1. Mr. Ji (季) was going to invade the province of Zhuan Yu (顓臾). Ran You and Ji Lu came to see Confucius and said, "Mr. Ji is going to have some business in Zhuan Yu." Confucius said, "Qiu (求)! Are you not at fault here too? Zhuan Yu is a province which had been designated by previous kings as the guardian of Dong Mang (東蒙) mountain's ceremony. It is also in the middle of the principality of Lu (魯). It is directly under the ruling house of Lu. How come Mr. Ji attacks it?" Ran You said, "Mr. Ji wants to do it. Neither of us, as his assistants, want it." Confucius said, "Qiu! Record Officer Zhou Ren (周任) once said, 'he who has the power to stay in formation must take his position. He who cannot, must withdraw.' If you do not offer assistance when your boss is entering in a dangerous situation and if you do not give support when your boss is about to fall, what use is there for such an assistant? Also, what you said is wrong. Suppose a tiger or a rhinoceros escapes from the cage. Suppose a tortoise shell or jade is damaged in the box. Whose fault is it?" Ran You said, "The province of Zhuan Yu is heavily fortified and it is near Mr. Ji's village of Fei (費). If it is not taken now, it will be a source of trouble for later generations." Confucius said, "Qiu! A noble man finds it appalling when people avoid saying that they want to do it and instead say things to pretend that they are constrained to do it. I have heard that those who take charge of a state or a family do not worry about shortage but indeed worry about fair distribution. They do not worry about poverty; they worry instead about instability. Fair distribution removes poverty. Conviviality removes shortage. Comfort and security remove the danger of revolt. For this reason, when people in remote areas do not submit to your rule, then you should refine your culture and virtues even more so that these people can come to you. When they come, you offer them comfort and security. Now, You (由) and Qiu, as assistants of Mr. Ji, are not capable of this. People in remote areas do not submit, and you cannot manage to make them come and settle. The country is divided and is about to fall down in pieces, and you cannot manage to protect it. Instead, you are plotting to resort to arms against people who live in the same country. I fear that the source of trouble for Mr. Ji and his descendants lies not with Zhuan Yu but within the walls of his own household."
季氏將伐顓臾。冉有、季路見於孔子曰：「季氏將有事於顓臾。」孔子曰：「求！無乃爾是過與？夫顓臾，昔者先王以為東蒙主，且在邦域之中矣，是社稷之臣也。何以伐為？」冉有曰：「夫子欲之，吾二臣者皆不欲也。」孔子曰：「求！周任有言曰：『陳力就列，不能者止。』危而不持，顛而不扶，則將焉用彼相矣？且爾言過矣。虎兕出於柙，龜玉毀於櫝中，是誰之過與？」冉有曰：「今夫顓臾，固而近於費。今不取，後世必為子孫憂。」孔子曰：「求！君子疾夫舍曰欲之，而必為之辭。丘也聞有國有家者，不患寡而患不均，不患貧而患不安。蓋均無貧，和無寡，安無傾。夫如是，故遠人不服，則修文德以來之。既來之，則安之。今由與求也，相夫子，遠人不服而不能來也；邦分崩離析而不能守也。而謀動干戈於邦內。吾恐季孫之憂，不在顓臾，而在蕭牆之內也。」
2. Confucius said, "When the Way prevails in the whole world, decisions about Li, music and military expeditions would come from the emperor. When the whole world has lost the Way, decisions about Li, music and military expeditions come from feudal lords. If feudal lords decide these matters, such a government can barely last 10 generations before the downfall. If high ranking officials decide these matters, such a government can barely last 5 generations before the downfall. If their retinue should take charge of the state orders, such a government can barely last 3 generations before the downfall. When the Way prevails in the whole world, governing is not in the hands of high ranking officials. When the Way prevails in the whole world, common people do not debate politics.
孔子曰：「天下有道，則禮樂征伐自天子出；天下無道，則禮樂征伐自諸侯出。自諸侯出，蓋十世希不失矣；自大夫出，五世希不失矣；陪臣執國命，三世希不失矣。天下有道，則政不在大夫。天下有道，則庶人不議。」
3. Confucius said, "Salaries have been paid out of the ducal house now for 5 generations. Government has been controlled by high ranking officials now for 4 generations. For these reasons, the three Huan (桓)'s descendants are rare.
孔子曰：「祿之去公室，五世矣；政逮於大夫，四世矣；故夫三桓之子孫，微矣。」
4. Confucius said, "There are three types of friends who are beneficial and three types of friends who are harmful. If you are friends with honest person, observant person or well-read person, it is beneficial. If you are friends with biased person, smooth person or silver-tongued person, it is harmful."
孔子曰：「益者三友，損者三友。友直，友諒，友多聞，益矣。友便辟，友善柔，友便佞，損矣。」
5. Confucius said, "There are three types of joy which are beneficial and three types of joy which are harmful. If you find joy in the appropriate measure of Li and Music, in the good deeds of an enlightened person and in a friend who has many talents, such a joy is beneficial. If you find joy in having unbridled fun, being idle and going to parties, such a joy is harmful."
