Duke Yin

（傳）何以書？記災也。

(Commentary) Why is it recorded? To record the disaster.

（經五九）冬，州公如曹。

(Classic 5.9) In winter, the Duke of Zhou went to Cao.

（傳）外相如不書，此何以書？過我也。

(Commentary) Visits among other states are normally not recorded; why is it recorded here? Because he passed through our state of Lu.

春，正月，寔來。

In spring, the first month, "this one came".

（傳）寔來者何？猶曰是人來也。孰謂？謂州公也。曷為謂之寔來？慢之也。曷為慢之？化我也。

(Commentary) What is meant by "this one came"? It is like saying "this person has come". Who is meant? The Duke of Zhou. Why is it called "this one came"? To show contempt for him. Why show contempt? Because he treated our state of Lu as something he could handle at will.

（經六二）夏，四月，公會紀侯於成。

(Classic 6.2) In summer, the fourth month, Duke Huan met the Marquis of Ji at Cheng.

（經六三）秋，八月壬午，大閱。

(Classic 6.3) In autumn, the eighth month, renwu day, the great review was held.

（傳）大閱者何？簡車徒也。何以書？蓋以罕書也。

(Commentary) What is the great review? It is an inspection of chariots, horses and troops. Why is it recorded? Probably because it was rare, it is recorded.

（經六四）蔡人殺陳佗。

(Classic 6.4) The people of Cai killed Chen Tuo.

（傳）陳佗者何？陳君也。陳君則曷為謂之陳佗？絕也。曷為絕之？賤也。其賤奈何？外淫也。惡乎淫？淫於蔡，蔡人殺之。

(Commentary) Who was Chen Tuo? He was the ruler of Chen. Since he was the ruler of Chen, why is he called "Chen Tuo"? To cut him off. Why cut him off? Because he was base. How was he base? He committed licentious acts abroad. Where did he commit licentious acts? He committed licentious acts in Cai, and the people of Cai killed him.

（經六五）九月丁卯，子同生。

(Classic 6.5) In the ninth month, dingmao day, Zitong was born.

（傳）子同生者孰謂？謂莊公也。何言乎子同生？喜有正也。未有言喜有正者，此其言喜有正何？久無正也。子公羊子曰：「其諸以病桓與？」

(Commentary) Who is meant by "Zitong was born"? Duke Zhuang is meant. Why is it written "Zitong was born"? It expresses joy at having an heir by the principal wife. Joy at an heir by the principal wife has never been recorded; why is it recorded here? Because there had not been one for a long time. Master Gongyang said: "Perhaps this is used to criticize Duke Huan?"

（經六六）冬，紀侯來朝。

(Classic 6.6) In winter, the Marquis of Ji came to court.

春，二月己亥，焚鹹丘。

In spring, the second month, jihai day, Xianqiu was burned.

（傳）焚之者何？樵之也。樵之者何？以火攻也。何言乎以火攻？疾始以火攻也。鹹丘者何？邾婁之邑也。曷為不繫乎邾婁？國之也。曷為國之？君存焉爾。

(Commentary) What is meant by "burned it"? It means burning it as firewood. What does burning it as firewood mean? It means attacking with fire. Why is it written as an attack with fire? Out of hatred that attacks with fire began here. What is Xianqiu? It is a city of Zhulou. Why is it not attached to the name of Zhulou? Because it was treated as a state. Why was it treated as a state? Because there was a ruler there.

（經七二）夏，谷伯綏來朝。鄧侯吾離來朝。

(Classic 7.2) In summer, Sui, Earl of Gu, came to court. Wuli, Marquis of Deng, came to court.

（傳）皆何以名？失地之君也。其稱侯朝何？貴者無後，待之以初也。

(Commentary) Why are both called by name? Because both were rulers who had lost their lands. Why do they come to court as "Marquis"? The noble had no heirs, and so they were still treated by the ritual of the beginning.

春，正月己卯，烝。

In spring, the first month, jimao day, the zheng sacrifice was held.

（傳）烝者何？冬祭也。春曰祠，夏曰礿，秋曰嘗，冬曰烝。常事不書，此何以書？譏。何譏爾？譏亟也。亟則黷，黷則不敬。君子之祭也，敬而不黷。疏則怠，怠則忘。士不及茲四者，則冬不裘，夏不葛。

(Commentary) What is the zheng sacrifice? It is the winter sacrifice. The spring sacrifice is called ci, the summer one yue, the autumn one chang, and the winter one zheng. Ordinary events are not recorded; why is it recorded here? It is a criticism. What is criticized? That the sacrifice was held too often. Too frequent becomes disrespectful, and disrespectful is irreverent. A gentleman's sacrifice is reverent and not disrespectful. Too sparse becomes lax, and lax leads to forgetting. If a gentleman cannot keep up with these four sacrifices, then in winter he does not wear furs, and in summer he does not wear kudzu cloth.

