XII. Twelfth year.

  1. 春．周公出奔晉．
  2. 夏．公會晉侯．衛侯．于瑣澤．
  3. 秋．晉人敗狄于交剛．
  4. 冬．十月．
XII. Twelfth year.
1. In the [duke's], twelfth year, in spring, the duke of Zhou left and fled to Jin.
2. In summer, the duke had a meeting with the marquis of Jin and the marquis of Wey in Suoze.
3. In autumn, a body of men from Jin defeated the Di at Jiaogang.
4. It was winter, the tenth month.
春．王使以周公之難來告．書曰．周公出奔晉．凡自周無出．周公自出故也．This spring, the king sent the news to Lu of the troubles connected with the duke of Zhou. The text says that "he went out and fled to Jin." Now the words "went out" are not applied in the case of parties leaving Zhou, but they are used here because the duke of Zhou outcast himself.
宋華元克合晉楚之成．夏．五月．晉士燮會楚公子罷．許偃．癸亥．盟于宋西門之外．曰．凡晉楚無相加戎．好惡同之．同恤菑危．備救凶患．若有害楚．則晉伐之．在晉．楚亦如之．交贄往來．道路無壅．謀其不協．而討不庭．有渝此盟．明神殛之．俾隊其師．無克胙國．鄭伯如晉聽成．會于瑣澤．成故也．Hua Yuan of Song having succeeded in cementing the peace between Jin and Chu [See the 2d Zhuan at the end of last year], this summer, in the 5th month, Shi Xie of Jin had a meeting with the Gongzi Pi of Chu, and Xu Yan. They made a covenant on Guihai outside the west gate of [the capital of] Song, to the following effect:——"Chu and Jin shall not go to war with each other. They shall have common likings and dislikings. They shall together compassionate States that are in calamity and peril, and be ready to relieve such as are unfortunate. Jin shall attack any that would injure Chu, and Chu any that would injure Jin. Their roads shall be open to messengers that wish to pass with their offerings from the one to the other. They shall take measures against the disaffected, and punish those who do not appear in the royal court. Whoever shall violate this covenant, may the intelligent Spirits destroy him, causing defeat to his armies, and a speedy end to his possession of his State!" [After this], the earl of Zheng went to Jin, to receive [the conditions of] the peace, in consequence of its being [thus] established at the meeting in Suoze.'
狄人間宋之盟以侵晉．而不設備．秋．晉人敗狄于交剛．A body of the Di took the opportunity of [Jin's being occupied with the] covenant in Song to make an inroad into it; but not having made preparations [against a surprise], they were defeated in the autumn at Jiaogang.
 晉郤至如楚聘．且蒞盟．楚子享之．子反相．為地室而縣焉．郤至將登．金奏作於下．驚而走出．子反曰．日云莫矣．寡君須矣．吾子其入也．賓曰．君不忘先君之好．施及下臣．貺(kuàng )之以大禮．重之以備樂．如天之福．兩君相見．何以代此．下臣不敢．子反曰．如天之福．兩君相見．無亦唯是一矢以相加遺．焉用樂．寡君須矣．吾子其入也．賓曰．若讓之以一矢．禍之大者．其何福之為．世之治也．諸侯間於天子之事．則相朝也．於是乎有享宴之禮．享以訓共儉．宴以示慈惠．共儉以行禮．而慈惠以布政．政以禮成．民是以息．百官承事．朝而不夕．此公侯之所以扞(hàn 同“捍”)城其民也．故詩曰．Xi Zhi of Jin went to Chu on a friendly mission, and on the part of Jin to make a covenant. The viscount of Chu invited him to an entertainment, when Zifan, who directed the ceremonies, had caused an apartment to be made under ground, in which the instruments of music were suspended. When Xi Zhi was ascending the hall, the bells struck up [the signal for performance] underneath, which frightened him so that he ran out. Zifan said to him, "The day is wearing late; my ruler is waiting; be pleased, Sir, to enter." The guest replied, "Your ruler, mindful of the friendship between our former princes, extends his favour to my poor self, treating me with great ceremony, even to a complete band of music. If by the blessing of Heaven our two rulers have an interview, what can take the place of this? I dare not receive [such an honour]." Zifan said, "If by the blessing of Heaven our two rulers have an interview, they will have nothing but an arrow to give to each other; they will not be using music. My ruler is waiting; be pleased, Sir, to enter." The other said, "If it be an arrow that they mutually offer and decline, that will be the greatest of evils;—there will be no blessing in that. When good order prevails, the princes, in their intervals of leisure from the king's business, visit at one another's courts. Then there are the ceremonies of entertainment and feasting; those of entertainment being a lesson of reverence and economy, those of feasting a display of indulgent kindness [Comp. the Zhuan after VII. xvi. 3]. Reverence and economy are seen in the practice of ceremonies; indulgent kindness is seen in the arrangements of the government. When the business of government is perfected by ceremonies, then the people enjoy rest, and the officers receive orders about the business they have to perform in the morning [only], and not in the evening [as well]. It is in this way that the princes prove themselves the protectors of their people. Therefore the ode (Shi, I. i. ode VII. 1) says,
赳赳武夫．公侯干城．及其亂也．諸侯貪冒．侵欲不忌．爭尋常以盡其民．略其武夫．以為己腹心股肱爪牙．故詩曰．'That bold and martial man Is shield and wall to his prince.' But in a time of disorder, the princes are full of covetous greed, indulge their ambitious desires without shrinking, and for a few feet of territory will destroy their people, taking their martial officers and using them to carry out their hearts' purposes as arms and legs, as claws and teeth. Therefore the ode says (ibid., stanza 3),
赳赳武夫．公侯腹心．天下有道．則公侯能為民干城．而制其腹心．亂則反之．今吾子之言．亂之道也．不可以為法．然吾子主也．至敢不從．遂入卒事．'That bold and martial man Is the mind and heart of his prince.' When throughout the kingdom right ways prevail, the princes are shields and walls to the people, and repress [the selfishness of] their own hearts; but in a time of disorder, it is the reverse. Now your words, Sir, speak the ways of disorder, which cannot be taken as a pattern. But you are host here, and I will not presume to disobey you." He entered accordingly.
歸以語范文子．文子曰．無禮必食言．吾死無日矣夫．When his business was over, and he returned, he told what had occurred to Fan Wenzi, who said, "With such want of propriety, they are sure to eat their words. Our death will be at no distant day." 
冬．楚公子罷如晉聘．且蒞盟．In winter, the Gongzi Pi of Chu went to Jin on a friendly mission, and to make a covenant on the part of Chu.
十二月．晉侯及楚公子罷盟于赤棘． In the twelfth month, the marquis of Jin covenanted with him in Chiji.