Sang Fu Xiao Ji (Minor Records on Mourning Dress)

士不攝大夫。士攝大夫，唯宗子。

A scholar-official does not stand in for a senior official. The only scholar-official who may stand in for a senior official is the clan heir.

主人未除喪，有兄弟自他國至，則主人不免而為主。

If the host has not yet laid aside mourning and a brother arrives from another state, the host acts as chief mourner without using the bareheaded headband.

陳器之道，多陳之而省納之可也，省陳之而盡納之可也。

The way of displaying spirit vessels: one may display many and take few in, or display few and take them all in.

奔兄弟之喪，先之墓而後之家，為位而哭。所知之喪，則哭於宮而後之墓。

In hurrying to the mourning of a brother, one goes first to the grave and then to the house, sets up a place and wails. In the mourning of an acquaintance, one wails in the dwelling and then goes to the grave.

父不為眾子次於外。

A father does not set up mourning sheds outside for his ordinary sons.

與諸侯為兄弟者服斬。

Those who are brothers of a feudal lord wear the unhemmed mourning.

下殤小功帶澡麻不絕，本詘而反以報之。

For the sash of the lesser mourning for those who died young at the lower age grade, the bleached hemp is not cut at the root but bent back and tied.

婦祔於祖姑，祖姑有三人，則祔於親者。

A wife is joined to her husband's grandmother. If there are three grandmothers, she is joined to the nearest.

其妻為大夫而卒，而後其夫不為大夫，而祔於其妻，則不易牲。妻卒而後夫為大夫，而祔於其妻，則以大夫牲。

If his wife died while he was a senior official, and he afterward is no longer a senior official, and she is joined to his wife in the temple, the sacrificial animal is not changed. If the wife died and afterward the husband became a senior official, and she is joined to his wife, the animal of a senior official is used.

為父後者為出母無服。無服也者，喪者不祭故也。

One who is the heir of the father does not mourn for a mother who was divorced. What is called no mourning is because the one in mourning does not sacrifice.

婦人不為主而杖者，姑在，為夫杖，母為長子削杖。女子子在室，為父母，其主喪者不杖，則子一人杖。

A woman who does not act as chief mourner but uses the staff: while her mother-in-law is living, she uses the staff for her husband; a mother uses the whittled staff for her eldest son. If a daughter is still at home, for her parents, if the chief mourner does not use a staff, then one of the sons uses it.

緦小功，虞，卒哭，則免。既葬而不報虞，則雖主人皆冠，及虞則皆免。為兄弟既除喪已，及其葬也，反服其服，報虞卒哭則免，如不報虞則除之。遠葬者，比反哭者皆冠，及郊而後免，反哭。

For the fine hemp and lesser mourning, the bareheaded headband is used at the settling sacrifice and the end of wailing. If the burial is done and the settling sacrifice is not hurried, then even if the host and the rest all wear caps, when the settling sacrifice comes they all use the headband. For a brother whose mourning has already been laid aside, when the burial comes one puts on his mourning again in return. If the settling sacrifice and end of wailing are hurried, the headband is used; if the settling sacrifice is not hurried, the mourning is laid aside. For a distant burial, when they return to wail all wear caps, and on reaching the outskirts they then put on the headband and return to wail.

君吊，雖不當免時也，主人必免。不散麻，雖異國之君免也。親者皆免。

When the lord comes to offer condolence, even if it is not a time for the headband, the host must wear it. The hemp is not unbound. Even when the lord of another state comes, the headband is used. The close ones all use it.

除殤之喪者，其祭也必玄。

When laying aside the mourning for one who died young, the sacrifice must use dark-colored dress.

除成喪者，其祭也朝服縞冠。

When laying aside the mourning for an adult, one performs the sacrifice wearing court dress and a plain silk cap.

奔父之喪，括髮於堂上，袒，降踴，襲絰於東方。奔母之喪，不括髮，袒於堂上，降踴，襲免於東方，絰即位成踴，出門，哭止。三日而五哭三袒。

In hurrying to a father's mourning, one binds the hair with hemp in the hall, bares the arm, goes down and stamps the feet, and puts on the sash on the east side. In hurrying to a mother's mourning, one does not bind the hair with hemp, bares the arm in the hall, goes down and stamps the feet, puts on the bareheaded headband on the east side, adds the sash and takes one's place, completes the stamping, goes out of the gate, and the wailing stops. Over three days one wails five times and bares the arm three times.