（經八二）天王使家父來聘。

(Classic 8.2) The Son of Heaven sent Jiafu on a visit of inquiry.

（經八三）夏，五月丁丑，烝。

(Classic 8.3) In summer, the fifth month, dingchou day, the zheng sacrifice was held.

（傳）何以書？譏亟也。

(Commentary) Why is it recorded? To criticize holding the sacrifice too often.

（經八三）秋，伐邾婁。

(Classic 8.3) In autumn, Zhulou was attacked.

（經八四）冬，十月，雨雪。

(Classic 8.4) In winter, the tenth month, it snowed.

（傳）何以書？記異也。何異爾？不時也。

(Commentary) Why is it recorded? To record an anomaly. Where was the anomaly? It was not the proper season.

（經八五）祭公來，遂逆王后於紀。

(Classic 8.5) The Duke of Zhai came, and then went on to Ji to welcome the royal consort.

（傳）祭公者何？天子之三公也。何以不稱使？婚禮不稱主人。遂者何？生事也。大夫無遂事，此其言遂何？成使乎我也。其成使乎我奈何？使我為媒可，則因用是往逆矣。女在其國稱女，此其稱王后何？王者無外，其辭成矣。

(Commentary) Who was the Duke of Zhai? He was one of the Three Dukes of the Son of Heaven. Why is "sent" not written? In marriage the host is not named. What is meant by "then"? It means another matter arose. A grand master has no "then matter"; why is "then" written here? Because his mission was completed in our state of Lu. How was it completed in Lu? Having Lu serve as matchmaker was acceptable, and he took the opportunity to go and welcome her. A woman still in her own state is called "daughter"; why is she called "royal consort" here? The king has no "outside", and the wording was already complete.

春，紀季姜歸於京師。

In spring, Jiji Jiang was married to the capital.

（傳）其辭成矣，則其稱紀季姜何？自我言，紀父母之於子，雖為天王后，猶曰吾季姜。京師者何？天子之居也。京者何？大也。師者何？眾也。天子之居，必以眾大之辭言之。

(Commentary) The wording was already complete; why is she still called "Jiji Jiang"? Speaking from our side, the parents of Ji still call their daughter "our Jiji Jiang", even when she is already the royal consort of the Son of Heaven. What is the "capital"? It is where the Son of Heaven dwells. What is "jing"? It means great. What is "shi"? It means multitude. The place where the Son of Heaven dwells must be described with words for both great and many.

（經九二）夏，四月。

(Classic 9.2) In summer, the fourth month.

（經九三）秋，七月。

(Classic 9.3) In autumn, the seventh month.

（經九四）冬，曹伯使其世子射姑來朝。

(Classic 9.4) In winter, the Earl of Cao sent his heir Shegu to court.

（傳）諸侯來曰朝。此世子也，其言朝何？《春秋》有譏父老子代從政者，則未知其在齊與？曹與？

(Commentary) When feudal lords come it is called court. This man was an heir; why is "court" written? The Spring and Autumn Annals has a way of writing that criticizes a father being old and the son taking over in government, only we do not yet know whether it speaks of Qi or of Cao.

春，王正月庚申，曹伯終生卒。

In spring, the first month of the Zhou calendar, gengshen day, Zhongsheng, Earl of Cao, died.

（經十二）夏，五月，葬曹桓公。

(Classic 10.2) In summer, the fifth month, Duke Huan of Cao was buried.

（經十三）秋，公會衛侯於桃丘，弗遇。

(Classic 10.3) In autumn, Duke Huan went to Taoqiu to meet the Marquis of Wei, but did not meet him.

（傳）會者何？期辭也。其言弗遇何？公不見要也。

(Commentary) What is meant by "meet"? It is wording for an agreement. Why is "did not meet" written? Duke Huan had not been invited.

（經十四）冬，十有二月丙午，齊侯、衛侯、鄭伯來戰於郎。

(Classic 10.4) In winter, the twelfth month, bingwu day, the Marquis of Qi, the Marquis of Wei and the Earl of Zheng came and fought at Lang.

