| 中国哲学书电子化计划 | |
| 简体字版 |
《尚书》 | 英文翻译：人工智能和中国哲学书电子化计划用户 [?] | 电子图书馆 |
| 1 | 尚书: | 昔在帝尧，聪明文思，光宅天下，言圣德之远著。作尧典，典者常也。言可为百代常行之道。曰若稽古帝尧，言能顺考古道而行之者，帝尧也。曰放勋，钦明文思安安，勋，功也。言尧放上世之功化，而以敬明文思之四德，安天下之当安者也。允恭克让，光被四表，格于上下，既有四德，又信恭能让，故其名闻充溢四外，至于天地也。克明俊德，以亲九族，能明俊德之士任用之，以睦高祖玄孙之亲也。九族既睦，平章百姓，百姓百官。百姓昭明，协和万邦，黎民于变时雍。时，是也。雍，和也。言天下衆人，皆变化从上，是以风俗大和也。 |
| In ancient times during Emperor Yao's reign, he was wise and thoughtful, illuminating the realm with his governance. This refers to the far-reaching virtue of a sage ruler. The "Yao Dian" was composed. Dian means constant or established. It speaks of a way that can be followed as an enduring principle for all future generations. Saying, "If we investigate the ancient ways of Emperor Yao," This means that Emperor Yao was one who could follow and act in accordance with the ancient principles. Saying, "Fang Xun," reverent, wise, thoughtful, and serene, Xun means merit or achievement. meaning that Yao upheld the achievements and transformations of previous generations, and by embodying the four virtues of reverence, clarity, thoughtfulness, and serenity, he ensured peace for those in the world who should be at peace. Truly respectful and capable of yielding, his radiance extended to the four quarters, reaching both above and below. With these four virtues already in place, and with sincerity, respect, and the ability to yield, therefore his fame spread abundantly outward in all directions, even reaching heaven and earth. He was able to clarify the virtuous qualities of outstanding individuals and thus brought harmony among the nine clans. By identifying and employing those with noble virtue, he harmonized the relationships between his great-grandparents' descendants and distant relatives. Once harmony was achieved among the nine clans, he regulated and clarified the duties of the hundred officials, the term "baisen" refers to the hundred officials. The duties of the hundred officials became clear and orderly; harmony was achieved among all the states, and the common people experienced a time of peace and prosperity. "Shi," means "this." Yong means harmony. It means that all the people under heaven changed and followed the example set by their leaders, thus bringing about a great harmony in customs and society. | ||
| 2 | 尚书: | 虞舜侧微，尧闻之聪明，侧，侧陋，微，微贱。将使嗣位，历试诸难，历试之以难事。慎徽五典，五典克从，五典五常之教也。谓父义，母慈，兄友，弟恭，子孝，舜举八元，使布五教于四方，五教能从，无违命也。纳于百揆，百揆时叙，揆，度也。舜举八凯以度百事，百事时叙也。宾于四门，四门穆穆，宾，迎也。四门，宫四门也。舜流四凶族，诸侯来朝者，舜宾迎之，皆有美德，无凶人也。纳于大麓，烈风雷雨弗迷，纳舜于尊显之官，使大録万机之政，于是阴阳清和，烈风雷雨，各以期应，不有迷错愆伏，明舜之行合于天心也。正月上日，受终于文祖，尧天禄永终，舜受之也。文祖，是五庙之大名也。五载一巡狩，羣后四朝。 |
| Yu Shun was obscure and humble; Emperor Yao heard of his wisdom and intelligence. Cei means obscure, Wei means lowly or humble. He was about to appoint him as successor, having tested him through various hardships. Testing him with difficult matters. With care and reverence, he upheld the Five Constants; the people followed these Five Constants. The "Five Dictates" refer to the teachings of the Five Constants. Namely, fatherly righteousness, maternal kindness, brotherly friendliness, younger brothers' respectfulness, and filial piety of children. Shun appointed the Eight Yuans to spread these Five Teachings in all directions; as a result, the people followed them without violating any commandments. He was appointed to oversee the hundred officials, and under his leadership, the hundred officials were orderly and timely in their duties. Kui means measure or standard. Shun appointed the Eight Kais to oversee all affairs, ensuring that all hundred matters were orderly and timely arranged. He welcomed guests at the four gates, where the four gates were dignified and respectful. Bin means to welcome or receive as a guest. The Four Gates refer to the four gates of the palace. Shun banished the four evil clans; when feudal lords came to pay homage, Shun welcomed them with courtesy. All of them possessed virtuous qualities—there were no wicked people among them. He was appointed to the important post of Da Lu, and during his tenure, even fierce winds and thunderstorms did not cause confusion. Appointing Shun to a position of honor and authority, entrusting him with major responsibilities in managing all state affairs, at this time yin and yang were harmonious and clear; fierce winds and storms each occurred according to their proper seasons without disorder or error, demonstrating that Shun's conduct was aligned with the will of Heaven. On the first day of the first month, he received the mandate from Wen Zu. This means that Yao's heavenly mandate came to an end, and Shun assumed it. Wen Zu is the grand title for the ancestral temple of five generations. Every five years, he conducted one inspection tour; during this time, all feudal lords paid homage four times a year. | ||
| 3 | 尚书: | 敷奏以言，明试以功，车服以庸，敷奏，犹遍进也。诸侯每见，皆以次序遍进而问焉。以观其才，既则效试其居国为政，以著其功，赐之车服，以旌其所用任也。象以典刑，典，常也。象用之者，谓上刑赭衣不纯，中刑杂履，下刑墨幪，以居州里，而民耻之，而反于礼。流宥五刑，流，放也。宥，三宥也。言所流宥，皆犯五刑之罪也。眚灾肆赦，眚，过也。灾，害也。肆，失也。言罪过误失，以为当赦之也。怙终贼刑，怙，谓怙赦宥而为者也。终为残贼，当刑之也。流共工于幽洲，共工，穷奇也。幽洲，北裔也。放欢兜于崇山，欢兜，浑敦，崇山，南裔也。窜三苗于三危，三苗，国名也。缙云氏之后，为诸侯，号饕餮也。三危，西裔也。殛鲧于羽山，鲧，梼杌也。殛，诛也。羽山，东裔也。四罪而天下咸服，美舜之行，故本其徵用之功也。二十有八载，放勋乃徂落，百姓如丧考妣，三载，四海遏密八音，遏，绝也。密，止也。尧崩，百姓如丧父母，绝止金石八音之乐也。舜格于文祖，询于四岳，辟四门，开辟四方之门，广致衆贤也。明四目，明视四方也。达四听本书听作恩听达于四方也。柔远能迩，能安远者，则能安近也。不能安近，则不能安远也。敦德允元，所厚而尊者德也。所信而行者善也。而难任人，任，佞也。辩给之言，易悦耳目，以理难之也。蛮夷率服，远无不服，迩无不安。三载考绩，三考，黜陟幽明，黜，退也。陟，升也。三岁考功，九载三考，退其幽暗无功者，升其昭明有功者也。庶绩咸熙。九载三考，衆功皆兴也。 |
| They were recommended through their words, tested by their achievements, and rewarded with carriages and ceremonial robes according to their service. Fu zou means broadly recommending or advancing. Each time the feudal lords appeared, they were questioned in order one by one. To observe their abilities, and then to test them by how they governed their states, thereby establishing their achievements; carriages and ceremonial robes were granted as a sign of recognition for the roles they had been entrusted with. He used established punishments as examples. Dian means standard or established practice. "Xiang yong zhi" means that for the most severe punishments, offenders wore red clothes without any pattern; for moderate punishments, they wore mismatched shoes; and for lesser punishments, they covered their faces with black cloth. They were allowed to live among the people in their hometowns, but the populace regarded them as a disgrace, thus prompting them to return to proper conduct and rites. The five punishments were mitigated through exile. Liu means banishment or exile. You refers to the three forms of pardon. It means that those who were exiled or pardoned had all committed offenses punishable by one of the five punishments. Those who committed unintentional errors could be granted amnesty. Sheng means an error or mistake. Zai means a calamity or disaster. Si means to lose control or commit an error. It means that unintentional errors and accidental misdeeds should be forgiven. Those who persisted in criminal acts despite knowing they would face punishment, Hu means to rely on or persist in wrongdoing despite amnesty or pardon. those who ultimately became violent and harmful should be punished. Gong Gong was exiled to You Zhou. Gong Gong is Qiong Qi. You Zhou refers to the northern frontier region. Huandou was banished to Chong Shan. Huandou is Hundi, and Chong Shan refers to the southern frontier region. The San Miao were exiled to San Wei. San Miao is a name of a state or people. They were descendants of the Jin Yun Shi, who became feudal lords and were known by the title Taotie. San Wei refers to the western frontier region. Gun was executed at Yu Shan. Gun is Taowu. Ji means to execute or punish severely. Yu Shan refers to the eastern frontier region. With these four criminals punished, all under heaven submitted willingly. This praises Shun's conduct and thus records the effectiveness of his governance. After twenty-eight years, Fang Xun passed away; the people mourned him as they would their own parents. For three years, throughout the four seas, all eight kinds of music were ceased. E means to stop or cease completely. Mi means to stop or halt. When Yao passed away, the people mourned as if they had lost their parents; all musical instruments and performances were ceased. Shun went to Wen Zu, consulted the Four Yue, and opened the four gates. Opening the four gates of all directions to widely invite virtuous people. Clarify the four directions with one's vision. Meaning to clearly observe in all four directions. Extend the four ears of hearing. In this text, "ting" is used as a variant for "en."Meaning that one's listening reaches all directions. Those who can pacify distant lands will also be able to pacify nearby regions. One who can bring peace to the far reaches is capable of bringing peace to close ones as well. If one cannot bring peace to those nearby, then they will not be able to bring peace to distant regions either. They cultivated virtue and upheld the fundamental principles of morality. What is cherished and respected most is virtue. That which one believes in and acts upon is goodness. liğinde And they found it difficult to tolerate flatterers. Ren means a sycophant or flatterer here. Fluent and persuasive words easily please the ears and eyes, but they are difficult to refute with reason. The southern and northern barbarians all submitted willingly. Faraway regions had no one who did not submit, and nearby areas had no one who was not at peace. After three years of evaluation, after three such assessments, officials were either demoted or promoted based on their performance in both obscure and clear matters. Chu means to demote or remove from office. Zhi means to promote or elevate. Every three years, officials' performances were assessed; after nine years and three assessments, those who remained obscure and without achievement were demoted, while those who demonstrated clarity and accomplishment were promoted. All endeavors flourished harmoniously. After nine years and three evaluations, all public works and achievements thrived. | ||
| 4 | 尚书: | 曰若稽古大禹。曰：后克艰厥后，臣克艰厥臣，政乃乂，黎民敏德。敏，疾也。能知为君之难，为臣不易，则其政治，而衆民皆疾修德也。 |
| Saying: "If we investigate the ancient deeds of Great Yu." It says: When a ruler can bear hardships for his people, and when ministers can endure difficulties for their ruler, then governance will be orderly, and the common people will become responsive to virtue. Min means quick or prompt. If one understands the difficulty of being a ruler and recognizes how challenging it is to be a minister, then governance will become orderly, and all the people will eagerly cultivate virtue. | ||
| 5 | 尚书: | 帝曰：兪，允若兹，嘉言罔攸伏，野无遗贤，万邦咸宁，攸，所也。嘉言无所伏，言必用也。如此，则贤材在位，天下安也。稽于衆，舍己从人，弗虐无吿，弗废困穷，惟帝时克。帝谓尧也。舜因嘉言无所伏，遂称尧德以成其义，考衆从人，矜孤愍穷，凡人所轻，圣人所重也。 |
| The emperor said: "Yes, if indeed it is like this, then excellent words will find no place to be hidden; there will be no virtuous person left in the countryside; and all nations will enjoy peace." You means 'where' or 'at a certain place'. "Excellent words have nowhere to hide"—this means that such words will certainly be put into use. In this way, virtuous talents would hold positions of authority and the world would enjoy peace. Investigate among the people, set aside one's own views to follow others', do not oppress those with no recourse, and do not abandon those in hardship; only then can a ruler truly succeed. "Di" refers to Emperor Yao here. Shun, because of the principle that excellent words have nowhere to be hidden, praised Yao's virtue in order to complete his meaning. By consulting the people and following their will, showing compassion for orphans and those in poverty—what ordinary people regard as trivial is what a sage values most highly. | ||
| 6 | 尚书: | 益曰：都，帝德广运，乃圣乃神，乃武乃文，益因舜言又美尧也。广谓所覆者大，运谓所及者远，圣无不通，神妙无方，文经纬天地，武定祸乱也。皇天眷命，奄有四海，为天下君。言尧有此德，故为天所命，所以勉舜也。 |
| Yi said: "Yes, the virtue of the emperor is vast and far-reaching; he was both sage and divine, both martial and literary." Yi followed Shun's words to further praise Yao. "Vast" means his virtue encompassed a great expanse; "far-reaching" means its influence extended to distant places. A sage has no knowledge he cannot grasp, and a divine ruler acts with wondrous effectiveness without fixed methods. His literary achievements regulate the heavens and earth, while his martial prowess brings stability in times of calamity and disorder. The great Heaven bestows its favor; he encompasses all four seas and becomes the ruler of the world. This means that because Yao possessed such virtue, Heaven decreed him as its chosen ruler; this was said to encourage Shun. | ||
| 7 | 尚书: | 禹曰：惠迪吉，从逆凶，惟影响。迪，道也。顺道吉，从逆凶，吉凶之报，若影之随形，响之应声，言不虚。 |
| Yu said: "Following the path of virtue brings good fortune; following the path of rebellion brings misfortune—this is as certain as an echo follows a sound." Di means way or path. Following the right path brings good fortune, while following rebellion brings misfortune; the rewards and punishments of good or evil are as certain as a shadow follows a form or an echo responds to sound—this saying is not empty. | ||
| 8 | 尚书: | 益曰：吁，戒哉。敬戒无虞，罔失法度，罔游于逸，罔淫于乐，淫，过也。游逸过乐，败德之源，富贵所忽，故特以为戒也。任贤勿贰，去邪勿疑，疑谋勿成，百志惟熙，一意任贤，果于去邪，疑则勿行，道义所存于心者日以广也。罔违道以干百姓之誉，干，求也。失道求名，古人贱之也。罔咈百姓以从己之欲，咈，戾也。专欲难成，犯衆兴祸，故戒也。无怠无荒，四夷来王。言天子常戒慎，无怠惰荒废，则四夷归往之也。 |
| Yi said: "Ah, how cautious one must be!" With reverence and caution, there will be no unforeseen dangers; laws and regulations will not be violated; one should not indulge in idleness or excess in pleasures. Yin means to go beyond moderation or excess. Idleness and excessive indulgence in pleasure are the root causes of moral decline; they are often overlooked by those who are wealthy or powerful, hence this warning is especially emphasized. Appoint virtuous people without hesitation, remove the wicked without doubt; if there is any uncertainty about a plan, do not proceed. With these principles in place, all endeavors will flourish. Have single-minded faith in appointing the worthy, decisively eliminate evil, and if uncertain, take no action—thus, one's inner sense of righteousness and principle will grow ever broader. Do not violate the right way in order to seek praise from the common people. Gan means to seek or pursue. Losing one's principles for the sake of reputation is something ancient sages despised. Do not go against the will of the people to satisfy one's own desires. Fu means to violate or defy. Selfish desires are hard to fulfill, and defying the masses invites disaster; hence this warning. Without idleness or neglect, the four barbarian regions will come to pay homage. This means that if a Son of Heaven constantly remains cautious and does not become idle or neglectful, then the four barbarian regions will submit to him. | ||
| 9 | 尚书: | 禹曰：于，帝念哉。德惟善政，政在养民，水，火，金，木，土，谷，惟修，言养民之本，在先修六府也。正德，利用，厚生，惟和，正德以率下，利用以阜财，厚生以养民，三者和，所谓善政也。九功惟序，九序惟歌，言六府三事之功，有次序，皆可歌乐，乃德政之致。戒之用休，董之用威，劝之以九歌，俾勿坏。休，美也。董，督也。言善政之道，美以戒之，威以督之，歌以劝之，使政勿坏，在此三者也。 |
| Yu said: "Ah, how mindful our emperor is!" Virtue lies in good governance, and governance is about nurturing the people. Water, fire, metal, wood, earth, and grain must all be properly maintained. This means that the foundation of nurturing the people lies first in cultivating these six elements or resources. Upholding virtue, utilizing resources effectively, and enriching the people's lives—these must be in harmony. Correcting one's virtue to lead subordinates, using resources wisely to increase wealth, and providing for a rich life to nurture the people; when these three are harmonized, this is what constitutes good governance. The nine functions must be in order, and when the nine orders are properly arranged, they become songs of praise. This means that achievements related to the six resources and three responsibilities, if well-ordered, can all be celebrated with music and joy—this is the result of virtuous governance. Inspire them through rewards, supervise them through authority, encourage them with the Nine Songs, so that they do not fall into disorder. Xiu means beauty or excellence. Dong means to supervise or oversee. This means that the way of good governance is to inspire through beauty, supervise through authority, and encourage through songs; ensuring that governance does not fall into disorder depends on these three aspects. | ||
| 10 | 尚书: | 帝曰：兪，地平天成，六府三事允治，万世永赖，时乃功。水土治曰平，五行叙曰成，因禹陈九功而叹美之，言是汝之功也。 |
| The emperor said: "Yes, the land is level and the heavens harmonious; the six resources and three responsibilities are indeed well governed. The people of all generations will forever rely on this—this is your achievement." When water and earth are properly managed, it is called "level"; when the five elements are in order, it is called "harmonious." The emperor praises this by referring to Yu's presentation of the nine functions, saying that this is your achievement. | ||
| 11 | 尚书: | 帝曰：咎繇，惟兹臣庶，罔或干予正，或，有也。无有干我正，言顺命也。汝作士，明于五刑，以弼五教，期于予治，欲其能以刑辅教，当于治体也。刑期于无刑，民协于中，时乃功，懋哉。虽或行刑，以杀止杀，终无犯者，刑期于无所刑，民皆合于大中，是汝之功勉之也。 |
| The emperor said: "Jiuyao, as for these ministers and common people, none dare to defy my principles." Huo means 'some' or 'any'. No one dares to oppose my just rule—this is what it means to obey the mandate. You shall serve as an official, clear in the five punishments, to assist in the Five Teachings, aiming for my governance. This expresses a desire that you be able to use punishment to support education and align with the principles of good governance. Punishments should aim for no need for punishments; when the people harmonize with the mean, this is your achievement—how great it is! Even if punishments are occasionally carried out, they should be used to stop violence and ultimately prevent any further offenses. The aim of punishment is for there to be no need for it; when the people all align with the great mean, this will be your achievement—strive diligently! | ||
| 12 | 尚书: | 咎繇曰：帝德罔諐，临下以简，御衆以宽，諐，过也。善则归君，人臣之义也。罚弗及嗣，赏延于世，嗣亦世也。延，及也。父子罪不相及也。而及其赏，道德之政也。宥过无大，刑故无小，过误所犯，虽大必宥，不忌故犯，虽小必刑也。罪疑惟轻，功疑惟重，刑疑附轻，赏疑从重，忠厚至也。与其杀弗辜，宁失不经，好生之德，洽于民心，兹用弗犯于有司。咎繇因帝勉己，遂称帝之德，所以明民不犯上也。宁失不常之罪，不枉不辜之善，仁爱之道也。 |
