經四年．- 春．宋公使華元來聘．
- 三月．壬申．鄭伯堅卒．
- 杞伯來朝．
- 夏．四月．甲寅．臧孫許卒．
- 公如晉．
- 葬鄭襄公．
- 秋．公至自晉．
- 冬．城鄆．
- 鄭伯伐許．
| IV. Fourth year. 1. In the [duke's] fourth year, in spring, the duke of Song sent Hua Yuan to Lu on a friendly mission. 2. In the third month, on Renshen, Jian, earl of Zheng, died. 3. The earl of Qi paid a court visit to Lu. 4. In summer, in the fourth month, on Jiayin, Zangsun Xu died. 5. The duke went to Jin. 6. There was the burial of duke Xiang of Zheng. 7. In autumn, the duke arrived from Jin. 8. In winter, we walled Yun. 9. The earl of Zheng invaded Xu.
| | 傳四年． | COMMENTARY | | 春．宋華元來聘．通嗣君也． | In spring, the duke of Song sent Hua Yuan to Lu on a friendly mission, it was to open communication with Lu on the part of the new duke of Song. | | 杞伯來朝．歸叔姬故也． | The earl of Qi paid a court visit to Lu, he was in preparation for Shuji's divorcement and returning to her native state. | | 夏．公如晉．晉侯見公不敬．季文子曰．晉侯必不免．詩曰．敬之敬之．天惟顯思．命不易哉．夫晉侯之命．在諸侯矣．可不敬乎． | When the marquis of Jin saw the duke, he did not behave to him with respect. Ji Wenzi [Jisun Hangfu] said, "The marquis of Jin is sure not to escape [a violent death]. The ode (Shi, IV.i. [iii.] III.) says,'Let me be reverent, let me be reverent. Heaven's method is clear;—Its appointment is not easily preserved.' The appointment of the marquis of Jin depends on the States; ought he not to treat them with respect?" | | 秋．公至自晉．欲求成于楚．而叛晉．季文子曰．不可．晉雖無道．未可叛也．國大臣睦．而邇於我．諸侯聽焉．未可以貳．史佚之志有之曰．非我族類．其心必異．楚雖大．非吾族也．其肯字我乎．公乃止． | In autumn, when the duke came [back] from Jin, he wished to seek for a friendly understanding with Chu, and to revolt from Jin; but Ji Wenzi said to him, 'You should not do so. Though Jin has behaved unreasonably, we should not revolt from it. The State is large; its ministers are harmonious; and it is near to us. The [other] States receive its orders. We may not yet cherish disaffection to it. The work of the historiographer Yi says, 'If he be not of our kin, he is sure to have a different mind.' Although Chu be great, its ruler is not akin to us;—will he be willing to love us?" On this, the duke desisted from his purpose.' | | 冬．十一月．鄭公孫申帥師疆許田．許人敗諸展陂．鄭伯伐許．取鉏任泠敦之田．晉欒書將中軍．荀首佐之．士燮佐上軍．以救許．伐鄭．取汜祭．楚子反救鄭．鄭伯與許男訟焉．皇戌攝鄭伯之辭．子反不能決也．曰．君若辱在寡君．寡君與其二三臣．共聽兩君之所欲．成其可知也．不然．側不足以知二國之成． | 'In winter, in the 4th month, Gongsun Shen of Zheng led a force, and endeavoured to lay out the boundaries of the fields of Xu, [which Zheng had taken in its recent inroads]. The people of Xu defeated him at Zhanpi, when the earl of Zheng invaded that State [himself], and took the lands of Juren and Lingdun. Luan Shu of Jin, in command of the army of the centre, with Xun Shou, as assistant-commander, and Shi Xie, assistant-commander of the 1st army, in order to relieve Xu, made an invasion of Zheng, and took Fanzhai. Zifan of Chu then came to the relief of Zheng; and the earl of Zheng and the baron of Xu sued each other [before him], Huang Xu pleading the case of the earl. Zifan could not determine the matter in dispute, and said, "If you two princes will go before my ruler, then he and some of his ministers will hear together what you want to prove, and the merits of your case can be known. If you will not do so, then I (Zifan's name was 側) do not feel myself able to ascertain the merits of it." | | 晉趙嬰通于趙莊姬． | In winter, Zhao Ying [A younger, or the youngest, brother of Zhao Dun, the great minister of Jin in duke Wen's time] had an intrigue with Zhao Zhuangji (Zhuangji was the wife of Zhao Shuo, or Zhao Zhuangzi, the son of Zhao Dun). |
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