適婦不為舅後者，則姑為之小功。

If the principal wife is not the heir of her father-in-law, then her mother-in-law wears the lesser mourning for her.

禮不王不禘，王者禘其祖之所自出，以其祖配之。諸侯及其大祖。大夫士有大事，省於其君，幹祫及其高祖。

The rites provide that only a king performs the great sacrifice to the remote ancestor. A king performs the great sacrifice to the one from whom his ancestor came, pairing it with his own ancestor. A feudal lord reaches up to his first ancestor. When a senior official or scholar-official has a great matter, he reports to his lord in simplified form and asks to perform the joint sacrifice reaching up to his great-great-grandfather.

牧之野，武王之大事也，既事而退，柴於上帝，祈於社，設奠於牧室，遂率天下諸侯，執豆籩，逡奔走，追王大王亶父、王季歷、文王昌，不以卑臨尊也。

Muye was the great undertaking of King Wu. Once the work was done and he withdrew, he burned wood for the Lord on High of the vast heaven, prayed at the altar of the soil, and made an offering in the Mu chamber; then he led the feudal lords of the world, carrying the ritual vessels, and hastened about. He posthumously honored Danfu the Great King, Ji Li the King Ji, and Chang King Wen as kings, so as not to let the lowly override the exalted.

上治祖禰，尊尊也。下治子孫，親親也。旁治昆弟，合族以食，序以昭繆，別之以禮義，人道竭矣。

To order the ancestors and father above is to honor the honored. To order descendants below is to love one's kin. To order brothers to the side, gathering the clan to eat together, ranking them by zhao and mu order and distinguishing them by ritual and righteousness, completes the way of humankind.

聖人南面而聽天下，所且先者五，民不與焉：一曰治親，二曰報功，三曰舉賢，四曰使能，五曰存愛。五者一得於天下，民無不足，無不贍者。五者一物紕繆，民莫得其死。聖人南面而治天下，必自人道始矣。立權度量，考文章，改正朔，易服色，殊徽號，異器械，別衣服，此其所得與民變革者也。其不可得變革者則有矣！親親也，尊尊也，長長也，男女有別，此其不可得與民變革者也。

When the sage faces south and listens to the whole world, there are five things he puts first, and the people are not among them: the first is called ordering kin, the second repaying merit, the third promoting the worthy, the fourth employing the capable, and the fifth keeping in mind those one loves. When these five are achieved in the world, the people lack for nothing and none are not abundantly provided. If any one of the five goes astray, the people cannot come to a good end. When the sage faces south and governs the world, he must begin from the way of humankind. He sets up scales, lengths and measures, examines writings, changes the calendar's new year, changes the color of dress, distinguishes emblems, differentiates implements, and tells apart garments; these are what he can change together with the people. But there are things that cannot be changed: loving one's kin, honoring the honored, respecting elders, and the distinction between man and woman; these he cannot change together with the people.

同姓從宗，合族屬。異姓主名治際會，名著而男女有別。其夫屬乎父道者，妻皆母道也。其夫屬乎子道者，妻皆婦道也。謂弟之妻婦者，是嫂亦可謂之母乎？名者，人治之大者也，可無慎乎？

Those of the same surname follow the clan head and gather the lineage together. Those of different surnames are ordered by designation for exchanges and gatherings, so that designations are clear and men and women are distinguished. Women whose husbands belong to the father's category are all of the mother's category. Women whose husbands belong to the son's category are all of the wife's category. If a younger brother's wife is called wife, then may an elder brother's wife also be called mother? Designation is the great matter in human order; can one be careless about it?

四世而緦，服之窮也，五世袒免，殺同姓也，六世親屬竭矣。其庶姓別於上，而戚單于下，昏姻可以通乎？系之以姓而弗別，綴之以食而弗殊，雖百世而昏姻不通者，周道然也。

At the fourth generation the fine hemp mourning is worn, which is the end of the mourning grades. At the fifth generation one only bares the arm and wears the headband, which reduces the grade among those of the same surname. At the sixth generation kinship is exhausted. When the unrelated surnames are distinguished above and relatives are exhausted below, may marriage then be permitted? One links by surname without distinguishing, and connects by shared feasting without differentiating; even after a hundred generations, marriage is not allowed, and this is the way of the Zhou.