| Jiuyao said: "The emperor's virtue is without fault; he governs the people with simplicity and rules the multitude with leniency." Qian means mistake or error. When good deeds are attributed to the ruler, this is the duty of a subject. Punishments do not extend to descendants, while rewards last through generations. Si also means generation or lineage. Yan means to reach or extend to. The crimes of father and son do not involve each other. But rewards can extend to them—this is governance through virtue and morality. Forgive no matter how great the mistake, punish no matter how small the intentional offense. If a person commits an error unintentionally, even if it is serious, they must be forgiven; but for deliberate offenses, even minor ones, punishment is necessary. When there is doubt about a crime, err on the side of leniency; when there is doubt about merit, err on the side of generosity. In cases of doubtful punishment, choose the lighter penalty; in cases of doubtful reward, give the greater one—this reflects loyalty and kindness at its highest. Better to spare an innocent person than wrongly execute someone; better to let a case go unaddressed if it lacks clear precedent. The virtue of cherishing life will resonate with the people's hearts, and thus they will not dare to commit offenses before officials. Jiuyao, inspired by the emperor's encouragement of himself, then praises the emperor's virtue; this is to clarify that the people do not defy their superiors. Better to lose a case of an unusual crime than wrongfully punish an innocent good person—this is the way of benevolence and love. | ||
| 13 | 尚书: | 帝曰：来，禹，汝惟弗矜，天下莫与汝争能，汝惟弗伐，天下莫与汝争功，自贤曰矜，自功曰伐，言禹推善让人而不失其能，不有其劳而不失其功，所以能绝衆人也。人心惟危，道心惟微，惟精惟一，允执厥中，危则难安，微则难明，故戒以精一，信执其中也。无稽之言勿听，弗询之谋勿庸，无考，无信验也。不询，专独也。终必无成，故戒勿听用也。可爱非君，可畏非民，衆非元后何戴，后非衆罔与守邦，庶民以君为命，故可爱，君失道，民叛之，故可畏，言衆戴君以自存，君恃衆以守国，相须而成也。惟口出好兴戎，朕言弗再。好谓赏善，戎谓伐恶，言口荣辱之主，虑而宣之，成于一也。 |
| The emperor said: "Come, Yu. As long as you do not consider yourself superior, no one in the world will rival your ability; and if you do not boast of your achievements, no one will rival your accomplishments." To regard oneself as virtuous is called jin; to take credit for one's achievements is called fa. This means that Yu attributes virtue to others while still demonstrating his abilities, and does not claim personal merit yet retains the credit—this is why he surpasses all others. The human heart is perilous; the Way's principle is subtle. Only by being refined and united can one truly uphold the mean. Peril makes it hard to find peace, subtlety makes it difficult to understand clearly—thus one must be warned to pursue refinement and unity, and firmly hold to the middle path. Do not listen to baseless words; do not employ plans that have not been consulted with others. Wu kao means without verification or proof. Bu xun means acting alone, without seeking advice. It will ultimately lead to no success; therefore, one is warned not to listen or use such things. A beloved ruler is not one who rules by himself; a feared people are not those who act alone. The masses, without the Son of Heaven, have no one to follow; and the Son of Heaven, without the masses, has no support in governing the state. Common people regard their ruler as their life's source, hence he is beloved; but if the ruler loses virtue, the people will rebel—hence they are feared. This means that the people rely on a ruler for their own survival, and the ruler depends on the people to protect the nation; both depend on each other to achieve success. Words can bring peace or provoke war—this I shall not say again. "Hao" refers to rewarding the virtuous, and "rong" refers to punishing the wicked. Words are the source of honor or disgrace; one must deliberate before speaking, so that words may be unified in their effect. | ||
| 14 | 尚书: | 帝曰：咨，禹，惟时有苗弗率，汝徂征。三苗之民，数干王诛，率，循也。徂，往也。不循帝道，言乱逆也。命禹讨之。 |
| The emperor said: "Cui, Yu! At this time, the Youmiao people do not follow our lead; you must go and campaign against them." The Youmiao people have repeatedly defied royal punishment. Lü means to follow or obey. Cu means to go or proceed. Not following the emperor's way—this refers to rebellion and disorder. The emperor ordered Yu to punish them. | ||
| 15 | 尚书: | 禹乃会羣后誓于师曰：济济有衆，咸听朕命，会诸侯共伐有苗也。军旅曰誓，济济，衆盛之貌也。蠢兹有苗，昏迷弗恭，蠢，动也。昏，暗也。言其所以宜讨也。侮嫚自贤，反道败德，狎侮先王，轻嫚典教，反正道败德义也。君子在野，小人在位，废仁贤，任奸佞。民弃弗保，天降之咎，言民叛之，天灾之也。肆予以尔衆士，奉词伐罪，肆，故也。尔尚一乃心力，其克有勋。 |
| Yu then convened the feudal lords and swore an oath to his troops, saying: "Here is a great assembly of people; all must heed my command." This means Yu gathered the feudal lords together to jointly campaign against Youmiao. A military oath is called a "shi"; Ji ji describes the grand and imposing presence of a large crowd. These Youmiao people are reckless, confused, and disrespectful. Chun means to move or stir up trouble. Hun means darkness or ignorance. This explains why they should be punished. They belittle others and consider themselves superior, going against the Way and corrupting virtue. They mock former kings and lightly regard traditional teachings; this is to oppose the right path and destroy moral principles. When virtuous men are in obscurity while wicked men hold office, this means that benevolence and virtue have been abandoned, and villains and sycophants are being appointed. The people abandon them without protection; Heaven brings down punishment upon them. This means the people rebel against them, and Heaven inflicts calamity as well. Therefore, I will lead your soldiers to carry out a righteous cause and punish their crimes. Si means "therefore" or "thus." You must unite your hearts and strength, so that you may achieve great merit. | ||
| 16 | 尚书: | 三旬，有苗民逆命。益赞于禹曰：惟德动天，无远弗届，满招损，谦受益，时乃天道，自满者，人损之，自谦者，人益之，是天道之常。至诚诚作諴感神，矧兹有苗。至和感神，况有苗也。言易感也。 |
| After thirty days, the Youmiao people defied the command. Yi advised Yu, saying: "Only virtue moves Heaven; no distance is too far. Arrogance invites loss, while humility brings benefit—this is the Way of Heaven." Those who are conceited will be harmed by others; those who are humble will receive help from others—this is a constant principle of Heaven's way. Sincere Cheng as Xian devotion can move the gods; how much more so for these Youmiao people! The utmost harmony moves the gods—how much more so in the case of Youmiao. This means it is easy to move them. | ||
| 17 | 尚书: | 禹拜昌言曰：兪，班师振旅，以益言为当，故拜受遂班师，兵入曰振旅，言整衆也。帝乃诞敷文德，远人不服，大布文德以来之也。儛干羽于两阶，七旬，有苗格。讨而不服，不讨自来，明御之必有道也。 |
| Yu bowed in approval and said: "Yes, let us return our troops to their ranks." Because Yi's words were deemed appropriate, Yu bowed in acceptance and thus ordered the retreat. Marching back with one's forces is called Zhenlv; it means to organize the troops. The emperor then widely spread his cultural virtue. To bring distant people under submission, he extensively promoted moral and cultural influence to attract them. He performed the ritual dance with shields and feathers on both sides of the court; after seventy days, Youmiao submitted. Even when attacked, they did not submit; without attack, they came on their own—this shows that governing them must have been done with the right method. | ||
| 18 | 尚书: | 咎繇曰：允迪厥德，谟明弼谐。迪，蹈，厥，其也。其，古人，谟，谋也。言人君当信蹈行古人之德，谋广聪明以辅谐其政也。 |
| Jiuyao said: "Truly follow virtue, and plan wisely to assist in harmony." Di means to tread or follow; Jue means its or their. Qi refers to the ancients, and Mo means plan or strategy. This means a ruler should trust in and follow the virtue of ancient people, devise broad strategies to enhance wisdom, and thereby assist in harmonizing his governance. | ||
| 19 | 尚书: | 禹曰：兪，如何，然其言问所以行也。咎繇曰：都，慎厥身修思永，叹美之重也。慎修其身，思为长久之道也。敦叙九族，庶明厉翼，迩可远在兹。言慎修其身，厚次叙九族，则衆庶皆明其教而自勉厉，翼戴上命，迩可推而远者，在此道也。 |
| Yu said: "Yes, how so?" Accepting what he had said, he asked for the method of implementation. Jiuyao said: "Du! Be cautious in cultivating your own virtue and think always with enduring care." This is a deep expression of praise. Be careful to cultivate oneself, and consider the way for lasting success. Cultivate harmony among the nine clans; let the multitude be enlightened and inspired—those nearby can become those far away, right here. This means that by being cautious in cultivating oneself and fostering harmony among the nine clans, all people will understand their teachings and encourage themselves to improve, supporting and obeying Heaven's mandate. Those nearby can be extended to those far away—this is achieved through this principle. | ||
| 20 | 尚书: | 禹拜昌言曰：兪，以咎繇言为当，故拜受而然之。咎繇曰：都在知人，在安民。叹修身亲亲之道，在知人所信任，在能安民也。 |
| Yu bowed in approval and said: "Yes," because he considered Jiuyao's words to be appropriate, so he bowed in acceptance and affirmed them. Jiuyao said: "The key lies in knowing people and in pacifying the people." This expresses admiration for the way of cultivating oneself and cherishing one's kin, which lies in knowing whom to trust and being able to pacify the people. | ||
| 21 | 尚书: | 禹曰：吁，咸若时，惟帝其难之，言帝尧亦以知人安民为难也。知人则哲，能官人，安民则惠，黎民怀之，哲，知也。无所不知，故能官人，惠，爱也。爱则民归之也。能哲而惠，何忧乎驩兜，何迁乎有苗，何畏乎巧言令色孔壬。孔，甚也。壬，佞也。巧言，静言庸违也。令色，象恭滔天也。禹言有苗驩兜之徒，甚佞如此，尧畏其乱政，故迁放之也。 |
| Yu said: "Ah, if all can follow this path, even the emperor would find it difficult," meaning that Emperor Yao also found knowing people and pacifying the people to be a challenge. Knowing people is wisdom; being able to appoint officials properly is virtue. Pacifying the people is benevolence, and when this is done, the common people will cherish it. Zhe means knowledge or wisdom. To know all things thoroughly is why one can appoint officials properly; Hui means love and kindness. When there is love, the people will return to you. With wisdom and benevolence, what need is there to worry about Huan Dou? What need is there to exile Youmiao? And what fear should one have of those who speak flatteringly with handsome faces and great cunning? Kong means very or extremely. Ren means flattery or sycophancy. Flattering words mean speaking softly while acting contrary to one's words. A handsome appearance means outwardly respectful but inwardly arrogant and defiant of Heaven itself. Yu said that the Youmiao, Huan Dou, and their followers were extremely cunning like this; Emperor Yao feared they would disrupt governance, so he exiled them. | ||
| 22 | 尚书: | 咎繇曰：都，亦行有九德，言人性行有九德，以考察真僞，则可知也。宽而栗，性宽弘而能庄栗也。柔而立，和柔而能立事。愿而恭，慤愿而恭恪也。乱而敬，乱，治也。有治而能谨敬也。扰而毅，扰，顺也。致果为毅也。直而温，行正直而气温和也。简而廉，性简大而有廉隅也。刚而塞，刚断而实塞也。强而义，无所屈挠，动必合义。彰厥有常，吉哉。彰，明也。吉，善也。明九德之常以择人而官之，则政之善也。 |
| Jiuyao said: "Du! There are also nine virtues in conduct," meaning that human nature and behavior contain these nine virtues, which can be used to examine truth or falsehood—thus one can know them. Broad-minded yet solemn; a nature that is expansive and magnanimous, yet capable of dignity and seriousness. Gentle yet resolute; harmonious and gentle but able to accomplish things. Sincere yet respectful; sincere and earnest, yet reverent and conscientious. Orderly yet respectful; Luan here means governance or order. One who governs well and is able to remain cautious and reverent. Compliant yet resolute; Rao means compliance or adaptability. To achieve results is to be resolute. Upright yet gentle; conducting oneself with integrity while maintaining a warm and mild disposition. Simple yet upright; a nature that is straightforward and broad-minded, yet possesses moral principles and integrity. Strong yet thorough; firm in decision-making while being practical and comprehensive. Resolute yet righteous; unyielding to pressure, always acting in accordance with righteousness. Displaying these consistent virtues—how auspicious! Zhang means to display or make clear. Ji means good fortune or goodness. Clarifying the constant principles of the Nine Virtues to select people and assign them official positions is the goodness of governance. | ||
| 23 | 尚书: | 九德咸事，俊乂在官，使九德之人皆用事，则俊德治能之士并在官也。百僚师师，百工惟时，僚工皆官也。师师，相师法也。百官皆是，言政无非也。庶绩其凝，凝，成也。言百事功皆成也。无教逸欲有邦，不为逸豫贪欲之教，是有国者之常也。兢兢业业，一日二日万几，兢兢，戒慎，业业，危惧，戒惧万事微也。无旷庶官，天工人其代之，旷，空也。位非其人为空官，言人代天理官，不可以天官私非其才也。政事懋哉。言无非天意者，故人君居天官，听政治事，不可以不自勉也。 |
| All nine virtues are put into practice, and virtuous and capable officials hold office; when people embodying the Nine Virtues all take on responsibilities, then those with virtue and ability will be in official positions. All officials are exemplary, and all craftsmen act at the right time; Liao and Gong both refer to officials or workers in official positions. Shishi means learning from one another through mutual instruction and example. All officials are like this, meaning governance is without fault. The achievements of the people will be consolidated; Ning means consolidation or accomplishment. This indicates that all endeavors and accomplishments are achieved. Do not teach idleness, indulgence, or greed; this is the norm for those who rule a nation. With utmost vigilance and diligence, handling myriad affairs each day; Jingjing means cautiousness, Yeye means a sense of danger and fear, referring to being alert to the subtle details in countless matters. Do not leave any official post vacant; Heaven's work is carried out by those who take their place; Kuang means empty or unoccupied. When the position is not held by a suitable person, it becomes an empty office; this means that people serve as Heaven's agents in managing official posts and must not be given to those lacking talent. How great are the affairs of governance! This means that since there is nothing in governance that does not align with Heaven's will, the ruler must occupy Heaven's office and listen to political affairs, thus cannot fail to motivate himself. | ||
| 24 | 尚书: | 帝曰：吁，臣哉邻哉。邻哉臣哉。禹曰：兪。邻，近也。言君臣道近，相须而成也。 |
| The emperor said: "Ah, how loyal are my ministers!" How close they are! How loyal they are! Yu said: "Yes." Lin means proximity or closeness. This indicates that the relationship between ruler and minister is close, relying on each other to achieve success. | ||
| 25 | 尚书: | 帝曰：臣作朕股肱耳目，言大体若身也。予欲左右有民，汝翼，左右，助也。助我所有之民，富而教之，汝翼成我也。予欲观古人之象，欲观示法象之服制也。以五采彰施于五色作服，汝明，天子服日月以下，诸侯自龙衮以下，上得兼下，下不得僭上，以五采明施于五色，作尊卑之服，汝明制之也。予欲闻六律五声八音，以出纳五言，汝听，言欲以六律和声音，出纳仁义礼智信五德之言，施于民以成化，汝当听审之。予违，汝弼，汝无面从，退有后言。我违道，汝当以义辅正我，无得面从我违，退后言我不可弼也。 |
| The emperor said: "Ministers are my arms, legs, ears, and eyes," meaning the state is like one's own body. "I wish to assist the people on all sides; you must support me," Zuo You means assistance or aid. Help the people I have, enrich and educate them—you must assist in completing my mission. "I wish to observe the symbols of ancient sages," meaning I want to examine the ceremonial dress and systems that symbolize laws and examples. Using the five colors, distinguish them with the five dyes to create ceremonial robes; you must understand clearly," The Son of Heaven wears robes adorned with sun and moon symbols downward, while feudal lords wear dragon robes downward. Higher ranks may include lower rank symbols, but lower ranks must not overstep higher ones. The five dyes are distinctly applied to the five colors to establish hierarchical attire; you must clearly formulate these regulations. "I wish to understand the Six Laws, Five Tones, and Eight Sounds, to regulate the five virtues in speech; you must listen carefully," meaning I want to use the Six Laws to harmonize sounds, regulate expressions of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and faithfulness—the five moral virtues—and apply them to the people for transformation; you should attentively discern this. If I am wrong, you must advise me; do not merely agree in person and then speak differently afterward. If I deviate from the right path, you should assist me with righteousness; do not outwardly agree with my wrongdoings and later say that I cannot be corrected. | ||
| 26 | 尚书: | 禹曰：兪哉。万邦黎献，共惟帝臣，惟帝时举，敷纳以言，明庶以功，车服以庸，献，贤也。万国衆贤共为帝臣，帝举是而用之，使陈布其言，明之皆以功大小为差，以车服旌其能用之也。谁敢弗让，敢弗敬应，上唯贤是用，则下皆敬应上命而让善也。帝弗时，敷同日奏罔功。帝用臣不是，则远近布同，而日进于无功，以贤愚并位，优劣共流故也。 |
| Yu said: "Yes." From all the states, the virtuous and talented people contribute as your ministers; you must appoint them at the right time. Recommend them through words, distinguish among the many by their achievements, and bestow carriages and ceremonial robes according to their service; Xian means virtue or talent. The virtuous people from all the nations serve as your ministers. You appoint and use them, allowing them to present their words, distinguishing among them according to the magnitude of their achievements, and using carriages and ceremonial robes to honor those who are capable and employed. Who would dare not yield, or dare not respectfully respond? When the ruler uses only the virtuous, those below will all respect and obey his commands while yielding to goodness. If the emperor does not act at the right time, then even if many people present themselves on the same day, there will be no achievement. If the emperor appoints ministers improperly, then near and far will spread uniformity, with people daily advancing without merit. This is because virtuous and foolish individuals occupy positions together, and superior and inferior ones flow as one. | ||
| 27 | 尚书: | 无若丹朱奡，惟慢游是好，丹朱，尧子，举以戒也。傲虐是作，罔昼夜頟頟，傲戏而为虐，无昼夜常頟頟，肆恶不休息也。罔水行舟，朋淫于家，用殄厥世，朋，羣也。丹朱习于无水陆地行舟，言无度也。羣淫于家，妻妾乱也。用是绝其世，不得嗣也。帝其念哉。 |
| Do not be like Danzhu or Ao, who only liked idleness and indulgence; Danzhu was Yao's son. He is cited here as a warning example. They created arrogance and cruelty, acting recklessly day and night; they acted with arrogance and cruelty without rest, indulging in evil ceaselessly. They did not know how to navigate the waters of governance, gathering in groups for licentiousness at home, thus bringing about the destruction of their dynasty; Peng means a group or assembly. Danzhu was accustomed to traveling like a boat on land and water without direction, meaning he had no restraint or limits. Gathering in groups for licentious behavior at home refers to the disorder of concubines and wives. Thus, their dynasty was cut off, and they could not continue as successors. The emperor should remember this well. | ||
| 28 | 尚书: | 夔曰：于，予击石拊石，百兽率儛，庶尹允谐，尹，正也。衆正官之长，信皆和谐，言神人治也。始于任贤，立政以礼，治成以乐，所以致太平也。帝庸作歌曰：敕天之命，惟时惟几，敕，正也。奉正天命以临民，惟在顺时，惟在慎微也。乃歌曰：股肱喜哉。元首起哉。百工熙哉。元首，君也。股肱之臣，喜乐尽忠，君之治功乃起，百官之业乃广也。 |
