The Sayings Of Confucius Part 10

12. Tzu-kung said, If I had here a fair piece of jade, should I hide it away in a case, or seek a good price and sell it?

Sell it, sell it! said the Master. I tarry for my price.

13. The Master wished to dwell among the nine tribes.[85]

[Footnote 85: In the east of Shantung.]

One said, They are low; how could ye?

The Master said, Wherever a gentleman lives, will there be anything low?

14. The Master said. After I came back from Wei to Lu the music was set straight and each song found its place.

15. The Master said, To serve dukes and ministers abroad and father and brothers at home; in matters of mourning not to dare to be slack; and to be no thrall to wine: to which of these have I won?

16. As he stood by a stream, the Master said, Hasting away like this, day and night, without stop!

17. The Master said, I have seen no one that loves mind as he loves looks.

18. The Master said, In making a mound, if I stop when one more basket would finish it, I stop. When flattening ground, if, after overturning one basket, I go on, I go ahead.

19. The Master said, Never listless when spoken to, such was Hui.[86]

20. Speaking of Yen Yuan, the Master said, The pity of it! I saw him go on, but I never saw him stop!

21. The Master said, Some sprouts do not blossom, some blossoms bear no fruit!

22. The Master said, Awe is due to youth. May not to-morrow be bright as to-day? To men of forty or fifty, who are still unknown, no awe is due.

23. The Master said, Who would not give ear to a downright word? But to mend is better. Who would not be pleased by a guiding word? But to think it out is better. With such as are pleased but do not think out, or who listen but do not mend, I can do nothing.

24. The Master said, Put faithfulness and truth first; have no friends unlike thyself; be not ashamed to mend thy faults.

25. The Master said, Three armies may be robbed of their leader, no wretch can be robbed of his will.

26. The Master said, Yu[87] is the man to stand, clad in a worn-out quilted gown, unashamed, amid robes of fox and badger!

Without hatred or greed, What but good does he do?

But when Tzu-lu was everlastingly humming these words, the Master said, This is the way towards it, but how much short of goodness itself!

[Footnote 86: Yen Yuan.]

[Footnote 87: Tzu-lu.]

27. The Master said, Erst the cold days show how fir and cypress are last to fade.

28. The Master said, Wisdom has no doubts; love does not fret; the bold have no fears.

29. The Master said, With some we can learn together, but we cannot go their way; we can go the same way with others, though our standpoint is not the same; and with some, though our standpoint is the same our weights and scales are not.

30.

The blossoms of the plum tree Are dancing in play; My thoughts are with thee, In thy home far away.

The Master said, Her thoughts were not with him, or how could he be far away?

BOOK X

1. Among his own country folk Confucius wore a homely look, like one that has no word to say.

In the ancestral temple and at court his speech was full, but cautious.

2. At court he talked frankly to men of low rank, winningly to men of high rank. When the king was there, he looked intent and solemn.

3. When the king bade him receive guests, his face seemed to change and his legs to bend. He bowed left and right to those beside him, straightened his robes in front and behind, and swept forward, with arms spread like wings. When the guest had left, he brought back word, saying, The guest is no longer looking.

4. As he went in at the palace gate he stooped, as though it were too low for him. He did not stand in the middle of the gate, or step on the threshold.

When he pa.s.sed the throne, his face seemed to change and his legs to bend: he spake with bated breath. As he went up the hall to audience, he lifted his robes, bowed his back, and masked his breathing till it seemed to stop. As he came down, he relaxed his face below the first step and looked pleased. From the foot of the steps he swept forward with arms spread like wings; and when he was back in his seat, he looked intent as before.

5. When he carried the sceptre, his back bent, as under too heavy a burden; he lifted it no higher than in bowing and no lower than in making a gift. His face changed, as it will with fear, and he dragged his feet, as though they were fettered.

When he offered his present his manner was formal; but at the private audience he was cheerful.

6. The gentleman was never decked in violet or mauve; even at home he would not wear red or purple.

In hot weather he wore an unlined linen gown, but always over other clothes.

With lamb-skin he wore black, with fawn, white, and with fox-skin, yellow. At home he wore a long fur gown, with the right sleeve short.

His nightgown was always half as long again as his body.

In the house he wore thick fur, of fox or badger.

When he was not in mourning there was nothing missing from his girdle.

Except for sacrificial dress, he was sparing of stuff.

He did not wear lamb's fur, or a black cap, on a mourning visit.

At the new moon he always put on court dress and went to court.

7. On his days of abstinence he always wore linen clothes of a pale colour; and he changed his food and moved from his wonted seat.