| 襄公七年 經七年． - 春．郯子來朝．
- 夏．四月．三卜郊不從．乃免牲．
- 小邾子來朝．
- 城費．
- 秋．季孫宿如衛．
- 八月．螽(zhōng)．
- 冬．十月．衛侯使孫林父來聘．壬戌．及孫林父盟．
- 楚公子貞帥師圍陳．
- 十有二月．公會晉侯．宋公．陳侯．衛侯．曹伯．莒子．邾子．于鄬．
- 鄭伯髡頑如會．未見諸侯．丙戌．卒于鄵．
- 陳侯逃歸．
| VII. Seventh year.1. In the [duke's] seventh year, in spring, the viscount of Tan came to Lu on a court-visit. 2. In summer, in the fourth month, we divined a third time about the border sacrifice. The divination was adverse, and the victim was let go. 3. The viscount of Little Zhu came to Lu on a court-visit. 4. We walled Bi. 5. In autumn, Jisun Su went to Wey. 6. In the eighth month, there were locusts. 7. In winter, in the tenth month, the marquis of Wey sent Sun Linfu to Lu on a mission of friendly inquiries; and on Renxu [the duke] made a covenant with him. 8. The Gongzi Zhen of Chu led a force and besieged [the capital of] Chen. 9. In the twelfth month, the duke had a meeting with the marquis of Jin, the duke of Song, the marquis of Chen, the marquis of Wey, the earl of Cao, and the viscounts of Ju and Zhu, in Wei. 10. Kunwan earl of Zheng [set out] to go to the meeting; but before he had seen the [other] princes, on Bingxu, he died at Cao. 11. The marquis of Chen stole away [from the meeting] to Chen.
| | 傳七年． | COMMENTARY | | 春．郯子來朝．始朝公也． | In spring, the viscount of Tan came to Lu on a court-visit. This visit was the first on the part of Tan since duke Xiang's accession. | | 夏．四月．三卜郊不從．乃免牲．孟獻子曰．吾乃今而後知有卜筮．夫郊祀后稷．以祈農事也．是故啟蟄而郊．郊而後耕．今既耕而卜郊．宜其不從也． | In summer, in the fourth month, we divined a third time about the border sacrifice. The divination was adverse, and the victim was let go. On this occasion, Meng Xianzi said, "From this time forth I know the virtue of the tortoise-shell and the milfoil. At this service we sacrifice to Houji, praying for a blessing on our husbandry. Hence the border sacrifice is offered at the season of Qizhe (the emergence of insects from their burrows; see on II. v. 7), and afterwards the people do their ploughing. Now the ploughing is done, and still we divined about the border sacrifice. It was right the divinations should be adverse.' | | 南遺為費宰．叔仲昭伯為隧正．欲善季氏．而求媚於南遺．謂遺請城費．吾多與而役．故季氏城費． | Nan Yi was commandant of Bi, and Shuzhong Zhaobo was superintendent of workmen. Wishing to be on good terms with Ji [Wuzi] and to flatter Nan Yi, he proposed to him to ask that Bi might be fortified, saying that he would allot a great number of workmen for the undertaking. On this the Head of the Ji clan fortified Bi. | | 小邾穆公來朝．亦始朝公也． | Duke Mu of Little Zhu came to Lu on a court visit. This visit was the first on the part of Little Zhu since duke Xiang's accession. | | 秋．季武子如衛．報子叔之聘．且辭緩報．非貳也． | In autumn, Ji Wuzi went to Wei. This visit was in return for that of Zishu or Gongsun Piao in the duke's 1st year, to explain the delay that had taken place, and assure Wey that it was from no disaffection. | 冬．十月．晉韓獻子告老．公族穆子有廢疾．將立之．辭曰．詩曰．
豈不夙夜．謂行多露．又曰．
弗躬弗親．庶民弗信．無忌不才．讓其可乎．請立起也．與田蘇游．而曰好仁．詩曰．
靖共爾位．好是正直．神之聽之．介爾景福．恤民為德．正直為正．正曲為直．參和為仁．如是則神聽之．介福降之．立之不亦可乎．
庚戌．使宣子朝．遂老．晉侯謂韓無忌仁．使掌公族大夫． | 'In winter, in the 10th month, Han Xianzi announced his [wish to retire from duty on account of] age. [His son], Muzi (Han Wuji; see the Zhuan after VIII. xviii. 3), the Head of one of the branches of the ducal kindred, had an incurable disease; and when it was proposed to appoint him his father's successor, he declined [the office] saying, "The ode says (Shi, I. ii. ode VI. 1):—'Might I not have been there in the early morning? I said, "There is too much dew on the path."' And another says (Shi, II. iv. ode VII. 4):— 'Doing nothing personally and by himself, The people have no confidence in him.' I have not the ability [for the place]; may I not decline it in favour of another? I would ask that Qi (his younger brother) may be appointed. He associated much with Tian Su, and may be pronounced a lover of virtue. The ode says (Shi, II. vi. ode III. v.):— 'Quietly fulfil the duties of your office, Loving the correct and upright. So shall the Spirits hearken to you, And increase your brilliant happiness.' A compassionate attendance to the business of the people is goodness. The rectification of one's-self is real rectitude. The straightening of others crookedness is real correctness. These three things in harmony constitute virtue. To him who has such virtue, the Spirits will listen, and they will send down on him bright happiness. Would it not be well to appoint such an one?" 'On Gengxu, [Han Xianzi] made [his son], Xuanzi appear in court before the marquis, and then retired from office himself. The marquis, considering [also] that Han Wuji was possessed of high virtue, appointed him director of the Heads of all the branches of the ducal kindred].'
