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ZUO ZHUAN (Tso Chuan)

    These readings from the Zuo Zhuan were translated by James Legge in The Chinese Classics, vol. 5 (reprinted by Hong Kong University Press, 1960). They were selected and entered by Brother Andrew Thornton, O.S.B., Saint Anselm College, Manchester, New Hampshire.
    Some narratives were included because they show court functionaries educating their rulers (or trying to) in the virtues of REN (humaneness) and LI (propriety/ceremonial conduct founded upon the example of the ancient sage rulers), both virtues being indispensable for realizing HE (genuine harmony in political and personal conduct). Other passages present memorable examples of wise and reasonable conduct or wily techniques for survival. Still others show people consulting the Yi Jing; the consulter is often advised that divination and omens cannot substitute for DE, the strength of character whereby someone acts rightly and in line with heaven and the Spirits and so becomes attractive (lit. "bright") to people. Several accounts were included because they show officials quoting from the ancient SHI, the Odes, to negotiate, to remonstrate, and to show their erudition. Finally, some narratives were included simply because they are good stories.
    Many narratives from the Zuo Zhuan, a few of which are included here, were translated by Burton Watson in his: The Tso Chuan: Selections From China’s Oldest Narrative History (New York: Columbia U. Press, 1989). His selection "is designed for persons who do not feel inclined to work their way through the entire text but wish to familiarize themselves with its most famous and influential narratives and get some sense of its style and principal idea. I have naturally attempted to select passages that form a more or less complete entity or deal with a single train of events, such as a military campaign or a political revolution" (p. xxxv).
Legge’s romanization of Chinese proper names has been turned into pinyin. Some small changes in punctuation and (in a very few places) vocabulary have also been made. Citations from the Odes are identified by their Mao number, which can be used to find the ode in the editions by Legge and Arthur Waley (The Book of Songs, Grove Press 1960 [1st ed. 1937]).
    Legge's romanization has been turned into pinyin. Some small changes in punctuation and (in a very few places) vocabulary have also been made. The text is in the public domain and may be freely used. Comments, corrections, and suggestions for further inclusions may be directed to Brother Andrew at this address: athornto@anselm.edu

<div align="right">last updated: January 12, 2007</div>

INDEX TO ZUO ZHUAN SELECTIONS

Click on the duke's name to go to that selection.
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</div>note: In the "LEGGE" column, the first set of numbers gives the page and column (counting from the right) of the Chinese text; the second number is the page on which the English translation can be found. Thus "124/9; 125" reads: page 124, column 9; page 125.

