禮記·祭統（節選）
A Tripod Bears an Inscription: From the Book of Rites
Anonymous Confucian scholars 佚名 (late Warring States to early Han)
Qin–Han · c. 3rd–2nd century BCE

Cold Library · Open Stacks · S-008218 · https://coldlibrary.com/s/008218
Rights: A classical Chinese text of the late Warring States or early Han, more than two thousand years old. Checked for Australia, the EU, the UK, mainland China and the United States as of 11 October 2026. Guidance, not legal advice.
Source: Wikisource (zh), 禮記/祭統, https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/禮記/祭統 (retrieved 2026-10-11)
English translation: Claude (an AI), 2026 · CC0 1.0
Generated 2026-10-14 from https://coldlibrary.com/en/open-stacks/book-of-rites-a-tripod-has-an-inscription

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夫鼎有銘，銘者，自名也，自名以稱揚其先祖之美，而明著之後世者也。爲先祖者，莫不有美焉，莫不有惡焉。銘之義，稱美而不稱惡，此孝子孝孫之心也，唯賢者能之。

銘者，論譔其先祖之有德善、功烈、勳勞、慶賞、聲名，列於天下，而酌之祭器，自成其名焉，以祀其先祖者也。顯揚先祖，所以崇孝也。身比焉，順也。明示後世，教也。夫銘者，壹稱而上下皆得焉耳矣。是故君子之觀於銘也，既美其所稱，又美其所爲。爲之者，明足以見之，仁足以與之，知足以利之，可謂賢矣。賢而勿伐，可謂恭矣。

故衛孔悝之鼎銘曰：「六月丁亥，公假於大廟，公曰：『叔舅！乃祖莊叔，左右成公，成公乃命莊叔隨難於漢陽，即宫於宗周，奔走無射。啓右獻公，獻公乃命成叔纂乃祖服。乃考文叔，興舊嗜欲，作率慶士，躬恤衛國。其勤公家，夙夜不解，民咸曰休哉！』公曰：『叔舅！予女銘，若纂乃考服！』悝拜稽首，曰：『對揚以辟之，勤大命，施於烝彝鼎。』」此衛孔悝之鼎銘也。

古之君子，論譔其先祖之美，而明著之後世者也，以比其身，以重其國家如此。子孫之守宗廟社稷者，其先祖無美而稱之，是誣也；有善而弗知，不明也；知而弗傳，不仁也。此三者，君子之所恥也。

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夫鼎有铭，铭者，自名也，自名以称扬其先祖之美，而明著之后世者也。为先祖者，莫不有美焉，莫不有恶焉。铭之义，称美而不称恶，此孝子孝孙之心也，唯贤者能之。

铭者，论譔其先祖之有德善、功烈、勋劳、庆赏、声名，列于天下，而酌之祭器，自成其名焉，以祀其先祖者也。显扬先祖，所以崇孝也。身比焉，顺也。明示后世，教也。夫铭者，壹称而上下皆得焉耳矣。是故君子之观于铭也，既美其所称，又美其所为。为之者，明足以见之，仁足以与之，知足以利之，可谓贤矣。贤而勿伐，可谓恭矣。

故卫孔悝之鼎铭曰：「六月丁亥，公假于大庙，公曰：『叔舅！乃祖庄叔，左右成公，成公乃命庄叔随难于汉阳，即宫于宗周，奔走无射。启右献公，献公乃命成叔纂乃祖服。乃考文叔，兴旧嗜欲，作率庆士，躬恤卫国。其勤公家，夙夜不解，民咸曰休哉！』公曰：『叔舅！予女铭，若纂乃考服！』悝拜稽首，曰：『对扬以辟之，勤大命，施于烝彝鼎。』」此卫孔悝之鼎铭也。

古之君子，论譔其先祖之美，而明著之后世者也，以比其身，以重其国家如此。子孙之守宗庙社稷者，其先祖无美而称之，是诬也；有善而弗知，不明也；知而弗传，不仁也。此三者，君子之所耻也。

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English translation by Claude (an AI)

A tripod bears an inscription. To inscribe is to name: one names in order to praise and celebrate the excellence of one's forebears and make it known clearly to later generations. Every forebear had something excellent in him and something bad. The rule of the inscription is to name the excellent and not the bad: this is the heart of a filial son or grandson, and only the worthy can manage it.

An inscription sets out in order a forebear's virtue and goodness, his achievements and labours, the rewards and honours he received and the renown he had throughout the world, and weighs them on a sacrificial vessel; the maker sets his own name on it too, and with it makes offerings to his forebears. To make the forebears known and honoured is to exalt filial piety. To set oneself beside them is to follow in their line. To show it plainly to later generations is to teach. With a single act of naming, an inscription serves those above and those below. So when a gentleman looks at an inscription, he admires both what it praises and the one who made it. The one who made it was clear-sighted enough to see the excellence, humane enough to share in it, and wise enough to profit by it: he may be called worthy. To be worthy and not to boast of it may be called respectful.

So the inscription on the tripod of Kong Kui of Wei says: "On the dinghai day of the sixth month, the duke went to the Great Temple. The duke said: 'Uncle! Your ancestor Zhuang Shu stood at the side of Duke Cheng. Duke Cheng ordered Zhuang Shu to follow him in his troubles north of the Han, and to his lodging in the Zhou capital, and he hurried to and fro without tiring. He opened the way for Duke Xian, and Duke Xian ordered Cheng Shu to continue his ancestor's service. Your late father Wen Shu revived the old aspirations, rose to follow good service, and cared in person for the state of Wei. He laboured for the duke's house day and night without slackening, and the people all said: Splendid!' The duke said: 'Uncle! I give you an inscription: continue your father's service!' Kui bowed and touched his head to the ground, and said: 'In answer I shall proclaim it and make it bright; and this great charge I shall set upon the vessels and tripods of the winter sacrifice.'" Such is the inscription on the tripod of Kong Kui of Wei.

The gentlemen of old set out in order the excellence of their forebears and made it known clearly to later generations; they set themselves beside them, and gave weight to their state and family, in this way. If sons and grandsons who keep the ancestral temple and the altars of the state praise a forebear who had no excellence, that is a falsehood; if he had goodness and they do not know it, that is a want of clarity; if they know it and do not pass it on, that is a want of humanity. These three are what a gentleman is ashamed of.