Qu Li (Summary of the Rites)
夫晝居於內，問其疾可也；夜居於外，吊之可也。是故君子非有大故，不宿於外；非致齊也、非疾也，不晝夜居於內。
If one stays inside during the daytime, people may ask after one's illness; if one stays outside at night, people may offer condolences. For this reason the noble person, unless there is some great cause, does not spend the night outside, and unless he is fasting to the utmost or ill, he does not stay inside day and night.
高子皋之執親之喪也，泣血三年，未嘗見齒，君子以為難。
Gaozi Gao, in mourning for his parents, wept tears of blood for three years and never showed his teeth in a smile; noble persons regarded this as hard to do.
衰與其不當物也，寧無衰。齊衰不以邊坐，大功不以服勤。
Rather than wear a mourning garment that does not match the circumstances, it is better to have none. One who wears the second grade of mourning does not sit sideways, and one who wears the greater coarse mourning does not do labor service.
孔子之衛，遇舊館人之喪，入而哭之哀。出，使子貢說驂而賻之，子貢曰：“於門人之喪，未有所說驂，說驂於舊館，無乃已重乎？”夫子曰：“予鄉者入而哭之，遇於一哀，而出涕，予惡夫涕之無從也。小子行之。”
When Confucius went to Wei, he happened to meet the funeral of the keeper of the lodge where he had once stayed, and he went in and wept with deep grief. When he came out, he had Zigong unyoke a side horse as a contribution to the funeral. Zigong said: "At the funerals of your own disciples you have never unyoked a side horse; to unyoke one for the keeper of an old lodge, is that not too much?" The Master said: "When I went in just now to weep for him, I met a wave of grief and shed tears. I dislike tears that have nothing behind them. Do as I say, young man."
孔子在衛，有送葬者，而夫子觀之，曰：“善哉為喪乎？足以為法矣！小子識之。”子貢曰：“夫子何善爾也？”曰：“其往也如慕，其反也如疑。”子貢曰：“豈若速反而虞乎？”子曰：“小子識之，我未之能行也。”
When Confucius was in Wei, there was a funeral procession, and the Master watched it and said: "How well the funeral is done! It is worthy of being taken as a model! Remember this, young men." Zigong said: "Why does the Master praise it?" He said: "When it goes out it seems attached and clinging; when it returns it seems hesitant." Zigong said: "Is it not better to hurry back and perform the rite of tranquilizing the spirit?" Confucius said: "Remember this, young men; I have not yet been able to do it."
顏淵之喪，饋祥肉，孔子出受之，入彈琴而後食之。
At Yan Yuan's mourning, meat from the first-anniversary sacrifice was sent over. Confucius came out to receive it, then went in and played the zither before eating.
孔子與門人立，拱而尚右，二三子亦皆尚右，孔子曰：“二三子之嗜學也，我則有姊之喪故也。”二三子皆尚左。
Confucius was standing with his disciples, hands clasped with the right hand uppermost, and several disciples also held the right hand uppermost. Confucius said: "You two or three really love learning. I do it this way because I am in mourning for my elder sister." The disciples all changed to hold the left hand uppermost.
孔子蚤作，負手曳杖，消搖於門，歌曰：“泰山其頹乎？梁木其壞乎？哲人其萎乎？”既歌而入，當戶而坐，子貢聞之，曰：“泰山其頹，則吾將安仰？梁木其壞、哲人其萎，則吾將安放？夫子殆將病也。”遂趨而入，夫子曰：“賜，爾來何遲也？夏后氏殯於東階之上，則猶在阼也，殷人殯於兩楹之間，則與賓主夾之也，周人殯於西階之上，則猶賓之也。而丘也殷人也，予疇昔之夜，夢坐奠於兩楹之間。夫明王不興，而天下其孰能宗予？予殆將死也。”蓋寢疾七日而沒。
Confucius rose early, dragging his staff with his hands behind his back, and strolled at ease in front of the door, singing: "Is Mount Tai about to collapse? Is the beam about to break? Is the wise man about to wither?" After singing he went in and sat facing the door. Zigong heard it and said: "If Mount Tai collapses, what shall I look up to? If the beam breaks and the wise man withers, what shall I lean on? The Master is probably about to fall ill." So he hurried in. The Master said: "Ci, why are you so late? The Lord of Xia was coffined above the eastern steps, still at the host's steps; the Yin people were coffined between the two pillars, a place midway between guest and host; the Zhou people were coffined above the western steps, still treating the dead as guests. And I, Qiu, am a man of Yin. Last night I dreamed I was seated and receiving offerings between the two pillars. No enlightened king arises, so who in the world could honor me? I am probably about to die." He lay ill about seven days and died.