<tbody>DUKE	B.C.	LEGGE	SUMMARY
Yin 1	721	1/15; 5	Mother and Son: alienation and reconciliation
Yin 5	717	15/9; 16	Shi Que has his own son put to death.
Yin 5	717	17/1; 18	The ruler should not be concerned with how to catch fish.
Huan 2	709	37/15; 40	Virtue is displayed by the customary signs, not by ill-gotten gain.
Zhuang 10	683	85/1; 86	Victory depends on the loyalty of the troops and on the prudent strategy of commanders.
Zhuang 22	671	102/8; 103	The Zhou Yi (Yi Jing, I Ching) is consulted.
Zhuang 32	661	119/4; 120	When disaster is immanent, the ruler listens to spirits.
Min 1	660	124/9; 125	The Zhou Yi (Yi Jing, I Ching) is consulted.
Min 2	659	126/10; 129	The Zhou Yi (Yi Jing, I Ching) is consulted.
Xi 4	655	139/1; 141	It is DE, virtue, that ensures victory, not military might.
Xi 7	652	143/12; 145	Only DE, virtue, counts in the favor of Heaven and spirits.
Xi 7	652	148/10; 149	One who betrays one’s father/ruler is a criminal.
Xi 12	647	158/1; 158	Reverence is the chariot that conveys the state.
Xi 15	644	164/11; 167	The Zhou Yi (Yi Jing, I Ching) is consulted.
Xi 17	642	170/3; 171	It is human beings who produce good and evil fortune.
Xi 19	640	176/4; 177	It is virtue, DE, that leads to success in warfare.
Xi 25	634	194/3; 195	The Zhou Yi (Yi Jing, I Ching) is consulted.
Xi 25	634	194/7; 196	A duke is refused a burial priviledge proper to kings.
Xi 26	633	197/3; 198/2	Harmony among the states goes back to the Zhou.
Xi 27	632	200; 201	Three episodes about intelligent ruling and training of the people.
Xi 30	629	215/15; 217	Flattery is no excuse for not observing proper form [LI] at a banquet.
Wen2	624	232/4; 234	The ancestral tablet of one duke is advanced above that of his brother and predecessor.
Wen 13	613	263/10; 264/2	Negotiation accomplished entirely by means of Odes
Wen 17	609	277/9; 278	Virtuous kindness brings gratitude; harshness brings desperation.
Wen 18	608	279/16; 282	Never harbor one who is disobedient and unfilial. Examples of the ancients.
Xuan 3	605	292; 293	It is not the time to inquire about the nine tripods.
Xuan 12	596	312/11; 317	The Zhou Yi (Yi Jing, I Ching) is consulted.
Zheng 2	588	339/7; 344	Insignia and music; their importance for LI and YI
Zheng 9	581	369/11; 371	the virtuous and loyal musician from Chu
Zheng 13	577	379/6; 381	proper conduct in the two great affairs of state: sacrifice and war
Xiang 9	563	436/1; 439	Fire prevention preparations and Providence (TIAN DAO)
Xiang 9	563	437/5; 439	The Zhou Yi (Yi Jing, I Ching) is consulted.
Xiang 16	558	462/5; 466	When may the ruler be expelled?
Xiang 25	547	510/3; 514	The Zhou Yi (Yi Jing, I Ching) is consulted.
Xiang 26	546	521/8 ;526	Better to reward too much than to punish too much.
Xiang 30	542	553/2; 556	Wrongly placed modesty is not proper conduct [YI].
Xiang 30	542	554; 558	A mirror for governing well.
Xiang 31	541	561; 565	Wise use of subordinates' talents.
Xiang 31	541	561; 565-6	Listening to the people.
Xiang 31	541	562/8; 566/2	The Odes cited to point out a chief minister’s lack of dignity (wei yi).
Zhao 1	540	572-18; 580	Illness comes, not from spirits, but from improper conduct—two accounts.
Zhao 4	537	592/1; 595	A hailstorm associated with improper ceremony connected with ice storage
Zhao 5	536	600/16; 604	The Zhou Yi (Yi Jing, I Ching) is consulted.
Zhao 5	536	601/8; 604/2	distinguishing LI (propriety; ceremonial conduct) from mere YI (deportment)
Zhao 6	535	607/3; 609	Disastrous effects of inscribing laws on tripods
Zhao 7	534	612/12; 617/1	An eclipse of the sun is in response to bad government.
Zhao 7	534	613/10; 618	Can a deceased person become a ghost [GUI]?
Zhao 7	534	615/3; 619	The Zhou Yi (Yi Jing, I Ching) is consulted.
Zhao 8	533	620/1; 622	Can a stone speak?
Zhao 9	532	624/15; 626	The cook takes responsibility for his ruler's wrong actions
Zhao 10	531	628/2; 629	Rejection of human sacrifice
Zhao 11	530	632/7; 634/2	Ritual lapse indicates an absence of vital breath [Qi].
Zhao 11	530	632/13; 635/1	Rejection of human sacrifice
Zhao 12	529	637/7; 640	The Zhou Yi (Yi Jing, I Ching) is consulted. It gives a valid oracle only in matters of loyalty and good faith.
Zhao 12B	529	637/15; 640	Admonishing the king by means of ancient ode not to ask for the tripods
Zhao 14	527	654; 656	An official disgraces his own brother’s corpse for corruption. Confucius comments.
Zhao 16	525	661/6; 663	Ceremonial rubrics are not the important thing .
Zhao 16B	525	661/13; 664	A ring of jade
Zhao 16C	525	662/7; 664	Policy indicated by the Odes
Zhao 18	523	669/4; 671	Portents: Heaven’s way is distant, while the human way is near.
Zhao 20	521	678; 683	Praying to the spirits must be accompanied by benign governing.
Zhao 20B	521	679; 684	A forester doesn't respond to an improper signal. Confucius comments.
Zhao 20C	521	679/10; 684	Genuine harmony is like soup.
Zhao 20D	521	680/1; 684	Harmony between strict and lenient ruling.
Zhao 25	516	704/1; 708/1	The loss of HUN PO leads to death.
Zhao 25	516	704/8; 708	Ceremonies [LI] are the fabric of life.
Zhao 26	515	714/16; 718	A comet is not to be feared, if the ruler is virtuous.
Zhao 26	515	715/2; 718	The rules for governing well are nothing new; they come from Heaven and Earth.
Ding 10	499	774/2; 776/2	Confucius in Lu as Director of Ceremonies: he uses his knowledge of ceremonial to deflect a foreign threat.
Ding 15	495	790/1; 791/1	LI (ceremonial conduct) is the embodiment (TI) of life and death.
Ai 9	487	818/10; 819	The Zhou Yi (Yi Jing, I Ching) is consulted.
Ai 10	486	823/16; 826	Confucius on military build-up and taxation.</tbody>

