Duke Cheng

十有二月，公圍成。非國言圍。圍成，大公也。

In the twelfth month, Duke Ding besieged Cheng. It was not a state, yet "besiege" is written. Besieging Cheng makes Duke Ding appear great.

公至自圍成。何以致？危之也。何危爾？邊乎齊也。

Duke Ding returned from the army besieging Cheng. Why is the return written? It is worry on his behalf. What was the worry? Because it was close to Qi.

秋，晉趙鞅入於晉陽以叛。以者，不以者也。叛，直叛也。

In autumn, Zhao Yang of Jin entered Jinyang and rebelled. The use of the word "yi" shows precisely that it should not have been so. What is called rebellion is a plain rebellion.

晉趙鞅歸於晉。此叛也，其以歸言之，何也？貴其以地反也。貴其以地反，則是大利也？非大利也，許悔過也。許悔過，則何以言叛也？以地正國也。以地正國，則何以言叛？其入無君命也。

Zhao Yang of Jin returned to Jin. This was a rebellion; why is it spoken of with "gui" (to return)? Because the text values that he brought the land back. If it values that he brought the land back, is that not great greed for profit? It is not great greed for profit; it permits him to repent. If it permits repentance, why still write "rebel"? Because he used the land to set the state right. If he used the land to set the state right, why still write "rebel"? Because when he went in, there was no order from the ruler.

二月辛巳，楚公子結、陳公孫佗人帥師滅頓，以頓子牂歸。

In the second month, on xinsi, Gongzi Jie of Chu and Gongsun Tuoren of Chen led an army and destroyed Dun, and took the Viscount of Dun, Zang, back.

天王使石尚來歸脤。脤者，何也？俎實也，祭肉也。生曰脤，熟曰膰。其辭石尚，士也。何以知其士也？天子之大夫不名。石尚欲書《春秋》，諫曰：「久矣周之不行禮於魯也！請行脤，貴復正也。」

The Zhou Son of Heaven sent Shi Shang to present sacrificial meat. What is "shen"? It is the sacrificial meat on the cutting board. Raw is called shen, cooked is called fan. Shi Shang is named because he was a scholar. How do we know he was a scholar? Grandees of the Son of Heaven are not called by name. Shi Shang wanted to be written into the Spring and Autumn Annals, and remonstrated: "The Zhou house has not performed rites toward Lu for a long time! Please send the meat, valuing the restoration of what is right."

秋，七月壬申，弋氏卒。妾辭也，哀公之母也。

In autumn, in the seventh month, on renshen, Lady Yi died. This is wording for a concubine; she was the mother of Duke Ai.

九月，滕子來會葬。丁巳，葬我君定公。雨不克葬。葬既有日，不為雨止，禮也。雨不克葬，喪不以制也。

In the ninth month, the Viscount of Teng came to attend the funeral. On dingsi, our ruler Duke Ding of Lu was to be buried. It rained and the burial could not take place. Once the day of burial is fixed, one does not stop because of rain; this is in accord with ritual. When rain prevents burial, the mourning rites are not conducted according to regulations.

戊午，日下稷，乃克葬。乃，急辭也，不足乎日之辭也。

On wuwu, in the afternoon, the burial could finally take place. The use of "nai" is wording of urgency, and also means that the time of that day was no longer enough.

鼷鼠食郊牛角，改卜牛。夏，四月辛巳，郊。此該之變而道之也。於變之中，又有言焉。「鼷鼠食郊牛角，改卜牛」，志不敬也。郊牛日展觓角而知傷，展道盡矣！郊自正月至於三月，郊之時也。夏四月郊，不時也；五月郊，不時也。夏之始可以承春，以秋之末，承春之始，蓋不可矣！九月用郊，用者，不宜用者也。郊三卜，禮也；四卜，非禮也；五卜，強也。卜免牲者，吉則免之，不吉則否。牛傷，不言傷之者，傷自牛作也，故其辭緩。全曰牲，傷曰牛，未牲曰牛，其牛一也；其所以為牛者異。有變而不郊，故卜免牛也。已牛矣，其尚卜免之，何也？禮，與其亡也寧有。嘗置之上帝矣，故卜而後免之，不敢專也。卜之不吉，則如之何？不免，安置之，系而待六月上甲，始庀牲，然後左右之。子之所言者，牲之變也。而曰：我一該郊之變而道之，何也？我以六月上甲，始庀牲；十月上甲，始系牲。十一月、十二月，牲雖有變，不道也。待正月，然後言牲之變，此乃所以該郊。郊，享道也。貴其時，大其禮，其養牲雖小，不備可也。子不忘三月卜郊，何也？郊自正月至於三月，郊之時也。我以十二月下辛卜正月上辛；如不從，則以正月下辛卜二月上辛；如不從，則以二月下辛卜三月上辛；如不從，則不郊矣！

