Duke Min

春，介葛盧來。

In spring, Ge Lu of Jie came.

（傳）介葛盧者何？夷狄之君也。何以不言朝？不能乎朝也。

(Commentary) Who was Ge Lu of Jie? He was a ruler of the eastern barbarians. Why is "court" not written? Because he could not perform the rite of court.

（經二九二）公至自圍許。

(Classic, 29.2) Duke Xi returned from the army besieging Xu.

（經二九三）夏，六月，公會王人、晉人、宋人、齊人、陳人、蔡人、秦人，盟於狄泉。

(Classic, 29.3) In summer, in the sixth month, Duke Xi met the royal envoy, the men of Jin, the men of Song, the men of Qi, the men of Chen, the men of Cai and the men of Qin in a covenant at Diquan.

（經二九四）秋，大雨雹。

(Classic, 29.4) In autumn, there was a great hailstorm.

（經二九五）冬，介葛盧來。

(Classic, 29.5) In winter, Ge Lu of Jie came.

春，王正月。

In spring, in the first month of the Zhou calendar.

（經三十二）夏，狄侵齊。

(Classic, 30.2) In summer, the Di invaded Qi.

（經三十三）秋，衛殺其大夫元咺及公子瑕。

(Classic, 30.3) In autumn, Wei killed its grand master Yuan Xuan and Prince Xia.

（傳）衛侯未至，其稱國以殺何？道殺也。

(Commentary) The Marquis of Wei had not yet arrived; why is the killing written under the state's name? He was killed on the road.

（經三十四）衛侯鄭歸於衛。

(Classic, 30.4) Zheng, Marquis of Wei, returned to Wei.

（傳）此殺其大夫，其言歸何？歸惡乎元咺也。曷為歸惡乎元咺？元咺之事君也，君出則己入，君入則己出，以為不臣也。

(Commentary) This was a killing of a grand master; why is "returned" written? To ascribe the guilt to Yuan Xuan. Why ascribe the guilt to Yuan Xuan? In serving his ruler, when the ruler went out he himself came in, and when the ruler came in he himself went out, so he is held not to be like a minister.

（經三十五）晉人、秦人圍鄭。

(Classic, 30.5) The men of Jin and the men of Qin besieged Zheng.

（經三十六）介人侵蕭。

(Classic, 30.6) The men of Jie invaded Xiao.

（經三十七）冬，天王使宰周公來聘。

(Classic, 30.7) In winter, the Son of Heaven sent Zai Zhou Gong to pay a visit.

（經三十八）公子遂如京師，遂如晉。

(Classic, 30.8) Prince Sui went to the capital and then went on to Jin.

（傳）大夫無遂事，此其言遂何？公不得為政爾。

(Commentary) A grand master has no matters done "thereupon"; here "thereupon" is written; why? It is only that Duke Xi could not manage affairs of government.

春，取濟西田。

In spring, the fields west of the Ji River were taken.

（傳）惡乎取之？取之曹也。曷為不言取之曹？諱取同姓之田也。此未有伐曹者，則其言取之曹何？晉侯執曹伯，班其所取侵地於諸侯也。晉侯執曹伯，班其所取侵地於諸侯，則何諱乎取同姓之田？久也。

(Commentary) From where were they taken? From Cao. Why does the text not say they were taken from Cao? To conceal taking the land of a state of the same surname. Here no one attacked Cao, yet it says taken from Cao; why? The Marquis of Jin seized the Earl of Cao and divided the land he had seized among the lords. When the Marquis of Jin seized the Earl of Cao and divided the seized land among the lords, why still conceal taking the land of a state of the same surname? Because the time had already been long.

（經三一二）公子遂如晉。夏，四月，四卜郊不從，乃免牲，猶三望。

(Classic, 31.2) Prince Sui went to Jin. In summer, in the fourth month, divination for the suburban sacrifice was made four times without a favorable result, so the sacrificial animal was released, but the three distant sacrifices were still performed.