| Kui said: "Ah, I strike the stone and pat the stone, and all beasts follow in dance. The officials will surely harmonize," Yin means to govern or regulate. The leaders of the many upright officials, indeed all in harmony—this speaks of divine and human governance working together. It begins with appointing the virtuous, establishes governance through propriety, achieves order through music—this is how peace and prosperity are attained. The emperor composed a song saying: "Uphold Heaven's mandate, be mindful of the right time and subtle signs," Chi means to correct or regulate. Upholding the righteous mandate of Heaven to govern the people, it lies only in following the right time and being cautious about small matters. He then sang: "How joyful are my arms and legs!" The head of the body has arisen! All officials work diligently! Yuanshou means the ruler. When loyal ministers of arms and legs are joyful and devoted, the ruler's achievements in governance begin to flourish, and the duties of all officials expand. | ||
| 29 | 尚书: | 咎繇拜手稽首。乃赓载歌曰：元首明哉。股肱良哉。庶事康哉。赓，续也。载，成也。帝歌归美股肱，义未足，故续歌先君后臣，衆事乃安，以成其义也。又歌曰：元首丛脞哉。股肱惰哉。万事堕哉。丛脞，细碎无大略也。君如此则臣懈惰，万事堕废，其功不成，歌以申戒也。 |
| Jiuyao bowed with clasped hands and kowtowed respectfully. Then he continued the song, saying: "How enlightened is our ruler!" How virtuous are his ministers! All affairs are at peace! Geng means to continue or follow. Zai means completion or accomplishment. The emperor's song praises the ruler and his ministers, but its meaning is not yet complete; thus, he continues singing about the former ruler and later subjects so that all affairs may be at peace and fulfill their moral purpose. He sang again: "How diligent is our ruler!" How lazy are his ministers! All matters have fallen into disorder! Congcuo means being preoccupied with trivialities and lacking grand strategy. If the ruler is like this, his ministers will become lax and idle, leading to all matters being neglected and abandoned; thus, achievements cannot be accomplished. This song serves as a warning. | ||
| 30 | 尚书: | 帝拜曰：兪，钦哉。拜受其歌，戒羣臣自今已往敬职也。 |
| The emperor bowed and said: "Yes, I will take this with great respect." He bowed to accept the song as a warning to all ministers from now on to perform their duties with reverence. | ||
| 31 | 尚书: | 太康尸位以逸豫，啓，子也。尸，主也。以尊位为逸豫，不勤也。灭厥德，黎民咸贰，君丧其德，则衆民二心也。乃盘游无度，盘乐游逸，无法度也。畋于有洛之表，十旬弗反。洛水表也。 |
| Taikang neglected his duties and indulged in idleness; Qi was the son of Yu. Shi means to hold a position or be in charge. Treating the exalted position as an opportunity for idleness and indulgence is not diligence. He destroyed his virtue, causing the people to all become disloyal; When a ruler loses his virtue, the common people will lose faith and develop divided loyalties. He indulged in leisure without restraint; to indulge in pleasure and idleness without rules or limits. He hunted beyond the borders of Youluo, remaining away for ten months without returning. The area beyond the Luo River. | ||
| 32 | 尚书: | 有穷后羿因民弗忍，拒于河。有穷，国名，羿，诸侯名也。拒太康于河，遂废之也。 |
| Yongqiong Houyi, taking advantage of the people's resentment, resisted him at the Yellow River. Youqiong is a state name; Yi was the name of a feudal lord. He resisted Taikang at the river and thus deposed him. | ||
| 33 | 尚书: | 厥弟五人，御其母以从，御，侍，言从畋也。俟于洛之汭，五子咸怨，待太康，怨其久畋失国也。述大禹之戒以作歌。述，循也。 |
| His five younger brothers, accompanied by their mother, followed along; Yu means to serve or attend, meaning they followed him on the hunting expedition. They waited at the bend of the Luo River; all five sons were resentful; waiting for Taikang, they resented his prolonged hunting and loss of the throne. They composed a song recalling the warnings of Great Yu. Shu means to follow or recount. | ||
| 34 | 尚书: | 其一曰：民惟邦本，本固邦宁，言人君当固民以安国也。予视天下愚夫愚妇，一能胜予，言能敬畏小民，所以得衆心也。怨岂在明，不见是图，不见是谋，备其微也。予临兆民，廪乎若朽索之驭六马，廪，危貌也。朽，腐也。腐索御马，言危惧甚也。为人上者，奈何弗敬。能敬则不骄，在上不骄，则高而不危也。 |
| The first one said: "The people are the foundation of a state; when the foundation is solid, the state will be at peace," meaning rulers should consolidate the well-being of the people to ensure national stability. I see that even the most foolish men and women in the world can surpass me, meaning to respect and revere common people is how one gains their hearts. Resentment does not lie in the obvious; it must be guarded against even when unseen, meaning one should plan for hidden dangers and remain vigilant about subtle threats. I govern the multitude of people as if guiding six horses with a frayed rope; Lin describes a state of danger or precariousness. Xiu means decayed or rotten. Guiding horses with a decaying rope—this conveys an intense sense of danger and caution. As those in positions of authority, how can one fail to be reverent? To be reverent is to avoid arrogance. When those above are not arrogant, they remain lofty yet secure and unthreatened. | ||
| 35 | 尚书: | 其二曰：训有之，内作色荒，外作禽荒，迷乱曰荒。甘酒嗜音，峻宇雕墙，有一于此，未或弗亡，此六者有一，必亡，况兼有乎。其三曰：惟彼陶唐，有此冀方，陶唐，帝尧氏，都冀州也。今失厥道，乱其纪纲，乃底灭亡，言失尧之道，乱其法制，自致亡灭也。其四曰：明明我祖，万邦之君，有典有则，贻厥子孙，典，谓经籍也。则，法也。荒堕厥绪，覆宗绝祀，言古制存而太康失其业以亡也。其五曰：乌宓曷归，予怀之悲，曷，何也。言思而悲也。万世仇予，予将畴依，仇，怨也。言当依谁以复国乎。郁陶乎予心，顔厚有忸怩，郁陶，言哀思也。顔厚，色愧，忸怩，心惭也。惭愧于仁人贤士也。弗慎厥德，虽悔可追。言人君行己，不慎其德，以速灭败，虽欲改悔，其可追及乎。言无益也。 |
| The second one said: "There is a teaching that says, internally indulging in lust and beauty, externally indulging in hunting," Huang means being lost or confused. Loving wine and music, building lofty halls with carved walls—any one of these is enough to bring about ruin; if any one of the six exists, destruction is inevitable. How much more so if all are present? The third one said: "Only the Tao Tang, who ruled this Ji region," Tao Tang refers to Emperor Yao; he was based in Jizhou. Now they have lost their way, disrupting the order and discipline, thus leading to destruction. This means losing Yao's principles and disordering laws and systems leads inevitably to self-inflicted ruin. The fourth one said: "Clearly, our ancestors were rulers of myriad states; they had established standards and precedents to pass on to their descendants," Dian refers to classical texts or canonical works. Ze means law or rule. To neglect and abandon their legacy is to bring ruin upon the clan and end ancestral sacrifices. This means that although ancient institutions remained, Taikang lost his inheritance and thus perished. The fifth one said: "To whom can I return? My sorrow is deep," He means what or where. This expresses grief and longing. The whole world is my enemy; to whom can I turn for support? Chou means resentment or hatred. This asks who one should rely on in order to restore the state. My heart is filled with sorrow, my face flushed with shame and embarrassment; Yu Tao means expressing grief and lamentation. Yanhou refers to a shamed expression; Niu Ni refers to inner guilt or shame. This is the shame and regret felt toward benevolent men and virtuous scholars. Failing to be cautious in one's virtue, even if regret follows, it cannot undo what has been done. This means that when a ruler behaves without caution in cultivating virtue, it hastens ruin and downfall. Even if one wishes to repent later, can such losses be recovered? It is of no benefit. | ||
| 37 | 尚书: | 惟王弗迩声色，弗殖货利，迩，近也。德懋懋官，功懋懋赏，用人惟己，改过弗吝，勉于德者，则勉之以官，勉于功者，亦勉之以赏，用人之言，若自己出，有过则改，无所吝惜，所以能成王业者也。克宽克仁，彰信兆民。言汤宽仁之德，明信于天下也。 |
| Only a ruler who does not indulge in music and beauty, or pursue wealth and profit, Er means to be close to or near. Those who cultivate virtue should be honored with official positions; those who achieve merit should be rewarded accordingly. When employing people, one must act as if the words were one's own. When making mistakes, one must correct them without hesitation or regret. To encourage virtue is to reward it with office; to encourage achievement is to reward it in kind. To speak of using people as though one had said it oneself, and to correct errors without reluctance—this is how a ruler achieves great success. To be both broad-minded and benevolent, and thus demonstrate trustworthiness to the people. This refers to King Tang's virtue of kindness and benevolence, which was clearly trusted by all under heaven. | ||
| 38 | 尚书: | 乃葛伯仇饷，初征自葛，东征西夷怨，南征北狄怨，葛伯游行，见农民之饷于田者，杀其人，夺其饷，故谓之仇饷，仇，怨也。曰：奚独后予。怨者辞也。 |
| Then Ge Bo resented the offering of food, and so the first campaign began in Ge. Campaigns to the east provoked resentment among western tribes; campaigns to the south provoked resentment from northern tribes. Ge Bo roamed about and saw farmers bringing offerings to their fields. He killed one man and seized his offering, hence it was called "hating offerings." Chou means hatred or resentment. They said: "Why should we suffer because of me?" This is a statement expressing resentment. | ||
| 39 | 尚书: | 攸徂之民，室家相庆。曰：徯予后，后来其苏。汤所往之民。皆喜曰：待我君，君来其可苏息也。 |
| The people who departed in peace celebrated together with their families. They said: "Wait for our ruler; the ruler will come and bring us revival." The people who followed King Tang. They all rejoiced, saying: "Wait for our lord; when the lord comes, we will be revived and find rest." | ||
| 40 | 尚书: | 右贤辅德，显忠进良，贤则助之，德则辅之，忠则显之，良则进之，明王之道。推亡固存，邦乃其昌，有亡道则推而亡之，有存道则辅而固之，王者如此，国乃昌盛也。德日新，万邦惟怀，志自满，九族乃离。日新，不懈怠也。自满，志盈溢也。 |
| Support the virtuous, assist those of virtue, honor the loyal, and promote the capable. Assist the worthy; support the moral; honor the faithful; advance the competent—this is the way of a wise ruler. Eliminate the doomed and strengthen what is viable, and the state will flourish. If a regime follows destructive ways, it should be removed; if it follows constructive ways, it should be supported and strengthened. A wise ruler who acts thus brings about national prosperity. When virtue is renewed daily, all the states will look to you with affection; when one's ambition becomes self-satisfied, even close relatives will depart. Ri Xin means continuous renewal or unwavering diligence. Zi Man means self-satisfaction, when one's ambition overflows and becomes excessive. | ||
| 41 | 尚书: | 王懋昭大德，建中于民，以义制事，以礼制心，乖裕后昆，欲王自勉明大德，立大中之道于民，率义奉礼，垂优足之道示后世也。予闻曰：能自得师者王，求圣贤而事之。谓人莫己若者亡，自多足，人莫之益，己亡之道。好问则裕，自用则小。问则有得，所以足也。不问专固，所以小也。 |
| The king should diligently cultivate great virtue, establish the principle of balance among the people, govern affairs through righteousness, and regulate one's heart with propriety. This ensures harmony for future generations. This means the ruler should strive to clarify great virtue, set a model of balanced governance for the people, lead by righteousness and observe ritual, thus passing on an example of excellence to posterity. I have heard it said: "He who can find a teacher for himself will become king," meaning seeking out sages and scholars to serve as mentors. It is said that one who believes no one surpasses him will perish, boasting of his own sufficiency, others cannot help him—this is the path to self-destruction. Those who love to ask questions become broad-minded; those who rely solely on themselves remain narrow and limited. Asking leads to gains, hence the mind becomes full or sufficient. Not asking means clinging to one's own limited views—this is why one remains narrow-minded. | ||
| 42 | 尚书: | 乌宓，慎厥终，惟其始，靡不有初，鲜克有终，故戒慎终如其始也。殖有礼，覆昏暴，有礼者封殖之，昏暴者覆亡之。钦崇天道，永保天命。王者如此上事，则敬天安命之道也。 |
| Ah, be cautious of the end as you are of the beginning. Few things lack a start but few achieve a successful conclusion; thus one must remain vigilant at the end just as carefully as at the outset. Cultivate those who uphold propriety, and bring down those who are corrupt and tyrannical. Reward with promotion those who observe rites; bring about the downfall of those who are depraved and oppressive. Reverently uphold the way of Heaven, and forever preserve its mandate. A wise ruler who acts in this manner follows the path of revering Heaven and accepting one's destiny with peace. | ||
| 43 | 尚书: | 王归自克夏，至于亳，诞告万方，诞，大也。以天命大义告万方之衆人。曰：夏王灭德作威，以敷虐于尔万方百姓，夏桀灭道德，作威刑，以布行虐政于天下百官，言残酷也。肆台小子将天命明威，弗敢赦，其尔万方有罪，在予一人，自责化不至也。予一人有罪，无以尔万方，无用汝万方，言非所及也。乌宓，尚克时忱，乃亦有终。忱，诚也。庶几能是诚道，乃亦有终世之美也。 |
| The king returned from defeating Xia, arriving at Bo, and made a grand proclamation to all directions. Dan means great or grand. To announce the great principle of Heaven's mandate to the people in all regions. He said: "The Xia king destroyed virtue and wielded power, spreading oppression upon you, the people of all regions," King Jie of Xia destroyed morality, imposed harsh punishments, and enforced cruel policies across the land among officials—this refers to his brutality. "Therefore, I, this humble ruler, will enforce the mandate of Heaven and its authority without hesitation. If any among you in all regions have committed crimes, let it be upon me alone," This is a self-reproach for failing to bring about moral transformation. "If I, the ruler, have committed a crime, it is not your people of all regions who are to blame," This means you should not be held responsible for my faults. Ah! If only one can maintain this sincerity, then there will also be a successful conclusion. Chen means sincerity or earnestness. If one can indeed follow this path of sincerity, then a beautiful and enduring conclusion in life is possible. | ||
| 44 | 尚书: | 成汤既殁，伊尹作伊训，作训以教道太甲也。曰：乌宓，古有夏先后，方懋厥德，罔有天灾，先君，谓禹以下少康以上贤王，言能以德禳灾也。于其子孙弗率，皇天降灾，假手于我有命。言桀不循其祖道，天下祸灾，借手于我，有命商王诛讨之也。 |
| After King Cheng Tang passed away, Yi Yin composed the "Yi Xun," to write teachings to instruct Tai Jia. He said: "Ah, in ancient times the Xia ancestors and empresses diligently cultivated virtue, and there were no calamities from Heaven," The term Xianjun refers to virtuous kings of the Xia dynasty between Yu and Shaokang; it means that through virtue they could ward off disasters. But when their descendants failed to follow this example, Heaven sent calamities and used the power of our mandate as its instrument. This means that Jie did not follow his ancestors' ways, and the calamities of the world were used by Heaven as a tool—our mandate was given to King Shang to punish him. | ||
| 45 | 尚书: | 惟我商王，布昭圣武，代虐以宽，兆民允怀。言汤布明武德，以宽政代桀虐政，兆民以此皆信怀我商王之德也。 |
| Only our Shang king, widely proclaimed his holy martial virtue, replacing cruelty with leniency, and the people under heaven sincerely looked to him. This means King Tang publicly demonstrated martial virtue, replacing Jie's tyrannical rule with lenient governance. Because of this, the people under heaven all trusted and revered the virtue of our Shang king. | ||
| 46 | 尚书: | 今王嗣厥德，罔弗在初，言善恶之由，无不在初，欲其慎始也。立爱惟亲，立敬惟长，始于家邦，终于四海。言立爱敬之道，始于亲长，则家国并化，终洽四海也。 |
| Now, may the king continue this virtue; no matter what, it must begin at the start. This means whether good or evil, all things originate in the beginning—thus one should be cautious from the outset. Establish love for one's kin and respect for elders; begin with family and state, and extend it to all under Heaven. This means that the principles of love and respect should begin with one's relatives and elders; if so, both family and state will be transformed, ultimately achieving harmony throughout all under Heaven. | ||
| 47 | 尚书: | 乌宓，先后敷求哲人，俾辅于尔后嗣，敷求贤智，使师辅于尔嗣王，言仁及后世也。制官刑，儆于有位。言汤制治官刑法，儆戒百官也。 |
| Ah! The ancestors and empresses sought wise men, to assist your descendants. They widely sought the virtuous and intelligent to serve as teachers and advisors for future kings—this is an expression of benevolence extending to later generations. Establish laws for officials, serving as a warning to those in positions of power. This means King Tang established regulations and legal codes for officials, to serve as warnings and restraints on the hundred officials. | ||
| 48 | 尚书: | 曰：敢有恒舞于宫，酣歌于室，时谓巫风，常舞则荒淫也。乐酒曰酣，事鬼神曰巫也。敢有徇于货色，恒于游畋，时谓淫风，徇，求也。昧求财货美色，常游戏田猎，是淫过之风俗。敢有侮圣言，逆忠直，远耆德，比顽童，时谓乱风。狎侮圣人之言而不行，拒逆忠直之规而不纳，耆年有德，疏远之，童稚顽嚣，亲比之，是谓荒乱之风俗也。 |
| He said: "Whoever dares to constantly dance in the palace and drunkenly sing at home is practicing witchcraft," Constant dancing signifies decadence and licentiousness. Drinking to excess is called Han; engaging in rituals for spirits or deities is called Wu. Whoever dares pursue wealth and beauty, constantly indulge in hunting and leisure, this is called licentious conduct," Xun means to seek or chase after. This refers to the corrupt custom of obsessively pursuing wealth and beauty, and constantly indulging in hunting and play. Whoever dares to disrespect the words of sages, oppose loyal and upright men, distance themselves from the virtuous elders, and associate with stubborn children—this is called a corrupting influence. To mock and disregard the words of sages without acting on them, to reject the advice of loyal and upright individuals without accepting it, to distance oneself from elderly virtuous people while favoring childish and stubborn youths—this is what is called a corrupt and chaotic custom. | ||
| 49 | 尚书: | 惟兹三风十愆，卿士有一于身，家必丧，有一过则德义废，失位亡家之道也。邦君有一于身，国必亡，诸侯犯此，国亡之道也。臣下弗匡，其刑墨。邦君卿士，则以争臣自匡正，臣不正君，服墨刑，凿其额，涅以墨也。 |
| These three vices—each with ten transgressions—if an official possesses even one of them, his family will surely be ruined. Even a single fault leads to the abandonment of virtue and righteousness; this is the path to losing position and destroying one's household. If a ruler possesses even one of these faults, the state will inevitably fall. When feudal lords commit any of these, it is the path to national ruin. If subordinates do not correct their ruler's mistakes, they shall be punished with tattooing. If a feudal lord or high official fails to correct their own conduct through loyal remonstration, and if the ministers do not rectify the ruler's errors, they will be subjected to the punishment of tattooing—carving the forehead and staining it with ink. | ||
| 50 | 尚书: | 乌宓，嗣王祗厥身，念哉。言当敬身念祖德也。惟上帝弗常，作善，降之百祥，作不善，降之百殃，祥，善也。天之祸福，唯善恶所在，不常在一家也。尔惟德罔小，万邦惟庆，修德无小，则天下赖庆也。尔惟弗德罔大，坠厥宗，苟为不德无大，必坠失宗庙，此伊尹至忠之训也。 |
| Ah! May the successor king respect his own conduct and take this to heart. This means one should revere oneself and remember the virtue of ancestors. Heaven does not remain constant in its favor; if one acts virtuously, blessings will descend upon him. If one behaves wickedly, calamities will follow. Xiang means good fortune or blessing. Heaven's blessings and misfortunes depend solely on virtue and wickedness, not remaining fixed in one family alone. Your cultivation of virtue is never too small; all the states will rejoice. No matter how minor one's moral cultivation, it brings joy and benefit to the world. If you fail in virtue, no matter how small the failure, your clan will fall. If one neglects virtue even slightly, it inevitably leads to losing ancestral temples and family honor—this is Yi Yin's most loyal teaching. | ||
| 51 | 尚书: | 太甲既立，弗明，不用伊尹之训，不明居丧之礼。伊尹放诸桐，汤葬地也。王徂桐宫居忧，往入桐宫居忧位也。克终允德。言能思念其祖，终其信德也。 |
