Guoyu Zhou Yu — books one to three of the Discourses of the States

The Discourses of the States (Guoyu) is a collection of speeches and discourses set in the courts of eight states of the Zhou world, ranging from the Western Zhou through the early fifth century BCE. Like the Zuo Commentary, it is traditionally ascribed to Zuo Qiuming, an ascription that cannot be verified from the text itself. These first three books, together called the Discourses of Zhou (Zhou Yu), gather remonstrances addressed to the kings of Zhou across some three and a half centuries: the Duke of Zhai warning King Mu against campaigning on the Quanrong, the Duke of Shao's warning that damming the people's speech is worse than damming a river, Rui Liangfu on King Li's minister who engrossed profit, the omen of the three rivers of Western Zhou drying up before the fall of King You, King Xiang's refusal to grant Duke Wen of Jin the tomb ramp reserved to the Son of Heaven, King Ding's explanation of why a whole sacrificial victim was not the right honor for a feasted kinsman, and King Jing's casting of an oversized bell against the warnings of Duke Mu of Shan and the music-master Ling Zhoujiu.

Each discourse stands under its own heading, drawn from the episode it records, and the three books proceed roughly by reign, though narrative and remonstrance interleave freely rather than following an annalistic year-by-year form. Wei Zhao's third-century commentary travels with the source text below in its own untranslated layer.

Names of persons, states, and places are given in Hanyu pinyin without tone marks, with Chinese characters supplied at a figure's first appearance. Ranks follow the conventional five — duke, marquis, earl, viscount, baron — and 禮 is rendered throughout as ritual propriety.

Translated for the Good Works Library directly from the classical Chinese, which is printed in full below. We know of no complete published English translation of the Discourses of the States; no claim of firstness is made.

Contents

• Book 1 — Discourses of Zhou, Part 1 (卷一 周語上)
  • The Duke of Zhai Remonstrates with King Mu against Attacking the Quanrong (祭公諫穆王征犬戎)
  • The Mother of Duke Kang of Mi on How a Petty Man Who Gathers Fine Things Must Perish (密康公母論小醜備物終必亡)
  • The Duke of Shao Remonstrates with King Li against Silencing Criticism (邵公諫厲王弭謗)
  • Rui Liangfu on Duke Yi of Rong's Engrossing of Profit (芮良夫論榮夷公專利)
  • The Duke of Shao Gives His Own Son to Die in King Xuan's Place (邵公以其子代宣王死)
  • Duke Wen of Guo Remonstrates with King Xuan for Not Ploughing the Thousand Mu (虢文公諫宣王不籍千畝)
  • Zhongshanfu Remonstrates with King Xuan against Installing Xi (仲山父諫宣王立戲)
  • Muzhong on the Filial Conduct of the Lord of Lu (穆仲論魯侯孝)
  • Zhongshanfu Remonstrates with King Xuan against Numbering the People (仲山父諫宣王料民)
  • The Three Rivers of Western Zhou All Quake; Boyangfu Says Zhou Will Perish (西周三川皆震伯陽父論周將亡)
  • Duke Li of Zheng and Guo Shu Kill Zitui and Restore King Hui (鄭厲公與虢叔殺子頹納惠王)
  • The Inner Scribe Guo on the Spirit (內史過論神)
  • The Inner Scribe Guo Says Duke Hui of Jin Will Have No Posterity (內史過論晉惠公必無後)
  • The Inner Scribe Xing Says Duke Wen of Jin Will Become Hegemon (內史興論晉文公必霸)
• Book 2 — Discourses of Zhou, Part 2 (卷二 周語中)
  • Fu Chen Remonstrates with King Xiang against Using the Di to Attack Zheng and against Making a Di Woman His Queen (富辰谏襄王以狄伐郑及以狄女为后)
  • King Xiang Refuses Duke Wen of Jin's Request for the Tomb Ramp (襄王拒晋文公请隧)
  • The People of Yang Refuse to Submit to the Lord of Jin (阳人不服晋侯)
  • King Xiang Refuses to Put Duke Cheng of Wei to Death (襄王拒杀卫成公)
  • Wangsun Man Watches the Army of Qin (王孙满观秦师)
  • King Ding Explains Why the Whole Victim Was Not Used (定王论不用全烝之故)
  • Duke Xiang of Shan Argues That Chen Must Perish (單襄公論陳必亡)
  • Duke Kang of Liu on Thrift and Extravagance Among the Grandees of Lu (劉康公論魯大夫儉與侈)
  • Wangsun Yue Asks That No Gift Be Given to Shusun Qiaoru (王孫說請勿賜叔孫僑如)
  • Duke Xiang of Shan on Xi Zhi Filching Heaven's Merit (單襄公論郤至佻天之功)
• Book 3 — Discourses of Zhou, Part 3 (卷三 周語下)
  • Duke Xiang of Shan Foretells Disorder in Jin (單襄公論晉將有亂)
  • Duke Xiang of Shan Says That Zhou of Jin Will Gain the State (單襄公論晉周將得晉國)
  • Prince Jin Remonstrates with King Ling Against Damming the Gu River (太子晉諫靈王壅穀水)
  • Yangshe Xi of Jin on Duke Jing of Shan's Reverence, Thrift, Deference, and Consultation (晉羊舌肸聘周論單靖公敬儉讓咨)
  • Duke Mu of Shan Remonstrates Against King Jing's Casting of Large Coin (單穆公諫景王鑄大錢)
  • Duke Mu of Shan Remonstrates Against King Jing's Casting of the Great Bell (單穆公諫景王鑄大鍾)
  • King Jing Asks Ling Zhoujiu About the Pitches of the Bells (景王問鍾律於伶州鳩)
  • Bin Meng Sees a Cock Cut Off Its Own Tail (賓孟見雄雞自斷其尾)
  • Duke Wen of Liu and Chang Hong Wish to Wall Zhou (劉文公與萇弘欲城周)

Translation

Book 1 — Discourses of Zhou, Part 1 (卷一 周語上)

The Duke of Zhai Remonstrates with King Mu against Attacking the Quanrong (祭公諫穆王征犬戎)

King Mu was about to campaign against the Quanrong. Moufu, the Duke of Zhai (祭公謀父), remonstrated with him, saying: "It cannot be done. The former kings made their virtue shine; they did not parade their arms. Arms are stored away and brought out only in their season; brought out, they inspire awe. Paraded, they are made a plaything; made a plaything, they no longer make men tremble. Therefore the Hymn of Duke Wen of Zhou says:

Then he gathered up shield and spear,
then he cased the bows and arrows.
We sought out excellent virtue
and set it forth in this great hymn;
truly the king will keep it.

"Toward the people the former kings labored to make their virtue upright and their natures generous; they enlarged what the people sought for their livelihood and made their tools and implements serviceable; they made plain to them which way lay gain and which harm, and shaped them by rite and statute, so that the people worked for what profited them and avoided what hurt them, cherished virtue and stood in awe of majesty. Thus the kings were able to hold their line through the generations and to grow ever greater.

"In ancient times our royal ancestors held in succession the office of Lord Millet, and in that office served Yu and Xia. When Xia declined and the office of millet was cast aside and no longer attended to, our royal ancestor Buzhu thereby lost his office, and took himself into hiding among the Rong and the Di. Yet he did not dare grow slack in his work. He kept his virtue in the order of the seasons, carried on and completed the task he had inherited, cultivated its teachings and its statutes, was scrupulous and diligent morning and evening, kept his charge with solidity and depth, and upheld it with loyalty and good faith. Generation after generation bore this virtue and brought no shame upon those who had gone before. When the time of King Wu came, he made the brightness of his forebears shine and added to it kindness and concord, served the spirits and cherished the people, and there was none who did not rejoice. Emperor Xin, the king of Shang, was greatly hated by his people. The common folk could not endure it. They gladly bore King Wu up and so brought war upon Shang at Mu. Thus the former kings did not make a business of arms; they toiled in pity for the people's hidden pain and did away with what harmed them.

"Now the institution of the former kings was this: within the royal borders, the dian zone; beyond the borders, the hou zone; from the hou lands out to the wei lands, the guest zone; the Man and the Yi, the covenant zone; the Rong and the Di, the wild zone. Those of the dian zone furnished the daily sacrifice; those of the hou zone the monthly offering; those of the guest zone the seasonal presentation; those of the covenant zone the yearly tribute; those of the wild zone came once in a lifetime to acknowledge the king. Daily sacrifice, monthly offering, seasonal presentation, yearly tribute, and the one homage of a lifetime: this was the instruction of the former kings. If any failed in the daily sacrifice, the king put his own intentions in order; if any failed in the monthly offering, he put his commands in order; if any failed in the seasonal presentation, he put his statutes in order; if any failed in the yearly tribute, he put in order the titles by which tribute was ranked; if any failed to come and acknowledge him, he put his virtue in order. When all these had been done in their order and still some did not come, then he put the punishments in order. And so there was punishment for those who failed in the daily sacrifice, attack for those who failed in the monthly offering, a campaign for those who failed in the seasonal presentation, reproof for those who failed in the yearly tribute, and a written admonition for those who failed to come and acknowledge him. And so there were the statutes of punishment, the troops for attack, the equipment for a punitive campaign, the order of awe-inspiring reproof, and the words of a written admonition. And if, after the order had been issued and the words set out, they still did not come, then he added further to his virtue and did not weary the people in distant places. Therefore among those near there was none who did not listen, and among those far off none who did not submit.

"Now, since the deaths of Dabi and Boshi, the Quanrong have come with their due office to acknowledge the king, and yet the Son of Heaven says, 'I will surely campaign against them for failing in the seasonal presentation, and I will parade my arms before them.' Is this not to abolish the instruction of the former kings and to bring the kingship itself near to ruin? I have heard that the Quanrong are planted in plainness of nature: they follow the old virtue and hold to it to the end, whole and unbending. They will have the means to withstand us."

The king would not listen. He campaigned against them and returned with four white wolves and four white deer. From that time those of the wild zone no longer came.

The Mother of Duke Kang of Mi on How a Petty Man Who Gathers Fine Things Must Perish (密康公母論小醜備物終必亡)

King Gong was traveling by the Jing River, and Duke Kang of Mi (密康公) was in his train. Three women ran off to attach themselves to him. His mother said: "You must send them to the king. Three beasts make a herd; three men make a multitude; three women make a splendor. In the royal hunt one does not take a whole herd; when a duke goes abroad he defers to a multitude; among the king's women three are not taken from one clan. Now a splendor is a beautiful thing. The multitude has turned this beautiful thing over to you: what virtue have you to bear it? Even a king could not bear it — how much less a petty one like you? When a petty man has a full set of fine things, in the end he must perish."

Duke Kang did not present them. Within a year the king wiped out Mi.

The Duke of Shao Remonstrates with King Li against Silencing Criticism (邵公諫厲王弭謗)

King Li was cruel, and the people of the capital spoke against the king. The Duke of Shao (邵公) reported to him: "The people cannot bear your commands." The king was angry. He got hold of a shaman of Wei and set him to watch those who spoke against him; when the shaman informed on them, he had them killed. None of the people of the capital dared speak, and on the roads they passed one another with a look of the eye and nothing more.

The king was pleased and told the Duke of Shao: "I have been able to stop the criticism. Now they do not dare speak."

The Duke of Shao said: "You have dammed it. To dam the mouths of the people is worse than damming a river. When a river is blocked and bursts through, the people it injures must be many; and it is the same with the people. Therefore one who manages a river opens a channel to lead it away, and one who manages a people gives them free course so that they may speak. Thus when the Son of Heaven attends to government, he has the dukes and ministers down to the ranked officers present poems, the blind musicians present airs, the scribes present documents, the junior master present admonitions, the sightless recite, the dim-eyed chant, the hundred artisans remonstrate, the common people pass their words upward, the attendants near him give their counsel in full, his kinsmen make good his faults and watch over his government, the blind musician and the grand scribe instruct him, and the elders put all of it in order; and only then does the king weigh and act. Therefore affairs go forward and nothing runs contrary.

"That the people have mouths is like the earth having hills and rivers, from which goods and wealth come forth; it is like the high plains and low wetlands having level and watered fields, from which clothing and food are born. When mouths speak out, good government and bad arise from it: what is good is put into practice, and what is bad is guarded against. This is what makes goods, wealth, clothing, and food abundant. The people ponder in their hearts and speak it out with their mouths; when a thing has ripened they act on it. How can it be blocked up? If you block their mouths, how long can it last?"

The king would not listen. Thereupon no one in the capital dared utter a word, and in the third year they banished the king to Zhi.

Rui Liangfu on Duke Yi of Rong's Engrossing of Profit (芮良夫論榮夷公專利)

King Li was pleased with Duke Yi of Rong. Rui Liangfu (芮良夫) said: "The royal house will surely be brought low. Duke Rong loves to engross profit and does not understand great calamity. Profit is what is produced by the hundred things, what heaven and earth bring to completion; and when one man engrosses it, the harm is great. Heaven and earth and the hundred things — all men will take from them. How can one man engross them? Those he angers are very many, and he makes no provision against great calamity; and with this he instructs the king. Can the king last long?

"One who is king over men should open the way for profit and spread it out above and below, so that spirits, men, and the hundred things all get their due measure; and even so he is anxious day by day, fearing that resentment may come. Therefore the Hymns say:

Cultured in thought was Lord Millet,
fit to be matched with that Heaven.
He set up us, the teeming people;
nothing was not by your measure.

And the Greater Odes say:

He spread out his gifts and so carried Zhou.

Is this not spreading profit abroad while fearing calamity? That is how he was able to carry Zhou forward to this day. Now the king is learning to engross profit. Can it be allowed? When a common man engrosses profit, he is still called a robber; if a king does it, few will attach themselves to him. If Duke Rong is employed, Zhou will surely be ruined."

In the end Duke Rong was made a minister of state; the feudal lords made no presentations, and the king was banished to Zhi.

The Duke of Shao Gives His Own Son to Die in King Xuan's Place (邵公以其子代宣王死)

In the disorder at Zhi, King Xuan was in the palace of the Duke of Shao, and the people of the capital surrounded it. The Duke of Shao said: "In the past I repeatedly remonstrated with the king, and the king would not follow me; that is how it has come to this trouble. If now I let the king's son be killed, the king will think that I bore him a grudge and acted in anger. One who serves a lord, though he stands in danger, bears no grudge; though he has cause for complaint, he does not act in anger. How much more when one serves a king?" So he put forward his own son in place of King Xuan. When King Xuan grew up, they set him on the throne.

Duke Wen of Guo Remonstrates with King Xuan for Not Ploughing the Thousand Mu (虢文公諫宣王不籍千畝)

When King Xuan came to the throne, he did not plough the sacred field of a thousand mu. Duke Wen of Guo (虢文公) remonstrated, saying: "It cannot be. The great business of the people lies in farming. From it come the grain offerings for the Lord on High; from it the people's increase and multiplication are born; in it lies the supply of what affairs require; from it harmony, concord, and good feeling arise; with it the growth of wealth and goods begins; through it solidity, largeness, wholeness, and firmness are brought to completion. This is why the office of millet is a great office.

"In ancient times the grand scribe, following the season, inspected the soil. When the yang heat had thickened and swelled to fullness and the breath of the earth stirred and broke forth, when the Farming Auspice stood due at dawn and sun and moon had come to the Hall of Heaven, then the soil opened its veins.

"Nine days before the season the grand scribe announced to the officer of millet: 'From now until the first auspicious day the yang vapor will everywhere be rising and the richness of the soil will be stirring. If it is not shaken loose, if it is not let out, the veins will fill and sicken, and the grain will not thrive.' The officer of millet reported this to the king, saying: 'The scribe, at the head of the officers of spring, has given this charge to us who have the work in hand: "Nine days from now the soil will everywhere be stirring. Let the king reverently purify himself and oversee the farming, altering nothing of what suits each soil."' The king then had the minister of education warn the dukes and ministers, the hundred officials, and the common people, all alike; the minister of works cleared the altar terrace at the sacred field; and the grandee of agriculture was ordered to see that all the farming implements were made ready.

"Five days before the season the blind musician announced that the harmonious wind had come. The king went to the hall of purification, and the hundred officers who had charge of the business each entered upon their own purification for three days. The king then bathed and drank the sweet ale. When the day came, the officer of the aromatic herb presented the scented wine and the officer of the vessels presented the sweet ale; the king poured out the libation of scented wine, drank the sweet ale, and then set forth, with the hundred officials and the common people all following. When they came to the sacred field, the Lord of Millet oversaw it; the master of the table and the director of agriculture set out the rite of the sacred field; the grand scribe led the king forward and the king reverently followed him. The king ploughed a single clod, and each rank in turn tripled it, and the common people finished out the thousand mu. Then the Lord of Millet inspected the work, with the grand scribe supervising; the minister of education inspected the people, with the grand preceptor supervising. When it was done, the steward set out the feast, with the master of the table supervising. The master of the table attended the king, and the king enjoyed the great offering of ox, sheep, and pig; each rank in turn tasted after him, and the common people finished the food.

"On that day the blind master led the officers of music in testing the airs of the soil. A granary stood to the southeast of the sacred field; there the crop was gathered together and stored, and in season it was given out for the farming. The officer of millet then warned the hundred clans everywhere, ordering the farm work and joining their labors, saying: 'Yin and yang are evenly spread; the shaking thunder brings out what has lain dormant.' Where the soil was not fully broken up, the offense fell to the minister of justice. Then he charged his company, saying: 'Go the rounds. The master of husbandry goes first, the director of agriculture second, the Lord of Millet third, the minister of works fourth, the minister of education fifth, the grand guardian sixth, the grand preceptor seventh, the grand scribe eighth, the minister of rites ninth, and the king makes the great round. At the hoeing and the harvest it shall be the same.' Then not one implement of the people failed to be set moving; reverently they attended to the farming, mended their boundaries and balks, took up their hoes daily, and did not slacken in the season. Goods and wealth were not lacking, and the people were at one with each other.

"At that time the king's business was directed to farming and to nothing else. No one sought private gain out of his office and so meddled with the work of the fields. For three seasons they worked at farming and for one season they practiced arms. Therefore on campaign there was awe, and at home there was wealth. Being so, they were able to please the spirits and be in concord with the people, and the offerings and sacrifices came in their seasons and the giving out of gifts was ample and unhurried.

"Now the Son of Heaven wishes to carry on the work of the former kings and yet casts aside their great achievement, starving the spirits and stinting the sacrifices and straitening the people's wealth. With what will he seek blessing and make use of the people?"

The king would not listen. In the thirty-ninth year there was a battle at Qianmu, and the king's army was routed by the Rong of the Jiang clan.

Zhongshanfu Remonstrates with King Xuan against Installing Xi (仲山父諫宣王立戲)

Duke Wu of Lu presented Kuo and Xi to the king, and the king installed Xi. Zhongshanfu of Fan (樊仲山父) remonstrated, saying: "He must not be installed. What is out of order will surely be transgressed; what transgresses the king's command must be punished. Therefore in issuing orders one cannot but keep to what is in order. When orders are not carried out, government is not established; when they are carried out but are out of order, the people will abandon those above them. That the lower serves the higher, and the younger serves the elder — this is what order means. Now the Son of Heaven, installing a feudal lord, sets up the younger. This is teaching men to go against order. If Lu complies and the other lords imitate it, the king's commands will be blocked; and if Lu does not comply and you punish it, you will be punishing your own royal command. In this matter, to punish is a loss and not to punish is a loss. Let the Son of Heaven consider it."

The king installed him all the same. The lord of Lu went home and died; and afterward the people of Lu killed Duke Yi and set up Boyu.

Muzhong on the Filial Conduct of the Lord of Lu (穆仲論魯侯孝)

In the spring of the thirty-second year, King Xuan attacked Lu and installed Duke Xiao, and from this time the feudal lords were no longer in accord with him. King Xuan wished to find a son of the ruling house able to guide and instruct the feudal lords. Muzhong of Fan (樊穆仲) said: "The lord of Lu is filial."

The king said: "How do you know it?"

He replied: "He is solemn and reverent toward the bright spirits and serves the aged with respect. In assigning duties and carrying out punishments he always inquires of the instructions handed down and consults what has been done before; he does not go against what he has inquired of, nor transgress what he has consulted."

The king said: "Then he can instruct and govern his people." And he gave the charge to Duke Xiao of Lu in the temple of King Yi.

Zhongshanfu Remonstrates with King Xuan against Numbering the People (仲山父諫宣王料民)

King Xuan, having lost his army in the southern lands, then numbered the people at Taiyuan. Zhongshanfu remonstrated, saying: "The people must not be numbered. In ancient times they did not number the people, and yet they knew how few or many they were. The officer of the people brought together the orphaned and the dead; the officer of the pitch-pipe brought together the surnames of the people; the minister of education brought together the levies; the minister of justice brought together the offenders; the herdsman brought together the sacrificial beasts by their kinds; the officer of works brought together the changes; the officer of the field-grounds brought together what came in; the officer of the granary brought together what went out. By these means how few or many, who had died and who was born, what went out and what came in, who went and who came — all could be known.

"Beyond this they also verified it through actual business: the king managed the farming at the sacred field, held the spring hunt in the lull of farming, went again to the sacred field for the hoeing and the harvest, held the autumn hunt after the offering of new grain, and held the winter hunt when the season's work was done. All of these were ways of keeping familiar with the number of the people. What need is there to take a count? To take a great count of them without saying that they are too few is to display them as few and to show distaste for the business of government. To come before government showing them as few — the feudal lords will keep away from you. To govern the people while showing distaste for the business — you will have nothing with which to levy and command. Moreover, to number the people without occasion is what Heaven hates; it does harm to government and injury to your heirs."

The king numbered them in the end, and by the time of King You the line was cut off and destroyed.

The Three Rivers of Western Zhou All Quake; Boyangfu Says Zhou Will Perish (西周三川皆震伯陽父論周將亡)

In the second year of King You, the three rivers of Western Zhou all shook. Boyangfu (伯陽父) said: "Zhou is about to perish. The vapors of heaven and earth do not lose their proper order; if they overstep that order, it is because the people have thrown them into disorder. When the yang lies buried and cannot come out, and the yin presses upon it so that it cannot rise, then there is an earthquake. Now the three rivers have indeed shaken: this is the yang losing its place and being held down by the yin. When the yang has lost its place and lies beneath the yin, the sources of the rivers must be blocked; and when the sources are blocked, the state must perish. For it is by water and earth running moist that the people are supplied. When water and earth have nowhere to run moist, the people lack goods and wealth; and then what is there to wait for but ruin?

"In former times the Yi and the Luo dried up and Xia perished; the Yellow River dried up and Shang perished. Now the virtue of Zhou is like that of the last days of those two dynasties, and the sources of its rivers are blocked besides; and being blocked they must dry up. A state must rely upon its hills and rivers. When hills fall and rivers dry up, these are the signs of ruin. When rivers dry up, hills must fall. If the state perishes, it will not be more than ten years, for ten is the round of the count, and what Heaven casts off does not outlast its round."

In that very year the three rivers dried up and Mount Qi fell. In the eleventh year King You was destroyed, and Zhou then moved east.

Duke Li of Zheng and Guo Shu Kill Zitui and Restore King Hui (鄭厲公與虢叔殺子頹納惠王)

In the third year of King Hui, Bian Bo, Shi Su, and Wei Guo drove out the king and set up Zitui. The king lodged in Zheng for three years. Prince Tui gave a wine feast to the three grandees, with Ziguo as the guest of honor, and the music went on to the dances of all the dynasties.

Duke Li of Zheng (鄭厲公) went to see Guo Shu and said: "I have heard that when the minister of justice carries out an execution, the ruler for that reason forgoes his music; how much less would one dare take delight in calamity! Now I hear that Zitui's singing and dancing do not cease: this is taking delight in calamity. To drive out a king and take his place — what calamity is greater? To stand in the midst of calamity and forget to grieve is what is called taking delight in calamity. Calamity must overtake him. Why not bring the king back?"

Guo Shu agreed. The earl of Zheng brought the king in by the Yu Gate and Guo Shu entered by the north gate; they killed Zitui and the three grandees, and the king went in.

The Inner Scribe Guo on the Spirit (內史過論神)

In the fifteenth year a spirit came down at Shen. The king asked Guo, the inner scribe (內史過): "What is the reason for this? Has such a thing happened before?"

He replied: "It has. When a state is about to rise, its ruler is single-minded and clear-sighted, centered and upright, pure and unspotted, kind and harmonious. His virtue suffices to make his fragrance shine forth, and his kindness suffices to make his people one. The spirits accept his offerings and the people give ear to him; people and spirits alike are without resentment. Therefore the bright spirits come down to him, observe the virtue of his government, and spread blessings evenly upon it. When a state is about to perish, its ruler is greedy and grasping, crooked and depraved, licentious and dissolute, wild and slack, coarse and foul, cruel and violent. His government stinks, and no fragrance rises from it. His punishments twist the law and lay blame on the guiltless, and the hundred clans are estranged and of two minds. The bright spirits find nothing pure there, and the people set their hearts on going away. People and spirits alike are resentful and in pain and have nothing to cleave to. Therefore the spirits go to that place too, to observe its harshness and evil and send down disaster upon it. Thus a spirit has been seen at a rising and a spirit at a fall.

"When Xia rose, Rong came down upon Mount Chong; when it fell, Huilu lodged two nights at Qinsui. When Shang rose, Taowu halted at Mount Pi; when it fell, the Yiyang was in the pasture. When Zhou rose, the yuezhuo bird sang on Mount Qi; when it declined, the Earl of Du shot the king at Hao. All these are recorded of the bright spirits."

The king said: "What spirit is this one now?"

He replied: "Long ago King Zhao took a wife from Fang, who was called the Lady of Fang. She had in her a doubled power, matching that of Danzhu; and Danzhu leaned upon her body and mated with her, and King Mu was born of it. It is this spirit that has looked down upon the descendants of Zhou and dealt them disaster and blessing. A spirit is single-minded and does not shift far away. Looking at it in this light, is it not the spirit of Danzhu?"

The king said: "Who will receive it?"

He replied: "It is on the soil of Guo."

The king said: "What then is to be done?"

He replied: "I have heard it said: to obtain a spirit while walking in the Way is called meeting blessing; to obtain a spirit while given to excess is called grasping at disaster. Now Guo is somewhat given to dissipation. Will it not perish?"

The king said: "What should I do about it?"

He replied: "Let the grand steward, with the invoker and the scribe, lead those of the Li surname and go and present pure victims, grain offerings, jade and silk; and let there be no petition."

The king said: "How long has Guo?"

He replied: "In former times Yao came before the people once in five years. Now his descendant has appeared; and when a spirit appears, it does not go beyond its own number. Looking at it in this light, it will not be more than five years."

The king sent the grand steward Jifu, with the Fu clan and the invoker and the scribe, to go and present pure victims and the jade ladle of scented wine. The inner scribe Guo went with them as far as Guo, and the lord of Guo also sent his invoker and scribe to ask the spirit for land. When the inner scribe Guo returned, he reported to the king: "Guo will surely perish. To make no pure offering to a spirit and yet seek blessing of it — the spirit will surely send disaster upon him. To have no closeness with his people and yet seek to use them — men will surely turn against him. To present offerings with a purified mind is what pure sacrifice means; to cherish and nourish the common people is what closeness means. Now the lord of Guo constantly drains the hundred clans to gratify his crookedness. He estranges his people and angers the spirits, and then seeks profit. Is it not hard?"

In the nineteenth year Jin took Guo.

The Inner Scribe Guo Says Duke Hui of Jin Will Have No Posterity (內史過論晉惠公必無後)

King Xiang sent Guo, the Duke of Shao, together with Guo, the inner scribe, to confer the tokens of investiture on Duke Hui of Jin. Lü Sheng and Xi Rui, assisting the lord of Jin at the ceremony, were disrespectful; and the lord of Jin held the jade low and bowed without touching his head to the ground.

When the inner scribe Guo returned, he reported to the king: "If Jin is not destroyed, its ruler will still have no posterity; and Lü and Xi will not escape."

The king said: "How so?"

He replied: "The Documents of Xia have it: 'If the multitude had no good sovereign, whom would they uphold? If the sovereign had no multitude, he would have none with whom to guard the state.' In the Oath of Tang it says: 'If I, the One Man, have offended, let it not be laid on the ten thousand; if the ten thousand have offended, it rests on me, the One Man.' In the Pan Geng it says: 'If the state is good, it is owing to you, the multitude; if the state is not good, then it is I, the One Man, who am at fault.' Since it is so, one who is head of a multitude and uses a people cannot but be careful.

"What is urgent to the people lies in the great affairs. The former kings knew that the great affairs must be brought through by the multitude, and therefore they swept their own hearts clean in order to be at peace with the people and gracious to them. They examined their own center and measured the hearts of others, and so came before them; they made the rules of things clear and bright, and so instructed them; they framed what was fitting so that the many trusted it, and so carried it out. To sweep the heart clean is purity; to examine one's own center and measure the hearts of others is loyalty; to make the rules of things clear and bright is ritual propriety; to frame what is fitting so that the many trust it is good faith. So then, in the way of heading a multitude and using a people: without purity there is no concord, without loyalty nothing stands, without ritual propriety nothing goes in order, without good faith nothing is carried out.

"Now the lord of Jin, having come to his seat, has gone back on what he promised without and within — he has abandoned his good faith; he has treated cruelly those who stayed at home — he has abandoned his good faith; he has shown no respect for the royal charge — he has abandoned his ritual propriety; he has inflicted on others what he himself hates — he has abandoned his loyalty; he has filled his heart with wickedness — he has abandoned his purity. All four being abandoned, those far off will not come and those near will not be in concord. With what will he guard his state?

"In ancient times, when the former kings had gained the world, they also raised up the Lord on High and the bright spirits and served them with reverence; and so there were the greeting of the sun at dawn and the greeting of the moon at evening, by which the people were taught to serve their lord. The feudal lords received their charges from the king in spring and autumn and so came before their people; the grandees and officers stood daily reverent at their stations in the court and by the screen, to keep watch over their offices; the commoners, artisans, and merchants each kept to their occupations and so supplied those above them. Even so it was feared that things might be let fall, and therefore carriages and robes, banners and insignia were made to mark them out; gifts of introduction, offerings of silk, jade tokens, and tallies were made to give them weight; ranks of nobility and degrees of high and low were made to set them in order; commendation and fair repute were made to give them voice. And still there were those who scattered, shifted, and grew slack, whose names were entered under the penal statutes and who were banished to the outer lands; and so there came to be states of the Man and the Yi, and men of the axe and of the branding knife. How much less, then, may a man let himself go in excess and license?

"Now the lord of Jin was not the rightful heir, and yet he has obtained the seat. Though he were unremitting and fearful, holding his charge with caution and dread, it would still be said that it was not enough. If instead he lets his heart run wide, keeps his neighbor at a distance, tramples on his people and slights those above him, with what will he hold his place firmly?

"To hold the jade low is to set aside the gift of introduction; to bow without touching the head to the ground is to deceive one's king. Setting aside the gift of introduction, he has nothing to give him weight; deceiving his king, he will have no people. The affairs of Heaven always have their signs. One who bears a heavy charge and enjoys great things will be overtaken quickly. Therefore, as the lord of Jin has deceived his king, men will deceive him; as he wished to set aside what gives him weight, men will set him aside. His great ministers who enjoy his emoluments and, instead of remonstrating, fall in with him, will also be overtaken."

In the third year of King Xiang the lord of Jin was installed; in the eighth year he fell at Han; and in the sixteenth year the men of Jin killed Duke Huai. Duke Huai left no posterity, and the men of Qin killed Zijin and Zigong.

The Inner Scribe Xing Says Duke Wen of Jin Will Become Hegemon (內史興論晉文公必霸)

King Xiang sent Duke Wen, the grand steward, together with Xing, the inner scribe, to confer the tokens of investiture on Duke Wen of Jin. The chief minister met them at the border; the lord of Jin greeted them with the labors of welcome in the outskirts; he lodged them in the ancestral temple, presented them with nine sets of victims, and set up the courtyard torches. When the day came, the charge was given in the temple of Duke Wu. The mulberry-wood tablet was set up, the armrest and mat were spread, and the grand steward took his place. The lord of Jin entered in plain robe and cap. The grand steward, by the king's command, conferred the cap and robes of office, and the inner scribe led him through it; three times the charge was given before he took the cap and robes. When it was finished, the reception, the feasting, the presents, and the parting cup were as in the rite by which a duke confers a charge on a marquis or an earl, with the gifts of friendly banqueting added.

When the inner scribe Xing returned, he reported to the king: "Jin must be treated well. Its ruler will surely become hegemon. He met the royal charge with reverence; he carried the rites and their fitness through to completion. To revere the royal charge is the way of what is in order; to carry the rites and their fitness through is the rule of virtue. Making virtue his rule, he will guide the feudal lords, and the feudal lords will surely turn to him.

"Moreover, the rites are the means of observing loyalty, good faith, humaneness, and righteousness. Loyalty is what apportions, humaneness is what acts, good faith is what holds, righteousness is what sets measure. When loyalty apportions, the division is even; when humaneness acts, there is return; when good faith holds, it is firm; when righteousness sets measure, there is proper degree. Even division leaves no resentment; action returned leaves no want; a firm hold is not slack; proper degree does not divide men. If the people are without resentment and goods are not wanting, if commands are not slack and men are not divided when they act — what undertaking will not succeed?

"That what is within answers to what is without: that is loyalty. That he yielded three times and wore what befitted him: that is humaneness. That he kept to measure without excess: that is good faith. That he performed the rites without flaw: that is righteousness. Since I entered the borders of Jin, in these four he has not failed. Therefore I say: 'The lord of Jin is capable of ritual propriety; let the king treat him well.' Plant with a man who has ritual propriety, and the harvest from him will be rich."

The king followed his words, and envoys to Jin followed one another so closely on the road that each overtook the last. When the trouble of Queen Hui came and the king went out and stayed in Zheng, the lord of Jin brought him back.

