Classic of Documents
周書 Zhōu shū
武成 第三十一 Book Thirty-one · Wǔ chéng
惟一月壬辰，旁死魄，越翼日癸巳，王朝步自周，于征伐商。
In the first month, the day jin-shin immediately followed the end of the moon’s waning. The next day was kwei-ke, when the king in the morning marched from Chow to attack and punish Shang.
厥四月哉生明，王來自商至于豐。乃偃武修文。歸馬于華山之陽，放牛于桃林之野，示天下弗服。
In the fourth month, at the first appearance of the moon, the king came from Shang to Fung, when he hushed all the movements of war, and attended to the cultivations of peace. He sent back his horses to the south of mount Hwa, and let loose his oxen in the open country of T‘aou-lin, showing the empire that he would not use them again.
丁未，祀于周廟，邦甸、侯、衛，駿奔走，執豆籩。越三日庚戌，柴望大告武成。
On the day ting-we he sacrificed in the ancestral temple of Chow, when the chiefs of the imperial domain and of the teen, how, and wei domains all hurried about, carrying the dishes. Three days after, he presented a burnt-offering to Heaven, and worshipped towards the mountains and rivers, solemnly announcing the successful completion of the war.
既生魄，庶邦冢君，暨百工，受命于周。
After the moon began to wane, the hereditary princes of the various States, and all the officers, received their appointments from Chow.
王若曰：「嗚呼！群后，惟先王建邦啟土。公劉克篤前烈，至于大王，肇基王迹，王季其勤王家。我文考文王，克成厥勳，誕膺天命，以撫方夏。大邦畏其力，小邦懷其德。惟九年，大統未集。予小子其承厥志。
The king spake to the following effect:—“Oh! ye host of princes, the first of our kings founded the State and commenced our territory. The duke Lew was able to consolidate the merits of his predecessor. But it was the king T‘ae who laid the foundations of the imperial inheritance. Then king Ke was diligent for the royal House; and my deceased father, king Wăn, completed his merit, and received the great decree of Heaven to soothe the regions of the great bright land. The great States feared his strength; the small States cherished his virtue. In nine years, however, the whole empire was not collected under his rule, and it fell to me, who am but a little child, to carry out his will.
「底商之罪，告于皇天后土，所過名山大川。曰：『惟有道曾孫周王發，將有大正于商。』今商王受無道，暴殄天物，害虐烝民，為天下逋逃主，萃淵藪。予小子既獲仁人，敢祗承上帝，以遏亂略。華夏蠻貊，罔不率俾。
Detesting the crimes of Shang, I announced to great Heaven and the sovereign Earth, to the famous hill and the great river, by which I passed, saying, ‘I, Fă, the principled, king of Chow, by a long descent, am about to have a great righting with Shang. Show, the king of Shang, is without principle, cruel and destructive to the creatures of Heaven, injurious and tyrannical to the multitudes of the people, chief of the vagabonds of the empire, who collect about him as fish in the deep, and beasts in the prairie. I, who am but a little child, having obtained the help of virtuous men, presume reverently to comply with the will of God, to make an end of his disorderly ways. The great and flowery region, and the wild tribes of the south and north, equally follow and consent with me.
「恭天成命。肆予東征，綏厥士女。惟其士女，篚厥玄黃，昭我周王。天休震動，用附我大邑周。
Reverently obeying the determinate counsel of Heaven, I pursue my punitive work to the east, to give tranquillity to its men and women. Its men and women bring their baskets full of azure and yellow silks, to show forth the virtue of us the kings of Chow. Heaven’s favours stir them up, so that they come with their allegiance to our great State of Chow.
「惟爾有神，尚克相予，以濟兆民，無作神羞。」既戊午，師逾孟津，癸亥，陳于商郊，俟天休命。甲子昧爽，受率其旅若林，會于牧野。罔有敵于我師，前徒倒戈，攻于後以北，血流漂杵。一戎衣，天下大定。乃反商政，政由舊。釋箕子囚，封比干墓，式商容閭。散鹿臺之財，發鉅橋之粟。大賚于四海，而萬姓悅服。
And now, ye spirits, grant me your aid, that I may relieve the millions of the people, and nothing turn out to your shame!’” On the day mow-woo the army crossed the ford of Măng; on the day kwei-hae it was drawn up in array in the borders of Shang, waiting for the gracious decision of Heaven. On the day keă-tsze, at early dawn, Show led forward his hosts like a forest, and assembled them in the wilderness of Muh. But they would offer no opposition to our army. Those in the front inverted their spears, and attacked those behind them, till they fled, and the blood flowed till it floated the pestles about. Thus did king Woo once don his arms, and the empire was greatly settled. He overthrew the existing government of Shang, and made it resume its old course. He delivered the count of Ke from prison, and raised a tumulus over the grave of Pe-kan. He bowed in his carriage at the gate of Shang Yung’s village. He dispersed the treasures of Luh-t‘ae, and distributed the grain of Keu-k‘eaou, thus conferring great gifts throughout the empire, and all the people joyfully submitted.
列爵惟五，分土惟三。建官惟賢，位事惟能。重民五教。惟食喪祭。惇信明義，崇德報功，垂拱而天下治。
He arranged the orders of nobility into five, assigning the territories to them on a threefold scale. He gave offices only to the worthy, and employments only to the able. He attached great importance to the people’s being taught the duties of the five relations of society, and to take care for food, for funeral ceremonies, and for sacrifices. He showed the reality of his truthfulness, and proved clearly his righteousness. He honoured virtue, and rewarded merit. Then he had only to let his robes fall down, and fold his hands, and the empire was orderly ruled.