Yan Yuan

子曰，吾与回言终日，不违，如愚。退而省其私，亦足以发，回也不愚。

The Master said, "I have talked with Hui for a whole day, and he has not made any objection to anything I said;—as if he were stupid. He has retired, and I have examined his conduct when away from me, and found him able to illustrate my teachings. Hui!—He is not stupid."

子谓子贡曰，女与回也，孰愈。对曰，赐也，何敢望回，回也，闻一以知十，赐也，闻一以知二。子曰，弗如也，吾与女，弗如也。

1. The Master said to Tsze-kung, "Which do you consider superior, yourself or Hui?" 2. Tsze-kung replied, "How dare I compare myself with Hui? Hui hears one point and knows all about a subject; I hear one point, and know a second." 3. The Master said, "You are not equal to him. I grant you, you are not equal to him."

颜渊季路侍。子曰，盍各言尔志。子路曰，愿车马，衣轻裘，与朋友共，蔽之而无憾。颜渊曰，愿无伐善，无施劳。子路曰，愿闻子之志。子曰，老者安之，朋友信之，少者怀之。

1. Yen Yuan and Chi Lu being by his side, the Master said to them, "Come, let each of you tell his wishes." 2. Tsze-lu said, "I should like, having chariots and horses, and light fur dresses, to share them with my friends, and though they should spoil them, I would not be displeased." 3. Yen Yuan said, "I should like not to boast of my excellence, nor to make a display of my meritorious deeds." 4. Tsze-lu then said, "I should like, sir, to hear your wishes." The Master said, "They are, in regard to the aged, to give them rest; in regard to friends, to show them sincerity; in regard to the young, to treat them tenderly."

哀公问弟子孰为好学。孔子对曰，有颜回者好学，不迁怒，不贰过，不幸短命死矣，今也则亡，未闻好学者也。

1. The Duke Ai asked which of the disciples loved to learn. 2.Confucius replied to him, "There was Yen Hui; he loved to learn. He did not transfer his anger; he did not repeat a fault. Unfortunately, his appointed time was short and he died; and now there is not such another. I have not yet heard of any one who loves to learn as he did."

子曰，回也，其心三月不违仁，其余，则日月至焉而已矣。

The Master said, "Such was Hui that for three months there would be nothing in his mind contrary to perfect virtue. The others may attain to this on some days or in some months, but nothing more."

子曰，贤哉回也，一箪食，一瓢飮，在陋巷，人不堪其忧，回也不改其乐，贤哉回也。

The Master said, "Admirable indeed was the virtue of Hui! With a single bamboo dish of rice, a single gourd dish of drink, and living in his mean narrow lane, while others could not have endured the distress, he did not allow his joy to be affected by it. Admirable indeed was the virtue of Hui!"

子谓颜渊曰，用之则行，舍之则藏，惟我与尔有是夫。子路曰，子行三军则谁与。子曰，暴虎冯河，死而无悔者，吾不与也，必也临事而惧，好谋而成者也。

1. The Master said to Yen Yuan, "When called to office, to undertake its duties; when not so called, to lie retired;—it is only I and you who have attained to this." 2. Tsze-lu said, "If you had the conduct of the armies of a great State, whom would you have to act with you?" 3. The Master said, "I would not have him to act with me, who will unarmed attack a tiger, or cross a river without a boat, dying without any regret. My associate must be the man who proceeds to action full of solicitude, who is fond of adjusting his plans, and then carries them into execution."

颜渊喟然叹曰，仰之弥高，钻之弥坚，瞻之在前，忽焉在后。夫子循循然善诱人，博我以文，约我以礼。欲罢不能，既竭吾才，如有所立卓尔，虽欲从之，末由也已。

1. Yen Yuan, in admiration of the Master's doctrines, sighed and said, "I looked up to them, and they seemed to become more high; I tried to penetrate them, and they seemed to become more firm; I looked at them before me, and suddenly they seemed to be behind. 2. "The Master, by orderly method, skilfully leads men on. He enlarged my mind with learning, and taught me the restraints of propriety. 3. "When I wish to give over the study of his doctrines, I cannot do so, and having exerted all my ability, there seems something to stand right up before me; but though I wish to follow and lay hold of it, I really find no way to do so."

子曰，语之而不惰者，其回也与。

The Master said, "Never flagging when I set forth anything to him;—ah! that is Hui."

子谓颜渊曰，惜乎，吾见其进也，未见其止也。

The Master said of Yen Yuan, "Alas! I saw his constant advance. I never saw him stop in his progress."

