The Lunyu ("Theoretical Discussions") is one of the Four Books (Sishu 四書) that belong to the main corpus of Confucian writings. This book is a collection of sayings and teachings of Confucius (Kongzi 孔子; trad. 551-479 BC) himself, compiled the notes that everyone of his disciples made according to the answers the Master gave to their questions. The collection does not only provide an insight into Kongzi's behaviour but also into his teachings. Not all of the accounts are modeled after a question-and-answer pattern; we find also reports of events of Confucius' life. The main teachings of Confucius target at an ideal government by an enlightened ruler who governs by means of humanity and righteousness (ren 仁 and yi 義). Apart the state's sphere, everybody had to try to become a man of good (junzi 君子). As a shining example of men of virtue and humanity serve the sages of the past, rulers and their ministers.
The Analects comprise twenty chapters, named after the two starting words of each chapter. Han Dynasty 漢 scholars supposed them to be a compilation of Kongzi's disciples Zixia 子夏 and Ziyou 子游, Tang Dynasty 唐 scholars said that it is a compilation of the second generation of disciples, Zengzi 曾子 and Youzi 有子. Modern scholars instead assume that is has been compiled during late Zhou 周 and early Han dynasties.
The chapters of the Analects are:

1.學而 Xue Er "Learning" 2.為政 Wei Zheng "Exercising Government" 3.八佾 Ba Yi "Eight Pantomimes" 4.里仁 Li Ren "Virtuous Manners in Neighborhood" 5.公冶長 Gongye Chang 6.雍也 Yong Ye "There is Yong" 7.述而 Shu Er "Transmitting" 8.泰伯 The Great Count Taibo 9.子罕 Zi Han "What the Master seldom speaks of" 10.鄉黨 Xiang Dang "In the village" 11.先進 Xian Jin "Men of Former Times" 12.顏淵 Disciple Yan Yuan 13.子路 Disciple Zilu 14.憲問 Xian Wen "Xian Asked" 15.衛靈公 Duke Wei Linggong 16.季氏 Ji Shi "The Head of the Ji Clan" 17.陽貨 Yang Huo 18.衛子 Wei Zi "The Viscount of Wei" 19.子張 Disciple Zizhang 20.堯曰 Yao Yue "Yao said"

There exist many translations in every European language, but we choose the traditional one by James Legge.

１．１．子曰：「學而時習之，不亦說乎﹖有朋自遠方來，不亦樂乎﹖人不知而不 慍，不亦君子乎﹖」
The Master said, "Is it not pleasant to learn with a constant perseverance and application? Is it not delightful to have friends coming distant quarters? Is he not a man of complete virtue, who feels no discomposure though men may take no note of him?"

３．９．子曰：「夏禮，吾能言之，杞不足徵也；殷禮，吾能言之，宋不足徵也。文 獻不足故也，足則吾能徵之矣。」
The Master said, "I could describe the ceremonies of the Xia dynasty, but Qi [the town where the descendants of the Xia rulers lived] cannot sufficiently attest my words. I could describe the ceremonies of the Yin [Shang] dynasty, but Song [the town where the descendants of the Shang dynasty lived] cannot sufficiently attest my words. They cannot do so because of the insufficiency of their records and wise men. If those were sufficient, I could adduce them in support of my words."

７．１．子曰：「述而不作，信而好古，竊比於我老彭。」
The Master said, "A transmitter and not a maker, believing in and loving the ancients, I venture to compare myself with our of Peng [Laozi? another Taoist teacher names Pengzu? or Peng Xian, a mythical scribe of the Shang dynasty?]."

７．１８．子所雅言：《詩》、《書》、執禮，皆雅言也。
The Master's frequent themes of discourse were the Odes, the History, and the maintenance of the Rules of Propriety. On all these he frequently discoursed.

７．２２．子曰：「三人行，必有我師焉！擇其善者而從之，其不善者而改之。」
The Master said, "When I walk along with two others, they may serve me as my teachers. I will select their good qualities and follow them, their bad qualities and avoid them."

１０．１．孔子於鄉黨，恂恂如也，似不能言者．其在宗廟朝廷，便便言，唯謹爾．
朝，與下大夫言，侃侃如也；與上大夫言，誾誾如也．君在，踧踖如也．與與如也．
Confucius, in his village, looked simple and sincere, and as if he were not able to speak. When he was in the prince's ancestral temple, or in the court, he spoke minutely on every point, but cautiously. When he was waiting at court, in speaking with the great officers of the lower grade, he spoke freely, but in a straightforward manner; in speaking with those of the higher grade, he did so blandly, but precisely. When the ruler was present, his manner displayed respectful uneasiness; it was grave, but self-possessed.

