| | 月令: |
是月也，天子乃以犬嘗稻，先薦寢廟。 |
| Yue Ling: |
In this month the son of Heaven eats dog's flesh and rice, first presenting some in the apartment at the back of the ancestral temple. |
| | 月令: |
孟冬之月，日在尾，昏危中，旦七星中。其日壬癸。其帝顓頊，其神玄冥。其蟲介。其音羽，律中應鐘。其數六。其味咸，其臭朽。其祀行，祭先腎。 |
| Yue Ling: |
In the first month of winter the sun is in Wei, the constellation culminating at dusk being Wei, and the constellation culminating at dawn Qi-xing. Its days are the ren and gui. Its divine ruler is Zhuan-xu, and the (attending) spirit is Xuan-ming. Its creatures are the shell-covered. Its musical note is Yu, and its pitch-tube is Ying Zhong. Its number is six. Its taste is salt. Its smell is that of things that are rotten. Its sacrifice is that at (the altar of) the path, and among the parts of the victim the kidneys have the foremost place. |
| | 月令: |
是月也，以立冬。先立冬三日，太史謁之天子曰：某日立冬，盛德在水。天子乃齊。立冬之日，天子親帥三公、九卿、大夫以迎冬於北郊，還反，賞死事，恤孤寡。 |
| Yue Ling: |
In this month there takes place the inauguration of winter. Three days before this ceremony, the Grand recorder informs the son of Heaven, saying, 'On such-and-such a day is the inauguration of winter. The character of the season is fully seen in water.' On this the son of Heaven devotes himself to self-adjustment; and on the day of the inauguration he leads in person the three ducal ministers, the nine high ministers, and his Great officers to meet the winter in the northern suburbs. On his return he rewards (the descendants of) those who died in the service (of the kingdom), and shows his compassion to orphans and widows. |
| | 月令: |
是月也，大飲烝。天子乃祈來年於天宗，大割祠于公社及門閭。臘先祖五祀，勞農以休息之。天子乃命將帥講武，習射御角力。 |
| Yue Ling: |
In this month there is the great festivity when they drink together, and each of the stands bears half its animal roasted. The son of Heaven prays for (a blessing on) the coming year to the Honoured ones of heaven; sacrifices with an ox, a ram, and a boar at the public altar to the spirits of the land, and at the gates of towns and villages; offers the sacrifice three days after the winter solstice with the spoils of the chase to all ancestors, and at the five (household) sacrifices; thus cheering the husbandmen and helping them to rest from their toils. The son of Heaven orders his leaders and commanders to give instruction on military operations, and to exercise (the soldiers) in archery and chariot-driving, and in trials of strength. |
| | 月令: |
仲冬之月，日在斗，昏東壁中，旦軫中。其日壬癸。其帝顓頊，其神玄冥。其蟲介。其音羽，律中黃鍾。其數六。其味鹹，其臭朽。其祀行，祭先腎。 |
| Yue Ling: |
In the second month of winter the sun is in Dou, the constellation culminating at dusk being the eastern Bi, and that culminating at dawn Zhen. Its days are ren and gui. Its divine ruler is Zhuan-xu, and the (attending) spirit is Xuan-ming. Its creatures are the shell-covered. Its musical note is Yu, and its pitch-tube is Huang Zhong. Its number is six. Its taste is salt. Its smell is that of things that are rotten. Its sacrifice is that at (the altar of) the path, and of the parts of the victim the kidneys have the foremost place. |
| | 月令: |
季冬之月，日在婺女，昏婁中，旦氐中。其日壬癸。其帝顓頊，其神玄冥。其蟲介。其音羽，律中大呂。其數六。其味鹹，其臭朽。其祀行，祭先腎。 |
| Yue Ling: |
In the third month of winter the sun is in Wu-nu, the constellation culminating at dusk being Lou, and that culminating at dawn Di. Its days are ren and gui. Its divine ruler is Zhuan-xu, and the (attendant) spirit is Xuan-ming. Its creatures are the shell-covered. Its musical note is Yu, and its pitch-tube is Da Lu. Its number is six. Its taste is salt. Its smell is that of things that are rotten. Its sacrifice is that at (the altar of) the path; and the part of the victim occupying the foremost place is the kidneys. |
| | 月令: |
是月也，命漁師始漁，天子親往，乃嘗魚，先薦寢廟。冰方盛，水澤腹堅。命取冰，冰以入。令告民，出五種。命農計耦耕事，修耒耜，具田器。命樂師大合吹而罷。乃命四監收秩薪柴，以共郊廟及百祀之薪燎。 |
| Yue Ling: |
In this month orders are given to the master of the Fishermen to commence the fishers' work. The son of Heaven goes in person (to look on). He partakes of the fish caught, first presenting some in the apartment at the back of the ancestral temple. The ice is now abundant: thick and strong to the bottom of the waters and meres. Orders are given to collect it, which is done, and it is carried into (the ice-houses). Orders are given to make announcement to the people to bring forth their seed of the five grains. The husbandmen are ordered to reckon up the pairs which they can furnish for the ploughing; to repair the handles and shares of their ploughs; and to provide all the other instruments for the fields. Orders are given to the chief director of Music to institute a grand concert of wind instruments; and with this (the music of the year) is, closed. Orders are given to the four Inspectors to collect and arrange the faggots to supply the wood and torches for the suburban sacrifices, those in the ancestral temple, and all others. |
| | 曾子問: |
曾子問曰：「君薨而世子生，如之何？」 |
| Zengzi Wen: |
Zeng-zi asked, 'If a ruler dies and a son and heir is born (immediately after), what course should be adopted?' |
| | |
孔子曰：「卿、大夫、士從攝主，北面，於西階南。大祝裨冕，執束帛，升自西階盡等，不升堂，命毋哭。祝聲三，告曰：『某之子生，敢告。』升，奠幣于殯東几上，哭，降。眾主人、卿、大夫、士，房中，皆哭不踴。盡一哀，反位。遂朝奠。小宰升舉幣。三日，眾主人、卿、大夫、士，如初位，北面。大宰、大宗、大祝皆裨冕。少師奉子以衰；祝先，子從，宰宗人從。入門，哭者止，子升自西階。殯前北面。祝立于殯東南隅。祝聲三曰：『某之子某，從執事，敢見。』子拜稽顙哭。祝、宰、宗人、眾主人、卿、大夫、士，哭踴三者三，降東反位，皆袒，子踴，房中亦踴三者三。襲衰，杖，奠出。大宰命祝史，以名遍告于五祀山川。」 |
| |
