凡執主器，執輕如不克。執主器，操幣圭璧，則尚左手，行不舉足，車輪曳踵。
When one is holding an article belonging to his lord, though it may be light, he should seem unable to sustain it. In the case of a piece of silk, or a rank-symbol of jade, square or round, he should keep his left hand over it. He should not lift his feet in walking, but trail his heels like the wheels of a carriage.
立則磬折垂佩。主佩倚，則臣佩垂。主佩垂，則臣佩委。執玉，其有藉者則裼；無藉者則襲。
(A minister) should stand (with his back) curved in the manner of a sounding-stone, and his girdle-pendants hanging down. Where his lord has his pendants hanging at his side, his should be hanging down in front; where his lord has them hanging in front, his should descend to the ground. When one is holding any symbol of jade (to present it), if it be on a mat, he leaves it so exposed; if there be no mat, he covers it with (the sleeve of) his outer robe.
國君不名卿老世婦，大夫不名世臣侄娣，士不名家相長妾。君大夫之子，不敢自稱曰「余小子」；大夫士之子，不敢自稱曰「嗣子某」，不敢與世子同名。
The ruler of a state should not call by their names his highest ministers, nor the two noble ladies of her surname, who accompanied his wife to the harem. A Great officer should not call in that way an officer who had been employed by his father, nor the niece and younger sister of his wife (members of his harem). (Another) officer should not call by name the steward of his family, nor his principal concubine. The son of a Great officer (of the king, himself equal to) a ruler, should not presume to speak of himself as 'I, the little son. The son of a Great officer or (other) officer (of a state) should not presume to speak of himself as 'I, the inheriting son, so-and-so.' They should not so presume to speak of themselves as their heir-sons do.
君使士射，不能，則辭以疾；言曰：「某有負薪之憂。」
When his ruler wishes an officer to take a place at an archery (meeting), and he is unable to do so, he should decline on the ground of being, ill, and say, 'I, so-and-so, am suffering from carrying firewood.'
侍於君子，不顧望而對，非禮也。
When one, in attendance on a superior man, replies to a question without looking round to see (if any other be going to answer), this is contrary to rule.
君子行禮，不求變俗。祭祀之禮，居喪之服，哭泣之位，皆如其國之故，謹修其法而審行之。去國三世，爵祿有列於朝，出入有詔於國，若兄弟宗族猶存，則反告於宗後；去國三世，爵祿無列於朝，出入無詔於國，唯興之日，從新國之法。
A superior man, in his practice of ceremonies (in another state), should not seek to change his (old) customs. His ceremonies in sacrifice, his dress during the period of mourning, and his positions in the wailing and weeping, will all be according to the fashions of-his former (state). He will carefully study its rules, and carry them exactly into practice. (But) if he (or his descendants) have been away from the state for three generations, and if his dignity and emoluments be (still) reckoned to him (or his representative) at the court, and his outgoings and incomings are announced to the state, and if his brothers or cousins and other members of his house be still there, he should (continue to) send back word about himself to the representative of his ancestor. (Even) after the three generations, if his dignity and emoluments be not reckoned to him in the court, and his outgoings and incomings are (no longer) announced in the state, it is only on the day of his elevation (to official rank) that he should follow the ways of his new state.
君子已孤不更名。已孤暴貴，不為父作謚。居喪，未葬，讀喪禮；既葬，讀祭禮；喪復常，讀樂章。居喪不言樂，祭事不言凶，公庭不言婦女。
A superior man, when left an orphan, will not change his name. Nor will he in such a case, if he suddenly become noble, frame an honorary title for his father. When occupied with the duties of mourning and before the interment of (a parent), (a son) should study the ceremonies of mourning, and after the interment, those of sacrifice. When the mourning is over, let him resume his usual ways, and study the pieces of music. When occupied with the duties of mourning, one should not speak of music. When sacrificing, one should not speak of what is inauspicious. In the ruler's court, parties should not speak of wives and daughters.
振書、端書於君前，有誅。倒策側龜於君前，有誅。龜策、几杖、席蓋、重素、袗絺綌，不入公門。苞屨、扱衽、厭冠，不入公門。書方、衰、凶器，不以告，不入公門。公事不私議。
For one to have to dust his (collection of) written tablets, or adjust them before the ruler, is a punishable offence; to have the divining stalks turned upside down or the tortoiseshell turned on one side, before him, is also a punishable offence. One should not enter the ruler's gate, (carrying with him) a tortoise-shell or divining stalks, a stool or a staff, mats or (sun-)shades, or having his upper and lower garments both of white or in a single robe of fine or coarse hempen cloth. Nor should he do so in rush sandals, or with the skirts of his lower garment tucked in at his waist, or in the cap worn in the shorter periods of mourning. Nor, unless announcement of it has been made (and permission given), can one take in the square tablets with the written (lists of articles for a funeral), or the frayed sackcloth, or the coffin and its furniture. Public affairs should not be privately discussed.