In the sixteenth year of King Xiang, Duke Wen of Jin was installed. In the twenty-first year he brought the feudal lords to court before the king at Hengyong, presented the spoils taken from Chu, and then made the covenant at Jiantu; and with this his hegemony began.

Book 2 — Discourses of Zhou, Part 2 (卷二 周語中)

Fu Chen Remonstrates with King Xiang against Using the Di to Attack Zheng and against Making a Di Woman His Queen (富辰谏襄王以狄伐郑及以狄女为后)

In the thirteenth year of King Xiang, the men of Zheng attacked Hua. The king sent You Sunbo to intercede for Hua, and the men of Zheng seized him. The king was angry and was about to use the Di to attack Zheng.

Fu Chen (富辰) remonstrated, saying: "It cannot be done. The men of old had a saying: 'Brothers may wrangle over slander, yet they ward off insult a hundred li.' The poem of Duke Wen of Zhou says:

Brothers quarrel within the wall,
but without they ward off insult.

If this is so, then their quarreling is an injury within doors, and though they quarrel it does not ruin their kinship. Zheng, to the Son of Heaven, is a brother. Dukes Wu and Zhuang of Zheng did great service for Kings Ping and Huan; when our Zhou moved east, it was on Jin and Zheng that it leaned; and in the disorder of Zitui it was through Zheng that things were settled. To cast Zheng off now for a small vexation is to set aside a great kindness for a small grudge. Surely this cannot be.

"Moreover, in a quarrel between brothers one does not summon outsiders; if outsiders are summoned, the profit goes outside. To publish a grudge and put the profit outside is not righteous; to cast off kin and go over to the Di is not auspicious; to repay kindness with a grudge is not humane. Righteousness is what gives birth to profit; auspiciousness is what serves the spirits; humaneness is what cherishes the people. Without righteousness, profit is not abundant; without auspiciousness, blessing does not come down; without humaneness, the people do not come. The enlightened kings of old did not let go of these three virtues, and therefore they were able to hold the world in its greatness, to bring peace and quiet to the hundred clans, and to leave a good name that is not forgotten. The king must not cast Zheng off."

The king would not listen. In the seventeenth year he brought down the Di host to attack Zheng.

The king was grateful to the Di and was about to make a woman of theirs his queen. Fu Chen remonstrated, saying: "It cannot be done. Marriage is the stairway of disaster and blessing. If through it the profit is kept within, there is blessing; if the profit goes outside, disaster is taken up. Now the king's profit has gone outside. Is this not making a stairway for disaster?

"In former times the states of Zhi and Chou owed their standing to Tai Ren; Qi and Zeng to Tai Si; Qi, Xu, Shen, and Lü to Tai Jiang; Chen to Tai Ji. These all kept the profit within and drew their kin close. In former times the fall of Yan came through Zhong Ren; Misu through Bo Ji; Kuai through Shu Yun; Dan through the Ji woman of Zheng; Xi through the Gui woman of Chen; Deng through the Man woman of Chu; Luo through Ji Ji; Lu through the Gui woman of Jing. These all put the profit outside and became estranged from their kin."

The king said: "What sort of profit is within, and what sort is outside?"

He replied: "To honor the noble, to make the worthy known, to employ those of merit, to give precedence to the aged, to love one's kin, to show courtesy to newcomers, and to keep close to old friends — where this is so, there is no one among the people who does not steady his heart and strength to carry out the orders from above. Officials do not change their course, goods and wealth are not exhausted, nothing sought fails to come, nothing undertaken fails to succeed. The hundred clans and the myriad common folk, every man of them, take up what profits them and turn it over to those above: this is the profit kept within. But if the seven virtues are split apart, the people become estranged and of two minds; each withdraws with his own profit, and what those above seek does not reach them: this is the profit gone outside.

"Now the Di have no rank in the royal house, while the earl of Zheng holds the rank of a baron; and the king demeans him. This is not honoring the noble. The Di have the nature of jackals and wolves, while Zheng has not lost the statutes of Zhou; and the king makes light of him. This is not making the worthy known. Kings Ping, Huan, Zhuang, and Hui all received the labors of Zheng; and the king casts him off. This is not employing those of merit. Jie, the earl of Zheng, is advanced in years; and the king treats him as a child. This is not giving precedence to the aged. The Di are of the Wei surname, while Zheng is descended from King Xuan; and the king treats him cruelly. This is not loving one's kin. By the rites, the new does not displace the old; and the king puts a Di woman in the place of the Jiang and the Ren. This is not ritual, and it is casting off the old besides. At a single stroke the king casts off all seven virtues. That is why I say the profit has gone outside.

"The Documents have it: 'There must be forbearance, and then there can be accomplishment.' The king would not bear a small vexation and so cast off Zheng, and now he raises up Shu Wei and makes a stairway for the Di. The Di are great swine and jackals and wolves; they cannot be satisfied."

The king would not listen.

In the eighteenth year the king deposed the Di queen. The Di came to call him to account and killed Tan Bo. Fu Chen said: "In the past I repeatedly remonstrated with the king, and the king would not follow me, and so it has come to this trouble. If I do not go out, the king will think that I bore him a grudge." And he went out with his followers and died there.

Earlier, Queen Hui had wished to set up Prince Dai, and so through her faction she opened the way to the Di. The Di then entered, and the king of Zhou went out and lodged in Zheng, and Duke Wen of Jin brought him back.

King Xiang Refuses Duke Wen of Jin's Request for the Tomb Ramp (襄王拒晋文公请隧)

When Duke Wen of Jin had settled King Xiang at Jia, the king rewarded his labors with land. He declined it and asked instead for the tomb ramp (隧).

The king would not allow it, and said: "In former times, when our royal ancestors possessed the world, they marked out a square of a thousand li as the dian zone, to supply the sacrifices to the Lord on High, to the hills and rivers, and to the hundred spirits; to provide for the use of the hundred clans and the myriad common folk; and to meet troubles from those who did not come to court and from what could not be foreseen. The rest they divided evenly among dukes, marquises, earls, viscounts, and barons, so that each had a place of quiet dwelling and might follow the order of heaven and earth and meet with no calamity. What did the former kings gain by it for themselves? Within, the officers were no more than the nine attendants; without, no more than the nine ranks — enough to supply the spirits of heaven and earth, and no more. How should they have dared to glut and give rein to ear and eye, heart and belly, and so throw the hundred measures into confusion? It was only in the robes, articles, and emblazoned insignia of death and life, by which he presided over the hundred clans and apportioned to them in heavier and lighter degree, that a king differed at all.

"Now Heaven has sent down calamity upon the house of Zhou, and I, the One Man, barely keep the storehouse; and being without ability I have put my uncle to trouble. Were I to parcel out the great appurtenance of the former kings in payment of a private kindness, my uncle would both take it and loathe it, and would fault me, the One Man, for it. How should I, the One Man, dare to be grudging? The men of old had a saying: 'Change the jade pendant, and you change the pace.' If my uncle can make his great virtue broad and shining, change the surname and alter the emblems, create new institutions for the world and so show himself in use, and then draw to himself the full array of appurtenances to steady and soothe the hundred clans — then I, the One Man, will go into banishment and sojourn in the outer lands; what words should I have to say? But if he remains of the Ji surname, he will still stand in the rank of duke or marquis and restore the office of the former kings, and the great appurtenance may not yet be altered.

"Let my uncle strive to make his bright virtue shine, and the thing will come of itself. How should I dare, for a private service, to alter the great insignia of former times and so disgrace the world? What then of the former kings and of the hundred clans? And what would become of government and command? If it be otherwise, and my uncle, having land of his own, makes a tomb ramp there — how am I to know of it?"

Duke Wen then did not dare press the request, and returned after receiving the land.

The People of Yang Refuse to Submit to the Lord of Jin (阳人不服晋侯)

The king came back from Zheng and bestowed Yangfan upon Duke Wen of Jin. The people of Yang would not submit, and the lord of Jin besieged them.

Cang Ge called out, saying: "The king held the lord of Jin able in virtue, and so rewarded his labors with Yangfan. Yangfan cherishes the virtue of our king, and that is why it has not yet gone over to Jin. We said among ourselves, what virtue will the lord spread abroad to cherish and soothe us, so that we have no thought of turning away? But now he is about to wipe out our ancestral gates and slaughter our people. No wonder we do not dare submit.

"What the three armies are sent against is the arrogance, license, and irreverence of the Man, the Yi, the Rong, and the Di; against those one brings arms to bear. But here is only weak Yang, not yet used to the lord's government, and therefore it has not yet received his command. If the lord would show us kindness and simply summon us through his officers, who would dare go against his command? Why should an army be disgraced over it? Will not the lord's martial awe be worn cheap and blunted?

"I have heard it said: 'Arms are not to be paraded, and the civil arts are not to be hidden. Arms paraded have no awe; the civil arts hidden give no light.' Yang has not been suffered to keep its place among the royal domain lands and is met only with a parade of arms; this is why I am afraid. Were it otherwise, would we dare spare ourselves? And besides, does Yang hold any banished folk? They are all of them fathers and elder brothers, nephews and uncles by marriage of the Son of Heaven. How can he treat them cruelly?"

The lord of Jin heard him and said: "These are the words of a gentleman." And he let the people of Yang go free.

King Xiang Refuses to Put Duke Cheng of Wei to Death (襄王拒杀卫成公)

At the meeting at Wen the men of Jin seized Duke Cheng of Wei and sent him to Zhou. The lord of Jin asked that he be put to death. The king said: "It cannot be done. Government proceeds from above downward. Those above frame the government, and those below carry it out without contradiction; therefore there is no resentment above or below. Now my uncle frames a government and it is not carried out. Surely this cannot be. Between ruler and subject there is no litigation. Though Yuan Xuan is in the right, he must not be listened to. If ruler and subject both go to law, then father and son will go to law; and then there is no above and below. Yet my uncle has listened to him: that is one contradiction. And to kill a ruler on his subject's behalf — where then is the use of punishment? To publish punishments and not use them rightly: that is a second contradiction. At a single assembly of the feudal lords to have twice gone against government — I fear there will be no sequel to it. Were it not so, what private favor should I have for the lord of Wei?"

The men of Jin then sent the lord of Wei back.

Wangsun Man Watches the Army of Qin (王孙满观秦师)

In the twenty-fourth year the army of Qin was about to make a surprise attack on Zheng, and passed the north gate of Zhou. Left and right they all took off their helmets and dismounted to bow, and then leaped back aboard — three hundred chariots of them.

Wangsun Man (王孫滿) watched them and said to the king: "The army of Qin will surely meet with disaster."

The king said: "How so?"

He replied: "The army is light and arrogant. Being light, it is short of planning; being arrogant, it is without ritual propriety. Without ritual propriety it is careless; short of planning, it traps itself. To enter a defile carelessly — can it fail to be beaten? If the army of Qin meets no disaster, then the constant way of things is abolished."

On that expedition the army of Qin turned back, and the men of Jin defeated it at Yao and took its three commanders, Bing, Shu, and Shi.

King Ding Explains Why the Whole Victim Was Not Used (定王论不用全烝之故)

The lord of Jin sent Sui Hui on a diplomatic visit to Zhou. King Ding feasted him with the jointed portions, and Duke Yuan assisted at the rite. Fan Zi said privately to Duke Yuan: "I have heard that in the rites of the royal house nothing is broken or cut apart. What rite is this?" The king saw him speaking, summoned Duke Yuan and asked him, and Duke Yuan told him.

The king summoned Shi Ji and said: "Have you not heard? For the di and the jiao sacrifices there is the whole victim raised entire; for the standing banquet of king and duke there is the half carcass on the great stand; for the feasting of kinsmen there are the jointed portions. Now you are no stranger to us: my uncle has sent Shi Ji to come and renew the old friendship and to uphold the royal house. It was precisely the banquet rite of the former kings that I wished to hand on to you. Should I, the One Man, dare set out the yu or the di offering, lavish but not the rite for kin, transgressing the old usage and disordering the friendship of former times?

"Besides, it is only for the Rong and the Di that whole limbs are offered. The Rong and the Di push and plunge, are light and disorderly, greedy and unyielding; their blood and breath are unruled, and they are like birds and beasts. When they come to render their tribute, they do not wait upon fragrance and fine flavor. Therefore they are seated outside the gate, and the tongue-men hand the carcasses over to them whole.

"You now are one of the one or two brothers of my royal house, and we meet in due season. We should bring the standing rites into harmony and so show the people a rule to be taught by. Should we not choose what is tender and fine, select what is fragrant, make the wines and ales pure, set the hundred bamboo stands in order, make ready the fu and gui vessels, bring out the ox-shaped and elephant-shaped goblets, produce the zun and yi wine vessels, lay out the cauldrons and the stands, clean the covering cloths, and reverently perform the purifying — and have the carcass disjointed and the joints cut, and eat and drink it together? And so there are the jointed stands and the added dishes, the silks of the pledge and the goods of the feast, to display good bearing and knit friendship. How should there be a whole undivided carcass here, as when we treat the Rong and the Di beyond the outskirts?

"When the king, the dukes, and the feudal lords hold a standing feast, it is in order to deliberate upon affairs and complete the regulations, to establish great virtue and to display the great vessels; and therefore they stand through the finished rite and merely raise up the prepared offerings, and no more. The standing feast is for making the appointments manifest; the banquet is for joining goodwill. Therefore the yearly standing feast does not weary them, and the seasonal banquet does not run to excess; the monthly reckoning, the work of every ten days, and the tasks completed each day are not forgotten. Robes and appointments make merit manifest, and colored ornaments make it bright; the woven and embroidered patterns match their images; the turning and circling follow their order; the countenance has its adornment, and the dignified bearing has its rule; the five flavors fill out the breath, the five colors refine the mind, the five notes make virtue manifest, and the five duties keep the record of what is fitting; the food and drink are fit to be presented, the concord and unity are fit to be looked upon, and the goods and wealth are fit to be praised. Then all is in due order, and virtue is established. Among the men of old who were good at ritual, what use would there have been for the whole steamed victim?"

Wuzi thereupon did not dare to answer, and withdrew. On returning home he studied and gathered up the canonical rites of the Three Dynasties, and thereupon revised the Ranked Offices code (執秩) to serve as the law of Jin.

Duke Xiang of Shan Argues That Chen Must Perish (單襄公論陳必亡)

King Ding sent Duke Xiang of Shan (單襄公) on a diplomatic visit to Song, and he then requested passage through Chen in order to make a visit to Chu. The Fire star was already appearing at dawn, yet the roads were choked with weeds and could not be traveled; the escort officers were not at the border; the minister of works was not inspecting the roadways; the marshes had no embankments and the rivers no bridges; grain lay heaped in the open country and the threshing-floor work was unfinished; the roads had no rows of trees, and the newly opened fields were as thin as if things had only just been set out in them; the steward of provisions sent no fresh victuals, and the officer of the wards assigned no lodging; the capital had no guest quarters, and the districts had no places for travelers to set down their loads; and the people were about to build a terrace for the Xia family. When he reached Chen, Duke Ling of Chen, with Kong Ning and Yi Xingfu, had gone off in southern caps to the house of Xia, and left his guest waiting without an audience.

Master Shan went home and reported to the king: "If the Marquis of Chen does not himself meet with a great calamity, his state will surely perish." The king said, "For what reason?" He replied: "When the Horn of the Dragon appears, the rains are finished. When Tiangen appears, the waters run dry. When the Root appears, the joints of plants and trees come apart. When the Heavenly Team appears, frost falls. When the Fire star appears, the clear wind gives warning of cold. Therefore the teaching of the former kings said: 'When the rains are finished, clear the roads. When the waters run dry, complete the bridges. When the joints of plants and trees come apart, make ready the stores. When frost falls, have the winter furs prepared. When the clear wind comes, repair the outer walls and the palace buildings.' And therefore the Ordinances of Xia say: 'In the ninth month clear the roads; in the tenth month complete the bridges.' And their seasonal warning says: 'Gather in the work of the threshing-floor; make ready your earth-baskets and carrying frames. When Yingshi stands at the center, the earthworks begin. When the Fire star first appears, assemble before the officer of the wards.' This is how the former kings, without spending goods or wealth, spread virtue broadly through the world. Now in the state of Chen the Fire star has appeared at dawn, yet the roads are as if blocked, the fields and threshing-floors as if abandoned, the marshes without embankments, the rivers without boat bridges. This is to abolish the teaching of the former kings.

"The institutes of Zhou have it: 'Rows of trees mark out the roads, and provisioning posts are set up in the outlying districts to keep the highways. The capital has its suburban pastures; the borders have their lodging houses and their lookout men; the marshlands have their broad grasses; the parks have their groves and ponds — all as a defense against disaster. All the rest is nothing but grain land. Among the people no plowshare hangs unused, and in the open country no rank grass stands. The people's seasons are not taken from them, and the people's labor is not squandered. There is abundance and no want, ease and no exhaustion. In the capital the service is done in turn; in the districts the people work in order.' Now in Chen the roads cannot be made out, the fields lie among the weeds, the crop is finished but not gathered in, and the people are worn out with providing their ruler's amusements. This is to cast aside the statutes of the former kings.

"The Ranked Offices (秩官) of Zhou has it: 'When a guest from a state of equal standing arrives, the warden of the pass reports it; the traveling envoy officer goes out with his credential tally to meet him; the escort officer serves as his guide; a minister goes out to the suburbs to offer him comfort; the warden of the gates sweeps the gateway; the master of ancestral rites and the invocator take charge of the sacrifices; the officer of the wards assigns lodging; the minister of education musters the labor gangs; the minister of works inspects the roadways; the minister of justice takes up wrongdoers; the forester brings in materials; the officer of the domain lands piles the firewood; the master of fire oversees the courtyard torches; the master of water oversees the washing; the steward of provisions sends in the cooked meats; the keeper of the granaries presents fresh grain; the marshal sets out fodder; the artisans inspect the carriages; and the hundred officers arrive each with his business — so that the guest enters as if he were coming home. For this reason neither the great nor the small among them fail to feel affection. When a guest from an honored state arrives, every rank is raised one degree and the reverence increased. When it is an officer of the king, then the head of every office attends to the business in person, and the senior minister oversees them. If the king is on tour of inspection, then the ruler oversees it in person.' Now, though I, Chao, am without talent, I belong to a branch of the royal house of Zhou, and I bore the king's command as a guest passing through Chen; yet not one officer in charge came forward. This is to slight the offices of the former kings.

"The ordinances of the former kings have it: 'The Way of Heaven rewards the good and punishes the licentious. Therefore, in all the states we have made, follow nothing that is not the constant norm, and approach nothing that is idle and licentious; let each of you keep to his own canons, and so receive the blessing of Heaven.' Now the Marquis of Chen gives no thought to the constant duty of continuing his line; he casts aside his wedded wife and his consorts and leads out his ministers to fornicate at the house of Xia. Is this not to defile his own surname? Chen is the posterity of our Great Ji (大姬). He puts off the dragon robe and the ceremonial cap and goes out in a southern cap. Is this not to make light of the constant norm? This too is to violate the ordinances of the former kings.

"In old times, under the teaching of the former kings, men strove to follow their virtue and still feared that they would stumble and fall. If a ruler abolishes their teaching and casts aside their statutes, slights their offices and violates their ordinances, by what will he hold his state? Dwelling between great states, and lacking these four things, can he last long?"

In the sixth year Master Shan went to Chu. In the eighth year the Marquis of Chen was killed at the house of Xia. In the ninth year the Viscount of Chu entered Chen.

Duke Kang of Liu on Thrift and Extravagance Among the Grandees of Lu (劉康公論魯大夫儉與侈)

In the eighth year of King Ding, he sent Duke Kang of Liu (劉康公) on a diplomatic visit to Lu, where he distributed gifts of ceremonial silk among the grandees. Ji Wenzi and Meng Xianzi were both frugal; Shusun Xuanzi and Dongmen Zijia were both extravagant.

On his return the king asked which of the grandees of Lu were worthy. He replied: "Ji and Meng will surely long endure in Lu. Shusun and Dongmen will surely perish. And if their households do not perish, they themselves will not escape." The king said, "For what reason?" He replied: "Your servant has heard it said that he who is a subject must be a subject indeed, and he who is a ruler must be a ruler indeed. Generosity, strictness, breadth, and kindness belong to the ruler; reverence, care, respectfulness, and thrift belong to the subject. Generosity is what preserves the root; strictness is what brings the season's work to completion; breadth is what spreads instruction; kindness is what brings the people into harmony. If the root is preserved, it must be firm; if a man moves with the season and completes his work, no undertaking will fail; if instruction is spread and made broad, it reaches everywhere; if the people are harmonized by kindness, they grow rich. When the root is firm and the work is completed, when the giving reaches everywhere and the people are rich, then one may long preserve the people — and what affair will not go through? Reverence is what receives commands; care is what guards one's charge; respectfulness is what supplies service; thrift is what makes resources sufficient. Receive commands with reverence and you will not transgress; guard your charge with care and you will not slacken; supply service with respectfulness and you will be far from death; make your resources sufficient with thrift and you will be far from anxiety. If a man receives commands without transgressing, guards his charge without slackening, keeps far from death and far from anxiety, then above and below there will be no rift, and what charge will he not be able to bear? When the man above entrusts affairs and they go through, and the man below can bear the charge laid on him, this is how a good name is made and lasts through the ages. Now those two men are frugal, and so they can make their resources sufficient; and when resources suffice, the clan can be sheltered. The other two are extravagant, and being extravagant they take no thought for want; and taking no thought for want, trouble will surely reach them. Being such men, they will surely puff themselves up. Moreover, when a subject is extravagant, the state cannot bear it: this is the road to ruin." The king said, "How long?" He replied: "Dongmen's station is lower than Shusun's, and yet he is the more extravagant: he will not be able to serve two rulers. Shusun's station is lower than Ji's and Meng's, and yet he too is extravagant: he will not be able to serve three rulers. If they both die early, it may still be well; but if they live on many years and carry that poison forward, they will surely perish."

In the sixteenth year Duke Xuan of Lu died. Before the death announcement had reached the court, the Dongmen clan came to report the disorder: Zijia had fled to Qi. In the eleventh year of King Jian, Shusun Xuanbo of Lu likewise fled to Qi, when Duke Cheng had still two years to live.

Wangsun Yue Asks That No Gift Be Given to Shusun Qiaoru (王孫說請勿賜叔孫僑如)

In the eighth year of King Jian, Duke Cheng of Lu came to court, sending Shusun Qiaoru (叔孫僑如) ahead to make the formal visit and give notice. Qiaoru had an audience with Wangsun Yue (王孫說) and talked with him. Yue said to the king: "There is something out of the ordinary in this coming of Shusun of Lu. The gifts he brought for the offering and audience were meager, and his words were flattering: he is probably making a request. And if he is making a request, he must be wanting a gift. Those who hold power in Lu look only to strength, and so it was with no good will that they sent him. Moreover his face is square above and pointed below: he is likely a man who offends and imposes upon others. Let the king give him nothing. If a greedy and overbearing man comes and has his wish filled, that is not to reward the good; and besides, the treasury cannot supply it. Therefore the sage deliberates over what he gives and what he withholds, and deliberates likewise over his pleasure and his anger, his taking and his giving. Thus he makes neither generosity and kindness his rule, nor fierceness and severity, but virtue and right, and nothing else." The king said, "Very well." He had private inquiry made in Lu, and it was indeed a request. The king accordingly gave him nothing, and treated him with the ceremony due an ordinary envoy. When the Marquis of Lu arrived, Zhongsun Mie served as his chief attendant. Wangsun Yue talked with him, and found him given to deference. Yue reported this to the king, and the king gave him rich presents.

Duke Xiang of Shan on Xi Zhi Filching Heaven's Merit (單襄公論郤至佻天之功)

After Jin had defeated Chu at Yan, it sent Xi Zhi (郤至) to report the good news to Zhou. Before he had performed the ceremony, Duke Jian of Wangshu (王叔簡公) gave him wine; the gifts exchanged in the pledging and the presents of goodwill were both lavish, and over the wine and the banquet talk the two took great pleasure in one another.

The next day Master Wangshu praised him at court. Xi Zhi had an audience with Duke Huan of Shao (邵桓公) and talked with him, and Duke Shao reported it to Duke Xiang of Shan, saying: "Master Wangshu praises Wen Ji and holds that he will certainly become chief minister of Jin, and that once he is chief minister of Jin he will certainly win over the feudal lords in a great way. He urges the several gentlemen here to take the lead in guiding him forward, so that a party may be planted. Now this gentleman, when he saw me, made out that Jin's victory was really of his own devising. He said: 'Without me, Jin would not have fought at all. Chu had five causes of defeat, and Jin did not know how to press them; I forced it to do so. That they turned their backs on the covenant of Song was the first. That they were thin in virtue and yet bought the feudal lords with land was the second. That they discarded the excellence of men in their prime and employed the young and weak was the third. That they set up a high minister and then did not use his words was the fourth. That the Yi and Zheng went with them, so that three lines were drawn up and none of them in order, was the fifth. The fault did not lie with Jin. Jin had the hearts of its people; the commanders of the four armies were in the full strength of their manhood; the ranks and files were ordered and disciplined; and the feudal lords were with us. So there were five grounds of victory. We had a case, the first; we had the people, the second; our army commanders were strong and able, the third; our ranks were ordered and disciplined, the fourth; the feudal lords were united and at peace with us, the fifth. Even one ground of victory is enough to act upon; and to have five grounds of victory with which to attack five causes of defeat, and yet to shun the battle, would not be human. It was impossible not to fight. Luan and Fan did not want it; I forced them. We fought and we won: that was my doing. Moreover in that battle there was no strategy at all, but I have three merits: courage joined with ritual propriety, and both turned back upon humaneness. Three times I drove back the ruler of Chu's own troops: that was courage. Whenever I saw their ruler I got down from my chariot and hurried past: that was ritual propriety. I could have taken the Earl of Zheng and let him go: that was humaneness. If a man such as this were to take charge of the government of Jin, Chu and Yue would surely come to court.'

"I said, 'You are indeed worthy. But in Jin's promotions the order of succession is not departed from, and I fear that the government will not yet come to you.' He said to me: 'What order of succession is there? In old times the former grandee Xun Bo went from deputy of the Lower Army to the government; Zhao Xuanzi had no army command at all and took the government; and now Luan Bo has gone up from the Lower Army. These are three men, and with myself we are four; I surpass them, and there is nothing in which I fall short. If I, deputy of the New Army, were to rise to the government, would that not be quite proper? I shall certainly seek it.' Such were his words. What does my lord make of them?"

Duke Xiang said: "There is a saying among men, 'The blade is at his neck.' Is it not Xi Zhi that it means? A gentleman does not praise himself — not out of mere modesty, but because he hates to overshadow other men. It is the nature of men to press upward against those above them, and they will not be overshadowed. He who seeks to overshadow others is pushed down all the more; therefore the sage prizes yielding. And the proverb says, 'The beast hates the net; the people hate those above them.' The Documents say, 'The people may be drawn near, but they may not be lorded over.' The Odes say, 'The gentle and easy gentleman seeks blessing without crookedness.' In the rites, between equals there must be three yieldings; by this the sage shows that he knows the people are not to be overridden. Therefore he who would be king over the world must put the people first and only then take shelter under them, and so his benefit is lasting. Now Xi Zhi stands below seven men and wishes to be above them: this is to seek to overshadow seven men, and so he will have seven resentments against him. Resentment lodged in mean little men cannot be borne; how much less when it is lodged in overbearing ministers? What will he have to meet it with?

"Jin's victory was because Heaven held Chu in loathing and therefore warned it by means of Jin. For Xi Zhi to filch Heaven's merit and make it his own strength — is that not perilous? To filch from Heaven is unlucky; to override other men is unrighteous. What is unlucky Heaven casts away; what is unrighteous the people rebel against. And what three merits does Xi Zhi have? Humaneness, ritual propriety, and courage are all the doing of the people. To die in service for the sake of righteousness is called courage. To uphold righteousness and follow the rule is called ritual propriety. To nourish righteousness and make merit abundant is called humaneness. Counterfeit humaneness is filching; counterfeit ritual propriety is shame; counterfeit courage is treachery. In war, to make an end of the enemy is best; in keeping the peace, to hold to concord and follow what is right is best. Therefore war is governed by decision and resolve, and the court is governed by rank observed in order. To go against the battle and take it upon himself to release the ruler of Zheng was treachery. To abandon resolve and put on a display of manner was shame. To turn from his own state and go over to the enemy was filching. With three such counterfeits he seeks to supplant those above him: he is far indeed from getting the government. As I see it, the blade is at his neck, and he cannot last. Even our own Wangshu will not be able to escape the calamity. The Great Oath says, 'What the people desire, Heaven will surely follow.' Wangshu has set his desire on Xi Zhi: can he help but follow him?"

Xi Zhi went home and died in the troubles the next year. When the lawsuit with Boyu came, Wangshu Chensheng fled to Jin.

Book 3 — Discourses of Zhou, Part 3 (卷三 周語下)

Duke Xiang of Shan Foretells Disorder in Jin (單襄公論晉將有亂)

At the meeting at Keling, Duke Xiang of Shan observed that Duke Li of Jin looked far off and stepped high. Xi Qi of Jin came to see him, and his speech was offensive. Xi Chou came, and his speech was devious. Xi Zhi came, and his speech was boastful. Guo Zuo of Qi came, and his speech held nothing back. Duke Cheng of Lu came, and spoke of the trouble he was in with Jin and of Xi Chou's slander against him.

Master Shan said: "Why should my lord be troubled by that? Jin is going to have disorder, and its ruler and the three Xi will bear the brunt of it." The Marquis of Lu said: "I have been afraid I should not escape Jin, and now my lord says there will be disorder. May I ask whether this is the Way of Heaven, or a matter of human affairs?" He replied: "I am no blind music master and no scribe-astrologer; how should I know the Way of Heaven? But I have seen the bearing of the ruler of Jin and heard the speech of the three Xi, and disaster is all but certain. A gentleman uses his eyes to settle the carriage of his body, and his feet follow them; therefore by watching a man's bearing one knows his mind. The eyes fix upon what is fitting, and the feet walk where the eyes look. Now the Marquis of Jin looks far off and steps high; his eyes are not upon his body, and his feet do not walk where his eyes look. His mind must be at odds. When eyes and body do not follow one another, how can a man last? To assemble the feudal lords is a great matter for the people, and in it one may see who will survive and who will perish. Therefore when a state is to be without blame, its ruler at such a meeting will show nothing to be reproached in his stepping, his speaking, his looking, or his listening, and from this his virtue may be known. To look far off is day by day to cut off what is fitting. To step high is day by day to cast away virtue. To speak double is day by day to go against good faith. To listen loosely is day by day to depart from one's good name. The eyes fix upon what is fitting, the feet tread out virtue, the mouth shelters good faith, and the ears listen for a good name; therefore a man cannot but be careful of them. To lose some of them brings blame, and when they are lost altogether the state follows after. The Marquis of Jin has lost two of them; that is why I speak as I do.

"As for the Xi clan, they are the favorites of Jin: three ministers and five grandees. That is reason enough for them to take warning and be afraid. A high place is indeed swift to topple, and a rich flavor is indeed a quick poison. Now Xi Bo's speech is offensive, Shu's is devious, and Ji's is boastful. To be offensive is to bear down upon men; to be devious is to slander men; to be boastful is to eclipse men. To have such favor, and to add to it three grudges — who could endure it? Even Guozi of Qi will share in the calamity. To stand in a state given over to license and disorder and yet love to speak one's whole mind, so as to hold up other men's faults, is the root of resentment. Only a good man can bear to be spoken to without reserve; does Qi have such a man? I have heard it said that when a state has virtue and borders on one that does not cultivate it, it will surely receive good fortune from it. Now my lord is pressed by Jin and borders on Qi. If Qi and Jin come to calamity, you may take the leadership of the lords. Your trouble is to be without virtue; why be anxious about Jin? Moreover, that man who bears the Tall Di's name is greedy and not righteous, and his greed has run into license. What of banishing him?"

The Marquis of Lu went home and drove out Shusun Qiaoru. In the eleventh year of King Jian the feudal lords met at Keling. In the twelfth year Jin killed the three Xi. In the thirteenth year the Marquis of Jin was assassinated, and was buried outside the eastern gate of Yi with a single carriage. The men of Qi killed Guo Wuzi.

Duke Xiang of Shan Says That Zhou of Jin Will Gain the State (單襄公論晉周將得晉國)

Zhou, the son of Sun Tan of Jin, went to the royal court of Zhou and entered the service of Duke Xiang of Shan. He stood without resting his weight on one leg; he looked without letting his eyes dart back; he listened without cocking his ears; he spoke of nothing beyond the reach of his eyes and ears. When he spoke of reverence, he always brought in Heaven. When he spoke of loyalty, he always brought in the intent of the mind. When he spoke of good faith, he always brought in his own person. When he spoke of humaneness, he always brought in other men. When he spoke of righteousness, he always brought in benefit. When he spoke of wisdom, he always brought in affairs. When he spoke of courage, he always brought in restraint. When he spoke of teaching, he always brought in discernment. When he spoke of filial piety, he always brought in the spirits. When he spoke of kindness, he always brought in concord. When he spoke of yielding, he always brought in his equals. When Jin had a sorrow, he never failed to grieve; when it had a blessing, he never failed to rejoice.

When Duke Xiang fell ill, he summoned Duke Qing and told him: "Be sure to treat Zhou of Jin well; he will gain the state of Jin. His conduct is patterned (文), and one who can be patterned obtains Heaven and Earth. Those whom Heaven and Earth bless obtain a state at the least. Reverence is the respectfulness of the pattern; loyalty is its substance; good faith is its trustworthiness; humaneness is its love; righteousness is its regulation; wisdom is its carriage; courage is its leader; teaching is its dispensing; filial piety is its root; kindness is its tenderness; yielding is its stuff. Taking Heaven for a model, a man can be reverent. Following the intent of his own mind, he can be loyal. Considering his own person, he can keep faith. Loving others, he can be humane. Making benefit his rule, he can be righteous. Setting affairs upon their feet, he can be wise. Leading with righteousness, he can be brave. Spreading discernment abroad, he can teach. Honoring the spirits, he can be filial. Being tender and concordant, he can be kind. Deferring to his equals, he can yield. These eleven things this gentleman has, every one.

