Book 7: 《述而》 Shu Er (Transmission)
《述而》 Passage 7.17
Legge Translation (1861)
The Master said: "If some years were added to my life, I would give fifty to the study of the Yi, and then I might come to be without great faults."Word by word
- 子曰 zǐ yuē
the Master said
- 子 Master, honorific title for Confucius
- 曰 said (introduces direct speech)
- 加 jiā
to add to, grant, bestow
- 我 wǒ
I, me
- 數年 shù nián
a few years, several years
- 數 several, a few (number)
- 年 year
- 五十 wǔ shí
fifty (years of age)
- 五 five
- 十 ten
朱熹's 集注 records an old reading with 假 for 加 and 卒 'in the end' for 五十 (假我數年，卒以學易, 'grant me a few more years and I would in the end study the Changes'); 楊伯峻 keeps 五十 and takes it as the Master's age.
- 以 yǐ
connective marking purpose: so as to, in order to
- 學 xué
to study, learn
- 易 yì
the Book of Changes (Yi Jing)
Text is disputed between 易 (the Book of Changes) and a variant 亦 ('also, still'). Translators split: several give 學 an object naming the Yi or 'the principles of change', while Slingerland and Ames & Rosemont follow the no-object reading and supply an emphatic adverb instead ('surely', 'after all').
- 可以 kě yǐ
can, be able to
- 可 can, may, be able to
- 以 by means of; here reinforces ability: can, may
- 無 wú
without, free of, to lack
- 大過 dà guò
great fault, serious error
- 大 great, serious
- 過 fault, error, transgression
- 矣 yǐ
final particle marking anticipated or resultant state
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