君子將營宮室：宗廟為先，廄庫為次，居室為後。凡家造：祭器為先，犧賦為次，養器為後。無田祿者不設祭器；有田祿者，先為祭服。君子雖貧，不粥祭器；雖寒，不衣祭服；為宮室，不斬於丘木。
When a superior man, (high in rank), is about to engage in building, the ancestral temple should have his first attention, the stables and arsenal the next, and the residences the last. In all preparations of things by (the head of) a clan, the vessels of sacrifice should have the first place; the victims supplied from his revenue, the next; and the vessels for use at meals, the last. Those who have no revenue from lands do not provide vessels for sacrifice. Those who have such revenue first prepare their sacrificial dresses. A superior man,. though poor, will not sell his vessels of sacrifice; though suffering from cold, he will not wear his sacrificial robes; in building a house, he will not cut down the trees on his grave-mounds.
大夫、士去國，祭器不逾竟。大夫寓祭器於大夫，士寓祭器於士。大夫、士去國：逾竟，為壇位鄉國而哭。素衣，素裳，素冠，徹緣，鞮屨，素冪，乘髦馬。不蚤鬋。不祭食，不說人以無罪；婦人不當御。三月而復服。
A Great or other officer, leaving his state, should not take his vessels of sacrifice with him across the boundary. The former will leave his vessels for the time with another Great officer, and the latter his with another officer. A Great or other officer, leaving his state, on crossing the boundary, should prepare a place for an altar, and wail there, looking in the direction of the state. He should wear his upper garment and lower, and his cap, all of white; remove his (ornamental) collar, wear shoes of untanned leather, have a covering of white (dog's-fur) for his cross-board, and leave his horses manes undressed. He should not trim his nails or beard, nor make an offering at his (spare) meals. He should not say to any one that he is not chargeable with guilt, nor have any of his women approach him. After three months he will return to his usual dress.
大夫、士見於國君，君若勞之，則還辟，再拜稽首；君若迎拜，則還辟，不敢答拜。大夫、士相見，雖貴賤不敵，主人敬客，則先拜客；客敬主人，則先拜主人。凡非吊喪、非見國君，無不答拜者。
When a Great or other officer has an interview with the ruler of the state (to whom he has been sent), if the ruler be condoling with him on the toils of his journey, he should withdraw on one side to avoid (the honour), and then bow twice with his head to the ground. If the ruler meet him (outside the gate) and bow to him, he should withdraw on one side to avoid (the honour), and not presume to return the bow. When Great or other officers are having interviews with one another, though they may not be equal in rank, if the host reverence (the greater worth of) the guest, he should first bow to him; and if the guest reverence the (greater worth of the) host, he should first bow. In all cases but visits of condolence on occasion of a death, and seeing the ruler of one's state, the parties should be sure to return the bow, each of the other.
大夫見於國君，國君拜其辱。士見於大夫，大夫拜其辱。同國始相見，主人拜其辱。君於士，不答拜也；非其臣，則答拜之。大夫於其臣，雖賤，必答拜之。男女相答拜也。
When a Great officer has an interview with the ruler of (another) state, the ruler should bow in acknowledgment of the honour (of the message he brings); when an officer has an interview with a Great officer (of that state), the latter should bow to him in the same way. When two meet for the first time in their own state, (on the return of one from some mission), the other, as host, should bow in acknowledgment (of the service). A ruler does not bow to a (simple) officer; but if it be one of a different state, he should bow to his bow. A Great officer should return the bow of any one of his officers, however mean may be his rank. Males and females do (? not) bow to one another.
國君春田不圍澤；大夫不掩群，士不取麑卵。
The ruler of a state, in the spring hunting, will not surround a marshy thicket, nor will Great officers try to surprise a whole herd, nor will (other) officers take young animals or eggs.
歲凶，年穀不登，君膳不祭肺，馬不食穀，馳道不除，祭事不縣。大夫不食粱，士飲酒不樂。
In bad years, when the grain of the season is not coming to maturity, the ruler at his meals will not make the (usual) offering of the lungs, nor will his horses be fed on grain. His special road will not be kept clean and swept, nor when at sacrifices will his musical instruments be suspended on their stands. Great officers will not eat the large grained millet; and (other) officers will not have music (even) at their drinking.
君無故，玉不去身；大夫無故不徹縣，士無故不徹琴瑟。
Without some (sad) cause, a ruler will not let the gems (pendent from his girdle) leave his person, nor a Great officer remove his music-stand, nor an (inferior) officer his lutes.
士有獻於國君，他日，君問之曰：「安取彼？」再拜稽首而後對。
When an officer presents anything to the ruler of his state, and another day the ruler asks him, 'Where did you get that?' he will bow twice with his head to the ground, and afterwards reply.
