestic
- 乎hūinterrogative or exclamatory final parti
- 唯wéionly; sole
- 天tiānsky, heaven; god, celestial
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 蕩dàngpond, pool; ripple, shake; to wash away,
- 民míncitizens, subjects; a nation's people
- 無wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 能néngcan, may; capable, full of energy
- 名míngname; position, rank, title
- 焉yānwhy? where? how?; strange; thereupon, th
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 成chéngto accomplish; to become; to complete, t
- 功gōngachievement, good work; merit; service
- 煥huànshining, lustrous
- 文wénculture, literature, writing
- 章zhāngchapter, section, writing; seal
Passages with shared wording
- Mencius 3A.4
- Zhuangzi The Universe
- Zhuangzi On Declining Power
- Zhuangzi Man Among Men
- Mencius 3B.4
- Analects 8.18
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.