Classic of Documents
周書 Zhōu shū
召誥 第四十 Book Forty · Shào gào
惟二月既望，越六日乙未，王朝步自周，則至于豐。
In the second month, on the day Yih-we, six days after the full moon, the king early in the morning proceeded from Chow, and came to Fung.
惟太保先周公相宅。越若來三月，惟丙午朏，越三日戊申，太保朝至于洛，卜宅。厥既得卜，則經營。
Thence the Grand-guardian went before the duke of Chow to inspect the localities, and in the third month, on the day Mow-shin, the third day after the first appearance of the new moon on Ping-woo, came in the morning to Lŏ. He consulted the tortoise about the localities, and having obtained favourable indications, he set about laying out the plans.
越三日庚戌，太保乃以庶殷攻位于洛汭，越五日甲寅，位成。
On Kăng-suh, the third day after, he led the people of Yin to prepare the various sites on the north of the Lŏ; and this work was completed on the fifth day, Keă-yin.
若翼日乙卯，周公朝至于洛，則達觀于新邑營。
The day following, being the day Yih-maou, the duke of Chow came in the morning to Lŏ, and thoroughly surveyed the plans for the new city.
越三日丁巳，用牲于郊，牛二。越翼日戊午，乃社于新邑，牛一、羊一、豕一。
On Ting-sze, the third day after, he offered two bulls as victims in the suburbs; and on the morrow, Mow-woo, at the altar to the spirit of the land in the new city, he sacrificed a bull, a goat, and a pig.
越七日甲子，周公乃朝用書命庶殷：侯、甸、男邦伯。
After seven days, on Këă-tsze, in the morning, from his written specifications he gave their several charges to the people of Yin, and to the chiefs of the States from the How, Teen, and Nan tenures.
厥既命殷庶，庶殷丕作。
When the people of Yin had thus received their orders, they arose with vigour to do their work.
太保乃以庶邦冢君出取幣，乃復入錫。周公曰：「拜手稽首，旅王若公。誥告庶殷，越自乃御事。
The Great-guardian then went out with the hereditary princes of the various States to bring their offerings; and when he entered again, he gave them to the duke of Chow, saying, “With my head in my hands and bowed to the ground, I present these before the king and your Grace. Announcements for the instruction of the multitudes of Yin must come from you with whom is the management of affairs.
「嗚呼！皇天上帝，改厥元子茲大國殷之命。惟王受命，無疆惟休，亦無疆惟恤。嗚呼！曷其奈何弗敬！
“Oh! God dwelling in the great heavens has changed his decree in favour of his eldest son, and this great dynasty of Yin. Our king has received that decree. Unbounded is the happiness connected with it, and unbounded is the anxiety:—Oh! how can he be other than reverent?
「天既遐終大邦殷之命，茲殷多先哲王在天，越厥後王後民，茲服厥命厥終，智藏瘝在。夫知保抱攜持厥婦子，以哀籲天：『徂，厥亡出執。』嗚呼！天亦哀于四方民，其眷命用懋，王其疾敬德。
“When Heaven rejected and made an end of the decree in favour of the great State of Yin, there were many of the former intelligent kings of Yin in heaven. The king, however, who had succeeded to them, the last of their race, from the time of his entering into their appointment, proceeded in such a way as at last to keep the wise in obscurity and the vicious in office. The poor people in such a case, carrying their children and leading their wives, made their moan to Heaven. They even fled away, but were apprehended again. Oh! Heaven had compassion on the people of the four quarters; its favouring decree lighted on our earnest founders. Let the king sedulously cultivate the virtue of reverence.
「相古先民有夏，天迪從子保，面稽天若，今時既墜厥命。今相有殷，天迪格保，面稽天若，今時既墜厥命。
“Examining the men of antiquity, there was the founder of the Hea dynasty. Heaven guided his mind, allowed his descendants to succeed him, and protected them. He acquainted himself with Heaven, and was obedient.—But in process of time the decree in his favour fell to the ground. So also when we examine the case of Yin. Heaven guided its founder, so that he corrected the errors of shang, and it protected his descendants. He also acquainted himself with Heaven, and was obedient.—But now the decree in favour of him has fallen to the ground.
「今沖子嗣，則無遺壽耇；曰：其稽我古人之德，矧曰其有能稽謀自天。
Our king has now come to the throne in his youth:—let him not slight the aged and experienced, for it may be said of them that they have studied the virtuous conduct of our ancient worthies, and still more, that they have matured their plans in the light of Heaven.