| After Tai Jia was enthroned, he did not act wisely. He failed to follow Yi Yin's teachings and did not understand the rites of mourning. Yi Yin exiled him to Tong, the burial site of King Tang. The king went to the Tong Gong palace to mourn and reflect. This means he went into the Tong Gong palace to assume a position of mourning and self-reflection. He ultimately achieved true virtue. This means he was able to reflect on his ancestors and finally uphold the faith and virtue of his forebears. | ||
| 52 | 尚书: | 惟三祀，伊尹奉嗣王归于亳。王拜稽首曰：予小子弗明于德，自底弗类，类，善也。暗于德，故自致不善也。欲败度，纵败礼，以速戾于厥躬，速，召也。言己放纵情欲，毁败礼仪法度，以召罪于其身也。天作孽，犹可违，自作孽，弗可逭，孽，灾也。逭，逃也。言天灾可避，自作灾不可逃也。既往背师保之训，弗克于厥初，尚赖匡救之德，圆惟厥终。言己已往之前，不能言修德于其初，今庶几赖教训之德，谋终于善，悔过之辞也。 |
| After three years, Yi Yin escorted the successor king back to Bo. The king bowed deeply and said: "I, your humble servant, failed to understand virtue and thus brought upon myself disgrace," Lei means goodness or virtue. Being ignorant of virtue led me to bring about my own wickedness. I wished to destroy standards and let rituals fall into ruin, thus inviting misfortune upon myself," Su means to summon or invite. This means I indulged my desires, destroyed rituals and laws, and thus invited punishment upon myself. Calamities sent by Heaven can still be avoided; but calamities brought about by oneself cannot be escaped. Nie means disaster or misfortune. This means disasters sent by Heaven can be avoided, but those caused by one's own actions cannot be escaped. Having previously turned away from the teachings of my mentors and guardians, I failed at the beginning; yet I still relied on their virtue to correct and save me, thus achieving a proper conclusion. This means that in the past, I was unable to cultivate virtue at the beginning; now, perhaps I can rely on the virtue of instruction and teaching to achieve a good end. It is an expression of regret and repentance. | ||
| 53 | 尚书: | 伊尹拜手稽首，拜手，首至手也。曰：修厥身，允德协于下，惟明后，言修其身，使信德合于羣下，惟乃明君。先王子惠困穷，民服厥命，罔有弗悦，言汤子爱困穷之人，使皆得其所，故民心服其教令，无有不欣喜也。奉先思孝，接下思恭，以念祖德为孝，以不骄慢为恭也。视远惟明，听德惟聪，言当以明视远，以聪听德。朕承王之休无斁。王所行如此，则我承王之美无厌也。 |
| Yi Yin bowed with clasped hands, Bai Shou means bowing so that the head reaches the hands. saying: "Cultivate yourself, and let your trustworthy virtue harmonize with those beneath you; only then can you be a wise ruler," This means cultivating oneself so that one's credible virtue aligns with the people under you, thus becoming a truly enlightened sovereign. The former king's son, King Tai, cared for the poor and distressed; the people submitted to his rule with no one failing to be joyful. This means that King Tang's son loved those who were in hardship or distress, ensuring they all found their proper place, so the people willingly accepted his teachings and commands, none of them failing to feel joy. Honor your ancestors with thoughts of filial piety, and treat those beneath you with humility. To think of the virtue of one's ancestors is to be filial; not being arrogant or disrespectful is to be respectful. Look far ahead with clarity, and listen attentively to virtue; This means one should look into the distance clearly and listen carefully to virtuous words. I shall carry forward the king's good fortune without ever becoming complacent or neglectful. If the king acted in this manner, then I will inherit his excellence without ever tiring of it. | ||
| 54 | 尚书: | 伊尹申诰于王曰：乌宓，惟天无亲，克敬惟亲，言天于人无所亲疏，唯亲能敬身者。民无常怀，怀于有仁，民所归无常，以仁政为常也。鬼神无常享，享于克诚。言鬼神不保一人，能诚信者，则享其祀。 |
| Yi Yin repeated his admonition to the king, saying: "Ah! Heaven has no favorites; it favors only those who are reverent," This means Heaven does not favor anyone in particular but only approaches and blesses those who show reverence for themselves. The people have no fixed loyalties; they remain loyal to those who are kind and compassionate. People do not have constant attachments, but their allegiance is always with benevolent governance. The spirits of the dead also have no fixed offerings; they accept only those who are sincerely devoted. This means that ghosts and gods do not favor any one person, but will accept offerings from those who demonstrate sincerity and faithfulness. | ||
| 55 | 尚书: | 天位难哉。言居天子之位难，以此三者。德惟治，否德乱，为政以德则治，不以德则乱也。与治同道罔弗兴，与乱同事罔弗亡。言安危在所任，治乱在所法也。 |
| How difficult is the position of Heaven's mandate! This means how hard it is to hold the position of Son of Heaven, as demonstrated by these three points. Virtue brings order; lack of virtue causes chaos. Governance with virtue leads to peace, while governance without virtue results in disorder. Those who follow the path of order will surely prosper; those who follow the path of chaos will surely perish. This means safety or danger depends on whom one appoints, and order or disorder depends on what laws are followed. | ||
| 56 | 尚书: | 若升高，必自下，若陟遐，必自迩，言善政有渐，如登高升远，必用下近为始，然后致高远也。无轻民事惟难，无轻为力役之事，必重难之乃可也。无安厥位惟危，言当常自危惧，以保其位也。慎终于始。于始虑终，于终虑始。 |
| This means good governance must proceed gradually, like climbing a height or traveling far; one must begin with the near and low before reaching great heights.}} Do not take lightly the affairs of the people, for they are difficult. Do not treat matters involving labor and service lightly; one must regard them as arduous in order to manage them properly. Do not consider your position secure, but always see it as precarious. This means one should constantly feel a sense of danger and caution in order to preserve their position. Exercise care from the beginning so that you may end well. Consider the end when you begin, and consider the beginning when you reach the end. | ||
| 57 | 尚书: | 有言逆于汝心，必求诸道，人以言咈违汝心，必以道义求其意，勿拒逆之也。有言逊于汝志，必求诸非道。逊，顺也。言顺汝心，必以非道察之，勿以自臧也。 |
| If there are words that go against your will, you must seek their meaning through the principles of righteousness. When someone speaks in a way that contradicts your wishes, you should use moral and ethical standards to understand their intent; do not reject or oppose them outright. If there are words that seem humble in comparison to your aspirations, you must examine whether they go against the principles of righteousness. Xun means to be compliant or yielding. This means if something seems to align with your heart, you must still examine it carefully for whether it goes against the right path; do not accept it simply because it pleases you. | ||
| 58 | 尚书: | 乌宓，弗虑胡获，弗为胡成，一人元良，万邦以贞，胡，何也。贞，正也。言常念虑道德，则得道德，念为善政，则成善政也。一人，天子也。天子有大善，则天下得正也。君罔以辩言乱旧政，利口覆国家，故特慎焉。臣罔以宠利居成功，成功不退，其志无限，故为之极以安之也。邦其永孚于休。言君臣各以其道，则国长信保于美也。 |
| Ah! Without careful consideration, how can one achieve success? Without action, how can anything be accomplished? A single virtuous ruler ensures the uprightness of all nations. Hu means "how" or "why." This means that if one constantly thinks about and considers virtue and morality, then one will attain them; if one thinks of governing with goodness, then good governance will be achieved. One person refers to the Son of Heaven (the emperor). If the Son of Heaven possesses great virtue, then all under heaven will be upright. A ruler must not use eloquent words to disrupt established policies; Fluent speech can destroy a nation, so one must be especially cautious. Ministers must not dwell on favors and benefits after achieving success; Remaining in power without retiring indicates boundless ambition, so limits are set to ensure stability. The nation will forever place trust in good fortune. This means that when the ruler and ministers each follow their proper roles, the country will be long trusted to preserve its virtue. | ||
| 59 | 尚书: | 伊尹既复政厥辟，还政太甲。将告归，乃陈戒于德，告老归邑，陈德以戒。曰：乌宓，天难忱，命靡常，以其无常，故难信也。常厥德，保厥位，厥德匪常，九有以亡。人能常其德，则安其位，九有，诸侯也。 |
| After Yi Yin returned power to his sovereign, he restored governance to King Taijia. As he was about to retire and return home, Yi Yin presented admonitions on virtue; Announcing his retirement and returning to his fiefdom, he delivered teachings as a warning. saying: "Ah! Heaven is hard to trust; fate has no constant course," Because it is changeable, it cannot be relied upon. Maintain your virtue and preserve your position; if your virtue is not constant, the nine regions will fall into ruin. If a person consistently upholds his virtue, he can maintain his position; "the nine regions" refers to the feudal lords. | ||
| 60 | 尚书: | 夏王弗克庸德，慢神虐民，言桀不能常其德，不敬神明，不恤下民。皇天弗保，言天不安桀所为。眷求一德，俾作神主，天求一德使代桀，为天地神祗之主。惟尹躬暨汤咸有一德，克享天心，受天明命。享，当也。 |
| The Xia king could not uphold virtue, was disrespectful to the gods, and cruel to his people. This means Jie failed to maintain virtue, did not revere deities, and showed no concern for his subjects. The great Heaven no longer protected him; This means Heaven was displeased with Jie's actions. Heaven sought one of virtue, to make him the ruler over spirits; Heaven searched for a single virtuous person to replace Jie and serve as the sovereign of heaven and earth's deities. Only Yi Yin and King Tang both possessed one virtue, which enabled them to win Heaven's favor and receive the clear mandate of Heaven. Xiang means to be worthy or appropriate. | ||
| 61 | 尚书: | 非天私我有商，惟天佑于一德，非天私商而王之也。佑助一德，所以王也。非商求于下民，惟民归于一德，非商以力求民，民自归于一德。德惟一，动罔弗吉，德二三，动罔弗凶，惟吉凶不僭在人，惟天降灾祥在德。行善则吉，行恶则凶，是不差也。德一，天降之福，不一，天降之灾，是在德也。 |
| It is not that Heaven favored our Shang dynasty; it is only that Heaven protects those who possess one virtue. This does not mean Heaven privately favored the Shang and made them rulers. Heaven supports those with a single virtue, which is why they become kings. It was not the Shang who sought the people; it was only that the people naturally turned to one of virtue. The Shang did not forcefully seek the people's support, but the people themselves flocked to those with a single virtue. Virtue must be singular; if so, all actions will bring good fortune. If virtue is divided or inconsistent, then every action brings misfortune. Whether one experiences good or ill fortune depends not on chance but on the person's own conduct; Heaven sends calamities or blessings according to a ruler's virtue. Doing good brings good fortune, and doing evil brings misfortune—this is never wrong. If virtue is singular, Heaven bestows blessings; if it is not, Heaven brings disaster—it all depends on one's virtue. | ||
| 62 | 尚书: | 今嗣王新服厥命，惟新厥德，其命，王命也。新其德，戒勿怠也。终始惟一，时乃日新。言德行终始不衰杀，是乃日新之义也。 |
| Now the successor king has newly accepted his mandate and must also renew his virtue; His mandate refers to the royal command. Renewing one's virtue means being on guard against idleness or neglect. From beginning to end, remain consistent in your virtue; only then will you achieve daily renewal and progress. This means that moral conduct must not wane at any point from beginning to end; this is the meaning of daily renewal and improvement. | ||
| 63 | 尚书: | 任官惟贤材，左右惟其人，官贤才而任之，非贤才不可任也。选左右必忠良，不忠良非其人也。其难其慎，惟和惟一。其难，无以为易也。其慎，无以轻之也。羣臣当和一心事君，政乃善也。 |
| Appoint officials only based on their virtue and talent; those close to you must be the right kind of people. Only virtuous and capable individuals should hold office; if they are not, then they cannot be entrusted with positions. When selecting those close to you, choose only the loyal and virtuous; those who lack loyalty or virtue are not suitable people. Be difficult in your choices and cautious in your actions—only harmony and unity matter. "Its difficulty"—do not treat it as easy. Ministers should unite with one heart in serving the ruler; only then will governance be good. | ||
| 64 | 尚书: | 后非民罔使，民非后罔事，君以使民自尊，民以事君自生。无自广以狭人，匹夫匹妇，弗获自尽，民主罔与成厥功。上有狭人之心，则下无所自尽矣。言先尽其心，然后乃能尽其力，人君所以成功也。 |
| A king cannot command without the people, and the people have no purpose without a ruler; The sovereign gains dignity by commanding the people, while the people find meaning in serving their ruler. Do not be arrogant and narrow-minded toward others; even common men and women cannot fully devote themselves, and without the people's participation, no ruler can achieve success. If a superior has a narrow-minded attitude toward others, then those below will have no motivation to give their all. This means one must first fully devote one's heart before being able to exert full effort; this is how a ruler achieves success. | ||
| 65 | 尚书: | 高宗梦得说，小乙子也。名武丁，梦得贤相，其名曰说也。使百工营求诸野，得诸傅岩，使百官以所梦之形象经营求之于外野，得之于傅岩之溪也。曰：朝夕纳诲，以辅台德。言当纳谏诲直辞以辅我。 |
| Emperor Gaozong dreamed of finding Yi Saye, the son of Xiao Yi. His name was Wu Ding; he dreamt of obtaining a virtuous prime minister named Fu Yue. He ordered the officials to search in the countryside, and they found him at Fu Yan; They instructed all government officers to look for someone matching the image from his dream outside the capital, and he was discovered by a stream near Fu Yan. saying: "Day and night I will offer instruction to assist your virtue." This means you should accept advice and direct words of instruction in order to support me. | ||
| 66 | 尚书: | 若金，用汝作砺，若济巨川，用汝作舟楫，若岁大旱，用汝作霖雨，啓乃心，沃朕心。 |
| Like gold, I will use you as a whetstone; like crossing a great river, I will rely on you as the boat and oars; like in a year of great drought, I will depend on you to bring timely rain. Open your heart, and nourish my own. | ||
| 67 | 尚书: | 若药弗瞑眩，厥疾弗瘳，开汝心以沃我心，如服药，必瞑眩极，其病乃除，欲其出切言以自警也。若跣弗视地，厥足用伤，跣必视地，足乃无害，言欲使为己视听也。惟暨乃僚，罔弗同心，以匡乃辟。与汝并官，皆当倡率，无不同心，以匡正汝君也。 |
| If medicine does not cause dizziness or nausea, then the illness will not be cured; Opening your heart to nourish mine is like taking medicine—it must produce a strong reaction before the disease can be removed. This expresses the desire for direct and harsh words as a form of self-warning. If one walks barefoot without looking at the ground, their feet will be injured; When walking barefoot, one must look at the path to avoid harm. This means I want you to act as my eyes and ears for me. Only with your colleagues can there be no lack of unity, so that together you may assist your ruler. Those who serve with you in office should all lead by example and share the same heart, to correct your ruler together. | ||
| 68 | 尚书: | 说复于王曰：惟木从绳则正，后从谏则圣，言木以绳直，君以谏明也。后克圣，臣弗命其承，君能受谏，则臣不待命，其承意而谏也。谁敢弗祗若王之休命。言如此，谁敢不敬顺王之美命而谏也。 |
| Fu Yue replied to the king: "Only when wood follows the line does it become straight; only when a ruler heeds advice does he become wise," This means wood becomes straight with the help of a plumb line, and a sovereign becomes enlightened by accepting counsel. If the ruler can be wise, then his ministers need not wait for orders; When a sovereign is capable of accepting advice, his officials do not have to await commands but may offer counsel on their own initiative. Who would dare fail to revere and obey the king's noble command? This means, if so, who would dare not respectfully follow the king's virtuous decree by offering advice. | ||
| 69 | 尚书: | 惟说命总百官，在冢宰之任也。乃进于王曰：乌宓，明王奉若天道，建邦设都，天有日月五星，皆有尊卑相正之法，言明王奉顺此道以立国设都也。树后王君公，承以大夫师长，言立君臣上下也。将陈为治之本，故先举其始也。弗惟逸豫，惟以乱民。不使有位者逸豫于民上也。言立之主使治民也。 |
| Fu Yue was in charge of all government officials; He held the position equivalent to that of a chief minister. He then addressed the king, saying: "Ah! A wise ruler follows Heaven's way and establishes a state with its capital," The heavens have the sun, moon, and five planets, each following laws of hierarchy and mutual regulation. This means an enlightened sovereign adheres to this principle when founding a nation and setting up a capital city. He establishes kings, princes, and officials, who are then supported by ministers, teachers, and elders; This refers to establishing the hierarchy of sovereigns, subjects, and ranks. He is about to present the foundation for governance, so he first outlines its beginning. It is not indulgence and pleasure that should be pursued; it is only through order among the people that stability can be achieved. This means those in positions of power must not indulge themselves above the people. This refers to establishing a ruler who governs and manages the people. | ||
| 70 | 尚书: | 惟口起羞，惟甲胄起戎，言不可轻教令易用兵也。惟衣裳在笥，惟干戈省厥躬，言服不可加非其人，兵不可任非其才也。王惟戒兹，允兹克明，乃罔弗休。言王戒慎四惟之事，信能明，政乃无不美也。 |
| Only words can bring disgrace, and only armor and weapons lead to war; This means one must not treat commands lightly or easily resort to military force. Only robes and garments are stored in the chest, and only weapons should be kept from one's person; This means clothing must not be given to those unworthy of it, and arms must not be entrusted to those lacking talent. The king should only take heed of this; if he indeed can be enlightened in this, then there will be no failure to achieve peace and prosperity. This means that the king should exercise caution regarding these four matters; if he truly can be wise, then governance will have no flaw. | ||
| 71 | 尚书: | 惟治乱在庶官，所官得人则治，失人则乱也。官弗及私昵，惟其能，不加私昵，唯能是官也。爵弗及恶德，惟其贤，言非贤不爵也。虑善以动，动惟厥时。非善非时，不可动也。 |
| The stability or chaos of a state depends on the officials; If appointed officials are virtuous, order prevails; if they are unworthy, disorder arises. Do not appoint those who are merely close personal associates but only those with ability; Appointments should not be based on private favoritism, but solely on capability. Ranks must not be conferred upon those with evil virtue; they should only go to the virtuous and wise; This means titles are not given unless one is truly virtuous. Plan carefully before taking action, and act only at the right time. If an action is neither virtuous nor timely, it must not be taken. | ||
| 72 | 尚书: | 有其善，丧厥善，矜其能，丧厥功，虽天子亦必让以得之。无啓宠纳侮，开宠非其人，则纳侮之道也。无耻过作非。耻过误而文之，遂成大非。 |
| Possessing virtue but losing it, being proud of one's ability and thus losing merit; Even the Son of Heaven must yield to those who deserve it. Do not open the door to favoritism and invite humiliation; Granting favor to unworthy individuals is a path to disgrace. Do not be ashamed of past mistakes but act wrongly again. If one is ashamed of a mistake and tries to cover it up, it will eventually become a great wrong. | ||
| 73 | 尚书: | 王曰：旨哉。说，乃言惟服，旨，美也。美其所言皆可服行也。乃弗良于言，予罔闻于行。汝若不善于所言，则我无闻于所行之事。 |
| The king said: "How profound." Fu Yue, your words are worthy of being heeded; Zhi means beauty. The king is saying that what was spoken is beautiful and can be followed in practice. If you do not speak well, I will hear nothing of your actions. If you are not good at what you say, then I will have no knowledge of the deeds you perform. | ||
| 74 | 尚书: | 说拜稽首曰：非知之艰，行之惟艰。言知之易而行之难，以勉高宗也。 |
