Book of Shang: Pan Geng, Part One, Part Nine

盤庚五遷，將治亳殷，民諮胥怨。作《盤庚》三篇。

Pan Geng moved the capital five times, and was about to govern Bo and Yin, and the people sighed and resented one another. He composed the three chapters of Pan Geng.

盤庚遷於殷，民不適有居，率籲眾慼出，矢言曰：“我王來，既爰宅於茲，重我民，無盡劉。不能胥匡以生，卜稽，曰其如臺？先王有服，恪謹天命，茲猶不常寧；不常厥邑，於今五邦。今不承於古，罔知天之斷命，矧曰其克從先王之烈？若顛木之有由櫱，天其永我命於茲新邑，紹復先王之大業，厎綏四方。”

Pan Geng moved to Yin, but the people did not like the new residence, so he summoned the troubled multitude and addressed them: "Our former kings came and settled here, because they valued our people and did not want the people all to be killed. If we cannot correct one another in order to survive, what use is it to consult the oracle and examine it? When former kings had affairs, they respectfully and carefully dealt with Heaven's mandate, yet could not stay at peace for long; the capital was not fixed, and up to now it has been five states. If we now do not continue the ancients, we will not know what Heaven has decided as our fate, let alone speak of following the achievements of the former kings. Like a fallen tree that still has new shoots, Heaven perhaps means to make our fate long-lasting in this new city, to continue and restore the great work of the former kings and to settle the four quarters."

盤庚斅於民，由乃在位以常舊服，正法度。曰：“無或敢伏小人之攸箴！”王命眾，悉至於庭。

Pan Geng instructed the people, using the old institutions through the great ministers in office and correcting the standards. He said: "Let no one dare hide away the admonitions of the common people!" The king ordered the multitude to come into the courtyard.

王若曰：“格汝眾，予告汝訓汝，猷黜乃心，無傲從康。

The king spoke thus: "Come, all of you; I will tell you and instruct you, seeking to remove your selfish hearts, so that you are not arrogant or seeking ease.

古我先王，亦惟圖任舊人共政。王播告之，修不匿厥指。王用丕欽；罔有逸言，民用丕變。今汝聒聒，起信險膚，予弗知乃所訟。非予自荒茲德，惟汝含德，不惕予一人。予若觀火，予亦拙謀作，乃逸。

(Pan Geng continued:) In the past my former kings also only sought to employ old men to govern together. The former kings issued proclamations, set them in order and did not hide their intent. The former kings were therefore greatly revered; there were no excessive words, and the people changed greatly because of it. Now you clamor and make noise, rising to believe dangerous and empty words, and I do not know what you are disputing about. It is not that I myself have neglected this virtue; it is only that you keep virtue hidden and do not fear me, the one man. I see it as clearly as watching a fire; I too am clumsy at planning and acting, and so I have let you be at ease (this sentence is obscure in the received text; one view takes it as 'if I am clumsy at planning, you will run loose').

若網在綱，有條而不紊；若農服田，力穡乃亦有秋。汝克黜乃心，施實德於民，至於婚友，丕乃敢大言汝有積德。乃不畏戎毒於遠邇，惰農自安，不昏作勞，不服田畝，越其罔有黍稷。

(Pan Geng continued:) It is like a net on its main rope, which is orderly and not tangled; it is like a farmer working his fields, who has an autumn harvest only if he labors hard. If you can remove selfishness and bestow real virtue on the people, even to your relatives by marriage and friends, only then dare you speak boldly of having accumulated virtue. If you do not fear great harm near and far, you are like a lazy farmer who takes his ease, does not work hard and does not tend the fields, and so will have no millet.

