| | 大誥: |
武王崩，三監及淮夷叛，周公相成王，將黜殷，作《》。 |
| | 大誥: |
王若曰：「猷大誥爾多邦越爾御事，弗弔天降割于我家，不少延。洪惟我幼沖人，嗣無疆大歷服。弗造哲，迪民康，矧曰其有能格知天命！ |
| Great Announcement: |
The king speaks to the following effect: 'Ho! I make a great announcement to you, (the princes of) the many states, and to you, the managers of my affairs. We are unpitied, and Heaven sends down calamities on our House, without the least intermission. It greatly occupies my thoughts that I, so very young, have inherited this illimitable patrimony with its destinies and domains. I cannot display wisdom and lead the people to prosperity; and how much less should I be able to reach the knowledge of the decree of Heaven! |
| | 大誥: |
已！予惟小子，若涉淵水，予惟往求朕攸濟。敷賁敷前人受命，茲不忘大功。予不敢于閉。 |
| Great Announcement: |
'Yes, I who am but a little child am in the position of one who has to go through a deep water; I must go and seek where I can cross over. I must diffuse the elegant institutions of my predecessor and display the appointment which he received (from Heaven); so shall I not be forgetful of his great work. Nor shall I dare to restrain the majesty of Heaven in sending down its inflictions (on the criminals). |
| | 大誥: |
天降威，用寧王遺我大寶龜，紹天明。即命曰：『有大艱于西土，西土人亦不靜，越茲蠢。殷小腆誕敢紀其敘。天降威，知我國有疵，民不康，曰：予復！反鄙我周邦。今蠢，今翼日，民獻有十夫予翼，以于敉寧、武圖功。我有大事，休？』朕卜並吉。」 |
| Great Announcement: |
'The Tranquillizing king left to me the great precious tortoise-shell, to bring into connexion with me the intelligence of Heaven. I divined by it, and it told me that there would be great trouble in the region of the west and that the western people would not be still. Accordingly we have these senseless movements. Small and reduced as Yin now is, (its prince) greatly dares to take in hand its (broken) line. Though Heaven sent down its terrors (on his House), yet knowing of the evils in our kingdom, and that the people are not tranquil, he says, "I will recover (my patrimony);" and so (he wishes to) make our Zhou a border territory again. One day there was a senseless movement, and the day after, ten men of worth appeared among the people, to help me to go forward to restore tranquillity and perpetuate the plans (of my father). The great business I am engaging in will (thus) have a successful issue. I have divined (also) by the tortoise-shell, and always got a favourable response. |
| | 大誥: |
肆予告我友邦君越尹氏、庶士、御事、曰：『予得吉卜，予惟以爾庶邦于伐殷逋播臣。』爾庶邦君越庶士、御事罔不反曰：『艱大，民不靜，亦惟在王宮邦君室。越予小子考翼，不可征，王害不違卜？』 |
| Great Announcement: |
'Therefore I tell you, the princes of my friendly states, and you, the directors of departments, my officers, and the managers of my affairs; I have obtained a favourable reply to my divinations. I will go forward with you from all the states, and punish those vagabond and transported ministers of Yin. (But) you the princes of the various states, and you the various officers and managers of my affairs, all retort on me, saying, "The hardships will be great, and that the people are not quiet has its source really in the king's palace and in the mansions of the princes in that (rebellious) state. We little ones, and the old and reverend men as well, think the expedition ill-advised; why does your Majesty not go contrary to the divinations?" |
| | 大誥: |
肆予沖人永思艱，曰：嗚呼！允蠢，鰥寡哀哉！予造天役，遺大投艱于朕身，越予沖人，不卬自恤。義爾邦君越爾多士、尹氏、御事綏予曰：『無毖于恤，不可不成乃寧考圖功！』 |
| Great Announcement: |
I, in my youth, (also) think continually of these hardships, and say, Alas! these senseless movements will deplorably afflict the wifeless men and widows! But I am the servant of Heaven, which has assigned me this great task, and laid the hard duty on my person. I therefore, the young one, do not pity myself; and it would be right in you, the many officers, the directors of departments, and the managers of my affairs, to comfort me, saying, "Do not be distressed with sorrow. We shall surely complete the plans of your Tranquillizing father." |
| | 大誥: |
已！予惟小子，不敢替上帝命。天休于寧王，興我小邦周，寧王惟卜用，克綏受茲命。今天其相民，矧亦惟卜用。嗚呼！天明畏，弼我丕丕基！」 |
| Great Announcement: |
