Shuo Yuan (說苑) · Volume 11

道吾問之夫子：“多所知，無所知，其身孰善者乎？”對曰：“無知者，死人屬也；雖不死，累人者必眾甚矣。然多所知者好，其用心也多；所知者出於利人即善矣，出於害人即不善也。”道吾曰：“善哉！”

Daowu asked the Master: "Which is better for oneself, knowing much, or knowing nothing at all?" He replied: "The ignorant belong to the category of the dead; even if they do not die, they surely burden many others. But knowing much is good, and the mind one uses is also great; what one knows, if it comes from benefiting others, is good, and if it comes from harming others, is not good." Daowu said: "Well said!"

越石父曰：“不肖人，自賢也；愚者，自多也；佞人者，皆莫能相其心口以出之，又謂人勿言也。譬之猶渴而穿井，臨難而後鑄兵，雖疾從而不及也。”

Yue Shifu said: "The unworthy take themselves to be worthy, and fools take themselves to know a lot. Flatterers cannot examine their own heart and mouth before speaking, and tell others not to speak. It is like digging a well only when thirsty, or casting weapons only when facing danger; even if one is quick, one will still be too late."

夫臨財忘貧，臨生忘死，可以遠罪矣。夫君子愛口，孔雀愛羽，虎豹愛爪，此皆所以治身法也。上交者不失其祿，下交者不離於患，是以君子擇人以交，農人擇田而田。君子樹人，農夫樹田；田者擇種而種之，豐年必得粟；士擇人而樹之，豐時必得祿矣。

To forget poverty when facing wealth and forget death when facing survival is to be able to stay far from crime. The gentleman cherishes his mouth, the peacock cherishes its feathers, and the tiger and leopard cherish their claws; these are all rules for governing oneself. Associating with those above does not lose one's salary, and associating with those below does not leave one free of trouble; so the gentleman chooses whom to associate with, and the farmer chooses the field to cultivate. The gentleman cultivates people as the farmer cultivates fields; the one who farms chooses seed to sow, and in a plentiful year he surely gets grain; the scholar chooses people to cultivate, and in the harvest time he surely gets salary.

天下失道，而後仁義生焉，國家不治，而後孝子生焉，民爭不分，而後慈惠生焉，道逆時反，而後權謀生焉。凡善之生也，皆學之所由。一室之中，必有主道焉，父母之謂也；故君正則百姓治，父母正則子孫孝慈。是以孔子家兒不知罵，曾子家兒不知怒；所以然者，生而善教也。夫仁者好合人，不仁者好離人，故君子居人間則治，小人居人間則亂；君子欲和人，譬猶水火不相能然也，而鼎在其間，水火不亂，乃和百味。是以君子不可不慎擇人在其間！

When the world loses the Way, benevolence and righteousness arise; when the state is not governed, filial sons arise; when the people grab and cannot divide, kindness and generosity arise; when the Way is reversed and the times turn back, scheming and stratagems arise. All that is good comes from what one has studied. In one household there must be a Way of governing it, which means the parents; so when the ruler is upright the people are governed, and when parents are upright their sons and grandsons are filial and kind. Therefore the children in Confucius's house did not know how to scold, and the children in Zengzi's house did not know how to be angry; this was because they were born with the teaching of good. The benevolent like to gather people together, and the unbenevolent like to scatter them, so when a gentleman is among people there is order, and when a petty man is among people there is disorder. When the gentleman wants to harmonize people, it is like water and fire that cannot be reconciled; the cauldron lies between them so that water and fire do not clash, and only then can the hundred flavors be harmonized. Therefore the gentleman cannot fail to choose carefully the person who stands in the middle!

齊景公問晏子曰：“寡人自坐地，二三子皆坐地；吾子獨搴草而坐之，何也？”晏子對曰：“嬰聞之：唯喪與獄坐於地。今不敢以喪獄之事侍於君矣。”

Duke Jing of Qi asked Yan Zi: "I am sitting on the ground myself, and all of you are sitting on the ground; you alone pull up grass to sit on. Why?" Yan Zi replied: "I have heard that only for funerals and lawsuits does one sit on the ground. Now I do not dare to serve Your Lordship in the manner of funerals and lawsuits."

齊高廷問於孔子曰：“廷、不曠山，不直地，衣蓑提執精氣，以問事君之道，願夫子告之。”孔子曰：“貞以幹之，敬以輔之，待人無倦，見君子則舉之，見小人則退之；去爾噁心而忠與之，敏其行，修其禮，千里之外親如兄弟；若行不敏，禮不合，對門不通矣。”

Gao Ting of Qi asked Confucius: "I did not leave the mountains idle, and did not walk straight on level ground; wearing a straw cape and carrying my vital spirit, I have come to ask the way of serving a ruler. I hope the Master will tell me." Confucius said: "Let constancy govern, let reverence assist, be tireless in dealing with people, recommend gentlemen when you see them and dismiss petty men when you see them; get rid of your evil heart and give him loyalty, be quick in action and cultivate ritual, and one a thousand li away will be close as a brother; if you are not quick in action and ritual does not fit, you will not get through even with the neighbor across the gate."

顏淵問於仲尼曰：“成人之行何若？”子曰：“成人之行達乎情性之理，通乎物類之變，知幽明之故，睹遊氣之源，若此而可謂成人。既知天道，行躬以仁義，飭身以禮樂。夫仁義禮樂成人之行也，窮神知化德之盛也。”

Yan Yuan asked Zhongni: "What is the conduct of a complete person?" Confucius said: "The conduct of a complete person comprehends the principle of nature and feeling, understands the changes of the kinds of things, knows the reasons for the hidden and the manifest, and sees the source of floating vapors; one who is like this can be called a complete person. Having already known the Way of Heaven, he practices benevolence and righteousness himself and puts himself in order with ritual and music. Benevolence, righteousness, ritual and music are the conduct of a complete person; to exhaust the marvelous and know the transformations is the greatness of virtue."

易曰：“仰以觀於天文，俯以察於地理”，是故知幽明之故。夫天文地理、人情之效存於心，則聖智之府。是故古者聖王既臨天下，必變四時，定律歷，考天文，揆時變，登靈臺以望氣氛，故堯曰：“諮爾舜，天之歷數在爾躬，允執其中，四海困窮。”書曰：“在璇璣玉衡，以齊七政。”璇璣謂此辰勾陳樞星也。以其魁杓之所指二十八宿為吉凶禍福；天文列舍盈縮之占，各以類為驗。夫占變之道，二而已矣。二者陰陽之數也，故易曰：“一陰一陽之謂道，道也者，物之動莫不由道也。”是故發於一，成於二，備於三，周於四，行於五；是故玄象著明，莫大於日月；察變之動，莫著於五星。天之五星運氣於五行，其初猶發於陰陽，而化極萬一千五百二十。所謂二十八星者：東方曰角亢氐房心尾箕，北方曰鬥牛須女虛危營室東壁，西方曰奎婁胃昂畢觜參，南方曰東井輿鬼柳七星張翼軫。所謂宿者，日月五星之所宿也。其在宿運外內者，以宮名別，其根荄皆發於地而華形於天。所謂五星者，一曰歲星、二曰熒惑、三曰鎮星、四曰太白、五曰辰星。欃槍彗孛，旬始枉矢，蚩尤之旗，皆五星盈縮之所生也。五星之所犯，各以金木水火土為占。春秋冬夏伏見有時，失其常，離其時，則為變異，得其時，居其常，是謂吉祥。古者有主四時者：主春者張，昏而中，可以種穀，上告於天子，下布之民；主夏者大火，昏而中，可以種黍菽，上告於天子，下布之民；主秋者虛，昏而中，可以種麥，上告於天子，下布之民；主冬者昴，昏而中，可以斬伐田獵蓋藏，上告之天子，下布之民。故天子南面視四星之中，知民之緩急，急利不賦籍，不舉力役。書曰：“敬授民時。”詩曰：“物其有矣，維其時矣。”物之所以有而不絕者，以其動之時也。

The Book of Changes says: "Looking up, observe the patterns of the heavens; looking down, examine the patterns of the earth." Thus one knows the reasons for the hidden and the manifest. The verification of the patterns of heaven and earth and of human feelings resides in the heart, and is the storehouse of sagely wisdom. So when the former sage kings had already surveyed the world, they necessarily changed the four seasons, fixed the pitch pipes and calendar, examined the heavenly patterns, measured the changes of the seasons, and ascended the Spirit Terrace to observe the vapors. So Yao said: "Ah, you Shun, the calendrical numbers of Heaven are on you; hold truly to the middle way, and if the four seas are in distress, the blessing from Heaven will end forever." The Book of Documents says: "By the jade armillary sphere and sighting tube, to put in order the Seven Governors." The armillary sphere refers to the North Pole, Gouchen and Shu stars. The twenty-eight lunar lodges pointed to by the head and handle of the Dipper were used for good and ill fortune; the omens of the heavenly patterns and the waxing and waning of the constellations are verified each according to its kind. The principle of divining changes has only two kinds, yin and yang. Two is the number of yin and yang, so the Book of Changes says: "One yin and one yang are called the Way. As for the Way, in the movement of things nothing does not pass through it." So it is issued from one, completed in two, fulfilled in three, made to circuit in four, and advanced in five. Thus among the heavenly images that are bright and prominent, none is greater than the sun and moon; among the movements in which one observes changes, none is more manifest than the five planets. The qi of the five planets of Heaven moves in the five phases; at first it still comes out of yin and yang, and the changes reach their extreme at eleven thousand five hundred and twenty. The twenty-eight lodges are said to be: in the east, called Jiao, Kang, Di, Fang, Xin, Wei and Ji; in the north, called Dou, Niu, Xunu, Xu, Wei, Yingshi and Dongbi; in the west, called Kui, Lou, Wei, Mao, Bi, Zi and Shen; in the south, called Dongjing, Yugui, Liu, Qixing, Zhang, Yi and Zhen. The lodges are where the sun, moon and five planets stay. Those within and outside their courses through the lodges are distinguished by the names of the palaces, and their roots all come out of the earth and flower and take form in heaven. The five planets are: the first called Jupiter, the second Mars, the third Saturn, the fourth Venus, and the fifth Mercury. The Chanchuang, the comet, the Bo star, Xunshi, the Wangshi and the banner of Chiyou are all produced by the waxing and waning of the five planets. What the five planets encroach on is divined according to metal, wood, water, fire and earth. Their hiding and appearing in spring, autumn, winter and summer have fixed times; losing their constancy and leaving their season is anomaly, while obtaining the season and being in their constancy is called auspicious. In ancient times there were those in charge of the four seasons: the one in charge of spring was the star Zhang, which at dusk is at the meridian, when grain can be sown, reported upward to the Son of Heaven and announced downward to the people; the one in charge of summer was Dahuo, which at dusk is at the meridian, when millet and beans can be sown, reported upward to the Son of Heaven and announced downward to the people; the one in charge of autumn was Xu, which at dusk is at the meridian, when wheat can be sown, reported upward to the Son of Heaven and announced downward to the people; the one in charge of winter was Mao, which at dusk is at the meridian, when felling, hunting and storing can be done, reported upward to the Son of Heaven and announced downward to the people. So the Son of Heaven, facing south, observed the four stars at the meridian and knew the people's ease or urgency; if urgent, it was not good to levy taxes or raise labor service. The Book of Documents says: "Respectfully give the people the seasons." The Book of Poetry says: "Things already exist, only because they are in season." The reason things exist and do not cease is that their movement is in season.

易曰：“天垂象，見吉凶，聖人則之。”昔者高宗、成王感於雊雉暴風之變，修身自改而享豐昌之福也；逮秦皇帝即位，彗星四見，蝗蟲蔽天，冬雷夏凍，石隕東郡，大人出臨洮，妖孽並見，熒惑守心，星茀大角，大角以亡；終不能改。二世立，又重其惡；及即位，日月薄蝕，山林淪亡，辰星出於四孟，太白經天而行，無雲而雷，枉矢夜光，熒惑襲月，孽火燒宮，野禽戲庭，都門內崩。天變動於上，群臣昏於朝，百姓亂於下，遂不察，是以亡也。

The Book of Changes says: "Heaven hangs down images that show good and ill fortune, and the sage takes them as his model." In the past, Gaozong and King Cheng were moved by the anomalies of the crowing pheasant and violent wind, cultivated themselves and corrected themselves, and enjoyed the blessing of abundance and prosperity; when the Emperor of Qin took the throne, comets appeared four times, locusts darkened the sky, thunder came in winter and freezing in summer, stones fell in Dongjun, great men appeared at Lintao, and ill omens appeared all at once; Mars guarded the Heart lodge, a comet encroached on Arcturus, and Arcturus was thus lost; he never could correct himself. The Second Emperor was set up and added to the evil; by the time he took the throne, the sun and moon were eclipsed, mountains and forests collapsed, Mercury appeared in the first month of the four seasons, Venus crossed the sky, thunder sounded without clouds, the Wangshi shone at night, Mars attacked the moon, evil fire burned the palace, wild birds played in the courtyard, and the gate of the capital collapsed inward. Heaven moved above, the ministers were confused at court, the people were in disorder below, and in the end he did not reflect, and so was destroyed.

