Analects 9.26
The Analects (論語), BOOK IX. TSZE HAN 子罕第九
子曰、衣敝縕袍、與衣孤貉者立、而不恥者、其由也與。不忮不求、何用不臧。子路終身誦之、子曰、是道也、何足以臧。
1. The Master said, "Dressed himself in a tattered robe quilted with hemp, yet standing by the side of men dressed in furs, and not ashamed;—ah! it is Yu who is equal to this!
2. "'He dislikes none, he covets nothing;—what can he do but what is good!'"
3. Tsze-lu kept continually repeating these words of the ode, when the Master said, "Those things are by no means sufficient to constitute (perfect) excellence."
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
- 衣yīcloth; clothes, apparel; dress, coat
- 敝bìto break, to destroy; ruined, tattered
- 縕yūntangled hemp, raveled silk; vague, confu
- 袍páorobe, gown, cloak
- 與yǔand; with; to; for; to give, to grant
- 孤gūorphaned; alone, lonely, solidary
- 貉háoraccoon dog
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 立lìto stand; to establish, to set up
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 恥chǐshame, humiliation; ashamed
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 由yóucause, reason; from
- 也yěalso, too
- 忮zhìstubborn; perverse; aggressive
- 求qiúto seek; to request, to demand; to besee
- 何héwhat, why, where, which, how
- 用yòngto use, to employ, to apply; use
- 臧zānggood, right; generous; to command
- 路lùroad, path, street; journey
- 終zhōngend; finally, in the end
- 身shēnbody, torso; person; pregnancy
- 誦sòngto chant, to recite, to repeat, to read
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 是shìto be; indeed, right, yes; okay
- 道dàomethod, way; path, road
- 足zúfoot; to attain, to satisfy; enough
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi On Declining Power
- Zhuangzi The Identity of Contraries
- Zhuangzi Robber Chê
- Zhuangzi Tsê Yang
- Zhuangzi Man Among Men
- The Doctrine of the Mean Passage 34
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.