The Book of Rites 禮記
《喪服小記》 Record of Small Matters in the Dress of Mourning
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《喪服小記》 Record of Small Matters in the Dress of Mourning斬衰，括髮以麻；為母，括髮以麻，免而以布。齊衰，惡笄以終喪。
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 hair-pin (of hazel-wood), and wore these to the end of the mourning.
男子冠而婦人笄，男子免而婦人髽。其義：為男子則免，為婦人則髽。
(Ordinarily) men wore the cap, and women the hair-pin; (in mourning) men wore the cincture, and women the same after the female fashion. The idea was (simply) to maintain in this way a distinction between them.
苴杖，竹也；削杖，桐也。
The dark-coloured staff was of bamboo; that paired and fashioned (at the end) was of eleococca wood.
祖父卒，而後為祖母后者三年。
When the grandfather was dead, and afterwards (the grandson) had to go into mourning for his grandmother, he, being the representative of the family (through the death of his father), did so for three years.
為父母，長子稽顙。大夫吊之，雖緦必稽顙。婦人為夫與長子稽顙，其餘則否。
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 (as an expression of his sorrow). When a Great officer came to condole (with an ordinary officer), though it might be (only) in a case of the three months' 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 she saluted a visitor; but in mourning for others, she did not do so.
男主必使同姓，婦主必使異姓。
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.
為父後者為出母無服。
The son who was his father's successor (as now head of the family) did not wear mourning for his mother who had been divorced.
親親，以三為五，以五為九。上殺，下殺，旁殺，而親畢矣。
In counting kindred (and the mourning to be worn of them), the three closest degrees become expanded into five, and those five again into nine. The mourning diminished as the degrees ascended or descended, and the collateral branches also were correspondingly less mourned for; and the mourning for kindred thus came to an end.
王者禘其祖之所自出，以其祖配之，而立四廟。庶子王，亦如之。
At the great royal sacrifice to all ancestors, the first place was given to him from whom the founder of the line sprang, and that founder had the place of assessor to him. There came thus to be established four ancestral shrines. In the case of a son by another than the queen coming to be king, the same course was observed.
別子為祖，繼別為宗，繼禰者為小宗。有五世而遷之宗，其繼高祖者也。是故，祖遷於上，宗易於下。尊祖故敬宗，敬宗所以尊祖禰也。
When a son other than (the eldest) became the ancestor (of a branch of the same line), his successor was its Honoured Head, and he who followed him (in the line) was its smaller Honoured Head. After five generations there was a change again of the Honoured Head; but all in continuation of the High Ancestor. Hence the removal of the ancestor took place high up (in the line), and the change of the Honoured Head low down (in it). Because they honoured the ancestor, they reverenced the Honoured Head; their reverencing the Honoured Head was the way in which they expressed the honour which they paid to the ancestor and his immediate successor.
庶子不祭祖者，明其宗也。庶子不為長子斬，不繼祖與禰故也。庶子不祭殤與無後者，殤與無後者從祖祔食。庶子不祭禰者，明其宗也。
That any other son but the eldest did not sacrifice to his grandfather showed that (only he was in the direct line from) the Honoured Head (of their branch of the family). So, no son but he wore the (three years) unhemmed sackcloth for his eldest son, because the eldest son of no other continued (the direct line) of the grandfather and father. None of the other sons sacrificed to a son (of his own) who had died prematurely, or one who had left no posterity. (The tablet of) such an one was placed along with that of his grandfather, and shared in the offerings made to him. Nor could any of them sacrifice to their father; showing that (the eldest son was the representative of) the Honoured Head.
親親尊尊長長，男女之有別，人道之大者也。
(In the distinctions of the mourning) for the kindred who are the nearest, the honoured ones to whom honour is paid, the elders who are venerated for their age, and as the different tributes to males and females; there are seen the greatest manifestations of the course which is right for men.
從服者，所從亡則已。屬從者，所從雖沒也服。妾從女君而出，則不為女君之子服。
Where mourning would be worn from one's relation with another for parties simply on the ground of that affinity, when that other was dead, the mourning ceased. Where it would have been worn for them on the ground of consanguinity, even though that other were dead, it was still worn. When a concubine had followed a ruler's wife to the harem, and the wife came to be divorced, the concubine, (following her out of the harem), did not wear mourning for her son.
禮不王不禘。
According to the rules, no one but the king offered the united sacrifice to all ancestors.
世子不降妻之父母；其為妻也，與大夫之適子同。
The heir-son (of the king or a feudal lord) did not diminish the mourning for the parents of his wife. For his wife he wore the mourning which the eldest and rightful son of a Great officer did for his.
