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《說命》 | Books referencing 《說命》 Library Resources |
| 說命上: | 高宗夢得說，使百工營求諸野，得諸傅巖，作《說命》三篇。 | |
| 1 | 說命上: | 王宅憂，亮陰三祀。既免喪，其惟弗言，群臣咸諫于王曰：「嗚呼！知之曰明哲，明哲實作則。天子惟君萬邦，百官承式，王言惟作命，不言臣下罔攸稟令。」 |
| Charge to Yue I: | The king passed the season of sorrow in the mourning shed for three years, and when the period of mourning was over, he (still) did not speak (to give any commands). All the ministers remonstrated with him, saying, 'Oh! him who is (the first) to apprehend we pronounce intelligent, and the intelligent man is the model for others. The Son of Heaven rules over the myriad regions, and all the officers look up to and reverence him. They are the king's words which form the commands (for them). If he do not speak, the ministers have no way to receive their orders.' | |
| 2 | 說命上: | 王庸作書以誥曰：「以台正于四方，惟恐德弗類，茲故弗言。恭默思道，夢帝賚予良弼，其代予言。」乃審厥象，俾以形旁求于天下。說築傅巖之野，惟肖。爰立作相。王置諸其左右。 |
| Charge to Yue I: | On this the king made a writing, for their information, to the following effect: 'As it is mine to serve as the director for the four quarters (of the kingdom), I have been afraid that my virtue is not equal to (that of my predecessors), and therefore have not spoken. (But) while I was reverently and silently thinking of the (right) way, I dreamt that God gave me a good assistant who should speak for me.' He then minutely recalled the appearance (of the person whom he had seen), and caused search to be made for him everywhere by means of a picture. Yue, a builder in the wild country of Fu-yan, was found like to it. On this the king raised and made (Yue) his prime minister, keeping him (also) at his side. | |
| 3 | 說命上: | 命之曰：「朝夕納誨，以輔台德。若金，用汝作礪；若濟巨川，用汝作舟楫；若歲大旱，用汝作霖雨。啟乃心，沃朕心，若藥弗瞑眩，厥疾弗瘳；若跣弗視地，厥足用傷。惟暨乃僚，罔不同心，以匡乃辟。俾率先王，迪我高后，以康兆民。嗚呼！欽予時命，其惟有終。」 |
| Charge to Yue I: | He charged him, saying, 'Morning and evening present your instructions to aid my virtue. Suppose me a weapon of steel; I will use you for a whetstone. Suppose me crossing a great stream; I will use you for a boat with its oars. Suppose me in a year of great drought; I will use you as a copious rain. Open your mind, and enrich my mind. (Be you) like medicine, which must distress the patient, in order to cure his sickness. (Think of we) as one walking barefoot, whose feet are sure to be wounded, if he do not see the ground. Do you and your companions all cherish the same mind to assist your sovereign, that I may follow my royal predecessors, and tread in the steps of my high ancestor, to give repose to the millions of the people. Oh! respect this charge of mine; so shall you bring your work to a (good) end.' | |
| 4 | 說命上: | 說復于王曰：「惟木從繩則正，后從諫則聖。后克聖，臣不命其承，疇敢不祗若王之休命？」 |
| Charge to Yue I: | Yue replied to the king, saying, 'Wood by the use of the line is made straight, and the sovereign who follows reproof is made sage. When the sovereign can (thus) make himself sage, his ministers, without being specially commanded, anticipate his orders - who would dare not to act in respectful compliance with this excellent charge of your Majesty?' | |
| 5 | 說命中: | 惟說命總百官，乃進于王曰：「嗚呼！明王奉若天道，建邦設都，樹后王君公，承以大夫師長，不惟逸豫，惟以亂民。惟天聰明，惟聖時憲，惟臣欽若，惟民從乂。惟口起羞，惟甲冑起戎，惟衣裳在笥，惟干戈省厥躬。王惟戒茲，允茲克明，乃罔不休。惟治亂在庶官。官不及私昵，惟其能；爵罔及惡德，惟其賢。慮善以動，動惟厥時。有其善，喪厥善；矜其能，喪厥功。惟事事，乃其有備，有備無患。無啟寵納侮，無恥過作非。惟厥攸居，政事惟醇。黷予祭祀，時謂弗欽。禮煩則亂，事神則難。」 |
| Charge to Yue II: |
Yue having received his charge, and taken the presidency of all the officers, he presented himself before the king, and said, 'Oh! intelligent kings act in reverent accordance with the ways of Heaven. The founding of states and the setting up of capitals, the appointing of sovereign kings, of dukes and other nobles, with their great officers and heads of departments, were not designed to minister to the idleness and pleasures (of one), but for the good government of the people. It is Heaven which is all-intelligent and observing - let the sage (king) take it as his pattern. Then his ministers will reverently accord with him, and the people consequently will be well governed. 'It is the mouth that gives occasion for shame; they are the coat of mail and helmet that give occasion to war. The upper robes and lower garments (for reward should not be lightly taken from) their chests; before spear and shield are used, one should examine himself. If your Majesty will be cautious in regard to these things, and, believing this about them, attain to the intelligent use of them, (your government) will in everything be excellent. Good government and bad depend on the various officers. Offices should not be given to men because they are favourites, but only to men of ability. Dignities should not be conferred on men of evil practices, but only on men of worth. 