服術有六：一曰親親，二曰尊尊，三曰名，四曰出入，五曰長幼，六曰從服。

There are six principles of mourning: the first is loving kin, the second honoring the honored, the third designation, the fourth going out and coming in, the fifth elder and younger, and the sixth following mourning.

從服有六：有屬從，有徒從，有從有服而無服，有從無服而有服，有從重而輕，有從輕而重。

There are six kinds of following mourning: following by belonging, following without kinship, following where the other has mourning and oneself does not, following where the other has no mourning and oneself does, following the heavier while one's own is light, and following the lighter while one's own is heavy.

自仁率親，等而上之至於祖，名曰輕。自義率祖，順而下之至於禰，名曰重。一輕一重，其義然也。

Starting from benevolence and going along kinship, ascending by grades up to the ancestor, is called light. Starting from righteousness and going along the ancestors, descending in order to the father, is called heavy. One light and one heavy: such is its principle of righteousness.

君有合族之道，族人不得以其戚。戚，君位也。

A ruler has the way of gathering the clan, but clan members may not reckon their kinship with him. Kinship is spoken of in relation to the ruler's position.

庶子不祭，明其宗也。庶子不得為長子三年，不繼祖也。別子為祖，繼別為宗，繼禰者為小宗。有百世不遷之宗，有五世則遷之宗。百世不遷者，別子之後也。宗其繼別子之所自出者，百世不遷者也。宗其繼高祖者，五世則遷者也。尊祖故敬宗，敬宗，尊祖之義也。

A son by a secondary wife does not sacrifice, in order to make plain his clan head. A son by a secondary wife does not wear three-year mourning for the eldest son, so as not to continue the ancestor. A separate son who becomes an ancestor founds a great line, and those who continue the father are the small lines. There is a line that does not move for a hundred generations, and a line that moves after five generations. The one that does not move for a hundred generations is the descendants of the separate son. To take as head the one who continues the line from which the separate son came is the line that does not move for a hundred generations. To take as head the one who continues the great-great-grandfather is the line that moves after five generations. Honoring the ancestor is how one respects the clan head. Respecting the clan head is the meaning of honoring the ancestor.

有小宗而無大宗者，有大宗而無小宗者，有無宗亦莫之宗者，公子是也。

There are those with a small line but no great line, those with a great line but no small line, and those with no line at all and whom no one takes as head: these are the sons of a lord.

公子有宗道，公子之公，為其士大夫之庶者，宗其士大夫之適者，公子之宗道也。

The sons of a lord have a way of acting as head. As for the lord's sons, for those of them who were born of secondary wives and became scholar-officials or senior officials, to take as head the one born of the principal wife who became a scholar-official or senior official is the lord's sons' way of the clan head.

絕族無移服，親者屬也。

When the clan line is cut off, there is no shifting of the mourning; those who are close are connected.

自仁率親，等而上之至於祖。自義率祖，順而下之至於禰。是故人道親親也，親親故尊祖，尊祖故敬宗，敬宗故收族，收族故宗廟嚴，宗廟嚴故重社稷，重社稷故愛百姓，愛百姓故刑罰中，刑罰中故庶民安，庶民安故財用足，財用足故百志成，百志成故禮俗刑，禮俗刑然後樂。詩云：“不顯不承，無斁於人斯。”此之謂也。

Starting from benevolence and going along kinship, ascending by grades up to the ancestor. Starting from righteousness and going along the ancestors, descending in order to the father. So the way of humankind is loving one's kin. Loving kin is how one honors the ancestor, honoring the ancestor is how one respects the clan head, respecting the clan head is how one gathers the clan, gathering the clan is how the ancestral temple is made solemn, making the temple solemn is how one regards the altars of state as weighty, regarding the altars of state as weighty is how one loves the common people, loving the common people is how punishments are made just, making punishments just is how the people are made secure, making the people secure is how resources are made sufficient, making resources sufficient is how all aspirations are fulfilled, fulfilling all aspirations is how ritual and custom take form, and when ritual and custom take form, there is happiness. The Book of Poetry, in the hymn Qing Miao of the Odes of Zhou, says: "Greatly displayed, greatly received; none grow weary of it." This is what is meant.

