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Liji 禮記 "Records of Ritual Matters"

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The Liji ("Collection of Treatises on the Rules of Propriety and Ceremonial Usages") is one of four extant collections of ritual matters of the Zhou Dynasty 周. The final redactional work on these books took place during the Han Dynasty 漢. Three of them were incorporated into the Canon of Confucian Classics: Liji, Yili 儀禮, and Zhouli 周禮. The fourth, the Da Dai Liji 大戴禮記, has only survived in fragments and was almost forgotten for centuries.
The oldest record of ritual matters is the (禮)記百三十一篇 (Li)Ji in 131 chapters. While the Yili is a pure handbook about rites, the Liji also contains many anecdotes, discourses and dialogs like the passages that can be found in the Confucian Analects (Lunyu 論語). The 49 (46) chapters are thus very heterogenous in content and date of compilation. Some chapters seem to be taken other books like Xunzi 荀子 and Huainanzi 淮南子. The chapters are compiled in a loose structure and center around different ritual matters of which the mourning rites occupy a crucial place. The first person who studied the Liji was Liu Xiang 劉向, the great Han scholar. Dai De 戴德 and his nephew Dai Sheng 戴聖 are said to have shortened the original 131 chapters to the now existant some forty. The version of the Liji like it has been traded, is the short Dai Sheng version and can therefore also be called Xiao Dai Liji 小戴禮記 ("Records on Ritual Matters by Dai Junior"). the Da Dai Liji version, only the fragments of 27 chapters are preserved.
Two chapters of the Liji were extracted the corpus and are venerated as two of the Four Books (Sishu 四書): The Doctrine of the Mean (Zhongyong 中庸), and the Great Learning (Daxue 大學). Both books are treated separately.
The only English translation of the text is still that of James Legge.
The chapters of the Liji are:
1.(1.-2.)曲禮上下 Quli A+B Summary of the Rules of Property
2.(3.-4.)檀弓上下Tan Gong A+B
3.(5.)王制 Wangzhi Royal Regulations
4.(6.)月令 Yueling Proceedings of Government in the different Months
5.(7.)曾子問 Zengzi Wen The Questions of Zengzi
6.(8.)文王世子 Wenwang Shizi King Wen, the Heir
7.(9.)禮運 Liyun The Conveyance of Rites
8.(10.)禮器 Liqi Utensils of Rites
9.(11.)郊特牲 Jiaotesheng The Great Border Sacrifice
10.(12.)內則 Neize The Pattern of the Family
11.(13.)玉藻 Yuzao Dresses and Caps worn by rulers
12.(14.)明堂位 Mingtang Wei The Hall of Distinction
13.(15.)喪服小記Sangfu Xiaoji Smaller Records of Mourning Dress
14.(16.)大傳Dazhuan The Great Treatise
15.(17.)少儀Shaoyi Smaller Rules of Conduct
16.(18.)學記Xueji Record of Studies
17.(19.)樂記Yueji Record of Music
18.(20.-21.)雜記上下Zaji A+B Miscellaneous Records
19.(22.)喪大記Sang Daji Greater Record of Mourning Rites, incl. 喪服大記 Sangfu Daji Greater Records of Mourning Dress
20.(23.)祭法Jifa Laws of Sacrifices
21.(24.)祭義Jiyi The Meaning of Sacrifices
22.(25.)祭統Jitong Summary Account of Sacrifices
23.(26.)經解Jingjie Explanations of the Classics
24.(27.)哀公問Aigong Wen The Questions of Duke Ai
25.(28.)仲尼燕居Zhongni Yanju Zhongni (Confucius) at Home at Ease
26.(29.)孔子閒居Kongzi Xianju Confucius at Home at Leisure
27.(30.)坊記Fangji Record of Dykes
28.(31)中庸ZHONGYONG The Doctrine of the Mean
29.(32.)表記Biaoji The Record on Example
30.(33.)緇衣Ziyi The Black Robes
31.(34.)奔喪Bensang Hurrying to Mourning Rites
32.(35.)問喪Wensang Questions about Mourning Rites
33.(36.)服問Fuwen Subjects for Questioning about the Mourning Dress
34.(37.)間傳Jianzhuan Treatise on Subsidiary Points in Mourning Usages
35.(38.)三年問Sannianwen Questions about the Mourning for Three Years
36.(39.)深衣Shenyi The Long Dress in One Piece
37.(40.)投壺 Touhu The Game of Pitch-Pot
38.(41.)儒行Ruxing The Conduct of the Scholar
39.(42)大學DAXUE The Great Learning
40.(43.)冠義Guanyi The Meaning of the Ceremony of Capping
41.(44.)昏(=婚)義 Hunyi The Meaning of the Marriage Ceremony
42.(45.)鄉飲酒義Xiang Yinjiu Yi The Meaning of the Drinking Festivity in the Districts
43.(46.)射義 Sheyi The Meaning of the Ceremony of Archery
44.(47.)燕義 Yanyi The Meaning of the Banquet
45.(48.)聘義 Pingyi The Meaning of the Interchange of Missions Between Different Courts
46.(49.)喪服四制Sangfu Sizhi The Four Principles Underlying the Dress of Mourning
3.(5.)王制
王者之制祿爵,公侯伯子男,凡五等。諸侯之上大夫卿,下大夫,上士中士下士 ,凡五等。
天子之田方千里,公侯田方百里,伯七十里,子男五十里。 不能五十里者,不合於天子,附於諸侯曰附庸。天子之三公之田視公侯,天子之 卿視伯,天子之大夫視子男,天子之元士視附庸。
The Royal Regulations
According to the regulatins of emolument and rank framed by the kings, there were the duke, the marquis, the earl, the count, and the baron: in all, five gradations of rank. There were also, in the feudal states, Great officers of the highest grade, the ministers, and Great officers of the lowest grade, officers of the highest, the middle, and the lowest grade: in all, five gradations of office.
The territory of the son of Heaven amounted to 1000 square miles, that of a duke or marquis to 500 square miles, and that of a count or baron to 50 square miles. Lords who could not number 50 square miles, were not admitted directly to the audiences of the son of Heaven. Their territories were called "attached", being joined to those of one of the other princes.
The territory assigned to each of the ducal ministers of the son of Heaven was equal to that of a duke or marquis; that of each of his high ministers was equal to that of an earl; that of his Great officers to the territory of a count or baron; and that of his officers of the chief grade to an attached territory.

