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天子者與天地參焉。故德配天地，兼利萬物，與日月并明，明照四海而不遺微小，其在朝廷，則道仁聖禮義之序，燕處則聽雅頌之音，行步則有環佩之聲，升車則有鸞和之響，居處有禮，進退有度，百官得其宜，萬事得其序，詩云，淑人君子，其儀不忒，其儀不忒，正是四國，此之謂也。發號出令而民悅，謂之和，上下相親，謂之仁，民不求其所欲而得之，謂之信，除去天地之害，謂之義，義與信，和與仁，霸王之器也。有治民之意而無其器，則不成。 |
| | The Son of Heaven participates with heaven and earth. Therefore, his virtue matches that of heaven and earth; he benefits all things equally. He shines together with the sun and moon, illuminating the four seas without neglecting even the smallest details. In court, he establishes the order of benevolence, sage wisdom, rites, righteousness, and propriety; in leisure, he listens to elegant and laudatory music; when walking, there is the sound of jade pendants around him; when mounting his carriage, there is the harmonious sound of the luan bell. In daily life, he observes ritual propriety; in movement or stillness, he follows proper measure. All officials are assigned their appropriate roles, and all affairs proceed in order. As the Book of Songs says: "A noble gentleman of virtue, his conduct never strays; his conduct never strays, thus setting an example for the four regions." This is what it means. When the ruler issues commands and the people are pleased, it is called harmony. When superiors and inferiors are affectionate toward each other, it is called benevolence. When the people do not have to seek what they desire but receive it naturally, it is called trustworthiness. Removing harms from heaven and earth is called righteousness. Righteousness and trustworthiness, harmony and benevolence—these are the instruments of a hegemon or overlord. Having the intention to govern the people but lacking the proper means will not lead to success.
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| | 經解: |
夫禮之於國也。猶衡之於輕重也。繩墨之於曲直也。規矩之於方圓也。故衡誠懸不可欺以輕重，繩墨誠陳，不可欺以曲直，規矩誠設，不可欺以方圓，君子審禮，不可誣以姧詐，孔子曰：安上治民，莫善於禮，此之謂也。 |
| | Rites are essential to the state. They are like a balance scale in determining weight. They are like the plumb line and ink line used to determine straightness or crookedness. They are like compasses and rulers in determining squares and circles. Therefore, if a balance is truly suspended, one cannot be deceived about weight; if the plumb line and ink are properly set in place, one cannot be misled regarding straightness or crookedness; if compasses and rulers are correctly arranged, one cannot be tricked concerning squares and circles. When a gentleman examines rites carefully, he cannot be falsely accused of deceit or fraud. Confucius said: "To pacify the superiors and govern the people, nothing is better than rites." This is what he meant.
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| | 經解: |
故朝覲之禮，所以明君臣之義也。聘問之禮，所以使諸侯相尊敬也。喪祭之禮，所以明臣子之恩也。鄉飲酒之禮，所以明長幼之序也。婚姻之禮，所以明男女之别也。夫禮禁亂之所由生，猶防止水之所自來也。故以舊防為無所用而壞之者，必有水敗，以舊禮為無所用而去之者，必有亂患。 |
| | Therefore, the rites of court attendance clarify the relationship between ruler and subject. The rites of envoys and inquiries are meant to ensure that feudal lords respect one another. Funeral and sacrificial rites clarify the affection between subjects and children toward their superiors. The rites of the village drinking ceremony establish the order of seniority among people. Marriage rites clarify the distinctions between men and women. Rites prevent the sources of disorder, just as dikes prevent water from its origin. Therefore, those who consider old dikes useless and destroy them will inevitably suffer from floods; similarly, those who regard ancient rites as unnecessary and discard them will surely encounter disorder and troubles.
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| | 經解: |
故婚姻之禮廢，則夫婦之道苦，而淫僻之罪多矣。鄉飲酒之禮廢，則長幼之序失，而鬥争之獄繁矣。喪祭之禮廢，則臣子之恩薄，而背死忘生者衆矣。聘覲之禮廢，則君臣之位失，而背叛侵陵之敗起矣。 |
| | Therefore, when marriage rites are abandoned, the way of husband and wife becomes difficult, and offenses involving licentiousness and deviant behavior multiply. When the rites of the village drinking ceremony are abandoned, the order between elders and juniors is lost, and lawsuits involving fighting and conflict become frequent. When funeral and sacrificial rites are abandoned, the affection of subjects and children toward their superiors becomes shallow, and those who betray the dead and forget the living become numerous. When rites of envoys and court attendance are abandoned, the positions between ruler and subject are lost, and failures arising from betrayal and aggression begin to occur.
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| | 經解: |
故禮之教化也微，其正邪於未形，使人日徙善遠罪而不自知也。是以先王隆之也。易曰：君子慎始，差若毫厘，謬以千里，此之謂也。 |
| | Therefore, the moral influence of rites is subtle; it corrects evil before it takes form and leads people to daily progress toward virtue and away from crime without their even realizing it. This is why sage kings highly valued them. The Book of Changes says: "A gentleman must be cautious at the beginning; a difference as small as a hair's breadth may lead to an error stretching for thousands of miles." This is what it means.
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