Duke Xuan

春，晉侯、衛世子臧伐齊。

In spring, the Marquis of Jin and Zang, the crown prince of Wei, attacked Qi.

（經十八二）公伐杞。

(Classic) Duke Xuan attacked the small state of Qi (the Xia descendants' state, not the great state of Qi).

（經十八三）夏，四月。

(Classic) In summer, the fourth month.

（經十八四）秋，七月，邾婁人戕鄫子於鄫。

(Classic) In autumn, in the seventh month, the men of Zhulou murdered the Viscount of Zeng at Zeng.

（傳）戕鄫子於鄫者何？殘賊而殺之也。

(Commentary) What does "murdered the Viscount of Zeng at Zeng" mean? It means he was cruelly harmed and killed.

（經十八五）甲戌，楚子旅卒。

(Classic) On the jiaxu day, Lu, the Viscount of Chu, died.

（傳）何以不書葬？吳、楚之君不書葬，闢其號也。

(Commentary) Why is the burial not recorded? The burials of the rulers of Wu and Chu are not recorded, in order to avoid their usurped titles.

（經十八六）公孫歸父如晉。

(Classic) Gongsun Guifu went to Jin.

（經十八七）冬，十月壬戌，公薨於路寢。

(Classic) In winter, on the renxu day of the tenth month, Duke Xuan died in the principal hall.

（經十八八）歸父還自晉，至檉，遂奔齊。

(Classic) Guifu returned from Jin, arrived at Cheng, and then fled to Qi.

（傳）還者何？善辭也。何善爾？歸父使於晉，還自晉，至檉，聞君薨家遣，墠帷，哭君成踴，反命乎介，自是走之齊。

(Commentary) What does "returned" mean? It is a word of praise. What is praised? Guifu had gone as envoy to Jin, and on his way back from Jin he reached Cheng and heard that the ruler had died and his family had been dispersed; so he cleared the ground and set up a curtain, wept for the ruler and completed the ritual of leaping in grief, reported back to his deputy envoy, and then fled to Qi.

春，王正月，公即位。

In spring, in the first month of the Zhou calendar, Duke Cheng took the throne.

（經一二）二月辛酉，葬我君宣公。

(Classic) In the second month, on the xinyou day, our ruler Duke Xuan of Lu was buried.

（經一三）無冰。

(Classic) There was no ice.

（經一四）三月，作丘甲。

(Classic) In the third month, the qiu jia was made.

（傳）何以書？譏。何譏爾？譏始丘使也。

(Commentary) Why is it recorded? It is a criticism. What is criticized? It is criticized that military levies began to be assessed by the qiu unit.

（經一五）夏，臧孫許及晉侯盟於赤棘。

(Classic) In summer, Zangsun Xu made a covenant with the Marquis of Jin at Chiji.

（經一六）秋，王師敗績於貿戎。

(Classic) In autumn, the army of the Zhou Son of Heaven was badly defeated at Maorong.

（傳）孰敗之？蓋晉敗之，或曰貿戎敗之。然則曷為不言晉敗之？王者無敵，莫敢當也。

(Commentary) Who defeated it? It was probably Jin that defeated it; another view is that Maorong defeated it. Then why is it not written that Jin defeated it? A true king has no rival, and no one dares to oppose him.

（經一七）冬，十月。

(Classic) In winter, the tenth month.

春，齊侯伐我北鄙。

In spring, the Marquis of Qi attacked the northern border of our state of Lu.

（經二二）夏，四月丙戌，衛孫良夫帥師及齊師戰於新築，衛師敗績。

(Classic) In summer, on the bingxu day of the fourth month, Sun Liangfu of Wei led his army to battle the army of Qi at Xinzhu, and the army of Wei was badly defeated.

（經二三）六月癸酉，季孫行父、臧孫許、叔孫僑如、公孫嬰齊帥師，會晉郄克、衛孫良夫、曹公子手及齊侯戰於鞍，齊師敗績。

(Classic) In the sixth month, on the guiyou day, Jisun Xingfu, Zangsun Xu, Shusun Qiaoru and Gongsun Yingqi led armies and, together with Xi Ke of Jin, Sun Liangfu of Wei and Gongzi Shou of Cao, fought the Marquis of Qi at An, and the army of Qi was badly defeated.

（傳）曹無大夫，公子手何以書？憂內也。

(Commentary) Cao has no grand masters, so why is Gongzi Shou recorded? It shows concern for the situation within Lu.

（經二四）秋，七月，齊侯使國佐如師。己酉，及國佐盟於袁婁。

(Classic) In autumn, in the seventh month, the Marquis of Qi sent Guo Zuo to the army. On the jiyou day, a covenant was made with Guo Zuo at Yuanlou.

