Duke Zhuang

春，王正月。

Spring, the first month of the Zhou calendar.

（傳）公何以不言即位？《春秋》君弒，子不言即位。君弒則子何以不言即位？隱之也。孰隱？隱子也。

(Commentary) Why is Duke Zhuang's "accession" not written? In the Spring and Autumn Annals, when a ruler is assassinated, the son's accession is not written. When a ruler is assassinated, why is the son's accession not written? Out of pity for him. Pity for whom? Pity for this son.

（經一二）三月，夫人孫於齊。

(Classic 1:2) In the third month, the wife fled to Qi.

（傳）孫者何？孫猶孫也。內諱奔謂之孫。夫人固在齊矣，其言孫於齊何？念母也。正月以存君，念母以首事。夫人何以不稱姜氏？貶。曷為貶？與弒公也。其與弒公奈何？夫人譖公於齊侯，公曰：「同非吾子，齊侯之子也。」齊侯怒，與之飲酒。於其出焉，使公子彭生送之。於其乘焉，搚幹而殺之。念母者，所善也，則曷為於其念母焉貶？不與念母也。

(Commentary) What does "sun" mean? "Sun" is like "xun," to withdraw. Lu conceals a flight on its own account, calling it "sun." The wife was already in Qi, so why is it written "withdrew to Qi"? It is to express longing for her mother. The first month preserves the ruler, and longing for his mother opens the conduct of affairs. Why is the wife not called Lady Jiang? It is a demotion. Why demote her? Because she took part in the assassination of Duke Huan. How did she take part in the assassination of Duke Huan? The wife slandered Duke Huan before the Marquis of Qi, and Duke Huan said: "Tong is not my son; he is the son of the Marquis of Qi." The Marquis of Qi was angry and drank with him. When he came out, he sent Prince Pengsheng to see him off. When he got into the carriage, Pengsheng broke his ribs and killed him. Longing for a mother is approved by the classic, so why demote her precisely at the point of longing for her mother? Because such longing for a mother is not approved.

（經一三）夏，單伯逆王姬。

(Classic 1:3) In summer, Shan Bo welcomed the royal princess in marriage.

（傳）單伯者何？吾大夫之命乎天子者也。何以不稱使？天子召而使之也。逆之者何？使我主之也。曷為使我主之？天子嫁女乎諸侯，必使諸侯同姓者主之。諸侯嫁女於大夫，必使大夫同姓者主之。

(Commentary) Who was Shan Bo? He was a grandee of our state of Lu commissioned by the Son of Heaven. Why is "sent" not written? The Son of Heaven summoned him and sent him. What does "welcomed her" mean? It means Lu was to preside. Why was Lu to preside? When the Son of Heaven marries a daughter to a lord, he must have a lord of the same surname preside; when a lord marries a daughter to a grandee, he must have a grandee of the same surname preside.

（經一四）築王姬之館於外。

(Classic 1:4) A lodge for the royal princess was built outside.

（傳）何以書？譏。何譏爾？築之，禮也；於外，非禮也。於外何以非禮？築於外，非禮也。其築之何以禮？主王姬者必為之改築。主王姬者曷為必為之改築？於路寢則不可，小寢則嫌，群公子之舍則以卑矣，其道必為之改築者也。

(Commentary) Why is it recorded? As a criticism. Criticizing what? Building the lodge accorded with ritual; building it outside did not. Why did building it outside not accord with ritual? Building it outside did not accord with ritual. Why then did building it accord with ritual? Whoever presides over the royal princess's marriage must build separately. Why must whoever presides over the royal princess's marriage build separately? Placing her in the main hall will not do, placing her in the small hall invites suspicion, and placing her in the dwellings of the princes is too lowly; by principle one must build separately.

（經一五）冬，十月乙亥，陳侯林卒。王使榮叔來錫桓公命。

(Classic 1:5) In winter, the tenth month, yihai day, Lin, Marquis of Chen, died. The Son of Heaven sent Rong Shu to bestow the charge on Duke Huan.

（傳）錫者何？賜也。命者何？加我服也。其言桓公何？追命也。

(Commentary) What does "bestow" mean? It means to grant. What does "charge" mean? It means adding robes to us. Why is he called "Duke Huan"? It was a charge bestowed posthumously.