八荒之內有四海，四海之內有九州，天子處中州而制八方耳。兩河間曰冀州，河南曰豫州，河西曰雍州，漢南曰荊州，江南曰揚州，濟南間曰兗州，濟東曰徐州，燕曰幽州，齊曰青州。山川汙澤，陵陸丘阜，五土之宜，聖王就其勢，因其便，不失其性。高者黍，中者稷，下者■，蒲葦菅蒯之用不乏，麻麥黍梁亦不盡，山林禽獸川澤魚鱉滋殖，王者京師四通而致之。

Within the eight wildernesses are the four seas, and within the four seas are the nine provinces; the Son of Heaven resides in the central province and controls the eight directions. The area between the two rivers is called Jizhou, south of the river is Yuzhou, west of the river is Yongzhou, south of the Han is Jingzhou, south of the Yangzi is Yangzhou, the region south of the Ji River is Yanzhou, east of the Ji is Xuzhou, Yan is Youzhou, and Qi is Qingzhou. Mountains and rivers, marshes and pools, hills, plains, mounds and knolls: the five kinds of soil each have what suits them, and the sage kings followed the lay of the land and relied on what was convenient, not losing its nature. The high ground is planted with broomcorn millet, the middle with millet, and the low with rice (the character here in the original is damaged; from the common saying 'high ground millet, middle millet, low rice,' it must be 'rice'); rushes, reeds, and sedges are not lacking for use, hemp, wheat, millet and sorghum are not exhausted, the birds and beasts of mountains and forests and the fish and turtles of rivers and marshes breed and multiply, and the king's capital, open in all directions, draws them in.

周幽王二年，西周三川皆震，伯陽父曰：“周將亡矣。夫天地之氣，不失其序，若過其序，民亂之也。陽伏而不能出，陰迫而不能烝，於是有地震。今三川震，是陽失其所而填陰也；陽溢而壯，陰源必塞，國必亡。夫水土演而民用足也，土無所演，民乏財用，不亡何待？昔伊雒竭而夏亡，河竭而商亡，今周德如二代之季矣；其川源塞，塞必竭，夫國必依山川，山崩川竭，亡之徵也。川竭山必崩，若國亡不過十年，數之紀也，天之所棄不過紀。”是歲也，三川竭，岐山崩，十一年幽王乃滅，周乃東遷。

In the second year of King You of Zhou, the three rivers of Western Zhou all shook. Bo Yangfu said: "Zhou is about to perish. The qi of Heaven and Earth does not lose its order; if it oversteps the order, it is because the people have disturbed it. Yang is hidden and cannot come out, yin is pressed and cannot rise, and so there are earthquakes. Now the three rivers shake because yang has lost its place and presses upon yin; when yang overflows and grows strong, the source of yin is surely blocked, and the state will surely perish. When water and earth are moist, the people's needs are supplied; if earth has no moisture, the people lack wealth for use; if one does not perish, what is one waiting for? In the past the Yi and Luo dried up and Xia perished, the Yellow River dried up and Shang perished; now the virtue of Zhou is like that of the last days of those two dynasties; its river sources are blocked, and what is blocked will surely dry up. A state surely relies on mountains and rivers; when mountains collapse and rivers dry up, it is a sign of destruction. When the rivers dry up the mountains will surely collapse; if the state perishes it will not be beyond ten years, which is one cycle of numbers; what Heaven abandons does not go beyond a cycle." That year, the three rivers dried up and Mount Qi collapsed, and in the eleventh year King You perished, and Zhou then moved east.

五嶽者，何謂也？泰山，東嶽也；霍山，南嶽也；華山，西嶽也；常山，北嶽也；嵩高山，中嶽也。五嶽何以視三公？能大布雲雨焉，能大斂雲雨焉；雲觸石而出，膚寸而合，不崇朝而雨天下，施德博大，故視三公也。

What are the Five Peaks? Mount Tai is the Eastern Peak, Mount Huo is the Southern Peak, Mount Hua is the Western Peak, Mount Chang is the Northern Peak, and Mount Songgao is the Central Peak. Why are the Five Peaks regarded as equal to the three dukes? They can spread clouds and rain over a great area and can gather them in over a great area; clouds touch the rocks and come out, gathering inch by inch, and in less than a morning they rain on the whole world; their bestowal of virtue is broad and vast, so they are regarded as equal to the three dukes.

四瀆者，何謂也？江、河、淮、濟也。四瀆何以視諸侯？能盪滌垢濁焉，能通百川於海焉，能出雲雨千里焉，為施甚大，故視諸侯也。

What are the Four Rivers? The Yangzi, the Yellow River, the Huai and the Ji. Why are the Four Rivers regarded as equal to the feudal lords? They can wash away filth and turbidity, lead the hundred streams to the sea, and produce clouds and rain over a thousand li; their giving is great, so they are regarded as equal to the feudal lords.

山川何以視子男也？能出物焉，能潤澤物焉，能生雲雨；為恩多，然品類以百數，故視子男也。書曰：“禋於六宗，望秋于山川，遍於群神矣。”

Why are mountains and rivers regarded as equal to viscounts and barons? They can produce things, moisten things, and produce clouds and rain; their kindness is abundant, but their kinds are counted by the hundred, so they are regarded as equal to viscounts and barons. The Book of Documents says: "Offer the Yin sacrifice to the Six Honored Ones, the distant sacrifice to mountains and rivers, and extend to the multitude of spirits."

齊景公為露寢之臺，成而不通焉。柏常騫曰：“為臺甚急，臺成，君何為不通焉？”公曰：“然。梟昔者鳴，其聲無不為也，吾惡之甚，是以不通焉。”柏常騫曰：“臣請禳而去之！”公曰：“何具？”對曰：“築新室，為置白茅焉。”公使為室，成，置白茅焉。柏常騫夜用事，明日問公曰：“今昔聞梟聲乎？”公曰：“一鳴而不復聞。”使人往視之，梟當陛布翼伏地而死。公曰：“子之道若此其明也！亦能益寡人壽乎？”對曰：“能。”公曰：“能益幾何？”對曰：“天子九、諸侯七、大夫五。”公曰：“亦有徵兆之見乎？”對曰：“得壽，地且動。”公喜，令百官趣具騫之所求。柏常騫出，遭晏子於塗，拜馬前，辭曰：“騫為君禳梟而殺之，君謂騫曰：子之道若此其明也，亦能益寡人壽乎？騫曰能。今且大祭，為君請壽，故將往。以聞。”晏子曰：“嘻，亦善矣！能為君請壽也。雖然，吾聞之：惟以政與德順乎神，為可以益壽。今徒祭可以益壽乎？然則福名有見乎？”對曰：“得壽地將動。”晏子曰：“騫，昔吾見維星絕，樞星散，地其動。汝以是乎？”柏常騫俯有間，仰而對曰：“然。”晏子曰：“為之無益，不為無損也。薄賦斂，無費民，且令君知之！”

Duke Jing of Qi built the terrace of the Lu sleeping hall, and when it was finished he did not go up there. Bo Changqian said: "The terrace was built in haste; now that it is finished, why does Your Lordship not go up there?" The Duke said: "It is so. The owl formerly hooted, and there was no sound it did not make; I hated it very much, so I do not go up there." Bo Changqian said: "I ask to perform the exorcism to remove it!" The Duke said: "What should be prepared?" He replied: "Build a new house and put white thatch in it." The Duke had a house built, and when it was finished put white thatch in it. Bo Changqian performed the rite at night, and the next day asked the Duke: "Did you hear the owl's cry last night?" The Duke said: "It cried once and I did not hear it again." He sent men to look, and the owl lay dead on the ground facing the steps with its wings spread. The Duke said: "Your Way is as clear as this! Can it also add to my lifespan?" He replied: "It can." The Duke said: "How much can it add?" He replied: "Nine for the Son of Heaven, seven for feudal lords, five for great officers." The Duke said: "Will there be a sign that appears?" He replied: "When the lifespan is obtained, the earth will move." The Duke was pleased and ordered the hundred officials to prepare quickly what Qian requested. Bo Changqian went out and met Yan Zi on the road, bowed before his horse, and took his leave, saying: "Qian performed the exorcism of the owl for the Duke and killed it, and the Duke said to me: 'Your Way is as clear as this; can it also add to my lifespan?' I said it could. Now a great sacrifice will be held to request lifespan for the Duke, so I am going. I tell you this." Yan Zi said: "Ah, that is fine! You can request a lifespan for the Duke. Even so, I have heard that only by following the spirits with government and virtue can one add to a lifespan. Now can sacrifice alone add to a lifespan? Then is there a sign that shows the blessing?" He replied: "When the lifespan is obtained, the earth will move." Yan Zi said: "Qian, I once saw the Wei star cut off and the Shu star scatter, and the earth is probably about to move. Is this what you are relying on?" Bo Changqian lowered his head for a while, then raised it and replied: "Yes." Yan Zi said: "To do it brings no benefit, and not to do it brings no harm. Lighten the levies, do not exhaust the people's strength, and let the Duke know this!"

夫水旱俱天下陰陽所為也。大旱則雩祭而請雨，大水則鳴鼓而劫社。何也？曰：陽者陰之長也，其在鳥則雄為陽，雌為陰，在獸則牡為陽而牝為陰；其在民則夫為陽而婦為陰，其在家則父為陽而子為陰，其在國則君為陽而臣為陰。故陽貴而陰賤，陽尊而陰卑，天之道也。今大旱者，陽氣太盛以厭於陰，陰厭陽固，陽其填也，惟填厭之太甚，使陰不能起也，亦雩際拜請而已，無敢加也。至於大水及日蝕者，皆陰氣太盛而上減陽精，以賤乘貴，以卑陵尊，大逆不義，故鳴鼓而懾之，朱絲縈而劫之。由此觀之，春秋乃正天下之位，徵陰陽之失。直責逆者不避其難，是亦春秋之不畏強禦也。故劫嚴社而不為驚靈，出天王而不為不尊上，辭蒯聵之命不為不聽其父，絕文姜之屬而不為不愛其母，其義之盡耶！其義之盡耶！

Floods and droughts are both made by yin and yang in the world. In great drought the rain sacrifice is held to ask for rain, and in great flood drums are beaten to coerce the god of the soil. Why? It is said: yang is the elder of yin. Among birds, the male is yang and the female is yin; among beasts, the stallion is yang and the mare is yin; among the people, the husband is yang and the wife is yin; in a family, the father is yang and the son is yin; in a state, the ruler is yang and the minister is yin. So yang is noble and yin is humble, yang is honored and yin is lowly; this is the Way of Heaven. Now in great drought, yang energy is too strong and suppresses yin; yin is suppressed and yang holds fast, and yang presses down; it is only that the pressing is too great and keeps yin from rising, and so one only bows and requests at the rain sacrifice and does not dare to add more. As for great floods and solar eclipses, both are cases where yin energy is too strong and diminishes yang's essence upward, so the lowly are overriding the noble and the humble overstepping the honored, which is greatly contrary and unrighteous; so drums are beaten to subdue it and red silk is wound round to coerce it. Seen from this, the Spring and Autumn Annals sets right the places of the world and punishes the errors of yin and yang. It directly blames the one who is contrary without avoiding the difficulty, and this is also the Annals' not fearing the forceful. So to coerce the venerable god of the soil is not startling the spirits, to expel the Heavenly King is not disrespecting those above, to decline Kuaiwei's order is not disobeying one's father, and to cut off ties with Wen Jiang is not failing to love one's mother. How righteousness has reached its limit! How righteousness has reached its limit!

齊大旱之時，景公召群臣問曰：“天不雨久矣，民且有飢色，吾使人卜之，崇在高山廣水，寡人慾少賦斂以祠靈山可乎？”群臣莫對。晏子進曰：“不可，祠此無益也。夫靈山固以石為身，以草木為發；天久不雨，發將焦，身將熱，彼獨不欲雨乎？祠之無益。”景公曰：“不然，吾欲祠河伯可乎？”晏子曰：“不可，祠此無益也。夫河伯以水為國，以魚鱉為民；天久不雨，水泉將下，百川竭，國將亡，民將滅矣，彼獨不用雨乎？祠之何益？”景公曰：“今為之奈何？”晏子曰：“君誠避宮殿暴露，與靈山河伯共憂；其幸而雨乎！”於是景公出野，暴露三日，天果大雨，民盡得種樹。景公曰：“善哉！晏子之言可無用乎？其惟右德也！”

During a great drought in Qi, Duke Jing summoned his ministers and asked: "Heaven has not sent rain for a long time and the people will soon show hunger. I had a man divine, and the one causing trouble is in the high mountains and broad waters. I would like to levy a small amount to sacrifice to the spirit mountain; may I?" The ministers did not answer. Yan Zi stepped forward and said: "No, sacrificing to it will do no good. The spirit mountain has stones for its body and grass and trees for its hair; if Heaven does not send rain for long, its hair will scorch and its body will burn; would it alone not want rain? Sacrificing to it does no good." Duke Jing said: "Not so; I want to sacrifice to the River Earl; may I?" Yan Zi said: "No, sacrificing to him will do no good. The River Earl takes water as his state and fish and turtles as his people; if Heaven does not send rain for long, the springs will sink, the hundred streams will dry up, the state will perish and the people will vanish; would he alone not need rain? What good is sacrificing to him?" Duke Jing said: "What shall we do now?" Yan Zi said: "If Your Lordship will truly leave the palace and be exposed in the open fields, sharing worry with the spirit mountain and the River Earl, perhaps by good fortune it will rain!" So Duke Jing went to the countryside and was exposed for three days, and Heaven indeed sent great rain, and the people were able to plant. Duke Jing said: "Excellent! Can Yan Zi's words be left unused? It all lies in virtue!"

