Spring and Autumn Annals: Bilingual Edition, English and Chinese 春秋: Commentary of Zuo 左氏春秋

by Zuo Qiuming, Lionshare Chinese (Editor), James Legge (Translator)

Spring and Autumn Annals is an ancient Chinese chronicle that has been one of the core Chinese classics since ancient times. This edition of Spring and Autumn Annals features both English and Chinese side-by-side for easy reference and bilingual support. The paragraphs are linked and organized for easy reading. The bilingual study edition includes the commentary of Zuo for each chapter, and also a Classical Chinese Study Guide. The Annals is the official chronicle of the State of Lu, and covers a 241-year period from 722 to 481 BC. It is the earliest surviving Chinese historical text to be arranged in annals form. Because it was traditionally regarded as having been compiled by Confucius (after a claim to this effect by Mencius), it was included as one of the Five Classics of Chinese literature 五经. The Annals records main events that occurred in Lu during each year, such as the accessions, marriages, deaths, and funerals of rulers, battles fought, sacrificial rituals observed, celestial phenomena considered ritually important, and natural disasters. The entries are tersely written, averaging only 10 characters per entry, and contain no elaboration on events or recording of speeches. During the Warring States period, a number of commentaries to the Annals were created that attempted to elaborate on or find deeper meaning in the brief entries in the Annals. The Commentary of Zuo, the best known of these commentaries, became a classic in its own right, and is the source of more Chinese sayings and idioms than any other classical work. 《春秋》本指先秦時代各國的編年體史書，但后世不传。传之唯魯國《春秋》。此书记载了从鲁隐公元年（前722年）到鲁哀公十四年（前481年）的历史，也是中国现存最早的编年体史书。《春秋》一书，宛若新闻标题，意不在史而在“义”。辜鸿铭之《中國人的精神》，所承于此。 虽然据《宋史》记载王安石对此书的评价为“斷爛朝報”，但《宋史》的作者对其变法和学术多做负面评价，自北宋以来，为王安石辩护者众。通览王安石全部著作，无一语诋《春秋》者，反而多次引用《春秋》传义[4]。 在四庫全書之中為經部（為十三經之一）。 这本有英文和中文在一起。

Genres: History, Philosophy, China, Nonfiction, Classics, Chinese Literature

1630 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1984

Reviews

[Adam Hoss]

Probably the most hilariously over-analyzed text in world history. The Spring and Autumn Annals are a terse set of historical facts recording births, deaths, battles, ascensions, etc., covering a 241-year period from 722 to 481 BC. These encyclopedic entries are so spare that some historians doubt that the work was intended for a general audience. Rather, they theorize that the chronicle may have been intended as "ritual messages directed primarily to the ancestral spirits." For a time, however, scholars in Ancient China believed attributed this historical record to the pen of Confucius. Or, at least, they thought the great master had at least edited the volume to "bring out subtle meanings." Generations of Chinese scholars analyzed and over-analyzed and analyzed again to try and find these supposed hidden meanings that must be encoded somewhere. Consider the following entry:

Primal year. Spring. King's rectified month.

Do you think there is a hidden meaning there? No? Then you'll be surprised to learn that scholars of the Gongyang School in the mid-second century BC managed to extract the following commentary from these six words:

- What does “primal year” mean?
- It means the beginning year of a ruler’s reign.
- What does “spring” signify?
- The beginning of the year.
- To whom does “king” refer?
- To King Wen.
- Why does it first say “king” and then say “rectified month?”
- The king rectifies the calendar.
- What is meant by saying “king’s rectified month?”
- The great unification.
- Why is there no mention of the Duke’s acceding to the throne?
- This completes the idea of the Duke when he took the throne.
- How does it do so?
- Duke Yin intended to bring peace to the state and then turn the throne over
to his brother, the future Duke Huan.
- Why turn it over to Duke Huan?
- Huan was younger, but his status in the line for succession was higher; Yin
was older but had lower status [and so no legitimate claim to the
throne]. Their relative status had not been made clear, and none among
the people of Lu [outside the inner circle of the court] knew it. Yin was
both older and wiser, and the great families of the state induced him to
accept the throne.

The scholar He Xiu went further, writing commentary on the commentary to try and seek out the hidden meaning in these questions and answers written by the Gongyang scribes.

The Annals changes “first” to “original.” The “origin” is material force (qi): arising without form, taking shape in division, creating heaven and earth: it is the beginning of heaven and earth. The commentary speaks of the “ruler” and not of the “duke.” The rightful king, as well as the various feudal lords, were all called “rulers,” thus the meaning is extended to the king. Only the rightful king may declare a new “original year.” The Annals as an editorial principle, treats the rulers of Lu as though they were the New King receiving the Mandate of Heaven. Thus, here it makes clear that they nurture and bring to completion the world of things.

“Unification” means “beginning.” When the King first receives the Mandate, he revises the policies of government and spreads his teaching throughout the world. From the feudal rulers to the common people, from the mountains and rivers to the grasses, trees, and insects, none are not one by one threaded to the rectified year.

The heir apparent to the Son of Heaven is like a common knight. “There are in the world none who are born to high rank.”

All that from six words! Robert Eno, Professor of Asian Studies at Indiana University, writes in his course notes that "This passage illustrates the tortured interpretive logic of the commentary and sub-commentary. There is not the least evidence that Duke Yin of Lu ever intended to act as the commentary indicates." My favorite over-interpreted passage has to be:

Winter. Locusts arose.

There can't possibly be any hidden message in those three words. Right? The Gongyang scholars looked for it nonetheless:

- The text has never before noted the advent of locusts, why does it do so here?
- The advent of locusts is not a thing recorded in the Annals.
- Then why does it record it here?
- To indicate it was a lucky thing.
- Wherein was it lucky?
- The ruler altered what was old and changed what was constant; in response to this there was a disaster of nature

He Xiu appended the following commentary on this commentary:

The ruler refers to Duke Xuan, who altered the ancient and established system of the public field, and assessed taxes on the basis of acreage. This means that after the famine brought on by this disaster, Xuan awoke to his error and realized that he should return to the old system in time for the next year’s harvest. In that winter there was a great harvest.

During the Han Dynasty, the Annals were viewed as a revolutionary text. The essence of that interpretation was that kings and emperors ruled by no divine right of inheritance, but solely on the basis of their virtue. If their virtue were insufficient, they had no right of rule, regardless of whether or not they managed to hold onto power. This lines up with previous comments made by Confucius, and it made those in power nervous. For that reason, for a time, the Annals were passed around in underground anti-Imperial circles. But whatever their supposed "hidden meanings" (or none), the Annals provide us with crucial historical documentation, not only of the events of the time, but of the way these events were interpreted by the early Confucians.

Or maybe it's just a list of birthdays.

[Jason Phu · Rating 3 out of 5]

a history up to Confucius’s time

I found it hard to keep up with the commentary, because Chinese names seem to be very hard to distinguish and remember. However, it gives me an overview of events that took place up to Confucius’s time. I will probably be reading a translation of the Book of Rites next, been reading a lot of Chinese Classics.