| | 五帝本紀: |
東至于海，登丸山，及岱宗。西至于空桐，登雞頭。南至于江，登熊、湘。北逐葷粥，合符釜山，而邑于涿鹿之阿。遷徙往來無常處，以師兵為營衛。官名皆以雲命，為雲師。置左右大監，監于萬國。萬國和，而鬼神山川封禪與為多焉。獲寶鼎，迎日推筴。舉風后、力牧、常先、大鴻以治民。順天地之紀，幽明之占，死生之說，存亡之難。時播百穀草木，淳化鳥獸蟲蛾，旁羅日月星辰水波土石金玉，勞勤心力耳目，節用水火材物。有土德之瑞，故號黃帝。 |
| Annals of the Five...: |
Eastward his empire extended to the sea, Ball hill, and the ancestral Dai mountain; westward to 'Hollow cave' and Cock's-head hills; southward to the Yangtze river and Xiongxiang hill; while in the north he drove out the Xunyu. He made a treaty on Kettle hill, and built a city on the slopes of Zhuolu. He was constantly changing his residence, while his troops formed an encampment about him. He ordered his officers to be named after cloud omens. He appointed a chief and deputy superintendent over international affairs, and the various states being at peace, he worshipped the demons and spirits of the hills and streams with the feng and shan ceremonies in numbers. He obtained a valuable tripod, and made calculations of future events, appointing 'Chief of the winds,' 'Strength-governor,' 'Everfirst,' and 'Great Swan,' to direct the people to act in accordance with the celestial and terrestrial arrangements, the dark and bright prognostications, the disputations on life and death, the planting of the crops, plants, and trees in their seasons, and the transformations of birds, beasts, insects, and moths. He also prepared a record of the movements of the sun, moon, and stars; the flow of the tides; and the properties of clay, stones, metals, and gems. He devoted much careful attention to these things, and his observation was applied to ascertaining how fire, water, wood, and other elements could be used economically. There was an auspicious omen of the earth's energy, and he was therefore called 'Yellow god.' |
| | 五帝本紀: |
舜年二十以孝聞，年三十堯舉之，年五十攝行天子事，年五十八堯崩，年六十一代堯踐帝位。踐帝位三十九年，南巡狩，崩於蒼梧之野。葬於江南九疑，是為零陵。舜之踐帝位，載天子旗，往朝父瞽叟，夔夔唯謹，如子道。封弟象為諸侯。舜子商均亦不肖，舜乃豫薦禹於天。十七年而崩。三年喪畢，禹亦乃讓舜子，如舜讓堯子。諸侯歸之，然後禹踐天子位。堯子丹朱，舜子商均，皆有疆土，以奉先祀。服其服，禮樂如之。以客見天子，天子弗臣，示不敢專也。 |
| Annals of the Five...: |
When Shun was twenty years of age he was noted for his filial piety, at thirty Yao raised him to office, at fifty he assisted in the administration of Imperial affairs, when he was fifty-eight Yao died, and when he was sixty-one he sat on the Imperial throne in Yao's stead. After he had occupied the Imperial throne thirty-nine years, he went on a hunting expedition to the south, died in the desert of Cangwu, and was buried at a place called Lingling (broken hillocks) in the Jiuyi range in Jiangnan province. After Shun had come to the throne, and was flying the Imperial flag, he went to pay a visit to his father, Gusou, and addressed him in a grave and respectful manner, as a son should do. He raised his brother Xiang to the rank of prince. Shun's son Shang-jun was also degenerate, so that Shun, being prepared, recommended Yu to the notice of Heaven, and seventeen years later he died. When the three years' mourning was over, Yu also yielded to Shun's son just as Shun had yielded to Yao's son, but the princes gave their allegiance to Yu, and he thereupon came to the Imperial throne. Yao's son Danzhu, and Shun's son Shangjun, both held territory so that they might be enabled to perform sacrifices to their ancestors; they paid the due observances, such as religious ceremonies and music, and they went to the audiences as the Emperor's guests. The Emperor did not dare, without due notification from his ministers, to act on his own responsibility. |
| | 五帝本紀: |
