Classic of Documents
周書 Zhōu shū
君陳 第四十九 Book Forty-nine · Jūn Chén
王若曰：「君陳，惟爾令德孝恭。惟孝，友于兄弟，克施有政。命汝尹茲東郊，敬哉！
The king spake to the following effect, “Keun-ch‘in, it is you who are possessed of excellent virtue, filial and respectful. Being filial, and friendly with your brethren, you can display those qualities in the exercise of government. I appoint you to rule this eastern frontier. Be reverent!
「昔周公師保萬民，民懷其德，往慎乃司，茲率厥常。懋昭周公之訓，惟民其乂。
“Formerly, the duke of Chow acted as teacher and guardian of the myriads of the people, who cherish the remembrance of his virtue. Go you, and with sedulous care undertake his charge; act in accordance with his regular ways, and exert yourself to illustrate his lessons:—so shall the people be regulated.
「我聞曰：『至治馨香，感于神明，黍稷非馨，明德惟馨。』爾尚式時，周公之猷訓，惟日孜孜，無敢逸豫。
I have heard that he said, ‘Perfect government is like piercing fragrance, and influences the spiritual Intelligences. It is not the millet which has the piercing fragrance; it is bright virtue.’ Do you make this lesson of the duke of Chow your motto, being diligent from day to day, and not presuming to indulge in luxurious ease.
「凡人未見聖，若不克見，既見聖，亦不克由聖。爾其戒哉！爾惟風，下民惟草。
Ordinary men, while they have not seen a sage, are full of desire, as if they could not get a sight of him; but after they have seen him, they are still unable to follow him. Be cautioned by this. You are the wind; the inferior people are the grass.
「圖厥政，莫或不艱，有廢有興，出入自爾師虞，庶言同則繹。
“In revolving the plans of your government, never hesitate to acknowledge the difficulty of the subject. Some things have to be abolished, and some to be adopted:—going out and coming in, seek the judgment of your people about them; and when there is a general agreement, exert your own powers of reflection.
「爾有嘉謀嘉猷，則入告爾后于內，爾乃順之于外。曰：『斯謀斯猷，惟我后之德。』嗚呼！臣人咸若時，惟良顯哉！」
When you have any good plans or counsels, enter and lay them before your sovereign in his palace. Thereafter, when you are acting abroad in accordance with them, say, ‘This plan or this view is all due to our sovereign.’ Oh! if all ministers were to act thus, how excellent would they be, and how distinguished!”
王曰：「君陳，爾惟弘周公丕訓，無依勢作威，無倚法以削。寬而有制從容以和：
The king said, “Keun-ch‘in, do you give their full development to the great lessons of the duke of Chow. Do not rely on your power to exercise oppression; do not rely on the laws to practise extortion. Be gentle, but with strictness of rule. Promote harmony by the display of an easy forbearance.”
「殷民在辟，予曰辟，爾惟勿辟；予曰宥，爾惟勿宥惟厥中。
When any of the people of Yin are amenable to the laws, if I say ‘Punish,’ do not you therefore punish; and if I say ‘Spare,’ do not you therefore spare. Seek the due course.
「有弗若于汝政，弗化于汝訓，辟以止辟，乃辟。
Those who are disobedient to your government, and uninfluenced by your instructions, you will punish, remembering that the end of punishment is to make an end of punishing.
「狃于姦宄，敗常亂俗，三細不宥。
Those who are inured to villainy and treachery, those who violate the constant duties of society, and those who introduce disorder into the public manners:—those three classes you will not spare, though their particular offences be but small.
「爾無忿疾于頑，無求備于一夫。
“Be not passionate with the obstinate, and dislike them. Seek not every quality in one individual.
「必有忍，其乃有濟；有容，德乃大。
You must have patience and you will be successful; have forbearance and your virtue will be great.
「簡厥修，亦簡其或不修；進厥良，以率其或不良。
Mark those who manage their affairs well, and also mark those who do not do so. Advance the good to induce those who may not be so to follow their example.
「惟民生厚，因物有遷。違上所命，從厥攸好。爾克敬典在德，時乃罔不變，允升于大猷。惟予一人，膺受多福。其爾之休，終有辭于永世。」
“The people are born good, and are changed by external things, so that they resist what their superiors command, and follow what they themselves love. Do you but reverently observe all the statutes, and they will become virtuous; they will thus all be changed, and truly advance to a great degree of excellence. Then shall I, the one man, enjoy much happiness, and your excellent services will be famous through long ages!”