子貢觀於蜡。孔子曰：「賜也樂乎？」對曰：「一國之人皆若狂，賜未知其樂也！」子曰：「百日之蜡，一日之澤，非爾所知也。張而不弛，文武弗能也；弛而不張，文武弗為也。一張一弛，文武之道也。」
Zi-gong having gone to see the agricultural sacrifice at the end of the year, Confucius said to him, 'Ci, did it give you pleasure?' The answer was, 'The people of the whole state appeared to be mad; I do not know in what I could find pleasure.' The Master said, 'For their hundred days' labour in the field, (the husbandmen) receive this one day's enjoyment (from the state);--this is what you do not understand. (Even) Wen and Wu could not keep a bow (in good condition), if it were always drawn and never relaxed; nor did they leave it always relaxed and never drawn. To keep it now strung and now unstrung was the way of Wen and Wu.'
親喪外除，兄弟之喪內除。
The mourning for parents is taken away (at the end of three years), (but only) its external symbols; the mourning for brothers (at the end of one year), (and also) internally.
哀公問子羔曰：「子之食奚當？」對曰：「文公之下執事也。」
Duke Ai asked Zi-gao, 'When did members of your family first begin to be in office?' The answer was, 'My ancestor held a small office under duke Wen.'
父母之喪，將祭，而昆弟死；既殯而祭。如同宮，則雖臣妾，葬而後祭。祭，主人之升降散等，執事者亦散等。雖虞附亦然。
During the mourning rites for a parent, when the occasion for one of the sacrifices was at hand, if a death occurred in the family of a brother or cousin, the sacrifice was postponed till the burial of the dead had taken place. If the cousin or brother were an inmate of the same palace with himself, although the death were that of a servant or concubine, the party postponed his sacrifice in this way, At the sacrifice the mourner went up and descended the steps with only one foot on each, all assisting him, doing the same. They did so even for the sacrifice of Repose, and to put the spirit-tablet in its place.
諸侯出夫人，夫人比至於其國，以夫人之禮行；至，以夫人入。使者將命曰：「寡君不敏，不能從而事社稷宗廟，使使臣某，敢告於執事。」主人對曰：「寡君固前辭不教矣，寡君敢不敬須以俟命。」有司官陳器皿；主人有司亦官受之。
When a feudal lord sent his wife away, she proceeded on her journey to her own state, and was received there with the observances due to a lord's wife. The messenger, accompanying her, then discharged his commission, saying, 'My poor ruler, from his want of ability, was not able to follow her, and take part in the services at your altars and in your ancestral temple. He has, therefore, sent me, so and so, and I venture to inform your officer appointed for the purpose of what he has done.' The officer presiding (on the occasion) replied, 'My poor ruler in his former communication did not lay (her defects) before you, and he does not presume to do anything but respectfully receive your lord's message.' The officers in attendance on the commissioner then set forth the various articles sent with the other the lady on her marriage, and those on side received them.
三年之喪，以其喪拜；非三年之喪，以吉拜。
At the three years' mourning, the mourner bows to his visitors in the manner appropriate to the occasion; at the mourning of a shorter period, he salutes them in the usual way.
卿大夫疾，君問之無算；士一問之。君於卿大夫，比葬不食肉，比卒哭不舉樂；為士，比殯不舉樂。
When a high minister or Great officer was ill, the ruler inquired about him many times. When an ordinary officer was ill, he inquired about him once. When a Great officer or high minister was buried, the ruler did not eat flesh; when the wailing was finished, he did not have music. When an officer was encoffined, he did not have music.
納幣一束：束五兩，兩五尋。
A bundle of silk (in a marriage treaty) contained live double rolls, each double roll being forty cubits in length.
曾子問曰：「卿大夫將為尸於公，受宿矣，而有齊衰內喪，則如之何？」孔子曰：「出舍乎公宮以待事，禮也。」
Zeng-zi asked, 'When a high minister or Great officer is about to act the part of the personator of the dead at a sacrifice by his ruler, and has received instructions to pass the night previous in solemn vigil, if there occur in his own family occasion for him to wear the robe of hemmed sackcloth, what is he to do?' Confucius said, 'The rule is for him to leave his own house, and lodge in the ruler's palace till the service (for the ruler) is accomplished.
