The Master said, 'In archery it is not going through the leather which is the principal thing;— because people's strength is not equal. This was the old way.'
The Master said, 'In archery it is not going through the leather which is the principal thing;— because people's strength is not equal. This was the old way.'
- Source
- The Analects of Confucius (James Legge English translation)
Book III, complete printed chapter XVI; James Legge translation; Undated digitized James Legge English edition; printed publication year/publisher not supplied in this cached text
Read the original context ↗ - Attribution confidence
- attributed · historical anthology
Preserved as printed; independently unverified. - Historical coordinate
- c. 515 BC · ancient
traditional author lifetime midpoint (551–479 BCE), Stanford Encyclopedia; not quotation composition date; not composition date. - Rights & edition
- Public domain (United States)
Translations and rights may differ elsewhere.
Provenance and licences ↗
The voice behind the words.
The Analects transmit collected sayings and representations of Master Kong, rather than an independently authenticated author manuscript. Traditional lifetime551–479BCE follows Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy; the Gutenberg catalogue uses552–480BCE. Only complete Master-speech chapters are represented here; other speakers and dialogue remain held.
More from Confucius (traditional attribution) ↗