夫天地有德，合則生氣有精矣；陰陽消息，則變化有時矣。時得而治矣，時得而化矣，時失而亂矣；是故人生而不具者五：目無見，不能食，不能行，不能言，不能施化。故三月達眼而後能見，七月生齒而後能食，期年生臏而後能行，三年■合而後能言，十六精通而後能施化。陰窮反陽，陽窮反陰，故陰以陽變，陽以陰變。故男八月而生齒，八歲而毀齒，二八十六而精小通；女七月而生齒，七歲而毀齒，二七十四而精化小通。不肖者精化始至，而生氣感動，觸情縱慾，故反施亂化。故詩云：“乃如之人，懷婚姻也；大無信也，不知命也。”賢者不然，精化填盈後，傷時之不可遇也，不見道端，乃陳情慾以歌。詩曰：“靜女其姝，俟我乎城隅；愛而不見，搔首踟躕。”“瞻彼日月，遙遙我思；道之雲遠，曷雲能來？”急時之辭也，甚焉，故稱日月也。

Heaven and Earth have virtue, and when they meet there is life, breath and essence; yin and yang wax and wane, and change has its times. When the times fit there is order, when the times fit there is teaching and transformation, and when the times go wrong there is disorder. So a person is born incomplete in five ways: the eyes cannot see, he cannot eat, he cannot walk, he cannot speak, and he cannot generate. So at three months the eyes open and then he can see, at seven months teeth grow and then he can eat, at one year the kneecaps form and then he can walk, at three years the fontanelle closes and then he can speak (the character here in the original is damaged; from the common saying 'the fontanelle closes and then he can speak,' it must be 'fontanelle'), and at sixteen the essence flows through and then he can generate. When yin reaches its extreme it returns to yang, and when yang reaches its extreme it returns to yin, so yin changes by yang and yang changes by yin. So a boy grows teeth at eight months and changes them at eight years, and at twice eight, sixteen, the essence begins to flow; a girl grows teeth at seven months and changes them at seven years, and at twice seven, fourteen, the essence begins to transform. In the unworthy, when the essence's transformation has just arrived, the vital energy is stirred, and when desire is stirred and let loose they in turn generate disorder in transformation. So the Book of Poetry says: "A person like this longs for marriage; has no good faith at all and does not know the decree." The worthy are not like this: after the transformation of essence is full and overflowing, they feel grief that the time cannot be met, and do not see the beginning of the Way, and only then set out their feelings in song. The Book of Poetry says: "The quiet girl is so lovely, waiting for me at the corner of the wall; hiding, I cannot see her, and scratching my head I pace." "I gaze at those suns and moons, and think of you from far away; the road is said to be far, how can you come?" These are words urgent for the time, very urgent, so they speak of suns and moons.

度量權衡以黍生之為一分，十分為一寸，十寸為一尺，十尺為一丈。十六黍為一豆，六豆為一銖，二十四銖重一兩，十六兩為一斤，三十斤為一鈞，四鈞重一石。千二百黍為一龠，十龠為一合，十合為一升，十升為一斗，十鬥為一石。

Measures of length, volume and weight arise from millet: one grain of millet is one fen, ten fen make one cun, ten cun make one chi, and ten chi make one zhang. Sixteen grains of millet make one dou, six dou make one zhu, twenty-four zhu weigh one liang, sixteen liang make one jin, thirty jin make one jun, and four jun weigh one shi. One thousand two hundred grains of millet make one yue, ten yue make one ge, ten ge make one sheng, ten sheng make one dou, and ten dou make one shi.

凡六經帝王之所著，莫不致四靈焉；德盛則以為畜，治平則時氣至矣。故麒麟■身、牛尾，圓頂一角，合仁懷義，音中律呂，行步中規，折旋中矩，擇土而踐，位平然後處，不群居，不旅行，紛兮其有質文也，幽閒則循循如也，動則有儀容。黃帝即位，惟聖恩承天，明道一修，惟仁是行，宇內和平，未見鳳凰，維思影像，夙夜晨興，於是乃問天老曰：“鳳儀如何？”天老曰：“夫鳳，鴻前麟後，蛇頸魚尾，鶴植鴛鴦，思麗化枯折所志，龍文龜身，燕喙雞噣，駢翼而中注，首戴德，頂揭義，揹負仁，心信志，食則有質，飲則有儀，往則有文，來則有嘉。晨鳴曰發明，晝鳴曰保長，飛鳴曰上翔，集鳴曰歸昌。翼挾義，衷抱忠，足履正，尾系武，小聲合金，大音合鼓；延頸奮翼，五先備舉，光興八風，氣降時雨，此謂鳳像。夫惟鳳為能究萬物，通天祉，象百狀，達於道。去則有災，見則有福，覽九州，觀八極，備文武，正王國，嚴照四方，仁聖皆伏。故得鳳之像一者鳳過之，得二者鳳下之，得三者春秋下之，得四者四時下之，得五者終身居之。”黃帝曰：“於戲盛哉！”於是乃備黃冕，帶黃紳，齋於中宮，鳳乃蔽日而降。黃帝降至東階，西面啟首曰：“皇天降茲，敢不承命？”於是鳳乃遂集東囿，食帝竹實，棲帝梧樹，終身不去。詩云：“鳳凰鳴矣，於彼高岡；梧桐生矣，於彼朝陽。菶菶萋萋，雍雍喈喈。”此之謂也。靈龜文五色，似玉似金，背陰向陽，上隆象天，下平法地，盤衍象山，四趾轉運應四時，文著象二十八宿。蛇頭龍翅，左精象日，右精象月，千歲之化，下氣上通，能知吉凶存亡之變。寧則信信如也，動則著矣。神龍能為高，能為下，能為大，能為小，能為幽，能為明，能為短，能為長。昭乎其高也，淵乎其下也，薄乎天光，高乎其著也。一有一亡忽微哉，斐然成章，虛無則精以知，動作者靈以化。

Of all that the emperors and kings recorded in the Six Classics, there is none that did not draw the Four Numinous Creatures; when virtue is abundant they are kept as domestic animals, and when order is at peace the seasonal energies arrive. So the qilin has the body of a wolf (the character here in the original is damaged, and one version has a different animal), the tail of an ox, a round crown and a single horn; it joins benevolence and embraces righteousness, its voice accords with the pitch pipes, its stride accords with the compass, its turning accords with the square; it chooses the ground before treading and settles only when the place is level, does not live in herds or walk in company, is bustling and has both substance and pattern, is composed when quiet and has dignity whenever it moves. When the Yellow Emperor took the throne, he thought only of receiving the sage's grace from Heaven, made the Way clear, was single-minded in cultivation, and practiced only benevolence; the realm was at peace, but he had not yet seen the phoenix and only thought of its image; he rose early morning and evening, and then asked Tian Lao: "What is the appearance of the phoenix?" Tian Lao said: "The phoenix has a swan in front and a qilin behind, a snake's neck and fish's tail, a crane's stance and a mandarin duck's bearing, its thought is beautiful and it changes what it aims at; it has a dragon's pattern, a tortoise's body, a swallow's beak and a rooster's mouth, with wings spread in a row and sloping down in the middle. On its head it wears virtue, on its crown it holds up righteousness, on its back it carries benevolence, and in its heart it keeps the aim of good faith. In eating it has substance, in drinking it has dignity, in leaving it has pattern, and in coming it has excellence. Its cry at dawn is called 'making bright,' its cry by day is called 'protecting the long,' its cry as it flies is called 'soaring,' and its cry as it alights is called 'returning to prosperity.' Its wings hold righteousness, its inner heart embraces loyalty, its feet tread on rectitude, and its tail is tied to martial strength. Its soft sound accords with metal, its great sound accords with the drum; stretching its neck and lifting its wings, its five colors of light are first complete and raised up, the light raises the eight winds, the air sends down timely rain; this is called the phoenix's image. Only the phoenix can exhaust the ten thousand things, reach the blessings of Heaven, symbolize the hundred states, and reach the Way. When it leaves there is calamity, when it appears there is blessing; it surveys the nine provinces and looks to the eight extremes, is endowed with civil and martial virtue, and sets right the king's state; its majesty shines on all four quarters, and the benevolent and the sage all submit. So one who obtains one of the images of the phoenix, the phoenix passes by him; one who obtains two, the phoenix descends; one who obtains three, it descends in spring and autumn; one who obtains four, it descends in all four seasons; one who obtains five, it dwells with him for life." The Yellow Emperor said: "Alas, how magnificent!" So he prepared a yellow cap and tied on a yellow sash, fasted in the central palace, and the phoenix then descended, blotting out the sun. The Yellow Emperor went down the east steps and bowed with his head to the west, saying: "August Heaven sends this down; how dare I not accept the command?" So the phoenix gathered in the eastern park, ate the emperor's bamboo seeds, and nested in the emperor's paulownia, and did not leave for the rest of his life. The Book of Poetry says: "The phoenix cries, on that high ridge; the paulownia grows, in the morning sun. Luxuriant and lush, harmonious and sweet." This is what is meant. The numinous tortoise has patterns of five colors, like jade and gold; its back faces yin and its front faces yang; the top is rounded like heaven and the bottom flat in imitation of earth, winding and extending like a mountain, its four feet turning to match the four seasons, its patterns bright like the twenty-eight lodges. It has a snake's head and dragon's wings, its left essence is like the sun and its right essence like the moon; with a thousand years of change, its breath goes down and up and it can know the changes of good and ill fortune, survival and ruin. When at ease it is calm and trusting, and when it moves it shows itself. The divine dragon can make itself high, can make itself low, can make itself large, can make itself small, can make itself dark, can make itself bright, can make itself short and can make itself long. Its height is plain, its depth is abyssal; it approaches the light of heaven, high and manifest. Now present, now absent, subtle and faint, it is beautifully patterned; when empty and without being, the essence comes to know, and when it moves, the numinous comes to transform.

於戲允哉！君子闢神也，觀彼威儀，遊燕幽間，有似鳳也。書曰：“鳥獸鶬鶬，鳳凰來儀。”此之謂也。

Alas, how sincere! The gentleman avoids the spirits and observes their dignified bearing, and in leisurely banquets in quiet places is somewhat like the phoenix. The Book of Documents says: "Birds and beasts dance in rows, and the phoenix comes to take part in the ceremony." This is what is meant.

成王時有三苗貫桑而生，同為一秀，大幾盈車，民得而上之成王，成王問周公：“此何也？”周公曰：“三苗同秀為一，意天下其和而為一乎？”後三年則越裳氏重譯而朝，曰：“道路悠遠，山川阻深，恐一使之不通，故重三譯而來朝也。”周公曰：“德澤不加，則君子不饗其質；政令不施，則君子不臣其人。”譯曰：“吾受命於吾國之黃髮久矣，天之無烈風淫雨，意中國有聖人耶？有則盍朝之！”然後周公敬受其所以來矣。

In the time of King Cheng, three stalks of grain grew through a mulberry tree and together bore a single ear, so large that it almost filled a cart, and the people received it and presented it to King Cheng. King Cheng asked the Duke of Zhou: "What is this?" The Duke of Zhou said: "Three stalks bearing a single ear together; it suggests that the world will become harmonious and become one body." Three years later the Yuechang people came to court through several interpreters, and said: "The road is long, and the mountains and rivers are deep and barred, so we feared that one envoy could not get through, and therefore we came to court through three interpreters." The Duke of Zhou said: "If virtuous kindness is not extended, the gentleman does not partake of their gifts; if orders are not carried out, the gentleman does not take their people as subjects." The interpreter said: "I received instruction from the yellow-haired elders of my country long ago: there are no fierce winds or excessive rains in the sky; it seems there is a sage in the Central Kingdom. If so, why not come to court!" Only then did the Duke of Zhou respectfully accept the gifts they had come with.