汝不和吉言於百姓，惟汝自生毒，乃敗禍奸宄，以自災於厥身。乃既先惡於民，乃奉其恫，汝悔身何及！相時憸民，猶胥顧於箴言，其發有逸口，矧予制乃短長之命！汝曷弗告朕，而胥動以浮言，恐沈於眾？若火之燎於原，不可向邇，其猶可撲滅。則惟汝眾自作弗靖，非予有咎。

(Pan Geng continued:) You do not harmoniously proclaim good words to the common people, but only breed poison and harm among yourselves, and so come ruin, calamity, and evil within and without, bringing disaster on yourselves. You have first done evil to the people and then bear that suffering; how can regret for yourselves come in time! Look at those common people, who still heed one another's admonitions; how much more when a word from the mouth may bring a fault, and still more when I hold in my hand the length and brevity of your lives! Why do you not tell me, but instead use idle words to stir one another up, fearing that you will drag the multitude into drowning? It is like fire spreading over the plain, which cannot be approached yet can still be beaten out. This is only the instability you the multitude have made yourselves, and not a fault of mine.

遲任有言曰：‘人惟求舊，器非求舊，惟新。’古我先王暨乃祖乃父胥及逸勤，予敢動用非罰？世選爾勞，予不掩爾善。茲予大享於先王，爾祖其從與享之。

(Pan Geng continued:) Chi Ren had a saying: 'In people, seek the old; in utensils, do not seek the old, but only the new.' In the past my former kings and your grandfathers and fathers shared labor and ease together, so would I dare to use improper punishments? Generation after generation I count your merits, and I do not conceal your good. Now I hold the great sacrifice for the former kings, and your ancestors will follow and share in the offerings.

作福作災，予亦不敢動用非德。

(Pan Geng continued:) Whether making blessings or making calamities, I also do not dare to use improper rewards or punishments.

予告汝於難，若射之有志。汝無侮老成人，無弱孤有幼。各長於厥居。勉出乃力，聽予一人之作猷。

(Pan Geng continued:) I tell you of the difficulties, as in archery there is a bullseye. Do not despise the old and experienced, and do not look down on the orphaned and young. Each of you stay long in your own dwellings. Exert your strength and follow the plans that I, the one man, make.

無有遠邇，用罪伐厥死，用德彰厥善。邦之臧，惟汝眾；邦之不臧，惟予一人有佚罰。凡爾眾，其惟致告：自今至於後日，各恭爾事，齊乃位，度乃口。罰及爾身，弗可悔。”

(Pan Geng continued:) Whether far or near, I will use punishment for those guilty of capital crimes and use virtue to commend good conduct. If the state is good, it is the strength of you all; if the state is not good, I the one man bear the guilt of mistaken punishment. All of you must tell one another: from now on, each of you reverently attend to your duties, set your positions in order and regulate your mouths. When punishment falls on you, you cannot regret it."

盤庚作，惟涉河以民遷。乃話民之弗率，誕告用亶。其有眾鹹造，勿褻在王庭，盤庚乃登進厥民。曰：“明聽朕言，無荒失朕命！嗚呼！古我前後，罔不惟民之承保。後胥慼鮮，以不浮於天時。殷降大虐，先王不懷厥攸作，視民利用遷。

Pan Geng arose, intending to cross the river and lead the people to migrate. So he gathered those people who did not comply and addressed them at length with sincerity. When all those people had arrived, they were not to be negligent; in the king's court, Pan Geng had the people come forward. He said: "Listen clearly to my words, and do not neglect or lose my commands! Alas! In the past my former rulers were all ones who undertook to protect the people. The rulers were anxious and had few faults, and so did not go against the seasons of Heaven. When Yin was struck by a great disaster, the former kings did not cling to what they had made themselves, but looked to the people's benefit and moved.

汝曷弗念我古後之聞？承汝俾汝惟喜康共，非汝有咎比於罰。予若籲懷茲新邑，亦惟汝故，以丕從厥志。

(Pan Geng continued:) Why do you not think about what has been heard of my former rulers of ancient times? To serve you, to make you delight in ease and share it, was not because you had offended and were being compared against the punishments. I call on you to be mindful of this new city; it too is for your sake, to follow greatly the aims of the former kings.

