Book 9: 《子罕》 Zi Han (Seldom Spoke)
《子罕》 Passage 9.11
Legge Translation (1861)
Yan Yuan, in admiration of the Master's doctrines, sighed and said: "I looked up to them, and they seemed to become more high; I tried to penetrate them, and they seemed to become more firm; I looked at them before me, and suddenly they seemed to be behind.The Master, by orderly method, skillfully leads men on. He enlarged my mind with learning, and taught me the restraints of propriety.
When I wish to give over the study of his doctrines, I cannot do so, and having exerted all my ability, there seems something to stand right up before me; but though I wish to follow and lay hold of it, I really find no way to do so."
Word by word
- 顏淵 yán yuān
Yan Yuan / Yan Hui, Confucius's foremost disciple
- 顏 surname: Yan (of the disciple Yan Hui/Yan Yuan)
- 淵 Yuan, courtesy-name element in 顏淵; Yan Hui's given name is 回, his courtesy name 子淵
Translators vary between his given name Hui and his courtesy name Yuan (Ziyuan).
- 喟然 kuì rán
sighing deeply, heaving a great sigh
- 喟 to heave a sigh, sigh deeply
- 然 adverbial suffix forming a manner adverb: -ly, in such a way
- 歎 tàn
to sigh, exclaim in admiration
- 曰 yuē
to say, said
- 仰 yǎng
to look up at
- 之 zhī
it, referring to the Way
- 彌高 mí gāo
increasingly high, ever loftier
- 彌 increasingly, all the more, ever more
- 高 high, lofty
- 鑽 zuān
to bore into, penetrate deeply
- 之 zhī
it, referring to the Way
- 彌堅 mí jiān
increasingly hard, ever firmer
- 彌 increasingly, all the more, ever more
- 堅 hard, firm, solid
- 瞻 zhān
to look at, gaze upon
- 之 zhī
it, referring to the Way
- 在前 zài qián
in front, ahead
- 在 to be located, be at
- 前 in front, ahead
- 忽焉 hū yān
suddenly, all at once
- 忽 suddenly, unexpectedly
- 焉 adverbial particle marking manner or immediacy: at once, so
- 在後 zài hòu
behind, at the back
- 在 to be located, be at
- 後 behind, at the back
- 夫子 fū zǐ
the Master (Confucius), honorific title
- 夫 he, that one (respectful demonstrative, referring to the Master)
- 子 master, teacher (honorific title suffix)
- 循循然 xún xún rán
gradually, step by step, in due order
- 循 to follow, proceed in order, comply with
- 循 to follow, proceed in order, comply with
- 然 adverbial suffix forming a manner adverb: -ly, in such a way
循 reduplicated plus the adverbial suffix 然 forms a manner adverb: proceeding in gradual, orderly sequence.
- 善 shàn
good at, skilled at
- 誘 yòu
to guide, lead on, draw forward
- 人 rén
people, others
- 博 bó
to broaden, widen, enrich
博...文 and 約...禮 form Confucius's paired teaching formula 博文約禮: broadening through culture, restraining through ritual.
- 我 wǒ
me
- 以 yǐ
by means of, with (coverb marking instrument)
- 文 wén
culture, learning, literary refinement
- 約 yuē
to restrain, bind, keep within bounds
- 我 wǒ
me
- 以 yǐ
by means of, with (coverb marking instrument)
- 禮 lǐ
ritual, rites, proper ceremonial conduct
- 欲 yù
to want, wish to
- 罷 bà
to stop, give up, cease
- 不能 bù néng
cannot, unable to
- 不 not
- 能 to be able, can
- 既 jì
already (marks a completed action)
- 竭 jié
to exhaust, use up completely
- 吾 wú
my, I
- 才 cái
talent, ability, capacity
- 如 rú
as if, as though, it seems
- 有所 yǒu suǒ
there is something that..., there exists that which
- 有 there is, there exists
- 所 nominalizing particle: that which
有所 + verb is a fixed existential-nominalizing frame: 'there is that which V's'; here 有所立 = 'there is something that stands.'
- 立 lì
to stand, rise up, be established
- 卓爾 zhuó ěr
towering, lofty, standing out prominently
- 卓 towering, lofty, outstanding
- 爾 adjectival suffix forming a manner adverb: -ly, so
- 雖 suī
although, even though
- 欲 yù
to want, wish to
- 從 cóng
to follow
- 之 zhī
it, referring to the Way
- 末由 mò yóu
there is no way, nowhere to go
- 末 not, none; there is no
- 由 way, path, means by which
末 negates 由 (path, means by which): 'there is no way (to get there).'
- 也已 yě yǐ
final particles marking resigned assertion: that's all, so it is
- 也 final particle of assertion
- 已 final particle: that's all, only
English closes the sentence with plain declarative syntax and a period.
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