周惠王十五年，有神降於莘。王問於內史過曰：“是何故有之乎？”對曰：“有之國將興，其君齋明衷正，精潔惠和，其德足以昭其馨香，其惠足以同其民人，神饗而民聽，民神無怨，故明神降焉，觀其政德而均布福焉。國將亡，其君貪冒淫僻，邪佚荒怠，蕪穢暴虐；其政腥臊，馨香不登，其刑矯誣，百姓攜貳，明神不蠲，而民有遠意，民神痛怨，無所依懷，故神亦往焉，觀其苛慝而降之禍。是以或見神而興，亦有以亡。昔夏之興也，祝融降於崇山；其亡也，回祿信於亭隧。商之興也，檮杌次於丕山；其亡也，夷羊在牧。周之興也，鸑鷟鳴於岐山；其衰也，杜伯射宣王於鎬。是皆明神之紀者也。”王曰：“今是何神耶？”對曰：“昔昭王娶於房曰房後，是有爽德協于丹朱，丹朱憑身以儀之，生穆王焉。是監燭周之子孫而福禍之。夫一神不遠徙遷，若由是觀之，其丹朱耶？”王曰：“其誰受之？”對曰：“在虢。”王曰：“然則何為？”對曰：“臣聞之。道而得神，是謂豐福；淫而得神，是謂貪福。今虢少荒，其亡也。”王曰：“吾其奈何？”對曰：“使太宰以祝史率狸姓，奉犧牲粢盛玉帛往獻焉，無有祈也。”王曰：“虢其幾何？”對曰：“昔堯臨民以五，今其胄見；鬼神之見也，不失其物。若由是觀之，不過五年。”王使太宰己父率傅氏及祝，奉犧牲玉觴往獻焉。內史過從至虢，虢公亦使祝史請土焉，內史過歸告王曰：“虢必亡矣。不禋於神，而求福焉，神必禍之；不親於民，而求用焉，民必違之。精意以享，禋也；慈保庶民，親也。今虢公動匱百姓以盈，其違離民怒神怨，而求利焉，不亦難乎？”十九年，晉取虢也。

In the fifteenth year of King Hui of Zhou, a spirit descended at Shen. The King asked Neishi Guo: "What is the reason this happens?" He replied: "It happens. When a state is about to flourish, its ruler fasts and purifies himself and his heart is upright, he is sincere and clean, kind and harmonious, his virtue is enough to make the fragrance of sacrifice shine, and his kindness is enough to unite his people; the spirits partake and the people listen; the people and the spirits have no resentment, so bright spirits descend, observe his government and virtue, and bestow blessings evenly. When a state is about to perish, its ruler is greedy, rash and wanton, depraved, idle and negligent, filthy and violent; his government stinks and the fragrance of sacrifice cannot rise, his punishments are deceitful and unjust, the people turn away and have divided hearts, the bright spirits do not find it pure, the people have thoughts of distance, the people and spirits are in bitter resentment, and there is nothing to rely on or remember, so the spirits also go there, observe his harshness and wickedness, and send down disaster. So some flourished by seeing spirits, and some perished by it. In the past when Xia flourished, Zhu Rong descended on Mount Chong; when it perished, Hui Lu lodged at Tingsui. When Shang flourished, Taowu stayed at Mount Pi; when it perished, the Yiyang was at Muye. When Zhou flourished, the Yuezhuo sang at Mount Qi; when it declined, Du Bo shot King Xuan at Hao. These are all the principles of the bright spirits." The King said: "What spirit is this now?" He replied: "In the past, King Zhao married a woman from Fang, called the Queen of Fang, who had a faulty virtue that matched Danzhu; Danzhu attached himself to her body to be her mate, and she bore King Mu. This is one who watches over and looks on the descendants of Zhou and gives them blessing or misfortune. A spirit does not move far; if so, it is probably Danzhu." The King said: "Who will receive it?" He replied: "It will be in Guo." The King said: "What should be done?" He replied: "I have heard that gaining the spirits by the Way is called abundant blessing; gaining the spirits through excess is called greed for blessing. Now Guo is somewhat idle and negligent and will perish." The King said: "What should I do?" He replied: "Send the Grand Steward with the invocator and historian, leading the Li clan, to present sacrificial animals, grain, jade and silk, with no prayers." The King said: "How long does Guo have?" He replied: "In the past Yao viewed the people with five, and now his descendants appear; when spirits appear, they do not lose their own kind. If so, it will not be over five years." The King sent the Grand Steward Jifu, leading the Fu clan and the invocator, to present sacrificial animals and jade goblets. Neishi Guo followed to Guo, and the Duke of Guo also sent his invocator to ask for land. Neishi Guo returned and told the King: "Guo will surely perish. He is not reverent in sacrificing to the spirits yet asks them for blessing, and the spirits will surely give him misfortune; he is not close to the people yet seeks to use them, and the people will surely turn against him. A sincere heart in offering is the Yin sacrifice; to love and protect the common people is closeness. Now the Duke of Guo exhausts and impoverishes his people to fill himself, parts from the people, angers the spirits and draws resentment, yet seeks profit; is that not hard?" In the nineteenth year, Jin took Guo.

齊桓公北征孤竹，未至卑耳溪中十里，闟然而止，瞠然而視有頃，奉矢未敢發也。喟然嘆曰：“事其不濟乎！有人長尺，冠冕大人物具焉，左袪衣走馬前者。”管仲曰：“事必濟，此人知道之神也。走馬前者導也，左袪衣者，前有水也。”從左方渡，行十里果有水，曰遼水。表之，從左方渡至踝，從右方渡至膝。已渡，事果濟。桓公拜管仲馬前曰：“仲父之聖至如是，寡人得罪久矣。”管仲曰：“夷吾聞之，聖人先知無形，今已有形乃知之，是夷吾善承教，非聖也。”

Duke Huan of Qi campaigned north against Guzhu, and before he reached Bei'er Creek, ten li short, he suddenly stopped, stared for a while, and held his arrow without daring to shoot. He sighed and said: "The affair will probably not succeed! There is a man only one foot tall, with the appearance of cap and ceremonial robes all complete, holding up the left front of his robe and walking before my horse." Guan Zhong said: "The affair will surely succeed. This man is a spirit who knows the road. Walking before the horse is guiding, and holding up the left front of his robe means there is water ahead." They crossed on the left, and after ten li there was indeed water, called the Liao River. They made a mark: crossing from the left the water came to the ankle, and crossing from the right it came to the knee. After they had crossed, the affair indeed succeeded. Duke Huan bowed to Guan Zhong before his horse and said: "Uncle Zhong's sagacity reaches this; I have been at fault for a long time." Guan Zhong said: "I have heard that a sage knows beforehand what has no form; now that I know only when it has form, this is Yiwu being good at receiving instruction, and is not sagehood."

吳伐越，隳會稽，得骨專車，使使問孔子曰：“骨何者最大？”孔子曰：“禹致群臣會稽山，防風氏後至，禹殺而戮之，其骨節專車，此為大矣。”使者曰：“誰為神？”孔子曰：“山川之靈，足以紀綱天下者，其守為神。社稷為公侯，山川之祀為諸侯，皆屬於王者。”曰：“防風氏何守？”孔子曰：“汪芒氏之君守封嵎之山者也，其神為釐姓，在虞夏為防風氏，商為汪芒氏，於周為長狄氏，今謂之大人。”使者曰：“人長几何？”孔子曰：“僬僥氏三尺，短之至也；長者不過十，數之極也。”使者曰：“善哉！聖人也。”

When Wu attacked Yue and destroyed Kuaiji, they found bones that filled a cart, and sent an envoy to ask Confucius: "Which bone is the largest?" Confucius said: "Yu summoned the ministers at Mount Kuaiji, and Lord Fangfeng came late, and Yu killed him and exposed his corpse; his joints filled a cart, and these are the largest." The envoy said: "Who is a spirit?" Confucius said: "The spirits of mountains and rivers that are enough to serve as the guiding principle of the world, and those who guard the land, are spirits. The altars of soil and grain belong to dukes and marquises, and the sacrifices to mountains and rivers belong to feudal lords; all belong to the king." He said: "What did Fangfeng guard?" Confucius said: "He was the lord of the Wangmang clan, who guarded the mountains of Fengyu; his spirit was of the Li surname; in the times of Yu and Xia he was the Fangfeng clan, in Shang the Wangmang clan, in Zhou the Changdi clan, and now they are called the Great People." The envoy said: "How tall are people?" Confucius said: "The Jiaoyao clan is three chi, the extreme of shortness; the tallest do not exceed ten, the limit of numbers." The envoy said: "Excellent! He is a sage."

仲尼在陳，有隼集於陳侯之廷而死。楛矢貫之，石砮矢長尺而咫。陳侯使問孔子，孔子曰：“隼之來也遠矣，此肅慎氏之矢也。昔武王克商，信道九夷百蠻，使各以其方賄來貢，思無忘職業。於是肅慎氏貢楛矢石砮長尺而咫，先王欲昭其令德之致，故銘其栝曰：肅慎氏貢楛矢，以勞大姬，配虞胡公而封諸陳。分同姓以珍玉，展親也；分別姓以遠方職貢，使無忘服也。故分陳以肅慎氏之矢。”試求之故府，果得焉。

When Zhongni was in Chen, a falcon gathered in the court of the Marquis of Chen and died. A hu-wood arrow pierced it, with a stone arrowhead, and the arrow was one foot and eight inches long. The Marquis of Chen sent someone to ask Confucius. Confucius said: "The falcon came from very far; this is an arrow of the Sushen clan. In the past, when King Wu conquered Shang, he opened the roads to the Nine Yi and the hundred Man, and had them each present tribute from their own locality, so that they would not forget their duties. Then the Sushen clan presented hu-wood arrows with stone heads, one foot and eight inches long. The former king wanted to make manifest what his fine virtue had drawn, and so inscribed on the arrow notch: 'The Sushen clan's tribute of hu-wood arrows,' and used them to console Da Ji, who was betrothed to Duke Hu of Yu and enfeoffed in Chen. He divided precious jade among those of the same surname to show kinship, and divided distant tribute among those of different surnames to make them not forget service. So the Sushen arrows were given to Chen." They tried looking in the old storehouse, and indeed found them.

季桓子穿井得土缶，中有羊，以問孔子，言得狗。孔子曰：“以吾所聞，非狗，乃羊也。木之怪夔罔兩，水之怪龍罔象，土之怪羵羊也，非狗也。”桓子曰：“善哉！”

Ji Huanzi dug a well and obtained an earthen jar with a sheep in it; he took it to ask Confucius, saying he had obtained a dog. Confucius said: "By what I have heard, it is not a dog but a sheep. The strange creatures of trees are the Kui and Wangliang, the strange creatures of water are the dragon and Wangxiang, and the strange creature of earth is the Fenyang; it is not a dog." Huanzi said: "Excellent!"

楚昭王渡江，有物大如鬥，直觸王舟，止於舟中；昭王大怪之，使聘問孔子。孔子曰：“此名萍實。”令剖而食之：“惟霸者能獲之，此吉祥也。”其後齊有飛鳥一足來下，止於殿前，舒翅而跳，齊侯大怪之，又使聘問孔子。孔子曰：“此名商羊，急告民趣治溝渠，天將大雨。”於是如之，天果大雨，諸國皆水，齊獨以安。孔子歸，弟子請問，孔子曰：“異時小兒謠曰：楚王渡江得萍實，大如拳，赤如日，剖而食之，美如蜜。此楚之應也。兒又有兩兩相牽，屈一足而跳，曰：天將大雨，商羊起舞。今齊獲之，亦其應也。夫謠之後，未嘗不有應隨者也，故聖人非獨守道而已也，睹物記也，即得其應矣。”

When King Zhao of Chu was crossing the river, a thing as big as a dou measure came straight against the King's boat and stopped inside it. King Zhao thought it very strange and sent someone to consult Confucius. Confucius said: "This is called ping shi, the duckweed fruit." He had it cut open and eaten: "Only a hegemon can obtain it; this is auspicious." Later in Qi a one-legged bird came down and perched before the hall, spreading its wings and hopping. The Marquis of Qi thought it very strange and again sent someone to consult Confucius. Confucius said: "This is called shang yang. Tell the people quickly to repair their ditches; Heaven is about to send great rain." They did so, and Heaven indeed sent great rain, and all the states were flooded; Qi alone was thereby safe. When Confucius returned, his disciples asked about it. Confucius said: "In the past a children's rhyme said: The King of Chu crossing the river got a duckweed fruit, big as a fist, red as the sun, and when cut open and eaten, sweet as honey. This was Chu's omen. Children also pulled one another in pairs, lifting one foot and hopping, saying: Heaven is about to send great rain, the shang yang dances. Now Qi has obtained it, and it is also its omen. After a rhyme there has never been a time when an omen did not follow. So the sage does not merely keep the Way; when he sees a thing, he remembers it, and thus can obtain its omen."

鄭簡公使公孫成子來聘於晉，平公有疾，韓宣子贊受館客，客問君疾。對曰：“君之疾久矣，上下神只，無不遍諭也，而無除。今夢黃熊入於寢門，不知人鬼耶？亦厲鬼耶？”子產曰：“君子明，子為政，其何厲之有？僑聞之：昔鯀違帝命，殛之於羽山，化為黃熊，以入於羽淵，是為夏郊，三代舉之。夫鬼神之所及，非其族類，則紹其同位，是故天子祠上帝，公侯祠百神，自卿以下不過其族。今周室少卑，晉實繼之，其或者未舉夏郊也？”宣子以告，祀夏郊，董伯為屍，五日瘳。公見子產賜之莒鼎。

Duke Jian of Zheng sent Gongsun Chengzi to Jin on a mission of inquiry. Duke Ping was ill, and Han Xuanzi assisted in receiving the guest at the lodge, and the guest asked after the ruler's illness. He replied: "The ruler's illness has lasted a long time; there is no spirit above or below that has not been told of it, yet it cannot be removed. Now he dreams of a yellow bear entering the sleeping hall gate, and we do not know whether it is a human ghost or a vengeful spirit." Zichan said: "You are discerning, gentleman, and you govern; how could there be a vengeful spirit? I, Qiao, have heard: in the past Gun defied the emperor's command and was executed at Mount Yu, and changed into a yellow bear and entered Yu Deep; this is Xia's suburban sacrifice, which all three dynasties performed. Spirits reach out not to those not of their kind but to those of the same position. So the Son of Heaven sacrifices to the Supreme Lord, dukes and marquises sacrifice to the hundred spirits, and from ministers downward they do not go beyond their own clans. Now the Zhou royal house is somewhat humbled and Jin is in fact continuing it; perhaps the Xia suburban sacrifice has not yet been performed?" Xuanzi reported this, and they performed the Xia suburban sacrifice, with Dong Bo as the impersonator of the dead, and in five days the illness was cured. The Duke received Zichan and gave him the Ju cauldron.

