The Doctrine of the Mean Passage 15
子曰：「射有似乎君子，失諸正鵠，反求諸其身。君子之道，辟如行遠必自邇，辟如登高必自卑。《詩》曰：『妻子好合，如鼓瑟琴；兄弟既翕，和樂且耽。宜爾室家，樂爾妻帑。』」子曰：「父母其順矣乎！」
The Master said, "In archery we have something like the way of the superior man. When the archer misses the center of the target, he turns round and seeks for the cause of his failure in himself. The way of the superior man may be compared to what takes place in traveling, when to go to a distance we must first traverse the space that is near, and in ascending a height, when we must begin from the lower ground. It is said in the Book of Poetry, "Happy union with wife and children is like the music of lutes and harps. When there is concord among brethren, the harmony is delightful and enduring. Thus may you regulate your family, and enjoy the pleasure of your wife and children." The Master said, "In such a state of things, parents have entire complacence!"
English: James Legge (1861), The Doctrine of the Mean, The Chinese Classics vol. 1 (1861); romanization modernized on Wikisource — public domain. Chinese: Chinese text from the Wikisource bilingual edition.
Character glossary
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 射shèto shoot, to eject, to emit
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 似shìresembling, similar to; as if, to seem
- 乎hūinterrogative or exclamatory final parti
- 君jūnsovereign, ruler, prince, monarch, chief
- 失shīto lose; to make a mistake, to neglect
- 諸zhūall, many, various; surname
- 正zhèngstraight, right, proper, correct, just,
- 鵠gǔswan
- 反fǎnreverse, opposite; contrary, anti-
- 求qiúto seek; to request, to demand; to besee
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 身shēnbody, torso; person; pregnancy
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 道dàomethod, way; path, road
- 辟pìlaw, rule; to open up, to develop
- 如rúas, as if, like, such as, supposing
- 行xíngto go, to walk, to move; professional
- 遠yuǎndistant, remote, far; profound
- 必bìsurely, certainly; must; will
- 自zìself; private, personal; from
- 邇ěrnear, close; recent
- 登dēngto rise, to mount, to board, to climb
- 高gāotall, lofty; high, elevated
- 卑bēihumble, low, inferior; to despise
- 詩shīpoetry; poem, verse, ode
- 妻qīwife
- 好hǎogood, excellent, fine; proper, suitable;
- 合héto combine, to join, to unite; to gather
- 鼓gǔdrum; to beat, to strike; to rouse
- 瑟sèa large string instrument; to tremble, t
- 琴qínChinese lute or guitar, string instrumen
- 兄xiōngelder brother
- 弟dìyoung brother, junior
- 既jìalready, since, then; both; de facto
- 翕xīto agree; to open and close the mouth
- 和héharmony, peace; calm, peaceful
- 樂lècheerful, happy, laughing; music
- 且qiěmoreover, also (post-subject); about to,
- 耽dānto indulge; to delay
- 宜yífitting, proper, right; what one should
- 爾ěryou; that, those; final particle
- 室shìhouse, home; room, chamber
- 家jiāhouse, home, residence; family
- 帑tǎngtreasury; public funds
- 父fùfather, dad
- 母mǔmother; female elders; female
- 順shùnto submit to, to obey, to go along with
- 矣yǐparticle of completed action
Similar passages
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Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.