9.1. 子罕言利與命與仁。
The Master seldom talked about what was profit or fate or benevolence.

9.2. 達巷黨人曰：“大哉孔子！博學而無所成名。”子聞之，謂門弟子曰：“吾何執？執禦乎，執射乎？吾執禦矣。”
A villager from Daxiang said, "Great is Confucius! He possesses wide general knowledge but no special knowledge to make a name." Hearing of this, the Master said to his disciples, "What shall I specialize in? In chariot-driving or in archery? I should like to drive a chariot."

9.3. 子曰：“麻冕，禮也；今也純，儉，吾從眾。拜下，禮也；今拜乎上，泰也；雖違眾，吾從下。”
The linen cap, said the Master, is prescribed by the rules of ceremony, but now a silk one is worn. It is economical, and I follow the common practice. Bowing below the hall is prescribed by the rules, but now the common practice is bowing after ascending the hall. It is presumptuous, so I still bow below the hall against the general practice.

9.4. 子絕四：毋意、毋必、毋固、毋我。
The Master was entirely free from four things, namely, supposition, predetermination, obstination and self-assertion.

9.5. 子畏於匡，曰：“文王既沒，文不在茲乎？天之將喪斯文也，後死者不得與於斯文也；天之未喪斯文也，匡人其如予何？”
When detained at Kuang, the Master said, "After the death of King Wen. I am entrusted with keeping culture from perishing. If Heaven would destroy culture, how could those who die after King Wen know what culture is. If Heaven would not destroy it, what harm could the people of Kuang do to me?"

9.6. 太宰問於子貢曰：“夫子聖者與，何其多能也？”子貢曰：“固天縱之將聖，又多能也。”子聞之，曰：“太宰知我乎？吾少也賤，故多能鄙事。君子多乎哉？不多也。”
A high officer asked Zi Gong whether his Master was a sage and how he could be so versatile. Zi Gong said that his Master was born a sage, so he was versatile in many arts. Hearing of this, the Master said, "Does the high officer know me? While young, I was poor and humble, so I had to be versatile to earn a living. Does an intelligentleman need to be versatile in arts? No, there is no need."

9.7. 牢曰：“子雲：‘吾不試，故藝。’”
It was said by Lao that the Master said, "Notnemployed as an officer, I had to be versatile in arts."

9.8. 子曰：“吾有知乎哉？無知也。有鄙夫問於我，空空如也。我叩其兩端而竭焉。”
Am I endowed with knowledge? said the Master. I am not. When a simpleton came to ask me a question, I was as empty as he was. But when I considered the props and the cons of the question, I got an answer in the end.

9.9. 子曰：“鳳鳥不至，河不出圖，吾已矣夫！”
No prodigeous phoenix would appear, said the Master, nor would the picturesque portant emerge on the River. What could I do?

9.10. 子見齊衰者、冕衣裳者與瞽者，見之，雖少，必作，過之必趨。
Seeing a man in mourning or in ceremonial dress, or meeting with a blind man, though they were young, the Master would rise. Passing by them, he would quicken his steps.

9.11. 顏淵喟然歎曰：“仰之彌高，鑽之彌堅。瞻之在前，忽焉在後。夫子循循然善誘人，博我以文，約我以禮，欲罷不能。既竭吾才，如有所立卓爾，雖欲從之，末由也已。”
Yan Yuan said with a deep sigh, "Looking up, I find our Master high above. Digging into his word, I find it firm down below. His image appears before me, but suddenly it emerges behind. Our Master leads us forward step by step, broadens our mind with culture and regulates our conduct with the rules of propriety. How could I stop learning from him? When I have made the most of my ability, it seems that I could stand, but when I try to follow him, I find myself at a loss far behind."

9.12. 子疾病，子路使門人為臣。病間，曰：“久矣哉，由之行詐也！無臣而為有臣，吾誰欺？欺天乎？且予與其死於臣之手也，無寧死於二三子之手乎！且予縱不得大葬，予死於道路乎？”
When the Master was very ill, Zi Lu asked some disciples to act as official mourners. Convalescent, the Master said, "Zi Lu has deceived me for long. Pretending to have official mourners when I am not qualified to, whom could I deceive? Could I deceive Heaven? Would it be better to die in the hands of official mourners than in those of my disciples? Even if I cannot get an official burial, could I be abandoned by the roadside?"