聞始見君子者，辭曰：“某固願聞名於將命者，不得階主。”適者曰：“某固願見。”罕見曰聞名，亟見曰朝夕，瞽曰聞名。

When one hears that someone is meeting a gentleman for the first time, the wording is: "I truly hoped to be heard of through the one who conveys messages, and could not go straight up the steps of the host." The visitor says: "I truly hoped to see you." Seeing someone rarely is called being heard of, seeing someone repeatedly is called morning and evening audience, and for a blind man it is called being heard of.

適有喪者曰比，童子曰聽事。適公卿之喪，則曰聽役於司徒。

Going to a house in mourning is called attending; a boy is said to listen to what is needed. In going to the mourning of a duke or minister, one says "I listen for service under the Minister of Education."

君將適他，臣如致金玉貨貝於君，則曰“致馬資於有司”，敵者曰贈從者。

When a lord is about to go elsewhere, if a minister sends gold, jade, goods or cowries to the lord, he says "I send the expense of horses to the officials"; for one of equal rank it is called a gift to his followers.

臣致襚於君，則曰“致廢衣於賈人”，敵者曰襚。

When a minister sends burial garments to his lord, he says "I send discarded clothing to the merchants"; for one of equal rank it is called burial garments.

親者兄弟，不以襚進。

Close brothers do not present burial garments.

臣為君喪，納貨貝於君，則曰“納甸於有司”。

When a minister delivers goods and cowries to the lord for the lord's mourning, he says "I deliver what the fields produced to the officials."

賵馬入廟門，賻馬，與其幣，大白兵車，不入廟門。

The horses given for a funeral enter the gate of the ancestral temple. The horses that help the funeral, along with the silk, and the great white war chariot, do not enter the temple gate.

賻者既致命，坐委之，擯者舉之，主人無親受也。

The one who helps the funeral, having delivered the message, kneels and sets the gift down; the usher lifts it, and the host does not receive it himself.

受立授立，不坐，性之直者，則有之矣。

Receiving is done standing and handing over is done standing; one does not kneel. Those of a straightforward nature may kneel.

始入而辭，曰“辭矣”。即席，曰“可矣”。

On first entering and declining, one says "I decline." On taking the seat, one says "That will do."

排闔說屨於戶內者，一人而已矣。有尊長在則否。

Pushing open the door and removing one's shoes inside the room is done by one person only. When an elder is present this is not done.

問品味，曰：“子亟食於某乎。”問道藝，曰：“子習於某乎，子善於某乎。”

In asking about food flavors, one says: "Do you often eat such-and-such?" In asking about the Way and arts, one says: "Do you practice such-and-such? Are you good at such-and-such?"

不疑在躬，不度民械，不願於大家，不訾重器。

One does not pry into what concerns the other person himself, does not appraise the people's implements, does not envy great families, and does not criticize precious vessels.

泛埽曰埽，埽席前曰拚，拚席不以鬣，執箕膺擖。

Sweeping everywhere is called sweeping; sweeping in front of the mats is called brushing. In brushing before the mat, one does not use a broom; one holds the dustpan with its chest toward the tongue.

不貳問，問卜筮曰：“義與志與？”義則可問，志則否。

One does not ask twice. In asking for divination one says: "Is it for righteousness or for private will?" If it is for righteousness one may ask; if for private will, one may not.

尊長於己踰等，不敢問其年。燕見不將命。遇於道，見則面，不請所之。喪俟事，不犆吊。侍坐弗使，不執琴瑟，不畫地，手無容，不翣也。寢則坐而將命，侍射則約矢，侍投則擁矢，勝則洗而以請。客亦如之。不角，不擢馬。

In the case of an elder who has gone beyond his rank relative to oneself, one does not dare ask his age. At a leisure meeting one does not relay orders. When meeting on the road, one greets him if one sees him, and does not ask where he is going. For a mourning one waits for the matter to proceed and does not go to condole alone. When sitting in attendance, one is not made to serve, does not take up the zither, does not draw on the ground, has no mannered hands, and does not use a fan. If one is reclining, one sits up to convey a command. In attending an archery, one gathers the arrows; in attending the pitch-pot game, one holds the arrows. If one wins, one washes the cup and asks the loser to drink. The guest does likewise. One does not use the horn cup and does not take away the counting stick.

