Classic of Documents
夏書 Xià shū
五子之歌 第八 Book Eight · Wǔ zǐ zhī gē
太康尸位以逸豫滅厥德，黎民咸貳。乃盤遊無度，畋于有洛之表，十旬弗反。
T‘ae-k‘ang occupied the throne like a personator of the dead. By idleness and dissipation he extinguished his virtue, till the black-haired people all began to waver in their allegiance. He, however, pursued his pleasure and wanderings without any restraint. He went out to hunt beyond the Lŏ, and a hundred days elapsed without any sign of his return.
「有窮后羿」，因民弗忍，距于河。
On this, E, the prince of K‘ëung, taking advantage of the discontent of the people, resisted his return upon the north of the Ho.
厥弟五人，御其母以從，徯于洛之汭。五子咸怨，述大禹之戒以作歌。
The emperor’s five brothers had attended their mother in following him, and were waiting for him on the north of the Lŏ; and, when they heard of E’s movement, all full of dissatisfaction, they related the cautions of the great Yu in the form of songs.
其一曰：「皇祖有訓。民可近，不可下。民惟邦本，本固邦寧。
The first said,
“It was the lesson of our great ancestor:—
The people should be cherished;
They should not be down-trodden:
The people are the root of a country;
The root firm, the country is tranquil.
「予視天下。愚夫愚婦，一能勝予。一人三失，怨豈在明？不見是圖。予臨兆民，懍乎若朽索之馭六馬。為人上者，奈何不敬！」
When I look throughout the empire,
Of the simple men and simple women,
Any one may surpass me.
If I, the one man, err repeatedly;—
Should dissatisfaction be waited for till it appears?
Before it is seen, it should be guarded against.
In my relation to the millions of the people,
I should feel as much anxiety as if I were driving six horses with rotten reins.
The ruler of men—
How can he be but reverent of his duty?”
其二曰：「訓有之，內作色荒。外作禽荒。甘酒嗜音，峻宇雕牆；有一于此，未或不亡。」
The second said,
“It is in the lessons:—
When the palace is a wild of lust,
And the country a wild for hunting:
When wine is sweet, and music the delight;
When there are lofty roofs and carved walls,—
The existence of any one of these things,
Has never been but the prelude to ruin.”
其三曰：「惟彼陶唐，有此冀方。今失厥道，亂其紀綱，乃底滅亡。」
The third said,
“There was the prince of T‘aou and T‘ang,
Who possessed this country of K‘e.
Now we have fallen from his ways,
And thrown into confusion his rules and laws;
The consequence is extinction and ruin.”
其四曰：「明明我祖，萬邦之君。有典有則，貽厥子孫。關石和鈞，王府則有。荒墜厥緒，覆宗絕祀。」
The fourth said,
“Brightly intelligent was our ancestor,
Sovereign of the myriad States!
He had canons, he had rules,
Which he transmitted to his posterity.
The standard Stone and the equalizing Quarter
Were in the imperial treasuries.
Wildly have we dropt the clue he gave us,
Overturning our family and extinguishing our sacrifices.”
其五曰：「嗚呼曷歸！予懷之悲。萬姓仇予，予將疇依？鬱陶乎予心，顏厚有忸怩。弗慎厥德，雖悔可追。」
The fifth said,
“Oh! whither shall we turn?
The thoughts of our breasts make us sad.
All the people are hostile to us;
On whom can we rely?
Anxieties stand thick in our hearts;
Thick as are our faces, they are covered with blushes.
We have not been careful of our virtue;
And though we repent, we cannot overtake the past.”