孔子曰：「少連、大連善居喪，三日不怠，三月不解，期悲哀，三年憂。東夷之子也。」
Confucius said, 'Shao-lian and Da-lian demeaned themselves skilfully during their mourning (for their parents). During the (first) three days they were alert; for the (first) three months they manifested no weariness; for the (first) year they were full of grief; for the (whole) three years they were sorrowful. (And yet) they belonged to one of the rude tribes on the East'.
內亂不與焉，外患弗辟也。
(A Great officer) took no part in any seditious movements within his state, and did not try to avoid calamities coming from without.
三年之喪，雖功衰不吊，自諸侯達諸士。如有服而將往哭之，則服其服而往。期之喪，十一月而練，十三月而祥，十五月禫。練則吊。
During the one year's mourning, in the eleventh month, they put on the dress of silk, which was called lian; in the thirteenth month they offered the xiang sacrifice, and in the same month that called tan - which concluded the mourning. During the mourning for three years, even though they had occasion to assume the dress proper for the nine months' mourning, they did not go to condole (with the other mourners). From the feudal lords down to all officers, if they had occasion to dress and go to wail (for a relative newly deceased), they did so in the dress proper to the mourning for him, After putting on the lian silk, they paid visits of condolence.
孔子曰：「伯母、叔母，疏衰，踴不絕地。姑姊妹之大功，踴絕於地。如知此者，由文矣哉！由文矣哉！」
Confucius said, 'For grand-aunts the mourning with the edges even is worn, but the feet in leaping are not lifted from the ground. For aunts and sisters the mourning for nine months is worn, but the feet in leaping are lifted from the ground. If a man understands these things, will he not (always) follow, the right forms of ceremonies? Will he not do so?'
恤由之喪，哀公使孺悲之孔子學士喪禮，士喪禮於是乎書。
At the mourning rites for Xu You, duke Ai sent Ru Bei to Confucius to learn the rites proper at the mourning for the officer. Those rites were thus committed at that time to writing.
路寢成則考之而不釁。釁屋者，交神明之道也。凡宗廟之器。其名者成則釁之以豭豚。
When the great apartment (of the palace) was completed, it was inaugurated (by a feast), but there was no shedding of blood. The consecration by blood of the temple building was the method taken to show how intercourse with the spirits was sought. All the more distinguished vessels of the ancestral temple were consecrated, when completed, by the blood of a young boar.
父有服，宮中子不與於樂。母有服，聲聞焉不舉樂。妻有服，不舉樂於其側。大功將至，辟琴瑟。小功至，不絕樂。
When the father was wearing mourning, a son, who lived in the same house with him, kept away from all music. When the mother was wearing it, the son might listen to music, but not play himself. When a wife was wearing it, the son, (her husband), did not play music by her side. When an occasion for the nine months' mourning was about to occur, the lute and cithern were laid aside. If it were only an occasion for the five months' mourning, music was not stopped.
孔子曰：「管仲鏤簋而朱紘，旅樹而反坫，山節而藻梲。賢大夫也，而難為上也。晏平仲祀其先人。豚肩不掩豆。賢大夫也，而難為下也。君子上不僭上，下不偪下。」
Confucius said, 'Guan Zhong had carving on the square vessels for holding the grain of his offerings, and red ornaments for his cap; he set up a screen where he lodged on the way, and had a stand of earth on which the cups he had used, in giving a feast, were replaced; he had hills carved on the capitals of his pillars, and. pondweed on the lower pillars supporting the rafters'. He was a worthy Great officer, but made it difficult for his superiors (to distinguish themselves from him). Yan Ping-zhong, in sacrificing to his father and other progenitors, used only the shoulders of a pig, not large enough to cover the dish. He was a worthy Great officer, but made it difficult for his inferiors (to distinguish themselves from him). A superior man will not encroach on (the observances of) those above him, nor put difficulties in the way of those below him.'