太史公曰：學者多稱五帝，尚矣。然尚書獨載堯以來；而百家言黃帝，其文不雅馴，薦紳先生難言之。孔子所傳宰予問五帝德及帝系姓，儒者或不傳。余嘗西至空桐，北過涿鹿，東漸於海，南浮江淮矣，至長老皆各往往稱黃帝、堯、舜之處，風教固殊焉，總之不離古文者近是。予觀春秋、國語，其發明五帝德、帝系姓章矣，顧弟弗深考，其所表見皆不虛。書缺有閒矣，其軼乃時時見於他說。非好學深思，心知其意，固難為淺見寡聞道也。余并論次，擇其言尤雅者，故著為本紀書首。 |
| Annals of the Five...: |
The historian remarks on this as follows: Most scholars say that the five emperors are deserving of honour, but the Book of History only refers to Yao, and those who come after him, while the book of the 'hundred families' speaks of the Yellow emperor. The style of the latter work is not, however, very refined, and the officials and gentry hardly ever refer to it. Confucius handed down these works, viz. 'Zai Yu's questions,' the 'virtues of the five emperors,' and 'the genealogies and names of the emperors,' but the literati doubt that they have been so handed down. I have travelled westward as far as 'hollow cave' hill, northward beyond Zhuolu, eastward I have crossed the sea, while southward I have floated on rafts along the Yangtze and Huai rivers, and all the elders whom I met again and again talked of the places where the Yellow emperor, Yao, and Shun dwelt, and how very different their customs and teachings were. In short, those who are attached to the ancient literature must be familiar with their sayings. I have looked at the 'Spring and Autumn' classic, and the 'Narratives of the States,' which make the 'virtues of the five emperors' and the 'genealogies and names of the emperors' very clear. I have inspected these works, but not thoroughly examined them, and the portions I have quoted are none of them unimportant. There are defects in the book, and occasionally the views of others may be noted. Scholars should not think too deeply over the book, but take the general drift of it, when it can hardly be called superficial. There are a few investigations into doctrine, which I have discussed in the concrete, and then selected some of the more elegant sentences for quotation. Thus I have compiled the first chapter of the 'Original Records.' |
| | 夏本紀: |
禹乃遂與益、后稷奉帝命，命諸侯百姓興人徒以傅土，行山表木，定高山大川。禹傷先人父鯀功之不成受誅，乃勞身焦思，居外十三年，過家門不敢入。薄衣食，致孝于鬼神。卑宮室，致費於溝淢。陸行乘車，水行乘船，泥行乘橇，山行乘檋。左準繩，右規矩，載四時，以開九州，通九道，陂九澤，度九山。令益予眾庶稻，可種卑溼。命后稷予眾庶難得之食。食少，調有餘相給，以均諸侯。禹乃行相地宜所有以貢，及山川之便利。 |
| Annals of the Xia: |
Yu, then in company with Yi and Prince Millet, having received the Emperor's orders, bade the princes and people raise a gang of men to make a division of the land, and following the line of the hills hew down the trees, and determine the characteristics of the high hills and great rivers. Yu was grieved in that his progenitor Gun had been punished on account of his work being incomplete, so, wearied in body and distressed in mind, he lived away from his home for 13 years, passing the door of his house without daring to enter. With ragged clothes and poor diet he paid his devotions to the spirits until his wretched hovel fell in ruins in the ditch. When travelling along the dry land he used a carriage, on the water he used a boat, in miry places a sledge, while in going over the hills he used spikes. On the one hand he used the marking-line, and on the other the compass and square. Working as the seasons permitted, and with a view to open up the nine provinces, he made the roads communicable, banked up the marshes, surveyed the hills, told Yi and his band that paddy should be planted in low damp places, and directed Lord Millet and his band, when it was difficult to obtain food, or when food was scarce, to barter their surplus stock in exchange for what they had not, so as to put all the princes on an equal footing. Yu in this way worked for the mutual convenience of the respective districts as regards the distribution of the wealth and resources of the country. |
