Analects 9.12
The Analects (論語), BOOK IX. TSZE HAN 子罕第九
子貢曰、有美玉於斯、韞匵而藏諸、求善賈而沽諸。子曰、沽之哉、沽之哉、我待賈者也。
Tsze-kung said, "There is a beautiful gem here. Should I lay it up in a case and keep it? or should I seek for a good price and sell it?" The Master said, "Sell it! Sell it! But I would wait for one to offer the price."
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
- 貢gòngto offer, to contribute; tribute, gifts
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 美měibeautiful, pretty; pleasing
- 玉yùjade, gem, precious stone
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 斯sīthis, thus, such; emphatic particle; use
- 韞yùnan orange color; hide, conceal
- 匵dúcase; casket
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 藏cángto conceal, to hide; to hoard, to store
- 諸zhūall, many, various; surname
- 求qiúto seek; to request, to demand; to besee
- 善shàngood, virtuous, charitable, kind
- 賈jiǎmerchant; to buy, to trade; surname
- 沽gūto buy and sell; of inferior quality
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 哉zāifinal exclamatory particle
- 我wǒI, me, my; our, us
- 待dàito entertain, to receive, to treat; to d
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 也yěalso, too
Passages with shared wording
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.