5.(7.)曾子問
曾子問曰:「君薨而世子生,如之何﹖」孔子曰:「卿、大夫、士從攝主,北面 ,於西階南。大祝裨冕,執束帛,升自西階盡等,不升堂,命毋哭。祝聲三,告 曰:『某之子生,敢告。』升,奠幣于殯東几上,哭,降。眾主人、卿、大夫、 士,房中,皆哭不踊。盡一哀,反位。遂朝奠。小宰升舉幣。
The Questions of Zengzi
Zengzi asked: "If a ruler dies and a son and heir is born immediatley after, what course should be adopted?"
Confucius said: "The high nobles, Great officers and other officers, following the chief minister, who takes charge of the government for the time, should collect at the south of the western steps, with their faces towards the north. Then the Grand officer of prayer, in his court robes and cap, bearing in his hands a bundle of rolls of silk, will go up to the topmost step, and there, without ascending the hall, will order the wailing to cease. Mournfully clearing his voice three times, he will make announcement [to the spirit of the deceased ruler], saying: 'The son of such and such a lady has been born. I venture to announce the fact.' He will then go up, and place the silks on a stool on the east of the body in the coffin, wail, and descend. All the relatives of the deceased who are there, the high nobles, the Great and other officers, in the appartments, all will wail, but without the leaping. When this burst of sorrow is over, they will return to their proper places, and proceed forthwith to set forth the mourning offerings to the dead. The minor minister will ascend, and take away the bundle of silks."