"Six in Heaven and five on Earth: that is the constancy of number. The warp is drawn from Heaven and the weft from Earth, and when warp and weft do not go awry, that is the image of the pattern. King Wen's very nature was patterned, and therefore Heaven blessed him with the world. This gentleman is clothed in that pattern, and his standing in the ancestral order is close besides. He may gain the state. Moreover, to stand without leaning is uprightness; to look without letting the eye dart back is correctness; to listen without cocking the ear is steadiness; to speak of nothing beyond one's sight and hearing is caution. Uprightness is the road of virtue; correctness is the good faith of virtue; steadiness is the completion of virtue; caution is the guarding of virtue. He guards and completes, pure and firm; his road is upright and his dealings faithful; he is clear in the virtue that wins a good name. Caution, steadiness, correctness, and uprightness are the helpers of virtue. That he takes Jin's joy and sorrow for his own shows that he does not turn his back on the root. Clothed in the pattern and helped by virtue — if not a state, what shall he get?

"When Duke Cheng went home, I heard that Jin divined about him with the yarrow stalks and got Qian changing into Pi. The oracle said: 'A match, but not to the end; three rulers shall come forth from here.' One has already passed; who the last will be I do not know; but the next must be this man. I have heard also that when Duke Cheng was born, his mother dreamed that a spirit drew a mark on his buttocks in ink and said, 'Let him have the state of Jin, and at the third let it be given to the grandson of Huan.' Therefore they named him Black-Buttocks. And now it has come twice. Duke Xiang was named Huan, and this is his grandson; and he has the virtue that wins a good name, being filial and respectful. If not this man, then who? Further, the dream said, 'It must be the grandson of Huan who truly holds the state of Jin,' and the hexagram said, 'Three times shall the ruler be taken from Zhou.' His virtue too fits him to be lord of a state, so that three things fall together. I have heard the old words in the Great Oath: 'My dream accords with my tortoise; they fall together upon a fair omen; in war upon Shang we shall surely conquer.' That was because three things fell together. Jin goes on and on without the Way and is thin in heirs; it will surely lose the state. Be sure to treat the man of Jin well while it is early; he is the one it will fall to."

Duke Qing agreed. When the troubles of Duke Li came, they summoned Master Zhou and set him up, and this was Duke Dao.

Prince Jin Remonstrates with King Ling Against Damming the Gu River (太子晉諫靈王壅穀水)

In the twenty-second year of King Ling, the Gu and the Luo fought together and were about to destroy the royal palace. The king wished to dam them. The heir apparent, Jin, remonstrated: "It cannot be done. I, Jin, have heard that those of old who were shepherds of the people did not throw down mountains, did not raise up marshes, did not dike rivers, and did not breach standing waters. A mountain is a gathering of earth; a marsh is where things come home; a river is the channel that leads the breath; a standing water is where water is collected. When Heaven and Earth were completed, they gathered things upon the heights and brought things home to the low places. They opened channels for rivers and valleys, to lead the breath along; they made banks and ponds, hollows and low ground, to gather the richness. Thus what was gathered did not slip and fall away, and things had somewhere to come home to; the breath neither sank and stagnated nor scattered abroad. Thus the people had goods and use while they lived, and a place to be buried when they died. Then there was no sorrow of early death, madness, plague, or sickness, and no distress of hunger, cold, lack, or want. High and low could therefore hold firm together and be ready for what could not be foreseen. Of just this the sage kings of old were careful.

"Long ago Gonggong cast this way aside. He took his ease in sunken pleasures and ran to such excess that he lost himself; he wished to dam and dike the hundred rivers, tearing down the heights and filling in the hollows, to the harm of all under Heaven. August Heaven did not bless him, and the multitude of the people did not help him; calamity and disorder rose together, and by this Gonggong was destroyed. In the time of You Yu there was Gun, Earl of Chong, who spread abroad the same licentious mind and took up and carried on Gonggong's fault; and Yao therefore put him to death at Mount Yu. Afterward Earl Yu bore in mind that his predecessors had broken the measure. He set in order and reformed the regulations and measures; he took his models from the images of Heaven and Earth and matched them against the hundred standards; he made them the plumb line for the people and the measure for all that lives. The collateral grandson of Gonggong, the Four Peaks, assisted him. They raised what was high and lowered what was low, opened the rivers and led off what stood still, gathered the waters and made things abundant, banked and raised the nine mountains, cut through and freed the nine rivers, embanked and dammed the nine marshes, made the nine fens lush and fruitful, cleared and drained the nine plains, made the nine sheltered lands fit to dwell in, and joined the four seas into one. Therefore Heaven had no hidden yin and Earth no scattered yang; the waters had no sunken breath and fire no blazing calamity; the spirits made no crooked comings and goings and the people had no licentious minds; the seasons had no reversed reckoning and creatures did no harm to what lives. Following and modeling themselves on Yu's achievement, measuring by the track and the rule, there was nothing that was not a fine accomplishment, and they were able to satisfy the mind of Heaven. August Heaven approved of him and gave him the world for his portion, bestowing the surname Si and the clan name You Xia, saying that he was able by good blessing to make living things rich and abundant. It gave the Four Peaks a state and appointed them earl over the lords, bestowing the surname Jiang and the clan name You Lü, saying that they were able to be Yu's thighs and arms, his heart and his spine, and so to nourish creatures and enrich the people.

"This one king and these four earls — were they men of abundant favor? They were all the descendants of ruined rulers. It was only because they were able to set in order and raise up what was good and right that they had posterity below them and kept their sacrifices without letting their canon lapse. Though the house of Xia declined, Qi and Zeng still stand; though Shen and Lü declined, Qi and Xu still stand. It was only through fine achievement that they were given surnames and received sacrifice, down to the holding of the world itself. And when they lost it, there was always a heedless and licentious mind that had come in between. So they lost their clan and surname, were struck down and could not rise; their posterity was cut off and they had none to sacrifice for them; they sank away, were set aside, and became bondsmen and grooms. Were those who perished, then, men without favor? They were all the posterity of the Yellow Emperor and the Fiery Emperor. It was only that they did not follow the measure of Heaven and Earth, did not comply with the order of the four seasons, did not weigh what was fitting between the people and the spirits, and did not take the rule of living things for their plumb line; and so they were wiped out without heirs, and to this day are not sacrificed to. And when men gain it, there is always a loyal and faithful mind that has come in between. They measure by Heaven and Earth and move with the seasons; they are in harmony with people and spirits and take the rule of things for their plumb line; therefore they are high and bright and come to a good end, illustrious, far-reaching, and clear; they are given surname and clan name, with a good name attached to them. If a man opens the instructions handed down by the former kings, examines their canons, their charts, and their penal laws, and considers who fell and who rose, it can all be known. Those who rose always had the merit of Xia and Lü in them; those who fell always had the ruin of Gonggong and Gun in them. Now those who hold power among us must in truth be turning away from this, and are troubling the spirits of those two rivers, so that they have come to contend in their brightness and stand in the way of the royal palace. For the king to paper it over — surely that cannot be done.

"Men have a saying: 'Do not pass by the gate of a violent man.' And again: 'He who helps the cook gets a taste of it; he who helps in a brawl gets hurt.' And again: 'Calamity that is not courted cannot become calamity.' The Odes say:

The four stallions press on and on,
the falcon and serpent banners flutter;
disorder breaks out and is not quelled,
and there is no state that is not ruined.

And again:

The people are greedy for disorder,
content to work bitterness and poison.

To see disorder and not be alarmed is to leave much destruction behind, and the papering over of it grows only the more conspicuous. Even the people's resentment and disorder cannot be dammed up; how much less the spirits? The king proposes to dike the fighting rivers in order to dress up his palace: this is to dress up disorder and to take a hand in the brawl. Will it not make the calamity conspicuous, and get him hurt besides? From our former kings Li, Xuan, You, and Ping we have coveted Heaven's calamity, and to this day it has not been stilled. If we make it conspicuous again, I fear it will reach far down to our sons and grandsons, and the royal house will sink lower still. What then?

"From Houji onward there has been the quieting of disorder, and only with Wen, Wu, Cheng, and Kang were the people barely made secure. From Houji's first laying of the foundation for settling the people, it took fifteen kings before Wen began to bring them peace, and eighteen kings before Kang was able to make them secure. So hard a thing it was. Since Li first altered the canons, fourteen kings have passed. If a foundation of virtue laid through fifteen generations was needed before peace began, then with a foundation of calamity laid through fifteen, shall we not be past saving? Morning and evening I am on my guard and afraid, saying, 'What virtue can be cultivated to give the royal house a little light, and so go out to meet Heaven's blessing?' Yet the king would make calamity and disorder conspicuous and lend them his help. What will be able to bear it? Let the king not fail to look in the mirror of the rulers of the Li and the Miao, and down to the last days of Xia and Shang. Above, they took no model from Heaven; below, they took no plumb line from Earth; in the middle, they did not harmonize the people; in the four quarters, they did not comply with the seasons; they did not serve the spirits of Heaven and Earth, and they slighted and cast away the five rules. Therefore men leveled their ancestral temples and fire consumed their sacred vessels; their sons and grandsons became bondsmen and were brought down to the level of the common people. And even so they never looked to the rule of the wise men before them and their fine virtue. Take these five for your rule, and you receive Heaven's abundant blessing, enjoy the strength of the people's labor, have sons and grandsons in plenty, and a good name that is not forgotten. All this the Son of Heaven knows.

"The descendants whom Heaven raised high may be found among the furrows and ridges, because they wished to throw the people into disorder. Men of the furrows and ridges may be found at the altars of soil and grain, because they wished to settle the people. There is nothing else in it. The Odes say, 'Yin's mirror is not far off; it lies in the age of the lords of Xia.' What use, then, is dressing up the palace? It is only to court disorder. Measure it against the spirits of Heaven: it is not auspicious. Compare it with the things of Earth: it is not right. Class it with the rule of the people: it is not humane. Set it against the movement of the seasons: it is not compliant. Consult it with the instructions of former times: it is not correct. Look at it in the Odes and the Documents and in the standing sayings of the people: it is in every case what ruined kings have done. Weigh it high and low, and there is nothing to match it against or measure it by. Let the king consider it. Where in great matters there is no following of the images and in small matters no following of the writings; where above there is no law of Heaven, below no benefit of Earth, in the middle no rule of the people, and in the quarters no moving with the seasons — whoever acts there will surely be without measure. And to act without measure is the road to harm."

In the end the king dammed it. And when King Jing had many favorites, disorder began from that. King Jing died, and the royal house fell into great disorder. By the time of King Ding, the royal house had sunk low.

Yangshe Xi of Jin on Duke Jing of Shan's Reverence, Thrift, Deference, and Consultation (晉羊舌肸聘周論單靖公敬儉讓咨)

Yangshe Xi (羊舌肸) of Jin came on a diplomatic visit to Zhou, and distributed his ceremonial silks among the grandees, and to Duke Jing of Shan. Duke Jing entertained him: the feast was frugal, but he himself was reverent. In the ceremonies due a guest, in the parting gifts and the farewell meal, he looked to those above him in rank and followed their measure. At the banquet nothing was given privately, and he escorted his guest no farther than the suburbs. In their talk he took pleasure in the ode "August Heaven Had Its Settled Charge."

The steward of the Shan household escorted Shuxiang out, and Shuxiang said to him: "Remarkable! I have heard it said, 'One house does not flourish twice.' Yet now Zhou may flourish again, for it has this Master Shan. Long ago the scribe Yi said: 'For action, nothing like reverence; for dwelling, nothing like thrift; for virtue, nothing like yielding; for affairs, nothing like consultation.' What Master Shan bestowed on me was ritual, and all four are in it. That his halls and chambers are not lofty, and his vessels have neither red lacquer nor inlay — that is thrift. That his own person is alert and his rooms swept clean, that within and without all is ordered and ready — that is reverence. That in banqueting and goodwill, in entertaining and in gifts, he does not overstep those above him — that is yielding. That in the ceremonies due a guest he takes his measure from those above him and only then acts — that is consultation. Being such a man, and adding to it that he gives nothing privately, and weighting it further by not doing as the crowd did, he can keep clear of resentment. To dwell in thrift and act in reverence, to make yielding his virtue and consultation his way in affairs, and by these to keep clear of resentment — as a minister and adviser, how should he not flourish?

"And that in his talk he took pleasure in 'August Heaven Had Its Settled Charge' — that is a hymn of abundant virtue. The ode says:

August Heaven had its settled charge,
and the two rulers received it.
Completing the kingship, he dared not take his ease:
early and late he laid the foundation of the charge, broad and still.
Oh, unbroken and bright!
He made his heart deep, and so firmly brought all to peace.

This tells of the virtue of the completed kingship. To complete the kingship is to be able to make the brightness of the civil manifest and to make the might of the martial firm. That he who speaks of the settled charge yet names August Heaven is to honor what is above. 'The two rulers received it' is to yield the credit to virtue. 'Completing the kingship, he dared not take his ease' is reverence toward the hundred families. 'Early and late' is respectfulness. Ji (基) is 'to begin'; ming (命) is 'good faith'; you (宥) is 'generous'; mi (密) is 'quiet'; ji (緝) is 'bright'; xi (熙) is 'broad'; dan (亶) is 'deep'; si (肆) is 'firm'; jing (靖) is 'harmony.' In its opening it honors what is above, yields in virtue, and reveres the hundred families. In its middle it is respectful, thrifty, faithful, and generous, and follows this through to the bringing of peace. In its close it makes the heart broad and deep, and so firmly harmonizes all. It begins in virtue and yielding, holds in the middle to good faith and generosity, and ends in firmness and harmony; therefore it is called 'completed.' Master Shan is thrifty, reverent, yielding, and consulting, and so answers to that completed virtue. Even if Shan does not rise, his sons and grandsons will surely be many, and later ages will not forget him.

"The Odes say:

What is his kind?
The inner ways of house and home.
May the gentleman live ten thousand years,
and be granted blessing and heirs forever.

'Kind' means not shaming the wise men who went before. 'The inner ways' means making the people broad and abundant. 'Ten thousand years' means a good name that is not forgotten. 'Heirs' means sons and grandsons multiplying and growing. Master Shan does not forget, morning or evening, the virtue of the completed kingship: he may be said not to shame the wise men who went before. He embraces and keeps fast to bright virtue and so assists the royal house: he may be said to make the people broad and abundant. If a man can hold together the kinds of good things and so make the people one and rich, he must have the blessing of a shining renown and multiplying offspring; and Master Shan must be the man it falls to. If ever the house of Shan should have a gap, it will surely be this lord's sons and grandsons who carry it on; it will not come from any other line."

Duke Mu of Shan Remonstrates Against King Jing's Casting of Large Coin (單穆公諫景王鑄大錢)

In the twenty-first year of King Jing, he was about to cast large coin. Duke Mu of Shan (單穆公) said: "It cannot be done. In old times, when a calamity from Heaven came down, the rulers measured the goods and the currency and weighed the light against the heavy, and so relieved and rescued the people. If the people suffered from money too light, then heavy coin was made and put into circulation, and so there was the mother balancing the child in circulation, and the people all got what they needed. If they could not bear the heavy, then light coin was made in quantity and put into circulation, and yet the heavy was not abolished either; and so there was the child balancing the mother in circulation, and small and great alike profited by it.

"Now the king would abolish the light and make the heavy. The people will lose their means; can they fail to be in want? And if they are in want, the king's expenditure will fall short; and falling short, he will take heavily from the people. When the people cannot supply it, they will set their minds on distant places, and this is to drive the people away. Moreover, some provision is set up before a thing arrives, and some relief is given only after it has arrived, and the two do not run into one another. To leave unprovided what might have been provided beforehand is called slackness; to do beforehand what might have waited is called summoning calamity. Zhou is already a weak and sickly state, and Heaven has not yet had its fill of sending calamity upon it; to drive the people away besides, and so take calamity's side, is surely not to be done. To be about to dwell with the people and instead to drive them away, to be about to guard against calamity and instead to summon it — with what will one then govern the state? If the state has no governing thread, how shall commands go forth? That commands are not obeyed is the trouble of those above; and therefore the sage plants virtue among the people, and so does away with it.

"The Documents of Xia have it: 'When the toll-gates and the stone measure are balanced and even, the royal storehouse will have enough.' The Odes too have it:

Look upon that foot of Han:
hazel and thorn stand thick.
The gentle and easy gentleman
seeks his blessing gently and at ease.

Because the hazel and thorn at the foot of Han grow thick, the gentleman is able to seek his blessing easily and gladly. But if the mountains and forests are drained dry, if the woods and foothills are scattered and lost, if the fens and marshes are stripped to the last, if the people's strength is worn out, if the grain fields and the hemp fields lie waste and weed-choked, and goods and use are wanting, then the gentleman will have no leisure even to grieve over his own peril — and where is the ease and gladness then?

"And to cut off the people's means in order to fill the royal treasury is like stopping a river at its source and making a pool of it: it will run dry in no time. If the people are driven away and goods are wanting, if calamity comes and there is no provision left, what will the king do then? Our Zhou offices have already let slip and abandoned much of what belongs to provision against calamity; and now to take away the people's means besides, and so add to the calamity, is to throw away one's stores and shut out one's people. Let the king consider it."

The king would not listen, and in the end cast the large coin.

Duke Mu of Shan Remonstrates Against King Jing's Casting of the Great Bell (單穆公諫景王鑄大鍾)

In the twenty-third year the king was about to cast the bell Wuyi, and to make for it the Great Lin. Duke Mu of Shan said: "It cannot be done. He made heavy coin and so cut off the people's means; and now he casts a great bell and so makes scant what is to come after. If what was stored up is already lost and what comes after is made scant besides, by what shall livelihood grow? Besides, a bell does no more than set the sound in motion; and if Wuyi has a Lin over it, the ear cannot follow it. A bell's sound exists for the sake of the ear, and what the ear cannot reach is not a bell's sound — just as what the eye cannot see cannot be made for the eye. The eye's discernment of distance goes no further than the span of a pace, a half-pace, a foot, an inch; its discernment of color goes no further than the span of a mo, a zhang, a xun, a chang. The ear's discernment of harmony lies between the clear and the muddy, and its discernment of clear and muddy goes no further than one man can take in. Therefore when the former kings made bells, they did not exceed the jun in size nor the dan in weight. From this the pitch pipes and the measures of length, capacity, and weight came into being; from this the vessels and implements, small and great, came forth. Therefore the sage was careful of it. Now the bell the king is making cannot be followed by the ear, and matched against the standard it does not measure. Its sound cannot show what harmony is, and its dimensions cannot yield a rule. It is no gain to music, and it makes the people's wealth scant. What use is there in it?

"Music goes no further than what the ear may hear, and beauty no further than what the eye may see. If in hearing music a man is stunned, and in looking upon beauty he is dazzled, there is no affliction worse than that. The ear and the eye are the pivot and the trigger of the heart; therefore one must hear what is harmonious and look upon what is correct. Hearing what is harmonious, the hearing becomes acute; looking upon what is correct, the sight becomes clear. When the hearing is acute, one's words are heeded; when the sight is clear, one's virtue is made manifest. When words are heeded and virtue is manifest, then thought and deliberation can be pure and firm. With such words he sets forth virtue to the people, and the people receive it gladly and count it virtue, and their hearts turn to him. When the one above has the hearts of the people, and by them plants the way of righteousness, then nothing he undertakes fails to succeed and nothing he seeks fails to be obtained — and only then may he have his music.

"When the ear takes in harmonious sounds and the mouth issues fine words, and these are made into statutes and ordinances and proclaimed among the people, and are made correct by measure and standard, then the people give heart and strength and follow them without weariness. Affairs are brought to completion without swerving: this is music at its height. The mouth takes in flavors and the ear takes in sounds, and sound and flavor generate the breath. The breath, in the mouth, becomes speech; in the eye, it becomes clear sight. By speech the commands are made sure; by clear sight action is timely. Commands bring the government to completion; action makes living things increase. When government is complete and living things increase, this is music at its height.

"But if seeing and hearing are not in harmony, and there is stunning and dazzling, then what enters as flavor is not fine; not being fine, the breath runs loose; the breath running loose, there is no harmony. Then there come wild and perverse words, dazzled and deluded sight, commands that shift and change, and measures excessive and wicked. Orders go out that cannot be relied upon; punishments and government run loose and confused; action does not follow the seasons; the people have nothing to lean upon, do not know where their strength should go, and each of them has a heart that turns away. The one above loses his people; what he undertakes does not succeed, what he seeks he does not obtain. How then can he have his music? Within three years there will have been two vessels that estrange the people. The state will be in danger!"

The king would not listen, and put the question to Ling Zhoujiu (伶州鳩). He replied: "The office that I keep does not reach so far. But I have heard this: the qin and se zithers hold gong highest; the bells hold yu highest; the sounding stones hold jue highest; gourd and bamboo take good tuning for their rule. The great does not overpass gong, and the fine does not go beyond yu. Gong is the master of the notes, and from it one goes down by degrees to yu. The sage keeps his music secure and is sparing of wealth, for wealth furnishes the instruments and music makes wealth grow. Therefore among the instruments of music the heavy follow the fine and the light follow the great. And so metal holds yu highest, stone holds jue highest, clay and silk hold gong highest, gourd and bamboo hold good tuning highest, and hide and wood have but a single note.

"Government takes its image from music; music follows harmony, and harmony follows evenness. The notes make the music harmonious; the pitch-pipes make the notes even. Metal and stone set them moving; silk and bamboo carry them along; poetry gives them their way; song draws them out; the gourd spreads them abroad; clay assists them; hide and wood mark their measure. When each thing attains its constancy, this is called the mean of music. Where that mean gathers is called sound. When sounds answer and hold one another secure, this is called harmony. When fine and great do not overstep one another, this is called evenness. This being so, it is cast in metal, ground in stone, strung on silk and wood, bored in gourd and bamboo, given measure by the drum and so carried forward, that it may accord with the eight winds. Then the breath has no clogged yin and no scattered yang; yin and yang keep their order; wind and rain come in season; good growth brings abundant blessing; the people are harmonious and prosper; goods are complete and music is achieved; high and low are not worn out. Therefore it is said that music is correct.

"Now the fine note overpasses its master, and this harms correctness; the use of materials goes beyond measure, and this harms wealth; correctness injured and wealth exhausted harm music. The fine is pressed down and the great rides over it, so that the ear cannot take it in: this is not harmony. The sound, when heard, is faint and far off: this is not evenness. To harm correctness and empty out wealth, and to make sounds neither harmonious nor even — this is not what the office of ancestral rites has charge of.

"Where there are sounds harmonious and even, there is wealth that multiplies and grows. Then he leads them by the virtue of the mean and chants to them in the tones of the mean; the sound of virtue does not err, and by it spirits and men are joined; by this the spirits are at peace, and by this the people give heed. But to empty out goods and wealth and wear out the people's strength in order to gratify an extravagant heart; sounds not harmonious to the hearing, which measured against the standard do not measure, of no profit to instruction, estranging the people and angering the spirits — this is not something I have ever heard of."

The king would not listen, and in the end cast the great bell. In the twenty-fourth year the bell was finished, and the music men reported that it was in harmony. The king said to Ling Zhoujiu, "The bell is in harmony after all." He replied, "That cannot yet be known." The king said, "Why?" He replied: "When the one above makes a vessel and the people all take joy in it together, then it is in harmony. Now wealth is gone and the people are worn out, and there is none who does not resent it; I do not know that it is in harmony. Moreover, what the people as a body like seldom fails to succeed, and what they as a body hate seldom fails to be abandoned. Therefore the proverb says, 'The hearts of the many make a city wall; the mouths of the many melt metal.' Within three years metal that harms the people has been raised up twice; I fear that one of the two will be done away with." The king said, "You are old and doting! What do you know?" In the twenty-fifth year the king died, and the bell was not in harmony.

King Jing Asks Ling Zhoujiu About the Pitches of the Bells (景王問鍾律於伶州鳩)

The king was about to cast the Wuyi bell, and asked Ling Zhoujiu about the pitch-pipes. He replied: "The pitch-pipes are that by which the tuning-standard is set up and measure is brought forth. The divine blind masters of antiquity examined the note of the mean and measured it to make the standard; they measured the pipes and tuned the bells by them, and the hundred offices took from this their rule and pattern. They reckoned it by three, made it even by six, and completed it in twelve: this is the way of Heaven.

"Six is the color of the mean; therefore it is named Huangzhong, the Yellow Bell, and it is by this that the six breaths and the nine virtues are spread abroad and nourished. From it they are numbered in order. The second is called Taicu, by which the metal music assists the yang and brings out what is clogged. The third is called Guxian, by which the hundred things are trimmed and cleansed, the spirits brought into accord, and guests received. The fourth is called Ruibin, by which spirits and men are set at rest, and the offering, the pledge, and the answering pledge pass between them. The fifth is called Yize, by which the nine rules are sung, and the people made even and undivided. The sixth is called Wuyi, by which the excellent virtue of the wise is proclaimed abroad and the rule and pattern shown to the people.

"For these were made the six intervals, to raise up what is sunken and hidden and to put down what is scattered and let loose. The first interval is Dalü, which helps to spread things forth. The second interval is Jiazhong, which brings out the fine breath of the four gaps. The third interval is Zhonglü, which spreads abroad the breath of the mean. The fourth interval is Linzhong, which harmonizes and examines the hundred affairs, so that none fails to take up his charge with dispatch, with greatness, and with reverence. The fifth interval is Nanlü, which assists the yang in bringing things to flower. The sixth interval is Yingzhong, which makes the use of vessels even and profitable, so that all answer and return to their constancy.

"When the pitch-pipes and the answering pipes are not shifted from their places, there are no baleful things. In the tuning of the fine notes there is the great bell and no small bell, to make manifest what is great in them. In the tuning of the great notes there is the small bell and no great bell; and where the notes are greater still there is no small bell either, so that the fine ones may sound out. The great made manifest and the small made to sound: this is the way of harmony. Harmonious and even, it lasts; lasting and firm, it is pure; pure and clear, it comes to completion; completed and taken up again, it is music. It is by this that government is brought to completion, and therefore the former kings prized it."

The king said, "What are the seven pitch-pipes?" He replied: "Long ago, when King Wu attacked Yin, Jupiter stood in Chunhuo, the moon stood in the Heavenly Team, the sun stood at the Ford of Ximu, the conjunction stood at the Handle of the Dipper, and the planet stood in Tianyuan. The places of the planet, of the sun, and of the conjunction were all in the northern quarter. This was what Zhuanxu (顓頊) established, and Di Ku (帝嚳) received it from him. We of the Ji clan (姬氏) came forth from Tianyuan; and in reaching Ximu there are the Jian stars and the Ox-Leader — and there the spirit of Duke Pang (逄公), nephew of our august ancestress Great Jiang (大姜) and descendant of Bo Ling (伯陵), takes its stay. Where Jupiter stood is the allotted field of our house of Zhou. Where the moon stood is the Dragon Horse, the omen of husbandry, which our great ancestor Houji (后稷) laid out as warp and weft. The king wished to bring together these five positions and three sites and make use of them. From Chun to the Team is a sequence of seven; the reckoning from south to north makes seven in agreement. In all things, spirits and men are joined by number and made manifest by sound. When the numbers accord and the sounds are in harmony, only then can there be union. Therefore he made their number agree by seven and harmonized their sound by the pitch-pipes; and from this come the seven pitch-pipes.

"On the guihai day of the second month the king drew up his ranks by night, and before it was finished the rain came. He completed the array with the upper gong of Yize, matching the conjunction. The conjunction stood above xu; therefore he set the upper gong of Yize first, and named it Yu, the Feather, by which the rule of the people is screened and sheltered. With the lower gong of Huangzhong the king spread out his troops in the wilderness of Mu; therefore it was called Li, the Whetting, by which the six armies were whetted. With the lower gong of Taicu he proclaimed his orders in Shang, making manifest the cultured virtue of King Wen and bringing home the many crimes of Zhou (紂); therefore it was called Xuan, the Proclaiming, by which the virtue of the three kings was proclaimed. On his return, when he reached Yingnei (嬴內), with the upper gong of Wuyi he spread abroad the statutes and granted remission to the hundred families; therefore it was called Yingluan, the Ordering at Ying, by which the people were held in gentleness and forbearance."

Bin Meng Sees a Cock Cut Off Its Own Tail (賓孟見雄雞自斷其尾)

King Jing (景王) had already killed Xiamenzi (下門子). Bin Meng (賓孟) went out to the suburbs and saw a cock cut off its own tail. He asked about it, and his attendant said, "It dreads being made a victim." He hurried home and told the king, saying: "I saw a cock cut off its own tail, and a man said, 'It dreads being made a victim.' I take this to be truly the nature of a beast. To be another man's victim is indeed hard; but to be one's own victim, what harm is there in that? If it is that the bird hates being used by men, then well and good. But a man is different from this. He who is the victim is in truth the one who has the use of men."

The king made no answer. He hunted at Gong (鞏), ordering the dukes and ministers all to follow him, and meant to kill Master Shan; but before he could do it he died.

Duke Wen of Liu and Chang Hong Wish to Wall Zhou (劉文公與萇弘欲城周)

In the tenth year of King Jing (敬王), Duke Wen of Liu (劉文公) and Chang Hong (萇弘) wished to wall Zhou, and for this purpose sent word to Jin. Wei Xianzi (魏獻子) was in charge of the government there; he was pleased with Chang Hong and agreed with him, and was about to assemble the feudal lords.

Biao Xi of Wei (衛彪傒) came to Zhou, heard of it, and went to see Duke Mu of Shan (單穆公), saying: "Will Chang and Liu not come to an untimely end? There is a poem of Zhou that says:

What Heaven props up
cannot be pulled down;
and what Heaven pulls down
cannot be propped up.

"Long ago, when King Wu overcame Yin, he made this poem and used it as a song for the standing feast, naming it 'Propping,' and left it to the men who came after, so that they might look to it forever. Now the rite that is performed standing to its completion is the standing feast: it makes manifest the great articles of ceremony and no more, and few of the statutes have part in it. Therefore they made of it a day of dread, wishing to teach the people caution. This being so, what 'Propping' speaks of must be a full knowledge of what Heaven and Earth do; otherwise it would not have been worth leaving to the men who came after.

"Now Chang and Liu wish to prop up what Heaven is pulling down. Is that not hard? Ever since King You, Heaven has taken away their clarity, making them go astray and cast off virtue and fall into idleness and excess, and so lose their people; Heaven has been pulling it down a long while. And now they mean to patch it as well: surely that cannot be done. What fire and water have injured still cannot be saved — how much less what Heaven has struck? The proverb says, 'To follow the good is like climbing; to follow the bad is like a landslide.'

"Long ago Kong Jia (孔甲) threw Xia into disorder, and in four generations it fell; the Dark King (玄王) toiled for Shang, and in fourteen generations it rose. Di Jia (帝甲) threw it into disorder, and in seven generations it fell. Houji toiled for Zhou, and in fifteen generations it rose; King You threw it into disorder, and it has now been fourteen generations. That they still keep the treasury is already called much — how can there be a rising again? Zhou was a high mountain, a broad river, a great marsh, and therefore could bring forth such good timber; but King You so wasted it as to make of it a mound of earth, dung and dirt, ditches and drains. Will there ever be a stopping?"

Master Shan said, "Whose fault is the greater?" He said: "Chang Shu will surely be overtaken soonest, for he means to mend by the Way what is Heaven's own doing. The Way of Heaven furthers what may be and does away with what may not; Chang Shu goes against this, and by it deceives Master Liu. He must have three calamities: to defy Heaven is the first; to go against the Way is the second; to deceive men is the third. If Zhou incurs no blame, Chang Shu will surely be put to death; and even Master Wei of Jin will be overtaken by it. If he has Heaven's blessing, will it fall upon his own person alone? As for the Liu clan, the disaster will surely reach their sons and grandsons. For a gentleman to cast off the constant statutes in order to follow his private desire, to use clever contrivances and so increase the calamity Heaven sends, and to wear out the hundred families for his own name — his calamity is great."

In that year Wei Xianzi assembled the grandees of the feudal lords at Diquan (狄泉), and then hunted with fire at Dalu (大陸), where he was burned and died. When the troubles of the Fan and Zhonghang clans came, Chang Hong took part with them; the men of Jin made it a matter for punishment, and in the twenty-eighth year Chang Hong was killed. And by the time of King Ding, the Liu clan had perished.

Colophon

This file was prepared for the Chinese shelf of the Good Works Library, translated independently from the classical Chinese text printed below. Each discourse keeps its own heading as the source divides it; speeches are rendered as continuous direct speech rather than broken into summary, and the reasoning of each remonstrance — appeals to precedent, to ritual, to the fate of earlier dynasties — is kept in full rather than condensed. Only the main text is translated; Wei Zhao's commentary is printed in the source layer below but not rendered into English.

No live search for prior translations could be made when this file was prepared. We know of no complete published English translation of the Discourses of the States, only selections and studies; that is the limit of our knowledge, not a certainty, and no claim of firstness is made.

Two recurring technical terms are worth flagging for the reader: the five concentric zones of tribute named in the Duke of Zhai's remonstrance (the dian, hou, guest, covenant, and wild zones) describe a schema of distance from the royal center rather than fixed administrative units, and the pitch-pipe names in the bell-casting discourses (Huangzhong, Taicu, and the rest) are technical terms of ancient music theory kept in pinyin rather than translated.

Prepared for the Good Work Library by the Tianmu Anglican Church with AI-assisted translation and editorial work.

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Source Text: 國語 周語

Classical Chinese text in the Chinese Wikisource transcription, with the commentary of Wei Zhao (韋昭) set in 〔 〕 as the transcription carries it. Presented complete for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above; the commentary is not translated.

