17.21 宰我问：“三年之丧，期已久矣。君子三年不为礼，礼必坏；三年不为乐，乐必崩。旧谷既没，新谷既升，钻燧改火1，期可已矣2。” 子曰：“食夫稻3，衣夫锦，于女安乎？” 曰：“安。” “女安，则为之！夫君子之居丧，食旨不甘4，闻乐不乐，居处不安5，故不为也。今女安，则为之！” 宰我出。子曰：“予之不仁也！子生三年，然后免于父母之怀。夫三年之丧，天下之通丧也。予也有三年之爱于其父母乎？”
【译文】
宰我问道：“父母死后要居丧三年，这个期限太长了。君子三年不习礼仪，礼仪必会废弃；三年不奏音乐，音乐必会亡失。陈谷已经吃完，新谷已经登场，取火之木的更换也经过了一个轮回，居丧一年也就可以了。” 孔子说：“居丧不到三年你就吃稻米，穿锦衣，你会心安吗？” 宰我说：“心安。” 孔子说：“如果你心安，那你就这么做好了！君子在居丧期间，吃美食无味，听音乐不快乐，住在家中不安适，因此不这样做。如今你觉得心安，那你就这样做好了！” 宰我退了出去。孔子说：“宰予不仁啊！儿女生下来，三年后才能离开父母的怀抱。那三年的丧期，是天下通行的呀。宰予对他死去的父母有三年之爱吗？”
【YZG解释】
宰我问道：“父母死后要居丧三年，我觉得一年的时间都很长了。君子三年不习礼仪，礼仪必会废弃；三年不奏音乐，音乐必会失传。一年的时间，陈谷吃完，新谷入仓，取火之木的更换也经过了一个轮回，居丧一年也就可以了。” 孔子说：“居丧不到三年你就吃稻米，穿锦衣，你会心安吗？” 宰我说：“心安。” 孔子说：“如果你心安，那你就这么做好了！君子在居丧期间，吃美食无味，听音乐不快乐，住在家中不安适，因此不这样做。如今你觉得心安，那你就这样做好了！” 宰我退了出去。孔子说：“宰予真是不仁啊！儿女生下来，三年后才能离开父母的怀抱。那三年的丧期，是天下通行的呀。宰予对他死去的父母有三年怀念之情吗？恐怕没有了”
【English Translation】
Zai Wo1 asked: “After parents’ death, one should keep mourning for three years. I think one year is already too long. If a noble person does not practice etiquette for three years, the etiquette will surely be abandoned. If he does not perform music for three years, the music will surely be lost. In one year, the old grains are eaten up, the new grains are put into the barn, and the replacement of the wood for fire has also gone through a cycle. It is enough to keep mourning for one year.”
Confucius said: “If you eat rice and wear splendid clothes when you keep mourning for less than three years, will you feel at ease?”
Zai Wo said: “Yes, I will.”
Confucius said: “If you feel at ease, then do it! During the period of mourning, a noble person would have no taste when eating delicious food, be unhappy when listening to music, and uncomfortable when living at home. Therefore, he does not do so. Now that you feel at ease, then just do it!”
Zai Wo left. Confucius said: “Zai Yu is really unkind! Children can leave their parents’ arms only after three years old, so the three-year mourning period is commonly used throughout the world. Does Zai Yu have three years of remembrance for his deceased parents? I’m afraid not.”
【Note】