Analects 8.3
The Analects (論語), BOOK VIII. T'AI-PO 泰伯第八
曾子有疾、召門弟子曰、啟予足、啟予手、詩云、戰戰兢兢、如臨深淵、如履薄冰、而今而後、吾知免夫、小子。
The philosopher Tsang being ill, he called to him the disciples of his school, and said, "Uncover my feet, uncover my hands. It is said in the Book of Poetry, 'We should be apprehensive and cautious, as if on the brink of a deep gulf, as if treading on thin ice,' and so have I been. Now and hereafter, I know my escape from all injury to my person, O ye, my little children."
James Legge (1861), Confucian Analects, The Chinese Classics vol. 1 (1861; 2nd ed. 1893) — public domain.
Character glossary
- 曾céngalready, formerly, once; the past
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 疾jísickness, illness, disease; to envy, to
- 召zhàoimperial decree; to summon, to call, to
- 門méngate, door, entrance, opening
- 弟dìyoung brother, junior
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 啟qǐto open; to begin, to commence; to expla
- 予yǔto give; to award
- 足zúfoot; to attain, to satisfy; enough
- 手shǒuhand
- 詩shīpoetry; poem, verse, ode
- 云yúncloud; to say, to speak
- 戰zhànwar, fighting, battle
- 兢jīngfearful, cautious, wary
- 如rúas, as if, like, such as, supposing
- 臨línto draw near, to approach; to descend
- 深shēndeep, profound; depth
- 淵yuānabyss, depth; to surge up, to bubble up
- 履lǚshoes; to walk, to tread
- 薄báothin, slight; meager, weak; poor, stingy
- 冰bīngice; ice-cold
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 今jīnmodern, current; today, now
- 後hòuafter; behind, rear; descendants
- 吾wúI, my, our; to resist, to impede
- 知zhīto know, to perceive, to comprehend
- 免miǎnto spare, to excuse from; to evade
- 夫fūman, husband; worker; those
- 小xiǎosmall, tiny, insignificant
Passages with shared wording
- Analects 9.2
- Zhuangzi Joined Toes
- Zhuangzi The Circling Sky
- Mencius 2B.1
- Art of War 10.12
- Zhuangzi Mountain Trees
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.
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