| | 君奭: |
召公为保，周公为师，相成王为左右。召公不说，周公作《》。 |
| | 君奭: |
周公若曰：“君奭！弗吊天降丧于殷，殷既坠厥命，我有周既受。我不敢知曰厥基永孚于休。若天棐忱，我亦不敢知曰其终出于不祥。呜呼！君已曰时我，我亦不敢宁于上帝命，弗永远念天威越我民；罔尤违，惟人。在我后嗣子孙，大弗克恭上下，遏佚前人光在家，不知天命不易，天难谌，乃其坠命，弗克经历。嗣前人，恭明德，在今予小子旦非克有正，迪惟前人光施于我冲子。”又曰：“天不可信，我道惟宁王德延，天不庸释于文王受命。” |
| Prince Shi: |
The duke of Zhou spoke to the following effect: 'Prince Shi, Heaven, unpitying, sent down ruin on Yin. Yin has lost its appointment (to the throne), which our House of Zhou has received. I do not dare, however, to say, as if I knew it, "The foundation will ever truly abide in prosperity. If Heaven aid sincerity,"Nor do I dare to say, as if I knew it, "The end will issue in our misfortunes." Oh! you have said, O prince, "It depends on ourselves." I also do not dare to rest in the favour of God, not forecasting at a distance the terrors of Heaven in the present time, when there is no murmuring or disobedience among the people; (the issue) is with men. Should our present successor to his fathers prove greatly unable to reverence (Heaven) above and (the people) below, and so bring to an end the glory of his predecessors, could we in (the retirement of) our families be ignorant of it? The favour of Heaven is not easily preserved; Heaven is difficult to be depended on. Men lose its favouring appointment, because they cannot pursue and carry out the reverence and brilliant virtue of their forefathers. Now I, Dan, the little child, am not able to make (the king) correct. I would simply conduct him to the glory of his fathers, and make him, who is my young charge, partaker of that.' He also said, 'Heaven is not to be trusted. Our course is only to seek the prolongation of the virtue of the Tranquillizing king, that Heaven may not find occasion to remove its favouring decree which king Wen received.' |
| | 君奭: |
公曰：“君奭！我闻在昔成汤既受命，时则有若伊尹，格于皇天。在太甲，时则有若保衡。在太戊，时则有若伊陟、臣扈，格于上帝；巫咸乂王家。在祖乙，时则有若巫贤。在武丁，时则有若甘盘。率惟兹有陈，保乂有殷，故殷礼陟配天，多历年所。天维纯佑命，则商实百姓王人。罔不秉德明恤，小臣屏侯甸，矧咸奔走。惟兹惟德称，用乂厥辟，故一人有事于四方，若卜筮罔不是孚。” |
| Prince Shi: |
The duke said, 'Prince Shi, I have heard that aforetime, when Tang the successful had received the appointment (to the throne), he had with him Yi Yin, making (his virtue) like that of great Heaven; that Tai Jia had (the same Yi Yin), the Bao-heng; that Tai-wu had Yi Zhi and Chen Hu, through whom (his virtue) was made to affect God, and Wu Xian who regulated the royal House; that Zu-yi had Wu Xian's son; and that Wu-ding had Gan Pan. (These ministers) carried out (their principles), and displayed (their merit), preserving and regulating the dynasty of Yin, so that, while its ceremonies lasted, (those sovereigns), when deceased, were assessors to Heaven, and its duration extended over many years. Heaven thus determinately maintained its favouring appointment, and Shang was replenished with men. The various heads of great surnames and members of the royal House, holding employments, all held fast their virtue, and showed an anxious solicitude (for the kingdom). The smaller ministers, and the guardian princes in the Hou and Dian domains, hurried about on their services. Thus did they all exert their virtue and aid their sovereign, so that whatever affairs he, the One man, had in hand, throughout the land, an entire faith was reposed in their justice as in the indications of the shell or the divining stalks.' |
| | 君奭: |
公曰：“君奭！天寿平格，保乂有殷，有殷嗣，天灭威。今汝永念，则有固命，厥乱明我新造邦。” |
| Prince Shi: |
The duke said, 'Prince Shi, Heaven gives length of days to the just and the intelligent; (it was thus that those ministers) maintained and regulated the dynasty of Yin. He who came last to the throne granted by Heaven was extinguished by its terrors. Do you think of the distant future, and we shall have the decree (in favour of Zhou) made sure, and its good government will be, brilliantly exhibited in our newly-founded state.' |
| | 君奭: |
公曰：“君奭！在昔上帝割申劝宁王之德，其集大命于厥躬？惟文王尚克修和我有夏；亦惟有若虢叔，有若闳夭，有若散宜生，有若泰颠，有若南宫括。” |
| Prince Shi: |
The duke said, 'Prince Shi, aforetime when God was inflicting calamity (on Yin), he encouraged anew the virtue of the Tranquillizing king, till at last the great favouring decree was concentrated in his person. (But) that king Wen was able to conciliate and unite the portion of the great kingdom which we came to possess, was owing to his having (such ministers) as his brother of Kuo, Hong Yao, San Yi-sheng, Tai Dian, and Nan-gong Kuo.' |
