Book 3: 《八佾》 Ba Yi (Eight Rows)
《八佾》 Passage 3.19
Legge Translation (1861)
The Duke Ding asked how a prince should employ his ministers, and how ministers should serve their prince. Confucius replied: "A prince should employ his minister according to the rules of propriety; ministers should serve their prince with faithfulness."Word by word
- 定公 dìng gōng
Duke Ding, ruler of the state of Lu
- 定 to fix, settle; here a naming syllable, Duke Ding of Lu
- 公 duke, ruler's title; here Duke Ding of Lu
- 問 wèn
asked, inquired
- 君 jūn
ruler, lord, a state's sovereign
- 使 shǐ
employ, direct in service
- 臣 chén
minister, subject, in service to a ruler
- 臣 chén
minister, subject, as one who serves a ruler
- 事君 shì jūn
serve one's ruler, be in the service of one's lord
- 事 to serve, be in the service of
- 君 ruler, lord
- 如之何 rú zhī hé
how, in what way, interrogative
- 如 to be like, to treat as
- 之 pronoun: it, this, referring to the matter at hand
- 何 what, why, how, interrogative
Lau renders literally as 'what is the way'
- 孔子 kǒng zǐ
Confucius, Master Kong
- 孔 surname element in Confucius, Master Kong
- 子 master, honorific title; here in the name Confucius
- 對曰 duì yuē
replied, answered a superior's question
- 對 to reply, respond, to a superior's question
- 曰 said, spoke
- 君 jūn
ruler, lord, a state's sovereign
- 使 shǐ
employ, direct in service
- 臣 chén
minister, subject, in service to a ruler
- 以 yǐ
by means of, according to
- 禮 lǐ
ritual propriety, the proper forms of conduct
pairs with 忠 (index 34): ritual propriety from the ruler answers loyalty from the minister
- 臣 chén
minister, subject, as one who serves a ruler
- 事君 shì jūn
serve one's ruler, be in the service of one's lord
- 事 to serve, be in the service of
- 君 ruler, lord
- 以 yǐ
by means of, according to
- 忠 zhōng
loyalty, doing one's utmost for one's ruler
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