13.(15.)喪服小記
斬衰,括髮以麻;為母,括髮以麻,免而以布。齊衰,惡笄以終喪。男子冠而婦 人笄,男子免而婦人髽。其義:為男子則免,苴婦人則髽。苴杖,竹也;削杖, 桐也。
祖父卒,而后為祖母後者三年。為父母,長子稽顙。大夫弔之,雖緦必稽顙。 婦人為夫與長子稽顙,其餘則否。男主必使同姓,婦主必使異姓。為父後者? 出母無服。
Record of Smaller Matters in the Dress of Mourning
When wearing the unhemmed sackcloth [for a father], [the son] tied up his hair with a hempen band, and also when wearing it for a mother. When he exchanged this band for the cincture [in the case of mourning for his mother], this was made of linen cloth. [A wife], when wearing the [one year's mourning] of sackcloth with the edges even, had the girdle of the same, and the inferior hairpin, and wore these to the end of the mourning. Men wore the cap, and women the hairpin; men wore the cincture, and women the same after the female fashion. The idea was to maintain in this way a distinction between them.
The dark-coloured staff was of bamboo, that pared and fashioned at the endwas of eleococca wood.
When the grandfather wad dead, and afterwards [the grandson] had to go into mourning for his grandmother, he, being the representative of the family [through the dead of his father], did so for three years.
The eldest son, [at the mourning rites] for his father or mother, [before bowing to a visitor who had come to condole with him], first laid his forehead to the ground. When a Great officer came to condole [with an ordinary officer], though it might be only in a case of the three month's mourning, the latter first laid his forehead to the ground. A wife, at the rites for her husband or eldest son, bowed her head to the ground before the saluted a visitor; but in mourning for others, she did not to so.
The man employed to preside [at the mourning rites] was required to be of the same surname [as the deceased parent]; the wife so employed, of a different surname. The son who was his father's successor [as now head of the familiy] did not wear mourning for his mother who had been divorced.

17.(19.)樂記
樂者.音之所由生也.其本在人心之感於物也.是故其哀心感者.其聲焦以殺.其樂心感者.其聲嘽以緩.其喜心感者.其聲發以散.其怒心感者.其聲粗以厲.其敬心感者.其聲直以廉.其愛心感者.其聲和以柔.六者非性也.感於物而后動.是故先王慎所以感之者.
Record of Music
Music is (thus) the production of the modulations of the voice, and its source is in the affections of the mind as it is influenced by (external) things. when the mind is moved to sorrow, the sound is sharp and fading away; when it is moved to pleasure, the sound is slow and gentle; when it is moved to joy, the sound is exclamatory and soon disappears; when it is moved to anger, the sound is coarse and fierce; when it is moved to reverence, the sound is straightforward, with an indication of humility; when it is moved to love, the sound is harmonious and soft. These six peculiarities of sound are not natural'; they indicate the impressions produced by (external) things. On this account the ancient kings were watchful in regard to the things by which the mind was affected.

41.(44.)昏(=婚)義
昏禮者,將合二姓之好,上以事宗廟,而下以繼後世也。故君子重之。是以昏禮 納采、問名、納吉、納徵、請期,為主人筵几於廟,而拜迎於門外,入, 揖讓而升,聽命於廟,所以敬慎重正昏禮也。
男女有別,而后夫婦有義;夫婦有義,而后父子有親;父子有親,而后君臣有正 。故曰:昏禮者,禮之本也。夫禮始於冠,本於昏,重於喪祭,尊於朝聘, 和於射鄉--此禮之大體也。
The Meaning of the Marriage Ceremony
The ceremony of marriage was intended to be a bond of love between the two families of different surnames, with a view, in its retrospective character, to secure the services in the ancestral temple, and in its prospective character, to secure the continuance of the family line. Therefore the superior man set a great value upon it. Hence, in regard to the various ceremonies, the proposal with its accompanying gift; the inquiries about the [girl's] name; the intimation of the approving divination; and the request to fix the day: these all were received by the principal party [on the girl's side], as he rested on his mat or leaning-stool in the ancestral temple. [When they arrived], he met the messenger, and greeted him outside the gate, giving place to him as he entered, after which they ascended to the hall. Thus were the instructions in the ancestral temple, and in this way was the ceremony respected, and watched over.
the distinction between man and women came the righteousness between husband and wife. that righteousness came the affection between father and son, and that affection, the rectitude between ruler and minister. Whence it is said, "The ceremony of marriage is the root of the other ceremonial observances." Ceremonies commence with the capping, to have their root in marriage; to be most important in the rites of mourning and sacrifice; to confer the greatest honour in audiences at the royal court and in the interchange of visits at the feudal courts; and to be most promotive of harmony in the country festivals and celebrations of archery. There were the greatest occasions of ceremony, and the principal points in them.

Translated by James Legge

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