（經一六）王姬歸於齊。

(Classic 1:6) The royal princess married into Qi.

（傳）何以書？我主之也。

(Commentary) Why is it recorded? Because Lu presided.

（經一七）齊師遷紀、郱、鄑、郚。

(Classic 1:7) The army of Qi moved Ping, Zi and Wu of Ji.

（傳）遷之者何？取之也。取之則曷為不言取之也？為襄公諱也。外取邑不書，此何以書？大之也。何大爾？自是始滅也。

(Commentary) What does "moved them" mean? It means seized. If it was seizing, why is "seized" not written? To conceal on behalf of Duke Xiang of Qi. Outside seizures of towns are not normally recorded; why is it recorded here? To make it large. Why make it large? The destruction of states began from here.

春，王二月，葬陳莊公。

Spring, the second month of the Zhou calendar. Duke Zhuang of Chen was buried.

（經二二）夏，公子慶父帥師伐於餘丘。

(Classic 2:2) In summer, Prince Qingfu led an army to attack Yuyuqiu.

（傳）於餘丘者何？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 was Yuyuqiu? It was a city of Zhulou. Why is it not attached to Zhulou? It is treated as a state. Why is it treated as a state? Because it had a ruler there.

（經二三）秋，七月，齊王姬卒。

(Classic 2:3) In autumn, the seventh month, the royal princess of Qi died.

（傳）外夫人不卒，此何以卒？錄焉爾。曷為錄焉爾？我主之也。

(Commentary) The death of a wife of an outside ruler is not normally recorded; why is it recorded here? To record her. Why record her? Because Lu presided.

（經二四）冬，十有二月，夫人姜氏會齊侯於郜。乙酉，宋公馮卒。

(Classic 2:4) In winter, the twelfth month, Lady Jiang, wife of the duke, met the Marquis of Qi at Gao. On yiyou day, Feng, Duke of Song, died.

春，王正月，溺會齊師伐衛。

Spring, the first month of the Zhou calendar. Ni joined the army of Qi in attacking Wei.

（傳）溺者何？吾大夫之未命者也。

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

（經三二）夏，四月，葬宋莊公。

(Classic 3:2) In summer, the fourth month, Duke Zhuang of Song was buried.

（經三三）葬桓王。

(Classic 3:3) King Huan was buried.

（傳）此未有言崩者，何以書葬？蓋改葬也。

(Commentary) Earlier "died" was not written; why is the burial recorded? Probably it was a reburial.

（經三四）秋，紀季以酅入於齊。

(Classic 3:4) In autumn, Ji Ji entered Qi with Xi.

（傳）紀季者何？紀侯之弟也。何以不名？賢也。何賢乎紀季？服罪也。其服罪奈何？魯子曰：「請後五廟以存姑姊妹。」

(Commentary) Who was Ji Ji? He was the younger brother of the Marquis of Ji. Why is he not called by name? Because he was worthy. In what way was Ji Ji worthy? He acknowledged guilt. How did he acknowledge guilt? Master Lu said: "He asked to keep five ancestral temples in order to preserve his aunts and sisters."

（經三五）冬，公次於郎。

(Classic 3:5) In winter, Duke Zhuang encamped at Lang.

（傳）其言公次於郎何？刺欲救紀而後不能也。

(Commentary) Why is it written "the duke encamped at Lang"? It mocks that he wished to rescue Ji but later could not do it.

春，王二月，夫人姜氏饗齊侯於祝丘。三月，紀伯姬卒。

Spring, the second month of the Zhou calendar. Lady Jiang, wife of the duke, feasted the Marquis of Qi at Zhuqiu. In the third month, Bo Ji of Ji died.

（經四二）夏，齊侯、陳侯、鄭伯遇於垂。

(Classic 4:2) In summer, the Marquis of Qi, the Marquis of Chen and the Earl of Zheng met at Chui.

（經四三）紀侯大去其國。

(Classic 4:3) The Marquis of Ji went far away from his state.

