| | 定公四年: |
四年春，王二月癸巳，陳侯吳卒。 |
| | In the fourth year [of the reign period], spring, on the second month's Gusi day, Lord Chen Hou Wu died.
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| | 定公四年: |
三月，公會劉子、晉侯、宋公、蔡侯、衛侯、陳子、鄭伯、許男、曹伯、莒子、邾婁子、頓子、胡子、滕子、薛伯、杞伯、小邾婁子、齊國夏于召陵，侵楚。 |
| | In March, the Duke met with Liu Zi, Jin Hou, Song Gong, Cai Hou, Wei Hou, Chen Zi, Zheng Bo, Xu Nan, Cao Bo, Ju Zi, Zhu Lou Zi, Dun Zi, Hu Zi, Teng Zi, Xue Bo, Qi Bo, Xiao Zhu Lou Zi, and Xia Guo Xia at Zhaoling, and they invaded Chu.
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| | 定公四年: |
夏，四月庚辰，蔡公孫歸姓帥師滅沈，以沈子嘉歸，殺之。 |
| | In summer, on the Gengchen day of the fourth month, Cai Gongsun Guixing led his troops to destroy Shen. He brought back Shen Zi Jia and killed him.
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| | 定公四年: |
五月，公及諸侯盟于浩油；杞伯戊卒于會。 |
| | In May, the Duke and the feudal lords concluded an alliance at Haoyou; Qi Bo Wu died during the conference.
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| | 定公四年: |
六月，葬陳惠公。 |
| | In June, Lord Chen Hui was buried.
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| | 定公四年: |
許遷于容城。 |
| | Xu moved to Rongcheng.
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| | 定公四年: |
秋，七月，公至自會。 |
| | In autumn, in the seventh month, the Duke returned from the conference.
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| | 定公四年: |
劉卷卒。劉卷者何？天子之大夫也。外大夫不卒，此何以卒？我主之也。 |
| | Liu Juan died. Who was Liu Juan? He was a minister of the Son of Heaven. Ministers from outside states are not usually recorded as having died; why is this one recorded as having died? Because our lord took charge of him.
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| | 定公四年: |
葬杞悼公。 |
| | Qi Dao Gong was buried.
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| | 定公四年: |
楚人圍蔡。 |
| | The people of Chu besieged Cai.
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| | 定公四年: |
晉士鞅、衛孔圄帥師伐鮮虞。 |
| | Jin Shi Yang and Wei Kong Yu led their troops to attack Xianyu.
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| | 定公四年: |
葬劉文公。外大夫不書葬，此何以書葬？錄我主也。 |
| | Lord Liu Wen was buried. Ministers from outside states are usually not recorded as being buried; why is this one? Because it records our lord's involvement.
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| | 定公四年: |
冬，十有一月庚午，蔡侯以吳子及楚人戰于伯莒，楚師敗績。吳何以稱子？夷狄也而憂中國。其憂中國奈何？伍子胥父誅乎楚，挾弓而去楚，以干闔廬。闔廬曰：「士之甚！勇之甚！將為之興師而復讎于楚。」伍子胥復曰：「諸侯不為匹夫興師，且臣聞之：事君猶事父也。虧君之義，復父之讎，臣不為也。」於是止。蔡昭公朝乎楚，有美裘焉，囊瓦求之，昭公不與，為是拘昭公於南郢，數年然後歸之。於其歸焉，用事乎河，曰：「天下諸侯茍有能伐楚者，寡人請為之前列。」楚人聞之怒。為是興師，使囊瓦將而伐蔡。蔡請救于吳，伍子胥復曰：「蔡非有罪也，楚人為無道，君如有憂中國之心，則若時可矣。」於是興師而救蔡。曰：事君猶事父也，此其為可以復讎奈何？曰：父不受誅，子復讎可也；父受誅，子復讎，推刃之道也。復讎不徐害，朋友相衛，而不相迿，古之道也。 |
| | In winter, on the Gwum day of the eleventh month, Lord Cai led Wu Zi and fought against the people of Chu at Boju. The Chu army suffered a crushing defeat. Why is Wu referred to as "zi"? Because he was a barbarian who cared about the Central States. How did he care about the Central States? Wu Zixu's father was executed in Chu, so he took up arms and left Chu to seek He Lu. He Lu said: "What a determined man!" How brave he is! I will raise an army to avenge him against Chu." Wu Zixu replied: "Ministers do not raise armies for commoners, and I have heard that serving a lord is like serving one's father. To neglect the righteousness toward one's lord in order to revenge one's father, I would not do it." Thus he stopped. Lord Cai Zhao Gong paid a court visit to Chu and had a beautiful fur coat. Nangwa asked for it, but Lord Cai did not give it up. Because of this, he was detained in Nanying for several years before being released. When he returned, he made a sacrifice at the Yellow River and said: "If any feudal lord in the world is able to attack Chu, I will be willing to take the lead." The people of Chu heard this and became angry. Because of this, they raised an army and sent Nangwa to lead the attack on Cai. Cai requested help from Wu, and Wu Zixu said again: "Cai is not at fault. The people of Chu have acted without morality. If your lord has a concern for the Central States, then this is an opportunity." Thus he raised an army to rescue Cai. He said: "Serving a lord is like serving a father. How, then, can this be considered an opportunity for revenge?" It was replied: "If the father did not deserve to be executed, it is justified for the son to take revenge; if the father deserved to be executed and the son takes revenge, this leads to a cycle of retaliation." Taking revenge without causing unnecessary harm, friends supporting each other but not inciting conflict—this is the ancient way.
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| | 定公四年: |
楚囊瓦出奔鄭。 |
| | Chu's Nangwa fled to Zheng.
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| | 定公四年: |
庚辰，吳入楚。吳何以不稱子？反夷狄也。其反夷狄奈何？君舍于君室，大夫舍于大夫室，蓋妻楚王之母也。 |
| | On the Gengchen day, Wu entered Chu. Why is Wu not referred to as "zi" here? Because he has returned to the ways of a barbarian. What does it mean that he has returned to the ways of the barbarians? The lord stayed in a lord's residence, and the minister stayed in a minister's residence. It is said that he took as his wife the mother of the King of Chu.
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