孔子之喪，門人疑所服，子貢曰：“昔者夫子之喪顏淵，若喪子而無服，喪子路亦然。請喪夫子，若喪父而無服。”
At Confucius's mourning, the disciples were uncertain what mourning dress to wear. Zigong said: "In the past, when the Master mourned for Yan Yuan, he mourned as for a son but without mourning dress; he did the same for Zilu. Let us mourn for the Master as for a father, but without mourning dress."
孔子之喪，公西赤為志焉，飾棺牆，置翣，設披，周也，設崇，殷也，綢練設旐，夏也。
At Confucius's mourning, Gongxi Chi arranged the markers: decorating the coffin walls, setting up feathered fans, and setting up the drawing ropes were the Zhou way; setting up the tooth-shaped pennant edges was the Yin way; wrapping the flagpole in plain silk and setting up the soul banner was the Xia way.
子張之喪，公明儀為志焉，褚幕丹質，蟻結於四隅，殷士也。
At Zizhang's mourning, Gongming Yi arranged the markers: the cloth over the coffin had a red ground, with ant-knot patterns painted at the four corners, which was the practice of a Yin scholar.
子夏問於孔子曰：“居父母之仇，如之何？”夫子曰：“寢苫，枕幹不仕，弗與共天下也。遇諸市朝，不反兵而鬥。”曰：“請問居昆弟之仇如之何？”曰：“仕弗與共國，銜君命而使，雖遇之不鬥。”曰：“請問居從父昆弟之仇如之何？”曰：“不為魁，主人能，則執兵而陪其後。”
Zixia asked Confucius: "What should one do when living under the enmity of one's parents' killer?" The Master said: "Sleep on a straw mat with a shield for a pillow, take no office, and do not share the world with him. If you meet him in the market or at court, do not go back for weapons but fight him then and there." He said: "May I ask what to do under the enmity of one's brother's killer?" He said: "If you take office, do not serve in the same state as him; if you go on a mission by your ruler's command, do not fight him even if you meet." He said: "May I ask what to do under the enmity of a cousin's killer?" He said: "Do not take the lead; if the host can act, then take up weapons and follow behind him."
孔子之喪，二三子皆絰而出，群居則絰，出則否。
At Confucius's mourning, the disciples all went out wearing mourning sashes. When they were together they wore the sash, but when going out they did not.
易墓，非古也。
To tidy and tend a burial ground is not an ancient rule.
子路曰：“吾聞諸夫子：喪禮，與其哀不足而禮有餘也，不若禮不足而哀有餘也；祭禮，與其敬不足而禮有餘也，不若禮不足而敬有餘也。”
Zilu said: "I heard from the Master: in funeral rites, rather than have grief fall short and ritual be in surplus, it is better to have ritual fall short and grief be in surplus; in sacrificial rites, rather than have reverence fall short and ritual be in surplus, it is better to have ritual fall short and reverence be in surplus."
曾子吊於負夏，主人既祖填池，推柩而反之，降婦人而後行禮，從者曰：“禮與？”曾子曰：“夫祖者且也，且胡為其不可以反宿也？”從者又問諸子游曰：“禮與？”子游曰：“飯於牖下，小斂於戶內，大斂於阼，殯於客位，祖於庭，葬於墓，所以即遠也。故喪事有進而無退。”曾子聞之，曰：“多矣乎？予出祖者。”
Zengzi went to offer condolences at Fuxia, where the host had already held the departure sacrifice and set up the pond-shaped frame, but then pushed the coffin back and had the women come down first before performing the rite. A follower said: "Is that proper ritual?" Zengzi said: "The departure sacrifice is only provisional; why can the coffin not be brought back and left one more night, given that it is only provisional?" The follower also asked Ziyou: "Is that proper ritual?" Ziyou said: "The mouth-filling is done at the window, the lesser dressing inside the door, the greater dressing at the eastern steps, the coffin lies in state in the guest's place, the departure sacrifice is held in the courtyard, and the burial is at the grave: these are all steps toward going further away. So in funeral rites there is advance but no retreat." Zengzi heard this and said: "My account of the departure rite was rich indeed."
