Classic of Documents
周書 Zhōu shū
多方 第四十六 Book Forty-six · Duō fāng
惟五月丁亥，王來自奄，至于宗周。
In the fifth month, on the day Ting-hae, the king arrived from Yen, and came to the honoured city of Chow.
周公曰：「王若曰：『猷告爾四國多方，惟爾殷侯尹民。我惟大降爾命，爾罔不知。
The duke of Chow said, “The king speaks to the following effect, ‘Ho! I make an announcement for you of the four kingdoms and many other regions. Ye who were the officers and people of the prince of Yin, I have dealt very leniently as regards your lives, as ye all know.
「『洪惟圖天之命，弗永寅念于祀。
You kept reckoning greatly upon some decree of Heaven, and did not keep with perpetual awe before your thoughts the preservation of your sacrifices.
「『惟帝降格于夏，有夏誕厥逸，不肯慼言于民；乃大淫昏，不克終日勸于帝之迪，乃爾攸聞。
‘God sent down correction on Hea, but the sovereign only increased his luxury and sloth, and would not speak kindly to the people. He proved himself on the contrary dissolute and dark, and would not yield for a single day to the leading of God;—this is what you have heard.
「『厥圖帝之命，不克開于民之麗，乃大降罰，崇亂有夏，因甲于內亂。不克靈承于旅，罔丕惟進之恭，洪舒于民。亦惟有夏之民叨懫日欽，劓割夏邑。
He kept reckoning on the decree of God in his favour, and would not promote the means of the people’s support. By great inflictions of punishment also, he increased the disorder of the States of Hea. The first cause of his evil course was the internal misrule, which made him unfit to deal well with the multitudes. Nor did he seek at all to employ men whom he could respect, and who might display a generous kindness to the people, but he daily honoured the covetous and cruel, who were guilty of cruel tortures in the cities of Hea.
「『天惟時求民主，乃大降顯休命于成湯，刑殄有夏。
Heaven on this sought a true lord for the people, and made its distinguishing and favouring decree light on T‘ang the Successful, who punished and destroyed the sovereign of Hea.
「『惟天不畀純，乃惟以爾多方之義民，不克永于多享。惟夏之恭多士，大不克明保享于民，乃胥惟虐于民；至于百為，大不克開。
Heaven’s refusal of its favour to Hea was decided, and it was because the righteous men among your many regions were not permitted to continue long in their posts of enjoyment, and the many officers whom Hea respected were quite unable to maintain an intelligent preservation of the people in the enjoyment of their lives, but on the contrary aided one another in oppression, so that of the hundred ways of promoting prosperity they could not advance one.
「『乃惟成湯，克以爾多方簡代夏作民主。
“In the case indeed of T‘ang the Successful, it was because he was the choice of your many regions that he superseded Hea and became the lord of the people.
「『慎厥麗，乃勸；厥民刑，用勸。
He paid careful attention to the essential virtues of a sovereign, in order to stimulate the people, and they on their part imitated him, and were stimulated.
「『以至于帝乙，罔不明德慎罰，亦克用勸。
From him down to the emperor Yih, the sovereigns all made their virtue illustrious, and were cautious in the use of punishments;—thus also exercising a stimulating influence over the people.
「『要囚，殄戮多罪，亦克用勸；開釋無辜，亦克用勸。
When they, having examined the evidence in criminal cases, put to death those chargeable with many crimes, they exercised the same influence; they did so also, when they liberated those who were not purposely guilty.
「『今至于爾辟，弗克以爾多方享天之命。』
But when the throne came to your late sovereign, he could not with the good will of your many regions continue in the enjoyment of the favouring decree of Heaven.
「嗚呼！王若曰：『誥告爾多方，非天庸釋有夏，非天庸釋有殷；
“Oh! the king speaks to the following effect, ‘I announce and declare to you of the many regions, Heaven had no set purpose to do away with the sovereign of Hea, or with the sovereign of Yin.
「『乃惟爾辟，以爾多方大淫圖天之命，屑有辭。
But it was the case that your ruler, being in possession of your many regions, abandoned himself to great excess, and reckoned on the favouring decree of Heaven, making trifling excuses for his conduct.
「『乃惟有夏圖厥政，不集于享；天降時喪，有邦閒之。
And so in the case of the sovereign of Hea;—his schemes of government were not of a tendency to secure his enjoyment of the empire, so that Heaven sent down ruin on him, and the chief of your State entered into the line of his succession.
「『乃惟爾商後王，逸厥逸，圖厥政，不蠲烝，天惟降時喪。
Indeed, it was the case that the last sovereign of your Shang was luxurious to the extreme of luxury, while his schemes of government showed neither purity nor progress, so that Heaven sent down such ruin on him.
「『惟聖罔念作狂，惟狂克念作聖。天惟五年須暇之子孫，誕作民主，罔可念聽。
“The wise, not thinking, become foolish, and the foolish, by thinking, become wise. Heaven for five years waited kindly, and forbore with the descendant of T‘ang, to see if he would indeed prove himself the true ruler of the people, but there was nothing in him deserving to be regarded.
