一孔录The video for this chapter is still in production. For now this page gives the original text, the facsimile page, a working translation and the commentary; the full reading follows when the video is out.
子曰：富而可求也，雖執鞭之士，吾亦為之。如不可求，從吾所好。The Master said: If wealth could be sought, I would do it even as a man holding the whip. If it cannot be sought, I follow what I love.
What this chapter says
一孔按：富若能求，执鞭的贱役也肯做；可富贵有命，不是求来的，那就照自己所好走。孔子不是愿为钱低头，是说求不来的东西不值得受辱去求。常有人问：孔子说“富而可求，虽执鞭之士，吾亦为之”，是愿意为钱低头吗？上面是一孔录的回答。
Yikonglu's reading of this chapter is in Chinese for now; the English version comes with the video.
白Plain Chinese
孔子说：财富如果是求得来的，就算替人执鞭开道这种低贱差事，我也肯去做。要是求不来，那就照我自己的喜好去做。
Draft plain-Chinese rendering following Zhu Xi; it will be checked when the chapter is covered.
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Close reading and checking
For readers who want to go deeper or check our work: key words in the commentary, what other commentators say, textual variants, the commentaries in their own words with facsimile pages, pronunciation and corrections. Tap a heading to open it.
常The common reading
孔子说“富而可求，虽执鞭之士，吾亦为之”，是愿意为钱低头吗？
注Key words in the commentary
执鞭，贱者之事。设言富若可求，则虽身为贱役以求之，亦所不辞。然有命焉，非求之可得也，则安于义理而已矣，何必徒取辱哉？
核Zhu Xi's commentary, line by line
Zhu Xi's own words on each line of this chapter, each checked against the base-edition page. Other commentators are added when the chapter is covered. About this edition
| Line | Quoted text | Page |
|---|---|---|
| 子曰：富而可求也 | “执鞭，贱者之事。设言富若可求，则虽身为贱役以求之，亦所不辞。然有命焉，非求之可得也，则安于义理而已矣，何必徒取辱哉？” | page 95 |
| 如不可求，从吾所 | “圣人未尝有意于求富也，岂问其可不可哉？为此语者，特以明其决不可求尔。” | page 95 |
| 如不可求，从吾所 | “君子非恶富贵而不求，以其在天，无可求之道也。” | page 95 |
家Other commentaries
Our base text is Zhu Xi's Collected Commentaries (above). Here are other commentaries side by side: for old commentaries, the first line of the sub-commentary with a link to the woodblock scan; for modern editions, one short quoted translation for comparison. The “compared with Zhu Xi” notes are written by Yikonglu, not quoted.
皇侃《论语义疏》Liang dynasty · 1750 Japanese woodblock edition · juan 四
“孔子意云：夫富貴貧賤，皆禀天之命，不可苟且求。”……
Compared with Zhu Xi
| Commentary | Point | Relation | Confidence | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 钱穆《论语新解》 | same | fairly sure | 同以富不可强求、如可合道虽贱役亦为，终归从道义所好；执鞭均为贱职，不是实劝逐富。 |
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