今予將試以汝遷，安定厥邦。汝不憂朕心之攸困，乃鹹大不宣乃心，欽念以忱動予一人。爾惟自鞠自苦，若乘舟，汝弗濟，臭厥載。爾忱不屬，惟胥以沈。

(Pan Geng continued:) Now I will try leading you to migrate, to settle the state. You do not worry about the distress in my heart, but all of you greatly fail to make known your hearts, and do not respectfully think of moving me, the one man, with sincerity. You only make yourselves needy and bitter, like riding in a boat: if you do not cross over, the cargo will rot. If your sincerity is not linked, you will only sink together.

不其或稽，自怒曷瘳？汝不謀長以思乃災，汝誕勸憂。今其有今罔後，汝何生在上？今予命汝，一無起穢以自臭，恐人倚乃身，迂乃心。予迓續乃命於天，予豈汝威，用奉畜汝眾。

(Pan Geng continued:) Without a little examination, how can you recover by merely being angry? You do not make long-range plans to think about that calamity, but greatly urge others to be anxious. Now there is only today and no tomorrow; on what will you live in this world? Now I command you: let no one raise filth and so stink up yourselves, for fear someone will lean on your bodies and twist your hearts. I welcome and continue your lives from Heaven; how could I be threatening you? It is to nurture you all.

予念我先神後之勞爾先，予丕克羞爾，用懷爾，然。失於政，陳於茲，高後丕乃崇降罪疾，曰‘曷虐朕民？’汝萬民乃不生生，暨予一人猷同心，先後丕降與汝罪疾，曰：‘曷不暨朕幼孫有比？’故有爽德，自上其罰汝，汝罔能迪。古我先後既勞乃祖乃父，汝共作我畜民，汝有戕則在乃心！我先後綏乃祖乃父，乃祖乃父乃斷棄汝，不救乃死。

(Pan Geng continued:) I recall that my sacred former rulers labored for your ancestors, and I greatly wish to offer and nourish you, in order to cherish you; but if government affairs go wrong and I stay long here, the great former rulers will repeatedly send down guilt and illness, saying, 'Why do you cruelly harm my people?' If you the myriad people do not keep on living and do not seek one mind with me, the one man, the former rulers will send down guilt and illness upon you, saying: 'Why do you not draw close to my young grandson?' So where virtue goes wrong, from above you will be punished, and you cannot escape. In the past my former rulers have already labored for your grandfathers and fathers, and you together are my cherished people; if you harbor harm in your hearts! My former rulers settled your grandfathers and fathers, and your grandfathers and fathers will decisively abandon you and not save you from death.

茲予有亂政同位，具乃貝玉。乃祖乃父丕乃告我高後曰：‘作丕刑于朕孫！’迪高後丕乃崇降弗祥。

(Pan Geng continued:) Now I have people who disorder government sharing office with me and hoarding cowries and jade. Your grandfathers and fathers will tell our former rulers: 'Use great punishment on my descendants!' Guided thus, the former rulers will repeatedly send down misfortune.

嗚呼！今予告汝：不易！永敬大恤，無胥絕遠！汝分猷念以相從，各設中於乃心。乃有不吉不迪，顛越不恭，暫遇奸宄，我乃劓殄滅之，無遺育，無俾易種於茲新邑。

(Pan Geng continued:) Alas! Now I tell you: this matter is not easy! Always be respectfully careful about this great concern, and do not be distant or estranged from one another! Each of you consider and think separately in order to follow, and set up the middle way in your own hearts. If there are those who are not good and not on the Way, who are wild, overstepping and irreverent, who meet with deceit and become evil within and without, I will cut off their noses and exterminate them, leaving no remnant, and not let them plant their seed in this new city.

往哉！生生！今予將試以汝遷，永建乃家。”

(Pan Geng continued:) Go! Keep living on! Now I will try leading you to migrate, to establish your families forever."

盤庚既遷，奠厥攸居，乃正厥位，綏爰有眾。曰：“無戲怠，懋建大命！今予其敷心腹腎腸，歷告爾百姓於朕志。罔罪爾眾，爾無共怒，協比讒言予一人。

After Pan Geng had moved and settled the dwelling place, he set the positions right and comforted the multitude. He said: "Do not be playful or lazy; strive to establish the great mandate! Now I lay open my heart, belly, kidneys and bowels, and set out my aims to you, the common people, one by one. I do not impose guilt on you all, and you should not together get angry and jointly fabricate slander against me, the one man.