| Fu Yue kowtowed and said: "It is not knowing that is difficult, but it is practicing what one knows that is truly hard." This means understanding is easy while practice is difficult; this was said to encourage King Gaozong. | ||
| 75 | 尚书: | 王曰：来，汝说，尔惟训于朕志，言汝当教训于我，使我志通达也。若作酒醴，尔惟麴孽，酒醴须麴孽以成，亦我须汝以成也。若作和羹，尔惟盐梅。盐醎，梅酢，羹须醎酢以和之。 |
| The king said: "Come, you Fu Yue, you must instruct my will," This means you should teach and guide me so that my aspirations may be realized. Just as in making wine and sweet liquor, you are the fermenting agent; Wine and sweet liquor require fermentation to be made, just as I need you for success. Just as in making a well-seasoned stew, you are the salt and plum; Salt is salty, plums are sour; a stew requires both saltiness and sourness to be harmonious. | ||
| 76 | 尚书: | 说曰：王人求多闻，时惟建事，学于古训乃有获，王者求多闻以立事，学古训乃有所得也。事弗师古，以克永世，匪说攸闻。事不法古训，而以能长世，非所闻。 |
| Fu Yue said: "A king who seeks to be well-informed, at the right time establishes affairs; learning from ancient teachings brings gains," This means a sovereign seeking broad knowledge can establish matters properly when timely, and by studying past wisdom, he will achieve results. If one does not follow the example of antiquity in handling affairs, then lasting success across generations cannot be achieved; this is something I have never heard. Affairs not based on ancient teachings yet achieving long-term stability are unheard of. | ||
| 77 | 尚书: | 王曰：乌宓，说，四海之内，咸仰朕德，时乃风，风，教也。使天下皆仰我德，是汝教也。股肱惟人，良臣惟圣。手足具乃成人，有良臣乃成圣也。 |
| The king said: "Ah, Fu Yue! Within the four seas, all look up to my virtue; this is your influence," Feng means teaching. Making all under heaven revere my virtue is due to your instruction. The king's close advisors are human, and virtuous ministers are the wise ones. Just as a person needs limbs to be whole, a ruler needs capable ministers to become a sage. | ||
| 78 | 尚书: | 昔先正保衡，作我先王，保衡，伊尹也。作，起也。正，长也。言先世长官之臣也。乃曰：予弗克俾厥后惟尧舜，其心愧耻，若挞于市，言伊尹不能使其君如尧舜，则心耻之，若见挞于市也。一夫弗获。则曰：时予之辜，伊尹见一夫不得其所，则以为己罪也。右我烈祖，格于皇天。言以此道左右成汤，功至大天。 |
| In the past, the virtuous official Bao Heng served our former kings; Bao Heng refers to Yi Yin. Zuo means "to raise up" or "to establish." Zheng means "elder" or "leader." This refers to the ministers who were chief officials in previous generations. He said: "I cannot make my ruler as virtuous as Yao and Shun; this fills me with shame, as if I were being beaten in the marketplace," This means Yi Yin felt ashamed that he could not make his sovereign equal to Yao and Shun, just like one would feel if publicly flogged. Not a single person is left without benefit. He would say: "This is my guilt," Yi Yin regarded it as his own fault if even one person was not properly provided for. My illustrious ancestors on the right have reached up to the Supreme Heaven. This means by following this principle, they assisted King Tang and achieved great success before Heaven. | ||
| 79 | 尚书: | 尔尚明保予，罔俾阿衡专美有商，汝庶几明安我，事与伊尹同美也。惟后非贤弗乂，惟贤非后弗食，言君须贤以治，贤须君以食也。其尔克绍乃辟于先王，永绥民。能继汝君于先王，长安民，则汝亦有保衡之功也。 |
| You should still clearly assist me, and do not allow the chief minister to monopolize all virtue in the Shang dynasty; You should nearly equally support me so that your achievements can be as virtuous as Yi Yin's. Only a ruler who is not virtuous cannot bring order, and only the virtuous without a sovereign have no means of sustenance; This means rulers need virtue to govern, while the virtuous require a sovereign for support. May you be able to continue your ruler's legacy in accordance with our former kings and bring lasting peace to the people. If you can continue your sovereign's legacy in line with our former kings and provide lasting security for the people, then you will also have achieved a virtue comparable to Bao Heng. | ||
| 80 | 尚书: | 说拜稽首曰：敢对扬天子之休命。受美命而称扬之也。 |
| Fu Yue kowtowed in reverence and said: "I dare to respond with gratitude for the illustrious decree of His Majesty." This means receiving a beautiful command and expressing praise for it. | ||
| 81 | 尚书: | 武王伐殷，师渡盟津。王曰：今商王受弗敬上天，降灾下民，沈湎冒色，敢行暴虐，沈湎嗜酒，冒乱女色，敢行酷暴，虐杀无辜也。罪人以族，官人以世，一人有罪，刑及父母兄弟妻子，言淫滥也。官人不以贤才而以父兄，所以政乱也。焚炙忠良，刳剔孕妇。忠良无罪，焚炙之，怀子之妇，刳剔视之，言暴虐也。 |
| King Wu of Zhou attacked the Yin dynasty, and his army crossed Mengjin. lineno King Wu said: "Now the Yin king Zhou did not revere Heaven above, brought calamity upon the people below, was deeply immersed in wine and lust, and dared to commit violence and cruelty," This means he was addicted to alcohol, indulged in women, and acted brutally, killing the innocent. He punished criminals by clan and appointed officials based on heredity; If one person committed a crime, the punishment extended to parents, siblings, spouses, and children—this refers to excessive and arbitrary punishment. Appointing officials not based on virtue or talent but on family lineage is why governance became chaotic. He burned and roasted the loyal and virtuous, and flayed pregnant women open. The loyal and innocent were burned without cause; pregnant women had their bellies cut open to examine the child—this describes his cruelty. | ||
| 82 | 尚书: | 皇天震怒，惟受罔有悛心，乃夷居，弗事上帝神只，遗厥先宗庙弗祀，悛，改也。言纣纵恶无改心，平居无故废天地百神宗庙之祀，慢甚也。乃曰：吾有民有命，罔惩其侮，纣言吾所以有兆民，有天命故也。羣臣畏罪不争，无能止其慢心。注无也字。 |
| The Supreme Heaven was furious, yet King Zhou showed no sign of repentance. He lived in ease and comfort, did not serve the Deity or spirits, and neglected to honor his ancestors' temples; Quan means to reform or change. This refers to King Zhou's continued wickedness without any desire for reform, who in times of peace and ease arbitrarily abandoned the worship of Heaven, Earth, deities, and ancestral temples—this was extreme disrespect. He said: "I have the people and I have destiny; there is no punishment for my disrespect," King Zhou claimed that he had the millions of people under his rule because Heaven had granted him its mandate. His ministers, fearing punishment, did not dare to oppose him; no one could stop his arrogance. Note: the word "wu" is omitted here. | ||
| 83 | 尚书: | 同力度德，同德度义，力钧则有德者胜，德钧则秉义者强，揆度优劣，胜负可见。受其臣亿万，惟亿万心，人执异心，不和谐也。予有臣三千，惟一心，三千一心，言同欲也。商罪贯盈，天命诛之，予弗顺天，厥罪惟钧。纣之为恶，一以贯之，恶贯已满，天毕其命，今不诛纣，则为逆天，与纣同罪。 |
| Those with equal strength are judged by virtue, and those with equal virtue are judged by righteousness; When strength is equal, the one with greater virtue prevails; when virtue is equal, the one who upholds righteousness is stronger. By measuring their merits and demerits, victory or defeat becomes clear. King Zhou had ten thousand ministers, yet they all had ten thousand different minds; People held differing intentions and were not united. I have three thousand ministers who are of one mind; Three thousand with a single heart means they share the same desire. The Yin dynasty's crimes have reached their peak; Heaven has decreed its punishment. If I do not follow Heaven's will, my own guilt would be equally grave. King Zhou's wickedness was consistent and accumulated to the point of overflowing; his evil deeds were full, so Heaven ended his mandate. If we do not punish King Zhou now, it would be going against Heaven, making us equally guilty as he is. | ||
| 84 | 尚书: | 天矜于民，民之所欲，天必从之，矜，怜也。言天除恶树善，与民同也。时哉不可失。言今我伐纣，正是天人合同之时，不可违失也。 |
| Heaven pities the people; what the people desire, Heaven will surely follow; Jin means compassion or pity. This means Heaven removes evil and establishes virtue in accordance with the desires of the people. Now is the time, which must not be missed. This means now that we are attacking King Zhou, it is precisely a moment when Heaven and humanity align; this opportunity must not be missed or violated. | ||
| 85 | 尚书: | 王次于河朔，次，止。羣后以师毕会。王乃徇师而誓曰：我闻吉人为善，惟日弗足，凶人为不善，亦惟日弗足。言吉人竭日以为善，凶人亦竭日以行恶者也。 |
| The king halted at the northern bank of the Yellow River; Ci means to stop or halt. All the feudal lords gathered with their armies. The king then addressed his troops and swore an oath, saying: "I have heard that a virtuous person doing good deeds always feels there is not enough time in the day, while a wicked person committing evil also feels there is never enough time." This means that a good person uses every moment to do good, while an evil person also devotes all their time to doing wrong. | ||
| 86 | 尚书: | 今商王受，力行无度，播弃犂老，昵比罪人，鲐背之耇称犂老，布弃，不礼敬也。昵，近也。罪人，谓天下逋逃小人也。剥丧元良，贼虐谏辅，剥，伤害也。贼，杀也。元，善之长，良，善也。以谏辅纣，纣反杀之。谓己有天命，谓敬弗足行，谓祭无益，谓暴无伤，天其以予乂民。用我治民，当除恶也。 |
| Now King Zhou of the Yin dynasty has acted without restraint, discarded the elderly and virtuous, and favored criminals; Lilao refers to old men with white hair on their foreheads. "Boqi" means to cast them aside and not show respect or courtesy. Ni means to be close to or favor. Zuiren refers to the fugitives and petty villains from all under heaven. He harmed and destroyed the most virtuous, murdered and oppressed those who advised him; Bo means to harm or injure. Ze means to kill. Yuan refers to the foremost among the virtuous, and Liang means virtue itself. Those who advised King Zhou were instead killed by him. He claimed he had Heaven's mandate, that reverence was unnecessary to practice, that sacrifices were useless, and that cruelty caused no harm. He believed Heaven would allow me to govern the people in peace. This means if I am to govern the people, I must first remove evil. | ||
| 87 | 尚书: | 受有亿兆夷人，离心离德，平人，凡人也。虽多而执心用德不同也。予有乱臣十人，同心同德，我治理之臣虽少，而心德同也。今朕必往，百姓廪廪，若崩厥角，言民畏纣之虐，危惧不安，若崩摧其角，无所容头也。乌宓，乃一德一心，立定厥功，惟克永世。汝同心立功，则能长世以安也。 |
| King Zhou had hundreds of millions of common people who were disunited in heart and virtue; Pingren means ordinary people. Though numerous, they held different intentions and did not share the same moral values. I have ten virtuous ministers who are united in heart and virtue; Though my number of capable officials is small, they share the same aspirations and moral values. Now I must go forward. The people are trembling with fear, as if their horns were about to collapse; This means the people feared King Zhou's cruelty and lived in constant danger and anxiety, like an animal whose horns are about to fall off and have nowhere to hide its head. Ah! Only by having one virtue and a single mind can we establish lasting achievements, ensuring eternal peace for generations to come. If you unite in purpose and accomplish feats together, then long-term stability and safety will be achieved. | ||
| 88 | 尚书: | 王曰：商王受，自绝于天，结怨于民，不敬天，自绝之也。酷虐民，结怨也。斮朝涉之胫，剖贤人之心，崇信奸回，放黜师保，屛弃典刑，囚奴正士，屛弃常法而不顾也。箕子正谏而以为囚奴也。郊社弗修，宗庙弗享，作奇伎淫巧以悦妇人。 |
| The king said: "King Zhou of the Yin has cut himself off from Heaven and incurred hatred among the people," By not revering Heaven, he severed his own connection to it. By being cruel to the people, he created enmity with them. He severed the shins of a morning traveler, flayed the hearts out of virtuous men, elevated and trusted corrupt officials, dismissed his teachers and guardians, cast aside established laws, imprisoned righteous scholars as slaves; This means he abandoned conventional legal standards without regard. Ji Zi was a virtuous advisor who was wrongly imprisoned and treated like a slave. He neglected the ancestral sacrifices at the altars of Heaven and Earth, failed to honor his ancestors in their temples, and created bizarre entertainments and lewd novelties solely to please women. | ||
| 89 | 尚书: | 古人有言曰：抚我则后，虐我则雠，武王述古言以明义，言非唯今恶纣也。独夫受洪惟作威，乃汝世雠，言独夫，失君道也。大作威杀无辜，乃是汝累世雠，明不可不讨也。树德务滋，除恶务本，立德务滋长，除恶务除本，言纣为天下恶本也。肆予小子诞以尔衆士，殄歼乃雠。言欲行除恶之义，绝尽纣也。 |
| The ancients said: "Treat me kindly and I will be your subject; treat me cruelly and I become your enemy," King Wu quoted this ancient saying to clarify the principle of justice, indicating that it was not only in our time that King Zhou was hated. That tyrant Zhou has become a great source of violence; he is your eternal enemy, The term "difu" means one who has lost the way of being a ruler. "He wields great power to kill the innocent; he is thus your ancestral enemy, and it is clear that he cannot be left unpunished." Establish virtue and strive to cultivate it; eradicate evil by targeting its root, To establish virtue is to foster growth; to eliminate evil is to remove the source. This means that King Zhou was the root of all evils in the world. Therefore, I, your humble servant, will lead your loyal soldiers to utterly destroy and annihilate your enemy. This means that the intention is to carry out the principle of eradicating evil, completely eliminating King Zhou. | ||
| 90 | 尚书: | 武王与受战于牧野。王曰：古人有言，牝鷄无晨，言无晨鸣之道。牝鷄之晨，惟家之索。索，尽也。喻妇知外事，雌代雄鸣则家尽，妇夺夫政则国亡也。 |
| King Wu fought against King Zhou at Muye. The king said: "There is an old saying that hens do not crow in the morning," This means they lack the nature to crow at dawn. "When a hen crows at dawn, it is an omen of family ruin." Suo means exhaustion or depletion. This is a metaphor: when women meddle in outside affairs, and the hen crows for the rooster, it means the family will be ruined; if a wife usurps her husband's authority over governance, then the state will perish. | ||
| 91 | 尚书: | 今商王受，惟妇言是用，妲己惑纣，纣信用之。乃惟四方之多罪逋逃，是崇是长，言纣弃其忠臣，而尊长逃亡罪人信用之。是信是使，是以为大夫卿士，俾暴虐于尔百姓，以奸宄于商邑，使四方罪人暴虐奸宄于都邑也。今予发惟龚行天之罚。 |
| Now King Zhou of Shang listens only to his wife's words, Daji bewitched King Zhou, and he trusted and relied on her. He elevates and promotes the many criminals and fugitives from all directions, This means King Zhou abandoned his loyal ministers and instead honored and trusted escaped convicts. He trusted and employed them, appointing them as high officials such as dafu, qingshi, allowing them to oppress your people and commit crimes within the cities of Shang, This means he sent criminals from all directions to tyrannize and commit lawlessness in the capital. Now I, Fa, am merely carrying out Heaven's punishment with integrity. | ||
| 92 | 尚书: | 王来自商，至于丰，乃偃武修文，倒载干戈，示不复用也。行礼射，设庠序，修文教也。归马于华山之阳，放牛于桃林之野，示天下弗服。示天下不复乘用也。 |
| The king returned from Shang and arrived at Feng, where he then laid down arms and cultivated culture, By reversing the weapons on his chariot, he showed that they would not be used again. He practiced rites and archery, established schools, and cultivated cultural education. Horses were returned to the southern slopes of Mount Hua, and cattle were released into the wilds of Taolin, showing the world that there was no need for further subjugation. This demonstrated to the world that they would never be used again. | ||
| 93 | 尚书: | 王若曰：今商王为天下逋逃主，肆予东徵，陈于商郊，受率其旅若林，会于牧野，罔有敌于我师，前徒倒戈，攻于后以北，血流漂杵，壹戎衣天下大定，一著戎服而灭纣，言与衆同心，动有成功旧无功字，补之。也。 |
| The king said: "Now King Zhou has become the master of fugitives and criminals for all under Heaven. Therefore, I marched eastward and stationed my forces at the outskirts of Shang. King Zhou led his troops like a forest and met me at Muye. There was no one to oppose our army; the vanguard turned their spears against us, attacking from behind and fleeing in defeat. Blood flowed so much that it could float pestles. With just one campaign wearing military uniforms, peace was restored throughout the world," With one act of donning war gear, King Zhou was overthrown—this indicates unity with the people and success through collective effort. The word "gong" (merit) is missing in the original text; it has been added here. . | ||
| 94 | 尚书: | 释箕子囚，封比干墓，式商容闾，封，益旧无益字，补之，其土也。商容，贤人，纣所黜退。散鹿台之财，发巨桥之粟，纣所积之府仓也。皆散发以赈贫民也。大赉于四海，而万姓悦服。施舍己责，救乏賙无，所谓周有大赉也。天下皆悦仁服德也。 |
| Release Ji Zi from prison, build a tomb for Bi Gan, and honor the neighborhood of Shang Rong; "Feng" means to bestow The character "yi" is missing in the original; it has been added., on their land. Shang Rong was a virtuous man who had been dismissed and demoted by King Zhou. Distribute the wealth from Lutai, release the grain stored at Juqiao; These were the treasuries and granaries accumulated by King Zhou. All of these were distributed to relieve the poor people. Great rewards were bestowed upon all under Heaven, and the ten thousand subjects rejoiced and submitted willingly. This refers to relieving burdens and aiding those in need; this is what is meant by the great rewards of the Zhou dynasty. All under Heaven rejoiced at benevolence and submitted to virtue. | ||
| 95 | 尚书: | 西旅献獒，西旅，远国也。贡大犬。大保乃作旅獒，用训于王，陈贡獒之义，以训谏也。曰：乌宓，明王慎德，四夷咸宾，言明王慎德以怀远，故四夷皆宾服。无有远近，毕献方物，惟服食器用。天下万国尽贡方土所生之物，惟可以供服食器用者，言不为耳目华侈。 |
| The western travelers presented large dogs, Xilv was a distant country. They offered giant dogs as tribute. The Grand Tutor then composed "Lugao" to instruct the king, He explained the meaning of offering large dogs as a way to advise and caution. He said: "Ah! A wise king carefully cultivates virtue, and thus all the surrounding barbarian tribes become guests," This means that a wise ruler, by cultivating virtue to win over distant peoples, causes all four groups of outsiders to submit willingly. Whether near or far, they all presented their local products and goods—only those suitable for consumption, clothing, and utensils. All the myriad states under Heaven offered local products, but only those suitable for clothing, food, and utensils—this indicates that they were not given for vain pleasures of sight or sound. | ||
| 96 | 尚书: | 王乃昭德之致于异姓之邦，无替厥服，德之所致，谓远夷之贡也。以分赐异姓诸侯，使无废其职也。分珤玉于伯叔之国，时庸展亲，以宝玉分同姓之国，是用诚信其亲亲之道也。人弗易物，惟德其物。言物贵由人也。有德则物贵，无德则物贱，所贵在德也。 |
| The king thus extended the virtue of enlightenment to foreign states, ensuring that their tribute would never cease, What was achieved through virtue refers to the offerings from distant barbarian tribes. and distributed these gifts among the feudal lords of different surnames, so that they would not neglect their duties. Distribute precious jade to the feudal states of uncles and brothers, thus expressing affection; To distribute valuable jade among same-surname states is a way of demonstrating sincerity in upholding familial bonds. People do not exchange gifts lightly; only those with virtue are worthy to receive such treasures. This means that the value of an object depends on the person who possesses it. With virtue, objects become precious; without virtue, they are worthless—what is truly valuable is virtue itself. | ||
| 97 | 尚书: | 德盛弗狎侮，盛德必自敬，何狎易侮慢之有也。狎侮君子，罔以尽人心，以虚受人，则人尽其心矣。狎侮小人，罔以尽其力，以悦使民，民忘其劳则尽力矣。玩人丧德，玩物丧志，以人为戏弄，则丧其德矣。以器物为戏弄，则丧其志矣。弗作无益害有益，功乃成，弗贵异物贱用物，民乃足。游观为无益，奇巧为异物，言明王之道，以德义为益，器用为贵，所比化俗生民。 |