大夫私行出疆，必請。反，必有獻。士私行出疆，必請；反，必告。君勞之，則拜；問其行，拜而後對。國君去其國，止之曰：「奈何去社稷也！」大夫，曰：「奈何去宗廟也！」士，曰：「奈何去墳墓也！」國君死社稷，大夫死眾，士死制。
When a Great officer wishes to go beyond the boundaries (of the state) on private business, he must ask leave, and on his return must present some offering. An (inferior) officer in similar circumstances, must (also) ask leave, and when he comes back, must announce his return. If the ruler condole with them on their toils, they should bow. if he ask about their journey, they should bow, and afterwards reply. When the ruler of a state (is proposing to) leave it, they should (try to) stop him, saying, 'Why are you leaving the altars of the spirits of the land and grain?' (In the similar case of) a Great officer they should say, 'Why are you leaving your ancestral temple?' In that of an (inferior) officer, they should say, 'Why are you leaving the graves (of your ancestors)?' A ruler should die for his altars; a Great officer, with the host (he commands); an inferior officer, for his charge.
君天下，曰天子。朝諸侯，分職授政任功，曰予一人。踐阼臨祭祀：內事曰孝王某，外事曰嗣王某。臨諸侯，畛於鬼神，曰有天王某甫。崩，曰天王崩。復，曰天子復矣。告喪，曰天王登假。措之廟，立之主，曰帝。天子未除喪，曰予小子。生名之，死亦名之。
As ruling over all, under the sky, (the king) is called 'The son of Heaven.' As receiving at court the feudal princes, assigning (to all) their different offices, giving out (the laws and ordinances of) the government, and employing the services of the able, he styles himself, 'I, the one man.' When he ascends by the eastern steps, and presides at a sacrifice, if it be personal to himself and his family, his style is, 'I, so-and-so, the filial king;' if it be external to himself, 'I, so-and-so, the inheriting king.' When he visits the feudal princes, and sends to make announcement (of his presence) to the spirits (of their hills and streams), it is said, 'Here is he, so-and-so, who is king by (the grace of) Heaven.' His death is announced in the words, 'The king by (the grace of) Heaven has fallen.' In calling back (his spirit), they say, 'Return, O son of Heaven.' When announcement is made (to all the states) of the mourning for him, it is said, 'The king by (the grace of) Heaven has gone far on high.' When his place is given to him in the ancestral temple, and his spirit-tablet is set up, he is styled on it, 'the god.' The son of Heaven, while he has not left off his mourning, calls himself, 'I, the little child.' While alive, he is so styled; and if he die (during that time), he continues to be so designated.
天子有后，有夫人，有世婦，有嬪，有妻，有妾。
The son of Heaven has his queen, his helpmates, his women of family, and his ladies of honour. (These) constituted his wife and concubines.
天子建天官，先六大：曰大宰、大宗、大史、大祝、大士、大卜，典司六典。
The son of Heaven appoints the officers of Heaven's institution, the precedence among them belonging to the six grandees: the Grand-governor; the Grand-minister of the ancestral temple; the Grand-historiographer; the Grand-minister of prayers; the Grand-minister of justice; and the Grand-divine. These are the guardians and superintendents of the six departments of the statutes.
天子之五官：曰司徒、司馬、司空、司士、司寇，典司五眾。
The five (administrative) officers of the son of Heaven are: the minister of instruction; the minister of war; the minister of works; the minister of offices; and the minister of crime. These preside over the multitude in (each of) their five charges.
天子之六府：曰司土、司木、司水、司草、司器、司貨，典司六職。
The six treasuries of the son of Heaven are under the charge of the superintendent of the land; the superintendent of the woods; the superintendent of the waters; the superintendent of the grass; the superintendent of articles of employment; and the superintendent of wares. These preside over the six departments of their charges.
天子之六工：曰土工、金工、石工、木工、獸工、草工，典制六材。五官致貢，曰享。
The six manufactures of the son of Heaven are under the care of (the superintendents of) the workers in earth; the workers in metal; the workers in stone; the workers in wood; the workers in (the skins of) animals; and the workers in twigs. These preside over the six departments of stores. When the five officers give in their contributions, they are said to 'present their offerings.'
五官之長，曰伯：是職方。其擯於天子也，曰天子之吏。天子同姓，謂之伯父；異姓，謂之伯舅。自稱於諸侯，曰天子之老，於外曰公；於其國曰君。
Chief among the five officers are the presidents, to whom belong the oversight of quarters (of the kingdom). In any message from them transmitted to the son of Heaven, they are styled 'ministers of the son of Heaven.' If they are of the same surname as he, he styles them 'paternal uncles;' if of a different surname, 'maternal uncles.' To the feudal princes, they designate themselves, 'the ancients of the son of Heaven.' Outside (their own states), they are styled 'duke;' in their states, 'ruler.'