| | 夏本紀: |
於是九州攸同，四奧既居，九山刊旅，九川滌原，九澤既陂，四海會同。六府甚修，眾土交正，致慎財賦，咸則三壤成賦。中國賜土姓：「祗臺德先，不距朕行。」 |
| Annals of the Xia: |
So throughout the nine provinces a similar order was effected: the four coasts were built over, the hills were cleared of their wood and sacrificed to, the streams had their sources scoured out, the marshes were well banked, and all within the four seas had access to the capital. The six treasuries of nature were made the most of, and the various parts of the country exactly compared so that the receipt of revenue could be carefully adjusted according to their resources. The three characters of the soil were classified, and the taxation fixed. The central government conferred lands and surnames. Revenue was paid to the Emperor's exalted virtue, which was set up as an example, and none opposed his Majesty's action. |
| | 殷本紀: |
成湯，自契至湯八遷。湯始居亳，從先王居，作帝誥。 |
| Annals of Yin: |
From Qi to Tang the Completer there were eight changes of the capital. Tang at first dwelt in Bo, choosing the residence of the first king, and the 'Emperor's Announcement' was written. |
| | 殷本紀: |
湯歸至于泰卷陶，中壘作誥。既絀夏命，還亳，作湯誥：「維三月，王自至於東郊。告諸侯群后：『毋不有功於民，勤力乃事。予乃大罰殛女，毋予怨。』曰：『古禹、皋陶久勞于外，其有功乎民，民乃有安。東為江，北為濟，西為河，南為淮，四瀆已修，萬民乃有居。后稷降播，農殖百穀。三公咸有功于民，故後有立。昔蚩尤與其大夫作亂百姓，帝乃弗予，有狀。先王言不可不勉。』曰：『不道，毋之在國，女毋我怨。』」以令諸侯。伊尹作咸有一德，咎單作明居。 |
| Annals of Yin: |
When Tang returned he came to Taijuantao, and Zhonglei wrote his announcement. Having made an end of the sovereignty of Xia, Tang returned to Bo and wrote the 'Announcement of Tang.' In the third month the king came himself to the eastern suburb and made the following announcement to the princes and nobles: 'If you do not perform meritorious service for the people and be diligent in your business, I shall inflict the extreme punishment of death. Do not murmur against me.' He also said: 'Formerly Yu and Gaoyao laboured long in distant regions. They performed meritorious service for the people, who dwelt in peace. On the east there was the Great river, on the north the Ji, on the west the Yellow river, and on the south the Huai. These four streams were kept within bounds, and the people dwelt in safety. Prince Millet told them how to sow and cultivate the various kinds of grain. These three chiefs all performed meritorious service for the people, and were therefore ennobled. Formerly Chiyou and his officers raised a rebellion among the people but the [Yellow] Emperor disapproved, and his crimes were exposed. The words of the former kings cannot but rouse you to action. If you are unprincipled you shall not rule in the State. 'Do not murmur against me.' Thus he directed the princes. Yiyin wrote the book 'Both possessed pure Virtue,' and Jiudan wrote the 'Illustrious Abode.' |
| | 殷本紀: |
帝陽甲崩，弟盤庚立，是為帝盤庚。帝盤庚之時，殷已都河北，盤庚渡河南，復居成湯之故居，乃五遷，無定處。殷民咨胥皆怨，不欲徙。盤庚乃告諭諸侯大臣曰：「昔高后成湯與爾之先祖俱定天下，法則可修。捨而弗勉，何以成德！」乃遂涉河南，治亳，行湯之政，然後百姓由寧，殷道復興。諸侯來朝，以其遵成湯之德也。 |
| Annals of Yin: |
Emperor Yangjia died, and his brother Pangeng (Plate G), that is Emperor Pangeng, came to the throne. In his reign the Yins had their capital on the north of the Yellow river, but Pangeng crossed to the south of the river, and reoccupied the old palace of Tang the Completer. This made the fifth change of capital, and, as they had no fixed place of abode, the people of Yin murmured and repined, for they did not like moving about. Pangeng made the following announcement to the princes and ministers: 'Formerly our exalted sovereign Tang the Completer, in conjunction with your ancestors, decided what laws and regulations of the empire should be attended to or set aside, but if you do not make an effort how can you attain perfection?' He then crossed over to the south of the river, set up his capital at Bo, and having adopted Tang's system of government, the people were thereby tranquillized, and the fortunes of Yin were again in the ascendant. The princes came to court, and were influenced by the virtues of Tang the Completer. |