曾子襲裘而吊，子游裼裘而吊，曾子指子游而示人曰：“夫夫也，為習於禮者，如之何其裼裘而吊也？”主人既小斂，袒括髮，子游趨而出，襲裘帶絰而入，曾子曰：“我過矣！我過矣！夫夫是也。”
Zengzi went to offer condolences with his fur coat covering his undergarment, while Ziyou went with the undergarment exposed. Zengzi pointed at Ziyou to show others, saying: "That man is well versed in ritual; why does he go to offer condolences with his undergarment exposed?" The host had already done the lesser dressing, baring his shoulder and binding up his hair, and Ziyou hurried out, covered his fur coat, tied on the mourning sash and went in again. Zengzi said: "I was wrong! I was wrong! That man was right."
子夏既除喪而見，予之琴，和之而不和，彈之而不成聲，作而曰：“哀未忘也。先王制禮，而弗敢過也。”子張既除喪而見，予之琴，和之而和，彈之而成聲，作而曰：“先王制禮，不敢不至焉。”
Zixia, having already taken off the mourning dress, came to see Confucius, who gave him a zither; he tuned it and it would not harmonize, he played it and it made no proper tune, and he rose and said: "My grief is not yet forgotten. The former kings made the rites, and I dare not go beyond them." Zizhang, having taken off the mourning dress, came to see Confucius, who gave him a zither; he tuned it and it harmonized, he played it and it made a proper tune, and he rose and said: "The former kings made the rites, and I dare not fall short of them."
司寇惠子之喪，子游為之麻衰，牡麻絰，文子辭曰：“子辱與彌牟之弟遊，又辱為之服，敢辭。”子游曰：“禮也。”文子退，反哭，子游趨而就諸臣之位，文子又辭曰：“子辱與彌牟之弟遊，又辱為之服，又辱臨其喪，敢辭。”子游曰：“固以請。”文子退，扶適子南面而立，曰：“子辱與彌牟之弟遊，又辱為之服，又辱臨其喪，虎也敢不復位。”子游趨而就客位。
At the mourning for Minister of Justice Huizi, Ziyou put on a hemp mourning garment and a mourning sash of male hemp for him. Wenzi declined, saying: "You have condescended to be a friend of Mimou's younger brother and have further condescended to mourn for him; I dare decline." Ziyou said: "This is ritual." Wenzi withdrew and returned to weep. Ziyou hurried to the place of the ministers. Wenzi declined again, saying: "You have condescended to be a friend of Mimou's younger brother, and have condescended to mourn for him, and have further condescended to attend his mourning in person; I dare decline." Ziyou said: "I request it again and again." Wenzi withdrew, and supporting the legitimate son, stood facing south and said: "You have condescended to be a friend of Mimou's younger brother, to mourn for him, and to attend his mourning in person; how could Hu dare not return to the proper place?" Ziyou hurried to the guest's place.
將軍文子之喪，既除喪而後越人來吊，主人深衣練冠，待於廟，垂涕洟，子游觀之，曰：“將軍文氏之子，其庶幾乎？亡於禮者之禮也，其動也中。”
At the mourning for General Wenzi, after the mourning dress had already been taken off, the men of Yue came to offer condolences. The host wore a deep robe and a white silk cap, waited in the temple, and let tears and mucus hang down. Ziyou watched and said: "The son of the Wen family of the General, he is almost there, is he not? In a rite that ritual has no provision for, his conduct still hits the mean."
幼名，冠字，五十以伯仲，死諡，周道也。
In youth one is called by one's given name; at the capping ceremony one takes a style name; at fifty one is called by Bo or Zhong (eldest or second); after death one is called by a posthumous title. This is the way of Zhou.
絰也者，實也。
The mourning sash is the substance.
掘中溜而浴，毀灶以綴足。及葬，毀宗躐行，出於大門，殷道也。學者行之。
The central roof opening is dug through for bathing the dead, and the stove is demolished to fix the feet. At the burial, the temple wall is broken open, the altar of the god of the road is crossed over, and the coffin goes out by the main gate; this is the Way of Yin. Students practice it.
