| | 康诰: |
王曰：“封，元恶大憝，矧惟不孝不友。子弗祗服厥父事，大伤厥考心；于父不能字厥子，乃疾厥子。于弟弗念天显，乃弗克恭厥兄；兄亦不念鞠子哀，大不友于弟。惟吊兹，不于我政人得罪，天惟与我民彝大泯乱，曰：乃其速由文王作罚，刑兹无赦。 |
| Announcement to the Prince...: |
The king says, 'O Feng, such great criminals are greatly abhorred, and how much more (detestable) are the unfilial and unbrotherly! - as the son who does not reverently discharge his duty to his father, but greatly wounds his father's heart, and the father who can (no longer) love his son, but hates him; as the younger brother who does not think of the manifest will of Heaven, and refuses to respect his elder brother, and the elder brother who does not think of the toil of their parents in bringing up their children, and is very unfriendly to his junior. If we who are charged with government do not treat parties who proceed to such wickedness as offenders, the laws (of our nature) given by Heaven to our people will be thrown into great disorder and destroyed. You must resolve to deal speedily with such according to the penal laws of king Wen, punishing them severely and not pardoning. |
| | 康诰: |
不率大戛，矧惟外庶子、训人惟厥正人越小臣、诸节。乃别播敷，造民大誉，弗念弗庸，瘝厥君，时乃引恶，惟朕憝。已！汝乃其速由兹义率杀。 |
| Announcement to the Prince...: |
'Those who are disobedient (to natural principles) are to be thus subjected to the laws; how much more the officers employed in your state as the instructors of the youth, the heads of the official departments, and the smaller officers charged with their several commissions, when they propagate other lessons, seeking the praise of the people, not thinking (of their duty), nor using (the rules for their offices), but distressing their ruler! These lead on (the people) to wickedness, and are an abomination to me. Shall they be let alone? Do you speedily, according to what is right, put them to death. |
| | 康诰: |
王曰：“呜呼！肆汝小子封。惟命不于常，汝念哉！无我殄享，明乃服命，高乃听，用康乂民。” |
| Announcement to the Prince...: |
The king says, 'Oh! you, Feng, the little one, (Heaven's) appointments are not unchanging." Think of this, and do not make me deprive you of your dignity. Make illustrious the charge which you have received; exalt (the instructions) which you have heard, and tranquillize and regulate the people accordingly.' |
| | 酒诰: |
文王诰教小子有正有事：无彝酒。越庶国：饮惟祀，德将无醉。惟曰我民迪小子惟土物爱，厥心臧。聪听祖考之遗训，越小大德，小子惟一。 |
| Announcement about Drunkenness:...: |
'King Wen admonished and instructed the young nobles, who were charged with office or in any employment, that they should not ordinarily use spirits; and throughout all the states, he required that such should drink spirits only on occasion of sacrifices, and that then virtue should preside so that there might be no drunkenness. He said, 'Let my people teach their young men that they are to love only the productions of the soil, for so will their hearts be good. Let the young also hearken wisely to the constant instructions of their fathers; and let them look at all virtuous actions, whether great or small, in the same light (with watchful heed). |
| | 酒诰: |
庶士、有正越庶伯、君子，其尔典听朕教！尔大克羞耇惟君，尔乃饮食醉饱。丕惟曰尔克永观省，作稽中德，尔尚克羞馈祀。尔乃自介用逸，兹乃允惟王正事之臣。兹亦惟天若元德，永不忘在王家。” |
| Announcement about Drunkenness:...: |
'Hearken constantly to my instructions, all ye my (high) officers and ye heads of departments, all ye, my noble chiefs; when ye have largely done your duty in ministering to your aged, and serving your ruler, ye may eat and drink freely and to satiety. And to speak of greater things: when you can maintain a constant, watchful examination of yourselves, and your conduct is in accordance with correct virtue, then may you present the offerings of sacrifice, and at the same time indulge yourselves in festivity. In such case you will indeed be ministers doing right service to your king, and Heaven likewise will approve your great virtue, so that you shall never be forgotten in the royal House.' |