卷一 周語上

祭公諫穆王征犬戎

穆王將征犬戎，〔穆王，周康王之孫、昭王之子穆王滿也。征，正也，上討下之稱。犬戎，西戎之別名也，在荒服之中。〕祭公謀父諫曰：「不可。〔祭，畿內之國，周公之後也，為王卿士。謀父，字也。《傳》曰：「凡、蔣、邢、茅、胙、祭，周公之胤矣。」〕先王耀德不觀兵。〔耀，明也。觀，示也。明德，尚道化也。不示兵者，有大罪惡然後致誅，不以小小示威武也。〕夫兵戢而時動，動則威，〔戢，聚也。威，畏也。時動，謂三時務農，一時講武，守則有財，征則有威。〕觀則玩，玩則無震。〔玩，黷也。震，懼也。〕是故周文公之《頌》曰：〔文公，周公旦之謚也。《頌》，《時邁》之詩也。武王既伐紂，周公為作此詩，巡守、告祭之樂歌也。〕『載戢干戈，載櫜弓矢。〔載，則也。干，楯也。戈，戟也。櫜，韜也。言天下已定，聚斂其干戈，韜藏其弓矢，示不復用也。〕我求懿德，肆于時夏，〔懿，美也。肆，陳也。于，於也。時，是也。夏，大也。言武王常求美德，故陳其功德，於是夏而歌之。樂章大者曰夏。〕允王保之。』〔允，信也。信武王能保此時夏之美。〕先王之於民也，懋正其德而厚其性，〔懋，勉也。性，情性也。〕阜其財求〔阜，大也。大其財求，不障壅也。〕而利其器用，〔器，兵甲也。用，耒耜之屬也。〕明利害之鄉，〔示之以好惡也。鄉，方也。〕以文修之，〔文，禮法也。〕使務利而避害，懷德而畏威，故能保世以滋大。〔保，守也。滋，益也。〕

「昔我先王世后稷，〔后，君也。稷，官也。父子相繼曰世，謂棄與不窋也。〕以服事虞、夏。〔謂棄為舜后稷，不窋繼之於夏啟也。〕及夏之衰也，棄稷不務，〔棄，廢也。衰，謂啟子太康廢稷之官，不復務農也。《書序》曰：「太康失邦，昆弟五人須於洛汭。」〕我先王不窋用失其官，〔失稷官也。不窋，棄之子也。周之禘祫文、武，不先不窋，故通謂之王，《商頌》亦以契為玄王也。〕而自竄于戎、狄之閒，〔竄，匿也。堯封棄於邰，至不窋失官，去夏而遷於邠，邠西接戎、北近狄也。〕不敢怠業，時序其德，纂修其緒，〔纂，繼也。緒，事也。〕修其訓典，〔訓，敎也。典，法也。〕朝夕恪勤，守以敦篤，奉以忠信，奕世載德，不忝前人。〔奕，奕前人也。載，成也。忝，辱也。〕至于武王，昭前之光明而加之以慈和，事神保民，莫弗欣喜。〔保，養也。〕商王帝辛，大惡於民。〔商，殷之本號也。帝辛，紂名。大惡，大為民所惡也。〕庶民不忍，欣戴武王，以致戎于商牧。〔戴，奉也。戎，兵也。牧，商郊牧野。〕是先王非務武也，勤恤民隱而除其害也。〔恤，憂也。隱，痛也。〕

「夫先王之制：邦內甸服，〔邦內，謂天子畿內千里之地。《商頌》曰：「邦畿千里，維民所止。」《王制》曰：「千里之內曰甸。」京邑在其中央，故《夏書》曰:「五百里甸服」，則古今同矣。甸，王田也。服，服其職業也。自商以前，并畿內為五服。武王克殷，周公致太平，因禹所弼除畿內，更制天下為九服。千里之內謂之王畿，王畿之外曰侯服，侯服之外曰甸服。今謀父諫穆王，稱先王之制猶以王畿為甸服者，甸，古名，世俗所習也。故周襄王謂晉文公曰:「昔我先王之有天下也，規方千里，以為甸服」，是也。《周禮》亦以蠻服為要服，足以相況也。〕邦外侯服，〔邦外，邦畿之外也。方五百里之地謂之侯服。侯服，侯圻也。言諸侯之近者，歲一來見也。〕侯、衛賓服，〔此總言之也。侯，侯圻也。衛，衛圻也。言自侯圻至衛圻，其閒凡五圻，圻五百里，五五二千五百里，中國之界也。謂之賓服，常以服貢賓見於王也。五圻者，侯圻之外曰甸圻，甸圻之外曰男圻，男圻之外曰采圻，采圻之外曰衛圻。《周書‧康誥》曰:「侯、甸、男、采、衛」，是也。凡此服數，諸家之說皆紛錯不同，唯賈君近之。〕蠻、夷要服，〔蠻，蠻圻。夷，夷圻也。《周禮》，衛圻之外曰蠻圻，去王城三千五百里，九州之界也。夷圻去王城四千里。《周禮》行人職，衛圻之外謂之要服，此言蠻、夷要服，則夷圻朝貢或與蠻圻同也。要者，要結好信而服從也。〕戎、狄荒服。〔戎、狄，去王城四千五百里至五千里也。四千五百里為鎮圻，五千里為蕃圻，在九州之外荒裔之地，與戎、狄同俗，故謂之荒，荒忽無常之言也。〕甸服者祭，〔供日祭也。此采地之君，其見無數。〕侯服者祀，〔供月祀也。堯、舜及周，侯服皆歲見也。〕賓服者享，〔供時享也。享，獻也。《周禮》，甸圻二歲而見，男圻三歲而見，采圻四歲而見，衛圻五歲而見。其見也，必以所貢助祭於廟，《孝經》所謂「四海之內，各以其職來祭」者也。〕要服者貢，〔供歲貢也。要服六歲一見也。〕荒服者王。〔王，王事天子也。《周禮》，九州之外謂之蕃國，世一見，各以其所貴寶為贄，故《詩》云：「自彼氐、羌，莫敢不來王。」〕日祭、〔日祭，祭於祖、考，謂上食也。近漢亦然。〕月祀、〔月祀於曾、高也。〕時享、〔時享於二祧也。〕歲貢、〔歲貢於壇、墠也。〕終王，〔終，謂終世也。朝嗣王及即位而來見。〕先王之訓也。有不祭則修意，〔意，志意也。謂邦國之內有違闕不供日祭者，先修志意以自責也。畿內近，知王意也。甸之內，有違闕不供日祭者先。　案：「邦國」，公序本作「邦甸」。〕有不祀則修言，〔言，號令也。〕有不享則修文，〔文，典法也。〕有不貢則修名，〔名，謂尊卑職貢之名號也。《晉語》曰：「信於名則上下不干也。」〕有不王則修德，〔遠人不服，則修文德以來之。〕序成而有不至則修刑。〔序成，謂上五者次序已成，而有不至，則有刑誅。〕於是乎有刑不祭，伐不祀，征不享，讓不貢，〔讓，譴責也。〕告不王。〔謂以文辭告曉之也。地遠者罪輕。〕於是乎有刑罰之辟，〔刑不祭也。〕有攻伐之兵，〔伐不祀也。〕有征討之備，〔征不享也。〕有威讓之令，〔讓不貢也。〕有文告之辭。〔告不王也。〕布令陳辭而又不至，則增修於德而無勤民於遠，〔勤，勞也。〕是以近無不聽，遠無不服。

「今自大畢、伯士之終也，〔大畢、伯士，犬戎氏之二君也。終，卒也。〕犬戎氏以其職來王，〔以其職，謂其嗣子以其貴寶來見王。〕天子曰：『予必以不享征之，且觀之兵。』〔享，賓服之禮。以責犬戎，而示之兵法也。　案：「法」，公序本作「非」。〕其無乃廢先王之訓而王幾頓乎！〔幾，危也。頓，敗也。〕吾聞夫犬戎樹惇，〔樹，立也。言犬戎立性惇樸。〕帥舊德而守終純固，〔帥，循也。純，專也。固，一也。言犬戎循先王之舊德，奉其常職，天性專一，終身不移，不聽穆王責其不享也。〕其有以禦我矣！」〔禦，猶距也。〕

王不聽，遂征之，得四白狼、四白鹿以歸。〔白狼、白鹿，犬戎所貢。〕自是荒服者不至。〔穆王責犬戎以非禮，暴兵露師，傷威毀信，故荒服者不至。〕

密康公母論小醜備物終必亡

恭王遊於涇上，密康公從，〔恭王，穆王之子恭王伊扈也。涇，水名。康公，密國之君，姬姓也。〕有三女奔之。〔奔，不由媒氏也。三女同姓也。〕其母曰：「必致之於王。〔康公之母欲使進於王。〕夫獸三為羣，〔自三以上為羣。〕人三為衆，女三為粲。〔粲，美貌也。〕王田不取羣，〔不盡羣也。《易》曰：「王用三驅，失前禽也。」〕公行下衆，〔公，諸侯也。下衆，不敢誣衆也。《禮》，國君下卿位，遇衆則式禮也。〕王御不參一族。〔御，婦官也。參，三也。一族，父子也。故取異姓以備三，不參一族也。　案：「異姓」，公序本作「姪娣」。〕夫粲，美之物也。衆以美物歸女，而何德以堪之？〔堪，任也。〕王猶不堪，況爾小醜乎？〔醜，類也。王者至尊，猶且不堪，況爾小人之類乎？〕小醜備物，終必亡。」〔言德小而物備，終取之必以亡。〕康公不獻。一年，王滅密。〔密，今安定陰密縣是也，近涇。〕

邵公諫厲王弭謗

厲王虐，國人謗王。〔厲王，恭王之曾孫、夷王之子厲王胡也。謗，誹也。〕邵公告曰：「民不堪命矣！」〔邵公，邵康公之孫穆公虎也，為王卿士。言民不堪暴虐之政令。〕王怒，得衛巫，使監謗者，〔衛巫，衛國之巫也。監，察也。巫人有神靈，有謗必知之。　案：「巫人」，公序本作「以巫」。〕以告，則殺之。〔巫言謗王，王則殺之。〕國人莫敢言，道路以目。〔不敢發言，以目相眄而已。〕王喜，告邵公曰：「吾能弭謗矣，乃不敢言。」〔弭，止也。〕邵公曰：「是障之也。〔障，防也。〕防民之口，甚於防川。〔流者曰川。言川不可防，而口又甚也。〕川壅而潰，傷人必多，〔川之潰決，害於人也。〕民亦如之。〔民之敗亂，害於上也。〕是故為川者決之使導，〔為，治也。導，通也。〕為民者宣之使言。〔宣，猶放也。觀民所言，以知得失。〕故天子聽政，使公卿至於列士獻詩，〔獻詩以風也。列士，上士也。〕瞽獻曲，〔無目曰瞽。瞽，樂師。曲，樂曲也。〕史獻書，〔史，外史也。《周禮》，外史掌三皇、五帝之書。〕師箴，〔師，少師也。箴，箴刺王闕，以正得失也。〕瞍賦，〔無眸子曰瞍。賦，公卿列士所獻詩也。〕矇誦，〔有眸子而無見曰矇。《周禮》，矇主弦歌、諷誦。誦，謂箴諫之語也。〕百工諫，〔百工，執技以事上者也。諫者執藝事以諫，謂若匠師慶諫魯莊公丹楹刻桷也。〕庶人傳語，〔庶人卑賤，見時得失不得達，傳以語王也。〕近臣盡規，〔近臣，謂驂僕之屬也。盡規，盡其規計以告王也。〕親戚補察，〔補，補過；察，察政也。《傳》曰：「自王以下，各有父兄子弟，以補察其過也。」〕瞽、史敎誨，〔瞽，樂太師；史，太史也。掌陰陽、天時、禮法之書，以相敎誨者。單襄公曰：「吾非瞽、史，焉知天道？」〕耆、艾修之，〔耆、艾，師、傅也。師、傅修理瞽、史之敎，以聞於王也。〕而後王斟酌焉，〔斟，取也。酌，行也。〕是以事行而不悖。〔悖，逆也。〕民之有口，猶土之有山川也，財用於是乎出；〔猶，若也。山川所以宣地氣而出財用，口亦宣人心而言善敗也。〕猶其原隰之有衍沃也，衣食於是乎生。〔廣平曰原，下溼曰隰。下平曰衍，有溉曰沃。〕口之宣言也，善敗於是乎興，行善而備敗，〔民所善者行之，民所敗者備之。〕其所以阜財用、衣食者也。〔阜，厚也。〕夫民慮之於心而宣之於口，成而行之，胡可壅也？若壅其口，其與能幾何？」〔與，辭也。能幾何，言不久也。〕王不聽，於是國〔案：「國」下，公序本有「人」字。〕莫敢出言，三年，乃流王於彘。〔流，放也。彘，晉地，漢為縣，屬河東，今曰永安。〕

芮良夫論榮夷公專利

厲王說榮夷公，〔說，好也。榮，國名。夷，謚也。〕芮良夫曰：〔芮良夫，周大夫芮伯也。〕「王室其將卑乎！〔卑，微也。〕夫榮公好專利而不知大難。〔專，擅也。〕夫利，百物之所生也，〔利，生於物也。專利，是專百物也。〕天地之所載也，〔載，成也。地受天氣以成百物也。〕而或專之，其害多矣。〔害，謂惡害榮公者多也。孔子曰：「放於利而行，多怨。」〕天地百物，皆將取焉，胡可專也？〔天地成百物，民皆將取用之，何可專其利也。〕所怒甚多，而不備大難，以是敎王，王能久乎？夫王人者，將導利而布之上下者也，〔導，開也。布，賦也。上謂天神，下謂人物也。〕使神人百物無不得其極，〔極，中也。〕猶日怵惕，懼怨之來也。〔怵惕，恐懼也。〕故《頌》曰：『思文后稷，克配彼天。立我蒸民，莫匪爾極。』〔《頌》，《周頌‧思文》也，謂郊祀后稷以配天之樂歌也。經緯天地曰文。克，能也。蒸，衆也。莫，無也。匪，不也。爾，女也。極，中也。言周公思有文德者后稷，其功乃能配於天。謂堯時洪水，稷播百穀，立我衆民之道，無不於女時得其中者，功至大也。〕《大雅》曰：『陳錫載周。』〔《大雅‧文王》之二章也。陳，布也。錫，賜也。言文王布賜施利，以載成周道也。〕是不布利而懼難乎？〔言后稷、文王既布利，又懼難也。〕故能載周，以至于今。今王學專利，其可乎？〔言不可也。〕匹夫專利，猶謂之盜，王而行之，其歸鮮矣。〔鮮，寡也。歸附周者寡也。〕榮公若用，周必敗。」既，榮公為卿士，〔既，已也。卿士，卿之有事者。〕諸侯不享，王流于彘。〔享，獻也。〕

邵公以其子代宣王死

彘之亂，宣王在邵公之宮，〔宣王，厲王之子宣王靖也。在邵公之宮者，避難奔邵公也。〕國人圍之。邵公曰：「昔吾驟諫王，王不從，是以及此難。〔及，至也。〕今殺王子，王其以我為懟〔音墜。〕而怒乎！〔殺王子，命國人得殺之也。〕夫事君者險而不懟，〔君，諸侯也。在危險之中不當懟。懟，謂若晉慶鄭怨惠公愎諫違卜，棄而不載。〕怨而不怒，況事王乎？」〔怨，心望也。怒，作氣也。〕乃以其子代宣王，宣王長而立之。〔彘之亂，公卿相與和而修政事，號曰「共和」，凡十四年而宣王立。〕

虢文公諫宣王不籍千畝

宣王即位，不籍千畝。〔籍，借也，借民力以為之。天子田籍千畝，諸侯百畝。自厲王之流，籍田禮廢，宣王即位，不復遵古也。〕虢文公諫曰：〔賈侍中云：「文公，文王母弟虢仲之後，為王卿士。」昭謂：虢叔之後，西虢也。及宣王都鎬，在畿內也。〕「不可。夫民之大事在農，〔穀，民之命，故農為大事也。〕上帝之粢盛於是乎出，〔出於農也。器實曰粢，在器曰盛。〕民之蕃庶於是乎生，〔番，息也。庶，衆也。〕事之供給於是乎在，〔供，具也。給，足也。〕和協輯睦於是乎興，〔協，合也。輯，聚也。睦，親也。〕財用蕃殖於是乎始，〔殖，長也。〕敦庬純固於是乎成，〔敦，厚也。庬，大也。〕是故稷為大官。〔民之大事在農，故稷之職為大官也。　案：汪遠孫《國語發正》（以下簡稱《發正》）卷一：「『大官』，當為『天官』。」〕古者，太史順時覛〔音脈。〕土，陽癉〔丁佐反。〕憤盈，土氣震發，〔覛，視也。癉，厚也。憤，積也。盈，滿也。震，動也。發，起也。〕農祥晨正，〔農祥，房星也。晨正，謂立春之日，晨中於午也。農事之候，故曰農祥也。〕日月底于天廟，〔底，至也。天廟，營室也。孟春之月，日月皆在營室也。〕土乃脉發。〔脉，理也。《農書》曰：「春土長冒撅，陳根可拔，耕者急發。」　案：汪遠孫《國語明道本攷異》（以下簡稱《攷異》）卷一：「『春』上脫『孟』字，『撅』當作『橛』。」〕

「先時九日，〔先，先立春日也。〕太史告稷曰：『自今至于初吉，〔初吉，二月朔日也。《詩》云：「二月初吉。」〕陽氣俱蒸，土膏其動。〔蒸，升也。膏，潤也。其動，潤澤欲行也。〕弗震弗渝，脉其滿眚，穀乃不殖。』〔震，動也。渝，變也。眚，災也。言陽氣俱升，土膏欲動，當即發動變寫其氣。不然，則脉滿氣結，更為災疫，穀乃不殖也。〕稷以告〔以太史之言告王。〕王曰：『史帥陽官以命我司事〔史，太史。陽官，春官。司事，主農事也。〕曰：「距今九日，土其俱動，〔距，去也。〕王其祗祓，監農不易。」』〔祗，敬也。祓，齊戒、祓除也。不易，不易物土之宜也。〕王乃使司徒咸戒公卿、百吏、庶民，〔百吏，百官。庶民，甸師氏所掌之民也，主耕耨王之籍田者。〕司空除壇于籍，〔司空，掌地也。〕命農大夫咸戒農用。〔農大夫，田畯也。農用，田器也。〕

「先時五日，〔先耕時也。〕瞽告有協風至，〔瞽，樂太師，知風聲者也。協，和也，風氣和、時候至也。立春日融風也。　案：《攷異》卷一：「『日』字誤，公序本作『曰』。」〕王即齋宮，〔所齋之宮也。〕百官御事，各即其齋三日。〔御，治也。〕王乃淳〔之純反。〕濯饗醴，〔淳，沃也。濯，溉也。饗，飲也。謂王沐浴飲醴酒也。〕及期，〔期，耕日也。〕鬱人薦鬯，〔鬱，鬱金香草，宜以和鬯酒也。《周禮》：「鬱人掌裸器，凡祭祀賓客，和鬱鬯以實彝而陳之。」共王之齋鬯也。〕犧人薦醴，〔犧人司樽，掌共酒醴。〕王祼鬯，饗醴乃行，〔祼，灌也。灌鬯，飲醴，皆所以自香潔也。〕百吏、庶民畢從。及籍，后稷監之，〔監，察也。〕膳夫、農正陳籍禮，〔膳夫，上士也，掌王之飲食膳羞之饋食。農正，田大夫也，主敷陳籍禮而祭其神，為農祈也。〕太史贊王，〔贊，導也。〕王敬從之。王耕一墢，〔鉢、伐二音。　案：公序本作「一墢，一耜之墢也。王無耦，以一耜耕。」〕班三之，〔班，次也。王耕一墢，一耦之發也。耜廣五寸，二耜為耦，一耦之發，廣尺深尺。三之，下各三其上也。王一墢、公三、卿九、大夫二十七也。　案：「王耕一墢，一耦之發也。耜廣五寸，二耜為耦，一耦之發，廣尺深尺」二十五字，公序本無。〕庶民終于千畝。〔終，盡耕之也。〕其后稷省〔息井反。〕功，太史監之；司徒省民，太師監之；畢，宰夫陳饗，膳宰監之。〔宰夫，下大夫。膳宰，膳夫也。〕膳夫贊王，王歆大牢，〔歆，饗也。〕班嘗之，〔公、卿、大夫也。〕庶人終食。〔終，畢也。〕

「是日也，瞽帥、音官以風土。〔音官，樂官。風土，以音律省土風，風氣和則土氣養也。〕廩于籍東南，鍾而藏之，〔廩，御廩也，一名神倉。東南，生長之處。鍾，聚也。謂為廩以藏王所籍田，以奉粢盛也。〕而時布之于農。〔布，賦也。〕稷則徧誡百姓，紀農協功，〔紀，謂綜理也。協，同也。〕曰：『陰陽分布，震雷出滯。』〔陰陽分布，日夜同也。滯，蟄蟲也。《明堂月令》曰：「日夜分，雷乃發聲。始震雷，蟄蟲咸動，啟戶而出也。」〕土不備墾，辟在司寇。〔墾，發也。辟，罪也。在司寇，司寇行其罪也。〕乃命其旅曰：『徇，〔旅，衆也。徇，行也。〕農師一之，〔一之，先往也。農師，上士也。〕農正再之，〔農正，后稷之佐，田畯也，故次農師。〕后稷三之，〔后稷，農官之君也，故次農正。〕司空四之，〔司空，主道路溝洫，故次后稷也。〕司徒五之，〔司徒，省民，故次司空也。〕太保六之，太師七之，〔太保、太師，天子三公，佐王論道，汎監衆官，不特掌事，故次司徒也。〕太史八之，〔太史，掌達官府之治，故次太師也。〕宗伯九之，〔宗伯，卿官，掌相王之大禮，若王不與祭則攝位，故次太史也。〕王則大徇。〔大徇，帥公、卿、大夫親行農也。〕耨穫亦如之。』〔如之，如耕時也。〕民用莫不震動，恪恭于農，〔用，謂田器也。〕修其疆畔，日服其鎛，不解于時，〔疆，境也。畔，界也。鎛，鋤屬。〕財用不乏，民用和同。

「是時也，王事唯農是務，無有求利於其官，以干農功，〔求利，謂變易使役，干亂農功。〕三時務農而一時講武，〔三時，春、夏、秋。一時，冬也。講，習也。〕故征則有威，守則有財。若是，乃能媚於神〔媚，說也。〕而和於民矣，則享祀時至而布施優裕也。〔優，饒也。裕，緩也。〕

「今天子欲修先王之緒而棄其大功，匱神乏祀而困民之財，〔匱神乏祀，不耕籍也。困民之財，取於民也。〕將何以求福用民？」

王不聽。三十九年，戰于千畝，王師敗績于姜氏之戎。〔姜氏之戎，西戎之別種，四岳之後也。《傳》曰：「我諸戎，四岳之裔冑。」言宣王不納諫務農，無以事神使民，以致弱敗之咎也。〕

仲山父諫宣王立戲

魯武公以括與戲見王，〔武公，伯禽之玄孫、獻公之子武公敖也。括，武公長子伯御也。戲，括弟懿公也。〕王立戲，〔以為太子。〕樊仲山父諫曰：「不可立也！〔仲山父，王卿士，食采於樊。〕不順必犯，〔不順，立少也。犯，魯必犯王命而不從也。〕犯王命必誅，故出令不可不順也。令之不行，政之不立，〔令不行，即政不立也。〕行而不順，民將棄上。〔使長事少，故民必棄上也。〕夫下事上，少事長，所以為順也。今天子立諸侯而建其少，是敎逆也。若魯從之而諸侯效之，王命將有所壅，〔言先王立長之命，將壅塞不行也。〕若不從而誅之，是自誅王命也。〔誅王命者，先王之命立長，今魯亦立長，若誅之，是自誅王命也。〕是事也，誅亦失，不誅亦失，〔誅之誅王命，不誅則廢命也。〕天子其圖之！」王卒立之。魯侯歸而卒，及魯人殺懿公〔懿公，戲也。〕而立伯御。〔伯御，括也。〕

穆仲論魯侯孝

三十二年春，宣王伐魯，立孝公，〔孝公，懿公之弟稱也。〕諸侯從是而不睦。〔從是而不相親睦於王也。〕宣王欲得國子之能導訓諸侯者，〔賈侍中云：「國子，諸侯之嗣子。」或云：「國子，諸侯之子，欲使訓導諸侯之子。」唐尚書云：「國子，謂諸侯能治國、子養百姓者。」昭謂：國子，同姓諸姬也。凡王子弟，謂之國子。導訓諸侯，謂為州伯者也。〕樊穆仲曰：「魯侯孝。」〔穆仲，仲山父之謚，猶魯叔孫穆子謂之穆叔。〕王曰：「何以知之？」對曰：「肅恭明神而敬事耇老；〔耇，凍棃也。〕賦事行刑，必問於遺訓〔遺訓，先王之敎也。〕而咨於故實；〔咨，謀也。故實，故事之是者。〕不干所問，不犯所咨。」王曰：「然則能訓治其民矣。」乃命魯孝公於夷宮。〔命為侯伯也。夷宮者，宣王祖父夷王之廟。古者，爵命必於祖廟。〕

仲山父諫宣王料民

宣王既喪南國之師，〔喪，亡也，敗于姜戎氏時所亡也。南國，江、漢之閒也，故《詩》云：「滔滔江漢，南國之紀。」〕乃料民於太原。〔料，數也。太原，地名也。〕仲山父諫曰：「民不可料也！夫古者不料民而知其少多，司民協孤終，〔司民，掌登萬民之數，自生齒已上皆書於版。協，合也。無父曰孤。終，死也。合其名籍，以登於王也。〕司商協民姓，〔司商，掌賜族受姓之官。商，金聲清。謂人始生，吹律合之，定其姓名也。〕司徒協旅，〔司徒，掌合師旅之衆也。〕司寇協姦，〔司寇，刑官，掌合姦民，以知死刑之數也。〕牧協職，〔《周禮》，牧人掌養犧牲，合其物色之數也。〕工協革，〔工，百工之官。革，更也，更制度者合其數。〕場協入，〔場人掌場圃，委積珍物，斂而藏之也。〕廩協出，〔廩人掌九穀出用之數也。〕是則少多、死生、出入、往來者皆可知也。於是乎又審之以事，〔事，謂因籍田與蒐狩以簡知其數也。〕王治農於籍，〔籍，籍於千畝田也。〕蒐于農隙，〔春田曰蒐。蒐，擇也。禽獸懷姙未著，搜而取之也。農隙，仲春既耕之後。隙，閑也。　案：「搜而」二字，公序本作「秋乃」。〕耨穫亦於籍，〔言王亦至，於籍考課之。〕獮於既烝，〔秋田曰獮。獮，殺也，順時始殺也。烝，升也。《月令》：「孟秋乃升穀，天子嘗新。」既升：謂仲秋也。〕狩於畢時，〔冬田曰狩。狩，圍守而取之。畢時，時務畢也。〕是皆習民數者也，又何料焉？〔習，簡習也。〕不謂其少而大料之，是示少而惡事也。〔言王不謂其衆少而大料數之，是示以寡少，又厭惡政事，不能修之意也。〕臨政示少，諸侯避之。〔示天下以寡弱，諸侯將避遠王室，不親附也。〕治民惡事，無以賦令。〔言厭惡政事，無以賦令也。〕且無故而料民，天之所惡也，〔故，事也。天道清淨也。〕害於政而妨於後嗣。」〔害政，敗為政之道也。妨後嗣，為將有禍亂也。〕王卒料之，及幽王乃廢滅。〔幽王，宣王之子幽王宮涅也。滅，謂滅西周也。〕

西周三川皆震伯陽父論周將亡

幽王二年，西周三川皆震。〔西周，謂鎬京也，幽王在焉，邠、岐之所近也。三川，涇、渭、洛，出於岐山也。震，動也。地震，故三川亦動也，川竭也。〕伯陽父曰：「周將亡矣！〔伯陽父，周大夫也。〕夫天地之氣，不失其序；〔序，次也。〕若過其序，民亂之也。〔過，失也。言民者，不敢斥王也。〕陽伏而不能出，陰迫而不能烝，〔烝，升也。陽氣在下，陰氣迫之，使不能升也。〕於是有地震。〔陰陽相迫，氣動於下，故地震也。〕今三川實震，是陽失其所而鎮陰也。〔鎮，為陰所鎮笮也。笮，莊百反。〕陽失而在陰，〔在陰，在陰下也。〕川源必塞；〔地動則泉源塞。〕源塞，國必亡。〔國依山川，今源塞，故國將亡也。〕夫水土演而民用也。〔水土氣通為演，演猶潤也。演則生物，民得用之。〕水土無所演，民乏財用，不亡何待？〔水氣不潤，土枯不養，故乏財用。〕昔伊、洛竭而夏亡，〔竭，盡也。伊出熊耳，洛出冢嶺。禹都陽城，伊、洛所近。　案：「竭，盡也」，公序本作「伊、洛竭涸也。」〕河竭而商亡。〔商人都衛，河水所經。〕今周德若二代之季矣，〔二代之季，謂桀、紂也。〕其川源又塞，塞必竭。夫國必依山川，〔依其精氣利澤也。〕山崩川竭，亡之徵也。川竭，山必崩。〔水泉不潤，枯朽而崩。〕若國亡不過十年，數之紀也。〔數起於一，終於十，十則更，故曰紀也。〕夫天之所棄，不過其紀。」是歲也，三川竭，岐山崩。十一年，幽王乃滅，周乃東遷。〔東遷，謂平王遷於洛邑也。〕

鄭厲公與虢叔殺子頹納惠王

惠王三年，〔惠王，周莊王之孫、釐王之子惠王涼也。三年，魯莊公十九年也。　案《攷異》卷一：「『三』當作『二』」。〕邊伯、石速、蒍國出王而立子頹。〔三子，周大夫。子頹，莊王之少子王姚之子。王姚嬖於莊王，生子頹。子頹有寵，蒍國為之師。及惠王即位，取蒍國之圃及邊伯之宮，又收石速之秩，故三子出王而立子頹。〕王處於鄭三年。王子頹飲三大夫酒，子國為客，〔子國，蒍國也。客，上客也。〕樂及徧儛。〔徧儛，六代之樂，謂黃帝曰《雲門》，堯曰《咸池》，舜曰《簫韶》，禹曰《大夏》，殷曰《大濩》，周曰《大武》也。一曰：「諸侯、大夫徧儛。」〕鄭厲公見虢叔，〔厲公，鄭莊公之子厲公突也。虢叔，王卿士，虢公林父也。〕曰：「吾聞之，司寇行戮，君為之不舉，〔不舉樂也。〕而況敢樂禍乎！今吾聞子頹歌舞不息，樂禍也。〔案：公序本作「今吾聞子頹歌舞不思憂。」〕夫出王而代其位，禍孰大焉！臨禍忘憂，是謂樂禍。禍必及之，盍納王乎？」虢叔許諾。鄭伯將王自圉門入，虢叔自北門入，〔圉門，南門也。二門，王城門也。〕殺子頹及三大夫，王乃入也。

內史過論神

十五年，有神降於莘，〔惠王十五年，魯莊公三十二年也。降，謂下也。言自上而下，有聲象以接人也。莘，虢地也。〕王問於內史過，〔內史，周大夫，過，其名也，掌爵祿廢置及策命諸侯、孤、卿、大夫也。〕曰：「是何故？固有之乎？」〔故，事也。固猶嘗也。〕對曰：「有之。國之將興，其君齊明、衷正、〔齊，一也。衷，中也。〕精潔、惠和，其德足以昭其馨香，〔惠，愛也。馨香，芳馨之升聞者也。〕其惠足以同其民人。〔同，猶一也。〕神饗而民聽，民神無怨，故明神降之，觀其政德而均布福焉。國之將亡，其君貪冒、辟邪、〔冒，抵冒也。〕淫佚、荒怠、麤穢、暴虐；其政腥臊，馨香不登；〔腥臊，臭惡也。登，上也。芳馨不上聞於神，神不饗也。《傳》曰：「黍稷非馨，明德惟馨。」〕其刑矯誣，〔以詐用法曰矯，加誅無罪曰誣。〕百姓攜貳。〔攜，離；貳，二心也。〕明神不蠲〔蠲，潔也。〕而民有遠志，〔欲叛也。〕民神怨痛，無所依懷，〔懷，歸也。〕故神亦往焉，觀其苛慝而降之禍。〔苛，煩也。慝，惡也。〕是以或見神〔案：「見神」，王引之《經義述聞》（以下簡稱《述聞》）卷二０：「『見』，當為『䙷』，『䙷』古『得』字，形與『見』相近，因譌為『見』。下文曰：『道而得神，是謂逢福；淫而得神，是謂貪禍。』即其證也。」〕以興，亦或以亡。昔夏之興也，融降于崇山；〔融，祝融也。崇，崇高山也。夏居陽城，崇高所近。〕其亡也，回祿信於耹〔音禽。〕隧。〔回祿，火神。再宿為信。耹隧，地名也。〕商之興也，檮杌次於丕山；〔檮杌，鮌也。過信曰次。丕，大。邳山在河東。〕其亡也，夷羊在牧。〔夷羊，神獸。牧，商郊牧野也。〕周之興也，鸑鷟鳴於岐山；〔三君云：「鸑鷟，鳳之別名也。《詩》云：『鳳皇鳴矣，于彼高岡。』其在岐山之脊乎？」〕其衰也，杜伯射王於鄗。〔鄗，鄗京也。杜國，伯爵，陶唐氏之後也。《周春秋》曰：「宣王殺杜伯而不辜，後三年，宣王會諸侯田于囿，日中，杜伯起於道左，衣朱衣，冠朱冠，操朱弓、朱矢射宣王，中心折脊而死也。」〕是皆明神之志者也。」〔志，記也。見記錄在史籍者也。〕