A field mouse gnawed the horn of the sacrificial ox for the suburban sacrifice, and another ox was divined for. In summer, in the fourth month, on xinsi, the suburban sacrifice was held. This passage gathers together the various incidents of the suburban sacrifice and tells them at once. Within these incidents there is still something to say. Writing "a field mouse gnawed the horn of the sacrificial ox, and another ox was divined for" records disrespect. The sacrificial ox is inspected daily for its curved horns, and still the injury was found; everything that inspection should do was done! The suburban sacrifice from the first month to the third month is the proper season for the suburban sacrifice. To hold the suburban sacrifice in summer, in the fourth month, is not at the proper time; to hold the suburban sacrifice in the fifth month is not at the proper time. The beginning of summer can still continue spring; but to use the end of autumn to connect to the beginning of spring is probably not acceptable! "Using" the suburban sacrifice in the ninth month, the word "use" shows that it should not have been used. For the suburban sacrifice, divination three times is in accord with ritual; divination four times is not; divination five times is forced. Divining whether to exempt this victim: if auspicious, it is exempted; if not auspicious, it is not exempted. When the ox was injured, who injured it is not written, because the injury came from the ox itself, so the wording is lenient. Whole is called "sacrificial animal," injured is called "ox," and one not yet made a sacrificial animal is also called "ox," that ox being the same one; the reasons it is called "ox" differ. When an incident occurs and the suburban sacrifice is not held, one divines whether to exempt the ox. It is already only an "ox"; why divine to exempt it? By ritual, it is better to have than to have none. It had been offered up to the High God, so one divines and only then exempts it, not daring to decide on one's own. If the divination is not auspicious, what then? Do not exempt it; settle it, tether it until the first jia day of the sixth month, begin preparing the animal, and then let it be disposed of. What you have just said concerned incidents of the sacrificial animal, yet you also say: I gather together the incidents of the suburban sacrifice and tell them at once; why? I begin preparing the animal from the first jia day of the sixth month; I begin tethering the animal from the first jia day of the tenth month. In the eleventh and twelfth months, even if there is an incident with the animal, it is not mentioned. When the first month comes, then the incidents with the animal are mentioned, and this is exactly the way to gather the suburban sacrifice together. The suburban sacrifice is the principle of feasting the spirits. It values the season and makes the rite great; if raising the animal is slightly incomplete, it is still acceptable. You do not forget the divination for the suburban sacrifice in the third month; why? The suburban sacrifice from the first month to the third month is the proper season for the suburban sacrifice. I use the last xin day of the twelfth month to divine for the first xin day of the first month; if it does not follow, I use the last xin day of the first month to divine for the first xin day of the second month; if it does not follow, I use the last xin day of the second month to divine for the first xin day of the third month; if it does not follow, the suburban sacrifice is not held!

二年春，王二月，季孫斯、叔孫州仇、仲孫何忌帥師伐邾，取漷東田。漷東未盡也。

In the second year, in spring, in the second month of the Zhou calendar, Ji Sunsi, Shusun Zhouchou and Zhongsun Heji led an army and attacked Zhu, and seized the fields east of the Guo River. The land east of the Guo was not taken entirely.

癸巳，叔孫州仇、仲孫何忌及邾子盟於句繹。三人伐而二人盟，何也？各盟其得也。

On guisi, Shusun Zhouchou and Zhongsun Heji swore a covenant with the Viscount of Zhu at Juyi. Three went to attack, yet only two came to the covenant; why? Each made a covenant based on what he himself had obtained.