（傳）大去者何？滅也。孰滅之？齊滅之。曷為不言齊滅之？為襄公諱也。《春秋》為賢諱。何賢乎襄公？復讎也。何讎爾？遠祖也。哀公亨乎周，紀侯譖之。以襄公之為於此焉者，事祖禰之心盡矣。盡者何？襄公將復讎乎紀，卜之曰：「師喪分焉。寡人死之，不為不吉也。」遠祖者，幾世乎？九世矣。九世猶可以復讎乎？雖百世可也。家亦可乎？曰：不可。國何以可？國君一體也；先君之恥猶今君之恥也，今君之恥猶先君之恥也。國君何以為一體？國君以國為體，諸侯世，故國君為一體也。今紀無罪，此非怒與？曰：非也。古者有明天子，則紀侯必誅，必無紀者。紀侯之不誅，至今有紀者，猶無明天子也。古者諸侯必有會聚之事、相朝聘之道，號辭必稱先君以相接，然則齊、紀無說焉，不可以並立乎天下。故將去紀侯者，不得不去紀也。有明天子，則襄公得為若行乎？曰：不得也。不得則襄公曷為為之？上無天子，下無方伯，緣恩疾者可也。

(Commentary) What does "went far away" mean? It means perished. Who destroyed it? Qi destroyed it. Why is it not written that Qi destroyed it? To conceal on behalf of Duke Xiang. The Spring and Autumn Annals conceals for the worthy. In what way was Duke Xiang worthy? He avenged. What was the enmity? It was the enmity of a distant ancestor. Duke Ai was boiled alive in Zhou, because the Marquis of Ji slandered him. Judging from Duke Xiang's conduct in this matter, his heart in serving his ancestors had been fully carried out. What does "fully carried out" mean? Duke Xiang, about to avenge himself on Ji, divined, and the divination said: "The army will lose half." Duke Xiang said: "If I die for this, it would not be inauspicious." How many generations was the distant ancestor? Already nine. Can one still avenge after nine generations? Even after a hundred generations. Can a grandee's house too? The answer is: no. Why can a state? A ruler is one body; the shame of the former ruler is the shame of the present ruler, and the shame of the present ruler is the shame of the former ruler. Why is a ruler one body? A ruler takes the state as his body, and lords succeed one another through the generations, so the ruler is one body. Now Ji had no guilt; was this not transferring anger? The answer is: no. If in ancient times there had been a clear-sighted Son of Heaven, the Marquis of Ji would surely have been executed and there would have been no state of Ji. That the Marquis of Ji was not executed and there is still a state of Ji today is precisely because there was no clear-sighted Son of Heaven. In ancient times lords must have gatherings and the principle of mutual court visits, and the formal wording must refer to the former ruler to interact, and then Qi and Ji had no words that could agree, and could not stand together under Heaven. So to remove the Marquis of Ji, one could not but remove the state of Ji. If there had been a clear-sighted Son of Heaven, could Duke Xiang still have done such a thing? The answer is: no. If not, why did Duke Xiang do it? There was no Son of Heaven above and no hegemon below; to act according to grace and enmity was permissible.

（經四四）六月乙丑，齊侯葬紀伯姬。

(Classic 4:4) In the sixth month, yichou day, the Marquis of Qi buried Bo Ji of Ji.

（傳）外夫人不書葬，此何以書？隱之也。何隱爾？其國亡矣，徒葬於齊爾。此復讎也，曷為葬之？滅其可滅，葬其可葬。此其為可葬奈何？復讎者非將殺之，逐之也。以為雖遇紀侯之殯，亦將葬之也。

(Commentary) The burial of the wife of an outside ruler is not recorded; why is it recorded here? Out of pity for her. Pity for what? Her state was destroyed and she was merely buried in Qi. This was revenge, so why bury her? What should be destroyed is destroyed, and what should be buried is buried. How should it be buried? The avenger did not mean to kill her but to drive them out. It was thought that even if he had met the funeral of the Marquis of Ji, he would still have buried him.

（經四五）秋，七月。

(Classic 4:5) In autumn, the seventh month.

（經四六）冬，公及齊人狩於郜。

(Classic 4:6) In winter, Duke Zhuang hunted at Gao with the people of Qi.