子柳之母死，子碩請具，子柳曰：“何以哉？”子碩曰：“請粥庶弟之母。”子柳曰：“如之何其粥人之母？”“以葬其母也。”“不可。”既葬，子碩欲以賻布之餘具祭器，子柳曰：“不可。吾聞之也：君子不家於喪，請班諸兄弟之貧者。”
When Ziliu's mother died, Zishuo asked to prepare the burial equipment. Ziliu said: "With what?" Zishuo said: "Please sell the mother of your half-brother." Ziliu said: "How can one sell another's mother?" "To use for burying his own mother." "That is not permissible." After the burial, Zishuo wanted to use the surplus of the cloth and silk given as funeral aid to buy sacrificial vessels. Ziliu said: "That is not permissible. I have heard that a gentleman does not enrich his household by a funeral; please divide it among the poor among our brothers."
君子曰：謀人之軍師，敗則死之；謀人之邦邑，危則亡之。
The gentleman says: In planning an army for another, if it is defeated, one dies for it; in planning a city for another, if it is endangered, one flees from it.
公叔文子升於瑕丘，蘧伯玉從，文子曰：“樂者斯丘也，死則我欲葬焉。”蘧伯玉曰：“吾子樂之，則瑗請前。”
Gongshu Wenzi climbed Xia Hill, with Qu Boyu following. Wenzi said: "This hill brings joy; when I die I would like to be buried here." Qu Boyu said: "If you like it so, sir, then I, Yuan, ask to die first."
弁人有其母死而孺子泣者，孔子曰：“哀則哀矣，而難為繼也。夫禮，為可傳也，為可繼也，故哭踴有節。”
In Bian there was a man whose mother died and who wept like a small child. Confucius said: "Grief it is, but it will be hard to sustain. Ritual is meant to be handed down and to be continued, so weeping and stamping have their measure."
叔孫武叔之母死，既小斂，舉者出戶，出戶袒，且投其冠，括髮，子游曰：“知禮。”
When Shusun Wushu's mother died, after the lesser dressing, the bearers had gone out through the door; only on going out did he bare his arm, and also threw off his cap and bound his hair. Ziyou said: "He knows the rites."
扶君，卜人師扶右，射人師扶左，君薨以是舉。
In supporting the ruler, the senior of the drivers supports the right side, and the senior of the archers supports the left (the base text writes 'bu' for 'pu,' a corruption of 'driver'). When the ruler dies, he is carried in the same way.
從母之夫、舅之妻，二夫人相為服，君子未之言也。或曰：同爨緦。
The husband of one's maternal aunt and the wife of one's maternal uncle: for these two to wear mourning for each other, the gentleman has never said. Some say: those who eat at the same stove wear the si mourning dress.
喪事欲其縱縱爾，吉事欲其折折爾，故喪事雖遽不陵節，吉事雖止不怠。故騷騷爾則野，鼎鼎爾則小人，君子蓋猶猶爾。
For funerals one wants a hurried manner, for auspicious affairs one wants a leisurely manner. So in funerals, even if hurried, one does not exceed the measure; in auspicious affairs, even when pausing, one is not idle. So being too hurried is coarse, too slow is petty; the gentleman presumably keeps a balance of quick and slow.
喪具，君子恥具，一日二日而可為也者，君子弗為也。
As for funeral equipment, the gentleman is ashamed to have it all prepared in advance. What can be made in a day or two, the gentleman does not make beforehand.
喪服，兄弟之子猶子也，蓋引而進之也。嫂叔之無服也，蓋推而遠之也。姑姊妹之薄也，蓋有受我而厚之者也。
On mourning dress: a brother's son is treated like one's own son, presumably to draw him close. Between sister-in-law and brother-in-law there is no mourning dress, presumably to push them apart. For a paternal aunt or sister the mourning is light, presumably because there are those who take her in and make it heavier on their side.
食於有喪者之側，未嘗飽也。
When eating beside a person in mourning, he never ate his fill.
曾子與客立於門側，其徒趨而出，曾子曰：“爾將何之？”曰：“吾父死，將出哭於巷。”曰：“反哭於爾次。”曾子北面而吊焉。
Zengzi was standing by the side of the gate with a guest when one of his disciples came hurrying out. Zengzi said: "Where are you going?" He said: "My father has died, and I am going out to weep in the lane." Zengzi said: "Go back and weep in your own room." Zengzi faced north and condoled with him.