虢公夢在廟，有神－－人面白毛，虎爪執鉞，立在西阿。公懼而走，神曰：“無走！帝今日使晉襲於爾門。”公拜頓首。覺，召史嚚占之。嚚曰：“如君之言，則蓐收也，天之罰神也。天事官成。”公使囚之，且使國人賀夢。舟之僑告其諸侯曰：“虢不久矣，吾乃今知之。君不度，而嘉大國之襲於己也，何瘳？吾聞之曰：大國無道，小國襲焉，曰服；小國傲，大國襲焉，曰誅。民疾君之侈也，是以由於逆命。今嘉其夢，侈必展，是天奪之鑑而益其疾也！民疾其態，天又誑之；大國來誅，出令而逆。宗國既卑，諸侯遠己，外內無親，其誰雲救之？吾不忍俟，將行。”以其族適晉，三年虢乃亡。

The Duke of Guo dreamed he was in the temple, where there was a spirit with a human face, white hair, tiger claws, holding a battle-axe, standing at the west ridgepole. The Duke was frightened and wanted to run, and the spirit said: "Do not run! The Supreme Lord now orders Jin to attack your gate." The Duke bowed with his head to the ground. On waking, he summoned the historian Yin to divine. Yin said: "As Your Lordship says, that is Ru Shou, the punishing spirit of Heaven. The affairs of Heaven and its offices are already settled." The Duke sent people to imprison him, and had the people of the state congratulate him on the dream. Zhou Zhiqiao told his great officers: "Guo will not last long; only now do I understand. The ruler does not take stock but celebrates a great state attacking him; how can he turn things around? I have heard: when a large state is without the Way and a small state attacks it, this is called submission; when a small state is arrogant and a large state attacks it, this is called punishment. The people resent the ruler's extravagance, and so go to the point of defying orders. Now he celebrates that dream, and extravagance will surely expand; this is Heaven taking his mirror and making his illness worse! The people resent his attitude and Heaven again deceives him; a large state comes to punish him, and he issues orders and they are disobeyed. The ancestral state is already humbled and the feudal lords keep away from him; there is no kin inside or outside, and who could say that he can be saved? I cannot bear to wait and will go." He took his clan to Jin, and in three years Guo perished.

晉平公築虒祁之室，石有言者。平公問於師曠曰：“石何故言？”對曰：“石不能言，有神憑焉；不然民聽之濫也。臣聞之，作事不時，怨讟動於民，則有非言之物而言。今宮室崇侈，民力屈盡，百姓疾怨，莫安其性，石言不亦可乎？”

Duke Ping of Jin built the palace at Siqi, and a stone spoke. Duke Ping asked Shi Kuang: "Why does a stone speak?" He replied: "A stone cannot speak; a spirit is attached to it; otherwise the people heard wrongly. I have heard that when affairs are done out of season, resentment and slander stir among the people, and then things that should not speak will speak. Now the palace is tall and extravagant, the people's strength is used up, the people hate and are angry, and there is none who can settle their nature; is it not acceptable that a stone speaks?"

晉平公出畋，見乳虎伏而不動，顧謂師曠曰：“吾聞之也，霸王之主出，則猛獸伏不敢起。今者寡人出，見乳虎伏而不動，此其猛獸乎？”師曠曰：“鵲食●，●食鵔鸃，鵔鸃食豹，豹食駁，駁食虎；夫駁之狀有似駁馬，今者君之出必驂駁馬而出畋乎？”公曰：“然。”師曠曰：“臣聞之，一自誣者窮，再自誣者辱，三自誣者死。今夫虎所以不動者，為駁馬也，固非主君之德義也，君奈何一自誣乎？”平公異日出朝，有鳥環平公不去，平公顧謂師曠曰：“吾聞之也，霸王之主，鳳下之；今者出朝有鳥環寡人，終朝不去，是其鳳鳥乎？”師曠曰：“東方有鳥名諫珂，其為鳥也，文身而朱足，憎鳥而愛狐。今者吾君必衣狐裘，以出朝乎？”平公曰：“然。”師曠曰：“臣已嘗言之矣，一自誣者窮，再自誣者辱，三自誣者死。今鳥為狐裘之故。非吾君之德義也，君奈何而再自誣乎？”平公不悅。異日置酒虒祁之臺，使郎中馬章布蒺藜於階上，令人召師曠；師曠至，履而上堂。平公曰：“安有人臣履而上人主堂者乎？”師曠解履刺足，伏刺膝，仰天而嘆，公起引之曰：“今者與叟戲，叟遽憂乎？”對曰：“憂夫肉自生蟲，而還自食也；木自生蠹，而還自刻也；人自興妖，而還自賊也。五鼎之具不當生藜藿，人主堂廟不當生蒺藜。”平公曰：“今為之奈何？”師曠曰：“妖已在前，無可奈何。入來月八日，修百官，立太子，君將死矣。”至來月八日得旦，謂師曠曰：“叟以今日為期，寡人如何？”師曠不樂謁歸，歸未幾而平公死，乃知師曠神明矣。

Duke Ping of Jin went out hunting and saw a nursing tigress lying down without moving, and turned to Shi Kuang and said: "I have heard that when a lord who is a hegemon comes out, fierce beasts lie down and dare not rise. Now I have come out and see the nursing tigress lying still; is this probably a sign of that?" Shi Kuang said: "The magpie eats the hedgehog (the character here in the original is damaged; from the sequence 'magpie eats hedgehog, hedgehog eats Junyi,' it must be 'hedgehog'), the hedgehog eats the Junyi, the Junyi eats the leopard, the leopard eats the Bo, and the Bo eats the tiger. The Bo's form is somewhat like a piebald horse; now Your Lordship went out hunting surely with a carriage drawn by piebald horses?" The Duke said: "Yes." Shi Kuang said: "I have heard: once to deceive oneself is poverty, twice to deceive oneself is disgrace, three times to deceive oneself is death. The reason the tiger does not move is the piebald horse, and it is not the virtue and righteousness of the lord; why does Your Lordship deceive himself once?" Another day, Duke Ping went out to court, and a bird circled around him and would not leave. Duke Ping turned to Shi Kuang and said: "I have heard that for a lord who is a hegemon, the phoenix descends; now when I go out to court a bird circles me and does not leave all morning; is this probably a phoenix?" Shi Kuang said: "In the east there is a bird named Jianke; this bird has patterns on its body and red feet, and hates birds and loves foxes. Now Your Lordship probably went out to court wearing a fox fur?" Duke Ping said: "Yes." Shi Kuang said: "I have already said: once to deceive oneself is poverty, twice to deceive oneself is disgrace, three times to deceive oneself is death. The bird is because of the fox fur and not because of Your Lordship's virtue and righteousness; why does Your Lordship deceive himself twice?" Duke Ping was displeased. Another day, he held a banquet on the Siqi terrace, and sent the court gentleman Ma Zhang to scatter caltrops on the steps, and sent someone to summon Shi Kuang. When Shi Kuang arrived, he went up into the hall in his shoes. Duke Ping said: "Where does a minister go up into his lord's hall in his shoes?" Shi Kuang took off his shoes and was pricked in the feet, and bent down and was pricked in the knees, and sighed at the sky. The Duke got up and pulled him, saying: "I was just joking with the old man; is the old man so quick to worry?" He replied: "I worry that meat will breed worms itself and instead eat itself; that wood will breed borers itself and instead carve itself; that people will raise up omens themselves and instead harm themselves. In a five-cauldron vessel there should not grow weeds, and in the lord's hall and temple there should not grow caltrops." Duke Ping said: "What shall we do now?" Shi Kuang said: "The omen is already ahead; nothing can be done. On the eighth of next month, put the hundred officials in order and establish the crown prince; Your Lordship will die." When the eighth of the next month came at dawn, he said to Shi Kuang: "The old man set today as the date; what about me?" Shi Kuang was unhappy and took his leave and went back, and not long after he returned Duke Ping died, and only then was it known that Shi Kuang was divinely wise.

趙簡子問翟封荼曰：“吾聞翟雨谷三日，信乎？”曰：“信。”“又聞雨血三日，信乎！”曰：“信。”“又聞馬生牛，牛生馬，信乎？”曰：“信。”簡子曰：“大哉，妖亦足以亡國矣！”對曰：“雨谷三日，虻風之所飄也；雨血三日，鷙鳥擊於上也；馬生牛，牛生馬，雜牧也，此非翟之妖也。”簡子曰：“然則翟之妖奚也？”對曰：“其國數散，其君幼弱，其諸卿貨其大夫，比黨以求祿爵，其百官肆斷而無告，其政令不竟而數化，其士巧貪而有怨，此其妖也。”

Zhao Jianzi asked Zhai Fengtu: "I have heard that in Di it rained grain for three days; is it true?" He said: "True." "I have also heard that it rained blood for three days; is it true?" He said: "True." "I have also heard that horses gave birth to oxen and oxen gave birth to horses; is it true?" He said: "True." Jianzi said: "Great! These omens are enough to destroy a state!" He replied: "The grain rain for three days was whipped up by gadfly winds; the blood rain for three days was raptors fighting above; horses giving birth to oxen and oxen to horses is mixed grazing; these are not omens of Di." Jianzi said: "Then what are the omens of Di?" He replied: "That state has repeatedly been scattered, its ruler is young and weak, the ministers bribe the great officers and form factions to seek salaries and rank, the hundred officials decide recklessly and have nowhere to appeal, orders are not carried through and change repeatedly, and scholars are cunning, greedy and resentful; these are its omens."

哀公射而中稷，其口疾不肉食，祠稷而問善卜之巫官，巫官變曰：“稷負五種，托株而從天下，未至於地而株絕，獵谷之老人張衽以受之，何不告祀之？”公從之，而疾去。

Duke Ai shot and hit the spirit of Ji, the god of grain, and his mouth became sick so that he could not eat meat. He sacrificed to Ji and consulted a shaman-official skilled in divination. The shaman-official changed his expression and said: "Ji bore the five grains on his back and came down from Heaven relying on a tree trunk; before he reached the ground, the trunk broke, and the old grain-gatherer spread the front of his garment to catch him; why did you not tell people to sacrifice?" The Duke followed this, and the illness went away.

扁鵲過趙王，王太子暴疾而死，鵲造宮門曰：“吾聞國中卒有壤土之事，得無有急乎？”中庶子之好方者應之曰：“然，王太子暴疾而死。”扁鵲曰：“人言鄭醫秦越人能活太子。”中庶子難之曰：“吾聞上古之為醫者曰苗父，苗父之為醫也，以菅為席，以芻為狗，北面而祝，發十言耳，諸扶而來者，舉而來者，皆平復如故。子之方能如此乎？”扁鵲曰：“不能。”又曰：“吾聞中古之為醫者曰俞柎，俞柎之為醫也，搦腦髓，束肓莫，炊灼九竅而定經絡，死人復為生人，故曰俞柎。子之方能若是乎？”扁鵲曰：“不能。”中庶子曰：“子之方如此，譬若以管窺天，以錐利地；所窺者甚大，所見者甚少。鈞若子之方，豈足以變駭童子哉？”扁鵲曰：“不然。物故有昧揥而中蛟頭，掩目而別白黑者。太子之疾，所謂屍厥者也，以為不然，入診之，太子股陰當溫，耳中焦焦如有嘯者聲然者，皆可治也。”中庶子入報趙王，趙王跣而趨出門曰：“先生遠辱幸臨寡人，先生幸而有之，則糞土之息，得蒙天履地而長為人矣。先生不有之，則先犬馬填溝壑矣。”言未已，涕泣沾襟。扁鵲遂為診之，先造軒光之鱉，八成之湯，砥針礪石，取三陽五輸；子容搗藥，子明吹耳，陽儀反神，子越扶形，子游矯摩。太子遂得復生。天下聞之，皆曰：“扁鵲能生死人。”鵲辭曰：“予非能生死人也，特使夫當生者活耳，夫死者猶不可藥而生也，悲夫亂君之治，不可藥而息也。詩曰：‘多將熇熇，不可救藥！’甚之之辭也。”

Bian Que passed through the state of Zhao when the King's crown prince suddenly fell ill and died. Bian Que came to the palace gate and said: "I have heard that there has suddenly been earth-moving work in the state; surely there is not some urgent crisis?" One of the palace attendants who liked the arts of medicine answered: "Yes, the crown prince suddenly fell ill and died." Bian Que said: "It is said that Qin Yueren, the physician of Zheng, can bring the prince back to life." The attendant challenged him: "I have heard that in high antiquity the physician was called Miaofu. When Miaofu practiced medicine, he made mats of rush, made dogs of straw, faced north and prayed, and uttered only ten sentences, and those who were helped in or carried in were all restored as before. Can your method do this?" Bian Que said: "No." The attendant said: "I have heard that in middle antiquity the physician was called Yu Fu. When Yu Fu practiced medicine, he pressed on the brain marrow, bound the membranes, steamed and cauterized the nine orifices and calmed the channels, so that the dead became living again, hence he was called Yu Fu. Can your method do this?" Bian Que said: "No." The attendant said: "If your method is like this, it is like looking at the sky through a tube or stabbing the earth with an awl; what you look at is very great and what you see is very little. With a method like yours, how could it be enough to change anything, or even to frighten a child?" Bian Que said: "It is not so. Things truly exist in which one throws in the dark and hits a dragon's head, or covers one's eyes and yet distinguishes black from white. The prince's illness is what is called corpse-like collapse. If you think it is not so, go in and examine him: the inside of the prince's thighs should be warm, and in his ears there should be a ringing as of whistling; all these can be cured." The attendant went in and reported to the King of Zhao, who ran barefoot out of the door and said: "That you, Sir, have condescended to travel far and come to me is a great fortune; if you have a method, then this son of mine, like dung and earth, may continue to live under Heaven and on earth. If you have no method, he will fill a ditch before the dogs and horses." Before he had finished speaking, tears and mucus wet his garment. Bian Que then treated him, first preparing a turtle and eight-part decoction, sharpening needles and stones, and taking the three yang and five transport points; Zirong ground the medicine, Ziming blew into his ears, Yangyi restored his spirit, Ziyue supported his body, and Ziyou corrected the massage. The prince was finally restored to life. The world heard of it and all said: "Bian Que can make the dead live again." Bian Que declined, saying: "I cannot make the dead live again; I only made live those who were meant to live. The dead cannot be made to live with medicine. How sad, the governance of a disordered ruler cannot be stopped with medicine. The Book of Songs says: 'Blazing fiercely, it cannot be cured!' This speaks of excessive words."