１０．６．君子不以紺緅飾．紅紫不以為褻服．當暑，袗絺綌，必表而出之．緇衣羔裘，素衣麑裘，黃衣狐裘．褻裘長．短右袂．狐貉之厚以居．去喪，無所不佩．非帷裳，必殺之．羔裘玄冠不以弔．
The superior man did not use a deep purple, or a puce color, in the ornaments of his dress. Even in his undress, he did not wear anything of a red or reddish color. In warm weather, he had a single garment either of coarse or fine texture, but he wore it displayed over an inner garment. Over lamb's fur he wore a garment of black; over fawn's fur one of white; and over fox's fur one of yellow. The fur robe of his undress was long, with the right sleeve short. He required his sleeping dress to be half as long again as his body. When staying at home, he used thick furs of the fox or the badger. When he put off mourning, he wore all the appendages of the girdle. His undergarment, except when it was required to be of the curtain shape, was made of silk cut narrow above and wide below. He did not wear lamb's fur or a black cap on a visit of condolence.

１０．８．食不厭精，膾不厭細．食饐而餲，魚餒而肉敗，不食．色惡，不食．臭惡，不食．失飪，不食．不時，不食．割不正，不食．不得其醬，不食．肉雖多，不使勝食氣．惟酒無量，不及亂．
He did not dislike to have his rice finely cleaned, nor to have his mince meat cut quite small. He did not eat rice which had been injured by heat or damp and turned sour, nor fish or flesh which was gone. He did not eat what was discolored, or what was of a bad flavor, nor anything which was ill-cooked, or was not in season. He did not eat meat which was not cut properly, nor what was served without its proper sauce. Though there might be a large quantity of meat, he would not allow what he took to exceed the due proportion for the rice. It was only in wine that he laid down no limit for himself, but he did not allow himself to be confused by it.

１２．１．顏淵問仁。子曰：「克己復禮為仁。一日克己復禮，天下歸仁焉。為仁由 己，而由人乎哉﹖」顏淵曰：「請問其目。」子曰：「非禮勿視，非禮勿聽，非 禮勿言，非禮勿動。」顏淵曰：「回雖不敏，請事斯語矣！」
Yan Yuan asked about perfect virtue. The Master said, "To subdue one's self and return to propriety, is perfect virtue. If a man can for one day subdue himself and return to propriety, all under heaven will ascribe perfect virtue to him. Is the practice of perfect virtue a man himself, or is it others?" Yan Yuan said, "I beg to ask the steps of that process." The Master replied, "Look not at what is contrary to propriety; speak not what is contrary to propriety; make no movement which is contrary to propriety." Yan Yuan then said, "Though I am deficient in intelligence and vigour, I will make it my business to practise this lesson."

１２．１１．齊景公問政於孔子，孔子對曰：「君君、臣臣、父父、子子。」公曰：「善哉！信如君不君，臣不臣、父不父、子不子，雖有粟，吾得而食諸﹖」
Duke Jing of Qi asked Confucius about government. Confucius replied, "THere is government, when prince is prince, and the minister is minister; when the father is father, and the son is son." "Good", said the duke, "if indeed; the prince be not prince, the minister not minister, the father not father, and the son not son, although I have my revenue, can I enjoy it [in spite of insubordinate officers]?"

１３．３．子路曰：「衛君待子而蚌，子將奚先﹖」子曰：「必也正名乎！」子路曰 ：「有是哉，子之迂也！奚其正﹖」子曰：「野哉，由也！君子於其所不知，蓋 闕如也。名不正，則言不；言不，則事不成；事不成，則禮樂不興；禮樂不興， 則刑罰不中；刑罰不中，則民無所措手足。故君子名之必可言也，言之必可行也 。君子於其言，無所苟而已矣！」
Zilu said, "The ruler of Wei has been waiting for you, in order with you to administer the government. What will you consicer the first thing to be done?" The Master replied, "What is necessary is to rectify names." "So, indeed!" said Zilu. "You are wide of the mark! Why must there be such rectification?" The Master said, "How uncultivated are you, You! A superior man, in regard to what he does not know, shows a cautious reserve. If names be not correct, language is not in accordance with the truth of things. If language be not in accordance with the truth of things, affairs cannot be carried on to success. When affairs cannot be carried on to success, proprieties and music will not flourish. When proprieties and music do not flourish, punishments will not be properly awarded. When punishments are not properly awarded, the people do not know now to move hand or foot. Therefore a superior man considers it necessary that the names he uses may be spoken appropriately, and also that what he speaks may be carried out appropriately. What the superior man requires, is just that in his words there may be nothing incorrect."

１７．９．子曰：「小子！何莫學夫《詩》﹖《詩》可以興，可以觀，可以群，可以怨。邇之事父，遠之事君。多識於鳥獸草木之名。」
The Master said, "My children, why do you not study the Book of Poetry? The Odes serve to stimulate the mind. They may be used for purposes of self-contemplation. They teach the art of sociability. They show how to regulate feelings of resentment. them you learn the more immediate duty of serving one's father, and the remoter one of serving one's prince. them we become largely acquainted with the names of birds, beasts, and plants."

Translated by James Legge