| | 殷本紀: |
帝武丁祭成湯，明日，有飛雉登鼎耳而呴，武丁懼。祖己曰：「王勿憂，先修政事。」祖己乃訓王曰：「唯天監下典厥義，降年有永有不永，非天夭民，中絕其命。民有不若德，不聽罪，天既附命正厥德，乃曰其奈何。鳴呼！王嗣敬民，罔非天繼，常祀毋禮于棄道。」武丁修政行德，天下咸驩，殷道復興。 |
| Annals of Yin: |
Wuding was sacrificing to Tang the Completer the next day, when a pheasant flew up, lighted on the ear of a tripod, and crowed. Wuding was alarmed, but Zuji (Ancestor F) said the king should not be anxious; he must first rectify the administration of affairs. Zuji accordingly lectured the king, saying, 'In its superintendence over men below, Heaven pays special regard to their proper behaviour, and bestows on them accordingly length of years or the reverse. Heaven does not cut short men's lives; they bring them to an end themselves. Some men may not have conformed to virtue, and will not acknowledge their crimes; Heaven then charges them to correct their conduct, but they say, 'What shall we do?' Ah! the king should continuously treat the people with respect. Are they not Heaven's descendants? Be constant in sacrificing, and do not worship with the rites of a discarded religion.' Wuding instituted a government reform, and practised virtue. The whole nation rejoiced, and the fortunes of Yin again flourished. |
| | 殷本紀: |
西伯歸，乃陰修德行善，諸侯多叛紂而往歸西伯。西伯滋大，紂由是稍失權重。王子比干諫，弗聽。商容賢者，百姓愛之，紂廢之。及西伯伐饑國，滅之，紂之臣祖伊聞之而咎周，恐，奔告紂曰：「天既訖我殷命，假人元龜，無敢知吉，非先王不相我後人，維王淫虐用自絕，故天棄我，不有安食，不虞知天性，不迪率典。今我民罔不欲喪，曰『天曷不降威，大命胡不至』？今王其柰何？」紂曰：「我生不有命在天乎！」祖伊反，曰：「紂不可諫矣。」西伯既卒，周武王之東伐，至盟津，諸侯叛殷會周者八百。諸侯皆曰：「紂可伐矣。」武王曰：「爾未知天命。」乃復歸。 |
| Annals of Yin: |
Now Chief of the West, on returning from his expedition, secretly cultivated virtue, and was charitable; many of the princes revolted from the tyrant and gave their allegiance to Chief of the West, who from this time gained in influence, while the tyrant rather lost his authority. The monarch's son Bigan remonstrated with his father, but he was not listened to. Shangrong praised his worth, and the people loved him, but the tyrant set him aside. Chief of the West marched against and conquered the Ji State, and the tyrant's minister Zu-yi heard of it, and blaming [the house of] Zhou hurried off in alarm to report it to the tyrant. He said: 'Heaven is bringing to an end the destiny of our dynasty of Yin; great men and the ancient tortoise do not venture to foretell good fortune. It is not that the former kings do not aid us men of this later time; but you, O king, by your dissoluteness and oppression are cutting yourself off. Heaven has therefore rejected us; we do not eat our meals in peace, we do not consider our heavenly nature, we do not follow and observe the statutes. Our people are now all longing for the destruction of the dynasty, saying, Why does not Heaven send down its awe-inspiring authority? Why is not its great decree manifested? What remedy is there against the present king?' The tyrant said: 'Is not my life secured by the decree of Heaven?' Zu-yi returned, and said, 'The tyrant cannot be remonstrated with.' Chief of the West having died, King Wu of Zhou in his march eastward arrived at the ford of Meng. The princes revolted, and 800 princes of the house of Zhou having assembled declared that the tyrant ought to be attacked. King Wu said, 'You know nothing of Heaven's decree,' and retired. |
