Duke Ding

春王。

Spring: the king of Zhou.

（傳）定何以無正月？正月者，正即位也。定無正月者，即位後也。即位何以後？昭公在外，得入不得入，未可知也。曷為未可知？在季氏也。定、哀多微辭，主人習其讀而問其傳，則未知己之有罪焉爾。

(Commentary) Why does Duke Ding have no first month? The first month is to set right the accession. Duke Ding has no first month because his accession came later. Why did his accession come later? Duke Zhao was abroad and it was not yet known whether he could come back. Why was it not yet known? Because it was in the Ji clan's hands. The reigns of Duke Ding and Duke Ai have many veiled expressions, so that the host, having read the text of the classic and then asking the commentary, still does not know himself to be guilty.

（經一二）三月，晉人執宋仲幾於京師。

(Classic 1.2) Third month: the people of Jin seized Zhong Ji of Song in the capital.

（傳）仲幾之罪何？不哀城也。其言於京師何？伯討也。伯討則其稱人何？貶。曷為貶？不與大王專執也。曷為不與？實與而文不與。文曷為不與？大夫之義，不得專執也。

(Commentary) What was Zhong Ji's offense? He was not urgent about building the walls. Why is it written "in the capital"? It was a punitive act by the hegemon. Why is the hegemon's punitive act called "the people"? As a demotion. Why a demotion? Because it disapproves of the great king arbitrarily seizing people. Why does it disapprove? In reality it approves, but in wording it does not. Why does it not approve in wording? By the principle for grandees, they cannot arbitrarily seize people.

（經一三）夏，六月癸亥，公之喪至自幹侯。戊辰，公即位。

(Classic 1.3) Summer, sixth month, guihai day: the coffin of Duke Zhao arrived from Ganhou. Wuchen day: Duke Ding took the throne.

（傳）癸亥公之喪至自幹侯，則曷為以戊辰之日然後即位？正棺於兩楹之間，然後即位。子沈子曰：「定君乎國，然後即位。」即位不日，此何以日？錄乎內也。

(Commentary) The coffin of Duke Zhao arrived from Ganhou on guihai; why did he take the throne only on wuchen? First the coffin was set straight between the two pillars, and then he took the throne. Master Zishen said: "Once the ruler is settled in the state, then he takes the throne." The day of accession is not recorded; why is it recorded here? Because it is recorded within the state.

（經一四）秋，七月癸巳，葬我君昭公。

(Classic 1.4) Autumn, seventh month, guisi day: our Lu ruler Duke Zhao was buried.

（經一五）九月，大雩。

(Classic 1.5) Ninth month: the great rain sacrifice was held.

（經一六）立煬宮。

(Classic 1.6) The Hall of Yang was set up.

（傳）煬宮者何？煬公之宮也。立者何？立者不宜立也。立煬宮，非禮也。

(Commentary) What is the Hall of Yang? It is the hall of Duke Yang. What is meant by "set up"? "Set up" means it should not have been set up. Setting up the Hall of Yang was not in accord with ritual.

（經一七）冬，十月，隕霜殺菽。

(Classic 1.7) Winter, tenth month: frost fell and killed the beans.

（傳）何以書？記異也。此災菽也，曷為以異書？異大乎災也。

(Commentary) Why was it recorded? To record an anomaly. This was a disaster falling on beans; why is it recorded as an anomaly? The anomaly is greater than the disaster.

春，王正月。

Spring, first month of the Zhou calendar.

（經二二）夏，五月壬辰，雉門及兩觀災。

(Classic 2.2) Summer, fifth month, renchen day: the Zhi Gate and the two gate towers were destroyed by fire.

（傳）其言雉門及兩觀災何？兩觀微也。然則曷為不言雉門災及兩觀？主災者兩觀也。時災者兩觀，則曷為後言之？不以微及大也。何以書？記災也。

(Commentary) Why is it written "the Zhi Gate and the two towers were destroyed by fire"? Because the two towers were minor. Then why is it not written "the Zhi Gate was destroyed by fire, and the two towers"? The fire's main target was the two towers. At that time the towers suffered the disaster, so why are they mentioned after? It does not join the minor to the major. Why was it recorded? To record the disaster.

（經二三）秋，楚人伐吳。

(Classic 2.3) Autumn: the people of Chu attacked Wu.

（經二四）冬，十月，新作雉門及兩觀。

(Classic 2.4) Winter, tenth month: the Zhi Gate and the two gate towers were newly rebuilt.

（傳）其言新作之何？修大也。修舊不書，此何以書？譏。何譏爾？不務乎公室也。

(Commentary) Why is it written "newly built"? It magnifies the repair. Repairing the old is not recorded as a rule; why is it recorded here? It is a criticism. Criticizing what? That the mind was not devoted to the ducal house.

