子语鲁大师乐曰，乐其可知也，始作，翕如也，从之，纯如也，缴如也，绎如也，以成。
Modern Chinese Guide
孔子把演奏音乐的道理讲给鲁国的乐官太师听，说：音乐的规律是可以了解的。开始演奏时，各种乐声合起来，气势充盛；接下来，声音纯正和谐，清晰分明，连绵不断，这样一直到乐曲奏完。
James Legge Translation
The Master instructing the grand music-master of Lu said, "How to play music may be known. At the commencement of the piece, all the parts should sound together. As it proceeds, they should be in harmony while severally distinct and flowing without break, and thus on to the conclusion."
Source: James Legge, public domain, 1893.
Notes
- 底本：Wikisource 整理的 James Legge《The Chinese Classics》公版中英文本（1893–1895）。
- 简体化：原文由繁体转为简体（OpenCC），与公版英译逐句对应。
- 白话参考底本：《白话论语读本》，张兆瑢、沈元起编译，上海广益书局1948 年新三版。