古我先王將多於前功，適於山。用降我兇，德嘉績於朕邦。今我民用蕩析離居，罔有定極，爾謂朕曷震動萬民以遷？肆上帝將復我高祖之德，亂越我家。朕及篤敬，恭承民命，用永地於新邑。肆予沖人，非廢厥謀，吊由靈各；非敢違卜，用宏茲賁。

(Pan Geng continued:) In the past my former king wished to increase the achievements of his predecessors and moved to the mountain land. For that reason our disasters came down, and the fine achievements came down on our state. Now my people are therefore shaken and scattered, leaving their dwellings, with no fixed limit, and you ask me why I shake the myriad people to make them migrate. So the Lord on High is about to restore the virtue of my high ancestor, and to bring order to my house. I therefore am sincere and careful and respectfully receive the people's mandate, in order to dwell forever in the new city. So I, young as I am, am not discarding those plans but am following well the guidance of the spirits (one reading takes the phrase as 'making good use of the mandates the spirits sent down separately'); I am not daring to go against the divination, but wish to glorify this fine matter.

嗚呼！邦伯師長百執事之人，尚皆隱哉！予其懋簡相爾念敬我眾。朕不肩好貨，敢恭生生。鞠人謀人之保居，敘欽。今我既羞告爾於朕志若否，罔有弗欽！無總於貨寶，生生自庸。式敷民德，永肩一心。”

(Pan Geng continued:) Alas! You lords of states, heads of divisions and all officials in charge of affairs, you must all be compassionate! I will strive to select and examine you, remembering to honor my people. I will not employ those greedy for goods, and I dare to revere that way of keeping people alive. Those who nourish the people and seek stable dwellings for them, I will honor by rank. Now I have already told you what is allowable and not allowable in my aims; let there be no irreverence! Do not hoard goods and treasures, and take keeping people alive as your merit. Extend virtue to the people and hold to one mind forever."

高宗夢得說，使百工營求諸野，得諸傅巖，作《說命》三篇。

Gaozong dreamed of Fu Yue, and had the officials seek him in the wilds by making portraits, and found him at Fuyan; he composed the three chapters of the Charge to Yue.

王宅憂，亮陰三祀。既免喪，其惟弗言，群臣鹹諫於王曰：“嗚呼！知之曰明哲，明哲實作則。天子惟君萬邦，百官承式，王言惟作命，不言臣下罔攸稟令。”

The king was in mourning and kept silent in the mourning hut for three years. When the mourning was ended, he still did not speak, and all his ministers remonstrated with the king: "Alas! One who knows is called enlightened and wise, and the enlightened and wise actually make the rules. The Son of Heaven presides over ten thousand states, and the hundred officials receive the standards; only when the king's words are made into commands, and if he does not speak, the ministers have nowhere to receive commands."

王庸作書以誥曰：“以臺正於四方，惟恐德弗類，茲故弗言。恭默思道，夢帝賚予良弼，其代予言。”乃審厥象，俾以形旁求於天下。說築傅巖之野，惟肖。

The king therefore wrote a proclamation: "I am to be a model for the four quarters, and I fear that my virtue is not like that of the former kings, so I have not spoken. Respectfully silent I thought on the Way, and dreamed that the Lord on High gave me a worthy assistant to speak in my place." So he fixed the image and had people search widely under heaven by that appearance. Fu Yue was building walls with tamped earth in the wilds of Fuyan, and his appearance was very similar.

爰立作相。王置諸其左右。

So he was made chancellor. The king kept him at his side.