執君之乘車則坐。僕者右帶劍，負良綏，申之面，扦諸幦，以散綏升，執轡然後步。

One who is in charge of the lord's carriage sits down. The driver wears his sword on the right, carries the good reins on his back, stretches them out in front of him, tucks them into the cover of the front rail, climbs into the carriage with the loose reins, and takes the bridle before stepping forward.

請見不請退。朝廷曰退，燕遊曰歸，師役曰罷。

One asks to enter an audience but does not ask to withdraw. At court it is called withdrawing, at leisure it is called returning, and in military service it is called being dismissed.

侍坐於君子，君子欠伸，運笏，澤劍首，還屨，問日之蚤莫，雖請退可也。

When sitting in attendance with a gentleman, if the gentleman yawns and stretches, turns his tablet, rubs his sword hilt, turns his shoes, or asks whether the day is early or late, one may ask to withdraw.

事君者，量而後入，不入而後量。凡乞假於人，為人從事者亦然。然故上無怨，而下遠罪也。

One who serves the ruler weighs matters and then enters, and does not enter and then weigh. This holds also for borrowing from others or doing things for others. So there is no resentment above and one stays far from fault below.

不窺密，不旁狎，不道舊故，不戲色。

One does not pry into hidden matters, does not act familiarly at one's side, does not speak of old affairs, and does not play with one's expression.

為人臣下者，有諫而無訕，有亡而無疾，頌而無讇，諫而無驕。怠則張而相之，廢則埽而更之，謂之社稷之役。

A subject may remonstrate but does not slander, may leave but does not hate, praises without flattering, and remonstrates without arrogance. If the ruler is lazy, he stirs him up and helps him; if the ruler is ruined, he sweeps away and replaces him. This is called serving the altars of state.

毋拔來，毋報往，毋瀆神，毋循枉，毋測未至。士依於德，遊於藝。工依於法，遊於說。毋訾衣服成器，毋身質言語。

Do not come suddenly, do not go in haste, do not profane the spirits, do not follow what is crooked, and do not guess at what has not yet arrived. A scholar relies on virtue and roams in the arts. An artisan relies on method and roams in explanation. Do not criticize clothes and finished vessels, and do not go in person to confront someone over his words.

言語之美，穆穆皇皇。朝廷之美，濟濟翔翔。祭祀之美，齊齊皇皇。車馬之美，匪匪翼翼。鸞和之美，肅肅雍雍。

The beauty of speech is solemn and grand. The beauty of a court is orderly and calm. The beauty of a sacrifice is neatness and richness. The beauty of carriages and horses is that they move in order. The beauty of the harmonious bells is that they sound grave and gentle.

問國君之子長幼，長則曰“能從社稷之事矣”，幼則曰“能御未能御？”問大夫之子長幼，長則曰“能從樂人之事矣”，幼則曰：“能正於樂人，未能正於樂人？”問士之子長幼，長則曰“能耕矣”，幼則曰“能負薪，未能負薪？”

In asking the age of a ruler's son: if he is grown, say, "Can he follow the affairs of the altars of state?"; if he is young, say, "Can he drive a carriage, or not yet?" In asking about a senior official's son: if grown, say, "Can he follow the affairs of the musicians?"; if young, say, "Can he receive instruction from the musicians, or not yet?" In asking about a scholar-official's son: if grown, say, "Can he plow?"; if young, say, "Can he carry firewood, or not yet?"

執玉，執龜莢，不趨。堂上不趨，城上不趨，武車不式，介者不拜。

When holding jade, or holding the tortoise shell and milfoil stalks, one does not hurry. One does not hurry in the hall, and does not hurry on the city wall. In a war chariot one does not lean on the front rail, and a man in armor does not bow.

婦人吉事，雖有君賜肅拜。為屍坐則不手拜。肅拜，為喪主，則不手拜，葛絰而麻帶。

On an auspicious occasion, a woman, even when the lord has bestowed a gift, bows with a low bow. A woman who is the impersonator of the dead and sits does not bow with hands. She bows low. As chief mourner she does not bow with hands, and wears the kudzu sash with a hemp belt.

取俎進俎，不坐。

In taking the sacrificial stand and presenting it, one does not kneel.