春，王正月，公如晉，至河乃復。三月辛卯，邾婁子穿卒。

Spring, first month of the Zhou calendar: Duke Ding went to Jin and turned back on reaching the Yellow River. Third month, xinmao day: Chuan, Viscount of Zhulou, died.

（經三二）夏，四月。

(Classic 3.2) Summer, fourth month.

（經三三）秋，葬邾婁莊公。

(Classic 3.3) Autumn: Duke Zhuang of Zhulou was buried.

（經三四）冬，仲孫何忌及邾婁子盟於枝。

(Classic 3.4) Winter: Zhongsun Heji made a covenant with the Viscount of Zhulou at Zhi.

春，王二月癸巳，陳侯吳卒。

Spring, second month of the Zhou calendar, guisi day: Wu, Marquis of Chen, died.

（經四二）三月，公會劉子、晉侯、宋公、蔡侯、衛侯、陳子、鄭伯、許男、曹伯、莒子、邾婁子、頓子、鬍子、滕子、薛伯、杞伯、小邾婁子、齊國夏於召陵，侵楚。

(Classic 4.2) Third month: Duke Ding met Liu Zi, the Marquis of Jin, the Duke of Song, the Marquis of Cai, the Marquis of Wei, the Viscount of Chen, the Earl of Zheng, the Baron of Xu, the Earl of Cao, the Viscount of Ju, the Viscount of Zhulou, the Viscount of Dun, the Viscount of Hu, the Viscount of Teng, the Earl of Xue, the Earl of Qi, the Viscount of Xiao Zhulou, and Guo Xia of Qi at Zhaoling and attacked Chu.

（經四三）夏，四月庚辰，蔡公孫歸姓帥師滅沈，以沈子嘉歸，殺之。

(Classic 4.3) Summer, fourth month, gengchen day: Gongsun Guisheng of Cai led an army and destroyed Shen, took Jia, Viscount of Shen, back with him, and killed him.

（經四四）五月，公及諸侯盟於浩油；杞伯戊卒於會。

(Classic 4.4) Fifth month: Duke Ding made a covenant with the feudal lords at Haoyou; Wu, Earl of Qi, died during the covenant.

（經四五）六月，葬陳惠公。

(Classic 4.5) Sixth month: Duke Hui of Chen was buried.

（經四六）許遷於容城。

(Classic 4.6) Xu moved to Rongcheng.

（經四七）秋，七月，公至自會。

(Classic 4.7) Autumn, seventh month: Duke Ding returned from the covenant.

（經四八）劉卷卒。

(Classic 4.8) Liu Juan died.

（傳）劉卷者何？天子之大夫也。外大夫不卒，此何以卒？我主之也。

(Commentary) Who is Liu Juan? He was a grandee of the Son of Heaven. The death of an outside grandee is not recorded; why is his death recorded here? Because we were the ones who hosted him.

（經四九）葬杞悼公。

(Classic 4.9) Duke Dao of Qi was buried.

（經四十）楚人圍蔡。

(Classic 4.10) The people of Chu besieged Cai.

（經四十一）晉士鞅、衛孔圄帥師伐鮮虞。

(Classic 4.11) Shi Yang of Jin and Kong Yu of Wei led an army to attack Xianyu.

（經四十二）葬劉文公。

(Classic 4.12) Duke Wen of Liu was buried.

（傳）外大夫不書葬，此何以書葬？錄我主也。

(Commentary) The burial of an outside grandee is not recorded; why is the burial recorded here? To record that we hosted him.

（經四十三）冬，十有一月庚午，蔡侯以吳子及楚人戰於伯莒，楚師敗績。

(Classic 4.13) Winter, eleventh month, gengwu day: the Marquis of Cai, bringing the Viscount of Wu, fought with the people of Chu at Boju, and the Chu army was greatly defeated.

（傳）吳何以稱子？夷狄也而憂中國。其憂中國奈何？伍子胥父誅乎楚，挾弓而去楚，以幹闔廬。闔廬曰：「士之甚！勇之甚！將為之興師而復讎於楚。」伍子胥復曰：「諸侯不為匹夫興師，且臣聞之：事君猶事父也。虧君之義，復父之讎，臣不為也。」於是止。蔡昭公朝乎楚，有美裘焉，囊瓦求之，昭公不與，為是拘昭公於南郢，數年然後歸之。於其歸焉，用事乎河，曰：「天下諸侯茍有能伐楚者，寡人請為之前列。」楚人聞之怒。為是興師，使囊瓦將而伐蔡。蔡請救於吳，伍子胥復曰：「蔡非有罪也，楚人為無道，君如有憂中國之心，則若時可矣。」於是興師而救蔡。曰：事君猶事父也，此其為可以復讎奈何？曰：父不受誅，子復讎可也；父受誅，子復讎，推刃之道也。復讎不徐害，朋友相衛，而不相迿，古之道也。