王曰：「今是何神也？」對曰：「昔昭王娶於房，曰房后，〔昭王，周成王之孫、康王之子昭王瑕也。房，國名。〕實有爽德，協於丹朱，〔爽，貳也。協，合也。丹朱，堯子也。〕丹朱憑身以儀之，生穆王焉。〔憑，依也。儀，匹也。《詩》云：「實維我儀。」言房后之行有似丹朱，丹朱憑依其身而匹偶焉，生穆王也。〕是實〔案：「是實」，公序本無「是」字。《攷異》卷一：「公序本無『是』字，是也。『實』當作『寔』，『寔』，『是』也。」〕臨照周之子孫而禍福之。夫神壹不遠徙遷，〔言神壹心依憑於人，不遠遷也。〕若由是觀之，其丹朱之神乎？」王曰：「其誰受之？」對曰：「在虢土。」〔言神在虢，虢其受之也。〕王曰：「然則何為？」〔何為在虢？〕對曰：「臣聞之：道而得神，是謂逢福；〔逢，迎也。〕淫而得神，是謂貪禍。〔以貪取禍也。〕今虢少荒，其亡乎？」王曰：「吾其若之何？」對曰：「使太宰以祝、史帥狸姓，奉犧牲、粢盛、玉帛往獻焉，〔太宰，王卿也，掌祭祀之式、玉幣之事。祝，太祝也，掌祈福祥。史，太史，掌次主位。狸姓，丹朱之後也。神不歆非類，故帥以往也。純色曰犧。　案：「太宰，王卿也」，「王」，公序本作「上」。《攷異》卷一：「『王』字誤。」〕無有祈也。」〔祈，求也。勿有求請，禮之而已。〕

王曰：「虢其幾何？」對曰：「昔堯臨民以五，〔五，五年一巡守也。〕今其冑見，〔冑，後也，謂丹朱之神也。〕神之見也，不過其物。〔物，數也。〕若由是觀之，不過五年。」王使太宰忌父〔周公忌父。〕帥傅氏及祝、史〔傅氏，狸姓也，在周為傅氏。〕奉犧牲、玉鬯往獻焉。〔玉鬯，鬯酒之圭，長尺二寸，有瓚，所以灌地降神之器也。〕內史過從至虢，〔從，從太宰而往也。內史不掌祭祀，王以其賢，使以聽之也。〕虢公亦使祝、史請土焉。〔祝、史，虢之祝、史，祝應、史嚚。〕內史過歸，以告王曰：「虢必亡矣，不禋於神而求福焉，神必禍之；〔潔祀曰禋。〕不親於民而求用焉，人必違之。〔用，用其財力也。〕精意以享，禋也；〔享，獻也。〕慈保庶民，親也。〔慈，愛也。保，養也。〕今虢公動匱百姓以逞其違，〔逞，快也。違，邪也。〕離民怒神而求利焉，不亦難乎！」〔求利，謂請土也。〕十九年，晉取虢。〔惠王十九年，魯僖之五年也。〕

內史過論晉惠公必無後

襄王使邵公過及內史過賜晉惠公命，〔襄王，周僖王之孫、惠王之子襄王鄭也。邵公過，邵穆公之後邵武公也。惠公，晉獻公之庶子惠公夷吾也。命，瑞命也。諸侯即位，天子賜之命圭以為瑞節也。　案：「邵穆公之後邵武公也」句下，公序本有「為王卿士」四字。〕呂甥、郤芮相晉侯不敬，〔呂甥，瑕呂飴甥也；郤芮，冀芮：皆晉大夫。相，詔相禮儀也。不敬，慢惰也。〕晉侯執玉卑，拜不稽首。〔玉，信圭，侯所執，長七寸。卑，下也。《禮》：「執天子器則尚衡。」稽首，首至地也。〕

內史過歸，以告王曰：「晉不亡，其君必無後。〔後，後嗣也。〕且呂、郤將不免。」王曰：「何故？」對曰：「《夏書》有之曰：『衆非元后，何戴？〔《夏書》，逸《書》也。元，善也。后，君也。戴，奉也。〕后非衆，無與守邦。』〔邦，國也。〕在《湯誓》曰：『余一人有罪，無以萬夫；〔《湯誓》，《商書》伐桀之誓也。今《湯誓》無此言，則散亡矣。天子自稱曰余一人。余一人有罪，無罪萬夫。〕萬夫有罪，在余一人。』〔在余一人，乃我敎導之過也。〕在《盤庚》曰：『國之臧，則惟女衆。〔盤庾，殷王祖乙之子，今《商書‧盤庚》是也。臧，善也。國俗之善，則惟女衆，歸功於下也。〕國之不臧，則惟余一人，是有逸罰。』〔逸，過也。罰，猶罪也。國俗之不善，則惟余一人，是我有過也。言其罪當在我也。〕如是則長衆使民，不可不慎也。民之所急在大事，〔大事，戎、祀也。〕先王知大事之必以衆濟也，是故祓除其心，以和惠民。〔祓，猶拂也。〕考中度衷以蒞之，〔蒞，臨也。考中，省己之中心以度人之衷心，恕以臨之也。〕昭明物則以訓之，〔物，事也。則，法也。〕制義庶孚以行之。〔義，宜也。庶，衆也。孚，信也。當制立事宜，為衆所信而行之也。〕祓除其心，精也；〔精，潔也。〕考中度衷，忠也；〔忠，恕也。〕昭明物則，禮也；制義庶孚，信也。然則長衆使民之道，非精不和，非忠不立，非禮不順，非信不行。今晉侯即位而背外內之賂，〔背外，不與秦地；背內，不與里、丕之田。〕虐其處者，棄其信也；〔虐其處者，殺里、丕之黨也。〕不敬王命，棄其禮也；施其所惡，棄其忠也；〔己所不欲，勿施於人。所惡於下，故不以事上。今晉侯皆施之於人，故曰棄其忠也。〕以惡實心，棄其精也。〔實，滿也。〕四者皆棄，則遠不至而近不和矣，〔四者，精、忠、禮、信也。〕將何以守國？

「古者，先王既有天下，又崇立上帝、明神而敬事之，〔崇，尊也。立，立其祀也。上帝，天也。明神，日月也。〕於是乎有朝日、夕月以敎民事君。〔《禮》，天子搢大圭、執鎮圭，繅藉五采五就，以春分朝日、秋分夕月，拜日於東門之外。然則夕月在西門之外也。〕諸侯春秋受職於王以臨其民，〔言不敢專也。〕大夫、士日恪位著〔音宁。〕以儆其官，〔中廷之左右曰位，門屏之閒曰著也。〕庶人、工、商各守其業以共其上。猶恐其有墜失也，故為車服、旗章以旌之，〔旌，表也。車服、旗章，上下有等，所以章別貴賤，為之表識也。〕為贄幣、瑞節以鎮之，〔鎮，重也。贄，六贄也，謂孤執皮帛，卿執羔，大夫執鴈，士執雉，庶人執鶩，工商執雞。幣，六幣也，圭以馬，璋以皮，璧以帛，琮以錦，琥以繡，璜以黼也。瑞，六瑞：王執鎮圭，尺二寸；公執桓圭，九寸；侯執信圭，七寸；伯執躬圭，亦七寸；子執穀璧，男執蒲璧，皆五寸。節，六節：山國用虎節，土國用人節，澤國用龍節，皆以金為之；道路用旌節，門關用符節，都鄙用管節，皆以竹為之。〕為班爵、貴賤以列之，〔班，次也。〕為令聞嘉譽以聲之。〔謂有功德者，則以策命述其功美，進爵加錫以聲之也。〕猶有散、遷、懈慢而著在刑辟，流在裔土，〔言為之法制，備悉如此，尚有放散、轉移、懈慢，於事不奉職業者，故加之刑辟、流之裔土也。〕於是乎有蠻、夷之國，〔遂為夷、蠻之國民也。〕有斧鉞、刀墨之民，〔斧鉞，大刑也。刀墨，謂以刀刻其額而墨涅之。〕而況可以淫縱其身乎？

「夫晉侯非嗣也，而得其位，〔嗣，嫡嗣也。〕亹亹怵惕，保任戒懼，猶曰未也。〔亹亹，勉勉也。保，守也。任，職也。居非其位，雖守職戒懼，猶未足也。〕若將廣其心〔廣其心，放情欲也。〕而遠其鄰，〔背秦賂也。〕陵其民〔虐其處也。　案：公序本作「虐處者也」。〕而卑其上，〔不敬王命也。〕將何以固守？〔守，守位也。〕

「夫執玉卑，替其贄也；〔替，廢也，廢執贄之禮也。〕拜不稽首，誣其王也。〔誣，罔也。誣民，民亦將誣之。　案：「誣民，民亦將誣之」，公序本無。〕替贄無鎮，〔鎮，重也，無以自重也。〕誣王無民。〔案：此句，公序本有注文「民亦將誣之」五字。〕夫天事恆象，〔恆，常也。事善象吉，事惡象凶也。〕任重享大者必速及，〔速及於禍也。〕故晉侯誣王，人亦將誣之；欲替其鎮，人亦將替之。大臣享其祿，弗諫而阿之，亦必及焉。」〔大臣，呂、郤也。享之言食也。阿，隨也。〕

襄王三年而立晉侯，〔襄王三年，魯僖之十年也。賜瑞命在十一年也。〕八年而隕於韓，〔八年，魯僖之十五年也。秦怨惠公背施忘德，舉兵伐之，戰於韓原，獲晉侯以歸，隕其師徒，三月而復之也。〕十六年〔案《攷異》卷一：「『六』當作『七』，各本皆誤，注同」。〕而晉人殺懷公。懷公無冑，〔冑，後也。襄王十六年，魯僖二十四年也。懷公，惠公之子子圉也。惠公卒，子圉嗣立，秦穆公納公子重耳，晉人刺懷公於高梁也。〕秦人殺子金、子公。〔子金，呂甥。子公，郤芮之字也。二子悔納重耳，欲焚公宮而殺公，寺人披以告，公潛會秦伯于王城。二子焚公宮，求公不獲，遂如河上，秦伯誘而殺之。〕

內史興論晉文公必霸

襄王使太宰文公及內史興賜晉文公命，〔太宰文公，王卿士王子虎也。內史興，周內史叔興父也。晉文公，獻公之子、惠公異母兄重耳也。命，命服也。諸侯七命，冕服七章。〕上卿逆於境，〔逆，迎也。〕晉侯郊勞，〔郊迎用辭勞也。〕館諸宗廟，〔館，舍也。舍於宗廟，尊王命也。〕饋九牢，〔牛羊豕為一牢，上公饔餼九牢。〕設庭燎。〔設大燭於庭，謂之庭燎也。〕及期，命于武宮，〔期，將事之日也。武宮，文公之祖武公廟也。命，受王命。〕設桑主，布几筵，〔主，獻公之主也。練主用栗，虞主用桑。禮，既葬而虞，虞而作主，天子於是爵命，世子即位，受命服也。獻公死已久，於此設之者，文公不欲繼惠、懷也。故立獻公之主，自以子繼父之位，行未踰年之禮也。筵，席也。〕太宰莅之，晉侯端委以入。〔說云：「衣玄端，冠委皃，諸侯祭服也。」昭謂：此士服也。諸侯之子未受爵命，服士服也。〕太宰以王命命冕服，〔冕，大冠。服，鷩衣。〕內史贊之，三命而後即冕服。〔三以王命命文公，文公三讓而後就也。　案：「三以王命命文公」句上，公序本有「贊，道也。三命」五字。〕既畢，賓、饗、贈、餞如公命侯伯之禮，而加之以宴好。〔賓者，主人所以接賓、致餐饔之屬也。饗，饗食之禮也。贈，致贈之禮也。餞，謂郊送飲酒之禮也。如公命侯伯之禮者，如公受王命，以侯伯待之之禮，而又加之以宴好也。太宰，上卿也，而言公者，兼之也。〕內史興歸，以告王曰：「晉不可不善也。其君必霸，逆王命敬，〔謂上卿逆於境，晉侯郊勞也。〕奉禮義成。〔謂三讓、賓饗之屬皆如禮也。〕敬王命，順之道也；成禮義，德之則也。則德以導諸侯，諸侯必歸之。〔導，訓也。〕且禮所以觀忠、信、仁、義也，〔言能行禮，則有此四者也。〕忠所以分也，〔心忠則不偏也。〕仁所以行也，〔仁行則有恩也。〕信所以守也，〔信守則不貳也。〕義所以節也。〔制義之節也。〕忠分則均，仁行則報，信守則固，義節則度。〔得其度也。〕分均無怨，行報無匱，守固不偷，〔偷，苟且也。〕節度不攜。〔攜，離也。〕若民不怨而財不匱，令不偷而動不攜，其何事不濟！中能應外，忠也；施三服義，仁也；〔賈侍中云：「三，謂忠、信、仁也。」昭謂：施三，謂三讓也。服義，義，宜也。服得其宜，謂端委也。〕守節不淫，信也；行禮不疚，義也。〔疚，病也。〕臣入晉境，四者不失，〔四者，忠、信、仁、義也。〕臣故曰：『晉侯其能禮矣，王其善之！』樹於有禮，艾〔音刈。〕人必豐。」〔樹，種也。艾，報也。豐，厚也。〕

王從之，使於晉者，道相逮也。〔逮，及也。〕及惠后之難，王出在鄭，〔惠后，周惠王之后、襄王繼母陳媯。陳媯有寵，生子帶，將立之，未及而卒。子帶奔齊，王復之，又通於襄王之后隗氏。王廢隗氏，周大夫頹叔、桃子奉子帶以狄師伐周，王出適鄭，處于汜。事在魯僖二十四年。〕晉侯納之。〔納王於周而殺子帶，在魯僖二十五年。〕

襄王十六年，〔案：《攷異》卷一：「『六』當作『七』」。〕立晉文公。〔襄王十六年，魯僖二十四年也。〕二十一年，以諸侯朝王于衡雍，且獻楚捷，遂為踐土之盟，於是乎始霸。〔襄王二十一年，魯僖二十八年也。衡雍、踐土皆鄭地，在今河內溫也。捷，勝也，勝楚所獲兵衆也。文公以僖二十八年夏四月敗楚於城濮。城濮，衛也。旋至衡雍，天子臨之，晉侯以諸侯朝王，且獻所得楚兵駟介百乘，徒兵千也。王命尹氏及王子虎、內史叔興父策命晉侯為侯伯，賜之大輅之服、戎輅之服、彤弓一、彤矢百、玈弓十、玈矢千、秬鬯一卣、虎賁三百人。○乘，實證切。彤，大冬切。玈音盧。秬，其呂切。卣，由、酉二音。賁音奔。　案：「父」原作為「史」，據上文和《左傳》僖公二十八年「王命尹氏及王子虎、內史叔興父策命晉侯為侯伯」文改。〕

卷二 周語中

富辰谏襄王以狄伐郑及以狄女为后

襄王十三年，〔襄王十三年，魯僖之二十年也。下事見二十四年。　案《發正》卷二：「《內傳》：鄭伐滑一在僖二十年，一在僖二十四年，此是二十四年事，襄王之十七年也。」〕鄭人伐滑。〔滑，姬姓小國也。先是鄭伐滑，滑人聽命，師還，又叛即衛，故鄭公子士、泄堵寇帥師伐滑也。　案：「泄堵寇」，公序本作「泄堵俞彌」，《攷異》卷一和黃丕烈《國語札記》（以下簡稱《札記》）都據《左傳》作「堵俞彌」。〕王使游孫伯請滑，〔游孫伯，周大夫。〕鄭人執之。〔鄭人，文公捷也。鄭怨惠王之入而不與厲公爵，又怨襄王之與衛、滑，故不聽王命而執王使也。〕王怒，將以狄伐鄭。〔狄，隗姓之國也。〕富辰諫曰：「不可。〔富辰，周大夫也。〕古人有言曰：『兄弟讒鬩、侮人百里。』〔鬩，佷也。兄弟雖以讒言相違佷，猶以禁禦他人侵侮己者。百里，諭遠也。〕周文公之詩曰：『兄弟鬩于牆，外禦其侮。』〔文公之詩者，周公旦之所作《棠棣》之詩是也，所以閔管、蔡而親兄弟。此二句，其四章也。禦，禁也，言雖相與佷於牆室之內，猶能外禦異族侮害己者。其後周衰，厲王無道，骨肉恩闕，親親禮廢，宴兄弟之樂絕，故邵穆公思周德之不類，而合其宗族於成周，復循《棠棣》之歌以親之。鄭、唐二君以為《棠棣》穆公所作，失之，唯賈君得之。穆公，邵康公之後穆公虎也，去周公歷九王矣。〕若是則鬩乃內侮，而雖鬩不敗親也。〔雖內相恨，外禦他人，故不敗親也。〕鄭在天子，兄弟也。〔言與襄王有兄弟之親也。〕鄭武、莊有大勳力于平、桓；〔武，鄭桓公之子武公滑突也。莊，武公之子莊公寤生也。王功曰勳。平，幽王之子平王宜咎，桓，平王之孫、太子泄父之子桓王林也。幽王既滅，鄭武公以卿士夾輔周室。平王東遷洛邑，桓王即位，鄭莊公為之卿士，以王命討不庭，伐宋，在魯隱十年。唐尚書云：「王奪鄭伯政，鄭伯不朝，王伐鄭，鄭祝耼射王中肩，豈得為功？『桓』當為『惠』，《傳》曰：『鄭有平、惠之勳。』」昭謂：鄭世有功而桓王不賞，又奪其政，耼雖射王，非莊公意。又《詩敘》云：「桓王失信，諸侯背叛。」明桓王之非也，下富辰又曰：「平、桓、莊、惠皆受鄭勞。」明各異人，不為誤也。〕我周之東遷，晉、鄭是依；〔東遷，謂平王也。《晉語》曰「鄭先君武公與晉文侯戮力同心，股肱周室，夾輔平王」也。〕子頹之亂，又鄭之繇定。〔子頹，周莊王之子、惠王之叔父也，篡惠王而立。惠王出居鄭，鄭厲公殺子頹而納之。事在《周語上》也。〕今以小忿棄之，是以小怨置大德也，無乃不可乎！〔置，廢也。《詩》云「忘我大德，思我小怨」也。〕且夫兄弟之怨，不徵於他，〔徵，召也。他，謂翟人。〕徵於他，利乃外矣。〔外，利在狄也。〕章怨外利，不義；〔章，明也。〕棄親即狄，不祥；〔祥，善也。棄親，出狄師以伐鄭也。〕以怨報德，不仁。〔言鄭有德於王，王怨而伐之，是為不仁也。〕夫義所以生利也，祥所以事神也，仁所以保民也。〔保，養也。〕不義則利不阜，〔阜，厚也。〕不祥則福不降，不仁則民不至。古之明王不失此三德者，〔三德，仁、義、祥也。〕故能光有天下，〔光，大也。〕而和寧百姓，令聞不忘。〔不忘，言德及後代也。〕王其不可以棄之。」王不聽。十七年，王降狄師以伐鄭。〔降，下也。〕

王德狄人，將以其女為后，富辰諫曰：「不可。夫婚姻，禍福之階也。〔階，梯也。〕由之利內則福，〔利內，娶得偶而有福也。　案：公序本無此九字。〕利外則取禍。今王外利矣，〔樹利於狄也。〕其無乃階禍乎？〔為禍階也。〕昔摯、疇之國也由大任，〔摯、疇二國任姓，奚仲仲虺之後、大任之家也。大任，王季之妃、文王之母也。《詩》云：「摯仲氏任。」〕杞、繒由大姒，〔杞、繒二國姒姓，夏禹之後、大姒之家也。大姒，文王之妃、武王之母也。〕齊、許、申、呂由大姜，〔四國皆姜姓也，四岳之後、大姜之家也。大姜，太王之妃、王季之母也。〕陳由大姬，〔陳，媯姓，舜後。大姬，周武王之元女、成王之姊。《傳》曰：「以元女大姬配虞胡公而封之於陳」也。〕是皆能內利親親者也。〔內利，內行七德，親親以申固其家也。〕昔鄢之亡也由仲任，〔鄢，妘姓之國，取仲任氏之女為鄢夫人。唐尚書曰：「鄢為鄭武公所滅，非取任氏而亡也。」昭謂：幽王為西戎所殺而《詩》言「襃姒滅之」，明禍有所由也。〕密須由伯姞，〔伯姞，密須之女也。《傳》曰「密須之鼓」、「闕鞏之甲」，此則文王所滅而獲鼓甲也。《大雅》云：「密人不恭，敢距大邦。」不由嫁女而亡。《世本》云：「密須，姞姓。」〕鄶由叔妘，〔鄶，妘姓之國。叔妘，同姓之女為鄶夫人。唐尚書云：「亦鄭武公滅之，不由女亡也。」昭謂：《公羊傳》曰：「先鄭伯有善乎鄶公者，通于夫人以取其國。」此之謂也。〕耼由鄭姬，〔耼，姬姓，文王之子耼季之國。鄭姬，鄭女，為耼夫人。同姓相娶，猶魯昭公娶於吳，亦其嬻姓，所以亡也。〕息由陳媯，〔息，姬姓之國。陳媯，陳女，為息侯夫人。蔡哀侯亦娶於陳，息媯將歸，過蔡，蔡哀侯止而見之，弗賓。媯以告息侯，導楚伐蔡。蔡侯怨，因稱息媯之美於楚子，楚子遂滅息，以息媯歸。〕鄧由楚曼，〔鄧，曼姓。楚曼，鄧女，為楚武王夫人，生文王。文王過鄧而利其國，遂滅鄧而兼之也。〕羅由季姬，〔羅，熊姓之國。季姬，姬氏女，為羅夫人而亡其國也。〕盧由荊媯，〔盧，媯姓之國。荊媯，盧女，為荊夫人。荊，楚也。〕是皆外利離親者也。」〔外利，行淫僻，求利於外，不能親親，以亡其國也。〕

王曰：「利何如而內，何如而外？」對曰：「尊貴、明賢、庸勳、長老、〔明，顯也。庸，用也。勳，功也。長老，尚齒也。〕愛親、〔六親也。〕禮新、〔新來過賓也。〕親舊。〔君之故舊也。〕然則民莫不審固其心力以役上令，〔役，為也。〕官不易方，〔方，道也。〕而財不匱竭，〔貢賦有品，財用有節，不乏盡也。〕求無不至，動無不濟。百姓兆民，〔百姓，百官也，官有世功受氏姓也。十億曰兆。〕夫人奉利而歸諸上，是利之內也。〔夫人，猶人人也。〕若七德離判，民乃攜貳，〔判，分也。攜，離也。七德，謂尊貴至親舊也。〕各以利退，〔以利，利其身而去也。〕上求不暨，是其外利也。〔暨，至也。〕夫狄無列於王室，〔列，位次也。〕鄭伯南也，王而卑之，是不尊貴也。〔賈侍中云：「南者，在南服之侯伯也。」或云：「南，南面君也。」鄭司農云：「南謂子男。鄭，今新鄭。新鄭之於王城在畿內，畿內之諸侯雖爵有侯伯，周之舊法皆食子男之地。」昭案：《內傳》，子產爭貢，曰：「爵卑而貢重者，甸服也。鄭伯男也，而使從公侯之貢，懼弗給也。」以此言之，鄭在男服，明矣。周公雖制土，中設九服，至康王而西都鄗京，其後衰微，土地損減，車服改易，故鄭在男服。《禮》，畿外之侯，伯也。世謂其見待重於采地之君，故曰是不尊貴也。〕狄，豺狼之德也，鄭未失周典，王而蔑之，是不明賢也。〔蔑，小也。〕平、桓、莊、惠皆受鄭勞，王而棄之，是不庸勳也。〔平王東遷，依鄭武公；桓王即位，鄭莊公佐之。莊，桓王之子莊王他也。惠，莊王之孫、僖王之子惠王涼也，為子頹所篡，出居於鄭，鄭厲公納之。自平王以來，鄭世有功，故曰「皆受鄭勞」。勞，功也。〕鄭伯捷之齒長矣，王而弱之，是不長老也。〔捷，鄭文公之名也。弱，猶稚也。〕狄，隗姓也，〔隗姓，赤狄也。〕鄭出自宣王，王而虐之，是不愛親也。〔鄭桓公友，宣王之母弟。出者，鄭國之封出於宣王之世也。〕夫禮，新不閒舊，〔閒，代也。〕王以狄女閒姜、任，非禮且棄舊也。〔姜氏、任氏之女世為王妃嬪也，今以狄女代之，為棄舊也。〕王一舉而棄七德，臣故曰利外矣。《書》有之曰：『必有忍也，若能有濟也。』〔《書》，逸《書》也。若，猶乃也。濟，成也。言能有所忍乃能有成功也。〕王不忍小忿而棄鄭，又登叔隗以階狄。〔階，階狄禍也。〕狄，封豕豺狼也，不可猒也。」〔封，大；猒，足也。〕王不聽。

十八年，〔案：《攷異》卷一：「『八』當為『七』」。〕王黜狄后。〔十八年，魯僖公二十四年。黜，廢也。狄后既立而通王子帶，故王廢之也。〕狄人來誅殺譚伯。〔誅，責也。狄人奉子帶攻王而殺譚伯。譚伯，周大夫原伯毛也。　案：「譚伯，周大夫原伯毛也」，公序本無「原伯毛也」四字。《攷異》卷一：「案『毛』字衍。」〕富辰曰：「昔吾驟諫王，王弗從，以及此難。若我不出，王其以我為懟乎！」乃以其屬死之。〔帥其徒屬以死狄師。〕

初，惠后欲立王子帶，故以其黨啟狄人。〔言初者，惠后已死。以其黨者，謂頹叔、桃子緣惠后欲立子帶，故以子帶為黨，開狄人伐周也。〕狄人遂入，周王乃出居于鄭，晉文公納之。〔王出適鄭，居於汜也。文公納之，殺子帶。在魯僖公二十五年。〕
富辰諫襄王以狄伐鄭及以狄女為后

襄王拒晋文公请隧

晉文公既定襄王于郟，〔郟，洛邑王城之地也。〕王勞之以地，〔王以其勤勞，賞之以地，謂陽樊、溫、原、欑茅之田也。〕辭，〔辭，不受也。〕請隧焉。〔賈侍中云：「隧，王之葬禮，開地通路曰隧。」昭謂：隧，六隧也。《周禮》：天子遠郊之地有六鄉，則六軍之士也；外有六隧，掌供王之貢賦。唯天子有隧，諸侯則無也。〕王不許，曰：「昔我先王之有天下也，規方千里以為甸服，〔規，規畫而有之也。〕以供上帝山川百神之祀，〔以其職貢供王祭也。上帝，天神五帝也。山川，五岳河海也。百神，丘陵墳衍之神也。〕以備百姓兆民之用，以待不庭不虞之患。〔百姓，百官有世功者。用，財用也。庭，直也。虞，度也。不直，猶不道也。不度，不意度而至之患也。〕其餘以均分公侯伯子男，〔其餘，甸服之外地。均，平也。《周禮》，公之地方五百里，侯四百里，伯三百里，子二百里，男一百里。〕使各有寧宇，〔寧，安；宇，居也。〕以順及天地，無逢其災害，〔順，順天地尊卑之義也，若相侵犯，則有災害也。〕先王豈有賴焉？〔賴，利也。言無所利，皆均分諸侯也。〕內官不過九御，〔九御，九嬪也。〕外官不過九品，〔九品，九卿。《周禮》：「內有九室，九嬪居之；外有九室，九卿朝焉。」〕足以供給神祇而已，〔言嬪與卿主祭祀，《魯語》曰「日入監九御，使潔奉禘郊之粢盛」也。〕豈敢猒縱其耳目心腹以亂百度？〔猒，足也。耳目，聲色；心腹，嗜欲也。〕亦唯是死生之服物采章，〔采章，采色之文章也。死之服，謂六隧之民引王柩輅也。〕以臨長百姓而輕重布之，王何異之有？〔輕重布之，貴賤各有等也。王何異之，有帝王皆然也。〕今天降禍災於周室，余一人僅亦守府，〔僅，猶劣也。府，先王之府藏。〕又不佞以勤叔父，〔勤，勞也。天子稱九州之長同姓曰叔父也。〕而班先王之大物以賞私德，〔班，分也。大物，謂隧也。〕其叔父實應且憎，以非余一人，余一人豈敢有愛？〔應，猶受憎惡也。言晉文雖當私賞，猶非我一人也。〕先民有言曰：『改玉改行。』〔玉，佩玉，所以節行步也。君臣尊卑，遲速有節，言服其服則行其禮，以言晉侯尚在臣位，不宜有隧也。〕叔父若能光裕大德，更姓改物，以創制天下，自顯庸也，〔光，廣也。裕，寬也。更姓，易姓也。改物，改正朔、易服色也。創，造也。庸，用也。謂為天子造創制度，自顯用於天下。〕而縮取備物以鎮撫百姓，〔縮，引也。備物，隧之屬也。〕余一人其流辟旅於裔土，何辭之有與？〔流，放也。言將放辟於荒裔，何復陳辭之有也。〕若由是姬姓也，〔謂文公未更姓而王也。〕尚將列為公侯，以復先王之職，大物其未可改也。〔言文公若尚在公侯之位，將成霸業以興王室，復先王之職，則六隧未可改也。〕叔父其懋昭明德，物將自至，〔懋，勉也。言有天下則隧自至也。〕余何敢以私勞變前之大章，以忝天下，〔章，表也，所以表明天子與諸侯異物。〕其若先王與百姓何？〔言無以奉先王鎮撫百姓也。〕何政令之為也？〔何以復臨百姓而為政令乎？〕若不然，叔父有地而隧焉，〔自制以為隧也。〕余安能知之？」〔所不敢禁也。〕文公遂不敢請，受地而還。

阳人不服晋侯

王至自鄭，〔襄王從鄭至王城，魯僖二十五年也。〕以陽樊賜晉文公。〔陽樊，二邑在畿內也。　案：《發正》卷二據本書卷十《晉語四》注、《史記‧晉世家集解》引服虔說、《左傳》隱公十一年杜預注：「此云『二邑』，疑傳寫之誤。」以「陽樊」為一邑。〕陽人不服，〔不肯屬晉。〕晉侯圍之。倉葛呼曰：〔倉葛，陽人也。〕「王以晉君為能德，〔為能布德行。〕故勞之以陽樊，陽樊懷我王德，是以未從於晉。〔懷，思也。〕謂君其何德之布以懷柔之，〔懷，來也。柔，安也。〕使無有遠志？〔遠志，離叛也。〕今將大泯其宗祊，〔泯，滅也。廟門謂之祊。宗祊，猶宗廟也。〕而蔑殺其民人，〔蔑，猶滅也。〕宜吾不敢服也！夫三軍之所尋，〔尋，討也。〕將蠻、夷、戎、狄之驕逸不虔，於是乎致武。〔謂諸夏之國為蠻、夷之行，王於是致武以伐之。〕此羸者陽也，未狎君政，〔羸，弱也。狎，習也。〕故未承命。君若惠及之，唯官是徵，其敢逆命，〔官，晉有司也。徵，召也。〕何足以辱師！君之武震，無乃玩而頓乎？〔震，威也。玩，黷也。言舉非義兵，誅罰失當，故君之武威將見慢黷頓弊也。〕臣聞之曰：『武不可覿，文不可匿。〔覿，見也。匿，隱也。言不當尚武隱文也。〕覿武無烈，〔烈，威也。〕匿文不昭。』陽不承獲甸，〔案：《述聞》卷二０以為「承獲」二字誤倒。〕而祇以覿武，臣是以懼。不然，其敢自愛也？〔祇，適也。言陽人既不得承王室為甸服，又懼晉不惠卹其民，適以震威耀武而見殘破，不然，豈敢自愛而不服乎？〕且夫陽，豈有裔民哉？〔裔民，謂凶惡之民放在荒裔者也。〕夫亦皆天子之父兄甥舅也，〔謂吾舅者，吾謂之甥。〕若之何其虐之也？」晉侯聞之，曰：「是君子之言也。」乃出陽民。〔放令去也。〕

襄王拒杀卫成公

溫之會，晉人執衛成公歸之于周。〔溫，晉之河陽。成公，衛文公之子成公鄭也。晉文公討不服，衛成公恃楚而不從，聞楚師敗于城濮，懼，出奔楚，使元咺奉弟叔武以受盟于踐土。或愬元咺曰：「立叔武矣。」衛侯殺其子角，咺不廢命，奉叔武以守國。晉人復衛侯，衛侯先期入。叔武將沐，聞君至，喜，捉髮走出，前驅射而殺之，元咺出奔晉。會于溫，討不服。衛侯與元咺訟，不勝，故晉侯執之，歸之于京師。在魯僖公二十八年也。〕晉侯請殺之，王曰：「不可。夫政自上下者也，〔當從王出也。〕上作政，而下行之不逆，故上下無怨。〔言君臣不相怨。〕今叔父作政而不行，無乃不可乎？〔不行，謂不順也。言晉侯不行德政，而聽元咺之愬，欲殺衛侯也。〕夫君臣無獄，〔獄，訟也。無是非曲直，獄訟之義也。〕今元咺雖直，不可聽也。君臣皆獄，父子將獄，是無上下也。而叔父聽之，一逆矣。又為臣殺其君，其安庸刑？〔庸，用也。刑，法也。〕布刑而不庸，再逆矣。一合諸侯，而有再逆政，余懼其無後。〔無後，無以復合諸侯也。〕不然，余何私於衛侯？」晉人乃歸衛侯。〔在魯僖三十年也。晉侯使毉衍酖衛侯不死，魯僖為請於王及晉侯，皆納玉十瑴，於是歸之也。〕