父為士，子為天子諸侯，則祭以天子諸侯，其尸服以士服。父為天子諸侯，子為士，祭以士，其尸服以士服。
When the father was an officer, and the son came to be king or a feudal prince, the father was sacrificed to with the rites of a king or a lord; but the personator wore the dress of an officer. When the father had been the son of Heaven, or a feudal lord, and the son was (only) an officer, the father was sacrificed to with the rites of an officer, but his personator wore only the dress of an officer.
婦當喪而出，則除之。為父母喪，未練而出，則三年。既練而出，則已。未練而反，則期；既練而反，則遂之。
If a wife were divorced while wearing the mourning (for her father or mother-in-law), she put it off. If the thing took place while she was wearing the mourning for her own parents, and before she had completed the first year's mourning, she continued to wear it for the three years; but if that term had been completed, she did not resume the mourning. If she were called back before the completion of the year, she wore it to the end of that term; but if that term had been completed before she was called back, she went on wearing it to the regular term of mourning for parents.
再期之喪，三年也；期之喪，二年也。九月七月之喪，三時也；五月之喪，二時也；三月之喪，一時也。故期而祭，禮也；期而除喪，道也。祭不為除喪也。
The mourning which lasted for two complete years was (held to be) for three years; and that which lasted for one complete year for two years. The mourning for nine months and that for seven months was held to be for three seasons; that for five months for two; and that for three months for one. Hence the sacrifice at the end of the completed year was according to the prescribed rule; but the putting off the mourning (or a part of it) then was the course (prompted by natural feeling). The sacrifice was not on account of the putting off of the mourning.
三年而後葬者必再祭，其祭之間不同時而除喪。
When the interment (for some reason) did not take place till after the three years, it was the rule that the two sacrifices (proper at the end of the first and second years) should then be offered. Between them, but not all at the same time, the mourning was put off.
大功者主人之喪，有三年者，則必為之再祭。朋友，虞祔而已。
If a relative who had himself to wear only the nine months' mourning for the deceased took the direction of the mourning rites in the case of any who must continue their mourning for three years, it was the rule that he should offer for them the two annual terminal sacrifices. If one who was merely a friend took that direction, he only offered the sacrifice of Repose, and that at the placing of the tablet in the shrine.
士妾有子，而為之緦，無子則已。
When the concubine of an officer had a son, he wore the three months' mourning for her. If she had no son, he did not do so.
生不及祖父母諸父昆弟，而父稅喪，己則否。降而在緦小功者，則稅之。
When one had been born (in another state), and had had no intercourse with his grand-uncles and aunts, uncles and cousins, and his father, on hearing of the death of any of them, proceeded to wear mourning, he did not do so. If one did not (through being abroad) hear of the death of his ruler's father or mother, wife or eldest son, till the ruler had put off his mourning, he did not proceed to wear any. If it were a case, however, where the mourning was reduced to that of three months, he wore it.
為君之父母、妻、長子，君已除喪而後聞喪，則不稅。近臣，君服斯服矣；其餘，從而服，不從而稅。君雖未知喪，臣服已。
(Small) servants in attendance on the ruler, (who had followed him abroad), when he assumed mourning (on his return, for relatives who had died when he was away), also put it on. Other and (higher officers in his train) also did so; but if the proper term for the mourning in the case were past, they did not do so. (Those who had remained at home), though the ruler could not know of their doing so, had worn the (regular) mourning.
虞，杖不入於室；祔，杖不升於堂。
(The presiding mourner), after the sacrifice of Repose, did not carry his staff in proceeding to his apartment; after the placing of the tablet of the deceased (in the shrine of the grandfather), he did not carry it in going up to the hall.
為君母后者，君母卒，則不為君母之黨服。
The (son of another lady of the harem), who had been adopted as the child of the (childless) wife of the ruler, when that wife died, did not go into mourning for her kindred.
絰殺五分而去一，杖大如絰。
The sash was shorter (than the headband), by one-fifth of the length (of the latter). The staff was of the same length as the sash.
妾為君之長子與女君同。
For the ruler's eldest son a concubine wore mourning for the same time as his wife, (the son's mother).
除喪者，先重者；易服者，易輕者。
In putting off the mourning attire, they commenced with what was considered most important. In changing it, they commenced with what was considered least important.
無事不辟廟門。哭皆於其次。
When there was not the (regular) occasion for it, they did not open the door of the temple. All wailed in the (mourning) shed (at other times).
復與書銘，自天子達於士，其辭一也。男子稱名，婦人書姓與伯仲，如不知姓則書氏。
In calling the dead back, and writing the inscription (to be exhibited over the coffin), the language was the same for all, from the son of Heaven to the ordinary officer. A man was called by his name. For a wife they wrote her surname, and her place among her sisters. If they did not know her surname, they wrote the branch-name of her family.