Duke Yin, 1st Year, 721 BC (Legge, p. 1, col. 15 &  & p. 5, col. 2)
Mother and Son: alienation and reconciliation
        Duke Wu of Zheng married a woman of the house of Shen, called Wu Jiang, who bore two duke Zhuang and his brother Duan of Gong. Duke Zhuang was born as she was waking from sleep, which frightened the layd so that she named him Wu Sheng [born in waking]. She hated him, while she loved Duan and wished him to be declared his father’s heir. Often did she ask this of duke Wu, but he refused it.
        When duke Zhuang came to the earldom, she begged him to confer on Duan the city of Zhi. "It is too dangerous a place," was the reply. "The younger of Guo died there, but in regard to any other place, you may command me." She then requested Jing, and there Duan took up his residence and came to be styled Tai Shu [the Great Younger] of Jing city.
        Zhong of Ji said to the duke, "Any metropolitan city, whose wall is more than 3,000 cibits round, is dangerous to the state. According to the regulations of the former kings, such a city of the first order can have its wall only a third as long as that of the capital; one of the second order, only a fifth as long; and one of the least order, only a ninth. Now Jing is not in accordance with these measures and regulations. As ruler, you will not be able to endure Duan in such a place." The duke replied, "It was our mother's wish. How could I avoid the danger?" "The lady Jiang," returned the officer, "is not to be satisfied. You had better take the necessary precautions and not allow the danger to grow so great that it will be difficult to deal with it. Even grass, when it has grown and spread all about, cannot be removed. How much less the brother of yourself, and the favored brother as well!" The duke said, "By his many deeds of unrighteousness he will bring destruction on himself. Just wait a while."
        After this Tai Shu ordered the places on the western and northern borders of the state to render to himself the same allegiance as they did to the earl. Then Gong Zi Lü said to the duke, "A state cannot sustain the burden of two services. What will you do now? If you wish to give Zheng to Tai Shu, allow me to serve him as a subject. If you do not mean to give it to him, allow me to put him out of the way, so that the minds of the people be not perplexed." "There is no need," the duke replied, "for such a step. His calamity will come of itself."
        Tai Shu went on to take as his own the places from which he had required their divided contributions, as far as Lin Yan. Zi Feng [i.e., Gong Zi Lü] said, "Now is the time. With these enlarged resources, he will draw all the people to himself." The duke replied, "They will not cleave to him, so unrighteous as he is. Through his prosperity he will fall the more."
        Tai Shu worked at his defences, gathered the people about him, put in order buff-coats and weapons, prepared footmen and chariots, intending to surprise Zheng, while his mother was to open to him from within. The duke heard the time agreed on between them and said, "Now we can act." So he ordered Zi Feng, with 200 chariots to attack Jing. Jing revolted from Tai Shu, who then entered Yan, which the duke himself proceeded to attack. In the fifth month, on the day Xin Chou, Tai Shu fled from it to Gong.
        In the words of the text [of the Chun Qiu]: "The earl of Zheng overcame Duan in Yan," Duan is not called the earl’s younger brother, because he did not show himself to be such. They were as two hostile princes, and therefore we have the word "overcame." The duke is styled the earl of Zheng simply to condemn him for his failure to instruct his brother properly. Duan’s flight is not mentioned, because it was difficult to do so, having in mind Zheng’s wish [that Duan might be killed].
        Immediately after these events, Duke Zhuang placed his mother Jiang in Xing Ying and swore an oath, saying, "I will not see you again, till I have reached the yellow spring [i.e., till I am dead, and under the yellow earth]." But he