9.13. 子貢曰：“有美玉於斯，韞櫝而藏諸？求善賈而沽諸？”子曰：“沽之哉，沽之哉！我待賈者也。”
Zi Gong said, "If there is a beautiful gem here, should I hide it in a box or sell it to a connoisseur?" The Master said, "Sell it, sell it! I am one waiting for a connoisseur."

9.14. 子欲居九夷。 或曰：“陋，如之何？”子曰：“君子居之，何陋之有！”
The Master wanted to settle among the nine barbarian tribes. When asked how he could settle among such backward people, the Master said, "How could a place be backward where settled an intelligentleman?"

9.15. 子曰：“吾自衛反魯，然後樂正，《雅》、《頌》各得其所。”
Since my return from Wei to Lu, said the Master, I have revised the Book of Music and put Odes and Hymns in their proper place.

9.16. 子曰：“出則事公卿，入則事父兄，喪事不敢不勉，不為酒困，何有於我哉？”
At court, said the Master, I have served the duke and his ministers; at home, my father and elders. I dare not neglect the mourning service, nor am I indulged in wine. What else should I care?

9.17. 子在川上曰：“逝者如斯夫！不舍晝夜。”
Standing by a stream, the Master said, "Time passes away night and day like running water."

9.18. 子曰：“吾未見好德如好色者也。”
I have never seen a man, said the Master, who loves his duty more than beauty.

9.19. 子曰：“譬如為山，未成一簣，止，吾止也；譬如平地，雖覆一簣，進，吾往也。”
If ordered, said the Master, to stop bringing the last basketful of earth to raise a mound, I would stop. If ordered to proceed after bringing the first basketful of earth to level a ground, I would proceed.

9.20. 子曰：“語之而不惰者，其回也與！”
It was only Yan Yuan, said the Master, who would listen to me without getting tired.

9.21. 子謂顏淵，曰：“惜乎！吾見其進也，未見其止也。”
The Master said of the death of Yan Yuan, "Alas! I saw him ever advance, and never stop in his progress."

9.22. 子曰：“苗而不秀者有矣夫，秀而不實者有矣夫。”
There are shoots, said the Master, which spring up but do not flower, and others which flower but do not bear fruit.

9.23. 子曰：“後生可畏，焉知來者之不如今也？四十、五十而無聞焉，斯亦不足畏也已。”
Respect the young, said the Master. How can you foretell they will not do better than you? If they have no achievement at forty or fifty, then you need not be afraid of them.

9.24. 子曰：“法語之言，能無從乎？改之為貴。巽與之言，能無說乎？繹之為貴。說而不繹，從而不改，吾末如之何也已矣。”
Can we not follow, said the Master, the rules of propriety? It is important to change our ways when they are against the rules. Can we not be pleased with good advice? But it is important to analyse it. What can I do with a man pleased without analysis, or following without reform?

9.25. 子曰：“主忠信。毋友不如己者，過，則勿憚改。”
It is essential, said the Master, to be truthful and faithful, to befriend one's equals and be not afraid to admit and amend one's faults. (Cf. 1.8.)

9.26. 子曰：“三軍可奪帥也，匹夫不可奪志也。”
The three armies, said the Master, may be deprived of their commander-in-chief, but the common people cannot be deprived of his opinion.

9.27. 子曰：“衣敝縕袍，與衣狐貉者立而不耻者，其由也與！‘不忮不求，何用不臧？’”子路終身誦之，子曰：“是道也，何足以臧？”
The Master said, "It is Zi Lu who is not ashamed to stand in rags beside one in furs." Zi Lu recited the following verse all his life long: "For nothing would he long. Will he do what is wrong?" The Master said, "The truth contained in this verse is not worth treasuring so much."

9.28. 子曰：“歲寒，然後知松柏之後凋也。”
Only in the coldest weather, said the Master, can we realize that the pine and the cypress are the last to lose their leaves.

9.29. 子曰：“知者不惑，仁者不憂，勇者不懼。”
The wise, said the Master, are free from doubt; the good, from worry; and the brave, from fear.

9.30. 子曰：“可與共學，未可與適道；可與適道，未可與立；可與立，未可與權。”
One who studies together with you, said the Master, may not put what he studies into practice; another who puts it into practice may not get established; and a third who gets established may not share weal and woe with you.

9.31. “唐棣之華，偏其反而。豈不爾思？室是遠爾。”子曰：“未之思也，夫何遠之有。”
"Cherry flowers in view so swift back and forth sway. Do I not think of you? Your house is far away." The Master said, "He did not think of his friend, or how can it be so far away?"

Part Eight : Ancient evaluation | Part Ten : Mannerism