「『天惟求爾多方，大動以威，開厥顧天。惟爾多方，罔堪顧之。
Heaven then sought among your many regions, making a great impression by its terrors to stir up one who might look reverently to it; but in all your regions, there was not one deserving of its regard.
「『惟我周王，靈承于旅，克堪用德，惟典神天。天惟式教我用休，簡畀殷命，尹爾多方。
There were, however, our kings of Chow, who treated well the multitudes of the people, and were able to sustain the burden of virtuous government, and to preside over all services to spirits and to Heaven. Heaven thereupon instructed them, and increased their excellence, made choice of them, and gave them the decree of Yin, to rule over your many regions.
「『今我曷敢多誥？我惟大降爾四國民命。
‘Why do I now presume to make these many declarations? I have dealt very leniently as regards the lives of you, the people of these four States.
「『爾曷不忱裕之于爾多方？爾曷不夾介乂我周王，享天之命？今爾尚宅爾宅，畋爾田，爾曷不惠王熙天之命？
Why do you not show sincere and generous obedience in your many regions? Why do you not aid and cooperate with us the kings of Chow to secure the enjoyment of Heaven’s favouring decree? You now still dwell in your dwellings, and cultivate your fields;—why do you not obey our kings, and consolidate the decree of Heaven?
「『爾乃迪屢不靜，爾心未愛；爾乃不大宅天命，爾乃屑播天命；爾乃自作不典，圖忱于正。
The paths which you tread are continually those of disquietude;—have you in your hearts no love for yourselves? do you refuse so greatly to acquiesce in the ordinance of Heaven? do you triflingly reject that decree? do you of yourselves pursue unlawful courses, scheming by your alleged reasons for the approval of upright men?
「『我惟時其教告之，我惟時其戰要囚之，至于再，至于三。乃有不用我降爾命，我乃其大罰殛之。非我有周秉德不康寧，乃惟爾自速辜。』
I simply instructed and declared to you; I secured in trembling awe and confined the chief criminals:—I have done so twice and for three times. But if you do not take advantage of the leniency with which I have spared your lives, I will proceed to severe punishments and put you to death. It is not that we, the sovereigns of Chow, hold it virtuous to make you untranquil, but it is you yourselves who accelerate your crimes and sufferings.
「王曰：『嗚呼！猷告爾有方多士，暨殷多士：今爾奔走臣我監五祀。
“The king says, ‘Oh! ho! I tell you, ye many officers of the various regions, and you, ye many officers of Yin, now have ye been hurrying about, doing service to my overseers for five years.
「『越惟有胥伯小大多正，爾罔不克臬。
There are among you the employes, the chiefs, with the numerous directors, small and great:—endeavour to discharge your duties according to the laws.
「『自作不和，爾惟和哉！爾室不睦，爾惟和哉！爾邑克明，爾惟克勤乃事。
It is from yourselves that the want of harmony arises:—strive to be harmonious. In your families there is a want of concord: - strive to be harmonious. When intelligence rules in your cities, then will ye be proved attentive to your duties.
「『爾尚不忌于凶德，亦則以穆穆在乃位，克閱于乃邑，謀介。
Do not be afraid, I pray you, of the evil ways of the people; and moreover by occupying your offices with a reverent sedateness, you will find it possible to select from your cities individuals on whom you may calculate.
「『爾，乃自時洛邑，尚永力畋爾田；天惟畀矜爾。我有周惟其大介賚爾，迪簡在王庭，尚爾事，有服在大僚。』
You may thus in this city of Lŏ long continue, cultivating your fields. Heaven also will favour anc compassionate you; and we, the sovereigns of Chow, will greatly help you and confer rewards, selecting you to stand in our royal court. Only be attentive to your duties, and you may rank among our great officers.
「王曰：『嗚呼！多士。爾不克勸忱我命，爾亦則惟不克享，凡民惟曰不享。爾乃惟逸惟頗，大遠王命；則惟爾多方探天之威，我則致天之罰，離逖爾土。』
“The king says, ‘Oh! ye numerous officers, if ye cannot exhort one another to pay a sincere regard to my charges, it will further show that you are unable to honour your sovereign, and all the people will also say—“We will not honour him.” Thus will you be proved slothful and perverse, greatly disobedient to the charges of your sovereign. Throughout your many regions, you will bring on yourselves the terrors of Heaven, and I also will inflict its punishments, removing you far from your country.’”
「王曰：『我不惟多誥，我惟祗告爾命。』
“The king says, ‘I do not wish to make these many announcements, but in a spirit of awe I lay my commands before you.’
「又曰：『時惟爾初，不克敬于和，則無我怨。』」
He also says, ‘Now you may make a new beginning. If you cannot reverently realize the harmony which I enjoin, do not hereafter murmur against me.’”