（傳）郎者何？吾近邑也。吾近邑則其言來戰於郎何？近也。惡乎近？近乎圍也。此偏戰也，何以不言師敗績？內不言戰，言戰乃敗矣。

(Commentary) What is Lang? It is a city near our state of Lu. Since it is a nearby city, why is it written "came and fought at Lang"? Because it was near. How near? As near as being besieged. This was a battle fought by appointment; why is "army defeated" not written? In Lu's own affairs "battle" is not written; once "battle" is written, it is already a defeat.

春，正月，齊人、衛人、鄭人盟於惡曹。

In spring, the first month, the people of Qi, Wei and Zheng made a covenant at Ecao.

（經十一二）夏，五月癸未，鄭伯寤生卒。

(Classic 11.2) In summer, the fifth month, guiwei day, Wusheng, Earl of Zheng, died.

（經十一三）秋，七月，葬鄭莊公。九月，宋人執鄭祭仲。

(Classic 11.3) In autumn, the seventh month, Duke Zhuang of Zheng was buried. In the ninth month, the people of Song seized Zhai Zhong of Zheng.

（傳）祭仲者何？鄭相也。何以不名？賢也。何賢乎祭仲？以為知權也。其為知權奈何？古者鄭國處於留。先鄭伯有善於鄶公者，通乎夫人，以取其國而遷鄭焉，而野留。莊公死已葬，祭仲將往省於留，塗出於宋，宋人執之，謂之曰：「為我出忽而立突。」祭仲不從其言，則君必死、國必亡；從其言，則君可以生易死，國可以存易亡。少遼緩之，則突可故出，而忽可故反，是不可得則病，然後有鄭國。古人之有權者，祭仲之權是也。權者何？權者反於經，然後有善者也。權之所設，舍死亡無所設。行權有道，自貶損以行權，不害人以行權。殺人以自生，亡人以自存，君子不為也。

(Commentary) Who was Ji Zhong? He was chancellor of Zheng. Why is he not called by name? Because he was worthy. In what way was Ji Zhong worthy? He is regarded as one who understood expedient adaptation. How did he understand expedient adaptation? In ancient times Zheng lived at Liu. The earlier Earl of Zheng was on good terms with the Duke of Kuai, and also had an affair with the Duke of Kuai's wife, seized the state of Kuai, moved Zheng there, and kept Liu as a border town. When Duke Zhuang died and had been buried, Ji Zhong was about to go inspect Liu, and on the road passed through Song, where the people of Song seized him and said to him: "Drive Hu out for me and set up Tu." If Ji Zhong did not obey these words, the ruler would surely die and the state surely perish; if he obeyed, the ruler could exchange life for death and the state could exchange survival for destruction. If things eased a little, Tu could still be driven out and Hu could still return; if that could not be done, then he himself would have trouble, but Zheng would still exist. Among the ancients who could exercise expedience, it was this kind of expedience of Ji Zhong. What is "expedience"? Expedience is first going against the regular norm, and only then yielding benefit. The places where expedience is applied are none other than life and death, survival and destruction. There are rules for exercising expedience: it is exercised by diminishing oneself, not by harming others. To kill others in order to live, to destroy others in order to survive, the gentleman does not do.

（經十一四）突歸於鄭。

(Classic 11:4) Tu returned to Zheng.

（傳）突何以名？挈乎祭仲也。其言歸何？順祭仲也。

(Commentary) Why is Tu called by name? Because Ji Zhong singled him out. Why is it written "returned"? It follows Ji Zhong.

（經十一五）鄭忽出奔衛。

(Classic 11:5) Hu of Zheng fled to Wei.

（傳）忽何以名？《春秋》伯、子、男一也，辭無所貶。

(Commentary) Why is Hu called by name? In the Spring and Autumn Annals earls, viscounts and barons are one rank, and in wording there is nowhere further to demote.

（經十一六）柔會宋公、陳侯、蔡叔盟於折。

(Classic 11:6) Rou met with the Duke of Song, the Marquis of Chen and Shu of Cai, and made a covenant at Zhe.

（傳）柔者何？吾大夫之未命者也。

(Commentary) Who was Rou? He was a grandee of our state of Lu who had not yet received a commission.

（經十一七）公會宋公於夫童。

(Classic 11:7) Duke Huan met the Duke of Song at Futong.

（經十一八）冬，十有二月，公會宋公於闞。

(Classic 11:8) In winter, the twelfth month, Duke Huan met the Duke of Song at Kan.

春，正月。

Spring, first month.

（經十二二）夏，六月壬寅，公會紀侯、莒子，盟於毆蛇。

(Classic 12:2) In summer, the sixth month, renyin day, Duke Huan met the Marquis of Ji and the Viscount of Ju and made a covenant at Oushe.