斬衰之葛與齊衰之麻同。齊衰之葛與大功之麻同。麻同，皆兼服之。
The girdle of dolychos cloth assumed with the unhemmed sackcloth (at the end of the wailing), and the hempen girdle worn when one (first) put on the hemmed sackcloth (of one year's mourning), were of the same size. The girdle of dolychos cloth assumed (as a change) in the hemmed sackcloth mourning, and that of hempen cloth at the (beginning of the) nine months' mourning, were of the same size. When the occasion for assuming the girdle of the lighter mourning occurred, a man wore both it and the other together.
報葬者報虞，三月而後卒哭。
An early interment was followed by an early sacrifice of repose. But they did not end their wailing till the three months were completed.
父母之喪偕，先葬者不虞祔，待後事。其葬，服斬衰。
When the mourning rites for both parents occurred at the same time, the sacrifices of repose and of the enshrining of the tablet, for the (mother) who was buried first, did not take place till after the burial of the father. The sackcloth worn at her interment was the unhemmed and jagged.
大夫降其庶子，其孫不降其父。大夫不主士之喪。
A Great officer reduced the (period of) mourning for a son by a concubine; but his grandson, (the son of that son), did not reduce his mourning for his father. A Great officer did not preside at the mourning rites for an (ordinary) officer.
為慈母之父母無服。
For the parents of his nurse a man did not wear mourning.
夫為人後者，其妻為舅姑大功。
When the husband had become the successor and representative of some other man (than his own father), his wife wore the nine months' mourning for his parents-in-law.
士祔於大夫則易牲。
When the tablet of an (ordinary) officer was placed in the shrine of (his grandfather who had been) a Great officer, the victim due to him (as an officer) was changed (for that due to a Great officer).
繼父不同居也者；必嘗同居。皆無主後。同財而祭其祖禰為同居；有主後者為異居。
A son who had not lived with his step-father (did not wear mourning for him). (They) must have lived together and both be without sons to preside at their mourning rites; and (the stepfather moreover) must have shared his resources with the son, and enabled him to sacrifice to his grandfather and father, (in order to his wearing mourning for him);--under these conditions they were said to live together. If they had sons to preside at the mourning rites for them, they lived apart.
哭朋友者於門外之右南面。
When people wailed for a friend, they did so outside the door (of the principal apartment), on the left of it, with their faces towards the south.
祔葬者不筮宅。
When one was buried in a grave already occupied, there was no divination about the site (in the second case).
士大夫不得祔於諸侯，祔於諸祖父之為士大夫者，其妻祔於諸祖姑，妾祔於妾祖姑；亡則中一以上而祔。祔必以其昭穆。諸侯不得祔於天子，天子、諸侯、大夫可以祔於士。
The tablet of an (ordinary) officer or of a Great officer could not be placed in the shrine of a grandfather who had been the lord of a state; it was placed in that of a brother of the grandfather who had been an (ordinary) officer or a Great officer, The tablet of his wife was placed by the tablet of that brother's wife, and that of his concubine by the tablet of that brother's concubine. If there had been no such concubine, it was placed by the tablet of that brother's grandfather; for in all such places respect was had to the rules concerning the relative positions assigned to the tablets of father and son. The tablet of a feudal lord could not be placed in the shrine of the son of Heaven (from whom he was born or descended); but that of the son of Heaven, of a feudal lord, or of a Great officer, could be placed in the shrine of an (ordinary) officer (from whom he was descended).
為母之君母，母卒則不服。
For his mother's mother, who had been the wife proper of her father, if his mother were dead, a son did not wear mourning.
宗子，母在為妻禫。
The son who was the lineal Head of his new branch of the surname, even though his mother were alive, (his father being dead), completed the full period of mourning for his wife.
為慈母后者，為庶母可也，為祖庶母可也。
A concubine's son who had been reared by another, might act as son to that other; and she might be any concubine of his father or of his grandfather.
為父、母、妻、長子禫。
The mourning went on to the than ceremony for a parent, a wife, and the eldest son.
慈母與妾母，不世祭也。
To a nursing mother, or any concubine who was a mother, sacrifice was not maintained for a second generation.
丈夫冠而不為殤，婦人笄而不為殤。為殤後者，以其服服之。
When a grown-up youth had been capped, (and died), though his death could not be considered premature; and a (young) wife, after having worn the hair-pin, (died), though neither could her death be said to be premature; yet, (if they died childless), those who would have presided at their rites, if they had died prematurely, wore the mourning for them which they would then have done.
