The Doctrine of the Mean Passage 36
《詩》云：「相在爾室，尚不愧于屋漏。」故君子不動而敬，不言而信。
It is said in the Book of Poetry, "Looked at in your apartment, be there free from shame as being exposed to the light of Heaven." Therefore, the superior man, even when he is not moving, has a feeling of reverence, and while he speaks not, he has the feeling of truthfulness.
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
- 云yúncloud; to say, to speak
- 相xiāngmutual, reciprocal; equal; each other
- 在zàiat, in, on; to exist; used to indicate t
- 爾ěryou; that, those; final particle
- 室shìhouse, home; room, chamber
- 尚shàngstill, yet; even; fairly, rather
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 愧kuìashamed, regretful; the pangs of conscie
- 于yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 屋wūbuilding, house, shelter; room
- 漏lòuto leak, to drip; hour glass; funnel
- 故gùreason, cause; happening, instance
- 君jūnsovereign, ruler, prince, monarch, chief
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 動dòngto move, to happen; movement, action
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 敬jìngto respect, to honor; respectfully
- 言yánwords, speech; to speak, to say
- 信xìnto trust, to believe; letter, sign
Similar passages
- Analects 4.18
- Analects 5.16
- The Doctrine of the Mean Passage 15
- Mencius 7A.20
- Zhuangzi Robber Chê
- Analects 20.1
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.