Analects 8.21
The Analects (論語), BOOK VIII. T'AI-PO 泰伯第八
子曰、禹吾無間然矣、菲飮食、而致孝乎鬼神、惡衣服、而致美乎黻冕、卑宮室、而盡力乎溝恤、禹吾無間然矣。
The Master said, "I can find no flaw in the character of Yu. He used himself coarse food and drink, but displayed the utmost filial piety towards the spirits. His ordinary garments were poor, but he displayed the utmost elegance in his sacrificial cap and apron. He lived in a low mean house, but expended all his strength on the ditches and water-channels. I can find nothing like a flaw in Yu."
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
- 禹yǔlegendary Hsia dynasty founder
- 吾wúI, my, our; to resist, to impede
- 無wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 間jiānbetween, among; midpoint; space, place,
- 然ráncertainly; naturally; suddenly
- 矣yǐparticle of completed action
- 菲fēifragrant; rich, luxuriant; the Philippin
- 飮yǐndrink; swallow; kind of drink
- 食shífood; to eat
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 致zhìto send; to present, to deliver; to caus
- 孝xiàofilial piety, obedience; mourning
- 乎hūinterrogative or exclamatory final parti
- 鬼guǐghost; demon; sly, mischievous
- 神shéngod, spirit; divine, mysterious, superna
- 惡èbad, evil, wicked; to hate, to loathe; f
- 衣yīcloth; clothes, apparel; dress, coat
- 服fúclothes; to dress, to wear; to take medi
- 美měibeautiful, pretty; pleasing
- 黻fúspecial pattern of embroidery
- 冕miǎncrown; ceremonial cap
- 卑bēihumble, low, inferior; to despise
- 宮gōngpalace; surname
- 室shìhouse, home; room, chamber
- 盡jǐnto exhaust, to use up, to deplete
- 力lìstrength, power; capability, influence
- 溝gōuditch, drain, gutter, narrow waterway
- 恤xùto help, to relieve, to take pity on
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi Kêng Sang Ch’u
- Zhuangzi Tien Tzŭ Fang
- Analects 4.9
- Mencius 6A.8
- Tao Te Ching Chapter 43
- Art of War 11.23
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.