久而不葬者，唯主喪者不除；其餘以麻終月數者，除喪則已。
If an interment were delayed (by circumstances) for a long time, he who was presiding over the mourning rites was the only one who did not put off his mourning. The others having worn the hempen (band) for the number of months (proper in their relation to the deceased), put off their mourning, and made an end of it.
箭笄終喪三年。
The hair-pin of the arrow-bamboo was worn by (an unmarried daughter for her father) to the end of the three years' mourning.
齊衰三月與大功同者，繩屨。
That in which those who wore the sackcloth with even edges for three months, and those who wore (it) for all the nine months' mourning agreed, was the shoes made of strings (of hemp).
練，筮日筮尸，視濯，皆要絰杖繩屨。有司告具，而後去杖。筮日筮尸，有司告事畢而後杖，拜送賓。大祥，吉服而筮尸。
When the time was come for the sacrifice at the end of the first year's mourning, they consulted the divining stalks about the day for it, and the individual who was to act as personator of the deceased. They looked that everything was clean, and that all wore the proper girdle, carried their staffs, and had on the shoes of hempen-string. When the officers charged with this announced that all was ready, (the son) laid aside his staff, and assisted at the divinations for the day and for the personator. The officers having announced that these were over, he resumed his staff, bowed to the guests (who had arrived in the meantime), and escorted them away. At the sacrifice for the end of the second year, (the son) wore his auspicious (court) robes, and divined about the personator.
庶子在父之室，則為其母不禫。庶子不以杖即位。父不主庶子之喪，則孫以杖即位可也。父在，庶子為妻以杖即位可也。
The son of a concubine, living in the same house with his father, did not observe the sacrifice at the end of the mourning for his mother. Nor did such a son carry his staff in proceeding to his place for wailing. As the father did not preside at the mourning rites for the son of a concubine, that son's son might carry his staff in going to his place for wailing. Even while the father was present, the son of a concubine, in mourning for his wife, might carry his staff in going to that place.
諸侯吊於異國之臣，則其君為主。
When a feudal prince went to condole on the death of a minister of another state, (being himself there on a visit), the ruler of that state received him and acted as the presiding mourner.
諸侯吊，必皮弁錫衰。所吊雖已葬，主人必免。主人未喪服，則君於不錫衰。
The rule was that he should wear the skin cap and the starched sackcloth. Though the deceased on account of whom he paid his condolences had been interred, the presiding mourner wore the mourning cincture. If he had not yet assumed the full mourning dress, the visitor also did not wear that starched sackcloth.
養有疾者不喪服，遂以主其喪。非養者入主人之喪，則不易己之喪服。養尊者必易服，養卑者否。
One who was ministering to another who was ill did not do so in the mourning clothes (which he might be wearing); and (if the patient died), he might go on to preside at the mourning rites for him. But if another relative, who had not ministered to the deceased in his illness, came in to preside at the rites for him, he did not change the mourning which he might be wearing. In ministering to one more honourable than himself, the rule required a person to change the mourning he might be wearing, but not if the other were of lower position.
妾無妾祖姑者，易牲而祔於女君可也。
If there had been no concubine of her husband's grandmother by whose tablet that of a deceased concubine might be placed, it might be placed by that of the grandmother, the victim offered on the occasion being changed.
婦之喪、虞、卒哭，其夫若子主之。祔，則舅主之。
In the mourning rites for a wife, at the sacrifices of repose and on the ending of the wailing, her husband or son presided; when her tablet was put in its place, her father-in-law presided.
士不攝大夫。士攝大夫，唯宗子。
An (ordinary) officer did not take the place of presiding (at the mourning rites) for a Great officer. It was only when he was the direct descendant of the Honoured Head of their branch of the surname that he could do so.
主人未除喪，有兄弟自他國至，則主人不免而為主。
If a cousin arrived from another state (to take part in the rites), before the presiding mourner had put off his mourning, the latter received him in the part of host, but without the mourning cincture.
陳器之道，多陳之而省納之可也；省陳之而盡納之可也。
The course pursued in displaying the articles, (vessels to the eye of fancy, to be put into the grave), was this - If they were (too) many as displayed, a portion of them might be put into the grave; if they were comparatively few as displayed, they might all be put into it.
奔兄弟之喪，先之墓而後之家，為位而哭。所知之喪，則哭於宮而後之墓。
Parties hurrying to the mourning rites for a brother or cousin (whose burial had taken place) first went to the grave and afterwards to the house, selecting places at which to perform their wailing. If the deceased had (only) been an acquaintance, they (first) wailed in the apartment (where the coffin had been), and afterwards went to the grave.