王孫滿觀秦師

二十四年，〔案：「二十四年」，《攷異》卷一：「案《傳》、注『四』字皆當為『六』。」〕秦師將襲鄭，過周北門。〔襄王二十四年，魯僖之三十三年也。秦師，秦大夫孟明視之師也。輕曰襲。周北門，王城北門也。〕左右皆免冑而下拜，〔案：公序本無「皆」字、「拜」字，句下有注文：「兵車參乘，御在中央，故左右下也。冑，兜鍪也。免，脫也。脫冑而下，敬天王也」二十八字。〕超乘者三百乘。〔左，車左也。右，車右也。言免冑則不解甲而拜矣。超乘，跳躍上車，無威儀，所以敗也。〕王孫滿觀之，言於王曰：「秦師必有謫。」〔滿，周大夫王孫之名也。謫，猶咎也。〕王曰：「何故？」對曰：「師輕而驕，〔輕，謂超乘也。驕，謂士卒不肅也。〕輕則寡謀，驕則無禮。無禮則脫，〔脫，簡脫也，謂不敦旅整陣也。〕寡謀自陷。入險而脫，能無敗乎？〔險，謂崤也。〕秦師無謫，是道廢也。」〔是古道廢。〕是行也，秦師還，〔鄭商覺之，矯以鄭伯之命犒之，故還也。〕晉人敗諸崤，獲其三帥丙、術、視。〔崤，晉地名，在今弘農。三帥，秦三將，謂白乙丙、西乞術、孟明視也。〕

定王论不用全烝之故

晉侯使隨會聘于周，〔晉侯，晉文公之孫、成公之子景公獳也。隨會，晉正卿，士蒍之孫、成伯之子士季武子也。〕定王享之餚烝，〔定王，襄王之孫、頃王之子定王榆也。烝，升也。升折俎之餚也。〕原公相禮。〔原公，周卿士原襄公。相，佐也。〕范子私於原公，〔范子，隨會也。食采於隨、范，故或曰：「隨會，范會也。」〕曰：「吾聞王室之禮無毀折，今此何禮也？」王見其語，召原公而問之，原公以告。〔以士季之言告王也。〕

王召士季，〔季，范武子字也。〕曰：「子弗聞乎？禘郊之事，則有全烝；〔全烝，全其牲體而升之。凡郊禘皆血腥。〕王公立飫，則有房烝；〔王、天子。公，諸侯。禮之立成者為飫。房，大俎也。《詩》云「籩豆大房」，謂半解其體，升之房也。〕親戚宴饗，則有餚烝。〔餚烝，升體解節折之俎也，謂之折俎。〕今女非他也，而叔父使士季實來修舊德，以獎王室。〔獎，成也。〕唯是先王之宴禮，欲以貽女。〔貽，遺也。〕余一人敢設飫禘焉，〔飫，半體也。禘，全體也。〕忠非親禮，而干舊職，以亂前好？〔忠，厚也。親禮，親戚宴饗之禮。舊職，故事。前好，先王之好也。〕且唯戎、狄則有體薦。〔體，委與之也。〕夫戎、狄，冒沒輕儳，貪而不讓。〔冒，抵觸也。沒，入也。儳，進退上下無列也。〕其血氣不治，若禽獸焉。其適來班貢，不俟馨香嘉味，〔適，往也。班，賦也。〕故坐諸門外，而使舌人體委與之。〔舌人，能達異方之志，象胥之官。〕女今我王室之一二兄弟，以時相見，〔兄弟，晉也。〕將和協典禮，以示民訓則，〔協，合也。典，常也。〕無亦擇其柔嘉，〔無亦，不亦也。柔，脆也。嘉，美也。〕選其馨香，潔其酒醴，品其百籩，〔籩，竹器，容四升，其實棗栗糗餌之屬也。〕修其簠簋，〔修，備也。簠簋，黍稷之器也。〕奉其犧象，〔犧，犧樽，飾以犧牛；象，象樽，以象骨為飾也。〕出其樽彝，〔樽、彝，皆受酒之器也。〕陳其鼎俎，〔俎設於左，牛豕為一列，魚腊腸胃為一列，膚特於東。〕淨其巾羃，〔淨，潔也。巾羃，所以覆樽彝也。〕敬其祓除，〔猶掃除也。〕體解節折而共飲食之。於是乎有折俎加豆，〔加豆，謂既食之後所加之豆也。其實芹菹兔醢之屬。〕酬幣宴貨，〔酬，報也。聘有酬賓束帛之禮。其宴束帛為好，謂之宴貨也。〕以示容合好，〔示容儀，合和好也。〕胡有孑然其郊戎、狄也？〔孑然，全體之貌也。〕

「夫王公諸侯之有飫也，將以講事成章，〔講，講軍旅，議大事。章，章程也。〕建大德、昭大物也，〔大德，大功也。大物，大器也。〕故立成禮烝而已。〔立成，不坐也。烝，升也。升其備物而已也。〕飫以顯物，宴以合好，〔顯物，示物備也。〕故歲飫不倦，〔歲行飫禮，不至於懈倦也。〕時宴不淫，〔一時之閒必有宴禮，不至於淫湎也。〕月會、〔會，計也。計一月之經用也。〕旬修，〔旬，十日之內所成為也。　案：「旬」，公序本作「修」，「內」作「中」。《札記》卷二引段玉裁說：「此本作『旬，十日也。修，十日之內所成為也。』因『十日』字複而誤脫。」〕日完不忘。〔日完，一日之所為。不忘，不忘其禮也。〕服物昭庸，采飾顯明，〔庸，功也。冕服、旗章所以昭其功，五采之飾所以顯明德也。〕文章比象，〔黼黻，繪繡之文章也。比象，比文以象山、龍、華蟲之屬也。〕周旋序順，〔周旋，容止也。序，次也。各以次比順於禮也。〕容貌有崇，〔崇，飾也。容止可觀也。〕威儀有則，〔則，法也。其威可畏，其儀可度也。〕五味實氣，〔味以實氣，氣以行志。〕五色精心，〔五色之章所以異賢不肖，精其心也。〕五聲昭德，〔昭德，謂政平者其樂和也，亦謂見其樂知其德也。〕五義紀宜，〔五義，謂父義、母慈、兄友、弟恭、子孝也。〕飲食可饗，和同可觀，〔餚烝故可饗。以可去否曰和，一心不二曰同。和同之道行，則德義可觀也。〕財用可嘉，〔酬幣宴貨以將厚意，故可嘉也。〕則順而德建。〔則，法也。建，立也。〕古之善禮者，將焉用全烝？」

武子遂不敢對而退。〔武子，隨會也。〕歸，乃講聚三代之典禮，〔三代，夏、殷、周也。〕於是乎修執秩以為晉法。〔秩，常也。可奉執以為常也。晉文公蒐於被廬，作執秩之法。自靈公以來，闕而不用，故武子修之，以為晉國之法也。〕

單襄公論陳必亡

定王使單襄公聘於宋。〔單襄公，王卿士單朝也。聘，問也。問者，王之所以撫萬國，存省之也。〕遂假道於陳，以聘於楚。〔假道，自宋適楚，經陳也。是時，天子微弱，故以諸侯相聘之禮假道也。《聘禮》，若過國至于境，使次介假道，束帛將命于廟也。　案《攷異》卷一：「『廟』，《儀禮》作『朝』」。〕火朝覿矣，道茀不可行，〔火，心星也。覿，見也。草穢塞路為茀。朝見，謂夏正十月，晨見於辰也。〕候不在疆，〔候，候人，掌送迎賓客者。疆，境也。〕司空不視塗，〔司空，掌道路者。〕澤不陂，〔陂，障也。古不竇澤，故障之也。〕川不梁，〔流曰川。梁，渠梁也。古不防川，故渠之也。〕野有庾積，〔唐尚書云：「十六斗曰庾。」昭謂：此庾露積穀也。《詩》云：「曾孫之庾，如坻如京」是也。〕場功未畢，〔治場未畢。《詩》云：「九月築場圃。」〕道無列樹，〔列樹以表道，且為城守之用也。〕墾田若蓺，〔發田曰墾。蓺猶蒔。言其稀少若蓺物也。〕饍宰不致餼，〔饍宰，膳夫也，掌賓客之牢。《禮》，生曰餼。〕司里不授館，〔司里，里宰也，掌授客館。〕國無寄寓，〔寓，亦寄也。無寄寓，不為廬舍，可以寄寓羈旅之客也。〕縣無施舍，〔四甸為縣，縣方十六里。施舍，賓客負任之處也。〕民將築臺於夏氏。〔民，陳國之人也。臺，觀臺也。夏氏，陳大夫夏徵舒家也。〕及陳，陳靈公與孔寧、儀行父南冠以如夏氏，留賓不見。〔及，至也。陳靈公，舜後，恭公之子靈公平國也。孔寧、儀行父，陳之二卿。南冠也，楚冠。如，往也，往徵舒之家淫夏姬也。賓，單襄公也。〕

單子歸，告王曰：「陳侯不有大咎，國必亡。」〔單子，襄公也。卿大夫稱子，於其私士稱公也。〕王曰：「何故？」對曰：「夫辰角見而雨畢，〔辰角，大辰蒼龍之角。角，星名也。見者，朝見東方建戌之初，寒露節也。雨畢者，殺氣日至，而雨氣盡也。〕天根見而水涸，〔天根，亢、氐之閒。涸，竭也。謂寒露雨畢之後五日，天根朝見，水潦盡竭也。《月令》：「仲秋，水始涸。」天根見，乃盡竭也。〕本見而草木節解，〔本，氐也。謂寒露之後十日，陽氣盡，草木之枝節皆理解也。〕駟見而隕霜，〔駟，天駟，房星也。隕，落也。謂建戌之中，霜始降也。〕火見而清風戒寒。〔謂霜降之後，清風先至，所以戒人為寒備也。〕故先王之敎曰：『雨畢而除道，水涸而成梁，〔敎，謂《月令》之屬也。九月雨畢，十月水涸也。〕草木節解而備藏，〔備，收藏也。《月令》：「季秋，農事畢收。」〕隕霜而冬裘具，〔孟冬，「天子始裘」，故九月可以具。〕清風至而修城郭宮室。』〔謂火見之後，建亥之初也。〕故《夏令》曰：『九月除道，十月成梁。』〔《夏令》，夏后氏之令，周所因也。除道所以便行旅；成梁所以便民，使不涉也。〕其時儆曰：『收而場功，㣥而畚梮，〔時儆，時以儆告其民也。收而場功，使人修囷倉也。㣥，具也。畚，器名，土籠也。梮，舉土之器。具爾畚梮，將以築作也。〕營室之中，土功其始。〔定，謂之營室也。建亥小雪中，定星昏正於午，土功可以始也。《詩》云「定之方中，作于楚宮」也。〕火之初見，期於司里。』〔期，會也。致其築作之具，會於司里之官也。〕此先王所以不用財賄，而廣施德於天下者也。〔施德，謂因時警戒，謹蓋藏，成築功也。〕今陳國火朝覿矣，而道路若塞，野場若棄，澤不陂障，川無舟梁，〔舟梁，以舟為梁也。〕是廢先王之敎也。

「周制有之曰：『列樹以表道，立鄙食以守路。〔制，法也。表，識也。鄙，四鄙也。十里有廬，廬有飲食也。〕國有郊牧，〔國外曰郊。牧，放牧之地也。〕疆有寓望，〔疆，境也。境界之上，有寄寓之舍、候望之人也。〕藪有圃草，〔澤無水曰藪。圃，大也。必有茂大之草以備財用也。〕囿有林池，〔囿，苑也。林，積木也。池，積水也。〕所以禦災也。〔禦，備也。災，饑、兵也。〕其餘無非穀土，民無懸耜，〔言常用也。入土曰耜，耜柄曰耒。〕野無奧草。〔皆墾辟也。奧，深也。〕不奪民時，不蔑民功。〔蔑，求也。　案：「求」，公序本作「棄」。〕有優無匱，有逸無罷。國有班事，〔國，城邑也。班，次也。執事者有次也。〕縣有序民。』〔縣鄙之民，從事有序也。〕今陳國道路不可知，田在草閒，〔不墾者多。〕功成而不收，〔野場若棄也。〕民罷於逸樂，〔罷於為國君作逸樂之事也。〕是棄先王之法制也。

「周之《秩官》有之，〔《秩官》，周常官，篇名。〕曰：『敵國賓至，關尹以告，〔敵國，位敵也。關尹，司關，掌四方之賓客，叩關則為之告。《聘禮》曰：「及境，謁關人，關人問從者幾人。」遂以入境告也。〕行理以節逆之，〔理，吏也。逆，迎也。執瑞節為信而迎之。行理，小行人也。〕候人為導，〔導賓至於朝，出送之於境也。〕卿出郊勞，〔《聘禮》曰：「賓至於近郊，使卿朝服，用束帛勞之。」〕門尹除門，〔門尹，司門也。除門，掃除門庭也。〕宗祝執祀，〔宗，宗伯；祝，太祝也。執祀，賓將有事於廟，則宗祝執祭祀之禮也。〕司里授館，〔司里授客之館，所當館次於卿也。《聘禮》：「卿致館。」〕司徒具徒，〔具徒役，修道路之委積也。〕司空視塗，〔視塗險易。〕司寇詰姦，〔禁詰姦盜。〕虞人入材，〔虞人，掌山澤之官。祭祀賓客，供其材也。〕甸人積薪，〔甸人，掌薪蒸之事也。〕火師監燎，〔火師，司火。燎，庭燎也。〕水師監濯，〔水師，掌水，監滌濯之事也。〕膳宰致饔，〔熟食曰饔。〕廩人獻餼，〔生曰餼，禾米也。〕司馬陳芻，〔司馬，掌帥圉人養馬，故陳芻。圉人職屬司馬也。〕工人展車，〔展省客車，補傷敗也。〕百官以物至，〔物，事也。〕賓入如歸。是故小大莫不懷愛。〔小大，謂賓介也。〕其貴國之賓至，則以班加一等，益虔。〔貴國，大國也。班，次也。〕至於王吏，則皆官正莅事，〔正，長也。莅，臨也。〕上卿監之。〔監，視也。〕若王巡守，則君親監之。』〔《周禮》，王十二歲一巡守也。〕今雖朝也不才，有分族於周，〔朝，單子之名也。有分族，王之族親也。〕承王命以為過賓於陳，〔假道為過賓也。〕而司事莫至，是蔑先王之官也。〔蔑，欺也。〕

「先王之令有之曰：〔文、武之敎也。〕『天道賞善而罰淫，故凡我造國，無從非彝，〔造，為也。彝，常也。〕無即慆淫，〔即，就也。慆，慢也。〕各守爾典，以承天休。』〔典，常也。休，慶也。〕今陳侯不念胤續之常，棄其伉儷妃嬪，〔伉，對也。儷，偶也。〕而帥其卿佐以淫於夏氏，不亦嬻姓矣乎？〔卿佐，孔、儀也。賈、唐二君云：「姓，命也。」一曰：「夏氏，姬姓，鄭女亦姬姓，故謂之嬻姓。」昭謂：夏徵舒之父御叔，即陳公子夏之子、靈公之從祖父，媯姓也，而靈公淫其妻，是為媟嬻其姓也。〕陳，我大姬之後也。〔大姬，周武王之女，虞胡公之妃，陳之祖妣也。〕棄袞冕而南冠以出，不亦簡彝乎？〔袞，袞龍之衣也。冕，大冠也。公之盛服也。簡，略也。彝，常也。言棄其禮，簡略常服。〕是又犯先王之令也。〔先王之令，無從非彝。〕

「昔先王之敎，懋帥其德也，猶恐殞越。〔言勉帥其德，猶恐落墜也。〕若廢其敎而棄其制，蔑其官而犯其令，將何以守國？〔無禮則危也。〕居大國之閒，〔大國，晉、楚也。〕而無此四者，其能久乎？」〔四者，謂敎、制、官、令也。〕

六年，單子如楚。〔定王六年，魯宣之八年也。〕八年，陳侯殺於夏氏。〔八年，魯宣之十年也。陳靈公與孔寧、儀行父飲酒于夏氏。公謂行父曰：「徵舒似女。」對曰：「亦似君。」徵舒病之，公出，自其廄射而殺之。〕九年，楚子入陳。〔楚莊王入陳討夏氏殺君之罪也。既滅陳而復封之，故曰入也。唐尚書云「遂取陳以為縣」，誤也。〕

劉康公論魯大夫儉與侈

定王八年，使劉康公聘於魯，〔劉，畿內之國。康公，王卿士王季子也。〕發幣於大夫。〔發其禮幣於魯大夫。〕季文子、孟獻子皆儉，〔二子，魯卿。季文子，季友之孫、齊仲無佚之子季孫行父。孟獻子，仲慶父之曾孫、公孫敖之孫、孟文伯歜之子仲孫蔑。儉，居處節儉也。　案《發正》卷二：「『歜』，各本同。案孟文伯名穀，公父文伯名歜，此涉公父文伯而誤也。」〕叔孫宣子、東門子家皆侈。〔二子，魯大夫。叔孫宣子，叔牙之曾孫、莊叔得臣之子叔孫僑如也。東門子家，莊公之孫、東門襄仲之子公孫歸父也。〕

歸，王問魯大夫孰賢？對曰：「季、孟其長處魯乎！〔言儉也。〕叔孫、東門其亡乎！〔言其侈也。〕若家不亡，身必不免。」王曰：「何故？」對曰：「臣聞之：為臣必臣，為君必君。〔臣尚敬，君尚惠也。〕寬肅宣惠，君也；〔肅，整也。宣，徧也。惠，愛也。〕敬恪恭儉，臣也。寬所以保本也，〔本，謂寬則得眾，故可以守也。〕肅所以濟時也，〔濟，成也。〕宣所以敎施也，〔施徧則人不怨。〕惠所以和民也。本有保則必固，時動而濟則無敗功，〔不干時而動，則無敗功也。〕敎施而宣則徧，惠以和民則阜。〔阜，厚也。〕若本固而功成，施徧而民阜，乃可以長保民矣，其何事不徹？〔徹，達也。〕敬所以承命也，恪所以守業也，恭所以給事也，儉所以足用也。〔儉則有餘，故所以足用也。〕以敬承命則不違，以恪守業則不懈，以恭給事則寬於死，〔寬，猶遠也。〕以儉足用則遠於憂。〔無乏絕之憂，且遠驕僭之罪也。〕若承命不違，守業不懈，寬於死而遠於憂，則可以上下無隙矣，〔上下，君臣也。隙，瑕舋也。〕其何任不堪？上任事而徹，下能堪其任，所以為令聞長世也。〔長世，多歷年也。〕今夫二子者儉，其能足用矣，〔二子，季、孟，言二人其能以儉足用也。〕用足則族可以庇。〔庇，覆也。恭儉節用，無取於民，國人說之，故其宗族可以覆廕也。〕二子者侈，侈則不恤匱，匱而不恤，憂必及之，〔志在奢侈，不恤人之窮匱，故憂患必及之也。〕若是則必廣其身。〔廣，大也。務自大，不顧其上也。〕且夫人臣而侈，國家弗堪，亡之道也。」王曰：「幾何？」對曰：「東門之位不若叔孫，而泰侈焉，不可以事二君。〔東門，大夫；叔孫，卿也。位在人下而侈其上，重而無基，故不可以事二君也。〕叔孫之位不若季、孟，而亦泰侈焉，不可以事三君。〔叔孫，下卿。季、孟，上卿。〕若皆蚤世猶可，〔早世，早即亡也，其家猶可以免也。〕若登年以載其毒，必亡。」〔登年，多歷年也。載，行也。毒，害也。必亡，家必亡也。〕

十六年，魯宣公卒。〔定王十六年，魯宣之十八年也。〕赴者未及，東門氏來告亂，子家奔齊。〔來告，告周大夫也。東門子家謀去三桓，使如晉，未及，宣公薨，三桓逐子家，遂奔齊也。諸侯大夫以君命使出，出必有禮贄私覿之事，以通情結好，吉凶相告，子家嘗使於周，故以亂告也。告在魯宣十八年。赴者未及，明不及二君也。〕簡王十一年，魯叔孫宣伯亦奔齊，成公未歿二年。〔簡王，定王之子簡王夷也。十一年，魯成十六年也。宣伯，僑如也，通於宣公夫人穆姜，欲去季、孟而專公室，國民逐之，故出奔齊。言成公未歿二年，明不及三君也。〕

王孫說請勿賜叔孫僑如

簡王八年，魯成公來朝，〔簡王八年，魯成十三年也。成公將與周、晉伐秦而朝也。〕使叔孫僑如先聘且告。〔使僑如先修聘禮，且告周以成公將朝也。〕見王孫說，與之語。〔說，周大夫也。〕說言於王曰：「魯叔孫之來也，必有異焉。其享覲之幣薄而言諂，殆請之也；若請之，必欲賜也。魯執政唯強，故不歡焉而後遣之；〔魯執政之人唯畏其強禦，難距其欲，故不歡悅而後遣之。〕且其狀方上而銳下，宜觸冒人。王其勿賜。若貪陵之人來而盈其願，是不賞善〔案：「不賞善」，《攷異》卷一：「《內傳》成十三年疏引《國語》作『賞不善』，是也。」〕也，且財不給。〔給，共也。〕故聖人之施舍也議之，〔施，予也。舍，不予。〕其喜怒取與亦議之。是以不主寬惠，亦不主猛毅，〔主，猶名也。〕主德義而已。」〔賞得其人，罰當其罪，是為德義。〕王曰：「諾。」使私問諸魯，請之也。王遂不賜，禮如行人。〔如使人之禮，無加賜也。〕及魯侯至，仲孫蔑為介，〔在賓為介。介，上介，所以佐儀也。〕王孫說與之語，說讓。〔說，好也。言蔑好讓。〕說以語王，王厚賄之。

單襄公論郤至佻天之功

晉既克楚于鄢，〔克，勝也。晉厲公伐鄭，楚人救之，戰于鄢。在魯成十六年也。〕使郤至告慶于周。〔郤至，晉卿步揚之孫、蒲城䧿居之子溫季也。告慶，以勝楚之福告王也。〕未將事，〔將，行也，未行告慶之禮。〕王叔簡公飲之酒，〔王叔簡公，周大夫王叔陳生也。〕交酬好貨皆厚，〔交酬，相酬之幣。好貨，宴飲以貨為好。厚者，幣物多也。〕飲酒宴語相說也。

明日，王叔子譽諸朝。郤至見邵桓公，與之語。〔邵桓公，王卿士也。〕邵公以告單襄公曰：「王叔子譽溫季，以為必相晉國，相晉國，必大得諸侯，勸二三君子必先導焉，可以樹。〔二三君子，在朝公卿也。導者，導晉侯使升郤至以為上卿，可以樹黨於晉也。〕今夫子見我，以晉國之克也，為己實謀之，〔言戰勝楚，吾之謀也。〕曰：『微我，晉不戰矣！〔微，無也。〕楚有五敗，晉不知乘，我則強之。〔乘，陵也。〕背宋之盟，一也；〔宋盟，宋華元所合晉、楚之成也。華元善楚令尹子重，又善晉欒武子，故遂合二國之好。盟在魯成十二年。至十六年，楚、鄭背盟伐宋也。〕德薄而以地賂諸侯，二也；〔楚王薄德，鄭人不從楚，以汝陰之田賂鄭，鄭叛晉從楚也。〕棄壯之良而用幼弱，三也；〔壯之良，謂申叔時也。幼弱，謂司馬子反也。〕建立卿士而不用其言，四也；〔卿士，子囊。子囊不欲背晉，楚王不聽也。〕夷、鄭從之，三陳而不整，五也。〔夷，楚東之夷也。《晉語》曰：「楚恭王帥東夷救鄭。」三陳，夷、鄭、楚也。〕罪不由晉，晉得其民，〔言楚叛盟，非晉之罪也。得民，得民心也。〕四軍之帥，旅力方剛；〔時晉立四軍，四軍之帥，晉八卿也。欒書將中軍，士燮佐之；郤錡將上軍，荀偃佐之；韓厥將下軍，智罃佐之；趙旃將新軍，郤至佐之。旅，眾也。剛，強也。〕卒伍治整，諸侯與之。〔晉有信，故諸侯與之。〕是有五勝也：有辭，一也；〔楚背盟，故晉有辭也。〕得民，二也；軍帥強禦，三也；行列治整，四也；諸侯輯睦，五也。有一勝猶足用也，有五勝以伐五敗，而避之者，非人也。不可以不戰。欒、范不欲，我則強之。〔欒，欒書也。范，士燮也。〕戰而勝，是吾力也。〔謂郤至曰「楚有六閒，不可失也」。〕且夫戰也微謀，〔微，無也，言軍無計謀也。〕吾有三伐︰〔伐，功也。三伐，勇、禮、仁也。〕勇而有禮，反之以仁。吾三逐楚君之卒，勇也；見其君必下而趨，禮也；〔下，下車也。〕能獲鄭伯而赦之，仁也。〔郤至從鄭伯，其右茀翰胡曰：「余從之乘，而俘以下。」郤至曰：「傷國君有刑。」乃止也。〕若是而知晉國之政，楚、越必朝。』〔知政，謂為政也。〕

「吾曰：『子則賢矣。〔吾，邵桓公自謂也。〕抑晉國之舉也，不失其次，吾懼政之未及子也。』〔郤至位在七人下，故恐政未及也。〕謂我曰：『夫何次之有？昔先大夫荀伯自下軍之佐以政，〔荀伯，荀林父也，從下軍之佐第六卿升為正卿也。〕趙宣子未有軍行而以政，〔宣子，趙盾也，為中軍佐，此第二卿，未有軍行，升為正卿也。〕今欒伯自下軍往。〔欒伯，欒書也，將下軍，第五卿而為正卿也。〕是三子也，吾又過於四之無不及。〔三子，荀、趙、欒也，得郤至四人。言己之材優於彼四人也，三人之中無有所不及也。　案：「言己之才優於彼四人也」，「四」，公序本作「三」。〕若佐新軍而升為政，不亦可乎？將必求之。』是其言也，君以為奚若？」〔言如是，君以為何如也。〕

襄公曰：「人有言曰：『兵在其頸。』其郤至之謂乎！君子不自稱也，〔稱，舉也。〕非以讓也，惡其蓋人也。〔蓋，掩也。〕夫人性，陵上者也，〔如能在人上者，人欲勝陵之也，故君子上禮讓而天下莫敢陵也。〕不可蓋也。〔言人之美不可掩也。〕求蓋人，其抑下滋甚，〔滋，益也。求掩蓋人以自高大，則其抑退而下益甚也。〕故聖人貴讓。且諺曰：『獸惡其網，民惡其上。』〔獸惡其網，為其害己。民惡其上，為其病己。〕《書》曰：『民可近也，而不可上也。』〔《書》，逸《書》。民可近，可以恩意近也。不可上，不可高上。上，陵也。〕《詩》曰：『愷悌君子，求福不回。』〔回，邪也。求福以禮，不以邪也。〕在禮，敵必三讓，〔敵，體敵也。〕是則聖人知民之不可加也。〔加，猶上也。〕故王天下者必先諸民，然後庇焉，則能長利。〔先諸民，先求民志也。庇，猶廕也。言王者先安民，然後自庇廕也。長利，長有福利也。〕今郤至在七人之下而欲上之，是求蓋七人也，其亦有七怨。怨在小醜，猶不可堪，而況在侈卿乎？其何以待之？〔待，猶備也。〕

「晉之克也，天有惡於楚也，故儆之以晉。而郤至佻天之功以為己力，不亦難乎？〔佻，偷也，偷天之功以為己力也。〕佻天不祥，乘人不義，〔乘，陵也。〕不祥則天棄之，不義則民叛之。且郤至何三伐之有？夫仁、禮、勇，皆民之為也。〔民力所為也。〕以義死用謂之勇，〔若富辰也。〕奉義順則謂之禮，〔謂若管仲責楚包茅也。〕畜義豐功謂之仁。〔豐，大也。謂若狐偃輔晉文也。〕姦仁為佻，〔以姦偽行仁為偷仁，謂獲鄭伯而赦之也。〕姦禮為羞，〔羞，恥也。謂見楚君而趨也。〕姦勇為賊。〔還賊國也。姦勇，謂逐楚卒也。〕夫戰，盡敵為上，守和同順義為上。〔守和同，謂不相與戰而平和也。順義，順王義也。〕故制戎以果毅，〔戎，兵也。殺敵為果，致果為毅也。〕制朝以序成。〔序，次也。朝不越爵則政成也。〕叛戰而擅舍鄭君，賊也；棄毅行容，羞也；〔容，容儀也。謂下趨也。〕叛國即讎，佻也。〔叛其國而即讎人，謂赦鄭伯欲以偷仁也。〕有三姦以求替其上，遠於得政矣。〔替，廢也。〕以吾觀之，兵在其頸，不可久也。雖吾王叔，未能違難。在《太誓》曰：『民之所欲，天必從之。』王叔欲郤至，能勿從乎？」〔違，避也。今《周書‧太誓》無此言，其散亡乎？〕

郤至歸，明年死難。〔明年，魯成十七年也。死，為厲公所殺也。〕及伯輿之獄，王叔陳生奔晉。〔伯輿，周大夫也。獄，訟也。王叔陳生與伯輿爭政，王佐伯輿，王叔不勝，遂出奔晉，在魯襄十年也。〕

卷三 周語下

單襄公論晉將有亂

柯陵之會，〔柯陵，鄭西地名也。《經》書：「公會尹子、單子、晉侯、齊侯、宋公、衛侯、曹伯、邾人伐鄭。六月乙酉，同盟于柯陵。」在魯成十七年。　案《攷異》卷一：「公序本作『公會尹子、單子、晉侯、齊國佐、邾人于柯陵，以伐鄭。』案公序本是也。『單子』係後人誤增，下注云：單襄公『時命事而不與會，故不書。』是注無此二字矣。韋宏嗣所據之《經》在魯成公十六年。《經》書：『公會尹子、晉侯、齊國佐伐鄭。』《內傳》云：『公會尹武公及諸侯伐鄭。諸侯之師次于鄭西。』杜預云：『柯陵，鄭西地。』然則鄭西即柯陵，《內傳》鄭西之師即外《傳柯》陵之會。下文《傳》云：『十一年，諸侯會于柯陵。』簡王十一年，正魯成公十六年。會柯陵在前，而盟柯陵在後，本屬兩時兩事，故韋注云『于柯陵以伐鄭』，此通《內》、《外傳》以釋之，其說當矣。明道本乃據十七年《經》書『同盟于柯陵』，遂誤合《國語》改竄韋注，不知《傳》、注皆不可通也。」〕單襄公見晉厲公視遠步高。〔襄公，王卿士，單朝之謚也。時命事而不與會，故不書。厲公，晉成公之孫、景公之子厲公州蒲也。視遠，望視遠；步高，舉足高也。〕晉郤錡見，其語犯。〔郤錡，晉卿，郤克之子駒伯也。犯，陵犯人也。〕郤犫見，其語迂。〔郤犫，晉卿，郤錡之族父、步揚之子苦成叔也。迂，迂迴，加誣於人也。〕郤至見，其語伐。〔郤至，晉卿，犫之弟子溫季昭子也。伐，好伐其功也。〕齊國佐見，其語盡。〔國佐，齊卿，國歸父之子國武子也。盡者，盡其心意，善惡襃貶無所諱也。〕魯成公見，言及晉難及郤犫之譖。〔成公，魯宣公之子成公黑肱也。言及晉難，語次及晉將罪己之難，及為郤犫所誣也。晉將伐鄭，使欒黶乞師於魯，成公將如會。叔孫僑如通於成公之母穆姜，欲去季、孟氏，而取其室。穆姜送公，使逐季、孟，公以晉難告，請反而聽命。姜怒，公子偃、公子鉏趨過，指之曰：「女不可，是皆君也。」公懼，待於壞隤，儆守而後行，故不及戰。郤犫受僑如之賂，為之譖魯於晉侯，曰：「魯侯後至者，待於壞隤，將以待勝者。」晉侯怒，不見公。故成公為單子言之也。〕

單子曰：「君何患焉！晉將有亂，其君與三郤其當之乎！」魯侯曰：「寡人懼不免於晉，今君曰『將有亂』，敢問天道乎，抑人故也？」〔故，事也。將以天道占之乎，以人事知之乎？〕對曰：「吾非瞽、史，焉知天道？〔瞽，樂太師，掌知音樂風氣，執同律以聽軍聲，而詔吉凶。史，太史，掌抱天時，與太師同車，皆知天道者。〕吾見晉君之容，而聽三郤之語矣，殆必禍者也。夫君子目以定體，足以從之，〔體，手足也。《論語》曰「四體不勤」也。〕是以觀其容而知其心矣。〔心不固，則容不正也。〕目以處義，〔義，宜也。〕足以步目，今晉侯視遠而足高，目不在體，〔在，存也。〕而足不步目，其心必異矣。目體不相從，何以能久？夫合諸侯，民〔案：「民」，公序本作「國」。〕之大事也，於是乎觀存亡。故國將無咎，其君在會，步言視聽，必皆無謫，則可以知德矣。視遠，日絕其義；〔謫，譴也。言日日絕其宜也。〕足高，日棄其德；〔人君容止，佩玉有節。今步高失儀，棄其德也。〕言爽，日反其信；〔爽，貳也。反，違也。〕聽淫，日離其名。〔淫，濫也。離，失也。名，聲也。失所名也。〕夫目以處義，足以踐德，〔踐，履也。動履，德行也。〕口以庇信，〔庇，覆也。言行相覆為信也。〕耳以聽名者也，〔耳所以聽，別萬事之名聲也。〕故不可不慎也。偏喪有咎，〔喪，亡也。步、言、視、聽四者而亡其二，為偏喪。偏喪者有咎，咎及身也。〕既喪則國從之。〔既，盡也。四者盡喪，國從而亡也。〕晉侯爽二，吾是以云。〔爽，當為「喪」字之誤也。喪二，視與步也，是為偏喪，故言晉君當之。〕