（傳）公曷為與微者狩？齊侯也。齊侯則其稱人何？諱與讎狩也。前此者有事矣，後此者有事矣，則曷為讀於此焉譏？於讎者將壹譏而已，故擇其重者而譏焉，莫重乎其與讎狩也。於讎者則曷為將壹譏而已？讎者無時，焉可與通；通則為大譏，不可勝譏，故將壹譏而已，其餘從同。

(Commentary) Why did Duke Zhuang hunt with someone of low rank? The other was in fact the Marquis of Qi. If it was the Marquis of Qi, why is he called "people"? To conceal hunting with an enemy. There were affairs before this and affairs after this too, so why is it read as a criticism precisely here? Toward an enemy, only one criticism is prepared, so the weightiest is chosen to criticize, and nothing is weightier than hunting with an enemy. Why is only one criticism made toward an enemy? An enemy has no time at which one may associate with him; to associate with him at all is a great criticism, and since the criticism would never be finished, only one is prepared and the rest follow this one by analogy.

春，王正月。

Spring, the first month of the Zhou calendar.

（經五二）夏，夫人姜氏如齊師。

(Classic 5:2) In summer, Lady Jiang, wife of the duke, went to the army of Qi.

（經五三）秋，倪黎來來朝。

(Classic 5:3) In autumn, Ni Lilai came to court.

（傳）倪者何？小邾婁也。小邾婁則曷為謂之倪？未能以其名通也。黎來者何？名也。其名何？微國也。

(Commentary) What was Ni? It was Little Zhulou. If it was Little Zhulou, why is it called Ni? Because its title could not yet be used. What was Lilai? A personal name. Why is his name used? Because it was a small state.

（經五四）冬，公會齊人、宋人、陳人、蔡人，伐衛。

(Classic 5:4) In winter, Duke Zhuang joined the people of Qi, Song, Chen and Cai in attacking Wei.

（傳）此伐衛何？納朔也。曷為不言納衛侯朔？闢王也。

(Commentary) What was this attack on Wei for? It was to put Shuo back in. Why is it not written "restored Shuo, Marquis of Wei"? To avoid the Son of Heaven.

春，王三月，王人子突救衛。

Spring, the third month of the Zhou calendar. Zitu, a man of the king, rescued Wei.

（傳）王人者何？微者也。子突者何？貴也。貴則其稱人何？系諸人也。曷為系諸人？王人耳。

(Commentary) Who was the "man of the king"? A man of low rank. What was Zitu? He was noble. If he was noble, why is he called "man"? He is attached to "man." Why is he attached to "man"? Because he was merely the king's man.

（經六二）夏，六月，衛侯朔入於衛。

(Classic 6:2) In summer, the sixth month, Shuo, Marquis of Wei, entered Wei.

（傳）衛侯朔何以名？絕。曷為絕之？犯命也。其言入何？篡辭也。

(Commentary) Why is Shuo, Marquis of Wei, called by name? To cut him off. Why cut him off? Because he violated the command. Why is it written "entered"? It is the wording for usurpation.

（經六三）秋，公至自伐衛。

(Classic 6:3) In autumn, Duke Zhuang returned from the army that attacked Wei.

（傳）曷為或言致會？或言致伐？得意致會，不得意致伐。衛侯朔入於衛，何以致伐？不敢勝天子也。

(Commentary) Why is it sometimes written "returned from a meeting" and sometimes "returned from a campaign"? When satisfied, it is written "returned from a meeting"; when not satisfied, "returned from a campaign." Shuo, Marquis of Wei, had entered Wei, so why is it still written "returned from a campaign"? Because they did not dare say they had prevailed over the Son of Heaven.

（經六四）螟。

(Classic 6:4) Stem-borer insects caused damage.

（經六五）冬，齊人來歸衛寶。

(Classic 6:5) In winter, the people of Qi came to return the treasure vessels of Wei.

（傳）此衛寶也，則齊人曷為來歸之？衛人歸之也。衛人歸之，則其稱齊人何？讓乎我也。其讓乎我奈何？齊侯曰：「此非寡人之力，魯侯之力也。」

(Commentary) These were Wei's treasure vessels, so why did the people of Qi return them? In fact the people of Wei returned them. If the people of Wei returned them, why is it said the people of Qi? To defer to our state of Lu. How did they defer to our state of Lu? The Marquis of Qi said: "This is not my strength; it is the strength of the Marquis of Lu."