晉趙鞅帥師，納衛世子蒯瞶於戚。納者，內弗受也。帥師而後納者，有伐也。何用弗受也？以輒不受也。以輒不受父之命，受之王父也。信父而辭王父，則是不尊王父也。其弗受，以尊王父也。

Zhao Yang of Jin led an army and brought the crown prince of Wei, Kuaikui, into Qi. The use of the word "na" shows that the other side did not accept him. He led an army and only then brought him in because there was an attack. Why was he not accepted? Because Zhe would not accept him. Zhe did not accept his father's command because he had already received his grandfather's command. If he trusted his father and declined his grandfather, that would be disrespect toward his grandfather. His not accepting him was precisely out of respect for his grandfather.

秋，八月甲戌，晉趙鞅帥師，及鄭罕達帥師，戰於鐵。鄭師敗績。

In autumn, in the eighth month, on jiaxu, Zhao Yang of Jin led an army and fought the army led by Han Da of Zheng at Tie. The Zheng army was greatly defeated.

三年春，齊國夏、衛石曼姑帥師圍戚。此衛事也，其先國夏，何也？子不圍父也。不繫戚於衛者，子不有父也。

In the third year, in spring, Guo Xia of Qi and Shi Mangu of Wei led an army and besieged Qi. This was originally Wei's affair; why is Guo Xia written first? Because a son should not besiege his father. Qi is not linked to the name of Wei, because a son should not take his father as his own possession.

五月辛卯，桓宮、僖宮災。言及，則祖有尊卑；由我言之，則一也。

In the fifth month, on xinmao, the Huan Palace and the Xi Palace caught fire. If they are joined with the word "and," the ancestral temples are divided into the honored and the lower; from our side, the two temples are the same.

四年春，王二月庚戌，盜弒蔡侯申。稱盜以弒君，不以上下道道也。內其君而外弒者，不以弒道道也。《春秋》有三盜：微殺大夫，謂之盜；非所取而取之，謂之盜；闢中國之正道以襲利，謂之盜。

In the fourth year, in spring, in the second month of the Zhou calendar, on gengxu, bandits killed the Marquis of Cai, Shen. Calling them "bandits" in recording the killing of a ruler is not speaking along the lines of high and low status. To count the ruler on our side and the killer outside is not to speak along the lines of "regicide." The Spring and Autumn Annals has three kinds of bandit: a person of low status killing a grandee is called a bandit; taking what should not be taken is called a bandit; avoiding the correct path of the central states to seize profit is called a bandit.

六月，辛丑，亳社災。亳社者，亳之社也。亳，亡國也。亡國之社以為廟，屏戒也。其屋亡國之社，不得達上也。

In the sixth month, on xinchou, the Bo altar caught fire. The Bo altar was the altar of Bo. Bo was a state that had already perished. To set up the altar of a perished state beside the ancestral temple as a screen is to serve as a warning. Above the altar of a perished state there is a roof, so that it cannot reach Heaven.

齊陽生入於齊。齊陳乞弒其君荼。陽生入而弒其君，以陳乞主之，何也？不以陽生君荼也。其不以陽生君荼，何也？陽生正，荼不正。不正則其曰君，何也？荼雖不正，已受命矣！入者，內弗受也。荼不正，何用弗受？以其受命，可以言弗受也。陽生其以國氏，何也？取國於荼也。

Yangsheng of Qi entered Qi. Chen Qi of Qi killed his ruler Tu. Yangsheng entered and the ruler was killed, yet Chen Qi is named as the principal; why? So as not to let Yangsheng regard Tu as his own ruler. Why not let Yangsheng regard Tu as ruler? Yangsheng was the legitimate one and Tu was not. Since he was not legitimate, why is he still called "ruler"? Though Tu was not legitimate, he had already received the appointment! The use of "ru" shows the other side did not accept. Tu was not legitimate, so why did they not accept? Because he had already been appointed, one can say they did not accept. Yangsheng used the name of the state as his clan name; why? Because he took the state from Tu's hands.

