Classic of Documents
周書 Zhōu shū
蔡仲之命 第四十五 Book Forty-five · Cài Zhòng zhī mìng
惟周公位冢宰，正百工。群叔流言，乃致辟管叔于商，囚蔡叔于郭鄰，以車七乘；降霍叔于庶人，三年不齒；蔡仲克庸祗德，周公以為卿士。叔卒，乃命諸王邦之蔡。
When the duke of Chow was in the place of prime minister, and directed all the officers, the king’s uncles spread abroad an evil report, in consequence of which he put to death the prince of Kwan in Shang; confined the prince of Ts‘ae in Koh-lin, with an attendance, however, of seven chariots; and reduced the prince of Hŏ to be a private man, causing his name to be erased from the registers for three years. The son of the prince of Ts‘ae being able to display a reverent virtue, the duke of Chow made him a high noble, and when his father died, requested a decree from the king, investing him with the country of Ts‘ae.
王若曰：「小子胡！惟爾率德改行，克慎厥猷；肆予命爾侯于東土，往即乃封，敬哉！
“The king speaks to this effect, ‘My little child, Hoo, you follow the virtue of our ancestors, and have changed from the conduct of your father; you are able to take heed to your ways;—I therefore appoint you to be a prince of the empire in the east. Go to your country. Be reverent!
「爾尚蓋前人之愆，惟忠惟孝；爾乃邁迹自身，克勤無怠，以垂憲乃後；率乃祖文王之彝訓，無若爾考之違王命。
‘In order that you may cover the faults of your father, be loyal, be filial. Urge on your steps in your own way, diligent and never idle, and so you will hand down an example to your descendants. Follow the constant lessons of your grandfather, king Wăn, and be not like your father disobedient to the royal orders.
「皇天無親，惟德是輔，民心無常，惟惠之懷；為善不同，同歸于治，為惡不同，同歸于亂。爾其戒哉！
‘Great Heaven has no affections;—it helps only the virtuous. The people’s hearts are not constant;—they cherish only the kind. Acts of goodness are different, but they contribute in common to government. Acts of evil are different, but they contribute in common to disorder. Do you be cautious!
「慎厥初，惟厥終，終以不困，不惟厥終，終以困窮；
“To give heed to the beginning, think of the end:—the end will then be without distress. If you do not think of the end, it will be in distress, and that the greatest.
「懋乃攸績，睦乃四鄰，以蕃王室，以和兄弟。康濟小民。
‘Exert yourself to achieve your proper merit. Seek to be in harmony with all your neighbours. Be a fence to the royal House. Live in harmony with your brethren. Tranquillize and help the inferior people.
「率自中，無作聰明亂舊章；詳乃視聽，罔以側言改厥度，則予一人汝嘉。」
‘Follow the course of the Mean, and do not by assuming to be intelligent throw old statutes into confusion. Watch over what you see and hear, and do not for one-sided words deviate from the right rule. Then I, the one man, will praise you.’”
王曰：「嗚呼！小子胡，汝往哉！無荒棄朕命。」
“The king says, ‘Oh! my little child, Hoo, go, and do not idly throw away my charge.’”