The Doctrine of the Mean Passage 34
《詩》曰：「衣錦尚絅」，惡其文之著也。故君子之道，闇然而日章；小人之道，的然而日亡。君子之道：淡而不厭，簡而文，溫而理，知遠之近，知風之自，知微之顯，可與入德矣。
It is said in the Book of Poetry, "Over her embroidered robe she puts a plain single garment," intimating a dislike to the display of the elegance of the former. Just so, it is the way of the superior man to prefer the concealment of his virtue, while it daily becomes more illustrious, and it is the way of the mean man to seek notoriety, while he daily goes more and more to ruin. It is characteristic of the superior man, appearing insipid, yet never to produce satiety; while showing a simple negligence, yet to have his accomplishments recognized; while seemingly plain, yet to be discriminating. He knows how what is distant lies in what is near. He knows where the wind proceeds from. He knows how what is minute becomes manifested. Such a one, we may be sure, will enter into virtue.
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
- 詩shīpoetry; poem, verse, ode
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 衣yīcloth; clothes, apparel; dress, coat
- 錦jǐnbrocade, tapestry; embroidered
- 尚shàngstill, yet; even; fairly, rather
- 絅jiōngunlined garment, dust coat
- 惡èbad, evil, wicked; to hate, to loathe; f
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 文wénculture, literature, writing
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 著zheto show, to prove, to make known
- 也yěalso, too
- 故gùreason, cause; happening, instance
- 君jūnsovereign, ruler, prince, monarch, chief
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 道dàomethod, way; path, road
- 闇ànclose, shut; dark, dismal
- 然ráncertainly; naturally; suddenly
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 日rìsun; day; daytime
- 章zhāngchapter, section, writing; seal
- 小xiǎosmall, tiny, insignificant
- 人rénman, person; people
- 的deaim, goal; of; possessive particle; -sel
- 亡wángdeath, destruction; to lose; to perish
- 淡dànwatery, dilute; insipid, tasteless
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 厭yànto dislike, to detest; to reject; to sat
- 簡jiǎnsimple, succinct, terse; a letter
- 溫wēnwarm, lukewarm
- 理lǐscience, reason, logic; to manage
- 知zhīto know, to perceive, to comprehend
- 遠yuǎndistant, remote, far; profound
- 近jìnto approach; near, close; intimate
- 風fēngwind; air; customs, manners; news
- 自zìself; private, personal; from
- 微wēismall, tiny, trifling; micro-
- 顯xiǎnclear, evident; prominent; to show
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 與yǔand; with; to; for; to give, to grant
- 入rùto enter, to come in; to join
- 德déethics, morality; compassion, kindness
- 矣yǐparticle of completed action
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Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.