「夫郤氏，晉之寵人也，三卿而五大夫，可以戒懼矣。〔三卿，錡、犫、至也。復有五人為大夫，故號八郤也。〕高位寔疾顛，〔高者近危。疾，速也。顛，隕也。〕厚味寔腊毒。〔厚味，喻重祿也。腊，亟也，讀若「廣」。昔酒焉，味厚者，其毒亟也。　案：「廣」，公序本作「廟」。《攷異》卷一：「案皆非也。此必『酋』字之誤，『酋』、『昔』俱有久義。」〕今郤伯之語犯，叔迂，季伐，〔伯，錡也。叔，犫也。季，至也。〕犯則陵人，迂則誣人，伐則掩人。〔掩人之美。〕有是寵也，而益之以三怨，其誰能忍之！〔益，猶加也。三怨，陵、誣、掩也。〕雖齊國子亦將與焉。〔與，與於禍也。〕立於淫亂之國，而好盡言，以招人過，怨之本也。〔招，舉也。〕唯善人能受盡言，〔思聞過以自改。〕齊其有乎？〔言無也。〕吾聞之，國德而鄰於不修，必受其福。〔國德，己國有德也。鄰於不修，與不修德者為鄰也。〕今君偪於晉，而鄰於齊，齊、晉有禍，可以取伯，無德之患，何憂於晉？且夫長翟之人利而不義，〔長翟之人，謂叔孫僑如也。僑如之父得臣敗翟于鹹，獲長翟僑如，因名其子為僑如。利而不義者，好利而不義。通於穆姜，欲逐季孟而專魯國也。〕其利淫矣，流之若何？」〔言其所利驕淫之事耳。流，放也，放之若何也。〕

魯侯歸，乃逐叔孫僑如。簡王十一年，諸侯會于柯陵。〔簡王十一年，魯成十七年也。　案《攷異》卷一：「案『七』當作『六』，字之誤也。簡王十二年，晉殺三郤，在魯成十七年。十三年，晉殺厲公，在魯成十八年。然則簡王十一年為魯成十六年無疑矣。」〕十二年，晉殺三郤。十三年，晉侯弒，〔厲公既殺三郤，欒書、中行偃懼誅，執厲公而殺之於匠酈氏也。〕於翼東門葬，以車一乘。〔翼，晉別都也。《傳》曰「葬之于翼東門之外」，不得同於先君也。禮，諸侯七命，遣車七乘。以車一乘，不成喪也。〕齊人殺國武子。〔是年，齊人又殺國佐也。齊慶尅通于靈公之母聲孟子。國佐召慶尅而謂之，慶尅以告夫人，夫人愬之於靈公，靈公殺之。殺在魯成十八年也。〕

單襄公論晉周將得晉國

晉孫談之子周適周，事單襄公，〔談，晉襄公之孫惠伯談也。周者，談之子，晉悼公之名也。晉自獻公用驪姬之讒詛，不畜羣公子，故孫周適周事單襄公。〕立無跛，〔跛，偏任也。〕視無還，〔睛轉復反為還也。〕聽無聳，〔不聳耳而聽也。〕言無遠；〔遠，謂非耳目所及也。〕言敬必及天，〔象天之敬，乾乾不息。〕言忠必及意，〔出自心意為忠。〕言信必及身，〔先信於身，而後及人。〕言仁必及人，〔博愛於人為仁。〕言義必及利，〔能利人物，然後為義。《易》曰：「利物足以和義。」〕言智必及事，〔能處事物為智。〕言勇必及制，〔以義為制也，勇而不義非勇也。〕言敎必及辯，〔辯，別也。能分別是非，乃可以敎。〕言孝必及神，〔孝於鬼神，則存者信矣。〕言惠必及和，〔惠，愛也。和，睦也。言致和睦，乃為親愛也。〕言讓必及敵；〔雖在匹敵，猶以禮讓也。〕晉國有憂未嘗不戚，〔急其宗也。〕有慶未嘗不怡。〔慶，福也。怡，悅也。〕

襄公有疾，召頃公而告之，〔頃公，單襄公之子也。〕曰：「必善晉周，將得晉國。其行也文，〔經緯天地曰文。〕能文則得天地。天地所胙，小而後國。〔胙，福也。天之所福，小則得國，大得天下也。〕夫敬，文之恭也；〔文者，德之總名也。恭者，其別行也。十一義皆如之。〕忠，文之實也；〔忠自中出，故為文之實誠也。〕信，文之孚也；〔孚，覆也。〕仁，文之愛也；〔仁者，文之慈愛。〕義，文之制也；〔義所以制斷事宜也。〕智，文之輿也；〔智所以載行文德。〕勇，文之帥也；〔謂以勇帥行，其心義。〕敎，文之施也；〔所以施布德化。〕孝，文之本也；〔言人始於事親，故孝為文本也。〕惠，文之慈也；〔慈，愛也。〕讓，文之材也。〔材，用也。〕象天能敬，〔言能則天，是能敬也。〕帥意能忠，〔帥，循也。循己之意，恕而行之，為忠也。〕思身能信，〔思誠其身，乃為信也。《易》曰「體信，足以長人」也。〕愛人能仁，〔言愛人乃為仁也。〕利制能義，〔以利為制，故能義也。〕事建能智，〔能處立百事，為智也。〕帥義能勇，〔修義而行，故能勇。君子有勇而無義，為亂。〕施辯能敎，〔施其道化而行，能辯明之，故能敎。〕昭神能孝，〔昭，顯也。尊而顯之，若周公然。〕慈和能惠，〔慈愛和睦，故能惠也。〕推敵能讓。〔與己體敵，猶推先之，故能讓。〕此十一者，夫子皆有焉。〔夫子，晉周也。〕

「天六地五，數之常也。〔天有六氣，謂陰、陽、風、雨、晦、明也。地有五行，金、木、水、火、土也。〕經之以天，緯之以地。〔以天之六氣為經，以地之五行為緯，而成之也。〕經緯不爽，文之象也。〔爽，差也。〕文王質文，故天胙之以天下。夫子被之矣，〔質文，其質性有文德也。被，被服之也。言文王質性有文德，故能得天下。晉周則被服之，可以得國也。〕其昭穆又近，可以得國。〔父昭子穆，孫復為昭，一昭一穆，相次而下。近者，言周子之親與晉最近。〕且夫立無跛，正也；視無還，端也；聽無聳，成也；〔成，定也。〕言無遠，慎也。夫正，德之道也；〔德之道路。〕端，德之信也；〔端慤故信。〕成，德之終也；〔志定故能終也。〕慎，德之守也。〔守，守德也。〕守終純固，道正事信，明令德矣。〔言周子明於善德也。〕慎成端正，德之相也。〔相，助也。慎成端正，覆述上事，為下出也。〕為晉休戚，不背本也。〔休，喜也。〕被文相德，非國何取！〔被服文德，又以四行輔助之。非國何取，言必得國也。〕

「成公之歸也，吾聞晉之筮之也，〔成公，晉文公之庶子成公黑臀也。歸者，自周歸晉也。趙穿弒靈公，趙盾逆公子黑臀于周而立之。蓍曰筮，筮立成公也。〕遇《乾》之《否》，曰：『配而不終，君三出焉。』〔《乾》下《乾》上，《乾》也。《坤[下《乾》上，《否》也。《乾》初九、九二、九三，變而之《否》也。《乾》，天也，君也，故曰配，配先君也。不終，子孫不終為君也。《乾》下變而為《坤》，《坤》，地也，臣也。天地不交曰《否》，變有臣象。三爻，故三世而終。上有《乾》，《乾》，天子也。五體不變，周天子國也。三爻有三變，故君三出於周也。　案：「《乾》，天子也」下，公序本有「五亦天子」四字。〕一既往矣，後之不知，其次必此。〔一，謂成公，已往為晉吾。後之不知，不知最後者在誰也。其次必此，次成公而往者，必周子也。〕且吾聞成公之生也，其母夢神規其臀以墨，曰：『使有晉國，〔規，畫也。臀，凥也。〕三而畀驩之孫。』〔畀，予也。三世為晉君，而更予驩之孫也。驩，晉襄公之名也。孫，曾孫周子也。自孫已下皆稱孫，《詩》曰「周公之孫」，謂僖公也。〕故名之曰『黑臀』，於今再矣。〔賈侍中云：「於今，單襄公時也。晉厲公即黑臀之孫也，黑臀之後二世為君，與黑臀滿三世矣。」唐尚書云：「時晉景公在位，成公生景公，故言再。」昭謂：魯成十七年，單襄公與晉厲公會於柯陵，後三年而單襄公卒。其歲厲公弒，則襄公將死時，非景公明矣。賈君得之。　案：「魯成十七年」，《攷異》卷一：「案『七』當作『六』，辨見前篇。」〕襄公曰驩，此其孫也。〔此周子者，晉襄公之孫也。〕而令德孝恭，非此其誰？且其夢曰：『必驩之孫，實有晉國。』其卦曰：『必三取君於周。』其德又可以君國，三襲焉。〔襲，合也。三合，德、夢卦也。〕吾聞之《大誓》，故曰：『朕夢協朕卜，襲于休祥，戎商必克。』〔《大誓》，伐紂之誓也。故，故事也。朕，武王自謂也。協，合也。休，美也。祥，福之先見者也。戎，兵也。言武王夢與卜合，又合美善之祥，以兵伐殷，必克之也。〕以三襲也。〔言武王夢、卜、祥三合，故遂克商有天下。今晉周德夢、卦亦三合，將必得國也。〕晉仍無道而鮮冑，其將失之矣。〔仍，數也。鮮，寡也。冑，後也。晉厲公數行無道，晉公族之後又寡少，將失國也。〕必早善晉子，其當之也。」〔晉子，周子也。〕

頃公許諾。及厲公之亂，召周子而立之，是為悼公。〔亂，謂弒也。〕

太子晉諫靈王壅穀水

靈王二十二年，〔靈王，周簡王之子靈王大心也。二十二年，魯襄公二十四年也。是歲，齊人城郟。〕穀、洛鬬，將毀王宮。〔穀、洛，二水名也。洛在王城之南，穀在王城之北，東入于瀍。鬬者，兩水激，有似於鬬也。至靈王時，穀水盛，出於王城之西，而南流合於洛水，毀王城西南，將及王宮，故齊人城郟也。案：「鬬者，兩水激，有似鬬也」，公序本「激」作「格」，又此九字在「穀、洛二水名也」句下。〕王欲壅之，〔欲壅防穀水，使北出也。〕太子晉諫曰：「不可。〔晉，靈王太子也，早卒不立。〕晉聞古之長民者，〔長，猶君也。〕不墮山，〔墮，毀也。〕不崇藪，〔崇，高也。澤無水曰藪。〕不防川，〔防，障也。流曰川。〕不竇澤。〔澤，居水也。竇，決也。不為此四者，為反天性也。〕夫山，土之聚也；藪，物之歸也；〔物所生歸也。〕川，氣之導也；〔導，達也。《易》曰：「山澤通氣。」〕澤，水之鍾也。〔鍾，聚也。〕夫天地成而聚於高，歸物於下。〔聚，聚物也。高，山陵也。下，藪澤也。〕疏為川谷，以導其氣；〔疏，通也。〕陂塘汙庳，以鍾其美。〔畜水曰陂，塘也。美，謂滋潤也。〕是故聚不阤崩，而物有所歸；〔大曰崩，小曰阤。〕氣不沈滯，而亦不散越。〔沈，伏也。滯，積也。越，遠也。〕是以民生有財用，而死有所葬。〔物有所歸，故生有財用。山陵不崩，故死有所葬。《齊語》曰：「陵為之終。」〕然則無夭、昏、札、瘥之憂，而無飢、寒、乏、匱之患，〔短折曰夭。狂惑曰昏。疫死曰札。瘥，病也。〕故上下能相固，以待不虞，〔虞，度也。〕古之聖王唯此之慎。〔慎逆天地之性也。〕

「昔共工棄此道也，〔賈侍中云：「共工，諸侯，炎帝之後，姜姓也。顓頊氏衰，共工氏侵陵諸侯，與高辛氏爭而王也。」或云：「共工，堯時諸侯，為高辛所滅。」昭謂：言為高辛所滅，安得為堯諸侯？又堯時共工，與此異也。〕虞于湛樂，〔虞，安也。湛，淫也。〕淫失其身，欲壅防百川，墮高堙庳，以害天下。〔堙，塞也。高，謂山陵。庳，謂池澤。〕皇天弗福，庶民弗助，禍亂並興，共工用滅。其在有虞，有崇伯鮌，〔有虞，舜也。鮌，禹父。崇，鮌國。伯，爵也。堯時在位，而言有虞者，鮌之誅，舜之為也。〕播其淫心，稱遂共工之過，〔播，放也。稱，舉也。舉遂共工之過者，謂鄣洪水也。〕堯用殛之于羽山。〔殛，誅也。舜臣堯，殛鮌於羽山。羽山在今東海祝其南也。　案：「祝其」下，公序本有「縣」字。〕其後伯禹念前之非度，〔度，法也。〕釐改制量，〔釐，理也。量，度也。〕象物天地，〔取法天地之物象也。在天成象，在地成形也。〕比類百則，〔類，亦象也。〕儀之于民，〔儀，准也。〕而度之于羣生，〔度之，謂不傷害也。〕共之從孫四嶽佐之，〔共，共工也。從孫，昆季之孫也。四嶽，官名，主四嶽之祭，為諸侯伯。佐，助也。言共工從孫為四嶽之官，掌帥諸侯，助禹治水也。〕高高下下，疏川導滯，〔高高，封崇九山也。下下，陂障九澤也。疏川，決江疏河。導滯，鑿龍門、闢伊闕也。〕鍾水豐物，〔鍾，聚畜水潦，所以豐殖百物也。〕封崇九山，〔封，大。崇，高也。除其壅塞之害，通其水泉，使不墮壞，是謂封崇。凡此諸言九者，皆謂九州之中，山川藪澤也。〕決汨九川，〔汨，通也。〕陂鄣九澤，〔鄣，防也。〕豐殖九藪，〔豐，茂也。殖，長也。〕汨越九原，〔越，揚也。〕宅居九隩，〔隩，內也。九州之內皆可宅居也。〕合通四海。〔使之同軌也。〕故天無伏陰，〔伏陰，夏有霜雹也。〕地無散陽，〔散陽，李梅冬實也。〕水無沈氣，〔沈，伏也。無伏積之氣也。〕火無災燀，〔燀，焱起貌也。天曰災，人曰火。　案《攷異》卷一：「『焱』，《補音》作『猋』，《文選》注引作『炎』。案作『炎』是也。『炎』誤作『焱』，又誤作『猋』」。〕神無閒行，〔閒行，姦神淫厲之類也。〕民無淫心，〔陰陽調，財用足，故無淫濫之心也。〕時無逆數，〔逆數，四時寒暑反逆也。〕物無害生。〔蝗螟之屬不害嘉穀也。〕帥象禹之功，度之于軌儀，〔帥，循也。軌，道也。儀，法也。〕莫非嘉績，克厭帝心。〔謂禹與四嶽也。嘉，善也。績，功也。克，能也。厭，合也。帝，天也。〕皇天嘉之，祚以天下，〔祚，祿也。《論語》曰「帝臣不蔽，簡在帝心」是也。〕賜姓曰『姒』、氏曰『有夏』，〔堯賜禹姓曰姒，封之於夏。〕謂其能以嘉祉殷富生物也。〔祉，福也。殷，盛也。賜姓曰「姒」、氏曰「有夏」者，以其能以善福，殷富天下，生育萬物也。姒，猶祉也。夏，大也。以為善福，殷富天下為大也。〕祚四嶽國，命以侯伯，〔堯以四嶽佐禹有功，封之於呂，命為侯伯，使長諸侯也。〕賜姓曰『姜』、〔姜，四嶽之先，炎帝之姓也。炎帝世衰，其後變易，至四嶽有德，帝復賜之祖姓，使紹炎帝之後。〕氏曰『有呂』，〔以國為氏也。〕謂其能為禹股肱心膂，以養物豐民人也。〔肱，臂也。豐，厚也。氏曰「有呂」者，以四嶽能輔成禹功，比於股肱心膂也。呂之為言膂也。〕

「此一王四伯，豈繄多寵？皆亡王之後也。〔一王，謂禹。四伯，謂四嶽也，為四嶽伯，故稱四伯。豈，辭也。繄，是也。言禹與四嶽豈是多寵之人？乃亡王之後。禹，鮌之子，禹郊鮌而追王之也。四嶽，共工從孫，共工侵陵諸侯以自王。言皆無道而亡，非伯王所起，明禹、嶽之興非因之也。〕唯能釐舉嘉義，〔舉，用也。〕以有胤在下，守祀不替其典。〔下，後也。典，常也。〕有夏雖衰，杞、鄫猶在；〔杞、鄫，二國，夏後也。猶在，在靈王之世也。〕申、呂雖衰，齊、許猶在。〔申、呂，四嶽之後，商、周之世或封於申，齊、許亦其族也。〕唯有嘉功，以命姓受祀，迄于天下。〔受祀，謂封國受命，祀社稷、山川也。迄，至也。至於有天下，謂禹也。祀，或為氏。〕及其失之也，必有慆淫之心閒之。〔慆，慢。閒，代也。以慢淫之心代其嘉功，謂若桀也。〕故亡其氏姓，踣斃不振；〔踣，僵也。振，救也。〕絕後無主，〔無祭主也。〕湮替隸圉。〔湮，沒也。替，廢也。隸，役也。圉，養馬者。〕夫亡者豈繄無寵？皆黃、炎之後也。〔鮌，黃帝之後也。共工，炎帝之後也。〕唯不帥天地之度，不順四時之序，不度民神之義，〔義，宜也。〕不儀生物之則，〔儀，准也。〕以殄滅無胤，至于今不祀。及其得之也，必有忠信之心閒之。〔以忠信之心代其慆淫也。〕度於天地而順於時動，〔順四時之令而動也。〕和於民神而儀於物則，故高朗令終，顯融昭明，〔朗，明也。終，成也。融，長也。〕命姓受氏，而附之以令名。〔附，隨也。〕若啟先王之遺訓，〔啟，開也。訓，敎也。〕省其典圖刑法，〔典，禮也。圖，象也。〕而觀其廢興者，皆可知也。其興者，必有夏、呂之功焉；其廢者，必有共、鮌之敗焉。今吾執政無乃實有所避，〔避，違也。〕而滑夫二川之神，〔滑，亂也。〕使至於爭明，以妨王宮，〔明，精氣也。〕王而飾之，無乃不可乎！

「人有言曰：『無過亂人之門。』〔亂人，狂悖怨亂之人也。過其門，干其怒也。〕又曰：『佐饔者嘗焉，〔饔，烹煎之官也。〕佐鬬者傷焉。』又曰：『禍不好，不能為禍。』〔猶財色之禍，生於好也。〕《詩》曰：『四牡騤騤，旟旐有翩，亂生不夷，靡國不泯。』〔《詩》，《大雅‧桑柔》之二章。騤騤，行貌。鳥隼曰旟。龜蛇曰旐。翩翩，動搖不休止之意。夷，平也。靡，無也。泯，滅也。疾厲王好征伐，用兵不得其所，禍亂不平，無國不見滅之。〕又曰：『民之貪亂，寧為荼毒。』〔《桑柔》之十一章也。寧，安也。荼，苦也。言民疾王之虐，貪樂禍亂，安為苦毒之行也。〕夫見亂而不惕，所殘必多，其飾彌章。〔惕，惕然恐懼也。彌，終也。章，著也。言見禍亂之戒，不恐懼循省，以消災咎，而壅飾之，禍敗終將章著也。〕民有怨亂，猶不可遏，而況神乎？王將防鬬川以飾宮，是飾亂而佐鬬也，其無乃章禍且遇傷乎？自我先王厲、宣、幽、平而貪天禍，至于今未弭。〔弭，止也。此四王父子相繼，厲暴虐而流，宣不務農而料民，幽昏亂以滅西周，平不能修政，至于微弱，皆己行所致，故曰貪天禍，禍敗至今未止也。〕我又章之，懼長及子孫，王室其愈卑乎？其若之何？

「自后稷以來寧亂，〔寧，安也。堯時洪水，黎民阻饑，稷播百穀，民用乂安也。〕及文、武、成、康而僅克安民。自后稷之始基靖民，十五王而文始平之，〔基，始也。靖，安也。自后稷播百穀，以始安民，凡十五王，世循其德，至文王乃平民受命也。十五王，謂后稷、不窋、鞠、公劉、慶節、皇僕、差弗、毀隃、公非、高圉、亞圉、公叔祖類、太王、王季、文王。　案：「公叔祖類」，公序本作「公祖」。《攷異》卷一：「當是『公組』之訛，蓋韋注一本作『公組』，一本作『叔類』，今明道本誤并又誤例矣。」〕十八王而康克安之，〔十八者，加武王、成王、康王，并上十五。〕其難也如是。厲始革典，十四王矣。〔革，更也。典，法也。厲王無道，變更周法，至今靈王，十四王也，謂厲、宣、幽、平、桓、嚴、僖、惠、襄、頃、匡、定、簡、靈也。〕基德十五而始平，基禍十五其不濟乎！〔至景王十五世。〕吾朝夕儆懼，曰：『其何德之修，而少光王室，以逆天休？』〔少，猶裁也。光，明也。逆，迎也。休，慶也。〕王又章輔禍亂，將何以堪之？〔章，明也。輔，助也。〕王無亦鑒于黎、苗之王，下及夏、商之季，〔鑒，鏡也。黎，九黎。苗，三苗。少皞氏衰，九黎亂德，顓頊滅之。高辛氏衰，三苗又亂，堯誅之。夏、商之季，謂桀、紂、湯、武滅之也。〕上不象天，而下不儀地，中不和民，而方不順時，不共神祇，〔方，四方也。謂逆四時之令也。〕而蔑棄五則。〔蔑，滅也。則，法也。謂象天、儀地、和民、順時、共神也。〕是以人夷其宗廟，而火焚其彝器，〔夷，滅也。彝，尊彝，宗廟之器也。〕子孫為隸，下夷於民，〔隸，役也。〕而亦未觀夫前哲令德之則。則此五者而受天之豐福，饗民之勳力，子孫豐厚，令聞不忘，是皆天子之所知也。

「天所崇之子孫，或在畎畝，由欲亂民也。〔崇，高也。賈侍中云：「一耦之發，廣尺深尺為畎，百步為畝。」昭謂：下曰畎，高曰畝。畝，壟也。《書》曰：「異畝同穎。」〕畎畝之人，或在社稷，由欲靖民也。〔靖，治也。〕無有異焉！〔唯所行也。〕《詩》云：『殷鑒不遠，在夏后之世。』〔謂湯伐桀也。〕將焉用飾宮？其以徼亂也。度之天神，則非祥也。比之地物，則非義也。類之民則，則非仁也。方之時動，則非順也。咨之前訓，則非正也。〔咨，議也。〕觀之詩書，與民之憲言，〔詩書，上「亂生不夷」之屬。民之憲言，「無過亂人之門」也。〕則皆亡王之為也。上下議〔案：「議」，公序本作「儀」。〕之，無所比度，王其圖之！夫事大不從象，小不從文。〔象，天象也。文，詩書也。〕上非天刑，下非地德，〔刑，法也。德，猶利也。〕中非民則，方非時動而作之者，必不節矣。作又不節，害之道也。」

王卒壅之。及景王多寵人，亂於是乎始生。〔景王，周靈王之子、太子晉之弟也。寵人，子朝及其臣賓孟之屬也。〕景王崩，王室大亂。〔景王無適子，既立子猛，又許賓孟立子朝，未立而王崩，單子、劉子立子猛，而攻子朝，王室大亂。〕及定王，王室遂卑。〔定王，頃王之子、靈王祖父。而言及定王，王室遂卑，非也，定王當為貞王，名介，敬王子也。是時大臣專政，諸侯無伯，故王室遂卑。〕

晉羊舌肸聘周論單靖公敬儉讓咨

晉羊舌肸聘于周，〔肸，晉大夫，羊舌職之子，叔向之名也。〕發幣於大夫及單靖公。〔發其禮幣於周大夫，次及單靖公。靖公，王卿士、單襄公之孫、頃公之子也。〕靖公享之，儉而敬；〔饗禮薄而身敬也。〕賓禮贈餞，視其上而從之；〔賓禮所以賓待叔向之禮也。送之以物曰贈，以飲食曰餞。餞，郊禮。上，位在靖公上也。視，不敢踰也。〕燕無私，〔無私好貨及籩豆之加也。〕送不過郊；〔至郊而反，亦言無私也。〕語說《昊天有成命》。〔語，宴語所及也。說，樂也。《昊天有成命》，《周頌》篇名也。〕

單之老送叔向，〔老，家臣室老也。禮，卿大夫之貴臣為室老。〕叔向告之曰：「異哉！吾聞之曰：『一姓不再興。』今周其興乎！其有單子也。〔一姓，一代也。〕昔史佚有言〔史佚，周文、武時太史尹佚也。〕曰：『動莫若敬，〔敬，可久也。〕居莫若儉，〔儉，易容也。〕德莫若讓，〔讓，遠怨也。〕事莫若咨。』〔咨，寡失也。〕單子之貺我，禮也，皆有焉。夫宮室不崇，〔崇，高也。〕器無彤鏤，儉也；〔彤，丹也。鏤，刻金飾也。〕身聳除潔，〔聳，懼也。除，治也。〕外內齊給，敬也；〔外，在朝廷。內，治家事。齊，整也。給，備也。〕宴好享賜，不踰其上，讓也；〔宴好，所以通情結好也。享賜，所以酬賓賜下也。〕賓之禮事，放上而動，咨也。〔放，依也。咨，言必與上咨也。〕如是，而加之以無私，重之以不殽，〔殽，雜也。眾人過郊，單子獨否，所以不雜也。〕能避怨矣。居儉動敬，德讓事咨，而能避怨，以為卿佐，其有不興乎！

「且其語說《昊天有成命》，頌之盛德也。〔盛德，二后也，謂成王即位而郊見，推文、武受命之功，以郊祀天地而歌之也。〕其詩曰：『昊天有成命，二后受之，成王不敢康。〔昊天，天大號也。二后，文、武也。康，安也。言昊天有所成之命，文、武則能受之。謂修己自勸，以成其王功，非謂周成王身也。賈、鄭、唐說皆然。〕夙夜基命宥密，〔夙，早也。夜，暮也。基，始也。命，信也。宥，寬也。密，寧也。言二后蚤起夜寐，始行信命，以寬仁寧靜之。〕於，緝熙！亶厥心肆其靖之。』〔緝，明也。熙，光也。亶，厚也。厥，其也。肆，固也。靖，和也。言二君能光明其德，厚其心，以固和天下也。〕是道成王之德也。〔是詩道文、武能成其王德也。〕成王能明文昭，能定武烈者也。〔烈，威也。言能明其文，使之昭；定其武，使之威也。〕夫道成命者，而稱昊天，翼其上也。〔稱，舉也。翼，敬也。〕二后受之，讓於德也。〔推功曰讓。《書》曰：「允恭克讓。」賈、唐二君云：「二后所以受天命者，能讓有德也。」謂詢於八虞，訪於辛、尹之類。〕成王不敢康，敬百姓也。〔言不敢自安逸者，是其敬百姓也。百姓，百官也。〕夙夜，恭也；〔夙夜敬事曰恭，《書》曰：「文王至于日昃，不遑暇食。」〕基，始也。命，信也。宥，寬也。密，寧也。緝，明也。熙，廣也。〔鄭後司農云：「廣，當為光。」虞亦如之。〕亶，厚也。肆，固也。靖，龢也。其始也，翼上德讓，而敬百姓。〔其始，篇之首句也。言以敬讓為始也。〕其中也，恭儉信寬，帥歸於寧。〔其中，篇之中句也。帥，循也。言其恭儉信寬，循而行之，歸於安民也。〕其終也，廣厚其心，以固龢之。〔其終，篇之終句也。廣厚其心，美其敎化，而固和之也。〕始於德讓，中於信寬，終於固和，故曰成。〔成，成其王命也。〕單子儉敬讓咨，以應成德。〔應，當也。〕單若不興，子孫必蕃，後世不忘。

「《詩》曰：『其類維何？室家之壼。〔《詩‧大雅‧既醉》之六章也。類，族也。壼，梱也。言孝子之行，先於室家族類以相致，乃及於天下也。〕君子萬年，永錫祚胤。』〔祚，福也。胤，嗣也。〕類也者，不忝前哲之謂也。〔言能以孝道施於族類，故不辱前哲之人也。〕壼也者，廣裕民人之謂也。萬年也者，令聞不忘之謂也。胤也者，子孫蕃育之謂也。〔蕃，息也。育，長也。〕單子朝夕不忘成王之德，可謂不忝前哲矣。膺保明德，〔膺，抱也。保，持也。〕以佐王室，可謂廣裕民人矣。若能類善物，以混厚民人者，必有章譽蕃育之祚，〔物，事也。混，同也。章，明也。〕則單子必當之矣。單若有闕，必茲君之子孫實續之，不出於他矣。」〔單，單氏世也。闕，缺也。茲，此也。此君，靖公也。他，他族也。〕

單穆公諫景王鑄大錢

景王二十一年，將鑄大錢。〔景王，周靈王之子景王貴也。二十一年，魯昭之十八年也。錢者，金幣之名，所以貿買物、通財用者也。古曰泉，後轉曰錢。賈侍中曰：「虞、夏、商、周金幣三等：或赤、或白、或黃。黃為上幣，銅鐵為下幣。大錢者，大於舊，其價重也。」唐尚書曰：「大錢重十二銖，文曰『大泉五十』。」鄭後司農說《周禮》，云：「錢始蓋一品也。周景王鑄大錢而有二品，後數變易，不識本制。至漢，唯五銖久行。至王莽時，錢乃有十品，今存於民，多者有貨布、大泉、貨泉。大泉徑寸二分，重十二銖，文曰『大泉五十』。」則唐君所謂大泉者，乃莽時泉，非景王所鑄明矣。又景王至赧王十三世而周亡，後有戰國、秦、漢，幣物易改，轉不相因，先師所不能紀。或云大錢文曰「寶貨」，皆非事實。又單穆公云：「古者有母平子、子權母而行。」則二品之來，古而然矣。鄭君云「錢始一品，至景王而有二品」，省之不熟也。　案：「貿買物」，《攷異》卷一：「《補音》云：『「買」或當為「貨」，不然，衍字歟？』案《御覽‧資產十五》引《國語》注作『質貨物』。」〕單穆公曰：「不可。〔穆公，王卿士，單靖公之曾孫也。〕古者，天災降戾，〔降，下也。戾，至也。災，謂水旱、蝗螟之屬。〕於是乎量資幣，權輕重，以振救民。〔量，度也。資，財也。權，稱也。振，拯也。〕民患輕，則為作重幣以行之，〔民患幣輕而物貴，則作重幣，以行其輕也。〕於是乎有母權子而行，民皆得焉。〔重曰母，輕曰子，以子貿物。物輕則子獨行，物重則以母權而行之也。子母相通，民皆得其欲也。〕若不堪重，則多作輕而行之，亦不廢重，於是乎有子權母而行，小大利之。〔堪，任也。不任之者，幣重物輕，妨其用也，故作輕幣雜而用之，以重者貿其貴，以輕者貿其賤也。子權母者，母不足則以子平而行之，故錢小大，民皆以為利也。〕

「今王廢輕而作重，民失其資，能無匱乎？〔廢輕而作重，則本竭而末寡也，故民失其資也。〕若匱，王用將有所乏，〔民財匱，無以供上，故王用將乏。〕乏則將厚取於民。〔厚取，厚斂也。〕民不給，將有遠志，是離民也。〔給，共也。遠志，逋逃也。〕且夫備有未至而設之，〔備，國備也。未至而設之，謂備預不虞，安不忘危也。〕有至而後救之，〔謂若救火療疫，量資幣平輕重之屬也。〕是不相入也。〔二者先後各有宜，不相入，不相為用也。〕可先而不備，謂之怠；〔怠，緩也。〕可後而先之，謂之召災。〔謂民未患輕而重之，離民匱財，是為召災也。〕周固羸國也，天未厭禍焉，而又離民以佐災，無乃不可乎？〔言周固已為羸病之國，天降禍災，未厭已也。〕將民之與處而離之，將災是備禦而召之，則何以經國？〔君以善政為經，臣奉而成之為緯。〕國無經，何以出令？令之不從，上之患也，故聖人樹德於民以除之。〔樹，立也。除，除令不從之患也。〕

「《夏書》有之曰：『關石、和鈞，王府則有。』〔《夏書》，逸《書》也。關，門關之征也。石，今之斛也。言征賦調鈞，則王之府藏常有也。一曰關，衡也。〕《詩》亦有之曰：『瞻彼旱麓，榛楛濟濟。〔《詩》，《大雅‧旱麓》之首章也。旱，山名。山足曰麓。榛，似栗而小。楛，木名。濟濟，盛貌也。盛者言王者之德被及也。〕愷悌君子，干祿愷悌。』〔愷，樂也。悌，易也。干，求也。君子，謂君長也。言陰陽調，草木盛，故君子求祿，其心樂易也。〕夫旱麓之榛楛殖，〔殖，長也。〕故君子得以易樂干祿焉。若夫山林匱竭，林麓散亡，藪澤肆既，〔肆，極也。既，盡也。散亡，謂無山林衡虞之政也。〕民力彫盡，田疇荒蕪，資用乏匱，〔彫，傷也。穀地為田，麻地為疇。荒，虛也。蕪，穢也。〕君子將險哀之不暇，而何易樂之有焉？〔險，危也。〕

「且絕民用以實王府，〔絕民用，謂廢小錢而鑄大錢也。〕猶塞川原而為潢汙也，其竭也無日矣。〔大曰潢，小曰汙。竭，盡也。無日，無日數也。〕若民離而財匱，災至而備亡，王其若之何？〔備亡，無救災之備也。〕吾周官之於災備也，其所怠棄者多矣，〔周官，周六官。災備，備災之法令也。〕而又奪之資，以益其災，是去其藏而翳其人也。王其圖之！」〔善政藏於民。翳，猶屏也。人，民也。奪其資，民離叛，是遠屏其民也。一曰翳，滅也。〕