| When virtue is abundant, one will not be treated with disrespect; With great virtue comes self-respect—how could there ever be mockery or contempt? To mock and belittle virtuous people is to fail in winning the hearts of the people; If one humbly accepts others, then they will give their wholehearted devotion. To mock and belittle the common people is to fail in drawing out their strength; If one treats the people kindly, they will forget their labor and give their utmost effort. To toy with people leads to loss of virtue; to indulge in objects leads to the loss of one's aspirations, If a person treats others as mere playthings, then he loses his moral integrity. To treat material objects as toys is to lose one's sense of purpose and ambition. Do not engage in what brings no benefit while harming that which is beneficial—only then will achievements be realized. Do not value rare objects over practical ones, and the people's needs will be satisfied. Sightseeing and leisure are of no benefit; novelty and artifice are considered rare objects. This means the way of a wise king is to value virtue and righteousness as beneficial, and to regard practical tools as precious, thereby transforming customs and benefiting the people. | ||
| 98 | 尚书: | 犬马非其土生弗畜，非此土所生不畜，以不习其用。珍禽奇兽，弗育于国，皆非所用，有所损害故也。弗珤远物，则远人格，不侵夺其利则来服。所珤惟贤，则迩人安。宝贤任能，则近人安，近人安则远人安矣。 |
| Dogs and horses that are not native to this land should not be kept; Those not born in this region should not be raised, as they would be unfamiliar with their use. Rare birds and exotic beasts should not be bred within the state; They are all unnecessary, as they cause harm. If one does not value distant goods, then people from afar will respect the state; By not encroaching on their interests, they will come to submit. What is valued are only virtuous individuals—then those nearby will find peace. Valuing virtue and employing capable people brings stability to the near; when the near is stable, the distant will also be at peace. | ||
| 99 | 尚书: | 乌宓，夙夜罔或弗勤，言当常勤于德。弗务细行，终累大德，轻忽小物，积害毁大，故君子慎其微也。为山九仞，功亏一篑，谕向成也。未成一篑，犹不为山，故曰功亏一篑，是以圣人乾乾日侧，慎终如始也。允迪兹，生民保厥居，惟乃世王。言其能信蹈行此诫，则生民安其居，天子乃世世王天下也。武王虽圣，犹设此诫，况其非圣，可以无诫乎。其不免于过则亦宜矣。 |
| Ah! Day and night must not lack diligence, This means one should always be diligent in cultivating virtue. Do not neglect small matters, for they may eventually undermine great virtue; To be careless with minor things accumulates harm and destroys greatness—thus the virtuous person is cautious about even the smallest details. Building a mountain to nine ren in height, yet failing due to one basket of earth; This is an allegory for being close to success. If even one basket of earth remains unfinished, it is still not a mountain—thus the saying "a failure due to one basket." Therefore, sages remain diligent and cautious every day, treating the end with the same care as the beginning. If you truly follow this path, the people will preserve their homes and live in peace—thus shall your dynasty be a lasting one. This means that if you can sincerely follow and practice these admonitions, the people will find peace in their homes, and the Son of Heaven shall rule over all under Heaven for generations. Although King Wu was a sage, he still established these admonitions—how much more so for those who are not sages; can they afford to be without such warnings? If one cannot avoid making mistakes, then it is only natural. | ||
| 100 | 尚书: | 王若曰：小子封，封，康叔名。惟乃丕显考文王，克明德慎罚，弗敢侮鳏寡，庸庸祗祗，威威显民，惠恤穷民，不慢鳏夫寡妇，用可用，敬可敬，刑可刑，明此道以示民也。天乃大命文王殪戎殷，诞受厥命。天美文王，乃大命之杀兵殷，大受其王命。 |
| The king said: "Young man Feng," Feng was the name of Kangshu. "Think of your illustrious father, King Wen, who cultivated virtue and exercised caution in punishment. He dared not mistreat widowers or widows; he used those worthy of use, respected those deserving respect, and punished those who deserved punishment. He clearly demonstrated this principle to the people," He showed compassion for the poor, did not neglect widowers and widows, employed those fit for employment, honored those worthy of reverence, and applied punishments where appropriate—thus making these principles clear to the populace. Heaven then bestowed a great mandate upon King Wen to destroy the Yin dynasty, and he received this divine command. Heaven praised King Wen and thus gave him a great mandate to lead the military against Yin, greatly bestowing upon him the kingship. | ||
| 101 | 尚书: | 往尽乃心，无康好逸豫，往当尽汝心为政，无自安好逸豫也。我闻曰：怨弗在大，亦弗在小，惠弗惠，懋弗懋，不在大，起于小也。不在小，小至于大也。言怨不可为，故当使不顺者顺，不勉者勉也。若保赤子，惟民其康乂。爱养民如赤子，不失其欲，惟民其皆安治也。 |
| Go forth and give your whole heart; do not seek comfort or indulge in ease, When you go to govern, give your full effort and do not take pleasure in idleness. I have heard it said: "Resentment does not arise from the great, but neither from the small; it comes from whether or not one shows kindness and diligence," It is not in the magnitude of an issue that resentment arises, but rather from its beginning. This means that resentment must not be allowed to develop; therefore, one should ensure the disobedient become obedient and the unmotivated become diligent. Treat your people as you would a newborn child—only then will they find peace and order. To love and nurture the people like an infant, meeting their desires without fail—only then will all the people find peace and good governance. | ||
| 102 | 尚书: | 非汝封刑人杀人，言得刑杀人也。无或刑人杀人，无以得刑杀人而有妄刑杀也。非汝封劓刵人，劓，截鼻也。刵，截耳也。无或劓刵人。所以举轻刑以戒，为人轻行之也。 |
| This is not about you, Feng, personally punishing or killing people; It means that one has the authority to punish and execute others. Do not arbitrarily punish or kill anyone, Do not abuse your power of punishment and execution by acting recklessly. This is not about you personally cutting off someone's nose or ears; Yi means to cut off the nose. Dui means to cut off an ear. Do not arbitrarily amputate noses or ears. This is to use light punishments as a warning, for people may otherwise act carelessly. | ||
| 103 | 尚书: | 王曰：封，元恶大憝，矧惟弗孝弗友，言人之罪恶，莫大于不孝不友。乃其速由文王作罚，刑兹无赦，言当亦速用文王所作违教之罚，刑此无得赦也。敬哉。无作怨，勿用非谋非彝，言当修己以敬，无为可怨之事，勿用非善之谋，非常之法。小子封，惟命弗于常。当念天命之不于常也。行善则得之，行恶则失之。 |
| The king said: "Feng, the gravest criminals and most wicked individuals—how much more so those who are disrespectful to their parents or unfriendly toward others," This means no crime is greater than being unfilial or unfriendly. You must swiftly apply the punishments established by King Wen for such offenses, and these criminals are not to be spared; This means you should also quickly enforce the penalties set by King Wen against those who defy instruction—these offenders cannot be pardoned. Be reverent! Do not create resentment; do not employ improper schemes or abnormal methods, This means you should cultivate self-discipline with reverence and avoid doing anything that could provoke anger. Do not use unkind strategies or irregular laws. Young man Feng, the mandate of Heaven is never fixed. You should remember that Heaven's will does not remain constant. If you act virtuously, you gain it; if you commit evil deeds, you lose it. | ||
| 104 | 尚书: | 王若曰：乃穆考文王，诰庶邦御事。朝夕曰：祀兹酒，文王所告衆国治事吏，朝夕敕之，唯祭祀而用此酒，不常饮也。曰小大邦用丧，亦罔非酒惟辜，于小大之国所用丧，无不以酒为罪也。饮惟祀，德将无醉。饮酒惟当因祭祀，以德自将，无至醉。 |
| The king said: "Your illustrious father King Wen issued edicts to the officials of many states." Day and night he said: "This wine is for sacrifices," King Wen, in his instructions to the officials governing various states, ordered them day and night that this wine was only to be used for rituals, not for regular drinking. He said: "In both small and great states, when mourning is observed, there is no case where wine was not the cause of guilt," This means in all matters of mourning in small or large states, there has never been an instance where wine did not lead to wrongdoing. Drinking is only for rituals; virtue will remain unimpaired by intoxication. Drinking should be done only during sacrifices, and one must maintain self-discipline through virtue to avoid becoming drunk. | ||
| 105 | 尚书: | 在昔殷先哲王，惟御事，弗敢自暇自逸，惟殷御治事之臣，不敢自宽暇自逸豫。矧曰：其敢崇饮，崇，聚也。自逸暇犹不敢，况敢聚会饮酒乎。弗惟弗敢，亦弗暇。非徒不敢，志在助君敬法，亦不暇饮。 |
| In the past, the wise kings of Yin, when governing affairs, dared not indulge in idleness or ease; Only those officials who managed state matters under Yin dared not grant themselves leisure or indulgence. How much more so: "Would they dare to indulge in drinking?" Chong means to accumulate or indulge. They dared not even grant themselves a moment of ease—how could they possibly dare to gather for drinking? It was not merely that they dared not, but also that they had no time. Not only did they dare not do so, but their minds were set on assisting the ruler in upholding law and reverence; thus, they had no time to drink. | ||
| 106 | 尚书: | 在今后嗣王酣身，嗣王，纣也。酣乐其身，不忧政也。惟荒腆于酒，弗惟自息，言纣大厚于酒，昼夜不念自息。庶羣嗜酒，腥闻在上，故天降丧于殷，纣衆羣臣用酒耽荒，腥秽闻在天，故下丧亡于殷也。天非虐，惟人自速辜。言凡为天所亡，天非虐人，惟人所行恶自召罪。 |
| In later times, King Zhou, indulged his body in drunkenness; Suiwang refers to King Zhou. He delighted in his own pleasures and did not worry about governance. He was only excessively indulgent in wine, never thinking of resting himself; This means King Zhou was deeply addicted to drinking and never considered taking rest day or night. The multitude of officials and subjects indulged in drinking, their foul stench reaching heaven; thus Heaven brought ruin upon Yin. King Zhou's many ministers and subjects were immersed in drunken excess, their foul corruption reaching the heavens, so Heaven caused destruction to fall upon Yin. Heaven is not cruel; it is only that people bring guilt upon themselves. This means whenever Heaven brings about destruction, it is not out of cruelty toward people; rather, it is because people's own evil actions invite punishment. | ||
| 107 | 尚书: | 古人有言曰：人无于水鉴，当于民鉴，古贤圣有言，人无于水鉴，当于民鉴也。视水见己形，视民行事见吉凶。今惟殷坠命，我其可弗大鉴。今惟殷纣无道，坠失天命，我其可不大视为戒也。 |
| Ancient people said: "One need not look into water as a mirror, but should take the people as a mirror," The ancient sages and virtuous men said that one does not have to use water as a mirror; instead, one should regard the people as a mirror. Looking into water reveals your own reflection, while observing how the people act shows omens of good or ill fortune. Now that Yin has fallen from its mandate, can we not take it as a great mirror? Now that King Zhou of Yin was unjust and lost the Mandate of Heaven, how could we possibly not take this as a great warning? | ||
| 108 | 尚书: | 周公作无逸，中人之性好逸豫，成王即政，恐其逸豫，故以所戒名篇。周公曰：乌宓，君子所其无逸，叹美君子之道，所在念德，其无逸豫也。君子且犹然，况王者乎。先知稼穑之艰难，乃逸，则知小人之依。稼穑农夫之艰难事，先知之，乃谋逸豫，则知小民所依怙。 |
| Duke of Zhou composed "Wuyi," The nature of an average person is to prefer ease and pleasure. King Cheng was about to assume rule, and fearing he might indulge in leisure, the Duke named this chapter after his warning. Duke of Zhou said: "Ah, gentlemen must not indulge in ease," This expresses admiration for the way of a gentleman, who wherever he is should think about virtue and must not indulge in leisure. Even a gentleman still behaves this way; how much more so for a king? Only after understanding the hardships of farming and harvesting can one indulge in ease, thus knowing what common people rely upon. Farming and harvesting are the arduous tasks of peasants; only after understanding them can one plan for leisure, thus knowing what ordinary people depend on. | ||
| 109 | 尚书: | 我闻曰：昔在殷王中宗，大戊也。治民祗惧，弗敢荒宁，为政敬，身畏惧，不敢荒怠自安。享国七十有五年，以敬畏之故，得寿考之福也。其在高宗，嘉靖殷邦，至于小大，无时或怨，善谋殷国，至于小大之政，民无时有怨也。享国五十有九年，其在祖甲，汤孙太甲。爰知小人之依，能保惠于庶民，弗侮鳏寡，知小人以所依，依仁政也。故能安顺于衆民，不敢侮慢惸独也。享国三十有三年。 |
| I have heard that in the past there was King Zhongzong of Yin, This refers to Taiwu. He governed the people with reverence and fear, daring not to indulge in idleness; In governance he was respectful and personally fearful, never daring to be idle or self-indulgent. He reigned for seventy-five years; Because of his reverence and fear, he received the blessing of a long life. As for King Gaozong, he brought peace and prosperity to Yin, so that in all matters, great or small, the people never harbored resentment; He skillfully governed the state of Yin, such that in every aspect of governance, whether major or minor, the people at no time felt resentment. He reigned for fifty-nine years; as for Zujia, This was Taijia, the grandson of Tang. He understood what common people relied upon, and was able to bring blessings to the people; he did not insult widowers or widows. To know that common people depend on their reliance—on benevolent governance. Therefore, he was able to maintain peace and harmony among the people, never daring to insult or treat with contempt those who were lonely or vulnerable. He reigned for thirty-three years. | ||
| 110 | 尚书: | 自时厥后，立王生则逸，从是三王，各承其后而立者，生则逸豫无法度也。弗知稼穑之艰难，弗闻小人之劳，惟耽乐之从，过乐谓之耽，惟耽乐之从，言荒淫。亦罔或克寿，以耽乐之故，无有能寿者也。或十年，或七八年，或四三年。高者十年，下者三年，言逸乐之损寿也。 |
| From that time onward, when kings were born and ascended the throne, they indulged in ease; Since these three kings, those who succeeded them upon birth did so with leisure and pleasure without law or order. They did not know the hardships of farming, nor had they heard of the toil of common people; instead, they only followed indulgence in pleasure. Excessive enjoyment is called "dan," and "only following indulgent pleasures" refers to licentiousness and decadence. Thus, none of them could attain longevity; Because they indulged in pleasure, there was no one who could live a long life. Some reigned for ten years, some seven or eight years, and others only three or four years. The longest was ten years; the shortest, three years—this illustrates how indulgence in pleasure shortens one's life. | ||
| 111 | 尚书: | 惟我周大王，王季，克自抑畏，大王，周公曾祖，王季即祖也。言皆能以义自抑，畏敬天命也。文王卑服，文王节俭，卑其衣服。自朝至于日中昃，弗皇暇食，用咸和万民，从朝至日昳不暇食，思虑政事，用皆协和万民者也。厥享国五十年。 |
| Only our great King Taiwang and King Ji were able to restrain themselves with reverence; Taiwang was the grandfather of Duke of Zhou, and King Ji was his father. This means they both were able to restrain themselves through righteousness, revering and fearing the Mandate of Heaven. King Wen wore humble clothing; King Wen was frugal, dressing modestly. From morning until the sun passed its zenith, he had no time even to eat, thus harmonizing all the people; From dawn until midday, he was too busy with state affairs to find time for meals, and through this he brought harmony to all the people. He reigned for fifty years. | ||
| 112 | 尚书: | 自殷王中宗，及我周文王，兹四人迪哲，言此四人皆蹈智明德以临下也。厥或告之曰：小人怨汝詈汝，则皇自敬德。其有告之言小人怨詈者，则大自敬德，增修善政也。 |
| From King Zhongzong of Yin to our King Wen of Zhou, these four men were wise and virtuous; This means all four of them practiced wisdom and virtue in governing the people. Someone might have told them: "The common people resent you, curse you," then they would become more reverent in cultivating virtue. If someone told them that the common people resented and cursed them, they would greatly increase their reverence for virtue and improve good governance. | ||
| 113 | 尚书: | 此厥弗听，人乃或譸张为幻。曰：小人怨汝詈汝，则信之，此其不听中正之君，有人诳惑之，言小人怨憾詈汝，则信受之也。乱罚无罪，杀无辜，怨有同是丛于厥身。信谗含怒，罚杀无罪，则天下同怨雠之，丛聚于其身也。 |
| If one does not listen to this advice, then people may begin to spread false illusions or deceptions. They said: "The common people resent and curse you," then believed it; This refers to a ruler who does not heed just counsel, when someone deceives him by saying the common people are resentful and cursing him, he accepts this as true. He would then punish the innocent and kill the guiltless, so that resentment gathered upon his person. If one believes slander and harbors anger, punishing and killing the innocent, then all under heaven will share resentment toward him, gathering as enemies upon his person. | ||
| 114 | 尚书: | 乌宓，嗣王其监于兹。视此乱罚之祸以为戒也。 |
| Ah! The successor kings should take this as a lesson. This is to regard the calamity of unjust punishment as a warning. | ||
| 115 | 尚书: | 蔡叔既没，以罪放而卒也。王命蔡仲践诸侯位，王，成王也。父卒命子，罪不相及。王若曰：小子胡，胡，仲名也。皇天无亲，惟德是辅，民心无常，惟惠之怀，天之于人，无有亲疏，惟有德者则辅佐之，民心于上无有常主，惟爱己者则归往之。为善弗同，同归于治，为恶弗同，同归于乱，尔其戒哉。 |
| After Prince Cai had died, He was exiled due to his crimes and eventually passed away there. King Cheng ordered Prince Zhong of Cai to resume the position of a feudal lord; The king refers to King Cheng. When a father dies, his son is commanded by Heaven's will; guilt does not extend from one generation to the next. The king said: "Young man Hu," Hu was Zhong's personal name. Heaven does not favor anyone; it supports only those with virtue. The people's hearts are fickle and do not remain constant, but they will cherish only those who show them kindness. Heaven has no favorites among people; it assists only the virtuous. As for the people's loyalty to their ruler, there is no fixed allegiance—only those who care for the people will be followed by them. Though good deeds may differ in form, they all lead to order; though evil acts may vary, they all result in chaos. Be on your guard! | ||
| 116 | 尚书: | 慎厥初，惟其终，康济小民，率自中，无作聪明乱旧章，汝为政当安小民之业，循用大中之道，无敢为小聪明，作异辩，以变乱旧典文章也。详乃视听，罔以侧言改厥度，则予一人汝嘉，详审汝视听，非礼义勿视听也。无以邪巧之言，易其常度，必断之以义，则我一人善汝矣。小子胡，汝往哉。无荒弃朕命。汝往之国，无废我命，欲其终身奉行之。 |
| Be cautious at the beginning, and consider its end. Bring peace to the common people by following the principle of balance; do not act with petty cleverness that disrupts established laws and regulations. When you govern, you should ensure stability for the livelihoods of the common people, adhering to the great path of balance. Do not dare to use trivial wisdom or make strange arguments to alter and disturb old institutions and writings. Carefully observe and listen; do not let biased words alter your standards. Then I, the king, will commend you. This means to carefully examine what you see and hear, and only pay attention to things that conform to propriety and righteousness. Do not let deceitful or cunning words change your established standards; you must decide matters according to righteousness. Then I, the ruler, will be pleased with you. Young man Hu, go forth! Do not neglect or abandon my command. When you go to your state, do not forsake my command; I wish for you to uphold and follow it throughout your life. | ||
| 117 | 尚书: | 王若曰：猷告尔四国多方，顺大道，告四方。惟圣罔念作狂，惟狂克念作圣，惟圣人无念于善，则为狂人，惟狂人能念善，则为圣人，言桀纣非实狂愚，以不念善故灭亡也。自作不和，尔惟和哉。尔室弗睦，尔惟和哉。尔邑克明，尔惟克勤乃事。大小衆官，自为不和，汝有方多士当和之哉。汝亲近室家不睦，汝亦当和之，汝邑中能明，是汝惟能勤职事也。 |