孔子曰：“之死而致死之，不仁而不可為也；之死而致生之，不知而不可為也。是故竹不成用，瓦不成味，木不成斲，琴瑟張而不平，竽笙備而不和，有鐘磬而無簨虡，其曰明器，神明之也。”
Confucius said: "To send off the dead as if truly dead is inhumane and must not be done; to send off the dead as if truly alive is unwise and must not be done. Therefore bamboo vessels are not made usable, earthen vessels are not made to hold things, wooden vessels are not finished by carving, zithers and se are strung but not tuned, reed organs are provided but not harmonized, and bells and chimes are present but have no hanging frame; these are called spirit vessels, treating the dead as a spirit."
有子問於曾子曰：“問喪於夫子乎？”曰：“聞之矣：喪欲速貧，死欲速朽。”有子曰：“是非君子之言也。”曾子曰：“參也聞諸夫子也。”有子又曰：“是非君子之言也。”曾子曰：“參也與子游聞之。”有子曰：“然。然則夫子有為言之也？”曾子以斯言告於子游，子游曰：“甚哉！有子之言似夫子也。昔者夫子居於宋，見桓司馬自為石槨，三年而不成，夫子曰：若是其靡也，死不如速朽之愈也。死之慾速朽，為桓司馬言之也。南宮敬叔反，必載寶而朝，夫子曰：若是其貨也，喪不如速貧之愈也。喪之慾速貧，為敬叔言之也。”曾子以子游之言告於有子，有子曰：“然。吾固曰非夫子之言也。”曾子曰：“子何以知之？”有子曰：“夫子制於中都，四寸之棺，五寸之槨，以斯知不欲速朽也。昔者夫子失魯司寇，將之荊，蓋先之以子夏，又申之以冉有，以斯知不欲速貧也。”
Youzi asked Zengzi: "Have you asked the Master about funerals?" He said: "I heard: in funerals one wants to be poor quickly, and in death one wants to decay quickly." Youzi said: "These are not the words of a gentleman." Zengzi said: "I, Shen, heard it from the Master." Youzi again said: "These are not the words of a gentleman." Zengzi said: "I heard it together with Ziyou." Youzi said: "So. Then the Master must have said it with a particular person in mind." Zengzi told this to Ziyou. Ziyou said: "Remarkable! Youzi's words are like the Master's. In the past the Master was living in Song and saw Minister of War Huan making his own stone outer coffin, which after three years was still not finished. The Master said: Such extravagance, better to decay quickly after death. 'In death one wants to decay quickly' was said about Minister Huan. When Nangong Jingshu returned, he always loaded treasures and took them to pay his respects at court. The Master said: Using wealth like this, better to be poor quickly in a funeral. 'In funerals one wants to be poor quickly' was said about Jingshu." Zengzi told Ziyou's words to Youzi. Youzi said: "Yes. I said from the start that these were not the Master's words." Zengzi said: "How do you know?" Youzi said: "The Master set the rule in Zhongdu: a coffin of four inches and an outer coffin of five inches; from this I know he did not want to decay quickly. In the past, when the Master lost his post as Minister of Crime in Lu and was about to go to Chu, he first sent Zixia, and then sent Ran You as well; from this I know he did not want to be poor quickly."
陳莊子死，赴於魯，魯人慾勿哭，繆公召縣子而問焉，縣子曰：“古之大夫，束脩之問不出竟，雖欲哭之，安得而哭之？今之大夫，交政於中國，雖欲勿哭，焉得而弗哭？且臣聞之：哭有二道，有愛而哭之，有畏而哭之。”公曰：“然。然則如之何而可？”縣子曰：“請哭諸異姓之廟。”於是與哭諸縣氏。
When Chen Zhuangzi died, the notice reached Lu. The people of Lu wanted not to weep. Duke Mu summoned Xianzi to ask. Xianzi said: "In ancient times, a grand master's greeting did not go beyond the border even with a bundle of dried meat; even if one wanted to weep for him, from where would one weep? Nowadays, grand masters hand over government matters within the Central States; even if one wanted not to weep, how could one not weep? Moreover I have heard: there are two roads of weeping, those who weep from love and those who weep from fear." The duke said: "True. Then what should be done?" Xianzi said: "Please weep in the temple of a different surname." So they wept for him at the Xian family's place.