王弗聽，卒鑄大錢。

單穆公諫景王鑄大鍾

二十三年，王將鑄無射，而為之大林。〔景王二十三年，魯昭二十年也。賈侍中云：「無射，鍾名，律中無射也。大林，無射之覆也。作無射，為大林以覆之，其律中林鍾也。」或說云：「鑄無射，而以林鍾之數益之。」昭謂：下言「細抑大陵」，又曰「聽聲越遠」，如此則賈言無射有覆，近之矣。唐尚書從賈也。〕單穆公曰：「不可。作重幣以絕民資，又鑄大鍾以鮮其繼。〔鮮，寡也。寡其繼者，用物過度，妨於財也。〕若積聚既喪，又鮮其繼，生何以殖？〔積聚既喪，謂廢小錢也。生，財也。殖，長也。〕 且夫鍾不過以動聲，〔動聲，謂合樂以金奏，而八音從之也。〕若無射有林，耳弗及也。〔若無射復有大林以覆之。無射，陽聲之細者也。林鍾，陰聲之大者也。細抑大陵，故耳不能聽及也。〕夫鍾聲以為耳也，耳所不及，非鍾聲也。〔非法鍾之聲也。〕猶目所不見，不可以為目也。〔若目之精明，所不能見，亦不可施以目也。耳目所不能及而強之，則有眩惑之失，以生疾也。〕夫目之察度也，不過步武尺寸之閒；〔六尺為步，賈君以半步為武。〕其察色也，不過墨丈尋常之閒。〔五尺為墨，倍墨為丈，八尺為尋，倍尋為常。〕耳之察和也，在清濁之閒；〔清濁，律呂之變。黃鍾為宮則濁，大呂為角則清也。〕其察清濁也，不過一人之所勝。〔勝，舉也。〕是故先王之制鍾也，大不出鈞，重不過石。〔鈞，所以鈞音之法也。以木長七尺者弦繫之以為鈞法。百二十斤為石。〕律度量衡於是乎生，〔律，五聲陰陽之法也。度，丈尺也。量，斗斛也。衡，稱上衡。衡有斤兩之數，生於黃鍾。黃鍾之管容秬黍千二百粒。粒百為銖，是為一龠。龠二為合，合重一兩。故曰「律、度、量、衡於是乎生」也。〕小大器用於是乎出，〔出於鍾也。《易》曰：「制器者尚其象。」小，謂錙銖分寸；大，謂斤兩丈尺也。〕故聖人慎之。今王作鍾也，聽之弗及，〔耳不及知其清濁也。〕比之不度，〔不度，不中鈞石之數也。〕鍾聲不可以知和，〔耳不能聽，故不可以知和也。〕制度不可以出節，〔節，謂法度量衡之節也。〕無益於樂，而鮮民財，將焉用之！

「夫樂不過以聽耳，而美不過以觀目。若聽樂而震，觀美而眩，患莫甚焉。夫耳目，心之樞機也，〔樞機，發動也。心有所欲，耳目為之發動。〕故必聽和而視正。聽和則聰，視正則明。〔習於和正，則不眩惑也。〕聰則言聽，明則德昭。聽言昭德，則能思慮純固。以言德於民，民歆而德之，則歸心焉。〔歆，猶嘉服也。言德，以言發德敎也。〕上得民心，以殖義方，〔殖，立也。方，道也。〕是以作無不濟，求無不獲，然則能樂。夫耳內和聲，而口出美言，〔耳聞和聲，則口有美言，此感於物也。〕以為憲令，〔憲，法也。〕而布諸民，正之以度量，民以心力，從之不倦。成事不貳，樂之至也。〔貳，變也。〕口內味而耳內聲，聲味生氣。〔口內五味，則耳樂五聲；耳樂五聲，則志氣生也。〕氣在口為言，在目為明。言以信名，〔信，審也。名，號令也。〕明以時動。〔視明則動，得其時也。〕名以成政，〔號令所以成政也。〕動以殖生。〔殖，長也。動得其時，所以財長生也。〕政成生殖，樂之至也。若視聽不和，而有震眩，則味入不精，不精則氣佚，氣佚則不和。〔不和，無射、大林也。若聽樂而震，視色而眩，則味入不精美。味入不精美，則氣放佚，不行於身體。〕於是乎有狂悖之言，有眩惑之明，有轉易之名，有過慝之度。〔慝，惡也。此四者，氣失之所生也。狂悖眩惑，說子朝、寵賓孟也。轉易過惡，嬖子配適，將殺大臣也。〕出令不信，〔有轉易也。〕刑政放紛，動不順時，民無據依，不知所力，各有離心。〔不知所為盡力也。〕上失其民，作則不濟，求則不獲，其何以能樂？三年之中，而有離民之器二焉，〔二，謂作大錢、鑄大鍾也。〕國其危哉！」

王弗聽，問之伶州鳩。〔伶，司樂官；州鳩，名也。〕對曰：「臣之守官弗及也。〔守官，所守之官也。弗及，弗及知也。〕臣聞之，琴瑟尚宮，〔凡樂輕者從大，重者從細，故琴瑟尚宮也。〕鍾尚羽，〔鍾聲大，故尚羽也。〕石尚角，〔石，磬也。輕於鍾，故尚角。角，清濁之中也。〕匏竹利制，〔匏，笙也。竹，簫管也。利制，以聲音調利為制，無所尚也。〕大不踰宮，細不過羽。夫宮，音之主也。第以及羽，〔宮聲大，故為主。第，次第也。〕聖人保樂而愛財，財以備器，樂以殖財。〔保，安也。備，具也。殖，長也。古者以樂省土風而紀農事，故曰「樂以殖財」。〕故樂器重者從細，〔重，謂金石也。從細，尚細聲也。謂鍾尚羽，石尚角也。〕輕者從大。〔輕，瓦絲也。從大，謂瓦絲尚宮也。〕是以金尚羽，石尚角，瓦絲尚宮，匏竹尚議，〔議，從其調利也。〕革木一聲。〔革，鼗鼓也。木，柷敔也。一聲，無清濁之變也。〕

「夫政象樂，樂從和，和從平。〔和，八音克諧也。平，細大不踰也，故可以平民。樂和則諧，政和則平也。〕聲以和樂，律以平聲。〔聲，五聲也，以成八音而調樂也。賈侍中云：「律，黃鍾為宮，林鍾為徵，大蔟為商，南呂為羽，姑洗為角，所以平五聲也。」〕金石以動之，〔鍾磬所以發動五聲也。〕絲竹以行之，〔絃管所以行之也。〕詩以道之，〔道己志也。《書》曰：「詩言志。」〕歌以詠之，〔詠，詠詩也。《書》曰：「歌永言，聲依永。」〕匏以宣之，〔宣，發揚也。〕瓦以贊之，〔贊，助也。〕革木以節之。物得其常曰樂極，〔物，事也。極，中也。〕極之所集曰聲，〔集，會也。言中和之所會集曰正聲也。〕聲應相保曰和，〔保，安也。〕細大不踰曰平。〔細大之聲不相踰越曰平，今無射有大林，是不平也。〕如是，而鑄之金，〔鑄金以為鍾也。〕磨之石，〔磨石以為磬也。〕繫之絲木，〔繫絲木以為琴瑟也。〕越之匏竹，〔越匏竹以為笙管也。越，謂為之孔也。《樂記》曰：「朱絃而疏越。」〕節之鼓〔節其長短大小也。〕而行之，以遂八風。〔遂，順也。《傳》曰「所以節八音而行八風」也。正西曰兌，為金，為閶闔風。西北曰乾，為石，為不周。正北曰坎，為革，為廣莫。東北曰艮，為匏，為融風。正東曰震，為竹，為明庶。東南曰巽，為木，為清明。正南曰離，為絲，為景風。西南曰坤，為瓦，為涼風。〕於是乎氣無滯陰，亦無散陽，〔滯，積也。積陰而發，則夏有霜雹。散陽，陽不藏，冬無冰、李梅實之類是也。〕陰陽序次，風雨時至，嘉生繁祉，人民龢利，物備而樂成，上下不罷，〔罷，勞也。〕故曰樂正。今細過其主妨於正，〔細，謂無射也。主，正也。言無射有大林，是作細而大過其律，妨於正聲也。〕用物過度妨於財，〔過度，用金多也。〕正害財匱妨於樂。〔樂從和，今正害財匱，故妨於樂也。〕細抑大陵，不容於耳，非和也。〔細，無射也。大，大林也。言大聲陵之，細聲抑而不聞。不容於耳，耳不能容別也。〕聽聲越遠，非平也。〔越，迂也。言無射之聲為大林所陵，聽之微細迂遠，非平也。〕妨正匱財，聲不和平，非宗官之所司也。〔宗官，宗伯，樂官屬焉。〕

「夫有和平之聲，則有蕃殖之財。〔樂以殖財也。〕於是乎道之以中德，詠之以中音，〔中德，中庸之德聲也。中音，中和之音也。〕德音不愆，以合神人，〔合神人，謂祭祀饗宴也。〕神是以寧，民是以聽。若夫匱財用，罷民力，以逞淫心，〔逞，快也。〕聽之不和，比之不度，無益於敎，而離民怒神，非臣之所聞也。」

王不聽，卒鑄大鍾。〔財匱，故民離。樂不和，故神怒也。〕二十四年，鍾成，伶人告和。〔伶人，樂人也。景王二十四年，魯昭二十一年也。〕王謂伶州鳩曰：「鍾果和矣。」對曰：「未可知也。」〔州鳩以為鍾實不和，伶人媚王，謂之和耳，故曰「未可知也」。〕王曰：「何故？」對曰：「上作器，民備樂之，則為和。〔言聲音之道與政通也。〕今財亡民罷，莫不怨恨，臣不知其和也。〔亂世之音怨以怒，故曰「不知其和也」。〕且民所曹好，鮮其不濟也。〔曹，羣也。〕其所曹惡，鮮其不廢也。故諺曰：『眾心成城，〔眾心所好，莫之能敗，其固如城也。〕眾口鑠金。』〔鑠，銷也。眾口所毀，雖金石猶可銷也。〕三年之中，而害金再興焉，〔害金，害民之金，謂錢、鍾也。〕懼一之廢也。」〔二金之中，其一必廢也。〕王曰：「爾老耄矣！何知？」〔八十曰耄。耄，昏惑也。〕二十五年，王崩，鍾不和。〔崩而言鍾不和，明樂人之諛也。〕

景王問鍾律於伶州鳩

王將鑄無射，〔王，景王也。〕問律於伶州鳩。〔律，鍾律也。〕對曰：「律所以立均出度也。〔律，謂六律、六呂也。陽為律，陰為呂。六律：黃鍾、大蔟、姑洗、蕤賓、夷則、無射也。六呂：林鍾、仲呂、夾鍾、大呂、應鍾、南呂也。均者，均鍾木，長七尺，有絃繫之以均鍾者，度鍾大小清濁也。漢大予樂官有之。〕古之神瞽考中聲而量之以制，〔神瞽，古樂正，知天道者也，死以為樂祖，祭於瞽宗，謂之神瞽。考，合也。謂合中和之聲而量度之，以制樂者。〕度律均鍾，百官軌儀，〔均，平也。軌，道也。儀，法也。度律，度律呂之長短，以平其鍾、和其聲，以立百事之道法也，故曰「律、度、量、衡於是乎生」。〕紀之以三，〔三，天、地、人也。古紀聲合樂以舞天神、地祇、人鬼，故能人神以和。〕平之以六，〔平之以六律也。上章曰：「律以平聲。」〕成於十二，〔十二，律呂也。陰陽相扶，律取妻，而呂生子，上下相生之數備也。〕天之道也。〔天之大數不過十二。〕夫六，中之色也，故名之曰黃鍾，〔十一月，黃鍾，《乾》初九也。六者，天地之中。天有六氣，降生五味。天有六甲，地有五子，十一而天地畢矣。而六為中，故六律、六呂而成天道。黃鍾初九，六律之首，故六律正色為黃鍾之名，重元正始之義也。黃鍾，陽之變也，管長九寸，徑三分，圍九分，律長九寸，因而九之，九九八十一，故黃鍾之數立焉，為宮。法云：九寸之一得林鍾初六，六呂之首，陰之變，管長六寸。六月，律之始也，故九六，陰陽、夫婦、子母之道。是以初九為黃鍾。黃，中之色也。鍾，言陽氣鍾聚於下也。　案：「六月，律之始也」，公序本「律」上有「六」字，「律」下有「坤」字。又「九寸之一得林鍾初六」，《發正》卷三引項名達說：「『九寸之一』句誤，應云『黃鍾九分之六』。」〕所以宣養六氣、九德也。〔宣，徧也。六氣，陰、陽、風、雨、晦、明也。九德，九功之德，水、火、金、木、土、穀、正德、利用、厚生。十一月陽伏於下，物始萌，於五聲為宮，含元處中，所以徧養六氣、九德之本也。〕由是第之：〔由，從也。第，次也，次奇月也。〕二曰太蔟，〔正月，太蔟，《乾》九二也。管長八寸。法云：九分之八。太蔟，言陽氣，太蔟達於上也。　案：「九分之八」，《發正》卷三引項名達說：「『九分』指黃鍾言，應云『黃鍾九分之八』。」〕所以金奏贊陽出滯也。〔贊，佐也。賈、唐云：「太蔟正聲為商，故為金奏，所以佐陽發、出滯伏也。」《明堂月令》：正月，「蟄蟲始震。」〕三曰姑洗，所以修潔百物，考神納賓也。〔三月，姑洗，《乾》九三也。管長七寸一分，律長七寸九分寸之一。姑，潔也。洗，濯也。考，合也。言陽氣養生，洗濯姑穢，改柯易葉也。於正聲為角。是月，百物修潔，故用之宗廟，合致神人，用之鄉宴，可以納賓也。　案：「姑潔也」，《札記》卷三：「疑當作『姑故也』，與《白虎通》同。」《攷異》卷一：「『潔』，疑誤。」又「姑穢」之「姑」，公序本作「枯」；《札記》卷三：「疑當作『故』。」又「鄉宴」之「鄉」，公序本作「享」，《攷異》卷一：「案『鄉』即『饗』之字壞。」〕四曰蕤賓，所以安靖神人，獻酬交酢也。〔五月，蕤賓，《乾》九四也。管長六寸三分，律長六寸八十一分寸之二十六。蕤，委蕤，柔貌也。言陰氣為主，委蕤於下，陽氣盛長於上，有似於賓主，故可用之宗廟、賓客，以安靜神人，行酬酢也。酬，勸；酢，報也。〕五曰夷則，所以詠歌九則，平民無貳也。〔七月，夷則，《乾》九五也。管長五寸六分，律長五寸七百二十九分寸之四百五十一。夷，平也。則，法也。言萬物既成，可法則也，故可以詠歌九功之則，成民之志，使無疑貳也。〕六曰無射，所以宣布哲人之令德，示民軌儀也。〔九月，無射，《乾》上九也。管長四寸九分，律長四寸六千五百六十一分寸之六千五百二十四。宣，徧也。軌，道也。儀，法也。九月，陽氣上升，陰氣收藏，萬物無射見者，故可以徧布前哲之令德，示民道法也。〕為之六閒，以揚沈伏，而黜散越也。〔六閒，六呂在陽律之閒。沈，滯也。黜，去也。越，揚也。呂，陰律，所以侶閒陽律，成其功，發揚滯伏之氣，而去散越者也。伏則不宣，散則不和。陰陽序次，風雨時至，所以生物也。〕元閒大呂，助〔案《攷異》卷一：「各本『助』下脫『陽』，《禮記》注引此有『陽』字。」〕宣物也。〔十二月，大呂，《坤》六四也。管長八寸八分。法云：三分之二，四寸二百四十三分寸之五十二，倍之為八寸分寸之一百四。下生律，元一也。陰繫於陽，以黃鍾為主，故曰元閒。以陽為首，不名其物，臣歸功於上之義也。大呂助陽宣散物也。天氣始於黃鍾，萌而赤，地受之於大呂，牙而白，成黃鍾之功也。　案《發正》卷三引項名達說：「解中『八寸八分』句誤，應作『八寸四分』。『三分之二』句欠明，『三分』應指蕤賓言。『倍之為八寸分寸之一百四』句有脫字，應云『管長八寸四分強。法云：蕤賓三分之二，下生得半律，四寸二百四十三分寸之五十二；倍之得全律，八寸二百四十三分寸之一百四。』」〕二閒夾鍾，出四隙之細也。〔二月，夾鍾，《坤》六五也。管長七寸四分，律長三寸二千一百八十七分寸之一千六百三十二，倍之為七寸分寸之一千七十五。隙，閒也。夾鍾助陽。鍾，聚也。四隙，四時之閒氣微細者，春為陽中，萬物始生，四時之微氣皆始於春。春發而出之，三時奉而成之，故夾鍾出四時之微氣也。　案《發正》卷三引項名達說：「是解多誤，應云：『管長七寸四分強。約法云：自夷則下生得半律，三寸二千一百八十七分寸之一千六百三十一；倍之為全律，七寸二千一百八十七分寸之一千七十五。』」〕三閒仲呂，宣中氣也。〔四月，仲呂，《坤》上六也。管長六寸六分，律長三寸萬九千六百八十三分寸之六千四百八十七，倍之為六寸分寸之萬二千九百七十四。陽氣越於中，至四月宣散於外，純乾用事，陰閉藏於內，所以助陽成功也，故曰正月。正月，正陽之月也。　案《發正》卷三引項名達說：「應云『管長六寸六分強。約法云：自無射下，生得半律，三寸萬九千六百八十三分寸之六千四百八十七；倍之為全律，六寸萬九千六百八十三分寸之萬二千九百七十四。』」〕四閒林鍾，和展百事，俾莫不任肅純恪也。〔六月，林鍾，《坤》初六也。管長六寸，律長六寸。林，眾也。言萬物眾盛也。鍾，聚也。於正聲為徵。展，審也。俾，使也。肅，速也。純，大也。恪，敬也。言時務和審，百事無有偽詐，使莫不任其職事，速其功，大敬其職也。〕五閒南呂，贊陽秀也。〔八月，南呂，《坤》六二也。管長五寸三分，律長五寸三分寸之一。榮而不實，曰秀。南，任也。陰任陽事，助成萬物。贊，佐也。　案《發正》卷三引項名達說：「應云『管長五寸三分強，約為五寸三分寸之一。』」〕六閒應鍾，均利器用，俾應復也。〔十月，應鍾，《坤》六三也。管長四寸七分，律長四寸二十七分寸之二十。言陰應陽用事，萬物鍾聚，百器具備，時務均利，百官器用、程度庶品使皆應其禮，復其常也。《月令》「孟冬，命工師效功，陳祭器、按程度，毋作淫巧以蕩上心，必功致為上」也。　案《發正》卷三引項名達說：「應云『管長四寸八分弱，約為四寸二十七分寸之二十。』」〕

「律呂不易，無姦物也。〔律呂不變易其正，各順其時，則神無姦行，物無害生也。〕細鈞有鍾無鎛，昭其大也。〔細，細聲，謂角、徵、羽也。鈞，調也。鍾，大鍾；鎛，小鍾也。昭，明也。有鍾無鎛，謂兩細不相和，故以鍾為之節。明其大者，以大平細也。〕大鈞有鎛無鍾，〔大，謂宮商也。舉宮商而但有鎛無鍾，謂兩大不相和，故去鍾而用鎛，以小平大也。〕甚大無鎛，鳴其細也。〔甚大，謂同尚大聲也，則又去鎛獨鳴其細。細，謂絲竹革木。〕大昭小鳴，和之道也。〔大聲昭、小聲鳴，和平之道也。〕和平則久，〔久，可久樂也。〕久固則純，〔固，安也。可久則安，安則純也。孔子曰：「從之，純如也。」〕純明則終，〔終，成也。《書》曰：「簫韶九成。」〕終復則樂，〔終復，終則復奏故樂也。〕所以成政也，〔言政象樂也。〕故先王貴之。」〔貴其和平，可以移風易俗也。〕

王曰：「七律者何？」〔周有七音，王問七音之律，意謂七律為音器，用黃鍾為宮，大蔟為商，姑洗為角，林鍾為徵，南呂為羽，應鍾為變宮，蕤賓為變徵也。〕對曰：「昔武王伐殷，歲在鶉火，〔歲，歲星也。鶉火，次名，周分野也。從柳九度至張十七度為鶉火。謂武王始發師東行，時殷十一月二十八日戊子，於夏為十月。是時歲星在張十三度。張，鶉火也。〕月在天駟，〔天駟，房星也。謂戊子日，月宿房五度。〕日在析木之津，〔津，天漢也。析木，次名，從尾十度至南斗十一度為析木，其閒為漢津。謂戊子日，宿箕七度也。〕辰在斗柄，〔辰，日月之會。斗柄，斗前也。謂戊子後三日，得周正月辛卯朔，於殷為十二月，夏為十一月。是日，月合辰斗前一度也。〕星在天黿。〔星，辰星也。天黿，次名，一曰玄枵。從須女八度至危十五度為天黿。謂周正月辛卯朔。二日壬辰，辰星始見。三日癸巳，武王發行。二十八日戊午，度孟津，距戊子三十一日。二十九日己未晦，冬至，辰星與須女伏天黿之首也。〕星與日辰之位，皆在北維。〔星，辰星也。辰星在須女，日在析木之津，辰在斗柄，故皆在北維。北維，北方水位也。〕顓頊之所建也，帝嚳受之。〔建，立也。顓頊，帝嚳所代也。帝嚳，周之先祖，后稷所出。《禮‧祭法》曰：「周人禘嚳而郊稷。」顓頊，水德之王，立於北方。帝嚳，木德，故受之於水。今周亦木德，當受殷之水，猶帝嚳之受顓頊也。〕我姬氏出自天黿，〔姬氏，周姓。天黿，即玄枵，齊之分野。周之皇妣王季母太姜者，逢伯陵之後，齊女也，故言出於天黿。《傳》曰：「有逢伯陵因之，蒲姑氏因之，而後太公因之。」又曰：「有星出于須女，姜氏、任氏實守其祀。」〕及析木者，有建星及牽牛焉，〔從斗一度至十一度，分屬析木，日辰所在也。建星在牽牛閒，謂從辰星所在。須女，天黿之首。至析木之分，歷建星及牽牛，皆水宿，言得水類也。〕則我皇妣大姜之姪伯陵之後，逄公之所憑神也。〔皇，君也。生曰母，死曰妣。大姜，大王之妃，王季之母，姜女也。女子謂昆弟之子，男女皆曰姪。伯陵，大姜之祖有逄伯陵也。逄公，伯陵之後，大姜之姪，殷之諸侯，封於齊地。齊地屬天黿，故祀天黿，死而配食，為其神主，故云憑。憑，依也。言天黿乃皇妣家之所憑依也，非但合於水木相承而已，又我實出於水家。周道起於大王，故本於大姜也。〕歲之所在，則我有周之分野也。〔歲星在鶉火。鶉火，周分野也。歲星所在，利以伐之也。〕月之所在，辰馬農祥也。〔辰馬，謂房、心星也。心星，所在大辰之次為天駟。駟，馬也，故曰辰馬。言月在房，合於農祥。祥，猶象也。房星晨正，而農事起焉，故謂之農祥。〕我太祖后稷之所經緯也，〔稷播百穀，故農祥，后稷之所經緯也。晉語：「辰以成善，后稷是相。」〕王欲合是五位三所而用之。〔王，武王也。五位，歲、月、日、星、辰也。三所，逄公所憑神，周分野所在，后稷所經緯也。〕自鶉及駟七列也。〔鶉火之分，張十三度。駟，天駟。房五度，歲月之所在。從張至房七列，合七宿，謂張、翼、軫、角、亢、氐、房也。〕南北之揆七同也，〔七同，合七律也。揆，度也。歲在鶉火午，辰星在天黿子。鶉火，周分野。天黿及辰水星，周所出。自午至子，其度七同也。〕凡人神以數合之，以聲昭之。〔凡，凡合神人之樂也。以數合之，謂取其七也。以聲昭之，謂用律調音也。〕數合聲和，然後可同也。〔同，謂神人相應也。〕故以七同其數，而以律和其聲，於是乎有七律。〔七同其數，謂七列、七同、七律也。律和其聲，律有陰陽正變之聲也。〕

「王以二月癸亥夜陳，未畢而雨。〔二月，周二月四日癸亥，至牧野之日夜陳，陳師未畢而雨，天地神人協同之應也。〕以夷則之上宮畢，〔夷，平；則，法也。夷則，所以平民無貳也。上宮，以夷則為宮聲。夷則，上宮也，故以畢陳。《周禮》：「太師執同律以聽軍聲，而詔吉凶。」一曰陽氣在上，故曰上宮也。〕當辰。辰在戌上，故長夷則之上宮，名之曰羽，〔長，謂先用之也。辰，時也。辰，日月之會，斗柄也。當初陳之時，周二月，昏斗建丑，而斗柄在戌，上下臨其時，名其樂為羽，羽翼其眾也。〕所以藩屏民則也。〔屏，蔽也。羽之義，以其能藩蔽民，使中法則也。〕王以黃鍾之下宮，布戎于牧之野，〔布戎，陳兵，謂夜陳之。晨旦，甲子昧爽，左仗黃鉞，右秉白旄時也。黃鍾所以宣養氣德，使皆自勉，尚桓桓也。黃鍾在下，故曰下宮也。」〕故謂之厲，所以厲六師也。〔名此樂為厲者，所以厲六軍之眾也。〕以太蔟之下宮，布令于商，昭顯文德，底紂之多罪，〔商，紂都也。文，文王也。底，致也。既殺紂入商之都，發號施令，以昭明文王之德，致紂之多罪。太蔟所以贊陽出滯，蓋謂釋箕子之囚，散鹿臺之財，發巨橋之粟也。太蔟在下，故曰下宮也。〕故謂之宣，所以宣三王之德也。〔三王，大王、王季、文王也。〕反及嬴內，〔案：嬴內，《攷異》卷一：「舊音上音『媯』，下音『汭』。《補音》云：今案本或作『羸』，非是。古文《尚書》作『嬴』，與『媯』同。」〕以無射之上宮，布憲施舍於百姓，〔嬴內，地名。憲，法也。施，施惠；舍，舍罪也。無射所以宣布哲人之令德，示民軌儀。無射在上，故曰上宮也。〕故謂之嬴亂，所以優柔容民也。」〔亂，治也。柔，安也。〕

賓孟見雄雞自斷其尾

景王既殺下門子。〔下門子，周大夫，王子猛之傅也。景王無適子，既立子猛，又欲立王子朝，故先殺子猛傅下門子也。〕賓孟適郊，見雄雞自斷其尾，〔賓孟，周大夫，子朝之傅賓起也。〕問之，侍者曰：「憚其犧也。」〔侍者，孟之從臣也。憚，懼也。純美為犧，祭祀所用也。言雞自斷其尾者，懼為宗廟所用也。〕遽歸告王，〔遽，猶疾也。賓孟有寵於王，欲立子朝，王將許之，故先殺下門子，賓孟知意，故感犧之美，念及子朝，疾歸，語王勸立之也。〕曰：「吾見雄雞自斷其尾，而人曰『憚其犧也』，吾以為信畜矣。〔信，誠也。雞畏為宗廟之用，故自斷其尾，此誠六畜之情，不與人同也。〕人犧實難，己犧何害？〔人犧，謂雞也。為人作犧實難，言將見殺也。己，子朝。己自為犧，當何害乎？人君冕服，有似於犧，故以喻也。〕抑其惡為人用也乎，則可也。〔言雞惡為人所用，故自斷其尾。可也，自可爾也。〕人異於是。〔異於雞也。人之美，則宜君人，事宗廟也。〕犧者，實用人也。」〔用人，猶治人也。自作犧，則能治人也。　案：「猶治人也。自作犧」，「人」字原脫，公序本「自」上有「人」字，《攷異》卷一：「案『自』上『人』當在『猶治』之下，寫者誤倒。」今據改補。〕王弗應，〔弗應者，曉其意，畏大臣也。〕田于鞏，〔鞏，北山，今河南縣也。〕使公卿皆從，將殺單子，未克而崩。〔單子，單穆公也。克，能也。王欲廢子猛，更立子朝，恐其不從，故欲殺之，遇心疾而崩，故未能。在魯昭二十二年。〕

劉文公與萇弘欲城周

敬王十年，劉文公與萇弘欲城周，為之告晉。〔敬王，景王子、悼王弟敬王匃也。十年，魯昭三十二年。劉文公，王卿士，劉摯之子文公卷也。萇弘，周大夫萇叔也。欲城周者，欲城成周也。成周在瀍水東，王城在瀍水西。初，王子朝作亂，於魯昭二十三年夏，王子朝入于王城，敬王如劉。秋，敬王居于狄泉。狄泉，成周之城，周墓所在也。魯昭二十六年四月，敬王師敗，出居于滑。十月，晉人救之，王入于成周，子朝奔楚。其餘黨儋扁之徒，多在王城，敬王畏之。於是晉徵諸侯戍周，用役煩勞，故萇弘欲城成周，使富辛、石張為主，如晉請城成周。〕魏獻子為政，〔獻子，晉正卿，魏絳之子舒也。〕說萇弘而與之，〔說萇弘，從其求也。〕將合諸侯。〔合諸侯，以城成周也。〕

衛彪傒適周，聞之，〔彪傒，衛大夫。〕見單穆公曰：「萇、劉其不歿乎？〔言將歿也。〕周詩有之曰：『天之所支，不可壞也。〔周詩，飫時所歌也。支，柱也。〕其所壞，亦不可支也。』昔武王克殷，而作此詩也，以為飫歌，名之曰『支』，以遺後之人，使永監焉。〔監，觀也。〕夫禮之立成者為飫，〔立成，立行禮，不坐也。〕昭明大節而已，少典〔案：「典」，公序本作「曲」。〕與焉。〔節，體也。典，章也。與，類也。言飫禮所以敎民敬式，昭明大體而已，故其詩樂少，章典威儀少，皆比類也。　案：「典，章也。」公序本作「曲，章曲也。」又「敬式」，公序本作「敬戒」。又「章典」，公序本作「章曲」。〕是以為之日惕，其欲敎民戒也。〔惕，懼也。以是日自恐懼，欲民知戒慎也。〕然則夫『支』之所道者，必盡知天地之為也。〔知天地之為，謂所支壞也。〕不然，不足以遺後之人。今萇、劉欲支天之所壞，不亦難乎？自幽王而天奪之明，使迷亂棄德，而即慆淫，〔即，就也。慆，慢也。〕以亡其百姓，其壞之也久矣。而又將補之，殆不可矣！〔殆，近也。〕水火之所犯，〔犯，害也。〕猶不可救，而況天乎？諺曰：『從善如登，從惡如崩。』〔如登，喻難。如崩，喻易。〕昔孔甲亂夏，四世而隕；〔孔甲，禹後十四世。亂夏，亂禹之法也。四世，孔甲至桀四世而亡也。〕玄王勤商，十有四世而興。〔玄王，契也。殷祖契由玄鳥而生，湯亦水德，故曰玄王。勤者，勤身修德，以興其國。自契至湯十四世，而有天下，言其難也。〕帝甲亂之，七世而隕。〔帝甲，湯後二十五世也。亂，湯之法至紂七世而亡也。〕后稷勤周，十有五世而興；〔自后稷至文王，十五世也。〕幽王亂之，十有四世矣。〔自幽王至今敬王，十四世也。〕守府之謂多，胡可興也？〔胡，何也。夏、殷之亂，或四世、或七世而亡。今周十有四世，無德以救之，雖未亡，得守府藏，天祿已多矣，又何可興也。〕夫周，高山、廣川、大藪也，故能生是良材，〔言周之道德禮法所以長育賢材，猶天之有山川、大藪，良材之所生也。〕而幽王蕩以為魁陵、糞土、溝瀆，其有悛乎？」〔蕩，壞也。小阜曰魁。悛，止也。言幽王敗亂周之法度，猶毀高山以為魁陵、糞土，殘絕川藪以為溝瀆，無有悛止之時也。〕

單子曰：「其咎孰多？」〔謂萇、劉也。〕曰：「萇叔必速及，將天以道補者也。〔萇叔，萇弘字也。速及，速及於咎也。以道補者，欲以天道補人事也。〕夫天道導可而省否，〔導，達也。省，去也。〕萇叔反是，以誑劉子，〔誑，惑也。〕必有三殃：違天，一也；〔支所壞也。〕反道，二也；〔以天道補人事。〕誑人，三也。〔惑劉子也。〕周若無咎，萇叔必為戮。雖晉魏子〔魏獻子也。〕亦將及焉。〔咎及之也。〕若得天福，其當身乎？〔當其身禍尚微，後有繼，故為天福也。〕若劉氏，則必子孫實有禍。〔殃及子孫也。〕夫子而棄常法，以從其私欲，〔棄常法，不修周法也。從私欲，欲城成周也。〕用巧變以崇天災，〔巧變者，見周滅於西都，平王東遷以獲久長，故今欲復遷也。崇，猶益也。〕勤百姓以為己名，其殃大矣。」〔勤，勞也。名，功也。〕

是歲也，魏獻子合諸侯之大夫於狄泉，〔是歲，敬王十一年，魯定公之元年也。〕遂田于大陸，焚而死。〔田，以火田也。大陸，晉藪也。〕及范、中行之難，萇弘與之，晉人以為討，二十八年，殺萇弘。〔范、中行，晉大夫范吉射、中行寅也。作難，叛其君也。初，劉氏、范氏世為婚姻，萇弘事劉文公，故周人與范氏。敬王二十八年，魯哀三年，晉人以讓周，周為之殺萇弘也。〕及定王，劉氏亡。〔劉氏，文公之子孫也。定，亦當為「貞」。〕

Source Colophon

The Chinese text follows the Chinese Wikisource transcription of the Discourses of the States (articles 國語/卷01, 國語/卷02, 國語/卷03, revisions of 27 September 2020 to 3 December 2025), inspected from a witness copy captured on 22 August 2026. Chinese Wikisource transcriptions are published under CC BY-SA 4.0 and the GFDL; the text itself is ancient and in the public domain. The wiki header, navigation links, license templates, and modern contributors' footnotes have been removed; the text is otherwise complete and unaltered.

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