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.
曾子有疾，召門弟子曰：啟予足！啟予手！詩云戰戰兢兢，如臨深淵，如履薄冰。而今而後，吾知免夫！小子！Zengzi was ill and called his disciples: Uncover my feet! Uncover my hands! The Odes say: 'Fearful and careful, as if near a deep abyss, as if treading thin ice.' From now on, I know I am spared, my young friends!
What this chapter says
一孔按：曾子临终叫弟子看他的手脚，身体受于父母，一生战战兢兢不敢毁伤，到这时才知道免了。守身是一辈子的功夫。常有人问：曾子临终叫弟子“启予足，启予手”，是要他们看什么？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
曾子病重，把学生们叫到跟前，说：把被子揭开，瞧瞧我的两脚！瞧瞧我的两手！《诗经》上讲：“小心谨慎，好像站在深潭边上，好像踩在薄冰上面。”从今往后，我知道自己可以免于毁伤了！孩子们！
Draft plain-Chinese rendering following Zhu Xi; it will be checked when the chapter is covered.
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Connections
- Other books
- SourceBook of Songs: Book of Songs, Xiao Ya, Xiao Min: “In fear and trembling, as if at the edge of a deep abyss, as if treading on thin ice.” (戰戰兢兢，如臨深淵，如履薄冰。)
- Read alongside (Yikonglu)Daodejing 15: “Hesitant, as if crossing a river in winter” (豫兮若冬涉川): as careful as someone crossing an icy river in winter, just like Zengzi when he quoted the Songs.
- Read alongside (Yikonglu)Daodejing 22: Heshang Gong reads “return it whole” (全而归之) as returning one's body intact to one's parents. This is exactly what Zengzi did on his deathbed: “Uncover my feet, uncover my hands.”
- People
Relationship map of the whole book · The Analects, AI-reconstructed edition (PDF)
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
曾子临终叫弟子“启予足，启予手”，是要他们看什么？
注Key words in the commentary
启，开也。曾子平日以为身体受于父母，不敢毁伤，故于此使弟子开其衾而视之。诗小旻之篇。战战，恐惧。兢兢，戒谨。临渊，恐坠。
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 诗云战战兢兢，如 | “启，开也。曾子平日以为身体受于父母，不敢毁伤，故于此使弟子开其衾而视之。诗小旻之篇。战战，恐惧。兢兢，戒谨。临渊，恐坠；履冰，恐陷也。” | page 108 |
| 而今而后，吾知免 | “曾子以其所保之全示门人，而言其所以保之之难如此；至于将死，而后知其得免于毁伤也。小子，门人也。语毕而又呼之，以致反复丁宁之意，其警之也深矣。” | page 108 |
| 小子！ | “君子曰终，小人曰死。君子保其身以没，为终其事也，故曾子以全归为免矣。” | page 108 |
| 小子！ | “身体犹不可亏也，况亏其行以辱其亲乎？” | page 108 |
见Cross-references
- 诗云战战兢兢，如 Other sources：戰戰兢兢，如臨深淵，如履薄冰。（《诗经·小雅·小旻》，四部备要《毛诗郑笺》PDF第325页；朱注底本PDF第107页）
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
“云曾子有疾者，疾，病也。”……
Compared with Zhu Xi
| Commentary | Point | Relation | Confidence | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 钱穆《论语新解》 | 启 | differs | fairly sure | 钱取启通䁈、视，令弟子看手足；朱取开衾。均以身体不敢毁伤、将死方知免解释所警。 |
| 杨伯峻《论语译注》 | 启 | word sense | settled | 杨取视，朱训开衾而视；均为示手足无损，免于毁伤。不能把身体保全直接换成毫无道德过失。 |
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