父不為眾子次於外。
A father (at the mourning rites) for any of his other sons did not pass the night in the shed outside (the middle door, as for his eldest son by his wife).
與諸侯為兄弟者服斬。
The brothers and cousins of a feudal prince wore the unhemmed sackcloth (in mourning for him).
下殤小功，帶，澡麻不絕本，詘而反以報之。
In the five months' mourning for one who had died in the lowest stage of immaturity, the sash was of bleached hemp from which the roots were not cut away. These were turned back and tucked in.
婦祔於祖姑，祖姑有三人，則祔於親者。
When the tablet of a wife was to be placed by that of her husband's grandmother, if there were three (who could be so denominated), it was placed by that of her who' was the mother of her husband's father.
其妻為大夫而卒，而後其夫不為大夫，而祔於其妻則不易牲。
In the case of a wife dying while her husband was a Great officer, and his ceasing, after her death, to be of that rank; if his tablet were placed (on his death) by that of his wife, the victim on the occasion was not changed (from that due to an ordinary officer). But if her husband (who had been an officer) became a Great officer after her death, then the victim at the placing of his tablet by hers was that due to a Great officer.
為父後者，為出母無服。無服也者，喪者不祭故也。
A son who was or would be his fathers successor did not wear mourning for his divorced mother. He did not wear such mourning, because one engaged in mourning rites could not offer sacrifice.
婦人不為主而杖者：姑在為夫杖，母為長子削杖。女子子在室為父母，其主喪者不杖，則子一人杖。
When a wife did not preside at the mourning rites and yet carried the staff, it was when her mother-in-law was alive, and she did so for her husband. A mother carried the eleococca staff with its end cut square for the oldest son. A daughter, who was still in her apartment unmarried, carried a staff for her father or mother. If the relative superintending the rites did not carry the staff, then this one child did so.
緦小功，虞卒哭則免。既葬而不報虞，則雖主人皆冠，及虞則皆免。為兄弟既除喪已。及其葬也，反服其服。報虞卒哭則免。如不報虞則除之。遠葬者比反哭者皆冠，及郊而後免反哭。
In the mourning for three months and five months, at the sacrifice of repose and the ending of the wailing, they wore the mourning cincture. After the interment, if they did not immediately go to perform the sacrifice of repose, they all, even the presiding mourner, wore their caps; but when they came to the sacrifice of repose, they all assumed the cincture. When they had put off the mourning for a relative, on the arrival of his interment, they resumed it; and when they came to the sacrifice of repose and the ending of the wailing, they put on the cincture. If they did not immediately perform the sacrifice, they put it off. When they had been burying at a distance, and were returning to wail, they put on their caps. On arriving at the suburbs, they put on the cincture, and came back to wail.
君吊，雖不當免時也，主人必免，不散麻。雖異國之君，免也。親者皆免。
If the ruler came to condole with mourners, though it might not be the time for wearing the cincture, even the president of the rites assumed it, and did not allow the ends of his hempen girdle to hang loose. Even in the case of a visit from the ruler of another state, they assumed the cincture. The relatives all did so.
除殤之喪者，其祭也必玄。除成喪者，其祭也朝服縞冠。
When they put off the mourning for one who had died prematurely, the rule was that at the (accompanying sacrifice, the dress should be dark-coloured. When they put off the mourning for one fully grown, they wore their court robes, with the cap of white, plain, silk.
奔父之喪，括髮於堂上，袒降踴，襲絰于東方。奔母之喪，不括髮，袒於堂上，降踴，襲免于東方。絰即位成踴，出門哭止。三日而五哭三袒。
A son, who had hurried to the mourning rites of his father (from a distance), bound up his hair in the raised hall, bared his chest, descended to the court, and there performed his leaping. (The leaping over, he reascended), covered his chest, and put on his sash in an apartment on the east. If the rites were for his mother, he did not bind up his hair. He bared his chest, however, in the hall, descended to the court, and went through his leaping. (Reascending then), he covered his chest, and put on the cincture in the apartment on the east. In the girdle (or the cincture), he proceeded to the appointed place, and completed the leaping. He then went out from the door (of the coffin-room), and went to (the mourning shed). The wailing commencing at death had by this time ceased. In three days he wailed five times, and thrice bared his chest for the leaping.
適婦不為舅後者，則姑為之小功。
When an eldest son and his wife could not take the place hereafter of his parents, then, (in the event of her death), her mother-in-law wore for her (only) the five months' mourning.
Source: Chinese Text Project http://ctext.org/liji. English translation "Sacred Books of the East, volume 28, part 4: The Li Ki", James Legge, 1885
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