| The king said: "I will instruct the four regions and many states," Following the great way, I shall inform all directions. Only a sage who neglects thoughts of virtue becomes a madman; only a madman who cultivates thoughts of virtue can become a sage. This means that when a sage does not think about goodness, he becomes a fool; whereas even a fool who thinks about goodness may become a sage. This indicates that Jie and Zhou were not inherently foolish or insane but perished because they neglected good thoughts. If you create disharmony yourself, then it is up to you to restore harmony. If your household is not harmonious, it is for you to bring about peace. Your town can be enlightened; this depends on your diligence in your duties. Whether great or small officials, if they create discord themselves, you have many capable men who should work to restore harmony. If your close relatives and family are not harmonious, you too must work to bring peace. If the people in your town can be enlightened, it is because you alone have been diligent in your official duties. | ||
| 118 | 尚书: | 周公戒于王曰：文王罔攸兼于庶言，庶狱，庶慎，惟有司之牧夫，文王无所兼知于毁誉衆言，及衆刑狱，衆所当慎之事，惟慎择有司牧夫而已，劳于求才，逸于任贤。是训用违，庶狱庶慎，文王罔敢知于兹，是万民顺法，用违法，衆狱衆慎之事，文王一无敢自知于此，委任贤能而已也。武王率惟敉功，弗敢替厥义德。武王循惟文王抚安天下之功，不敢废其义德，奉遵父道也。 |
| Duke of Zhou warned the king: "King Wen did not personally oversee all public opinions, legal cases, or matters requiring caution; these were entrusted to the responsible officials and administrators," King Wen did not concern himself with knowing every piece of praise or criticism from the people, nor did he handle every criminal case or matter that required careful attention. He merely carefully selected those in charge and trusted them. He worked hard to find capable individuals but found ease in entrusting responsibilities to virtuous officials. Regarding the instruction of laws and matters requiring caution in legal cases, King Wen dared not personally intervene; This means for all the people following or violating the law, as well as numerous legal cases and matters that required careful handling, King Wen did not dare to take personal charge but simply entrusted them to capable officials. King Wu followed the path of pacifying and completing his achievements; he dared not abandon virtue and righteousness. King Wu followed in the footsteps of King Wen's achievements in pacifying the realm, and dared not abandon his virtue and righteousness; he honored and adhered to his father's example. | ||
| 119 | 尚书: | 孺子王矣。稚子今已为王矣。不可不勤法祖考也。继自今文子文孙，其勿误于庶狱庶慎，惟正是乂之。文子文孙，文王之子孙也。从今以往，惟以正是之道治衆狱衆慎，其勿误也。 |
| Now you are a young king. A child is now the king. One cannot but diligently follow the laws and examples of one's ancestors. From now on, descendants and grandsons of virtue must not err in handling legal cases or matters requiring caution; they should only pursue what is just and proper. Wenzi Wensun refers to the descendants of King Wen. From now on, only by following the path of justice and correctness should one govern numerous legal cases and matters requiring caution—do not make mistakes. | ||
| 120 | 尚书: | 王曰：若昔大猷，制治于未乱，保邦于未危。言当顺古大道，制治安国，必于未乱未危之前思患豫防之。 |
| The king said: "As in the past, great governance is established before disorder arises, and the state is preserved before danger occurs." This means one should follow the ancient great way of governance; to maintain order and protect the state, one must think ahead and prepare for dangers before disorder or crisis arises. | ||
| 121 | 尚书: | 曰：唐虞稽古，建官惟百，内有百揆四岳，外有州牧侯伯，道尧舜考古以建百官，上下相维，内外咸治也。庶政惟和，万国咸宁，官职有序，故衆政惟和，万国皆安，所以为至治也。夏商官倍，亦克用乂，禹汤建官二百，亦能用治，言不及唐虞之清要也。明王立政，弗惟其官，惟其人。言圣帝明王立政修教也。不惟多其官，惟在得其人也。 |
| It is said: "Tang and Yu examined the past, establishing only a hundred officials. Within were one hundred ministers and four yue, while outside there were state governors and marquises," This means Yao and Shun studied ancient precedents to establish their hundred officials; internally they had the hundred ministers and Four Yue, externally they had regional governors and lords—thus ensuring internal and external governance was well maintained. All government affairs were harmonious, and all states enjoyed peace; With orderly official positions, the many administrative matters remained in harmony, and all regions experienced tranquility—this was the ideal state of governance. The number of officials in Xia and Shang doubled, yet they too could achieve good governance; Yu and Tang established 200 officials, who were also able to bring order—though not as refined or essential as the system of Yao and Shun. A wise ruler establishes governance—not merely by appointing officials, but by selecting the right people. This refers to how sage emperors and enlightened kings established governance and cultivated moral instruction. It is not about having many officials, but rather about obtaining the right people. | ||
| 122 | 尚书: | 立太师，太傅，太保，兹惟三公，论道经邦，燮理阴阳，师，天子所师法，傅，傅相天子，保，保安天子于德义者也。此惟三公之任，佐王论道，以经纬国事，和理阴阳也。官弗必备，唯其人。三公之官，不必备员，惟其人有德乃处之也。 |
| Establish the Grand Tutor, Grand Regent, and Grand Guardian—these three were known as the Three Dukes. They deliberated on state affairs and principles of governance, harmonizing yin and yang; The tutor was a figure whom the Son of Heaven followed for guidance; the regent assisted and advised the Son of Heaven; the guardian ensured that the Son of Heaven adhered to virtue and righteousness. This was the responsibility of the Three Dukes: assisting the king in deliberating on principles, managing state affairs with wisdom and strategy, and harmonizing yin and yang. The offices need not be fully filled; it is only necessary to have the right people. The positions of the Three Dukes do not need to be fully occupied; it is only when a person possesses virtue that they should hold such posts. | ||
| 123 | 尚书: | 少师，少傅，少保，曰三孤，孤，特也。卑于公，尊于卿，特置此三人也。贰公弘化，寅亮天地，弼予一人，副贰三公弘大道化，敬信天地之教，辅我一人之治，孤，特也。卑于公，尊于卿，特置此三人也。贰公弘化，寅亮天地，弼予一人，副贰三公弘大道化，敬信天地之教，辅我一人之治，孤，特也。卑于公，尊于卿，特置此三人也。贰公弘化，寅亮天地，弼予一人，副贰三公弘大道化，敬信天地之教，辅我一人之治，孤，特也。卑于公，尊于卿，特置此三人也。贰公弘化，寅亮天地，弼予一人，副贰三公弘大道化，敬信天地之教，辅我一人之治。孤，特也。卑于公，尊于卿，特置此三人也。贰公弘化，寅亮天地，弼予一人，副贰三公弘大道化，敬信天地之教，辅我一人之治，孤，特也。卑于公，尊于卿，特置此三人也。贰公弘化，寅亮天地，弼予一人，副贰三公弘大道化，敬信天地之教，辅我一人之治，孤，特也。卑于公，尊于卿，特置此三人也。贰公弘化，寅亮天地，弼予一人，副贰三公弘大道化，敬信天地之教，辅我一人之治，孤，特也。卑于公，尊于卿，特置此三人也。贰公弘化，寅亮天地，弼予一人，副贰三公弘大道化，敬信天地之教，辅我一人之治。 |
| The Junior Tutor, the Junior Regent, and the Junior Guardian—these were known as the Three Solitaries; Gu means unique or singular. Their rank was lower than that of the Dukes but higher than that of ministers, as these three were uniquely appointed. They assisted the Three Dukes in promoting virtue, reverently upholding Heaven and Earth, and aiding me, the king. The "solitaries" were uniquely appointed to assist the Three Dukes by promoting the great way of moral influence, respecting and believing in the teachings of Heaven and Earth, thus supporting my governance. Their rank was lower than the Dukes but higher than ministers; these three were uniquely established for this purpose. They assisted the Three Dukes to promote moral influence, reverently upheld Heaven and Earth, aided me as a single ruler. As assistants to the Three Dukes, they promoted the great way of virtue, respected and believed in the teachings of Heaven and earth, supported my governance as one person. "Gu" means unique or singular. Their rank was lower than that of a Duke but higher than that of an official; these three were specially appointed for this role. They assisted the Three Dukes and promoted moral influence, reverently upholding Heaven and earth to support me as a single sovereign. As assistants to the Three Duges, they promoted the great path of virtue, respected and trusted in the teachings of heaven and earth, aided my governance by one person; "gu" means unique or singular. Their rank was lower than a Duke but higher than an official; these three positions were specially established for this purpose. They assisted the Three Dukes by spreading virtue, reverently upholding heaven and earth, supporting me as a single ruler; as assistants to the Three Dukes they promoted the great moral way, respected and trusted in heavenly and earthly teachings, aiding my governance as one. "Gu" means unique or singular. Their rank was lower than that of Dukes but higher than officials; these three were specially established for this role. They assisted the Three Dukes, spreading virtue and reverently upholding Heaven and Earth to support me as one ruler. As assistants of the Three Dukes, they spread the great moral path, respected and trusted in teachings from Heaven and Earth, aiding my governance by a single person; "gu" means unique or singular. Their rank was lower than Dukes but higher than officials, these three were specially assigned for this role. They assisted the Three Dukes in spreading virtue, reverently upheld Heaven and earth to support my rule as a single sovereign; as assistants of the Three Dukes they spread the great path of moral influence, respected and trusted the teachings of Heaven and Earth and aided me, one person's governance. "Gu" means unique or singular. Their rank was lower than that of dukes but higher than officials; this role for these three individuals was specially established. They assisted the Three Dukes in propagating virtue, reverently maintained harmony with Heaven and Earth, supported me as a single monarch; as assistants to the Three Dikes they promoted the great moral path of transformation, respected and believed in teachings from Heaven and earth, aiding my governance by one. "Gu" means unique or singular. Their rank was lower than dukes but higher than ministers, these three were specially appointed to this role. They assisted the Three Dukes in advancing moral influence, reverently maintained harmony between Heaven and Earth, supporting me as a sole ruler; as assistants to the three dukes they promoted the great path of transformation, respecting and trusting in the teachings of Heaven and Earth to aid my governance by one. | ||
| 124 | 尚书: | 冢宰掌邦治，统百官，均四海，天官卿称太宰，主国政治，统理百官，均平四海之内邦国，言任大。司徒掌邦教，敷五典，扰兆民。地官卿，主国教化，布五常之教，安和天下衆民，使小大协睦也。 |
| The Grand Minister was in charge of state governance, overseeing all officials and ensuring balance throughout the realm; The official title "Tian Guan Qing" was known as Taizai, who presided over national politics, managed all government offices, and ensured fairness among the states within the four seas. This indicates a position of great responsibility. The Minister of Rites was in charge of national moral instruction, spreading the five classics, and guiding the people. The Minister of Earth oversaw national moral education, disseminated the teachings of the Five Constants, and ensured harmony among all people in the world, making both the young and old live in peace and unity. | ||
| 125 | 尚书: | 宗伯掌邦礼，治神人，和上下，春官卿，主宗庙天地神祗人鬼之事，及国之五礼，以和上下尊卑等列也。司马掌邦政，统六师，平邦国。夏官卿，主戎马之事，掌国徵伐，统正六军，平治王邦四方之乱也。 |
| The Minister of Rites presided over state rituals, harmonizing the relationship between gods and humans, as well as those between superiors and inferiors; The Spring Official was in charge of ancestral temples, heavenly and earthly deities, and human spirits, along with the five national rites to maintain harmony among ranks and social order. The Minister of War was in charge of state military affairs, commanding the six armies, and maintaining peace within the realm. The Summer Official was responsible for military matters, overseeing national campaigns and commanding the six regular armies to pacify chaos in all directions of the royal realm. | ||
| 126 | 尚书: | 司寇掌邦禁，诘奸慝，刑暴乱，秋官卿，主寇贼，法禁治奸恶，刑疆暴作乱者也。司空掌邦土，居四民，时地利。冬官卿，主国空土，以居士农工商四民，使顺天时，分地利，授之土。 |
| The Minister of Justice was in charge of state laws, investigating evildoers and punishing those who caused chaos; The Autumn Official oversaw matters related to bandits and thieves, enforced legal prohibitions against wickedness, and punished violent rebels. The Minister of Works was in charge of state land affairs, housing the four classes of people, and managing the benefits of the land according to seasons. The Winter Official was responsible for state land management, providing housing for the four classes of people—scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants—and ensuring they followed seasonal cycles to fairly distribute land resources. | ||
| 127 | 尚书: | 六卿分职，各帅其属，以倡九牧，阜成兆民。六卿各率其属官大夫士治其所分之职，以倡导九州之牧伯为政，大成兆民之性命，皆能其官，则政治矣。 |
| The Six Ministers each had their own responsibilities, leading their respective subordinates to guide the nine provinces and enrich the lives of all people. The Six Ministers each led their subordinate officials, including ministers and scholars, to manage the duties assigned to them. They guided the governors of the nine provinces in governance, ensuring the well-being of all people. If every official fulfilled his role properly, then state affairs would be effectively managed. | ||
| 128 | 尚书: | 王曰：乌宓，凡我有官君子，钦乃攸司，慎乃出令，令出惟行，弗惟反。有官君子，大夫以上也。叹而戒之，使敬所司，慎出令，从政之本也。令出必惟行之，不惟反改，二三其令，乱之道也。 |
| The king said: "Alas! All my officials and gentlemen, be reverent in your duties, exercise caution when issuing orders. Once an order is given, it must be carried out, not reversed." "Officials and gentlemen" refers to those of the rank of minister or higher. He sighed and warned them, urging reverence in their duties and caution when issuing commands—this was the foundation of governance. Orders once issued must be carried out without reversal or amendment; inconsistency in orders leads to disorder. | ||
| 129 | 尚书: | 以公灭私，民其允怀，从政以公平灭私情，则民其信归之。学古入官，议事以制，政乃弗迷，言当先学古训，然后入官治政，凡制事必以古义议度终始，政乃不迷错也。其尔典常作师，无以利口乱厥官，其汝为政，当以旧典常故事为师法，无以利口辩佞乱其官也。弗学墙面，莅事惟烦。人而不学，其犹正墙面而立，临政事必烦矣。 |
| By upholding public interests over private ones, the people will trust and support you; Governance based on fairness and suppressing personal bias ensures that the people place their faith in you. Study the past to enter office, deliberate on matters according to established principles, and governance will not be misguided; This means one should first study ancient teachings before assuming an official post. All decisions must be made by consulting historical precedents from beginning to end, ensuring that governance remains clear and correct. You should take the established principles and precedents as your guide, not use eloquent but deceitful speech to disrupt official duties; When you govern, you must follow old regulations and historical examples as a model. Do not allow clever or deceptive rhetoric to corrupt your office. Without learning, one is like a wall facing outward; handling affairs will only bring confusion and trouble. A person who does not study is like one standing with his back to a wall; when faced with governance, he will inevitably become confused and overwhelmed. | ||
| 130 | 尚书: | 戒尔卿士，功崇惟志，业广惟勤，此戒凡有官位，但言卿士，举其掌事者也。功高由志，业广由勤也。位弗期骄，禄弗期侈，贵不与骄期而骄自至，富不与侈期而侈自来，骄侈以行，己所以速亡也。恭俭惟德，无载尔僞，言当恭俭，惟以立德，无行奸僞也。作德，心逸日休，作僞，心劳日拙。为德，直道而行，于心逸豫，而名日美，为僞，饰巧百端，于心劳苦，而事日拙，不可为之也。 |
| I warn you, officials: great achievements come from strong wills, and broad accomplishments result only from diligence; This warning is directed at all who hold office. The term "qing shi" refers to those in charge of affairs. High achievements stem from determination, and broad accomplishments come from diligence. Do not let your position lead to arrogance, nor allow wealth to bring extravagance; Nobility does not invite pride, yet pride may arise on its own. Wealth does not seek luxury, but luxury often follows. When arrogance and excess take hold, it is the sure path to downfall. Reverence and frugality are the essence of virtue; do not indulge in your deceptions; This means you should be respectful and economical, cultivating virtue through upright conduct rather than engaging in deceit. Cultivating virtue brings ease of mind and daily improvement; practicing deception leads to mental strain and worsening outcomes. Practicing virtue means walking the straight path, which brings peace of mind and growing reputation. Practicing deceit involves countless deceptions, causing inner toil and worsening affairs—this must not be done. | ||
| 131 | 尚书: | 居宠思危，罔弗惟畏，弗畏入畏。言虽居贵宠，当常思危惧，无所不畏，若乃不畏，则入不可畏之刑。 |
| While in favor, always think of danger; do not become complacent without fear, for lack of fear will lead to peril. This means that even when in a position of honor and favor, one should always be mindful of potential dangers and remain vigilant. If one is not afraid at all, then they will fall into unavoidable punishment. | ||
| 132 | 尚书: | 推贤让能，庶官乃和，贤能相让，俊乂在官，所以和谐也。举能其官，惟尔之能，称匪其人，惟尔弗任。所举能修其官，惟亦汝之功能也。举非其人，惟亦汝之不胜其任也。 |
| Promote the virtuous and yield to those more capable, and then all officials will work in harmony; When virtue and ability are mutually respected and passed on, talented individuals will hold office, thus achieving harmony. Appoint those with the capability for their posts; only your ability can justify such a position. If someone is not suited to his role, it means you have failed in your duty of appointment. If the person you appoint can properly perform their duties, that reflects your capability and competence as well. To recommend someone unsuitable for office is also a sign of your own failure to fulfill the responsibilities of your position. | ||
| 133 | 尚书: | 王曰：乌宓，三事暨大夫，敬尔有官，乱尔有政，难而敕公卿以下，各敬居汝所有之官，治汝所有之职也。以右乃辟，永康兆民，万邦惟无斁。言当敬治官政，以助汝君长安天下兆民，则天下万国惟乃无厌我周德也。 |
| The king said: "Alas! You, the Three Ministers and all officials, must revere your offices and manage your governance properly; He sternly instructed the Grand Ministers and those below them to respect their positions and diligently perform their duties. Support your sovereign, bring lasting peace to all people, and ensure that all nations remain without decline or disorder. This means you should diligently manage your official duties to assist your ruler in securing lasting peace for the people of the world, so that all nations will remain without aversion toward the virtue of our Zhou dynasty. | ||
| 134 | 尚书: | 周公既殁，命君陈分正东郊成周，成王重周公所营，故命陈分居，正东郊成周之邑。王若曰：君陈。我闻曰：至治馨香，感于神明，黍稷非馨，明德惟馨。所闻上古圣贤之言也。政治之至者，芬芳馨气，动于神明，所谓芬芳，非黍稷之气，乃明德之馨，厉之以德也。 |
| After the death of Duke of Zhou, King Cheng ordered Jun Chen to divide and govern the eastern suburbs of Chengzhou; King Cheng valued the planning done by the Duke of Zhou, so he commanded Jun Chen to reside there and properly manage the city in the eastern suburbs. The king said: "Jun Chen." I have heard it said: The highest form of governance is to offer fragrant virtue that moves the spirits and deities. Grains themselves are not what please them; only virtuous conduct truly brings fragrance. This was a saying of ancient sages and virtuous men. The highest level of governance is when the fragrance of virtue moves Heaven and Earth. The so-called "fragrance" does not refer to the scent of millet or grain, but rather the moral virtue that brings true fragrance—this is achieved through cultivating virtue. | ||
