Duke Xuan

（經十一三）公孫歸父會齊人伐莒。

(Classic 11-3) Gongsun Guifu joined the men of Qi in attacking Ju.

（經十一四）秋，晉侯會狄於櫕函。

(Classic 11-4) In autumn, the Marquis of Jin met the Di at Qihan.

（經十一五）冬，十月，楚人殺陳夏徵舒。

(Classic 11-5) In winter, in the tenth month, the men of Chu killed Xia Zhengshu of Chen.

（傳）此楚子也，其稱人何？貶。曷為貶？不與外討也。不與外討者，因其討乎外而不與也，雖內討亦不與也。曷為不與？實與而文不與。文曷為不與？諸侯之義，不得專討也。諸侯之義不得專討，則其曰實與之何？上無天子，下無方伯，天下諸侯有為無道者，臣弒君，子弒父，力能討之，則討之可也。

(Commentary) This was the Viscount of Chu, so why is he called "men"? It is a demotion. Why demote him? Because it disapproves of punishing from outside. It disapproves of punishing from outside because it would disapprove of his punishing outside, and would disapprove even if he punished inside. Why disapprove? In substance it approves, but in wording it disapproves. Why disapprove in wording? It is not the duty of a feudal lord to punish arbitrarily. If it is not the duty of a feudal lord to punish arbitrarily, why say that in substance it approves? Because there is no Son of Heaven above and no hegemon below, and when among the feudal lords of the world there are those who do wicked things, ministers killing rulers and sons killing fathers, if one's strength is enough to punish them, then going to punish them is permissible.

（經十一五）丁亥，楚子入陳，納公孫寧、儀行父於陳。

(Classic 11-5) On the day dinghai, the Viscount of Chu entered Chen and restored Gongsun Ning and Yi Xingfu to Chen.

（傳）此皆大夫也，其言納何？納公黨與也。

(Commentary) These were all senior officers, so why does it write "restored"? It means restoring the duke's partisans.

春，葬陳靈公。

In spring, Duke Ling of Chen was buried.

（傳）討此賊者非臣子也，何以書葬？君子辭也。楚已討之矣，臣子雖欲討之而無所討也。

(Commentary) The one who punished this culprit was not a subject, so why is the burial recorded? It is a wording of the gentleman. Chu had already punished him, so even if the subjects had wanted to punish him, there was nowhere left to do so.

（經十二二）楚子圍鄭。

(Classic 12-2) The Viscount of Chu besieged Zheng.

（經十二三）夏，六月乙卯，晉荀林父帥師及楚子戰於邲，晉師敗績。

(Classic 12-3) In summer, in the sixth month, on the day yimao, Xun Linfu of Jin led an army and fought the Viscount of Chu at Bi, and the Jin army was greatly defeated.

（傳）大夫不敵君，此其稱名氏以敵楚子何？不與晉而與楚子為禮也。曷為不與晉而與楚子為禮也？莊王伐鄭，勝乎皇門，放乎路衢。鄭伯肉袒，左執茅旌，右執鸞刀，以逆莊王曰：「寡人無良，邊垂之臣，以幹天禍，是以使君王沛焉，辱到敝邑。君如矜此喪人，錫之不毛之地，使帥一二耋老而綏焉，請唯君王之命。」莊王曰：「君之不令臣，交易為言，是以使寡人得見君之玉面而微至乎此。」莊王親自手旌，左右撝軍退舍七里。將軍子重諫曰：「南郢之與鄭相去數千裡，諸大夫死者數人，廝役扈養死者數百人，今君勝鄭而不有，無乃失民臣之力乎？」莊王曰：「古者杅不穿、皮不蠹，則不出於四方。是以君子篤於禮而薄於利，要其人而不要其土，告從，不赦不詳，吾以不詳道民，災及吾身，何日之有？」既則晉師之救鄭者至曰：「請戰。」莊王許諾。將軍子重諫曰：「晉，大國也，王師淹病矣，君請勿許也。」莊王曰：「弱者，吾威之，強者吾闢之，是以使寡人無以立乎天下！」令之還師而逆晉寇。莊王鼓之，晉師大敗，晉眾之走者，舟中之指可掬矣。莊王曰：「嘻！吾兩君不相好，百姓何罪？」令之還師而佚晉寇。

