左Zuǒ传Zhuàn · The Zuo Commentary

Narrative commentary on the Chun Qiu (春秋, the Spring and Autumn Annals) — the terse chronicle of the state of Lu traditionally ascribed to Confucius, whose bare entries record little more than dates, rulers, and events. Of the three ancient commentaries written to gloss the Annals, the Zuozhuan is the one that supplies the stories, speeches, and political intrigue the laconic record only hints at, which is why it became the foundational work of Chinese historical prose rather than a mere scholastic gloss.