【原文】

〝唐棣之華，偏其反而，豈不爾思？空是遠而。〞子曰：〝未之思也。夫何遠之有？〞

【參考譯文】

古代有一首詩說：〝康棣樹開花，搖擺翩翩。我不是不思念你，是因為路途遙遠。〞孔子說：〝這不是想念，如果真的想念，怎麼會覺得遙遠？〞

【English Translation】

A poem of old reads: "The aspen plum blossoms! Bent towards me it waves! It’s not that I do not think of you. But that your home is too far away. "

Confucius said: "The writer of this poem does not really miss his beloved. If he did, how could he feel that his beloved is too far away? "

Note: For Confucius, the subject of the poem is possibly benevolence.