(Commentary) A senior officer cannot be placed on equal footing with a ruler, so why are his clan and name used here to oppose the Viscount of Chu? It disapproves of Jin and approves of the Viscount of Chu as acting in accord with ritual. Why disapprove of Jin and approve of the Viscount of Chu as acting in accord with ritual? King Zhuang attacked Zheng, won a victory at the Huang Gate, and went all the way to the main road. The Earl of Zheng, with his upper body bared, holding a thatch banner in his left hand and a bell-knife in his right, met King Zhuang and said: "I am not good, and my border ministers brought down Heaven's calamity, which caused Your Majesty to flare in anger and humble yourself to come to my poor city. If Your Majesty pities this one who lost his state and grants a place where grass and trees do not grow, and lets me take one or two old men there to settle them, I will listen only to Your Majesty's command." King Zhuang said: "Your bad ministers took turns slandering, which caused me to be able to see your jade face and to come to this point." King Zhuang personally took the banner in his hand and, directing left and right, had the army withdraw seven li. The general Zichong remonstrated: "Nanying and Zheng are separated by several thousand li, several senior officers have died, hundreds of servants and attendants have died, and now Your Majesty has defeated Zheng and does not hold it; is that not to waste the strength of the people and ministers?" King Zhuang said: "In ancient times, when the bowl was not broken and the hides not moth-eaten, they did not send troops in all directions. So the gentleman is generous in ritual and thin in profit, and wants people and not land. They have already shown submission, and not to pardon them again would not be good; if I lead the people by what is not good, disaster will fall on me, and how many days do I have left?" Before long the Jin army sent to rescue Zheng arrived and said: "We request battle." King Zhuang agreed. The general Zichong remonstrated: "Jin is a great state, and the king's army is already long weary; please, Your Majesty, do not agree." King Zhuang said: "The weak I intimidate, and the strong I avoid, so what would I stand on in the world!" He ordered the army to turn back and meet the Jin army. King Zhuang beat the drum, and the Jin army was greatly defeated; the Jin soldiers who fled had their fingers chopped off in the boats, and they could be gathered up by the handful. King Zhuang said: "Ah! We two rulers are not on good terms, so what crime have the common people committed?" He ordered the army to return and let the Jin army go.

（經十二四）秋，七月。

(Classic 12-4) In autumn, the seventh month.

（經十二五）冬，十有二月戊寅，楚子滅蕭。

(Classic 12-5) In winter, in the twelfth month, on the day wuyin, the Viscount of Chu destroyed Xiao.

（經十二六）晉人、宋人、衛人、曹人同盟於清丘。

(Classic 12-6) The men of Jin, the men of Song, the men of Wei and the men of Cao made a covenant together at Qingqiu.

（經十二七）宋師伐陳。

(Classic 12-7) The Song army attacked Chen.

（經十二八）衛人救陳。

(Classic 12-8) The men of Wei rescued Chen.

春，齊師伐衛。

In spring, the Qi army attacked Wei.

（經十三二）夏，楚子伐宋。

(Classic 13-2) In summer, the Viscount of Chu attacked Song.

（經十三三）秋，螽。

(Classic 13-3) In autumn, locusts became a plague.

（經十三四）冬，晉殺其大夫先縠。

(Classic 13-4) In winter, Jin killed its senior officer Xian Hu.

春，衛殺其大夫孔達。

In spring, Wei killed its senior officer Kong Da.

（經十四二）夏，五月壬申，曹伯壽卒。

(Classic 14-2) In summer, in the fifth month, on the day renshen, Shou, Earl of Cao, died.

（經十四三）晉侯伐鄭。

(Classic 14-3) The Marquis of Jin attacked Zheng.

（經十四四）秋，九月，楚子圍宋。

(Classic 14-4) In autumn, in the ninth month, the Viscount of Chu besieged Song.

（經十四五）葬曹文公。

(Classic 14-5) Duke Wen of Cao was buried.

（經十四六）冬，公孫歸父會齊侯於谷。

(Classic 14-6) In winter, Gongsun Guifu met the Marquis of Qi at Gu.

春，公孫歸父會楚子於宋。

In spring, Gongsun Guifu met the Viscount of Chu at Song.

（經十五二）夏，五月，宋人及楚人平。

(Classic 15-2) In summer, in the fifth month, the men of Song made peace with the men of Chu.

