7.10
When the Master had wailed at a funeral. during the rest of the day he did not sing.
子於是日哭，則不歌。
Notes
In the ancient context, “weeping” referred not only to personal grief but more often to the ritual lamentation during solemn occasions such as funerals or condolence visits – carrying profound social and ceremonial significance.
Through the contrast between “weeping” and “singing,” this statement from the Analects reveals Confucius’ genuine attitude toward emotions and his natural adherence to ritual propriety. The expression of emotion must harmonize with the situation: neither suppressing one’s true feelings nor indulging them indiscriminately.
“When dining beside someone in mourning, the Master never ate his fill.”(Analects 7.9)
This and the maxim “On a day when I have wept, I do not sing” are two behavioral manifestations of the same underlying principle – the former expresses grief through temperance in eating, while the latter sustains sorrow by refraining from amusement. Both emphasize that external conduct must align with one’s inner state of mind, and that actions contradicting one’s emotions should never be taken.
“When the Master saw someone wearing mourning clothes, someone dressed in official robes and a coronet, or a blind person, he would always rise to his feet out of respect, even if the person was young; when passing by them, he would quicken his pace.”(Analects 9.10)
This practice and “not singing after weeping” both fall into the category of empathy-driven behavioral awareness. ” Not singing after weeping” is about restraining one’s conduct out of one’s own grief, whereas this remark is about showing respect in consideration of others’ circumstances – bereavement, official duty, or disability. Both stem from the benevolence of putting oneself in others’ shoes, embodying the consistency of how a compassionate heart manifests itself externally.
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