（傳）曷為或言三卜？或言四卜？三卜，禮也；四卜，非禮也。三卜何以禮？四卜何以非禮？求吉之道三。禘、嘗不卜，郊何以卜？卜郊，非禮也。卜郊何以非禮？魯郊，非禮也。魯郊何以非禮？天子祭天，諸侯祭土。天子有方望之事，無所不通。諸侯山川有不在其封內者，則不祭也。曷為或言免牲？或言免牛？免牲，禮也；免牛，非禮也。免牛何以非禮？傷者曰牛。三望者何？望祭也。然則曷祭？祭泰山、河海。曷為祭泰山、河海？山川有能潤於百里者，天子秩而祭之。觸石而出，膚寸而合，不崇朝而遍雨乎天下者，唯泰山爾。河海潤於千里。猶者何？通可以已也。何以書？譏不郊而望祭也。

(Commentary) Why is it sometimes written "three divinations" and sometimes "four divinations"? Three divinations is proper and four is improper. Why is three proper, and why is four improper? The way of seeking an auspicious sign is limited to three tries. The di sacrifice and the chang sacrifice are not divined; why is the suburban sacrifice divined? Divining for the suburban sacrifice is improper. Why is it improper? Lu's performing the suburban sacrifice is itself improper. Why is Lu's performing the suburban sacrifice improper? The Son of Heaven sacrifices to Heaven, and a lord sacrifices to the earth. The Son of Heaven has the distant sacrifices in all four directions, reaching everywhere. A lord does not sacrifice to mountains and rivers that lie outside his borders. Why are there two ways of writing, "release the sacrificial animal" and "release the ox"? Releasing the animal is proper and releasing the ox is improper. Why is releasing the ox improper? Only one that is injured is called "ox." What are the three distant sacrifices? They are sacrifices viewed from afar. Then to what are they offered? To Mount Tai, the River and the sea. Why sacrifice to Mount Tai, the River and the sea? Among mountains and rivers, those able to moisten a hundred li are sacrificed to by the Son of Heaven in due order. Clouds touching the rock come out, and in a mere skin's width and an inch they join together, and before a morning is over they can spread rain over the whole world; only Mount Tai does this. The River and the sea moisten a thousand li. What does "still" mean? It means that all of these could originally have been stopped. Why is it recorded? To criticize that the suburban sacrifice was not performed and yet the distant sacrifices were.

（經三一三）秋，七月。

(Classic, 31.3) In autumn, in the seventh month.

（經三一四）冬，杞伯姬來求婦。

(Classic, 31.4) In winter, Ji Bo Ji of Qi came to ask for a wife.

（傳）其言來求婦何？兄弟辭也。其稱婦何？有姑之辭也。

(Commentary) What does "came to ask for a wife" mean? It is the wording used among brothers. Why is she called "wife"? This is the wording used when there is a mother-in-law.

（經三一五）狄圍衛。

(Classic, 31.5) The Di besieged Wei.

（經三一六）十有二月，衛遷於帝丘。

(Classic, 31.6) In the twelfth month, Wei moved to Diqiu.

春，王正月。

In spring, in the first month of the Zhou calendar.

（經三二二）夏，四月己丑，鄭伯接卒。

(Classic, 32.2) In summer, in the fourth month, on jichou, Jie, Earl of Zheng, died.

（經三二三）衛人侵狄。

(Classic, 32.3) The men of Wei invaded the Di.

（經三二四）秋，衛人及狄盟。

(Classic, 32.4) In autumn, the men of Wei made a covenant with the Di.

（經三二五）冬，十有二月己卯，晉侯重耳卒。

(Classic, 32.5) In winter, in the twelfth month, on jimao, Chong'er, Marquis of Jin, died.

春，王二月，秦人入滑。齊侯使國歸父來聘。

In spring, in the second month of the Zhou calendar, the men of Qin entered Hua. The Marquis of Qi sent Guo Guifu to pay a visit.

（經三三二）夏，四月辛巳，晉人及姜戎敗秦於殽。

(Classic, 33.2) In summer, in the fourth month, on xinsi, the men of Jin and the Jiang Rong defeated Qin at Xiao.