孔子晨立堂上，聞哭者聲音甚悲，孔子援琴而鼓之，其音同也。孔子出，而弟子有吒者，問：“誰也？”曰：“回也。”孔子曰：“回何為而吒？”回曰：“今者有哭者其音甚悲，非獨哭死，又哭生離者。”孔子曰：“何以知之？”回曰：“似完山之鳥。”孔子曰：“何如？”回曰：“完山之鳥生四子，羽翼已成乃離四海，哀鳴送之，為是往而不復返也。”孔子使人問哭者，哭者曰：“父死家貧，賣子以葬之，將與其別也。”孔子曰：“善哉，聖人也！”

Confucius stood in the hall in the early morning and heard someone weeping with a very sad voice, so he took a zither and played, and the sound was the same. When Confucius went out, one of his disciples sighed in admiration; he asked: "Who is it?" The reply was: "It is Hui." Confucius said: "Why does Hui sigh?" Hui said: "Now there is someone weeping with a very sad voice, not only weeping over a death but also over a parting while alive." Confucius said: "How do you know?" Hui said: "Like the birds of Wan Mountain." Confucius said: "How so?" Hui said: "The bird of Wan Mountain has four fledglings, and when their wings are grown they leave for the four seas, and the mother sees them off with sad cries, because once gone they will not return." Confucius sent someone to ask the weeper, and the weeper said: "My father died and the family is poor, so I am selling my son to bury him, and am about to part from him." Confucius said: "Good, a sage indeed!"

景公畋於梧丘，夜猶蚤，公姑坐睡而夢有五丈夫，北面幸盧，稱無罪焉。公覺，召晏子而告其所夢，公曰：“我其嘗殺不辜而誅無罪耶？”晏子對曰：“昔者先君靈公畋，五丈夫罟而駭獸，故殺之斷其首而葬之，曰五丈夫之丘。其此耶？”公令人掘而求之，則五頭同穴而存焉。公曰：“嘻，令吏葬之。”國人不知其夢也，曰：“君憫白骨，而況於生者乎？”不遺餘力矣，不釋餘智矣，故曰，人君之為善易矣。

Duke Jing was hunting at Wuqiu; the night was still early, and the Duke sat down and fell asleep, and dreamed of five men facing north toward Xinglu, declaring that they were innocent. The Duke woke and summoned Master Yan to tell him what he had dreamed. The Duke said: "Perhaps I once killed the innocent and executed those without guilt?" Master Yan replied: "Formerly my late lord Duke Ling was hunting, and five men spread nets and frightened the animals, so he had them killed, their heads cut off and buried, and it was called the Mound of the Five Men. Perhaps this is it?" The Duke sent people to dig and search, and the five heads were in the same pit, still there. The Duke said: "Alas, have the officials bury them." The people of the state did not know of the dream and said: "His Lordship pities white bones, how much more the living?" They held back no strength and withheld no wisdom. So it is said: it is easy for a ruler to do good.

子貢問孔子：“死人有知無知也？”孔子曰：“吾欲言死者有知也，恐孝子順孫妨生以送死也；欲言無知，恐不孝子孫棄不葬也。賜欲知死人有知將無知也？死徐自知之，猶未晚也！”

Zigong asked Confucius: "Do the dead have awareness or not?" Confucius said: "If I said the dead have awareness, I fear that filial sons and obedient grandsons would harm the living to send off the dead; if I said they do not, I fear that unfilial descendants would abandon them without burial. Does Ci wish to know whether the dead have awareness or not? After you die, you will know yourself in time, and it will not be too late!"

王子建出守於城父，與成公幹遇於疇中，問曰：“是何也？”成公幹曰：“疇也。”“疇也者，何也？”曰：“所以為麻也。”“麻也者，何也？”曰：“所以為衣也。”成衣幹曰：“昔者莊王伐陳，舍於有蕭氏，謂路室之人曰：巷其不善乎！何溝之不浚也？莊王猶知巷之不善，溝之不浚，今吾子不知疇之為麻，麻之為衣，吾子其不主社稷乎？”王子果不立。

Prince Jian went out to guard Chengfu, and met Chenggong Gan in a field, and asked: "What is this?" Chenggong Gan said: "It is a field." "What is a field?" He said: "It is used for growing hemp." "What is hemp?" He said: "It is used for making clothes." Chenggong Gan said: "Formerly when King Zhuang attacked Chen, he lodged at the house of the Youxiao clan and said to the man in the house by the road: 'The lane is probably bad! Why are the ditches not dredged?' King Zhuang still knew that the lane was bad and the ditches not dredged; now you do not know that a field is for growing hemp and hemp is for making clothes; probably you cannot preside over the altars of soil and grain, can you?" The prince was indeed not installed.

天下有道，則禮樂征伐自天子出。夫功成制禮，治定作樂，禮樂者，行化之大者也。孔子曰：“移風易俗，莫善於樂；安上治民，莫善於禮。是故聖王修禮文，設庠序，陳鐘鼓，天子辟雍，諸侯泮宮，所以行德化。詩云：‘鎬京辟雍，自西自東，自南自北，無思不服。’此之謂也。”

When the world has the Way, rites, music and punitive campaigns come from the Son of Heaven. When achievements are completed, rites are established; when government is settled, music is composed; rites and music are the greatest means of promoting instruction. Confucius said: "For changing customs and altering habits, nothing is better than music; for giving peace to those above and governing the people, nothing is better than ritual. So the sage kings cultivated ritual forms, established schools, set out bells and drums; the Son of Heaven had the Biyong and the feudal lords had the Pangong, to promote the instruction of virtue. The Book of Songs says: 'The Biyong of Haojing: from west and from east, from south and from north, none thought of not submitting.' This is what is meant."

積恩為愛，積愛為仁，積仁為靈，靈臺之所以為靈者，積仁也。神靈者，天地之本，而為萬物之始也。是故文王始接民以仁，而天下莫不仁焉。文，德之至也，德不至則不能文。商者，常也，常者質，質主天；夏者，大也，大者，文也，文主地。故王者一商一夏，再而復者也，正色三而復者也。味尚甘，聲尚宮，一而復者，故三王術如循環，故夏后氏教以忠，而君子忠矣；小人之失野，救野莫如敬，故殷人教以敬，而君子敬矣。小人之失鬼，救鬼莫如文，故周人教以文，而君子文矣。小人之失薄，救薄莫如忠，故聖人之與聖也，如矩之三雜，規之三雜，周則又始，窮則反本也。詩曰：“雕琢其章，金玉其相。”言文質美也。

Kindness accumulates to become love, love accumulates to become benevolence, and benevolence accumulates to become numinous power. The Numinous Terrace is called numinous because it accumulates benevolence. Spiritual power is the root of heaven and earth and the beginning of the myriad things. So King Wen began by treating the people with benevolence, and no one in the world was unbenevolent. Refinement is the utmost of virtue, and if virtue does not reach the utmost it cannot be refined. Shang means constancy, constancy is substance, and substance is governed by Heaven; Xia means greatness, greatness is refinement, and refinement is governed by Earth. So the kings follow one Shang and one Xia, cycling through two rounds and then returning, with the three correct colors returning. In flavors one honors sweetness and in sounds one honors the gong note, cycling once and then returning. So the method of the three kings is like a cycle: the lord of Xia taught with loyalty, and noble men became loyal; the fault of petty men is coarseness, and nothing corrects coarseness better than reverence, so the people of Yin taught with reverence, and noble men became reverent. The fault of petty men is being deluded about spirits, and nothing corrects delusion about spirits better than refinement, so the people of Zhou taught with refinement, and noble men became refined. The fault of petty men is shallowness, and nothing corrects shallowness better than loyalty. So sages and sages are like the square meeting three times and the compass meeting three times: when one round is complete, it begins again, and when exhausted, it returns to the root. The Book of Songs says: "Carve and polish its patterns; gold and jade are its substance." This says that both refinement and substance are fine.

傳曰：“觸情縱慾，謂之禽獸；苟可而行，謂之野人；安故重遷，謂之眾庶；辨然通古今之道謂之士；進賢達能，謂之大夫；敬上愛下，謂之諸侯；天覆地載，謂之天子。是故士服黼，大夫黻，諸侯火，天子山龍；德彌盛者文彌縟，中彌理者文彌章也。”詩曰：“左之左之，君子宜之；右之右之，君子有之。”傳曰：“君子者，無所不宜也，是故■冕厲戒，立於廟堂之上，有司執事無不敬者；斬衰裳，苴絰杖，立於喪次，賓客弔唁無不哀者；被甲攖胄立於桴鼓之間，士卒莫不勇者。故仁者足以懷百姓，勇足以安危國，信足以結諸侯，強足以拒患難，威足以率三軍。故曰為左亦宜，為右亦宜，為君子無不宜者，此之謂也。”

The tradition says: "One who is moved by desire and indulges it is called a beast; one who does whatever is feasible by shortcut is called a savage; one who is content with old ground and values moving about is called a commoner; one who discerns and understands the Way of past and present is called a scholar; one who recommends the worthy and has access to the able is called a grandee; one who respects those above and loves those below is called a feudal lord; one who covers like Heaven and carries like Earth is called the Son of Heaven. Therefore scholars wear the axe pattern, grandees wear the two-back-to-back pattern, feudal lords use the fire pattern, and the Son of Heaven uses mountains and dragons; the greater the virtue, the more elaborate the patterns; the more order within, the more brilliant the patterns." The Book of Songs says: "To the left, to the left, the noble man is suited; to the right, to the right, the noble man has it." The tradition says: "The noble man is always suited. So in ceremonial robe and cap, ordered and prepared (a character is missing in the original; given the common phrase, it should be 'robe'), standing in the temple hall, the officials who manage affairs are all reverent; wearing the heaviest mourning dress and the staff of bamboo, standing at the mourning place, the guests who come to condole are all sorrowful; wearing armor and helmet and standing between the drumstick and the war drum, the soldiers are all brave. So benevolence is enough to soothe the people, courage is enough to calm a endangered state, trustworthiness is enough to ally with the feudal lords, strength is enough to resist calamity, and authority is enough to command the three armies. So it is said: being on the left is suited, being on the right is suited, the noble man is always suited; this is what is meant."

齊景公登射，晏子修禮而待。公曰：“選射之禮，寡人厭之矣。吾欲得天下勇士，與之圖國。”晏子對曰：“君子無禮，是庶人也；庶人無禮，是禽獸也；夫臣勇多則弒其君，子力多則弒其長，然而不敢者，惟禮之謂也。禮者所以御民也，轡者所以御馬也；無禮而能治國家者，嬰未之聞也。”景公曰：“善。”乃飭射更席以為上客，終日問禮。

Duke Jing of Qi held an archery rite, and Master Yan prepared the ritual and waited. The Duke said: "The rite of selecting archers I am tired of. I want to obtain the brave men of the world and plan the state with them." Master Yan replied: "A noble man without ritual is a commoner; a commoner without ritual is a beast. If ministers have great strength, they kill their rulers; if sons have great strength, they kill their elders; yet they do not dare, only because there is ritual. Ritual is what is used to drive the people, as reins are used to drive horses; that one could govern a state without ritual, Ying has never heard." Duke Jing said: "Good." Then he put the archery rite in order, changed the seating and treated him as the chief guest, and asked about ritual all day.

書曰五事：一曰貌。貌者男子之所以恭敬，婦人之所以姣好也；行步中矩，折旋中規，立則磬折，拱則抱鼓，其以入君朝，尊以嚴，其以入宗廟，敬以忠，其以入鄉曲，和以順，其以入州里族黨之中，和以親。詩曰：“溫溫恭人，惟德之基。”孔子曰：“恭近於禮，遠恥辱也。”

The Book of Documents speaks of five matters: the first is called demeanor. Demeanor is what makes a man respectful and a woman graceful; in walking, the steps fit the square, in turning they fit the compass, standing, one is curved like a chime, clasping hands, one is as if embracing a drum; used to enter the ruler's court, it is dignified and solemn; used to enter the ancestral temple, it is reverent and loyal; used to enter the village, it is harmonious and compliant; used to enter among the clans and neighbors, it is harmonious and affectionate. The Book of Songs says: "The gentle, respectful and careful person is only the foundation of virtue." Confucius said: "Respect is close to ritual and keeps one far from shame."

