Analects 16.13 · Ji Shi
“Without studying the Songs, you cannot speak; without studying ritual, you cannot stand.”
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
不學詩 無以言 不學禮 無以立 (bù xué shī, wú yǐ yán, bù xué lǐ, wú yǐ lì) means “Without studying the Songs, you cannot speak; without studying ritual, you cannot stand.” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 16 (Ji Shi), Chapter 13.
不學詩 無以言 不學禮 無以立
- Pinyin
- bù xué shī, wú yǐ yán, bù xué lǐ, wú yǐ lì
- Translation
- Without studying the Songs, you cannot speak; without studying ritual, you cannot stand.
- Source
- Analects, Book 16 (Ji Shi), Chapter 13
What does this passage mean?
The background of the thirteenth chapter of Ji Shi is this. Chen Kang asked Boyu, the son of Confucius, whether he had received any special teaching from his father. Boyu answered that his father, seeing him crossing the courtyard, had once asked whether he had studied the Songs and said that without studying the Songs one cannot speak, and on another day had asked whether he had studied ritual and said that without studying ritual one cannot stand. That was all. Chen Kang was delighted, saying he had also learned that the exemplary person keeps his distance from his own son. The heart of Confucius’s teaching, that the Songs give the power of speech and ritual the power to stand as a person, is contained in these two brief words to his son.
How can we apply it today?
Confucius gave his son two pieces of advice: learn to speak, and learn to stand. Studying the Songs means, in today’s terms, reading good writing to develop expression and empathy; studying ritual means learning the conduct and attitudes required among people. Without the ability to speak properly, you cannot convey your thoughts however good they are; without knowing how to behave, you cannot stand among people however capable you are. In an age overflowing with skills and knowledge, these two are precisely what is lacking. If you wonder what to teach a child or a junior colleague, Confucius’s answer is clear: speech and conduct.
Questions to reflect on
- ·Which do you lack more, the power to speak or the power to stand among people?
- ·How much time do you spend learning expression from good writing?
- ·What two things would you most want to teach a child or a junior colleague?
Character-by-character breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes | Radical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 不 | bù | not | 4 | 一 (one) |
| 學 | xué | learn | 16 | 子 (child) |
| 詩 | shī | poem | 13 | 言 (speech) |
| 無 | wú | lack | 12 | 火 (fire) |
| 以 | yǐ | by means of | 5 | 人 (person) |
| 言 | yán | speech | 7 | 言 (speech) |
| 不 | bù | not | 4 | 一 (one) |
| 學 | xué | learn | 16 | 子 (child) |
| 禮 | lǐ | ritual propriety | 18 | 示 (spirit) |
| 無 | wú | lack | 12 | 火 (fire) |
| 以 | yǐ | by means of | 5 | 人 (person) |
| 立 | lì | stand | 5 | 立 (stand) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “Without studying the Songs, you cannot…” mean?
不學詩 無以言 不學禮 無以立 (bù xué shī, wú yǐ yán, bù xué lǐ, wú yǐ lì) means “Without studying the Songs, you cannot speak; without studying ritual, you cannot stand.” It comes from the Analects, Book 16 (Ji Shi), Chapter 13.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 16.13: Book 16 (Ji Shi), Chapter 13.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
Confucius gave his son two pieces of advice: learn to speak, and learn to stand.