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The Analects of Confucius

Confucius

A LibriVox audio recording of William Jennings's English translation of the Analects, the sayings of Confucius and his disciples.

This text preserves the sayings attributed to Confucius himself, recorded by his disciples.

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The Analects of Confucius, trans. William Jennings. LibriVox volunteer audio recording.

About this source

What it is

This is an audio recording of the Analects (Lunyu), the collected sayings and conversations of Confucius and his disciples, in William Jennings's English translation. The text itself was composed during the Spring and Autumn through Warring States periods. The audio heard here is a modern LibriVox volunteer reading, not the voice of Confucius or any ancient recording.

Why it matters

The Analects is the central text of Confucianism and has shaped Chinese thought and society for centuries. It records the teachings attributed to Confucius as remembered and compiled by his students, making it the closest thing we have to his own words.

Look closer

  • Why might sayings recorded by disciples differ from a work written entirely by one person?
  • What does the translation process add or change compared to the original Chinese text?
  • Why is it important to know this audio is a modern reading, not an ancient voice?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Confucius on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Scan of a page from a Japanese woodblock-printed edition of the Analects (Rongo), in vertical columns of Chinese characters. The header reads 論語 and 卷二八 (volume two). The page has yellowed paper, a central fold, and a printed page number at the bottom.Book

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Analects

c. 480 BCE – 2nd century BCE

Front cover of a bound Chinese book with blue-grey patterned silk brocade of cloud scrolls. A tan label on the left bears large black brush characters reading 聖蹟圖 and a smaller 前頁, with a red seal impression below. The cover edges are worn.Book

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Pictures of the Sage's Traces

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Records of the Grand Historian, Vol. 47: Hereditary House of Confucius

Sima Qian · c. 94 BCE

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Temple of Confucius, Peking (Interior)

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Spring and Autumn Annals

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