桓公問管仲曰：「諸侯相逆，固出境乎？
」管仲曰：「非天子不出境。
Lord Huan questioned Guan Zhong concerning this: “When a vassal lord comes out to greet someone, is it stipulated that he should leave his territory?” “Unless it is the Son of Heaven,” replied Guan Zhong, he is not to leave his territory.” “But the ruler of Yan,” said Lord Huan, “has failed, out of timorous respect, to adhere to the rites.
」桓公曰：「然則燕君畏而失禮也，寡人不道，而使燕君失禮。
I have acted improperly in causing the Yan ruler to deviate from the rites.” With this, he relinquished the portion of his own territory that the Yan ruler had traversed and bestowed it on Yan. When the vassal lords heard of this, they all came to pay court to Qi.
」乃割燕君所至之地，以與燕君。
諸侯聞之，皆朝於齊。
As is said in the Odes, “Diligent is his lordship in fulfilling his position; / We rejoice in his adherence to the straight path. / The spirits, when they hear of this, / Shall bestow great blessings on him.” These lines sum up the meaning of this event.30 30 Odes 207, “Xiao ming” 小明, last four lines.
詩云：「靖恭爾位，好是正直，神之聽之，介爾景福。
」此之謂也。
The lines are taken out of context and acquire a new meaning here; in their original setting, they are more appropriately translated as: “Be diligent in fulfilling your position; / Rejoice in cultivating the straight path. / The spirits, when they hear of it, / Shall bestow great blessings on you.” Guan Zhong: see 1.18, n. 56.