（傳）外平不書，此何以書？大其平乎已也。何大乎其平乎已？莊王圍宋，軍有七日之糧爾。盡此不勝，將去而歸爾。於是使司馬子反乘堙而堙宋城，宋華元亦乘堙而出見之。司馬子反曰：「子之國何如？」華元曰：「憊矣。」曰：「何如？」曰：「易子而食之，析骸而炊之。」司馬子反曰：「嘻！甚矣憊！雖然，吾聞之也：圍者柑馬而秣之，使肥者應客，是何子之情也？」華元曰：「吾聞之：君子見人之厄則矜之，小人見人之厄則幸之。吾見子之君子也，是以告情於子也。」司馬子反曰：「諾，勉之矣！吾軍亦有七日之糧爾，盡此不勝，將去而歸爾。」揖而去之，反於莊王。

(Commentary) When outside states make peace it is normally not recorded, so why is it recorded here? It magnifies that they made peace by themselves. Why magnify that they made peace by themselves? King Zhuang besieged Song, and the army had only seven days of provisions. If they finished this without winning, they would leave and go back. So he sent the Minister of War Zifan up a mound close to the city of Song, and Hua Yuan of Song also climbed a mound and came out to meet him. The Minister of War Zifan said: "How is your state?" Hua Yuan said: "Exhausted." He asked: "How exhausted?" The answer: "We exchange children to eat and split bones for fuel." The Minister of War Zifan said: "Ah! That is terrible exhaustion! Even so, I have heard that when besieged, people muzzle the horses and feed them grass and bring out fat horses to receive guests; why do you speak the truth like this?" Hua Yuan said: "I have heard that a gentleman, seeing another's hardship, pities him, while a petty man, seeing another's hardship, rejoices. I see that you are a gentleman, and so I tell you the truth." The Minister of War Zifan said: "Good; strive to hold on! Our army also has only seven days of provisions, and if we finish this without winning, we will leave and go back." He bowed and left and reported to King Zhuang.

（傳）莊王曰：「何如？」司馬子反曰：「憊矣！」曰：「何如？」曰：「易子而食之，析骸而炊之。」莊王曰：「嘻！甚矣憊！雖然，吾今取此，然後而歸爾。」司馬子反曰：「不可。臣已告之矣，軍有七日之糧爾。」莊王怒曰：「吾使子往視之，子曷為告之？」司馬子反曰：「以區區之宋，猶有不欺人之臣，可以楚而無乎？是以告之也。」莊王曰：「諾。舍而止。雖然，吾猶取此然後歸爾。」司馬子反曰：「然則君請處於此，臣請歸爾。」莊王曰：「子去我而歸，吾孰與處於此？吾亦從子而歸爾。」引師而去之，故君子大其平乎已也。此皆大夫也，其稱人何？貶。曷為貶？平者在下也。

(The Commentary continued:) King Zhuang said: "How are they?" The Minister of War Zifan said: "Exhausted!" He asked: "How exhausted?" The answer: "They exchange children to eat and split bones for fuel." King Zhuang said: "Ah! That is terrible exhaustion! Even so, I will take this place now and then go back." The Minister of War Zifan said: "No. Your servant has already told them that our army has only seven days of provisions." King Zhuang said angrily: "I sent you to look, so why did you tell them?" The Minister of War Zifan said: "Even in so small a place as Song there is a minister who does not deceive; could Chu be without one? That is why I told them." King Zhuang said: "Good. Make camp and stay. Even so, I will still take this place before I go back." The Minister of War Zifan said: "Then please stay here, Your Majesty, and let your servant go back." King Zhuang said: "If you leave me and go back, with whom would I stay here? I will go back with you." He took the army and left, and so the gentleman magnifies that they made peace by themselves. These were all senior officers, so why are they called "men"? It is a demotion. Why demote them? Because those who made peace were in lower positions.

（經十五三）六月癸卯，晉師滅赤狄潞氏，以潞子嬰兒歸。

(Classic 15-3) In the sixth month, on the day guimao, the Jin army destroyed the Lu clan of the Red Di and took the Viscount of Lu, Ying'er, back with them.

（傳）潞何以稱子？潞子之為善也，躬足以亡爾。雖然，君子不可不記也。離於夷狄，而未能合於中國，晉師伐之，中國不救，狄人不有，是以亡也。

(Commentary) Why is Lu called "Zi"? The Viscount of Lu did good deeds, but his own strength was enough only for ruin. Even so, the gentleman cannot fail to record it. He had left the barbarians but had not yet joined the Central States; when the Jin army attacked him, the Central States did not rescue him, and the Di did not protect him, so he perished.

（經十五四）秦人伐晉。

(Classic 15-4) The men of Qin attacked Jin.

（經十五五）王札子殺召伯、毛伯。

(Classic 15-5) Wang Zhazi killed the Earl of Shao and the Earl of Mao.