衣服容貌者，所以悅目也；聲音應對者，所以悅耳也；嗜慾好惡者，所以悅心也。君子衣服中，容貌得，則民之目悅矣；言語順，應對給，則民之耳悅矣；就仁去不仁，則民之心悅矣。三者存乎心，暢乎體，形乎動靜，雖不在位，謂之素行。故忠心好善而日新之，獨居樂德，內悅而形。詩曰：“何其處也？必有與也；何其久也？必有以也。”惟有以者，惟能長生久視，而無累於物也。

Clothing and demeanor please the eye, voice and response please the ear, and desires, likes and dislikes please the heart. When the noble man's clothes are fitting and his demeanor suitable, the people's eyes are pleased; when his speech is fluent and his responses quick, the people's ears are pleased; when he turns toward benevolence and removes what is unbenevolent, the people's hearts are pleased. These three exist in the heart, flow through the body and show in movement and stillness, and even if he is not in position, this is called conduct in plain life. So he is loyal-hearted and fond of goodness and is renewed day by day, lives alone delighting in virtue, and is inwardly glad and shows it outwardly. The Book of Songs says: "Why does he stay in peace? He must have those who join him; why does he last long? There must be a reason." Only one with a reason can live long and be cared for long, and not be burdened by things.

知天道者冠鉥，知地道者履蹻，能治煩決亂者佩觿，能射御者佩韘，能正三軍者搢笏；衣必荷規而承矩，負繩而準下。故君子衣服中而容貌得，接其服而象其德，故望玉貌而行能，有所定矣。詩曰：“芃蘭之枝，童子佩觿。”說行能者也。

One who knows the Way of Heaven wears the cap of the Heaven-knower, one who knows the Way of Earth wears sandals of the Earth-knower, one who can govern perplexity and decide confusion wears the awl-shaped pendant, one who can shoot and drive wears the archer's thumb ring, and one who can set the three armies right carries a tablet. Clothing must bear the compass and carry the square, bear the line and ink and take its standard downward. So the noble man's clothing is fitting and his demeanor suitable; those who touch his dress bring to mind his virtue, so when one sees his jade-like appearance, one's conduct and ability can then be settled. The Book of Songs says: "The branch of the orchid, the boy wears the awl pendant." This speaks of conduct and ability.

冠者所以別成人也，修德束躬以自申飭，所以檢其邪心，守其正意也。君子始冠，必祝成禮，加冠以屬其心，故君子成人，必冠帶以行事，棄幼少嬉戲惰慢之心，而衎衎於進德修業之志。是故服不成象，而內心不變，內心修德，外被禮文，所以成顯令之名也。是故皮弁素積，百王不易，既以修德，又以正容。孔子曰：“正其衣冠，尊其瞻視，嚴然人望而畏之，不亦威而不猛乎？”

The cap is used to distinguish adults, to cultivate virtue and restrain one's person so that one admonishes oneself, in order to restrain the wicked heart and hold fast the upright intention. When a noble man first receives the cap, there must be a prayer for the ritual to be accomplished, and the cap is put on to bind his heart. So when a noble man becomes an adult, he must wear cap and sash before acting, abandoning the playful and lazy heart of youth, and be joyfully set on the aim of advancing in virtue and cultivating his work. So if clothing does not form an image, the heart does not change; if the heart cultivates virtue and outwardly puts on ritual refinement, one achieves a bright and fine name. So the skin cap and plain skirt were not changed by a hundred kings, being used both to cultivate virtue and to set the demeanor right. Confucius said: "With cap and clothes set right and gaze dignified, so solemn that people who see him respect and fear him, is that not also having awe without being fierce?"

成王將冠，周公使祝雍祝，王曰：“達而勿多也。”祝雍曰：“使王近於民，遠於佞，嗇於時，惠於財，任賢使能。”於此始成之時，祝辭四加而後退，公冠自以為主，卿為賓，饗之以三獻之禮。公始加玄端與皮弁，皆必朝服玄冕四加，諸侯、太子、庶子冠公為主，其禮與上同。冠於祖廟曰：“令月吉日，加子元服，去爾幼志，順爾成德。”冠禮十九見正而冠，古之通禮也。

When King Cheng was about to be capped, the Duke of Zhou had the invocator Yong pray. The King said: "Reach through, but do not make it many." The invocator Yong said: "May the King be close to the people and far from flatterers, cherish time, be kind with wealth, appoint the worthy and use the able." At this beginning of adulthood, the prayer was said four times and then withdrawn. The Duke capped himself with himself as host, the ministers acted as guests, and he entertained with the ritual of three toasts. The Duke first put on the dark ceremonial robe and the skin cap, and in all cases the court dress and dark ceremonial cap were put on four times. For the feudal lords, crown princes and secondary sons, when they were capped, the Duke acted as host, and the ritual was the same as above. At the capping in the ancestral temple it was said: "A fine month, an auspicious day, we put the principal cap on the son, remove your childish mind, and follow your adult virtue." The capping ritual, held when one has seen the first month in the nineteenth year, is a widely accepted rite of antiquity.

夏，公如齊逆女，何以書？親迎禮也。其禮奈何？曰：諸侯以屨二兩加琮，大夫庶人以屨二兩加束脩二。曰：“某國寡小君，使寡人奉不珍之琮，不珍之屨，禮夫人貞女。”夫人曰：“有幽室數辱之產，未諭於傅母之教，得承執衣裳之事，敢不敬拜？”拜祝，祝答拜。夫人受琮取一兩，屨以履女，正笄衣裳而命之曰：“往矣，善事爾舅姑，以順為宮室，無二爾心，無敢回也。”女拜，乃親引其手，授夫乎戶，夫引手出戶；夫行女從，拜辭父於堂，拜諸母於大門。夫先升與執轡，女乃升輿，轂三轉，然後天下先行。大夫士庶人稱其父曰：“某之父，某之師友，使其執不珍之屨，不珍之束脩，敢不敬禮某氏貞女。”母曰：“有草茅之產，未習於織紝紡績之事，得奉執箕帚之事，敢不敬拜？”

In summer, the Duke went to Qi to welcome a bride; why is it recorded? It is the ritual of personal welcome. What is that ritual? It is said: the feudal lords use two pairs of shoes with a jade cong, and grandees and commoners use two pairs of shoes with two bundles of dried meat. They say: "The small lord of our state, this unworthy one, sends me to offer an unprecious jade cong and unprecious shoes, in respectful courtesy to the lady's virtuous daughter." The lady says: "I was born of one who was often disgraced in a secluded room and have not yet understood the instruction of my governess; if I may take on the duty of holding clothes, how dare I not respectfully bow?" She bows and the invocator bows in return. The lady accepts the cong, takes one pair of shoes and has the girl put them on, sets her hairpin and clothes right and commands her: "Go, serve your parents-in-law well, govern the household with compliance, do not have a double heart, and do not dare to turn back." The girl bows, and then he personally takes her by the hand and gives her to the husband at the door, and the husband leads her out the door by the hand; the husband goes and the girl follows, and in the hall she bows farewell to her father, and at the gate she bows to the various mothers. The husband first climbs into the carriage and holds the reins, and the girl then climbs in, and after the hub has turned three times, the husband goes ahead. Grandees, scholars and commoners address her father, saying: "The father of so-and-so, the teacher and friend of so-and-so, sends me with unprecious shoes and unprecious dried meat, to respectfully pay courtesy to the virtuous daughter of the house of so-and-so." The mother says: "I was born among the grass and thatch and have not yet learned the work of spinning and weaving, but may take on the task of holding the broom and dustpan; how dare I not respectfully bow?"

春秋曰：“壬申，公薨於高寢。”傳曰：“高寢者何？正寢也。曷為或言高寢，或言路寢？曰，諸侯正寢三：一曰高寢，二曰左路寢，三曰右路寢。高寢者，始封君之寢也。二路寢者，繼體之君寢也。其二何？曰，子不居父之寢，故二寢。繼體君世世不可居高祖之寢，故有高寢，名曰高也。路寢其立奈何？高寢立中，路寢左右。”春秋曰：“天王入於成周。”傳曰：“成周者何？東周也。然則天子之寢奈何？曰，亦二承明，繼體守文之君之寢，曰左右之路寢。謂之承明何？曰承乎明堂之後者也。故天子諸侯三寢立而名實正，父子之義章，尊卑之事別，大小之德異矣。”

The Spring and Autumn Annals says: "On the day renshen, the Duke died in the High Bedchamber." The tradition says: "What is the High Bedchamber? It is the proper bedchamber. Why do some say High Bedchamber and some say Lu Bedchamber? It is said: a feudal lord has three proper bedchambers: the first is called the High Bedchamber, the second the Left Lu Bedchamber, and the third the Right Lu Bedchamber. The High Bedchamber is the bedchamber of the first enfeoffed lord. The two Lu Bedchambers are the bedchambers of lords in succession. Why two? It is said: a son does not live in his father's bedchamber, hence two bedchambers. Lords in succession cannot generation after generation live in the bedchamber of the high ancestor, so there is a High Bedchamber, named High. How are the Lu Bedchambers set up? The High Bedchamber stands in the middle, and the Lu Bedchambers on the left and right." The Spring and Autumn Annals says: "The Heavenly King entered Chengzhou." The tradition says: "What is Chengzhou? It is Eastern Zhou. Then what about the Son of Heaven's bedchamber? It is said: there are also two Chengming, the bedchambers of rulers in succession who keep the established order, called the left and right Lu bedchambers. Why are they called Chengming? It is said: they come after the Hall of Light. So the three bedchambers of the Son of Heaven and of feudal lords are set up so that names and realities are correct, the principle of father and son is made evident, matters of high and low are distinguished, and the virtue of the great and small are different."

天子以鬯為贄，鬯者百草之本也，上暢於天，下暢於地，無所不暢，故天子以鬯為贄。諸侯以圭為贄，圭者玉也，薄而不撓，廉而不劌，有瑕於中，必見於外，故諸侯以玉為贄。卿以羔為贄，羔者，羊也，羊群而不黨，故卿以為贄。大夫以鴈為贄，鴈者行列有長幼之禮，故大夫以為贄。士以雉為贄，贄可不可指食，籠狎而服之，故士以雉為贄。庶人以鶩為贄，鶩者鶩鶩也，鶩鶩無它心，故庶人以鶩為贄。贄者，所以質也。

The Son of Heaven uses the sacrificial wine as his gift of audience; the wine is the root of all herbs, reaching upward to Heaven and downward to Earth, with nothing it does not reach, so the Son of Heaven uses it as his gift. Feudal lords use the jade tablet as their gift; the tablet is jade, thin but not bent, with corners but not cutting people, and any flaw within is surely visible outside, so feudal lords use jade as their gift. Ministers use a lamb as their gift; the lamb is a sheep, which flocks but does not form factions, so ministers use it. Grandees use a wild goose as their gift; geese in formation have the ritual of old and young, so grandees use it. Scholars use a pheasant as their gift; the gift cannot be designated for eating, and shut in a cage it becomes familiar and tame, so scholars use the pheasant. Commoners use a duck as their gift; the duck is a domestic bird with no other heart, so commoners use the duck. A gift is used to show sincerity.

諸侯三年一貢士，士一適謂之好德，再適謂之尊賢，三適謂之有功。有功者，天子一賜以輿服弓矢，再賜以鬯，三賜以虎賁百人，號曰命諸侯。命諸侯者，鄰國有臣弒其君，孽弒其宗，雖不請乎天子而徵之可也，已徵而歸其地於天子。諸侯貢士，一不適謂之過，再不適謂之傲，三不適謂之誣。誣者天子黜之，一黜以爵，再黜以地，三黜而地畢。諸侯有不貢士，謂之不率正，不率正者，天子黜之，一黜以爵，再黜以地，三黜而地畢。然後天子比年秩官之無文者而黜之，以諸侯之所貢士伐之。詩云：“濟濟多士，文王以寧。”此之謂也。

Every three years the feudal lords present scholars. If a scholar is suitable once, it is called loving virtue; twice, honoring the worthy; three times, having merit. For those with merit, the Son of Heaven on the first occasion bestows a carriage, clothing, bow and arrows; on the second, sacrificial wine; on the third, a hundred tiger guards, and they are called appointed feudal lords. An appointed feudal lord, if a neighboring state has a minister who kills his ruler or a secondary son who kills the heir of the main line, may go to punish him even without asking the Son of Heaven, and once he has punished, he returns the land to the Son of Heaven. If a feudal lord presents a scholar who is unsuitable once, it is called a fault; twice, arrogance; three times, deceit. For deceit, the Son of Heaven demotes him: the first time his rank, the second time his land, and the third time his land is finished. A feudal lord who does not present scholars is called not following the correct way. For one who does not follow the correct way, the Son of Heaven demotes him: the first time his rank, the second time his land, and the third time his land is finished. Then the Son of Heaven, each year, examines officials who lack refinement and demotes them, replacing them with scholars presented by the feudal lords. The Book of Songs says: "The many scholars, in whom King Wen is at peace." This is what is meant.

