The Great Learning Passage 7
《詩》云：「邦畿千里，惟民所止。」《詩》云：「緡蠻黃鳥，止于丘隅。」子曰：「於止，知其所止，可以人而不如鳥乎？」《詩》云：「穆穆文王，於緝熙敬止！」為人君，止於仁；為人臣，止於敬；為人子，止於孝；為人父，止於慈；與國人交，止於信。
In the Book of Poetry, it is said, "The royal domain of a thousand li is where the people rest." In the Book of Poetry, it is said, "The twittering yellow bird rests on a corner of the mound." The Master said, "When it rests, it knows where to rest. Is it possible that a man should not be equal to this bird?" In the Book of Poetry, it is said, "Profound was King Wen. With how bright and unceasing a feeling of reverence did he regard his resting places!" As a sovereign, he rested in benevolence. As a minister, he rested in reverence. As a son, he rested in filial piety. As a father, he rested in kindness. In communication with his subjects, he rested in good faith.
English: James Legge (1861), The Great Learning, 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
- 邦bāngcountry, nation, state
- 畿jīimperial domain; area near the capital
- 千qiānthousand; many, numerous; very
- 里lǐunit of distance equal to 0.5km; village
- 惟wéibut, however, nevertheless; only
- 民míncitizens, subjects; a nation's people
- 所suǒplace, location; "that which", a particl
- 止zhǐto stop, to halt; to detain; to desist
- 緡mína fishing-line; cord; string of coins; a
- 蠻mánbarbarians; barbarous, rude, savage
- 黃huángyellow; surname
- 鳥niǎobird
- 于yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 丘qiūmound, hill; surname
- 隅yúcorner, cranny, niche
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 知zhīto know, to perceive, to comprehend
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 人rénman, person; people
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 如rúas, as if, like, such as, supposing
- 乎hūinterrogative or exclamatory final parti
- 穆mùmajestic; reverent, solemn
- 文wénculture, literature, writing
- 王wángking, ruler; royal; surname
- 緝jīto sieze, to arrest; to stich closely
- 熙xībright, prosperous; splendid, glorious
- 敬jìngto respect, to honor; respectfully
- 為wèito do, to act; to handle, to govern; to
- 君jūnsovereign, ruler, prince, monarch, chief
- 仁rénbenevolent, humane, kind
- 臣chénminister, statesman, official, vassal
- 孝xiàofilial piety, obedience; mourning
- 父fùfather, dad
- 慈cígentle, humane, kind, merciful
- 與yǔand; with; to; for; to give, to grant
- 國guócountry, nation, state; national
- 交jiāoto connect; to deliver, to exchange; to
- 信xìnto trust, to believe; letter, sign
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- Analects 3.2
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Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.
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