（傳）王札子者何？長庶之號也。

(Commentary) Who was Wang Zhazi? It was the title of an elder son by a concubine.

（經十五六）秋，螽。

(Classic 15-6) In autumn, locusts became a plague.

（經十五七）仲孫蔑會齊高固於牟婁。

(Classic 15-7) Zhongsun Mie met Gao Gu of Qi at Moulou.

（經十五八）初稅畝。

(Classic 15-8) For the first time, tax was levied by the mu.

（傳）初者何？始也。稅畝者何？履畝而稅也。初稅畝，何以書？譏。何譏爾？譏始履畝而稅也。何譏乎始履畝而稅？古者什一而藉。古者曷為什一而藉？什一者天下之中正也。多乎什一，大桀、小桀；寡乎什一，大貉、小貉。什一者天下之中正也，什一行而頌聲作矣。

(Commentary) What does "first" mean? It means a beginning. What does "levied tax by the mu" mean? It means taxing by the field area. Why was the first levying of tax by the mu recorded? As a criticism. What was criticized? The beginning of taxing by the mu was criticized. Why criticize the beginning of taxing by the mu? In ancient times one tenth was taken, and the people's labor was borrowed for cultivation. Why in ancient times one tenth taken and labor borrowed? One tenth is the right measure for all under Heaven. More than one tenth makes a great Jie or a small Jie; less than one tenth makes a great Mo or a small Mo. One tenth is the right measure for all under Heaven, and when the one-tenth is practiced, the sound of praise arises.

（經十五九）冬，蝝生。

(Classic 15-9) In winter, yuan insects were born.

（傳）未有言蝝生者，此其言蝝生何？蝝生不書，此何以書？幸之也。幸之者何？猶曰受之云爾。受之云爾者何？上變古易常，應是而有天災，其諸則宜於此焉變矣。

(Commentary) There was never a record of "yuan insects born," so why does it write "yuan insects born" here? The birth of yuan insects is normally not recorded, so why is it recorded here? It rejoices over them. What does rejoicing mean? It is like saying receiving them. What does receiving them mean? Above, the ancient law was changed and the constants altered, and heaven's disaster came in response to this, and probably here is where it was to be turned back.

（經十五十）飢。

(Classic 15-10) Famine.

春，王正月，晉人滅赤狄甲氏及留籲。

In spring, the first month of the Zhou calendar, the men of Jin destroyed the Jia clan and Liuxu of the Red Di.

（經十六二）夏，成周宣謝災。

(Classic 16-2) In summer, the Xuan Xie of Chengzhou caught fire.

（傳）成周者何？東周也。宣謝者何？宣宮之謝也。何言乎成周宣謝災？樂器藏焉爾。成周宣謝災，何以書？記災也。外災不書，此何以書？新周也。

(Commentary) What is Chengzhou? It is Eastern Zhou. What is Xuan Xie? It is the terrace and pavilion of the Xuan Palace. Why does it write "the Xuan Xie of Chengzhou suffered disaster"? Musical instruments were stored there. Why was the fire at the Xuan Xie of Chengzhou recorded? To record a disaster. Disasters of outside states are normally not recorded, so why is it recorded here? It treats Zhou as the new king.

（經十六三）秋，郯伯姬來歸。

(Classic 16-3) In autumn, Bo Ji of Tan returned.

（經十六四）冬，大有年。

(Classic 16-4) In winter, there was a great harvest year.

春，王正月庚子，許男錫我卒。

In spring, the first month of the Zhou calendar, on the day gengzi, Xi Wo, Baron of Xu, died.

（經十七二）丁未，蔡侯申卒。

(Classic 17-2) On the day dingwei, Shen, Marquis of Cai, died.

（經十七三）夏，葬許昭公。

(Classic 17-3) In summer, Duke Zhao of Xu was buried.

（經十七四）葬蔡文公。

(Classic 17-4) Duke Wen of Cai was buried.

（經十七五）六月癸卯，日有食之。

(Classic 17-5) In the sixth month, on the day guimao, there was a solar eclipse.

（經十七六）己未，公會晉侯、衛侯、曹伯、邾婁子同盟於斷道。秋，公至自會。

(Classic) On the jiwei day, Duke Xuan joined the Marquis of Jin, the Marquis of Wei, the Earl of Cao and the Viscount of Zhulou in a covenant at Duandao. In autumn, the Duke returned from the covenant.

（經十七七）冬，十有一月壬午，公弟叔肸卒。

(Classic) In winter, on the renwu day of the eleventh month, Shu Xi, the Duke's younger brother, died.