子曰，从我于陈蔡者，皆不及门也。德行，颜渊，闵子骞，冉伯牛，仲弓。言语，宰我，子贡。政事，冉有，季路。文学，子游，子夏。

1. The Master said, "Of those who were with me in Ch'an and Ts'ai, there are none to be found to enter my door." 2. Distinguished for their virtuous principles and practice, there were Yen Yuan, Min Tsze-ch'ien, Zan Po-niu, and Chung-kung; for their ability in speech, Tsai Wo and Tsze-kung; for their administrative talents, Zan Yu and Chi Lu; for their literary acquirements, Tsze-yu and Tsze-hsia.

子曰，回也，非助我者也，于吾言，无所不说。

The Master said, "Hui gives me no assistance. There is nothing that I say in which he does not delight."

季康子问弟子孰为好学。孔子对曰，有颜回者好学，不幸短命死矣，今也则亡。

Chi K'ang asked which of the disciples loved to learn. Confucius replied to him, "There was Yen Hui; he loved to learn. Unfortunately his appointed time was short, and he died. Now there is no one who loves to learn, as he did."

颜渊死，颜路请子之车，以为之椁。子曰，才不才，亦各言其子也，鲤也死，有棺而无椁，吾不徒行以为之椁，以吾从大夫之后，不可徒行也。

1. When Yen Yuan died, Yen Lu begged the carriage of the Master to sell and get an outer shell for his son's coffin. 2. The Master said, "Every one calls his son his son, whether he has talents or has not talents. There was Li; when he died, he had a coffin but no outer shell. I would not walk on foot to get a shell for him, because, having followed in the rear of the great officers, it was not proper that I should walk on foot."

颜渊死，子曰，噫，天丧予，天丧予。

When Yen Yuan died, the Master said, "Alas! Heaven is destroying me! Heaven is destroying me!"

颜渊死，子哭之恸，从者曰，子恸矣。曰，有恸乎。非夫人之为恸而谁为。

1. When Yen Yuan died, the Master bewailed him exceedingly, and the disciples who were with him said, "Master, your grief is excessive?" 2. "Is it excessive?" said he. 3. "If I am not to mourn bitterly for this man, for whom should I mourn?"

颜渊死，门人欲厚葬之。子曰，不可。门人厚葬之。子曰，回也，视予犹父也，予不得视犹子也，非我也，夫二三子也。

1. When Yen Yuan died, the disciples wished to give him a great funeral, and the Master said, "You may not do so." 2. The disciples did bury him in great style. 3. The Master said, "Hui behaved towards me as his father. I have not been able to treat him as my son. The fault is not mine; it belongs to you, O disciples."

子曰，回也其庶乎屡空。赐不受命，而货殖焉，亿则屡中。

1. The Master said, "There is Hui! He has nearly attained to perfect virtue. He is often in want. 2. "Ts'ze does not acquiesce in the appointments of Heaven, and his goods are increased by him. Yet his judgments are often correct."

子畏于匡，颜渊后，子曰，吾以女为死矣。曰，子在，回何敢死。

The Master was put in fear in K'wang and Yen Yuan fell behind. The Master, on his rejoining him, said, "I thought you had died." Hui replied, "While you were alive, how should I presume to die?"

颜渊问仁。子曰，克己复礼为仁，一日克己复礼，天下归仁焉，为仁由己，而由人乎哉。颜渊曰，请问其目。子曰，非礼勿视，非礼勿听，非礼勿言，非礼勿动。颜渊曰，回虽不敏，请事斯语矣。

1. Yen Yuan asked about perfect virtue. The Master said, "To subdue one's self and return to propriety, is perfect virtue. If a man can for one day subdue himself and return to propriety, all under heaven will ascribe perfect virtue to him. Is the practice of perfect virtue from a man himself, or is it from others?" 2. Yen Yuan said, "I beg to ask the steps of that process." The Master replied, "Look not at what is contrary to propriety; listen not to what is contrary to propriety; speak not what is contrary to propriety; make no movement which is contrary to propriety." Yen Yuan then said, "Though I am deficient in intelligence and vigour, I will make it my business to practise this lesson."

颜渊问为邦。子曰，行夏之时，乘殷之辂，服周之冕，乐则韶舞。放郑声，远佞人。郑声淫，佞人殆。

1. Yen Yuan asked how the government of a country should be administered. 2. The Master said, "Follow the seasons of Hsia.