Book 9: 《子罕》 Zi Han (Seldom Spoke)
《子罕》 Passage 9.3
Legge Translation (1861)
The Master said: "The linen cap is that prescribed by the rules of ceremony, but now a silk one is worn. It is economical, and I follow the common practice.The rules of ceremony prescribe the bowing below the hall, but now the practice is to bow only after ascending it. That is arrogant. I continue to bow below the hall, though I oppose the common practice."
Word by word
- 子曰 zǐ yuē
the Master said
- 子 the Master, honorific title for Confucius
- 曰 said, spoke
- 麻冕 má miǎn
hemp cap, linen ceremonial cap
- 麻 hemp, linen (the fabric)
- 冕 ceremonial cap, ritual headdress
Names a specific ritual cap prescribed by the rites, distinct from the silk cap that later replaced it.
- 禮 lǐ
ritual, the rites
- 也 yě
sentence-final particle of assertion
English forms the predication ('X is Y') with the copula 'is', so the particle's grammatical work is done by syntax rather than by a separate word.
- 今 jīn
now, nowadays
- 也 yě
topic-marking pause particle
Marks 今 as a fronted topic ('as for now...').
- 純 chún
silk, silk cloth
純 is silk (孔安國 in the 集解 and 朱熹: 純，絲也); 鄭玄 read it as 緇, black silk, which is why Lau, Roberts and Chin have 'black silk'.
- 儉 jiǎn
frugal, economical
- 吾 wú
I, me
- 從 cóng
to follow, go along with
- 眾 zhòng
the majority, most people
- 拜 bài
to bow, prostrate oneself in obeisance
- 下 xià
below, at the bottom (of the hall or stairs)
下 can be read spatially (bowing at the foot of the stairs) or temporally (bowing before ascending); translators split between the two readings.
- 禮 lǐ
ritual, the rites
- 也 yě
sentence-final particle of assertion
English forms the predication ('X is Y') with the copula 'is', so the particle's grammatical work is done by syntax rather than by a separate word.
- 今 jīn
now, nowadays
- 拜 bài
to bow, prostrate oneself in obeisance
- 乎 hū
locative coverb: at, on, above
Functions like 於, marking where the bow occurs.
- 上 shàng
above — here 堂上, up in the hall, i.e. after the ascent; in contrast with 下, below the hall
上 can be read spatially (bowing above, at the top) or verbally (bowing after ascending); translators split between the two readings.
- 泰 tài
arrogant, presumptuous, excessive
泰 denotes overstepping proper ritual restraint; most translators read it as arrogance or presumption, though Lau reads it as mere casualness.
- 也 yě
sentence-final particle of assertion
English forms the predication ('X is Y') with the copula 'is', so the particle's grammatical work is done by syntax rather than by a separate word.
- 雖 suī
although, even though
- 違 wéi
to go against, act contrary to, defy
- 眾 zhòng
the majority, most people
- 吾 wú
I, me
- 從 cóng
to follow, adhere to (the practice of bowing below)
the same verb as in 吾從眾 above: Confucius follows the majority in one case and the rite in the other; Legge, Slingerland, Peimin Ni and Chin render the clause with 'continue' or 'still', Lau and Watson keep 'follow'.
- 下 xià
below, at the bottom (of the hall or stairs)
下 can be read spatially (bowing at the foot of the stairs) or temporally (bowing before ascending); translators split between the two readings.
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