| | 衛孫文子來聘．且拜武子之言．而尋孫桓子之盟．公登亦登．叔孫穆子相．趨進曰．諸侯之會．寡君未嘗後衛君．今吾子不後寡君．寡君未知所過．吾子其少安．孫子無辭．亦無悛容．穆叔曰．孫子必亡．為臣而君．過而不悛．亡之本也．詩曰．退食自公．委蛇委蛇．謂從者也．衡而委蛇必折． | 'Sun Wenzi came on a friendly mission; to acknowledge also the [satisfactory] language of Wuzi (on his mission to Wey in autumn); and to renew the covenant of Sun Huanzi (in the third year of duke Cheng; see VIII. iii. 13). When the duke was ascending the steps, he ascended them along with him, on which Shusun Muzi (Bao), who was directing the ceremonies, hurried forward, and said, "At meetings of the States, our ruler has never followed after yours; and now you do not follow after our ruler;—he does not know wherein he has erred. Be pleased, Sir, to be a little more leisurely." Sunzi made no reply, and did not change his deportment. Mushu said, "Sunzi is sure to perish. For a minister to play the part of a ruler, to do wrong and not change one's conduct, are the first steps to ruin. The ode says (Shi, I. ii. ode VII.); 'They have retired to their meals from the court; Easy are they and self-possessed.' It speaks of officers acting naturally as they ought to do; but he who assumes such an appearance of ease in a cross and unreasonable course is sure to be broken."' | | 楚子囊圍陳．會于鄬以救之． | Zinang of Chu having laid siege to the capital of Chen, there was the meeting at Wei to succour it. | | 鄭僖公之為大子也．於成之十六年．與子罕適晉．不禮焉．又與子豐適楚．亦不禮焉．及其元年．朝于晉．子豐欲愬諸晉而廢之．子罕止之．及將會于鄬．子駟相．又不禮焉．侍者諫．不聽．又諫．殺子．及鄵．子駟使賊夜弒僖公．而以瘧疾赴于諸侯．簡公生五年．奉而立之． | When duke Xi of Zheng was [only his father's] eldest son, in the 16th year of duke Cheng he went with Zihan to Jin, and behaved improperly. He did the same in Chu, to which he had gone with Zifeng. In his first year, when he went to the court of Jin, Zifeng wished to accuse him to the marquis, and get him displaced, but Zihan stopped the attempt. When he was proceeding to the meeting at Wei, Zisi was with him as director, and to him also he behaved with impropriety. His attendants remonstrated, but he did not listen to them. They repeated their remonstrance, and he put them to death. When they got to Cao, Zisi employed some ruffians to kill the duke, and sent word to the States that he had died of fever. [His son], duke Jian, though but 5 years old, was raised to be earl." | | 陳人患楚．慶虎．慶寅．謂楚人曰．吾使公子黃往而執之．楚人從之．二慶使告陳侯于會曰．楚人執公子黃矣．君若不來．群臣不忍社稷宗廟．懼有二圖．陳侯逃歸． | The people of Chen were troubled by [the action of] Chu; and [while the marquis was absent at Wei], Qing Hu and Qing Yin proposed to the commander of Chu's army that they should send the Gongzi Huang to it, to be held as a prisoner. This was agreed to and acted on; and the two Qing then sent to the marquis at the meeting, saying, "The people of Chu have seized and hold your brother Huang. If you do not at once come back, your ministers cannot bear to see the impending fate of our altars and ancestral temple. We fear there will be two plans [for the future in debate]." On this the marquis stole away back.' |
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