仲憲言於曾子曰：“夏后氏用明器，示民無知也。殷人用祭器，示民有知也。周人兼用之，示民疑也。”曾子曰：“其不然乎？其不然乎！夫明器，鬼器也，祭器，人器也。夫古之人胡為而死其親乎？”
Zhongxian said to Zengzi: "The Xia house used spirit vessels to show the people that the dead have no knowledge. The Yin people used sacrificial vessels to show the people that the dead have knowledge. The Zhou people used both, to show the people their doubt." Zengzi said: "Is it not so? Is it not so! Spirit vessels are vessels for ghosts; sacrificial vessels are vessels for men. Why would the ancients have taken their dear ones to be truly dead?"
公叔木有同母異父之昆弟死，問於子游，子游曰：“其大功乎？”狄儀有同母異父之昆弟死，問於子夏，子夏曰：“我未之前聞也。”魯人則為之齊衰，狄儀行齊衰，今之齊衰，狄儀之問也。
When a half-brother by the same mother of Gongshu Mu died, he asked Ziyou. Ziyou said: "Perhaps it is the great merit mourning?" When a half-brother by the same mother of Di Yi died, he asked Zixia. Zixia said: "I have never heard of this before." The people of Lu then wore the zicui mourning for him. Di Yi carried out the zicui. The present zicui came about from this question of Di Yi.
子思之母死於衛，柳若謂子思曰：“子聖人之後也，四方於子乎觀禮，子蓋慎諸！”子思曰：“吾何慎哉？吾聞之：有其禮無其財，君子弗行也，有其禮有其財，無其時，君子弗行也。吾何慎哉！”
When Zisi's mother died in Wei, Liu Ruo said to Zisi: "You are a descendant of a sage, and the four quarters look to you for the rites; you had better be careful!" Zisi said: "What should I be careful about? I have heard: if one has the rites but not the means, the gentleman does not carry them out; if one has the rites and the means but not the occasion, the gentleman does not carry them out. What should I be careful about!"
縣子瑣曰：“吾聞之：古者不降，上下各以其親。滕伯文為孟虎齊衰，其叔父也，為孟皮齊衰，其叔父也。”
Xianzi Suo said: "I have heard: in ancient times there was no lowering of grade, and high and low each went by their closeness of kin. Teng Bowen wore zicui for Meng Hu, who was his paternal uncle; and wore zicui for Meng Pi, to whom Teng Bowen was a paternal uncle."
後木曰：“喪，吾聞諸縣子曰：夫喪，不可不深長思也。買棺外內易，我死則亦然。”
Houmu said: "On funerals, I heard from Xianzi: funerals must not be done without deep and long thought. When buying a coffin, inside and outside should be even and flat; when I die, let it be so for me as well."
曾子曰：“屍未設飾，故帷堂，小斂而徹帷。”仲梁子曰：“夫婦方亂，故帷堂，小斂而徹帷。”
Zengzi said: "The corpse has not yet been dressed with ornaments, so the hall is screened with curtains; at the lesser dressing, the curtains are removed." Zhongliangzi said: "The husband and wife are in the midst of confusion, so the hall is screened with curtains; at the lesser dressing, the curtains are removed."
小斂之奠，子游曰：“於東方。”曾子曰：“於西方。”斂斯席矣，小斂之奠在西方，魯禮之未失也。
For the offering at the lesser dressing, Ziyou said: "It is on the east." Zengzi said: "It is on the west." At the full dressing there are mats. That the offering at the lesser dressing is on the west is a fault of the later stream of Lu ritual.
縣子曰：“綌衰繐裳，非古也。”
Xianzi said: "Making the upper mourning garment of coarse kudzu cloth and the lower skirt of fine but sparse cloth is not the ancient rule."
子蒲卒，哭者呼滅，子皋曰：“若是，野哉！”哭者改之。
When Zipu died, those who wept called his name, "Mie." Zigao said: "Like this, how coarse!" The mourners changed it.
杜橋之母之喪，宮中無相，以為沽也。
At the mourning for Du Qiao's mother, there was no one in the household to lead the rites, and people thought it too simple.
