Book 15: 《衛靈公》 Wei Ling Gong (Duke Ling of Wey)
《衛靈公》 Passage 15.11
Legge Translation (1861)
Yan Yuan asked how the government of a country should be administered.The Master said: "Follow the seasons of Xia.
Ride in the state carriage of Yin.
Wear the ceremonial cap of Zhou.
Let the music be the Shao with its pantomimes.
Banish the songs of Zheng, and keep far from specious talkers. The songs of Zheng are licentious; specious talkers are dangerous."
Word by word
- 顏淵 yán yuān
Yan Yuan (Yan Hui), disciple of Confucius
- 顏 surname Yan
- 淵 Yuan, courtesy-name element in 顏淵; Yan Hui's given name is 回, his courtesy name 子淵
- 問 wèn
to ask, inquire
- 為邦 wéi bāng
to govern a state, administer a country
- 為 to govern, administer
- 邦 a state, country
- 子曰 zǐ yuē
the Master said
- 子 Master, respectful title for Confucius
- 曰 said, spoke
- 行 xíng
to follow, put into practice
- 夏 xià
Xia, the Xia dynasty
- 之 zhī
possessive/modifying particle: of
- 時 shí
calendar, seasonal reckoning
- 乘 chéng
to ride in
- 殷 yīn
Yin (Shang), the Yin dynasty
- 之 zhī
possessive/modifying particle: of
- 輅 lù
state carriage, ceremonial chariot
- 服 fú
to wear
- 周 zhōu
Zhou, the Zhou dynasty
- 之 zhī
possessive/modifying particle: of
- 冕 miǎn
ceremonial cap, crown
- 樂 yuè
music
- 則 zé
topic particle: as for...then
Translators split between a plain topic marker ('as for') and a verb of adoption ('let it be, adopt, follow the model of').
- 韶舞 sháo wǔ
Shao and Wu, the sanctioned ceremonial music/dance pieces
- 韶 Shao, the music/dance of the sage-king Shun
- 舞 Wu, a court music/dance piece paired with Shao
Two readings. 孔安國 (in 何晏) and 朱熹 gloss only 韶, Shun's music, taking 舞 as its dance (so Legge 'the Shao with its pantomimes', Roberts); 劉寶楠 and 楊伯峻 read 舞 as 武, the music of King Wu, giving the two canonical pieces (so Slingerland, Peimin Ni, Ames & Rosemont, Lau, Watson, Chin).
- 放 fàng
to banish, put away, get rid of
- 鄭聲 zhèng shēng
the music/tunes of Zheng
- 鄭 Zheng, a state name
- 聲 sound, music
The music of Zheng was proverbial in the Analects as decadent, contrasted with the canonical Shao and Wu.
- 遠 yuǎn
to keep at a distance, avoid
- 佞人 nìng rén
glib people, flatterers
- 佞 glib, flattering
- 人 person, people
- 鄭聲 zhèng shēng
the music/tunes of Zheng
- 鄭 Zheng, a state name
- 聲 sound, music
- 淫 yín
licentious, excessive, wanton
- 佞人 nìng rén
glib people, flatterers
- 佞 glib, flattering
- 人 person, people
- 殆 dài
dangerous, perilous
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