Book 15: 《衛靈公》 Wei Ling Gong (Duke Ling of Wey)
《衛靈公》 Passage 15.7
Legge Translation (1861)
The Master said: "Truly straightforward was the historiographer Yu. When good government prevailed in his State, he was like an arrow. When bad government prevailed, he was like an arrow.A superior man indeed is Qu Boyu! When good government prevails in his State, he is to be found in office. When bad government prevails, he can roll his principles up, and keep them in his breast."
Word by word
- 子曰 zǐ yuē
the Master said
- 子 Master (honorific title for Confucius)
- 曰 said, spoke
- 直 zhí
upright, straightforward in character
- 哉 zāi
exclamatory final particle: how...!, indeed
- 史魚 shǐ yú
proper name: Historian Yu (Shi Yu), a Wey official
- 史 official scribe/annalist; also used as a surname
- 魚 fish; here the second element of the historian's courtesy name Ziyu (子魚), his given name being 鰌
- 邦 bāng
state, country
- 有道 yǒu dào
the state has (follows) the Way, is well governed
- 有 has, possesses
- 道 the Way, moral order; good government
- 如矢 rú shǐ
straight, like an arrow
- 如 like, as
- 矢 arrow
simile for unwavering integrity regardless of circumstance
- 邦 bāng
state, country
- 無道 wú dào
the state lacks the Way, is misgoverned
- 無 lacks, is without
- 道 the Way, moral order; good government
- 如矢 rú shǐ
straight, like an arrow
- 如 like, as
- 矢 arrow
simile for unwavering integrity regardless of circumstance; Roberts merges both occurrences into a single fronted 'Straight as an arrow' governing the 'whether...or' clause
- 君子 jūn zǐ
exemplary person, gentleman
- 君 lord, ruler; 君子 is literally a lord's son
- 子 son; 君子 is literally a lord's son, one of the ruling class, which the Analects makes a term of character
- 哉 zāi
exclamatory final particle: how...!, indeed
- 蘧伯玉 qú bó yù
proper name: Qu Boyu, a Wey official
- 蘧 a surname
- 伯 eldest (birth-order title); a common courtesy-name element
- 玉 jade; here the second element of his courtesy name Boyu (伯玉), his given name being 瑗
- 邦 bāng
state, country
- 有道 yǒu dào
the state has (follows) the Way, is well governed
- 有 has, possesses
- 道 the Way, moral order; good government
- 則 zé
then, in that case (correlative with the preceding 'when' clause)
- 仕 shì
to serve in office, hold office
- 邦 bāng
state, country
- 無道 wú dào
the state lacks the Way, is misgoverned
- 無 lacks, is without
- 道 the Way, moral order; good government
- 則 zé
then, in that case (correlative with the preceding 'when' clause)
- 可 kě
can, is able to, may
- 卷 juǎn
to roll up (metaphor for withdrawing one's talents from public display)
- 而 ér
conjunctive particle: and, and then
- 懷 huái
to hide away, put out of sight
Literally 'to embrace, keep in one's bosom'; Legge and Watson preserve the bosom/breast image directly.
- 之 zhī
it, them (object pronoun referring to his talents/principles)
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