（傳）君不行使乎大夫，此其行使乎大夫何？佚獲也。其佚獲奈何？師還齊侯，晉郄克投戟逡巡再拜稽首馬前。逢醜父者，頃公之車右也。面目與頃公相似，衣服與頃公相似，代頃公當左。使頃公取飲，頃公操飲而至，曰：「革取清者。」頃公用是佚而不反。逢醜父曰：「吾賴社稷之神靈，吾君已免矣。」郄克曰：「欺三軍者，其法奈何？」曰：「法斮。」於是斮逢醜父。己酉，及齊國佐盟於袁婁，曷為不盟於師而盟於袁婁？前此者，晉郄克與臧孫許同時而聘於齊。蕭同侄子者，齊君之母也，踴於棓而窺客，則客或跛或眇，於是使跛者迓跛者，使眇者迓眇者。二大夫出，相與踦閭而語，移日然後相去。齊人皆曰：「患之起必自此始！」二大夫歸，相與率師為鞍之戰，齊師大敗。齊侯使國佐如師，郄克曰：「與我紀侯之甗，反魯、衛之侵地，使耕者東畝，且以蕭同侄子為質，則吾舍子矣。」國佐曰：「與我紀侯之甗，請諾。反魯、衛衛蕭同侄子為質，則吾舍子矣。」國佐曰：「與我紀侯之甗，請諾。反魯、衛之侵地，請諾。使耕者東畝，是則土齊也。蕭同侄子者，齊君之母也。齊君之母，猶晉君之母也，不可。請戰，壹戰不勝請再，再戰不勝請三，三戰不勝則齊國儘子之有也，何必以蕭同侄子為質？」揖而去之。郄克瞴魯、衛之使，使以其辭而為之請，然後許之。逮於袁婁而與之盟。

(Commentary) A ruler does not travel to a grand master, so why here does the ruler travel to a grand master? Because he escaped capture. How did he escape capture? The army surrounded the Marquis of Qi, and Xi Ke of Jin dropped his halberd and hesitated, then bowed twice and touched his head to the ground before the horses. Pang Chou Fu was the chariot guard of Duke Qing, and his face resembled Duke Qing's and his clothes resembled Duke Qing's, so he sat on the left in place of Duke Qing. He sent Duke Qing to fetch water, and Duke Qing returned with water and said: "Fetch some clearer water elsewhere." Duke Qing thereby escaped and did not return. Pang Chou Fu said: "Relying on the spirits of the altars of soil and grain, our ruler has already escaped misfortune." Xi Ke said: "What is the punishment for deceiving the three armies?" The answer was: "The punishment is beheading." So Pang Chou Fu was beheaded. On the jiyou day a covenant was made with Guo Zuo of Qi at Yuanlou; why was the covenant not made in the army but at Yuanlou? Before this, Xi Ke of Jin and Zangsun Xu had visited Qi on missions at the same time. The Marquis of Qi's mother, the niece of Xiao Tong, climbed a wooden frame to peek at the guests, and one guest was lame and another was blind in one eye, so a lame man was sent to receive the lame one and a one-eyed man was sent to receive the one-eyed one. The two grand masters came out, leaned by the gate and talked, and parted only after a long time. The people of Qi all said: "The rise of calamity will surely begin from here!" The two grand masters returned and together led armies to fight the battle of An, and the army of Qi was badly defeated. The Marquis of Qi sent Guo Zuo to the army, and Xi Ke said: "Give me the Marquis of Ji's yan vessel, return the lands taken from Lu and Wei, have the farmers make the field ridges run east to west, and take the niece of Xiao Tong as a hostage, and I will let you go." Guo Zuo said: "To give the Marquis of Ji's yan vessel, we agree. To return the lands taken from Lu and Wei, we agree. To have the farmers make the ridges run east-west would be to treat Qi's land as yours. The niece of Xiao Tong is the mother of the ruler of Qi. The mother of the ruler of Qi is like the mother of the ruler of Jin, so it cannot be. We ask to fight; if we do not win in one battle, we ask a second; if not in the second, a third; if we do not win in the third, all of Qi will be yours, so why take the niece of Xiao Tong as a hostage?" (The original has a repeated damaged passage after "return Lu and Wei"; here it is read continuously following the usual text.) He bowed and left. Xi Ke gave a look to the envoys of Lu and Wei, so that they would use these words to make the request on Qi's behalf, and only then did he agree. They made the covenant with him only when they reached Yuanlou.

（經二五）八月壬午，宋公鮑卒。

(Classic) In the eighth month, on the renwu day, Bao, Duke of Song, died.