Confucius said, 'The high nobles, Great officers and (other) officers, following the chief (minister), who takes charge of the government for the time, (should collect) at the south of the western steps, with their faces towards the north. (Then) the Grand officer of prayer, in his court robes and cap, bearing in his hands a bundle of rolls of silk, will go up to the topmost step, and (there), without ascending the hall, will order the wailing to cease. Mournfully clearing his voice three times, he will make announcement (to the spirit of the deceased ruler), saying, "The son of such and such a lady has been born. I venture to announce the fact." He will then go up, and place the silks on a stool on the east of the body in the coffin, wail, and descend. All the relatives of the deceased who are there (at the mourning), the high nobles, the Great and other officers, (with the women) in the apartments, all will wail, but without the leaping. When this burst of sorrow is over, they will return to their (proper) places, and proceed forthwith to set forth the mourning offerings to the dead. The minor minister will ascend, and take away the bundle of silks. On the third day, all the relatives, high nobles, Great and other officers, should take their places as before, with their faces to the north. The Grand minister, the Grand master of the ancestral temple, and the Grand officer of prayer, should all be in their court-robes and caps. The master for the child will carry the child in his arms on a mat of sackcloth. The officer of prayer will precede, followed by the child, and the minister and master of the temple will come after. Thus they will enter the door (of the apartment where the coffin is), when the wailers will cease. The child has been brought up by the western steps, and is held in front of the coffin with his face to the north, while the officer of prayer stands at the south-east corner of it. Mournfully clearing his voice three times, he will say, "So and So, the son of such and such a lady, and we, his servants, who follow him, presume to appear before you." The boy is (then made) to do obeisance, with his forehead on the ground, and to wail. The officer of prayer, the minister, the officer of the temple, all the relatives, the high nobles, with the Great and other officers, will wail and leap, leaping three times with each burst of grief. (Those who had gone up to the hall then) descend, and go back to their proper places on the east; where all bare the left arm and shoulder. The son (in the arms of his bearer is made) to leap, and (the women) in the apartments also leap. Thrice they will do so, leaping three times each time. (The bearer for the son) will cover up his sackcloth, walk with a staff, (ascend and) set forth the offerings by the dead, and then quit the scene. The Grand minister will charge the officer of prayer and the recorder to announce the name all round, at the five altars of the house, and at those (to the spirits) of the hills and streams.' |
| | 曾子問: |
曾子問曰：「并有喪，如之何？何先何後？」 |
| Zengzi Wen: |
Zeng-zi asked, 'If the funerals of both parents take place together, what course is adopted? Which is first and which last?' |
| | |
孔子曰：「葬，先輕而後重；其奠也，先重而後輕；禮也。自啟及葬，不奠，行葬不哀次；反葬奠，而後辭於殯，逐修葬事。其虞也，先重而後輕，禮也。」 |
| |
Confucius said, 'The rule is that the burying of the less important (mother) should have the precedence, and that of the more important (father) follow, while the offerings to them are set down in the opposite order. From the opening of the apartment and conveying out the coffin (of the mother) till its interment no offerings are put down; when the coffin is on the route to the grave, there is no wailing at the regular place for that ceremony. When they return from this interment, they set down the offerings (to the father), and afterwards announce (to his spirit) when the removal of his coffin will take place, and proceed to arrange for the interment. It is the rule that the sacrifice of repose should first be offered to the more important (father), and afterwards to the less important (mother). |
| | 曾子問: |
曾子問曰：「大夫、士有私喪，可以除之矣，而有君服焉，其除之也如之何？」 |
| Zengzi Wen: |
Zeng-zi asked, 'If a Great officer or ordinary officer be in mourning for a parent he may put it off; and if he be in mourning for his ruler, under what conditions will he put that off?' |
| | |
孔子曰：「有君喪服於身，不敢私服，又何除焉？於是乎有過時而弗除也。君之喪，服除而後殷祭，禮也。」 |
| |
Confucius said, 'If he have the mourning for his ruler on his person, he will not venture to wear any private mourning; what putting off can there be? In this case, even if the time be passed (for any observances which the private mourning would require), he will not put it off. When the mourning for the ruler is put off, he will then perform the great sacrifices (of his private mourning). This is the rule.' |
| | |
曾子問曰：「父母之喪，弗除可乎？」 |
| |
Zeng-zi asked, 'But is it allowable thus to give up all the mourning rites for a parent through this keeping on of the mourning (for a ruler)?' |
| | |
孔子曰：「先王制禮，過時弗舉，禮也；非弗能勿除也，患其過於制也，故君子過時不祭，禮也。」 |
| |
Confucius said, 'According to the ceremonies as determined by the ancient kings, it is the rule that, when the time has passed (for the observance of any ceremony), there should be no attempt to perform it. It is not that one could not keep from not putting off the mourning; but the evil would be in his going beyond the definite statute. Therefore it is that a superior man does not offer a sacrifice, when the proper time for doing so has passed.' |