命之曰：“朝夕納誨，以輔臺德。若金，用汝作礪；若濟巨川，用汝作舟楫；若歲大旱，用汝作霖雨。啟乃心，沃朕心，若藥弗瞑眩，厥疾弗瘳；若跣弗視地，厥足用傷。惟暨乃僚，罔不同心，以匡乃闢。俾率先王，迪我高後，以康兆民。

He commanded him: "Morning and evening offer instruction to aid my virtue. Like metal, I will use you as a whetstone; like crossing a great river, I will use you as an oar; like a year of great drought, I will use you as timely rain. Open your heart and irrigate mine; if a medicine does not make one dizzy, the illness will not be cured; if a man goes barefoot without looking at the ground, his foot will be injured. You and your colleagues, none are not of one mind, to correct your ruler. Make him able to follow the former kings and guide my high ancestor, so as to give peace to hundreds of thousands of people.

嗚呼！欽予時命，其惟有終。”

(Gaozong continued:) Alas! Be careful of this command of mine, and let there be a good end."

說復於王曰：“惟木從繩則正，後從諫則聖。後克聖，臣不命其承，疇敢不祗若王之休命？”

Fu Yue replied to the king: "Wood is straight when it follows the ink line, and a ruler is wise when he listens to remonstrance. If the ruler can be wise, ministers will serve without waiting for commands; who would dare not respectfully follow the king's fine commands?"

惟說命總百官，乃進於王曰：“嗚呼！明王奉若天道，建邦設都，樹后王君公，承以大夫師長，不惟逸豫，惟以亂民。惟天聰明，惟聖時憲，惟臣欽若，惟民從乂。惟口起羞，惟甲冑起戎，惟衣裳在笥，惟干戈省厥躬。王惟戒茲，允茲克明，乃罔不休。惟治亂在庶官。官不及私暱，惟其能；爵罔及惡德，惟其賢。

Fu Yue received the command to oversee the hundred officials, and then spoke to the king: "Alas! The enlightened king upholds and follows the Way of Heaven, founds states and sets up capitals, establishes the king and lords, and below them sets up grand masters and heads of divisions, not for ease and pleasure, but only to govern the people. Heaven is perceptive, the sage takes it as model, ministers respectfully follow, and the people submit to governance. The mouth can bring shame, armor can bring war; keep the robes in their chest (do not bestow them rashly), and examine yourself before taking up shield and spear (do not act rashly). If the king only guards against these things and truly understands them, there is nothing that will not be fine. Order and disorder lie with the many officials. Do not give office to those close to you for private use, but only to those with ability; do not give rank to those of evil virtue, but only to the worthy.

慮善以動，動惟厥時。有其善，喪厥善；矜其能，喪厥功。惟事事，乃其有備，有備無患。無啟寵納侮，無恥過作非。惟厥攸居，政事惟醇。黷予祭祀，時謂弗欽。禮煩則亂，事神則難。”

(Fu Yue continued:) Consider thoroughly before acting, and act only at the right time. If you think you have goodness, you will lose that goodness; if you boast of your ability, you will lose that merit. In every matter, make preparations, and with preparations there is no worry. Do not open the way to favoritism and invite contempt, and do not treat a fault as a shame, refusing to mend it and instead doing wrong. Look only at what you rest in, and government will be pure. To profane my sacrifices is called irreverence. When ritual is too elaborate it becomes disorder, and serving the spirits becomes difficult."

王曰：“旨哉！說。乃言惟服。乃不良於言，予罔聞於行。”說拜稽首曰：“非知之艱，行之惟艱。王忱不艱，允協於先王成德，惟說不言有厥咎。”

The king said: "Good, Yue! Speak on. Your words can be put into practice. If you did not speak well, I would have nothing to hear and carry out." Fu Yue knelt and bowed his head to the ground and said: "To know is not hard; to do is hard. If the king is sincere, it is not hard, and he can truly accord with the achieved virtue of the former kings; if I, Fu Yue, did not speak, I would be at fault."

王曰：“來！汝說。臺小子舊學於甘盤，既乃遯於荒野，入宅於河。自河徂亳，暨厥終罔顯。爾惟訓於朕志，若作酒醴，爾惟麴糵；若作和羹，爾惟鹽梅。

The king said: "Come! Speak. I, the young one, formerly studied under Gan Pan, and afterward I withdrew to the wilds and went to live by the Yellow River. From the river to Bo, even to the end I did not become distinguished. Instruct my aims: like making wine and sweet liquor, you are the yeast; like making a harmonious soup, you are the salt and plums.