| 135 | 尚书: | 凡人未见圣，若弗克见，既见圣，亦弗克由圣。此言凡人有初无终也。未见圣道，如不能得见，已见圣道，亦不能用之，所以无成也。尔其戒哉。 |
| Ordinary people who have not seen a sage are as if they cannot see one; even when they do encounter a sage, they still may not follow the sage's example. This statement refers to how ordinary people often lack perseverance and consistency. Before encountering the way of sages, it is as if one cannot find it; even after seeing the sage's path, one may still fail to follow it—this is why they achieve nothing. You must take this as a warning. | ||
| 136 | 尚书: | 尔惟风，下民惟草，汝戒勿为凡人之行也。民从上教而变，犹草应风而偃，不可不慎也。无依势作威，无倚法以削，无乘势位作威民上，无倚法制以行刻削之政。宽而有制，从容以和。宽不失制，动不失和，德教之治也。 |
| You are the wind; the people below you are but grass; This serves to warn you not to act like an ordinary person. The people follow the example set by their leaders, just as grass bends with the wind—this is something that cannot be taken lightly. Do not use your position to bully the people, nor rely on laws to impose harsh policies; Do not abuse power and status to dominate over the people, or use legal systems as a tool for oppressive governance. Be lenient yet orderly, and govern with grace and harmony. Being lenient without losing order, acting without disrupting harmony—this is the governance of virtue and moral instruction. | ||
| 137 | 尚书: | 殷民在辟，予曰辟，尔惟勿辟，予曰宥，尔惟勿宥，惟厥中，殷民有罪在刑法者，我曰刑之，汝勿刑也。我曰赦宥，汝勿宥也。惟其当以中正平理断也。无弗若于汝政，弗化于汝训，辟以止辟，乃辟。有不顺于汝政，不变于汝教，刑之而惩止犯刑者，乃刑之也。 |
| Regarding the people of Yin who are under judgment, if I say they should be punished, you must not punish them; if I say to pardon them, you must not refuse. Follow only what is just and moderate; For those among the Yin people who have committed crimes subject to legal punishment, even if I order their punishment, you must not carry it out. If I say they are to be pardoned, you must not grant them clemency. Only when a fair and impartial judgment is made according to justice should it be carried out. Do not allow anyone to defy your governance or ignore your teachings; if punishment is used, let it serve only to stop further wrongdoing—this is true justice. If there are those who do not follow your governance or change their behavior through your teachings, then use punishment to deter others from breaking the law—this is when punishment should be applied. | ||
| 138 | 尚书: | 尔无忿疾于顽，无求备于一人。人有顽嚣不喻，汝当训之，无忿怒疾之，使人当器之，无责备于一夫也。 |
| Do not become angry with the stubborn, nor demand perfection from a single person. When people are stubborn and unresponsive, you should educate them. Do not become angry or resentful toward them; treat each person according to their capacity, and do not place excessive demands on a single individual. | ||
| 139 | 尚书: | 王，王旧作命。改之曰：乌宓，父师，毕公代周公为大师，为东伯，命之代君陈也。政贵有恒，辞尚体要，弗惟好异，政以仁义为常，辞以体实为要，故贵尚之，若异于先王，君子不好也。商俗靡靡，利口惟贤，馀风未殄，公其念哉。纣以靡靡利口为贤，覆亡国家，今殷民利口，馀风未绝，公其念绝之也。 |
| King, Originally written as "Ming." changed it to say: "Alas! Father Shi," {{Bi Gong succeeded the Duke of Zhou as Grand Tutor and became the Eastern Lord, appointed to succeed Jun Chen. Governance values consistency, and words should emphasize clarity and essentials; do not merely seek novelty or difference; Governing with benevolence and righteousness as constants, and speech focusing on substance and key points—this is what is valued. If something differs from the ways of former kings, it will not be favored by gentlemen. The customs of Shang were decadent and soft, with eloquence alone considered virtue; though these lingering influences have not yet been eradicated, you must bear this in mind. King Zhou regarded softness and eloquence as virtue, which led to the downfall of his state. Now, among the people of Yin, such tendencies still persist; you must think about how to eliminate them. | ||
| 140 | 尚书: | 我闻曰：世禄之家，鲜克由礼，以荡陵德，实悖天道，世有禄位而无礼教，少不以放荡陵邈有德者，如此，实乱天道也。獘化奢丽，万世同流，言弊俗相化，车服奢丽，虽相去万世，若同一流者也。兹殷庶士，骄淫矜侉，将由恶终，闲之惟艰，言殷士骄恣过制，矜其所能，以自侉大，将用恶自终，以礼御其心惟难也。惟周公克慎厥始，惟君陈克和厥中，惟公克成厥终，周公迁殷顽民以消乱阶，能慎其始也。君陈弘周公之训，能和其中也。毕公阐二公之烈，能成其终也。钦若先王成烈，以休于前政。敬顺文武成业，以美于前人之政，所以勉毕公。 |
| I have heard it said: Families that inherit official positions rarely follow propriety; instead, they indulge in disorder and disrespect virtue, which is a violation of the natural order; Families who hold hereditary posts without moral instruction seldom refrain from indulgence or from showing contempt toward virtuous individuals. Such behavior truly disrupts the will of Heaven. Decay and extravagance spread from one generation to the next, so that even across ten thousand years, they flow together; This means corrupt customs influence each other, with luxurious carriages and clothing becoming widespread. Though separated by thousands of years, their decadence remains as if part of a single current. These common people of Yin are arrogant, indulgent, and conceited; they will end in evil. To restrain them is difficult indeed; This refers to the people of Yin being proud and overstepping proper bounds, boasting about their abilities and appearing haughty. They will ultimately bring ruin upon themselves. It is especially hard to guide such hearts with propriety. Only the Duke of Zhou could be cautious at the beginning, only Jun Chen could maintain harmony in the middle, and only you can achieve success at the end; The Duke of Zhou relocated stubborn Yin people to eliminate sources of disorder, demonstrating prudence from the start. Jun Chen carried forward the teachings of the Duke of Zhou and was able to maintain harmony throughout the process. Bi Gong continued the great deeds of these two sages, thus being able to achieve success in the end. Reverently follow the achievements and virtuous examples of former kings to bring peace and prosperity to previous governance. Respectfully following King Wen and King Wu's accomplished legacy, making the governance of predecessors even more admirable—this was meant to encourage Bi Gong. | ||
| 141 | 尚书: | 穆王命君牙作周大司徒，穆王，昭王子也。王若曰：乌宓，惟乃祖乃父，世笃忠贞，服劳王家，厥有成绩，纪于大常。言汝父祖世厚忠贞，服事勤劳王家，其有成功见纪録，书于王之大常，以表显之也。 |
| King Mu ordered Jun Ya to serve as Grand Minister of Rites; King Mu was the son of King Zhao. The king said: "Alas! Your ancestors and father were generations of loyal and steadfast men, who served the royal house with toil. Their achievements are recorded in the great ancestral records." This means your father and ancestors were generations of deeply loyal men who served the royal family with diligence. Their accomplishments are recorded in the king's great ancestral records to honor them. | ||
| 142 | 尚书: | 惟予小子，嗣守文，武，成，康遗绪，亦惟先王之臣，克左右乱四方，惟我小子，继守先王遗业，亦惟父祖之臣，能佐助我治四方，言己无所能也。心之忧危，若蹈虎尾，涉于春冰。言祖业之大，己才之弱，故心怀危惧也。虎噬畏噬，春冰畏陷，危惧之甚也。 |
| I, your humble sovereign, have inherited the legacy of Kings Wen, Wu, Cheng, and Kang. I also rely on the ministers of former kings who can assist in quelling disorder throughout all directions; Only I, a lowly ruler, continue to uphold the legacy of past kings. I depend upon the descendants of my father and ancestors, who are able to support me in governing the four quarters—this shows that I myself am not capable. The anxiety and danger in my heart is like treading on a tiger's tail or crossing spring ice. This expresses how the great legacy of one's ancestors contrasts with my own weak abilities, hence I am filled with anxiety and fear. The tiger fears being bitten, the spring ice fears breaking—this is an extreme sense of danger and fear. | ||
| 143 | 尚书: | 今命尔予翊，作股肱心膂，今命汝为我辅翊股肱心体之臣，言委任之也。尔身克正，罔敢弗正，民心罔中，惟尔之中。言汝身能正，则下无敢不正，民心无中，从女取中，必当正身，示民以中正之道。 |
| Now I appoint you to assist me, as a trusted pillar of my body and mind; Now I appoint you as an assistant and close confidant, meaning that I entrust you with important responsibilities. If your person is upright, none will dare to be unjust; if the people's hearts are not centered, only you can bring them into balance. This means if you are personally upright, then none below will dare to be otherwise. If the people's hearts lack balance, they will follow your example and find their center—thus you must certainly conduct yourself with integrity, setting an example of uprightness for the people. | ||
| 144 | 尚书: | 夏暑雨，小民惟曰怨咨，夏月暑雨，天之常道，小民惟怨叹咨嗟，言心无中正也。冬祁寒，小民亦惟曰怨咨，厥惟艰哉。思其艰以图其易，民乃宁。天不可怨，民犹怨嗟，治民其惟艰哉。当思虑其艰以谋其易，民乃安。 |
| Summer heat and rain cause the common people to complain and lament; In summer, hot rains are a natural occurrence, yet the common folk only express complaints and sighs—this indicates their hearts lack uprightness. In winter when it is bitterly cold, the common people also complain and lament; how difficult this truly is. Reflect on their hardships and seek to make things easier for them, and then the people will find peace. Heaven cannot be blamed, yet the people still complain—governing the people is indeed difficult. One must think about their hardships and plan for ease; only then will the people find peace. | ||
| 145 | 尚书: | 王若曰：伯冏，昔在文，武，聪明齐圣，小大之臣，咸怀忠良，聪明，听视远也。齐，通无滞碍也。臣虽官有尊卑，无不忠良。其侍御仆从，罔匪正人，给侍进御，仆从从官，官虽微，无不用中正之人。以旦夕承弼厥辟，出入起居，罔有弗钦，小臣皆良，仆从皆正，以旦夕承辅其君，故君出入起居，无有不敬。发号施令，罔有弗臧，下民祗若，万邦咸休。言文武发号施令，无有不善，下民敬顺其命，万国皆美其化也。 |
| The king said: "Bo Jiong, in the time of Kings Wen and Wu, they were wise and saintly. Ministers great and small all harbored loyalty and virtue; 'Clever and wise' means having far-reaching vision and hearing. "Qi," meaning thorough without obstruction or hindrance. Though officials held different ranks, none failed to be loyal and virtuous." Even those who served as attendants and followed the ruler were all upright men; Those who attended, presented offerings, or accompanied the ruler—though their positions might be lowly, none but upright individuals were employed. Thus, from morning to night they assisted and advised their ruler in all matters of governance and daily life, with none failing to show reverence; All minor officials were virtuous, attendants upright—thus serving the ruler day and night, so that when he went out or returned, rose or rested, there was no lack of respect. When issuing commands and decrees, none were inappropriate; the people below reverently followed, and all nations enjoyed peace and prosperity. This means that when Kings Wen and Wu issued commands, none were unwise; the people below respectfully obeyed their orders, and all nations admired their influence. | ||
| 146 | 尚书: | 惟予一人无良，实赖左右前后有位之士，匡其弗及，惟我一人无善，实恃左右前后有职位之士，匡正其不及，言此责羣臣正己者也。绳諐纠谬，格其非心，俾克绍先烈。言恃左右之臣，弹正过误，检其非妄之心，使能继先王之功业也。 |
| Only I, as one man, am lacking in virtue; I truly rely on the men of position before and behind me to correct what I cannot achieve; Only I alone lack goodness; I depend entirely upon those with official positions around me—before and after—to rectify my shortcomings. This statement emphasizes the responsibility of ministers to conduct themselves uprightly. Correcting faults, exposing errors, and rectifying wrong intentions so that they may continue the achievements of their predecessors. This means relying on ministers at my side to correct mistakes and examine improper thoughts, so that they may be able to continue the achievements of former kings. | ||
| 147 | 尚书: | 今予命汝作大仆正，正于羣仆侍御之臣，欲其教正羣仆无敢佞僞也。懋乃后德，交修弗逮，言侍御之臣，无小大亲疏，皆当勉汝君为德，更代修进其所不逮也。慎简乃僚，无以巧言令色便辟侧媚，其惟吉士。当谨慎简选汝僚属侍臣，无得用巧言无实，令色无质，便辟足恭，侧媚诏谀之人，其惟皆吉良正士也。 |
| Now I appoint you as Grand Steward, to correct the ministers who serve and attend upon me; I wish for them to be taught and corrected so that none dare to act deceitfully or falsely. Strive to cultivate your ruler's virtue, and take turns assisting in what he cannot achieve; This means that all attendants—regardless of rank or closeness—should encourage their ruler to pursue virtue and assist one another in advancing areas where the ruler is lacking. Be cautious in selecting your subordinates; do not allow those who use flattery, smooth words, or sycophantic behavior to serve—you should only appoint virtuous men. You must carefully select your subordinates and attendants, not employing those who speak cleverly without substance, display pleasing expressions without integrity, act overly respectful yet insincerely, or flatter with sycophantic praise—only virtuous and upright men should be chosen. | ||
| 148 | 尚书: | 仆臣正，厥后克正，仆臣谀，厥后自圣，言仆臣皆正，则其君乃能正，仆臣诏谀，则其君乃自谓圣。后德惟臣，弗德惟臣，君之有德，惟臣成之，君之无德，惟误之，言君所行善恶，专在左右也。尔无昵于憸人，充耳目之官，迪上以非先王之典。汝无亲近憸利小子之人，充备侍从，在视听之官，导君上以非先王之法也。 |
| If the attendants are upright, then their ruler can be just; if the attendants flatter and deceive, then the ruler will consider himself a sage; This means when attendants are all upright, only then is the ruler able to act with integrity. When attendants flatter and mislead, the ruler comes to believe he is already wise. The virtue of the ruler depends on his ministers; the lack of virtue in a ruler also depends on his ministers; A ruler's virtue is realized through his ministers, and his lack of virtue results from their errors. This means whether the ruler acts virtuously or not entirely depends upon those around him. You must not be close to sycophants who fill the positions of eyes and ears, guiding your ruler away from the precedents of former kings. You must not be intimate with those who are sycophantic and self-serving, filling the roles of attendants in positions overseeing sight and hearing, leading your ruler to abandon the laws of former kings. | ||
| 149 | 尚书: | 王曰：鸣呼，伯父伯兄，仲叔季弟，幼子童孙，皆听朕言，皆王同姓有父兄弟子孙列者也。尔尚敬逆天命，以奉我一人，虽畏勿畏，虽休勿休，汝当庶几敬逆天命，以奉我一人之戒，行事虽见畏，勿自谓可敬畏，虽见美，勿自谓有德美。惟敬五刑，以成三德，一人有庆，兆民赖之。先戒以劳谦之德，次教以惟敬五刑，所以成刚柔正直之三德也。天子有善，则兆民赖之。 |
| The king said: "Alas! Uncles, elder brothers, middle uncles, younger uncles, and young sons and grandchildren—listen all to my words; These are the king's relatives of the same surname, including fathers, brothers, and descendants. You must still revere and obey the Mandate of Heaven to serve me, your sovereign. Even if you feel fear, do not become fearful; even in success, do not grow complacent; You should strive to be reverent toward the Mandate of Heaven and heed my warnings as ruler. Though actions may provoke fear, do not believe yourself worthy of reverence; though achievements appear admirable, do not consider yourselves virtuous or deserving. Only by reverently observing the five punishments can one achieve the three virtues; when a single person is blessed, all the people depend upon it. First, one is warned of the virtue of humility and diligence; then taught to revere the five punishments—this is how the three virtues of firmness, gentleness, and uprightness are achieved. When a Son of Heaven acts virtuously, all the people rely upon it." | ||
| 150 | 尚书: | 王曰：吁，来，有邦有土，告尔祥刑，吁，叹也。有国有土，诸侯也。告汝以善用刑之道也。在今尔安百姓，何择非人，何敬非刑。在今汝安百官兆民之道，当何所择，非惟吉人乎。当何所敬，非惟五刑乎。 |
| The king said: "Ah! Come now, you who hold states and lands; I will inform you of the proper application of punishments; 'Xu' is an exclamation. Those who possess a state and territory are feudal lords. I am telling you the proper way to use punishments." Now, in order for you to bring peace to your people, choose no one but upright men and revere only just punishments. The way for you now to bring peace to the officials and people is to choose whom? None but virtuous men. What should be revered, if not the five punishments? | ||
| 151 | 尚书: | 两造具备，师听五辞，两，谓囚证也。造，至也。两至具备，则衆狱官共听其入五刑之辞也。五辞简孚，正于五刑，五辞简核，信有罪验，则正之于五刑也。五刑不简，正于五罚，不简核，谓不应五刑，当出金赎罪也。五罚弗服，正于五过。不服，不应罚也。正于五过，从赦免也。 |
| When both the accused and the accuser are present, the judge shall examine the five types of statements; "Two sides"—referring to the prisoner and the witness. "Zao," means arrival or presence. When both parties are present and prepared, the officials in charge of justice shall jointly listen to their statements regarding the five punishments." When the five types of testimony are examined and found credible, then judgment is rendered according to the five punishments; When the five statements have been carefully verified and evidence of guilt confirmed, then punishment under the five categories is applied. If the five punishments are not applicable, then judgment shall be rendered according to the five penalties; "Not being examined and verified" means the case does not meet the criteria for the five punishments, so a monetary fine should be imposed instead. If the five penalties are not accepted or fulfilled, then judgment shall proceed according to the five forms of correction. "Not accepting"—meaning the penalty is inappropriate. Judgment according to the five corrections means following a path of pardon and release." | ||
| 152 | 尚书: | 五刑之疑有赦，五罚之疑有赦，刑疑赦，从罚，罚疑赦，从免。刑罚世轻世重，惟齐非齐。言刑罚随世轻重也。刑新国用轻典，刑乱国用重典，刑平国用中典，凡刑所以齐非齐。 |
| When there is doubt regarding the five punishments, clemency may be granted; when there is doubt concerning the five penalties, clemency may also be granted; If punishment is doubtful, grant clemency and apply a penalty instead. If even the penalty is doubtful, then grant pardon and release. Punishments may be lighter or heavier depending on the times; what appears equal may not truly be so. This means punishments and penalties vary in severity according to the era. Punishments for a newly established state should be lenient, punishments for a chaotic state should be severe, and punishments for a stable state should follow moderate standards. All forms of punishment are used to achieve balance where there is none." | ||
| 153 | 尚书: | 非佞折狱，惟良折狱，罔非在中，非口才可以断狱，惟平良可以断狱，无非在中正也。哀敬折狱，咸庶中正，当矜下民之犯法，敬断狱之害人，皆庶几必得中正之道也。其刑其罚，其审克之。其所刑，其所罚，其当审能之，无失中也。 |
| Do not rely on flattery or eloquence to decide cases; only upright judgment can be used. All must be based in fairness; Judgment should not depend on smooth talkers, but only on those who are just and virtuous—there is no alternative except uprightness and balance. With compassion and reverence, decide cases—thus all may approach fairness; One should pity the common people who break laws and carefully judge cases that harm others. In this way, one will nearly always achieve a just outcome. Their punishments and penalties must be thoroughly examined and applied with care. loff The punishment to be imposed, the penalty to be levied—these should all be carefully reviewed for capability, ensuring no deviation from fairness. |
URN: ctp:n278831