Classic of Documents
周書 Zhōu shū
梓材 第三十九 Book Thirty-nine · Zǐ cái
王曰：封！以厥庶民暨厥臣達大家，以厥臣達王，惟邦君。
“The king says, ‘O Fung, to have a good understanding with the multitudes of his people, and his ministers on the one hand, and with the great families on the other; and again to have the same with all the subjects under his charge and with the sovereign:—is the part of the prince of a State.
汝若恆越曰：我有師師：司徒、司馬、司空、尹、旅，曰：予罔厲殺人。亦厥君先敬勞，肆徂厥敬勞。肆往，姦宄、殺人、歷人宥；肆亦見厥君事，戕敗人宥。
‘If you regularly in giving out your orders say, “My instructors whom I am to follow, my minister of Instruction, my minister of War, and my minister of Works; my Heads of departments, and all ye, my officers, I will on no account with oppressions put men to death;” ——. Let the prince also set the example of respecting and encouraging the people, and these will proceed to respect and encourage them. Let him go on in dealing with those who have been traitors and villains, murderers and harbourers of criminals, to exercise pardon, and these, when they observe the prince’s conduct, will likewise pardon those who have assaulted others and injured their property.
王啟監厥亂，為民。曰：無胥戕，無胥虐，至于敬寡，至于屬婦，合由以容。王其效邦君越御事，厥命曷以？引養引恬。自古王若茲監，罔攸辟。
When sovereigns appointed inspectors, they did so in order to the government of the people, and said to them, “Do not give way to violence or oppression; and go on to show reverence for the weak, and find connexions for destitute women. Your protection of the people must proceed in this way to cherish them.” And when the sovereigns gave their injunctions to the princes of States, and their managers of affairs, what was the charge? It was that they should lead the people to the enjoyment of plenty and peace. Such was the way of the kings from of old. An inspector is to eschew the use of punishments.’
惟曰：若稽田，既勤敷菑，惟其陳修，為厥疆畎。若作室家，既勤垣墉，惟其塗塈茨。若作梓材，既勤樸斲，惟其塗丹雘。
“He says moreover, ‘As in the management of a field, when the soil has all been laboriously turned up, they must proceed by orderly arrangement to make its boundaries and water-courses; as in building a house, after all the toil on its walls, they have to plaster and thatch it; as in working with the wood of the tsze, when the toil of the coarser and finer operations has been performed, they have to apply the paint of red and other colours’”:——.
今王惟曰：先王既勤用明德，懷為夾，庶邦享作，兄弟方來。亦既用明德，后式典集，庶邦丕享。
“Now let your Majesty say, ‘The former kings diligently employed their illustrious virtue, and produced such attachment by their cherishing of the princes, that from all the States they brought offerings, and with brotherly affection they came from all quarters, and likewise showed their virtue illustrious.’ Do you, O sovereign, use their statutes to attach the princes, and all the States will largely come with offerings.
皇天既付中國民，越厥疆土于先王。
“Great Heaven having given this Middle kingdom with its people and territories to the former kings,
肆王惟德用，和懌先後迷民，用懌先王受命。
do you, our present sovereign, employ your virtue, effecting a gentle harmony among the deluded people, leading and urging them on;—so also will you please the former kings, who received the appointment from Heaven.
已！若茲監。惟曰：欲至于萬年，惟王子子孫孫永保民。
“Yes! make these things your study. I can but express my desire that for myriads of years your descendants may be ever the protectors of this people.”