韠：長三尺，下廣二尺，上廣一尺。會去上五寸，紕以爵韋六寸，不至下五寸。純以素，紃以五采。
The apron (of the full robes) was three cubits long, two cubits wide at the bottom, and one at the top. The border at the top extended five inches; and that at the sides was of leather the colour of a sparrow's head, six inches wide, terminating five inches from the bottom. The borders at top and bottom were of white silk, embroidered with the five colours. Source: Chinese Text Project http://ctext.org/liji. English translation "Sacred Books of the East, volume 28, part 4: The Li Ki", James Legge, 1885
或問於曾子曰：「夫既遣而包其餘，猶既食而裹其餘與？君子既食，則裹其餘乎？」曾子曰：「吾子不見大饗乎？夫大饗，既饗，卷三牲之俎歸於賓館。父母而賓客之，所以為哀也！子不見大饗乎！」非為人喪，問與賜與？
Someone asked Zeng-zi, 'After sending away to the grave the offerings to the dead, we wrap up what up remains; is this not like a man, after partaking of a meal, wrapping-what is left (to take with him)? Does a gentleman do such a thing? Zeng-zi said, 'Have you not seen what is done at a great feast? At a great feast, given by a Great officer, after all have partaken, he rolls up what is left on the stands for the three animals, and sends it to the lodgings of his guests. When a son treats his parents in this way as his (honoured) guests, it is an expression of his grief (for their loss). Have you, Sir, not seen what is done at a great feast?' Excepting at men's funeral rites, do they make such inquiries and present such gifts as they then do?
相趨也，出宮而退。相揖也，哀次而退。相問也，既封而退。相見也。反哭而退。朋友，虞附而退。吊，非從主人也。四十者執綍：鄉人五十者從反哭，四十者待盈坎。
When one (was condoling with) another whom he had been accustomed to pass with a hasty step, (at the interment of his dead relative), he retired when the bier had passed out from the gate of the temple. If they had been on bowing terms, he retired when they had reached the station for wailing. If they had been in the habit of exchanging inquiries, he retired after-the coffin was let down into the grave. if they had attended court together, he went back to the house with the other, and wailed with him. If they were intimate friends, he did not retire till after the sacrifice of Repose, and the placing of the spirit tablet of the deceased in the shrine. Condoling friends did not (merely) follow the principal mourner. Those who were forty (or less) held the ropes when the coffin was let down into the grave. Those of the same district who were fifty followed him back to the house and wailed; and those who were forty waited till the grave was filled up.
曾申問於曾子曰：「哭父母有常聲乎？」曰：「中路嬰兒失其母焉，何常聲之有？」
Zeng Shen asked Zeng-zi, saying, 'In wailing for a parent, should one do so always in the same voice?' The answer was, 'When a child has lost its mother on the road, is it possible for it to think about the regular and proper voice?'
士三月而葬，是月也卒哭；大夫三月而葬，五月而卒哭；諸侯五月而葬，七月而卒哭。士三虞，大夫五，諸侯七。
An officer was interred after three months, and the same month the wailing was ended. A Great officer was interred (also) after three months, and after five months the wailing was ended. A prince was interred after five months, and after seven the wailing was ended. For an officer the sacrifice of Repose was offered three times; for a Great officer, five times; and for a feudal prince, seven times.
外宗為君夫人，猶內宗也。
The mourning of a ruler and his wife were regulated by the same rules for the ladies of his family married in other states and for those married in his own.
孔子曰：「吾食於少施氏而飽，少施氏食我以禮。吾祭，作而辭曰：『疏食不足祭也。』吾飧，作而辭曰：『疏食也，不敢以傷吾子。』」
Confucius said, 'When I was at a meal at Shao-shi's, I ate to the full. He entertained me courteously, according to the rules. When I was about to offer some in sacrifice, he got up and wished to stop me, saying, "My poor food is not worth being offered in sacrifice." When I was about to take the concluding portions, he got up and wished to stop me, saying, "I would not injure you with my poor provisions."