| 《·》: | 有若無，實若虛，犯而不校，昔者吾友嘗從事於斯矣。 |
| Having, as though he had not; full, and yet counting himself as empty; offended against, and yet entering into no altercation; formerly I had a friend who pursued this style of conduct. |
| 《·》: | 昔者齊景公問於晏子曰：『吾欲觀於轉附、朝儛，遵海而南，放于琅邪。』 |
| Formerly, the duke Jing of Qi asked the minister Yan, saying, "I wish to pay a visit of inspection to Zhuan Fu, and Chao Wu, and then to bend my course southward along the shore, till I come to Lang Xie." |
| 《·》: | 故昔者堯問於舜曰：「我欲伐宗、膾、胥敖，南面而不釋然。」 |
| Therefore of old Yao asked Shun, saying, 'I wish to smite (the rulers of) Zong, Kuai, and Xu-Ao. Even when standing in my court, I cannot get them out of my mind.' |
| 《·》: | 昔者文王舍伯邑考而立武王，微子舍其孫腯而立衍也。 |
| Anciently, king Wen passed over his eldest son Yi-kao, and appointed king Wu; and the count of Wei passed over his grandson Tu, and made Yan, his (own) younger brother, his successor. |
| 《·》: | 不念昔者、伊余來塈。 |
| You do not think of the former days, And are only angry with me. |
| 《·》: | 子曰：「昔者明王之以孝治天下也，不敢遺小國之臣，而況於公、侯、伯、子、男乎？」 |
| The Master said, "Anciently, when the intelligent kings by means of filial piety ruled all under heaven, they did not dare to receive with disrespect the ministers of small states. How much less would they do so to the dukes, marquises, counts, and barons!" |
| 《·》: | 昔者周公旦殺管叔，流霍叔，曰：「犯禁者也。」 |
| Formerly Dan, Duke of Zhou, killed his younger brother Kuan and banished his younger brother Huo, saying: 'They have transgressed against the interdicts.' |
| 《·》: | 昔者之慮也，非今日之慮也。 |
| 《·》: | 昔者紂為天子，將率天下甲兵百萬，左飲於淇溪，右飲於洹谿，淇水竭而洹水不流，以與周武王為難。 |
| 《·》: | 昔者馮夷、大丙之御也，乘雲車，入雲霓，遊微霧，鶩怳忽，歷遠彌高以極往。 |
| 《·》: | 丞相綰、御史大夫劫、廷尉斯等皆曰：「昔者五帝地方千里，其外侯服夷服諸侯或朝或否，天子不能制。」 |
| 《·》: | 昔者瓠巴鼓瑟，而流魚出聽 |
| 《》: | 獻子先歸，使欒京廬待命于齊，曰，不得齊事，無復命矣，郤子至，請伐齊，晉侯弗許，請以其私屬，又弗許，齊侯使高固，晏弱，蔡朝，南郭偃，會，及斂盂，高固逃歸，夏，會于斷道，討貳也，盟于卷楚，辭齊人，晉人執晏弱于野王，執蔡朝于原，執南郭偃于溫，苗賁皇使，見晏桓子，歸言於晉侯曰，夫晏子何罪，昔者諸侯事吾先君，皆如不逮，舉言群臣不信，諸侯皆有貳志，齊君恐不得禮，故不出，而使四子來，左右或沮之，曰，君不出，必執吾使，故高子及斂盂而逃，夫三子者曰，若絕君好，寧歸死焉，為是犯難而來，吾若善逆彼，以懷來者，吾又執之，以信齊沮，吾不既過矣乎，過而不改，而又久之，以成其悔，何利之有焉，使反者得辭，而害來者，以懼諸侯，將焉用之，晉人緩之，逸。 |
| 《·》: | 伊尹對曰：「昔者堯見人而知，舜任人然後知，禹以成功舉之。」 |
| 《·》: | 昔者晉靈公殺膳宰以淑飲食，彈大夫以娛其意，非不厚自愛也，然而不得為淑人者，不愛人也。 |
| 《·》: | 管仲對曰：「昔者臣盡力竭智，猶未足以知之也，今病在於朝夕之中，臣奚能言？」 |