「嗚呼！有王雖小，元子哉！其丕能諴于小民，今休。王不敢後，用顧畏于民碞。
“Oh! although the king is young, yet is he the eldest son of Heaven. Let him but effect a great harmony with the people, and that will be the blessing of the present time. Let not the king presume to be remiss in this, but continually regard and stand in awe of the perilousness of the people.
「王來紹上帝，自服于土中。旦曰：『其作大邑，其自時配皇天；毖祀于上下，其自時中乂。王厥有成命，治民，今休。』
“Let the king come here as the vicegerent of God, and undertake himself the duties of government in the centre of the land. Tan said, ‘Now that this great city has been built, from henceforth he may be the mate of great Heaven; from henceforth he may reverently sacrifice to the upper and lower spirits; from henceforth he may in this central spot administer successful government.’ Thus shall the king enjoy the favouring regard of Heaven all complete, and the government of the people will now be prosperous.
「王先服殷御事，比介于我有周御事。節性，惟日其邁。
“Let the king first bring under his influence the managers of affairs of Yin, associating them with the managers of affairs of our dynasty of Chow. This will regulate their perverted natures, and they will make daily advancement.
「王敬作所，不可不敬德。
“Let the King make reverence the resting-place of his mind. He may not but maintain the virtue of reverence.
「我不可不監于有夏，亦不可不監于有殷。我不敢知曰，有夏服天命，惟有歷年；我不敢知曰，不其延，惟不敬厥德，乃早墜厥命。我不敢知曰，有殷受天命，惟有歷年；我不敢知曰，不其延，惟不敬厥德，乃早墜厥命。
“We should by all means survey the dynasties of Hea and Yin. I do not presume to know and say, ‘The dynasty of Hea was to enjoy the favouring decree of Heaven for so many years,’ nor do I presume to know and say, ‘It could not continue longer.’ The fact was simply that, for want of the virtue of reverence, the decree in its favour prematurely fell to the ground. Similarly, I do not presume to know and say, ‘The dynasty of Yin was to enjoy the favouring decree of Heaven for so many years,’ nor do I presume to say, ‘It could not continue longer.’ The fact simply was that, for want of the virtue of reverence, the decree in its favour prematurely fell to the ground.
「今王嗣受厥命，我亦惟茲二國命，嗣若功。王乃初服。
The king has now inherited the decree,—the same decree, I consider, which belonged to those two dynasties. Let him seek to inherit the virtues of their meritorious sovereigns;—especially at this commencement of his duties.
「嗚呼！若生子，罔不在厥初生，自貽哲命。今天其命哲，命吉凶，命歷年。知今我初服。
“Oh! it is as on the birth of a son, when all depends on the training of his early life, through which he may secure his wisdom in the future, as if it were decreed to him. Now Heaven may have decreed wisdom to our king; it may have decreed good fortune or bad; it may have decreed a long course of years:—we only know that now is with him the commencement of his duties.
「宅新邑，肆惟王其疾敬德。王其德之，用祈天永命。
“Dwelling in the new city, let the king now sedulously cultivate the virtue of reverence. When he is all-devoted to this virtue, he may pray to Heaven for a long-abiding decree in his favour.
「其惟王勿以小民淫用非彝，亦敢殄戮，用乂民，若有功；
“In the position of king, let him not, because of the excesses of the people in violation of the laws, presume also to rule by the violent infliction of death. When the people are regulated gently, the merit of government is seen.
「其惟王位在德元，小民乃惟刑用于天下，越王顯。
“It is for him who is in the position of king to overtop all with his virtue. In this case the people will imitate him throughout the whole empire, and the king will become more illustrious.
「上下勤恤，其曰：『我受天命，丕若有夏歷年，式勿替有殷歷年。』欲王以小民受天永命。」
“Let the king and his ministers labour with a common anxiety, saying, ‘We have received the decree of Heaven, and it shall be great as the long-continued years of Hea,—it shall not fail of the long-continued years of Yin.’ I wish the king through the inferior people to receive the long-abiding decree of Heaven.”
拜手稽首曰：「予小臣，敢以王之讎民、百君子越友民，保受王威命明德。王末有成命，王亦顯。我非敢勤，惟恭奉幣，用供王能祈天永命。」
The duke of Shaou then did obeisance with his head to his hands and bowed to the ground, and said, “I, a small minister, presume with the king’s heretofore hostile people, with all his officers, and his loyal friendly people, to maintain and receive his majesty’s dread command and brilliant virtue. That the king should finally obtain the decree all complete, and that he should become illustrious,—this I dare not to labour about. I only respectfully bring these offerings to present to his Majesty, to assist in his prayers to Heaven for its long-abiding decree.”