'Yes, I, the little child, dare not disregard the Charge of God. Heaven, favourable to the Tranquillizing king, gave such prosperity to our small country of Zhou. The Tranquillizing king divined and acted accordingly, and so he calmly received his (great) appointment. Now when Heaven is (evidently) aiding the people, how much more should we follow the indications of the shell! Oh! the clearly intimated will of Heaven is to be feared: it is to help my great inheritance. |
| | 大誥: |
王曰：「爾惟舊人，爾丕克遠省，爾知寧王若勤哉！天閟毖我成功所，予不敢不極卒寧王圖事。肆予大化誘我友邦君，天棐忱辭，其考我民，予曷其不于前寧人圖功攸終？天亦惟用勤毖我民，若有疾，予曷敢不于前寧人攸受休畢！」 |
| Great Announcement: |
The king says, 'You, who are the old ministers, are fully able to remember the past; you know how great was the toil of the Tranquillizing king. Where Heaven (now) shuts up (our path) and distresses us, is the place where I must accomplish my work; I dare not but do my utmost to complete the plans of the Tranquillizing king. It is on this account that I use such efforts to remove the doubts and carry forward the inclinations of the princes of my friendly states. And Heaven assists me with sincere expressions (of sympathy), which I have ascertained among the people; how dare I but aim at the completion of the work formerly begun by the Tranquillizer? Heaven, moreover, is thus toiling and distressing the people; it is as if they were suffering from disease; how dare I allow (the appointment) which my predecessor, the Tranquillizer, received, to be without its happy fulfilment?' |
| | 大誥: |
王曰：「若昔朕其逝，朕言艱日思。若考作室，既厎法，厥子乃弗肯堂，矧肯構？厥父菑，厥子乃弗肯播，矧肯獲？厥考翼其肯曰：予有後弗棄基？肆予曷敢不越卬敉寧王大命？若兄考，乃有友伐厥子，民養其勸弗救？」 |
| Great Announcement: |
The king says, 'Formerly, at the initiation of this expedition, I spoke of its difficulties, and thought of them daily. But when a deceased father, (wishing) to build a house, had laid out the plan, if his son be unwilling to raise up the hall, how much less will he be willing to complete the roof! Or if the father had broken up the ground, and his son be unwilling to sow the seed, how much less will he be willing to reap the crop! In such a case could the father, (who had himself) been so reverently attentive (to his objects), have been willing to say, "I have a son who will not abandon his patrimony?" How dare I therefore but use all my powers to give a happy settlement to the great charge entrusted to the Tranquillizing king? If among the friends of an elder brother or a deceased father there be those who attack his son, will the elders of the people encourage (the attacker, and not (come to the) rescue?' |
| | 大誥: |
王曰：「嗚呼！肆哉爾庶邦君越爾御事。爽邦由哲，亦惟十人迪知上帝命越天棐忱，爾時罔敢易法，矧今天降戾于周邦？惟大艱人誕鄰胥伐于厥室，爾亦不知天命不易？ |
| Great Announcement: |
The king says, 'Oh! take heart, ye princes of the various states, and ye managers of my affairs. The enlightening of the country was from the wise, even from the ten men who obeyed and knew the charge of God, and the real assistance given by Heaven. At that time none of you presumed to change the rules (prescribed by the Tranquillizing king). And now when Heaven is sending down calamity on the country of Zhou, and the authors of these great distresses (make it appear on a grand scale as if) the inmates of a house were mutually to attack one another, you are without any knowledge that the decree of Heaven is not to be changed! |
| | 大誥: |
予永念曰：天惟喪殷，若穡夫，予曷敢不終朕畝？天亦惟休于前寧人，予曷其極卜？敢弗于從率寧人有指疆土？矧今卜並吉？肆朕誕以爾東征。天命不僭，卜陳惟若茲。」 |
| Great Announcement: |
'I ever think and say, Heaven in destroying Yin was doing husbandman's work - how dare I but complete the work on my fields? Heaven will thereby show its favour to my predecessor, the Tranquillizer. How should I be all for the oracle of divination, and presume not to follow (your advice)? I am following the Tranquillizer, whose purpose embraced all within the limits of the land. How much more must I proceed, when the divinations are all favourable! It is on these accounts that I make this expedition in force to the east. There is no mistake about the decree of Heaven. The indications given by the tortoise-shell are all to the same effect.' |