爾交修予，罔予棄，予惟克邁乃訓。”

(Gaozong continued:) Cultivate me in many ways and do not abandon me, and I will surely carry out your instructions."

說曰：“王，人求多聞，時惟建事，學於古訓乃有獲。事不師古，以克永世，匪說攸聞。惟學，遜志務時敏，厥修乃來。允懷於茲，道積於厥躬。惟斅學半，念終始典於學，厥德修罔覺。監於先王成憲，其永無愆。惟說式克欽承，旁招俊乂，列於庶位。”

Fu Yue said: "King, a person seeks wide learning in order to establish achievements, and only by learning from ancient instruction does one gain something. To do things without taking the ancients as a model and yet to last long in the world is not something I, Yue, have heard of. In learning, one should humble one's aims and be quick and diligent at all times, and then cultivation will come. If one truly holds to these, the Way will accumulate in oneself. Teaching others is half of learning, and if one is always thinking of learning, the cultivation of virtue goes on without one noticing. Look at the accomplished models of the former kings, and one may be without fault forever. Because of this, I, Yue, am able to respectfully carry on, widely drawing in outstanding people and setting them in all the positions."

王曰：“嗚呼！說，四海之內，鹹仰朕德，時乃風。股肱惟人，良臣惟聖。

The king said: "Alas! Yue, within the four seas all look up to my virtue, and this is your teaching. Having limbs makes a person, and having good ministers makes a sage.

昔先正保衡作我先王，乃曰：‘予弗克俾厥後惟堯舜，其心愧恥，若撻於市。’一夫不獲，則曰時予之辜。佑我烈祖，格於皇天。爾尚明保予，罔俾阿衡專美有商。惟後非賢不乂，惟賢非後不食。其爾克紹乃闢於先王，永綏民。”

(Gaozong continued:) In the past the former chief minister Baoheng (Yi Yin) helped bring about my former king, and said: 'If I cannot make my ruler like Yao and Shun, my heart is ashamed, as if I were whipped in the marketplace.' If a single common man did not get his due, he said it was his fault. He assisted my glorious ancestor and moved August Heaven. You too should clearly protect me, and not let Aheng alone have a fine name in Shang. A ruler without worthy men cannot govern, and worthy men without a ruler have no stipend. I hope you can lead your ruler to continue the former kings, and always give peace to the people."

說拜稽首曰：“敢對揚天子之休命。”

Fu Yue knelt and bowed his head to the ground and said: "I dare to reply and proclaim the Son of Heaven's fine command."

高宗祭成湯，有飛雉升鼎耳而雊，祖己訓諸王，作《高宗肜日》、《高宗之訓》。

When Gaozong was sacrificing to Tang the Accomplisher, a flying pheasant alighted on the handle of the tripod and crowed; Zu Ji instructed the kings, and composed Gaozong Rong Ri (The Day of Gaozong's Rong Sacrifice) and Gaozong Zhi Xun (Gaozong's Instruction).

高宗肜日，越有雊雉。祖己曰：“惟先格王，正厥事。”乃訓於王。曰：“惟天監下民，典厥義。降年有永有不永，非天夭民，民中絕命。民有不若德，不聽罪。天既孚命正厥德，乃曰：‘其如臺？’嗚呼！王司敬民，罔非天胤，典祀無豐於暱。”

On the day of Gaozong's rong sacrifice, a pheasant crowed. Zu Ji said: "First set the king's heart right, and then set his government right." So he instructed the king. He said: "Heaven watches over the people below and takes righteousness as its constant rule. The years it sends down are long for some and not long for others; it is not that Heaven cuts short the people, but the people themselves cut off their fate midway. There are people with disobedient virtue who do not acknowledge their faults. Heaven has already given the command to set that virtue right, yet they still say: 'What are we to do?' Alas! The king's duty is to revere the people; none is not a descendant of Heaven, and in presiding over sacrifices do not be too lavish in the temples of close kin."