Classic of Documents
商書 Shāng shū
咸有一德 第十七 Book Seventeen · Xián yǒu yī dé
伊尹既復政厥辟，將告歸，乃陳戒于德。
E Yin, having returned the government into the hands of his sovereign, and being about to announce his retirement, set forth admonitions on the subject of virtue.
曰：「嗚呼！天難諶，命靡常。常厥德，保厥位。厥德靡常，九有以亡。
He said, “Oh! it is difficult to rely on Heaven;—its appointments are not constant. But if the sovereign see to it that his virtue be constant, he will preserve his throne; if his virtue be not constant, the nine provinces will be lost by him.
「夏王弗克庸德，慢神虐民。皇天弗保，監于萬方，啟迪有命，眷求一德，俾作神主。惟尹躬暨湯，咸有一德，克享天心，受天明命，以有九有之師，爰革夏正。
The king of Hea could not maintain the virtue of his ancestors unchanged, but contemned the spirits and oppressed the people. Great Heaven no longer extended its protection to him. It looked out among the myriad regions to give its guidance to one who might receive its favour, fondly seeking a possessor of pure virtue, whom it might make lord of all the spirits. Then there were I, Yin, and T‘ang, both possessed of pure virtue, and able to satisfy the mind of Heaven. He received in consequence the bright favour of Heaven, and became master of the multitudes of the nine provinces, and proceeded to change Hea’s commencement of the year.
「非天私我有商，惟天佑于一德；非商求于下民，惟民歸于一德。
It was not that Heaven had any partiality for the ruler of Shang;—Heaven simply gave its favour to pure virtue. It was not that Shang sought the allegiance of the lower people;—the people simply turned to pure virtue.
「德惟一，動罔不吉；德二三，動罔不凶。惟吉凶不僭在人，惟天降災祥在德。
Where the sovereign’s virtue is pure, his movements are all fortunate; where his virtue is wavering and uncertain, his movements are all unfortunate. Good and evil do not wrongly befall men, because Heaven sends down misery or happiness according to their conduct.
「今嗣王新服厥命，惟新厥德。終始惟一，時乃日新。
Now, O young king, you are newly entering on your great appointment;—you should be making new your virtue. At last as at first have this as your one object, so shall you make a daily renovation.
「任官惟賢材，左右惟其人。臣為上為德，為下為民。其難其慎，惟和惟一。
Let the officers whom you employ be men of virtue and ability, and let the ministers about you be the right men. The minister, in relation to his sovereign above him, has to promote his virtue; and, in relation to the people beneath him, has to seek their good. How hard must it be to find the proper man! what careful attention must be required! Thereafter there must be harmony cultivated with him, and a one-ness of confidence placed in him!
「德無常師，主善為師。善無常主，協于克一。
“Virtue has no invariable model;—a supreme regard to what is good gives the model of it. What is good has no invariable characteristic to be supremely regarded;—it is found where there is conformity to the uniform decision of the mind.
「俾萬姓咸曰：『大哉王言。』又曰：『一哉王心』。克綏先王之祿，永底烝民之生。
Such virtue will make the people with their myriad surnames all say, ‘How great are the words of the king!’ and also, ‘How single and pure is the king’s heart!’ It will avail to maintain in tranquillity the great possession of the former king, and to secure for ever the happy life of the multitudes of the people.
「嗚呼！七世之廟，可以觀德。萬夫之長，可以觀政。
“Oh! to retain a place in the seven-shrined temple of ancestors is a sufficient witness of virtue. To be acknowledged as chief by the myriad heads of families is a sufficient witness of one’s government.
「后非民罔使；民非后罔事。無自廣以狹人，匹夫匹婦，不獲自盡，民主罔與成厥功。」
“The sovereign without the people has none whom he can employ; and the people without the sovereign have none whom they can serve. Do not consider yourself so enlarged as to deem others small in comparison. If ordinary men and women do not find the opportunity to give full development to their virtue, the people’s lord will be without the proper aids to complete his merit.”