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又曰：“无能往来，兹迪彝教，文王蔑德降于国人。亦惟纯佑秉德，迪知天威，乃惟时昭文王迪见冒，闻于上帝。惟时受有殷命哉。武王惟兹四人尚迪有禄。后暨武王诞将天威，咸刘厥敌。惟兹四人昭武王惟冒，丕单称德。今在予小子旦，若游大川，予往暨汝奭其济。小子同未在位，诞无我责收，罔勖不及。耇造德不降我则，鸣鸟不闻，矧曰其有能格？” |
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He said further, 'But for the ability of those men to go and come in his affairs, developing his constant lessons, there would have been no benefits descending from king Wen on the people. And it also was from the determinate favour of Heaven that there were these men of firm virtue, and acting according to their knowledge of the dread majesty of Heaven, to give themselves to enlighten king Wen, and lead him forward to his high distinction and universal rule, till his fame, reached the ears of God, and he received the appointment that had been Yin's. There were still four of those men who led on king Wu to the possession of the revenues of the kingdom, and afterwards, along with him, in great reverence of the majesty of Heaven, slew all his enemies. These four men, moreover, made king Wu so illustrious that his glory overspread the kingdom, and (the people) universally and greatly proclaimed his virtue. Now with me Dan, the little child, it is as if I were floating on a great stream; With you, O Shi, let me from this time endeavour to cross it. Our young sovereign is (powerless), as if he had not yet ascended the throne. You must by no means lay the whole burden on me; and if you draw yourself up without an effort to supply my deficiencies, no good will flow to the people from our age and experience. We shall not hear the voices of the phoenixes, and how much less can it be thought that we shall be able to make (the king's virtue) equal (to Heaven)! |
| | 君奭: |
公曰：“呜呼！君肆其监于兹！我受命于疆惟休，亦大惟艰。告君，乃猷裕我，不以后人迷。” |
| Prince Shi: |
The duke said, 'Oh! consider well these things, O prince. We have received the appointment to which belongs an unlimited amount of blessing, but having great difficulties attached to it. What I announce to you are counsels of a generous largeness. I cannot allow the successor of our kings to go astray.' |
| | 君奭: |
公曰：“前人敷乃心，乃悉命汝，作汝民极。曰：‘汝明勖偶王，在但乘兹大命，惟文王德丕承，无疆之恤！’” |
| Prince Shi: |
The duke said, 'The former king laid bare his heart, and gave full charge to you, constituting you one of the guides and patterns for the people, saying, "Do you with intelligence and energy second and help the king; do you with sincerity support and convey forward the great decree. Think of the virtue of king Wen, and enter greatly into his boundless anxieties." ' |
| | 君奭: |
公曰：“君！告汝，朕允保奭。其汝克敬以予监于殷丧大否，肆念我天威。予不允惟若兹诰，予惟曰：‘襄我二人，汝有合哉？’言曰：‘在时二人。’天休兹至，惟时二人弗戡。其汝克敬德，明我俊民，在让后人于丕时。 |
| Prince Shi: |
The duke said, 'What I tell you, O prince, are my sincere. thoughts. O Shi, the Grand-Protector, if you can but reverently survey with me the decay and great disorders of Yin, and thence consider the dread majesty of Heaven (which warns) us! Am I not to be believed that I must reiterate my words? I simply say, "The establishment (of our dynasty) rests with us two." Do you agree with me? Then you (also) will say, "It rests with us two." And the favour of Heaven has come to us so largely: it should be ours to feel as if we could not sufficiently respond to it. If you can but reverently cultivate your virtue (now), and bring to light our men of eminent ability, then when you resign (your position) to some successor in a time of established security, (I will interpose no objection.) |
| | 君奭: |
呜呼！笃棐时二人，我式克至于今日休？我咸成文王功于不怠。丕冒海隅出日，罔不率俾。” |
| Prince Shi: |
'Oh! it is by the earnest service of us two that we have come to the prosperity of the present day. We must both go on, abjuring all idleness, to complete the work of king Wen, till it has grandly overspread the kingdom, and from the corners of the sea, and the sunrising, there shall not be one who is disobedient to the rule (of Zhou).' |
| | 君奭: |
公曰：“君！予不惠若兹多诰，予惟用闵于天越民。” |
| Prince Shi: |
The duke said, 'O prince, have I not spoken in accordance with reason in these many declarations? I am only influenced by anxiety about (the appointment of) Heaven, and about the people.' |
| | 君奭: |
公曰：“呜呼！君！惟乃知民德亦罔不能厥初，惟其终。祗若兹，往敬用治！” |
| Prince Shi: |
The duke said, 'Oh! you know, O prince, the ways of the people, how at the beginning they can be (all we could desire); but it is the end (that is to be thought of). Act in careful accordance with this fact. Go and reverently exercise the duties of your office.' |