（傳）其謂之秦何？夷狄之也。曷為夷狄之？秦伯將襲鄭，百里子與蹇叔子諫曰：「千里而襲人，未有不亡者也。」秦伯怒曰：「若爾之年者，宰上之木拱矣，爾曷知！」師出，百里子與蹇叔子送其子而戒之曰：「爾即死，必於殽之嶔巖，是文王之所闢風雨者也，吾將屍爾焉。」子揖師而行。百里子與蹇叔子從其子而哭之。秦伯怒曰：「爾曷為哭吾師？」對曰：「臣非敢哭君師，哭臣之子也。」弦高者，鄭商也，遇之殽，矯以鄭伯之命而犒師焉，或曰往矣，或曰反矣。然而晉人與姜戎要之殽而擊之，匹馬輪無反者。其言及姜戎何？姜戎微也，稱人亦微者也。何言乎姜戎之微？先軫也，或曰襄公親之。襄公親之，則其稱人何？貶。曷為貶？君在乎殯而用師危，不得葬也。詐戰不日，此何以日？盡也。

(Commentary) Why is it "Qin" and not "the men of Qin"? Because it is treated as barbarian. Why is it treated as barbarian? The Earl of Qin was about to make a surprise attack on Zheng, and Baili Zi and Jian Shu Zi remonstrated, saying: "To go a thousand li to make a surprise attack on others has never failed to end in ruin." The Earl of Qin was angry and said: "At your age, the trees on your graves should already be a full armful in girth; what do you know!" When the army set out, Baili Zi and Jian Shu Zi saw off their sons and warned them: "If you die, you will certainly die on the steep rocks of Xiao, where King Wen sheltered from wind and rain, and I will collect your bodies there." The sons bowed to the army and left. Baili Zi and Jian Shu Zi followed their sons weeping. The Earl of Qin was angry and said: "Why do you weep for my army?" They answered: "We do not dare weep for my lord's army; we weep for our sons." Xian Gao was a merchant of Zheng who met them at Xiao and, falsely citing the command of the Earl of Zheng, went to reward the army with provisions; some said go forward, some said turn back. But the men of Jin and the Jiang Rong blocked and attacked them at Xiao, and not one horse and not one wheel returned (the character for 'one' is a rare character lost in transcription of the base text, supplied from the common edition). What does "and the Jiang Rong" mean? The Jiang Rong were of low rank, and "the men of" is also for the lowly. Why say the Jiang Rong were of low rank? It was actually Xian Zhen; another account says Duke Xiang took part in person. If Duke Xiang took part in person, why is he called "the men of"? It is a demotion. Why a demotion? He used troops while the late ruler's coffin still lay in the hall, which is dangerous and means he could not be buried. A battle without an agreed time usually does not record the day; why is the day recorded here? Because they were killed to the last.

（經三三三）癸巳，葬晉文公。

(Classic, 33.3) On guisi, Duke Wen of Jin was buried.

（經三三四）狄侵齊。

(Classic, 33.4) The Di invaded Qi.

（經三三五）公伐邾婁，取叢。

(Classic, 33.5) Duke Xi attacked Zhulou and took Cong.

（經三三六）秋，公子遂率師伐邾婁。

(Classic, 33.6) In autumn, Prince Sui led the army to attack Zhulou.

（經三三七）晉人敗狄於箕。

(Classic, 33.7) The men of Jin defeated the Di at Ji.

（經三三八）冬，十月，公如齊。

(Classic, 33.8) In winter, in the tenth month, Duke Xi went to Qi.

（經三三九）十有二月，公至自齊。

(Classic, 33.9) In the twelfth month, Duke Xi returned from Qi.

（經三三十）乙巳，公薨於小寢。

(Classic, 33.10) On yisi, Duke Xi died in the small side chamber.

（經三三十一）隕霜不殺草，李、梅實。

(Classic, 33.11) Frost fell but did not kill the grass, and the plum and apricot trees bore fruit.

（傳）何以書？記異也。何異爾？不時也。

(Commentary) Why is it recorded? To record an anomaly. Where is the anomaly? It was out of season.

（經三三六）晉人、陳人、鄭人伐許。

(Classic, 33.12) The men of Jin, the men of Chen and the men of Zheng attacked Xu.