'Anxious thought about what will be best should precede your movements, which also should be taken at the time proper for them. Indulging the consciousness of being good is the way to lose that goodness; being vain of one's ability is the way to lose the merit it might produce. 'For all affairs let there be adequate preparation; with preparation there will be no calamitous issue. Do not open the door for favourites, from whom you will receive contempt. Do not be ashamed of mistakes, and (go on to) make them crimes. Let your mind rest in its proper objects, and the affairs of your government will be pure. Officiousness in sacrificing is called irreverence; and multiplying ceremonies leads to disorder. To serve the spirits acceptably (in this way) is difficult.' | |
| 6 | 說命中: | 王曰：「旨哉！說。乃言惟服。乃不良于言，予罔聞于行。」說拜稽首曰：「非知之艱，行之惟艱。王忱不艱，允協于先王成德，惟說不言有厥咎。」 |
| Charge to Yue II: | The king said, 'Excellent! your words, O Yue, should indeed be put in practice (by me). If you were not so good in counsel, I should not have heard these rules for my conduct." Yue did obeisance with his head to the ground, and said, 'It is not the knowing that is difficult, but the doing. (But) since your Majesty truly knows this, there will not be the difficulty, and you will become really equal in complete virtue to our first king. Wherein I, Yue, refrain from speaking (what I ought to speak), the blame will rest with me.' | |
| 7 | 說命下: | 王曰：「來！汝說。台小子舊學于甘盤，既乃遯于荒野，入宅于河。自河徂亳，暨厥終罔顯。爾惟訓于朕志，若作酒醴，爾惟麴蘖；若作和羹，爾惟鹽梅。爾交修予，罔予棄，予惟克邁乃訓。」 |
| Charge to Yue III: | The king said, 'Come, O Yue. I, the little one, first learned with Gan Pan. Afterwards I lived concealed among the rude countrymen, and then I went to (the country) inside the He, and lived there. From the He I went to Bo; and the result has been that I am unenlightened. Do you teach me what should be my aims. Be to me as the yeast and the malt in making sweet spirits, as the salt and the prunes in making agreeable soup. Use various methods to cultivate me; do not cast me away - so shall I attain to practise your instructions.' | |
| 8 | 說命下: | 說曰：「王，人求多聞，時惟建事，學于古訓乃有獲。事不師古，以克永世，匪說攸聞。惟學，遜志務時敏，厥修乃來。允懷于茲，道積于厥躬。惟斆學半，念終始典于學，厥德脩罔覺。監于先王成憲，其永無愆。惟說式克欽承，旁招俊乂，列于庶位。」 |
| Charge to Yue III: | Yue said, 'O king, a ruler should seek to learn much (from his ministers), with a view to establish his affairs; but to learn the lessons of the ancients is the way to attain this. That the affairs of one, not making the ancients his masters, can be perpetuated for generations, is what I have not heard. In learning there should be a humble mind and the maintenance of a constant earnestness; in such a case (the learner's) improvement will surely come. He who sincerely cherishes these things will find all truth accumulating in his person. Teaching is the half of learning; when a man's thoughts from first to last are constantly fixed on learning, his virtuous cultivation comes unperceived. Survey the perfect pattern of our first king - so shall you for ever be preserved from error. Then shall I be able reverently to meet your views, and on every side to look out for men of eminence to place in the various offices.' | |
| 9 | 說命下: | 王曰：「嗚呼！說，四海之內，咸仰朕德，時乃風。股肱惟人，良臣惟聖。昔先正保衡作我先王，乃曰：『予弗克俾厥后惟堯舜，其心愧恥，若撻于市。』一夫不獲，則曰時予之辜。佑我烈祖，格于皇天。爾尚明保予，罔俾阿衡專美有商。惟后非賢不乂，惟賢非后不食。其爾克紹乃辟于先王，永綏民。」 |
| Charge to Yue III: | The king said, 'Oh! Yue, that all within the four seas look up to my virtue is owing to you. As his legs and arms form the man, so does a good minister form the sage (king). Formerly, there was the first premier of our dynasty, Bao-heng, who raised up and formed its royal founder. He said, "If I cannot make my sovereign like Yao or Shun, I shall feel ashamed in my heart, as if I were beaten in the market-place." If any common man did not get (all he should desire), he said, "It is my fault." (Thus) he assisted my meritorious ancestor, so that he became equal to great Heaven. Do you give your intelligent and preserving aid to me, and let not A-heng engross all the good service to the House of Shang. The sovereign should share his government with none but worthy officers. The worthy officer should accept his support from none but the proper sovereign. May you now succeed in making your sovereign a (true) successor of the founder of his line, and in securing the lasting happiness of the people!' | |
| 10 | 說命下: | 說拜稽首曰：「敢對揚天子之休命。」 |
| Charge to Yue III: | Yue did obeisance with his head to the ground, and said, 'I will venture to respond to. and display abroad, your Majesty's excellent charge.' |
URN: ctp:n37559