| | 酒诰: |
王曰：“封，我西土棐徂，邦君御事小子尚克用文王教，不腆于酒，故我至于今，克受殷之命。” |
| Announcement about Drunkenness:...: |
The king says, 'O Feng, in our western region, the princes of states, and the young (nobles), sons of the managers of affairs, who in former days assisted king Wen, were all able to obey his lessons, and abstain from excess in the use of spirits; and so it is that I have now received the appointment which belonged to Yin.' |
| | 梓材: |
今王惟曰：“先王既勤用明德，怀为夹，庶邦享作，兄弟方来。亦既用明德，后式典集，庶邦丕享。皇天既付中国民越厥疆土于先王，肆王惟德用，和怿先后迷民，用怿先王受命。已！若兹监。”惟曰：“欲至于万年，惟王子子孙孙永保民。” |
| Timber of the Rottlera:...: |
Now let your majesty say, 'The former kings diligently employed their illustrious virtue, and produced such attachment by their cherishing (of the princes), that from all the states they brought offerings, and came with brotherly affection from all quarters, and likewise showed their virtue illustrious. Do you, O sovereign, use their methods to attach (the princes), and all the states will largely come with offerings. Great Heaven having given this Middle Kingdom with its people and territories to the former kings, do you, our present sovereign, display your virtue, effecting a gentle harmony among the deluded people, leading and urging them on; so (also) will you comfort the former kings, who received the appointment (from Heaven). Yes, make these things your study. I say so simply from my wish that (your dynasty) may continue for myriads of years, and your descendants always be the protectors of the people.' |
| | 召诰: |
越七日甲子，周公乃朝用书命庶殷侯甸男邦伯。厥既命殷庶，庶殷丕作。 |
| Announcement of the Duke...: |
After seven days, on Jia-zi, in the morning, from his written (specifications) he gave their several orders to the people of Yin, and to the presiding chiefs of the princes from the Hou, Dian, and Nan domains. When the people of Yin had thus received their orders, they arose and entered with vigour on their work. |
| | 召诰: |
太保乃以庶邦冢君出取币，乃复入锡周公。曰：“拜手稽首，旅王若公诰告庶殷越自乃御事：呜呼！皇天上帝，改厥元子兹大国殷之命。惟王受命，无疆惟休，亦无疆惟恤。呜呼！曷其奈何弗敬？ |
| Announcement of the Duke...: |
('When the work was drawing to a completion), the Grand-Guardian went out with the hereditary princes of the various states to bring their offerings (for the king); and when he entered again, he gave them to the duke of Zhou, saying, 'With my hands to my head and my head to the ground, I present these to his Majesty and your Grace. Announcements for the information of the multitudes of Yin must come from you, with whom is the management of affairs.' 'Oh! God (dwelling in) the great heavens has changed his decree respecting his great son and the great dynasty of Yin. Our king has received that decree. Unbounded is the happiness connected with it, and unbounded is the anxiety: Oh! how can he be other than reverent? |
| | 召诰: |
天既遐终大邦殷之命，兹殷多先哲王在天，越厥后王后民，兹服厥命。厥终，智藏瘝在。夫知保抱携持厥妇子，以哀吁天，徂厥亡，出执。呜呼！天亦哀于四方民，其眷命用懋。王其疾敬德！ |
| Announcement of the Duke...: |
When Heaven rejected and made an end of the decree in favour of the great dynasty of Yin, there were many of its former wise kings in heaven. The king, however, who had succeeded to them, the last of his race, from the time of his entering into their appointment, proceeded in such a way as at last to keep the wise in obscurity and the vicious in office. The poor people in such a case, carrying their children and leading their wives, made their moan to Heaven. They even fled away, but were apprehended again. Oh! Heaven had compassion on the people of the four quarters; its favouring decree lighted on our earnest (founders). Let the king sedulously cultivate the virtue of reverence. |