孔子曰：「益者三樂，損者三樂。樂節禮樂，樂道人之善，樂多賢友，益矣。樂驕樂，樂佚遊，樂宴樂，損矣。」
6. Confucius said, "In attending upon one's boss, one may commit three mistakes. To speak when it is not the time to speak, that is, impatience. Not to speak when it is time to speak, that is, dissimulation. To speak without observing the look on his face, that is, to act blindly."
孔子曰：「侍於君子有三愆：言未及之而言謂之躁，言及之而不言謂之隱，未見顏色而言謂之瞽。」
7. Confucius said, "A noble man should be wary of three things. In youth, when the physical and emotional energy is still unsettled, he should be wary of sexual desire. In adulthood, when the physical and emotional energy is at its peak, he should be wary of combativeness. In old age, when the physical and emotional energy is in decline, he should be wary of complacence."
孔子曰：「君子有三戒：少之時，血氣未定，戒之在色；及其壯也，血氣方剛，戒之在鬭；及其老也，血氣既衰，戒之在得。」
8. Confucius said, "A noble man looks up to three things in trepidation: the mandate of heaven, great men and sayings of a saint. The petty and the lowly do not know the mandate of heaven and thus they are not afraid of it. They deride great men. They disparage sayings of a saint."
孔子曰：「君子有三畏：畏天命，畏大人，畏聖人之言。小人不知天命而不畏也，狎大人，侮聖人之言。」
9. Confucius said, "Some people just understand. They are the top class. Some people learn and then understand. They are in the next class. Some people learn after experiencing difficulties (from lack of learning). They are in the next class. Those who experience difficulties and still do not learn; they are in the lowest class."
孔子曰：「生而知之者，上也；學而知之者，次也；困而學之，又其次也；困而不學，民斯為下矣。」
10. Confucius said, "A noble man's mind is directed to nine matters as follows: In using his eyesight, his mind is directed to clarity. As for hearing, his mind is directed to lucidity. As for the look on his face, his mind is directed to mildness. With regard to overall appearance, his mind is directed to politeness. As for speech, his mind is directed to loyalty. In handling affairs, his mind is directed to respectfulness. In doubt, his mind is directed to questions. In anger, his mind is directed to bad consequences (of venting it). When he sees gain, his mind is directed to righteousness."
孔子曰：「君子有九思：視思明，聽思聰，色思溫，貌思恭，言思忠，事思敬，疑思問，忿思難，見得思義。」
11. Confucius said, "Seeing good deed (and admire it) as if you are not equal to it. Seeing bad deed (and recoil from it) as if you had your hand dipped in boiling water. I have seen such persons. I have heard such words too. To live in retreat and seek to achieve what one has in mind. To practice righteousness and to fulfil the Way. I have heard such words. But I have not yet seen such a person."
孔子曰：「見善如不及，見不善如探湯。吾見其人矣，吾聞其語矣。隱居以求其志，行義以達其道。吾聞其語矣，未見其人也。」
12. Duke Jing (景) of Qi had enough horses for 1000 quadrigas. When he died, people did not praise him for his virtue. Bo Yi (伯夷) and Shu Qi (叔齊) starved to death at the foothill of Shou Yang (首陽) mountain. People praise them even to this day. Is this what you mean?
齊景公有馬千駟，死之日，民無德而稱焉。伯夷叔齊餓于首陽之下，民到于今稱之。其斯之謂與？
13. Chen Kang (陳亢) asked Bo Yu (伯魚) [Confucius' son], "Has your father taught you anything special?" Bo Yu replied, "No, he hasn't. Once he was standing in the garden alone. I hastened myself across the garden. He said to me, 'Have you studied poetry?' I replied, 'No, I haven't.' He said, 'If you do not learn poetry, you would have nothing to say.' I returned to my room and studied poetry. On another day, he was again standing alone in the garden. I hastened myself across the garden. He said to me, 'Have you studied Li?' I replied, 'No, I haven't.' He said, 'If you do not learn Li, you would have no grounding to stand on.' I returned to my room and studied Li. He told me these two." Chen Kang returned to his room well pleased and said, "With one question, I got three answers. I received lessons about poetry, about Li and about how a noble man keeps a distance from his children."
陳亢問於伯魚曰：「子亦有異聞乎？」對曰：「未也。嘗獨立，鯉趨而過庭。曰：『學詩乎？』對曰：『未也。』『不學詩，無以言。』鯉退而學詩。他日又獨立，鯉趨而過庭。曰：『學禮乎？』對曰：『未也。』『不學禮，無以立。』鯉退而學禮。聞斯二者。」陳亢退而喜曰：「問一得三，聞詩，聞禮，又聞君子之遠其子也。」
14. The wife of a country's ruler is referred to as "wife" by the ruler. She refers to herself as "little child". People of the country refer to her as "Lady". When they are in a foreign country, they refer to her as "our little ruler". People of the foreign country also refer to her as "Lady".
邦君之妻，君稱之曰夫人，夫人自稱曰小童；邦人稱之曰君夫人，稱諸異邦曰寡小君；異邦人稱之亦曰君夫人。