夫子曰：“始死，羔裘玄冠者，易之而已。”羔裘玄冠，夫子不以吊。
The Master said: "When someone has just died, those who wear a lambskin robe and a black cap should simply change." As for lambskin robe and black cap, the Master did not use them for condolence visits.
子游問喪具，夫子曰：“稱家之有亡。”子游曰：“有無惡乎齊？”夫子曰：“有，毋過禮。苟亡矣，斂首足形，還葬，縣棺而封，人豈有非之者哉？”
Ziyou asked about funeral equipment. The Master said: "It should match what the household has or lacks." Ziyou said: "How can having and lacking be made equal?" The Master said: "If one has, do not exceed the rites. If one has nothing, wrapping the head and feet and the body and burying nearby, lowering the coffin by ropes into the grave, how could anyone blame him?"
司士賁告於子游曰：“請襲於床。”子游曰：“諾。”縣子聞之，曰：“汰哉叔氏！專以禮許人。”
Ben, the Master of Officers, told Ziyou: "Please dress the dead on the bed." Ziyou said: "Yes." Xianzi heard of it and said: "How arrogant, Master Shu! He arbitrarily promised another about the rites."
宋襄公葬其夫人，醯醢百甕，曾子曰：“既曰明器矣，而又實之。”
When Duke Xiang of Song buried his consort, there were a hundred jars of meat paste and vinegar sauce. Zengzi said: "Since they are called spirit vessels, yet they fill them up."
孟獻子之喪，司徒旅歸四布，夫子曰：“可也。”
At the funeral of Meng Xianzi, the officers of the Minister of Education returned the cloth and silk sent from all quarters. The Master said: "That is acceptable."
讀賵，曾子曰：“非古也，是再告也。”
When the list of funeral gifts of carriages and horses was read out, Zengzi said: "This is not the ancient rule; it is announcing the same thing a second time."
成子高寢疾，慶遺入請曰：“子之病革矣！如至乎大病，則如之何？”子高曰：“吾聞之也：生有益於人，死不害於人。吾縱生無益於人，吾可以死害於人乎哉？我死，則擇不食之地而葬我焉。”
When Cheng Zigao lay ill, Qing Yi went in and asked: "Your illness is critical! If it comes to death, what should be done?" Zigao said: "I have heard: while alive be of benefit to others, and when dead do no harm to others. Though I have been of no benefit to others while alive, can I do harm to others when dead? When I die, choose land where crops do not grow and bury me there."
子夏問諸夫子曰：“居君之母與妻之喪，居處言語飲食衎爾。”
Zixia asked the Master: "In mourning for the ruler's mother and wife, may one be at ease in residence, speech, and food?"
賓客至，無所館，夫子曰：“生於我乎館，死於我乎殯。”
Guests arrived and there was no lodging for them. The Master said: "While alive, they lodge with me; when dead, they are laid in the coffin with me."
國子高曰：“葬也者，藏也。藏也者，欲人之弗得見也。是故衣足以飾身，棺周於衣，槨周於棺，土周於槨，反壤樹之哉。”
Guozi Gao said: "Burial means hiding. Hiding means wanting people not to see. So clothes are enough to adorn the body, the coffin surrounds the clothes, the outer coffin surrounds the coffin, and the earth surrounds the outer coffin; how could one then pile up a mound and plant trees?"
孔子之喪，有自燕來觀者，舍於子夏氏，子夏曰：“聖人之葬人，與人之葬聖人也，子何觀焉？昔者夫子言之曰：吾見封之若堂者矣，見若坊者矣，見若覆夏屋者矣，見若斧者矣，從若斧者焉。馬鬣封之謂也。今一日而三斬板，而已封，尚行夫子之志乎哉。”
At the funeral of Confucius, someone came from Yan to watch and lodged with Zixia's family. Zixia said: "A sage burying a man versus a man burying a sage, what are you watching for? In the past the Master said: I have seen mounds that look like a hall, I have seen ones like an embankment, ones like a covering Xia-style house, and ones like an axe; I follow the one like an axe. This is what is called the horse-mane mound. Now with three rounds of pounding boards a day the mound is finished, and one can say it follows the Master's intent."
婦人不葛帶。
Women do not use kudzu for the waist sash.