(Commentary) Why is Wu called "Viscount"? They were originally barbarians but showed concern for the Central States. How did they show concern for the Central States? Wu Zixu's father was killed in Chu, and he left Chu carrying his bow and sought an audience with Helu. Helu said: "A true gentleman! Truly brave! I will raise an army for him and avenge him on Chu." Wu Zixu then said: "The feudal lords do not raise armies for a commoner. Moreover I have heard: serving a ruler is like serving a father. To diminish the ruler's righteousness in order to avenge my father, I will not do." So he stopped. Duke Zhao of Cai went to court in Chu with a fine fur coat, which Nang Wa wanted, and Duke Zhao would not give it, so Duke Zhao was detained at Nanying and released only after several years. On his way back, he made a sacrifice at the river and said: "If any feudal lord under heaven can attack Chu, I ask to be the vanguard." The people of Chu heard it and were angry. They raised an army and sent Nang Wa to lead it in attacking Cai. Cai asked Wu for rescue, and Wu Zixu again said: "Cai is not guilty; the people of Chu lack the Way. If you have a heart of concern for the Central States, then now is the time." So Wu raised an army to rescue Cai. It was said: serving a ruler is like serving a father; why then was it permissible here to take revenge? The answer: if the father should not have been put to death, it is permissible for the son to take revenge; if the father should have been put to death, and the son takes revenge, that is the way of mutually pushing the blade. Revenge does not implicate bystanders, and friends protect each other without rushing to compete for credit; this is the principle of old. (In the original text, "revenge not xu harming"; xu is probably a miswriting of chu "remove." What the original called "gan Helu" is now translated as "sought an audience," to avoid confusion of gan with the "dry" of dry and wet.)

（經四十四）楚囊瓦出奔鄭。

(Classic 4.14) Nang Wa of Chu fled to Zheng.

（經四十五）庚辰，吳入楚。

(Classic 4.15) Gengchen day: Wu entered Chu.

（傳）吳何以不稱子？反夷狄也。其反夷狄奈何？君舍於君室，大夫舍於大夫室，蓋妻楚王之母也。

(Commentary) Why is Wu not called "Viscount" here? It reverted to being barbarian. How did it revert to being barbarian? The ruler lived in the ruler's palace and the grandees lived in the grandees' palaces, and they even took the mother of the King of Chu as wife.

春，王正月辛亥朔，日有食之。

Spring, first month of the Zhou calendar, first day, xinhai: a solar eclipse.

（經五二）夏，歸粟於蔡。

(Classic 5.2) Summer: grain was sent to Cai.

（傳）孰歸之？諸侯歸之。曷為不言諸侯歸之？離至不可得而序，故言我也。

(Commentary) Who sent it? The feudal lords sent it. Why is it not written that the feudal lords sent it? Because they arrived separately and could not be put in order, so it was written as "we."

（經五三）于越入吳。

(Classic 5.3) Yuyue entered Wu.

（傳）于越者何？越者何？于越者，未能以其名通也。越者，能以其名通也。

(Commentary) What is Yuyue? What is Yue? Calling it Yuyue means it could not yet circulate under this name. Calling it Yue means it could already circulate under this name.

（經五四）六月丙申，季孫隱如卒。

(Classic 5.4) Sixth month, bingshen day: Jisun Yinru died.

（經五五）秋，七月壬子，叔孫不敢卒。

(Classic 5.5) Autumn, seventh month, renzi day: Shusun Bugan died.

（經五六）冬，晉士鞅帥師圍鮮虞。

(Classic 5.6) Winter: Shi Yang of Jin led an army and besieged Xianyu.

春，王正月癸亥，鄭遊遬帥師滅許，以許男斯歸。

Spring, first month of the Zhou calendar, guihai day: You Su of Zheng led an army and destroyed Xu, taking Si, Baron of Xu, back with him.

（經六二）二月，公侵鄭。

(Classic 6.2) Second month: Duke Ding attacked Zheng.

（經六三）公至自侵鄭。

(Classic 6.3) Duke Ding returned from attacking Zheng.

（經六四）夏，季孫斯、仲孫何忌如晉。

(Classic 6.4) Summer: Jisun Si and Zhongsun Heji went to Jin.

（經六五）秋，晉人執宋行人樂祁犁。

(Classic 6.5) Autumn: the people of Jin seized Yue Qili, envoy of Song.