古者必有命民，命民能敬長憐孤，取捨好讓，居事力者，命於其君。命然後得乘飭輿駢馬，未得命者不得乘，乘者皆有罰。故其民雖有餘財侈物，而無仁義功德者，則無所用其餘財侈物；故其民皆興仁義而賤財利，賤財利則不爭，不爭則強不凌弱，眾不暴寡。是唐虞所以興象刑，而民莫敢犯法，而亂斯止矣。詩云：“告爾民人，謹爾侯度，用戒不虞。”此之謂也。

In antiquity there were certainly appointed commoners. A commoner who could respect elders, pity orphans, choose modesty in taking and leaving and in likes, and exert himself in household work, received an appointment from his ruler. Only after receiving an appointment could he ride in a prepared carriage and paired horses; those who had not obtained an appointment could not ride, and all who rode were punished. So even if his people had surplus wealth and luxurious goods, but had no benevolence, righteousness or merit, there was nowhere to use such surplus wealth and luxurious goods; so his people all rose to benevolence and righteousness and made light of wealth, and making light of wealth, they did not contend, and not contending, the strong did not bully the weak and the many did not oppress the few. This is why Tang and Yu set up symbolic punishments, yet the people dared not break the law, and disorder was stopped because of it. The Book of Songs says: "I tell you, people: be careful with your lords' regulations, in order to guard against the unexpected." This is what is meant.

天子曰巡狩，諸侯曰述職。巡狩者，巡其所守也；述職者，述其所職也。春省耕，助不給也；秋省斂，助不足也。天子五年一巡狩，歲二月東巡狩，至於東嶽，柴而望祀山川，見諸侯，問百年者，命太師陳詩以觀民風，命市納賈以觀民之所好惡，志淫好僻者，命典禮，考時月定日，同律禮樂制度衣服正之。山川神只有不舉者為不敬，不敬者君黜以爵；宗廟有不順者為不孝，不孝者君削其地；有功澤於民者，然後加地。入其境，土地闢除，敬老尊賢，則有慶，益其地；入其境，土地荒穢，遺老失賢，掊克在位，則有讓，削其地。一不朝者黜其爵，再不朝者黜其地，三不朝者以六師移之。歲五月南巡狩，至於南嶽，如東巡狩之禮；歲八月西巡狩，至於西嶽，如南巡狩之禮；歲十一月北巡狩，至於北嶽，如西巡狩之禮。歸格於祖禰，用特。

For the Son of Heaven it is called an inspection tour, and for the feudal lords it is called a report on duties. An inspection tour is to inspect what he guards, and a report on duties is to present what he oversees. In spring he examines the plowing and sowing and helps supply what is lacking; in autumn he examines the harvest and helps those who have not enough. The Son of Heaven makes an inspection tour once every five years. In the second month of that year he tours east to the Eastern Peak, burns firewood and offers a distant sacrifice to the mountains and rivers, receives the feudal lords, asks after the hundred-year-old elders, orders the grand music master to set out the poems in order to observe the customs of the people, orders the market officials to submit the prices of goods to observe the people's likes and dislikes, and for those whose minds are dissolute and fond of the depraved, orders the ritual officials to examine and set the seasons and months, fix the days, and unify the pitch pipes, rites, music, institutions and clothing to set them right. If the spirits of the mountains and rivers are not sacrificed to, this is disrespect, and a disrespectful ruler has his rank reduced; if the ancestral temples are not in order, this is unfilial, and an unfilial ruler has his land cut; those who have merit and kindness toward the people then have land added. On entering his territory, if the land is cleared and well managed, the aged respected and the worthy honored, there are commendation and reward and his land is increased; on entering his territory, if the land is overgrown, the elderly abandoned, the worthy lost and tax-gatherers in position, there is rebuke and his land is cut. One failure to attend court reduces his rank, two failures reduces his land, and three failures means the six armies replace him. In the fifth month of that year he tours south to the Southern Peak, as with the eastern tour; in the eighth month he tours west to the Western Peak, as with the southern tour; in the eleventh month he tours north to the Northern Peak, as with the western tour. On returning, he reports to the ancestral temples with a single victim.

春秋曰：“正月，公狩於郎。”傳曰：“春曰搜，夏曰苗，秋曰獮，冬曰狩。”苗者奈何？曰苗者毛也，取之不圍澤，不揜群，取禽不麛卵，不殺孕重者。春搜者不殺小麛及孕重者；冬狩皆取之，百姓皆出，不失其馳，不抵禽，不詭遇，逐不出防，此苗獮搜狩之義也。故苗獮搜狩之禮，簡其戎事也；故苗者毛取之，搜者搜索之，狩者守留之。夏不田，何也？曰，天地陰陽盛長之時，猛獸不攫，鷙鳥不搏，蝮蠆不螫，鳥獸蟲蛇且知應天，而況人乎哉？是以古者必有豢牢。其謂之畋何？聖人舉事必返本，五穀者，以奉宗廟，養萬民也，去禽獸害稼穡者，故以田言之，聖人作名號而事義可知也。

The Spring and Autumn Annals says: "In the first month, the Duke hunted at Lang." The tradition says: "The spring hunt is called sou, the summer hunt miao, the autumn hunt xian, and the winter hunt shou." What is miao? It is selecting animals by coat color; when taking, one does not surround the marsh, does not ambush the herd, takes game but not the young or eggs, and does not kill the pregnant or heavy with young. In the spring sou one does not kill fawns or those heavy with young; in the winter shou everything is taken, all the people come out, and one does not lose the rules of driving, does not block the game head on, does not shoot by trickery, and the pursuit does not go beyond the embankments; this is the meaning of miao, xian, sou and shou. So the rituals of miao, xian, sou and shou simplify military matters; so miao is to select by coat color, sou is to search, and shou is to keep and stay. In summer there is no field hunting; why? It is said: in the season when Heaven and Earth, yin and yang are growing, fierce beasts do not seize, raptors do not strike, vipers and scorpions do not sting; birds, beasts, insects and snakes still know to accord with Heaven, how much more people? So in antiquity there were certainly pens for raising animals. Why is it called tian, to farm? When a sage handles affairs he always returns to the root; the five grains are used to supply the ancestral temples and nourish the myriad people, so removing the birds and beasts that harm crops is described by the word for field; when the sage creates names, the meaning of the matter can be known.

天子諸侯無事則歲三田，一為幹豆，二為賓客，三為充君之庖。無事而不田，曰不敬，田不以禮，曰暴天物。天子不合圍，諸侯不揜群；天子殺則下大緌，諸侯殺則下小緌，大夫殺則止佐轝，佐轝止則百姓畋獵。獺祭魚，然後漁人入澤梁；鳩化為鴈，然後設罻羅；草木零落，然後入山林。昆蟲不蟄不以火田，不麛不卵，不殀夭，不覆巢；此皆聖人在上，君子在位，能者在職，大德之發者也。是故皋陶為大理乎，民各服得其實；伯夷主禮，上下皆讓；倕為工師，百工緻功；益主虞，山澤闢成；棄主稷，百穀時茂；契主司徒，百姓親和；龍主賓客，遠人至。十二牧行，而九州莫敢僻違；禹陂九澤，通九道，定九州，各以其職來貢，不失厥宜，方五十里至於荒服，南撫交趾、大發，西析支渠、搜氐羌，北至山戎、肅慎，東至長夷、島夷，四海之內皆戴帝舜之功。於是禹乃興九韶之樂，致異物，鳳凰來翔，天下明德也。

If the Son of Heaven and the feudal lords have no affairs, they hunt three times a year: the first is to dry meat for the ritual dishes, the second is for guests, and the third is to fill the ruler's kitchen. To have no affairs and yet not hunt is called disrespect; to hunt without ritual is called wasting Heaven's creatures. The Son of Heaven does not surround completely, feudal lords do not ambush the herd; when the Son of Heaven has killed, he lowers the great banner, when a feudal lord has killed, he lowers the small banner, and when a grandee has killed, the assistant carriages stop, and when the assistant carriages stop the people hunt. When the otter offers fish, the fishermen enter the marshes and weirs; when doves turn into hawks, then nets are set; when plants and trees fall, then one enters the mountains and forests. Insects that have not hibernated are not burned out for hunting, the young and eggs are not taken, the young are not cut off in infancy, and nests are not overturned. All these arise when a sage is above, noble men are in position, the able are in office, and great virtue emerges. So when Gao Yao was chief judge, the people each trusted and obtained the truth; when Bo Yi presided over ritual, high and low all yielded; when Chui was chief craftsman, the hundred crafts achieved results; when Yi presided over the forests and marshes, the mountains and marshes were opened and developed; when Qi presided over grain, the hundred grains flourished in season; when Xie presided over the minister of education, the people were close and harmonious; when Long presided over guests, distant people came. The twelve governors made their rounds, and none of the nine regions dared to be perverse or defiant; Yu built embankments around the nine marshes, opened the nine ways, settled the nine regions, and each paid tribute according to its tasks, without losing what was fitting. From the five-hundred-li zone to the wild zone, in the south soothing Jiaozhi and Dafa, in the west reaching Xizhi, Qusou, and the Di and Qiang, in the north reaching the Shan Rong and Sushen, in the east reaching the Changyi and Daoyi, all within the four seas upheld the merit of Emperor Shun. Then Yu raised the music of the Nine Shao, summoned strange creatures, phoenixes came and flew, and virtue shone throughout the world.

射者必心平體正，持弓矢審固，然後射者能以中。詩云：“大侯既抗，弓矢斯張；射夫既同，獻爾發功。”此之謂也。弧之為言豫也，豫者豫吾意也。故古者兒生三日，桑弧蓬矢六射天地四方，天地四方者，男子之所有事也，必有意其所有事，然後敢食谷，故曰：“不素飧兮。”此之謂也。

An archer must have a level heart and straight body, hold the bow and arrow carefully and firmly, and only then can he hit the target. The Book of Songs says: "The great target has been raised, the bows and arrows are drawn; the archers have gathered; present your skill in shooting." This is what is meant. The bow means yu, which means anticipating our intentions. So in ancient times when a boy was born, on the third day six arrows of fleabane were shot from a mulberry bow toward Heaven, Earth and the four directions; Heaven, Earth and the four directions are all that a man has to do, and one must first set one's mind on what one has to do, and only then dare to eat grain; so it is said: "Not eating for nothing." This is what is meant.

生而相與交通，故曰留賓。自天子至士，各有次，贈死不及柩屍，吊生不及悲哀，非禮也。故古者吉行五十里，奔喪百里，贈賵及事之謂時；時，禮之大者也。春秋曰：“天王使宰咺來歸惠公、仲子之賵。”賵者何？喪事有賵者，蓋以乘馬束帛輿馬曰賵，貨財曰賻，水被曰襚，口實曰唅，玩好曰贈。知生者賻賵，知死者贈襚；贈襚所以送死也，賻賵所以佐生也。輿馬、束帛、貨財、衣被、玩好，其數奈何？曰，天子乘馬六匹，諸侯四匹，大夫三匹，元士二匹，下士一匹；天子束帛五匹、玄三纁二，各五十尺，諸侯玄三纁二，各三十尺，大夫玄一纁二，各三十尺，元士玄一纁一，各二丈，下士彩縵各一匹，庶人布帛各一匹；天子之賵，乘馬六匹乘車，諸侯四匹乘輿，大夫曰參輿，元士下士不用輿；天子文繡衣各一襲到地，諸侯覆跗，大夫到踝，士到髀；天子唅實以珠，諸侯以玉，大夫以璣，士以貝，庶人以谷實。位尊德厚及親者賻賵唅襚厚，貧富亦有差；二三四五之數，取之天地而制奇偶，度人情而出節文，謂之有因，禮之大宗也。

While alive, people visit and communicate with each other, which is why it is called receiving guests. From the Son of Heaven to scholars, there are gradations. To send gifts to the dead too late for the coffin, or to condole with the living too late for their grief, is not ritual. So in ancient times for auspicious matters one traveled fifty li, for hurrying to a funeral one traveled a hundred li, and giving funeral gifts in time for the event was called timely; timeliness is the greatest in ritual. The Spring and Autumn Annals says: "The Heavenly King sent the steward Xuan to present the funeral gifts for Duke Hui and Zhong Zi." What is a funeral gift? For funerals there are funeral gifts, generally horses and bundles of silk; carriages and horses are called feng, goods and wealth are called fu, clothing and bedding are called sui, what is put in the mouth is called han, and playthings are called zeng. If one knows the living, one sends fu and feng; if one knows the dead, one sends zeng and sui; zeng and sui are for seeing off the dead, and fu and feng are for helping the living. As for carriages, horses, bundles of silk, goods, clothing and bedding, and playthings, what are the numbers? It is said: the Son of Heaven gives six horses, feudal lords four, grandees three, first-rank scholars two, lower scholars one; the Son of Heaven gives five bundles of silk, three black and two crimson, each fifty feet, feudal lords three black and two crimson, each thirty feet, grandees one black and two crimson, each thirty feet, first-rank scholars one black and one crimson, each two zhang, lower scholars one bundle of colored plain silk each, and commoners one bundle each of cloth and silk; for the Son of Heaven's funeral gift, six horses and a carriage, for feudal lords four horses and a carriage, for grandees what is called a three-horse carriage, and first-rank and lower scholars do not use carriages; for the Son of Heaven a set of embroidered garments reaching the ground, for feudal lords covering to the instep, for grandees to the ankle, for scholars to the thigh; for the Son of Heaven the mouth filling is pearls, for feudal lords jade, for grandees small pearls, for scholars shells, and for commoners grain. Those with honored positions, thick virtue and close kinship get thick funeral gifts, and there are also differences of poor and rich; the numbers two, three, four and five are taken from Heaven and Earth to fix odd and even, and the measure of human feeling is made into rites, which is called having a basis, and is the great principle of ritual.