（經二六）庚寅，衛侯遬卒。

(Classic) On the gengyin day, Su, Marquis of Wei, died.

（經二七）取汶陽田。

(Classic) The lands north of the Wen River were taken.

（傳）汶陽田者何？鞍之賂也。

(Commentary) What are the Wenyang fields? They were the bribe after the battle of An.

（經二八）冬，楚師、鄭師侵衛。

(Classic) In winter, the armies of Chu and Zheng invaded Wei.

（經二九）十有一月，公會楚公子嬰齊於蜀。丙申，公及楚人、秦人、宋人、陳人、衛人、鄭人、齊人、曹人、邾婁人、薛人、鄫人盟於蜀。

(Classic) In the eleventh month, Duke Cheng met Gongzi Yingqi of Chu at Shu. On the bingshen day, Duke Cheng made a covenant at Shu with the men of Chu, Qin, Song, Chen, Wei, Zheng, Qi, Cao, Zhulou, Xue and Zeng.

（傳）此楚公子嬰齊也，其稱人何？得一貶焉爾。

(Commentary) This man was Gongzi Yingqi of Chu, so why is he called "man"? He received a single demotion.

春，王正月，公會晉侯、宋公、衛侯、曹伯伐鄭。

In spring, in the first month of the Zhou calendar, Duke Cheng joined the Marquis of Jin, the Duke of Song, the Marquis of Wei and the Earl of Cao in attacking Zheng.

（經三二）辛亥，葬衛繆公。

(Classic) On the xinhai day, Duke Miao of Wei was buried.

（經三三）二月，公至自伐鄭。

(Classic) In the second month, Duke Cheng returned from the army attacking Zheng.

（經三四）甲子，新宮災，三日哭。

(Classic) On the jiazi day, the New Palace caught fire, and they wept for three days.

（傳）新宮者何？宣公之宮也。宣宮則曷為謂之新宮？不忍言也。其言三日哭何？廟災三日哭，禮也。新宮災，何以書？記災也。

(Commentary) What is the New Palace? It is the palace of Duke Xuan. If it is Duke Xuan's palace, why is it called the New Palace? Because they could not bear to say it. What does "wept for three days" mean? When an ancestral temple catches fire, weeping for three days accords with ritual. When the New Palace caught fire, why is it recorded? To record the disaster.

（經三五）乙亥，葬宋文公。

(Classic) On the yihai day, Duke Wen of Song was buried.

（經三六）夏，公如晉。

(Classic) In summer, Duke Cheng went to Jin.

（經三七）鄭公子去疾率師伐許。

(Classic) Gongzi Quji of Zheng led an army to attack Xu.

（經三八）公至自晉。

(Classic) Duke Cheng returned from Jin.

（經三九）秋，叔孫僑如率師圍棘。

(Classic) In autumn, Shusun Qiaoru led an army to besiege Ji.

（傳）棘者何？汶陽之不服邑也。其言圍之何？不聽也。

(Commentary) What is Ji? It was a city of Wenyang that would not submit. Why is it written "besieged"? Because they would not obey.

（經三十）大雩。

(Classic) The great rain sacrifice was held.

（經三十一）晉郄克、衛孫良夫伐將咎如。

(Classic) Xi Ke of Jin and Sun Liangfu of Wei attacked the Jiangjiu Ru.

（經三十二）冬，十有一月，晉侯使荀庚來聘。衛侯使孫良夫來聘。

(Classic) In winter, in the eleventh month, the Marquis of Jin sent Xun Geng on a visit. The Marquis of Wei sent Sun Liangfu on a visit.

（經三十三）丙午，及荀庚盟。丁未，及孫良夫盟。

(Classic) On the bingwu day, a covenant was made with Xun Geng. On the dingwei day, a covenant was made with Sun Liangfu.

（傳）此聘也，其言盟何？聘而言盟者，尋舊盟也。

(Commentary) This was a visit, so why is it written "covenant"? When a visit is written as a covenant, it means renewing an old covenant.

（經三十四）鄭伐許。

(Classic) Zheng attacked Xu.

春，宋公使華元來聘。

In spring, the Duke of Song sent Hua Yuan on a visit.

（經四二）三月壬申，鄭伯堅卒。

(Classic) In the third month, on the renshen day, Jian, Earl of Zheng, died.

（經四三）杞伯來朝。

(Classic) The Earl of Qi came to court.

（經四四）夏，四月甲寅，臧孫許卒。

(Classic) In summer, on the jiayin day of the fourth month, Zangsun Xu died.

（經四五）公如晉。

(Classic) Duke Cheng went to Jin.