Analects 8.4
The Analects (論語), BOOK VIII. T'AI-PO 泰伯第八
曾子有疾、孟敬子問之。曾子言曰、鳥之將死、其鳴也哀、人之將死、其言也善。君子所貴乎道者三、動容貌、斯遠暴慢矣、正顏色、斯近信笑、出辭氣、斯遠鄙倍矣、籩豆之事、則有司存。
1. The philosopher Tsang being ill, Meng Chang went to ask how he was.
2. Tsang said to him, "When a bird is about to die, its notes are mournful; when a man is about to die, his words are good.
3. "There are three principles of conduct which the man of high rank should consider specially important:—that in his deportment and manner he keep from violence and heedlessness; that in regulating his countenance he keep near to sincerity; and that in his words and tones he keep far from lowness and impropriety. As to such matters as attending to the sacrificial vessels, there are the proper officers for them."
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
- 孟mèngfirst in a series; great, eminent
- 敬jìngto respect, to honor; respectfully
- 問wènto ask about, to inquire after
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 言yánwords, speech; to speak, to say
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 鳥niǎobird
- 將jiāngthe future, what will be; ready, prepare
- 死sǐdead; death; impassable, inflexible
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 鳴mínga bird call or animal cry; to make a sou
- 也yěalso, too
- 哀āisad, mournful, pitiful; to pity; to grie
- 人rénman, person; people
- 善shàngood, virtuous, charitable, kind
- 君jūnsovereign, ruler, prince, monarch, chief
- 所suǒplace, location; "that which", a particl
- 貴guìexpensive, costly; valuable, precious
- 乎hūinterrogative or exclamatory final parti
- 道dàomethod, way; path, road
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 三sānthree
- 動dòngto move, to happen; movement, action
- 容róngappearance, looks; form, figure; to cont
- 貌màocountenance, appearance
- 斯sīthis, thus, such; emphatic particle; use
- 遠yuǎndistant, remote, far; profound
- 暴bàoviolent, brutal, tyrannical
- 慢mànslowly, leisurely; sluggish
- 矣yǐparticle of completed action
- 正zhèngstraight, right, proper, correct, just,
- 顏yánface, facial appearance
- 色sècolor, tint, hue, shade; beauty, form; s
- 近jìnto approach; near, close; intimate
- 信xìnto trust, to believe; letter, sign
- 笑xiàoto smile, to laugh; to giggle; to snicke
- 出chūto go out, to send out; stand; produce
- 辭cíwords, speech; to resign, to take leave
- 氣qìair, gas; steam, vapor; anger
- 鄙bǐrustic, vulgar; to despise, to scorn
- 倍bèito double; to increase or multiply
- 籩biānbamboo container for food
- 豆dòubeans, peas; bean-shaped
- 事shìaffair, matter, business; to serve; acci
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 司sīto take charge of, to control, to manage
- 存cúnto exist; to survive, to maintain; to ke
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi The Great Supreme
- Zhuangzi The Universe
- Zhuangzi On Declining Power
- Zhuangzi Lieh Tzŭ
- Zhuangzi Mountain Trees
- Zhuangzi The Tao of God
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.