Classic of Documents
周書 Zhōu shū
大誥 第三十五 Book Thirty-five · Dà gào
王若曰：「猷大誥爾多邦越爾御事。弗弔！天降割于我家，不少延。洪惟我幼沖人，嗣無疆大歷服。弗造哲，迪民康，矧曰其有能格知天命？
“The king speaks to the following effect:—‘Ho! I make a great announcement to you, the princes of the many States, and to you, the managers of my affairs.—Unpitied am I, and Heaven sends down calamities on my House, without exercising the least delay. It greatly occupies my thoughts, that I, so very young, have inherited this illimitable patrimony, with its destinies and domains. I have not displayed wisdom, and led the people to tranquillity, and how much less should I be able to reach the knowledge of the decree of Heaven!
「已！予惟小子，若涉淵水，予惟往求朕攸濟。敷賁，敷前人受命，茲不忘大功，予不敢閉于天降威。用。
‘Yes, I who am but a little child am in the position of one who has to cross a deep water;—it must be mine to go and seek how to cross over. I must diffuse the elegant institutions of my predecessor, and augment the appointment which he received from Heaven;—so shall I be not forgetful of his great work. Nor shall I dare to restrain the majesty of Heaven seen in the inflictions it sends down.
「寧王遺我大寶龜，紹天明，即命曰：『有大艱于西土，西土人亦不靜，越茲蠢。
‘The Tranquillizing king left to me the great precious tortoise, to bring into connection with me the intelligence of Heaven. I consulted it, and it told me that there would be great trouble in the region of the west, and that the western people would not be still. Accordingly we have the present senseless movements.
「『殷小腆，誕敢紀其敘。天降威，知我國有疵，民不康。曰：予復。反鄙我周邦。
‘Little as the present prosperity of Yin is, its prince greatly dares to take in hand its broken line. Though Heaven sent down its terrors on his House, yet knowing of the evils in our kingdom, and that the people are not tranquil, he says—“I will recover my patrimony”; and so he wishes to make our State of Chow a border territory again.
「『今蠢今翼日，民獻有十夫，予翼以于敉寧武圖功。我有大事，休，朕卜并吉？』
‘One day there was a senseless movement, and the day after, ten men of worth among the people appeared to help me to go forward to restore tranquillity and to perpetuate the plans of my father. The great business I am engaging in will have a successful issue, for I have divined and always got a favourable intimation.
「肆予告我友邦君越尹氏、庶士、御事，曰：『予得吉卜，予惟以爾庶邦于伐殷逋播臣。』
Therefore I tell you, the princes of my friendly States, and you, the directors of departments, my officers, and the managers of my affairs,—I have obtained a favourable reply to my divinations. I will now go forward with you from all the States, and punish those vagabond and transported ministers of Yin.
「爾庶邦君越庶士、御事，罔不反曰：『艱大，民不靜，亦惟在王宮、邦君室，越予小子考，翼不可征；王害不違卜？』
‘And now, you the princes of the various States, and you the various officers and managers of my affairs, all retort on me, saying, “The hardships will be great, and that the people are not still has its source really in the king’s palace, and in the mansions of those princes of the troubled State. We, little ones, and the old reverent men as well, think the expedition ill-advised. Why does your majesty not go contrary to the divination?”
「肆予沖人永思艱。曰：嗚呼！允蠢鰥寡，哀哉！予造天役，遺大投艱于朕身，越予沖人，不卬自恤。義爾邦君越爾多士、尹氏、御事，綏予曰：『無毖于恤，不可不成乃寧考圖功。』
‘I, in my youth, think also continually of the hardships, and say, Alas! these senseless movements will deplorably afflict widowers and widows! But I am the servant of Heaven, which has assigned me this great task, and laid this hard duty on my person. I therefore, the young one, do not pity myself, and it would be right in you, the princes of the States, and in you, the many officers, the directors of departments, and the managers of my affairs, to soothe me, saying, “Do not be distressed with sorrow. We shall surely complete the plans of your Tranquillizing father.”
