Analects 9.3
The Analects (論語), BOOK IX. TSZE HAN 子罕第九
子曰、麻冕、禮也、今也純、儉、吾從眾。拜下、禮也。今拜乎上、泰也、雖違眾、吾從下。
1. The Master said, "The linen cap is that prescribed by the rules of ceremony, but now a silk one is worn. It is economical, and I follow the common practice.
2. "The rules of ceremony prescribe the bowing below the hall, but now the practice is to bow only after ascending it. That is arrogant. I continue to bow below the hall, though I oppose the common practice."
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
- 麻máhemp, flax, sesame; numb
- 冕miǎncrown; ceremonial cap
- 禮lǐcourtesy, manners, social customs
- 也yěalso, too
- 今jīnmodern, current; today, now
- 純chúnpure, clean; simple, genuine
- 儉jiǎntemperate, frugal, economical
- 吾wúI, my, our; to resist, to impede
- 從cóngfrom, by, since, whence, through
- 眾zhòngmultitude, crowd; masses, public
- 拜bàito bow, to salute; to worship, to pay re
- 下xiàbelow, underneath; inferior; to bring do
- 乎hūinterrogative or exclamatory final parti
- 上shàngabove, on top, superior; to go up; to at
- 泰tàigreat, exalted, superior; calm; big
- 雖suīalthough, even though
- 違wéito violate, to disobey, to defy; to sepa
Passages with shared wording
- The Doctrine of the Mean Passage 30
- The Doctrine of the Mean Passage 27
- Zhuangzi Self-Conceit
- The Doctrine of the Mean Passage 20
- The Doctrine of the Mean Passage 22
- Analects 3.14
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.