八月己酉，入邾，以邾子益來。以者，不以者也。益之名，惡也。《春秋》有臨天下之言焉，有臨一國之言焉，有臨一家之言焉。其言來者，有外魯之辭焉。

In the eighth month, on jiyou, Zhu was entered, and the Viscount of Zhu, Yi, was brought back. The use of the word "yi" shows precisely that it should not have been so. He is named Yi out of hatred for him. The Spring and Autumn Annals has wording that faces the whole world, wording that faces one state, and wording that faces one family. Here "come" is written, which has wording that treats Lu as outside.

宋皇瑗帥師取鄭師於雍丘。取，易辭也。以師而易取，鄭病矣！

Huang Yuan of Song led an army and seized the army of Zheng at Yongqiu. "Seize" says that the matter came easily. An entire army, yet described with a word for ease as "seized"; Zheng was gravely ill indeed!

甲戌，齊國書帥師，及吳戰於艾陵。齊師敗績。獲齊國書。

On jiaxu, Guo Shu of Qi led an army and fought Wu at Ailing. The Qi army was greatly defeated. Guo Shu of Qi was captured.

十有二年春，用田賦。古者公田什一。用田賦，非正也。

In the twelfth year, in spring, the land tax was implemented. In ancient times the public field took one tenth. Implementing the land tax is not correct.

夏，五月甲辰，孟子卒。孟子者，何也？昭公夫人也。其不言夫人，何也？諱取同姓也。

In summer, in the fifth month, on jiachen, Meng Zi died. Who was Meng Zi? She was the wife of Duke Zhao. Why is she not called "Lady"? To conceal that he married a woman of the same surname.

十有三年春，鄭罕達帥師取宋師於嵒。取，易辭也。以師而易取，宋病矣。

In the thirteenth year, in spring, Han Da of Zheng led an army and seized the army of Song at Yan. "Seize" says that the matter came easily. An entire army, yet described with a word for ease as "seized"; Song was gravely ill indeed.

公會晉侯及吳子於黃池。黃池之會，吳子進乎哉！遂子矣。吳，夷狄之國也，祝髮文身，欲因魯之禮，因晉之權，而請冠端而襲。其藉於成周，以尊天王，吳進矣。吳，東方之大國也，累累致小國以會諸侯，以合乎中國。吳能為之，則不臣乎！吳進矣。王，尊稱也；子，卑稱也。辭尊稱而居卑稱，以會乎諸侯，以尊天王。吳王夫差曰：「好冠來。」孔子曰：「大矣哉！夫差未能言冠而欲冠也。」

Duke Ai met the Marquis of Jin and the Viscount of Wu at Huangchi. At this meeting at Huangchi, the Viscount of Wu advanced one rank! And so he is called "Viscount." Wu was a barbarian state, with cut hair and tattoos, yet wished to borrow Lu's rites and Jin's power and asked to wear a cap and upright garments. Relying on Chengzhou, it showed respect for the Son of Heaven, and Wu advanced one rank. Wu was a great state of the east, and time after time it came to the feudal lords' meetings with small states so as to join with the central states. If Wu could do this, would it not then declare itself a subject! Wu advanced one rank. "King" is a noble title, and "Viscount" is a lowly title. Declining the noble title and taking the lowly title, to meet with the feudal lords and show respect for the Son of Heaven. King Fuchai of Wu said: "Bring the fine cap." Confucius said: "How excessive! Fuchai cannot yet speak of caps, yet already wishes to wear one."

十有四年春，西狩獲麟。引取之也。狩地，不地不狩也。非狩而曰狩，大獲麟，故大其適也。其不言來，不外麟於中國也。其不言有，不使麟不恆於中國也。

In the fourteenth year, in spring, in hunting in the west, a qilin was captured. It was lured and taken. A hunt must record the place, and if the place is not recorded it is not a hunt. It was not a hunt yet "hunt" is written, valuing the capture of the qilin, so the outing is made to look great. "Come" is not written, so as not to exclude the qilin from the central states. "Have" is not written, so as not to make it appear that the qilin is not a common thing in the central states.