「已！予惟小子，不敢替上帝命。天休于寧王，興我小邦周；寧王惟卜用，克綏受茲命。今天其相民，矧亦惟卜用。嗚呼！天明畏，弼我丕丕基。」
‘Yes, I, the little one, dare not disregard the charge of God. Heaven, favourable to the Tranquillizing king, gave such prosperity to our small State of Chow. The Tranquillizing king divined and acted accordingly, and so he calmly received his great appointment. Now Heaven is helping the people;—how much more must I follow the divinations! Oh! the clearly-intimated will of Heaven is to be feared:—it is to help my great inheritance.’”
王曰：「爾惟舊人，爾丕克遠省，爾知寧王若勤哉！天閟毖我成功所，予不敢不極卒寧王圖事。肆予大化誘我友邦君，天棐忱辭，其考我民，予曷其不于前寧人圖功攸終？天亦惟用勤毖我民，若有疾，予曷敢不于前寧人攸受休畢？」
“The king says, ‘You, who are the old ministers, are fully able to examine the long-distant affairs;—you know how great was the toil of the Tranquillizing king. Now where Heaven shuts up and distresses us is the place where I must accomplish my work;—I dare not but do my utmost to complete the plans of the Tranquillizing king. It is on this account that I use such efforts to remove the doubts and carry forward the inclinations of the princes of my friendly States. Heaven also assists me with sincere expressions of attachment, which I have ascertained among the people;—how dare I but ain at the completion of the work formerly begun by the Tranquillizer? Heaven moreover is thus toiling and distressing my people, so that it is as if they were suffering from disease;—how dare I allow the appointment which the Tranquillizer, my predecessor, received, to be without its happy fulfilment?’”
王曰：「若昔朕其逝，朕言艱日思：若考作室，既底法，厥子乃弗肯堂，矧肯構？厥父菑，厥子乃弗肯播，矧肯穫？厥考翼其肯曰：『予有後，弗棄基？』肆予曷敢不越卬敉寧王大命？
“The king says, ‘Formerly, at the initiation of this expedition, I spoke of its difficulties, and revolved them daily. But when a deceased father, wishing to build a house, had laid out the plan, if his son be unwilling to raise up the hall, how much less will he be willing to complete the roof! Or if the father had broken up the ground, and his son is unwilling to sow the seed, how much less will he be willing to reap the grain! In such a case will the father, who had himself been so reverently attentive to his objects, be willing to say, “I have an heir who will not abandon the patrimony?” —How dare I, therefore, but use all my powers to give a happy settlement to the great charge entrusted to the Tranquillizing king?
「若兄考，乃有友伐厥子，民養其勸弗救？」
‘If a father have those among his friends who attack his child, will the elders of his people encourage the attack, and not come to the rescue?’
王曰：「嗚呼！肆哉，爾庶邦君越爾御事，爽邦由哲，亦惟十人，迪知上帝命越天棐忱。爾時罔敢易法，矧今天降戾于周邦？惟大艱人，誕鄰胥伐于厥室；爾亦不知天命不易。
“The king says, ‘Oh! Take heart, ye princes of the various States, and ye managers of my affairs. The enlightening of the country was from the wise, even from the ten men who obeyed and knew the decree of God, and the sincere assistance given by Heaven. At that time none of you presumed to change the royal appointments. And now, when Heaven is sending down calamity on the State of Chow, and the authors of these great distresses appear as if the inmates of a house were mutually to attack one another, you are without any knowledge that the decree of Heaven is not to be changed!
「予永念曰：天惟喪殷；若穡夫，予曷敢不終朕畝？天亦惟休于前寧人。
‘I ever think and say, Heaven in destroying Yin is doing husbandman’s work;—how dare I but complete the business of my fields! Heaven will thereby show its favour to the former Tranquillizer.
「予曷其極卜？敢弗于從，率寧人有指疆土？矧今卜并吉？肆朕誕以爾東征；天命不僭，卜陳惟若茲。」
‘How should I be all for the oracle of divination, and presume not to follow your advice? I an following the Tranquillizer, whose purpose embraced all the limits of the land. How much more must I proceed, when the divinations are all favourable! It is on these accounts that I make this expedition in force to the east. There is no mistake about the decree of Heaven. The indications of the divinations are all to the same effect.’”