| | 康誥: |
王曰：「嗚呼！小子封，恫瘝乃身，敬哉！天畏棐忱；民情大可見，小人難保。往盡乃心，無康好逸豫，乃其乂民。我聞曰：『怨不在大，亦不在小；惠不惠，懋不懋。』 |
| Announcement to the Prince...: |
The king says, 'Oh! Feng, the little one, be respectfully careful, as if you were suffering from a disease. Awful though Heaven be, it yet helps the sincere. The feelings of the people can for the most part be discerned; but it is difficult to preserve (the attachment of) the lower classes. Where you go, employ all your heart. Do not seek repose, nor be fond of ease and pleasure. I have read the saying, "Dissatisfaction is caused not so much by great things, or by small things, as by (a ruler's) observance of principle or the reverse, and by his energy of conduct or the reverse." |
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已！汝惟小子，乃服惟弘王應保殷民，亦惟助王宅天命，作新民。」 |
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Yes, it is yours, O little one, it is your business to enlarge the royal (influence), and to protect the people of Yin in harmony with their feelings. Thus also shall, you assist the king, consolidating the appointment of Heaven, and renovating the people.' |
| | 康誥: |
王曰：「汝陳時臬事罰。蔽殷彝，用其義刑義殺，勿庸以次汝封。乃汝盡遜曰時敘，惟曰未有遜事。 |
| Announcement to the Prince...: |
The king says, 'In setting forth the business of the laws, the punishments will be determined by (what were) the regular laws of Yin. But you must see that those punishments, and (especially) the penalty of death, be righteous. And you must not let them be warped to agree with your own inclinations, O Feng. Then shall they be entirely accordant with right, and you may say, "They are properly ordered;" yet you must say (at the same time), "Perhaps they are not yet entirely accordant with right." |
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已！汝惟小子，未其有若汝封之心。朕心朕德，惟乃知。 |
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Yes, though you are the little one, who has a heart like you, O Feng? My heart and my virtue are also known to you. |
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凡民自得罪：寇攘奸宄，殺越人于貨，暋不畏死，罔弗憝。 |
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'All who of themselves commit crimes, robbing, stealing, practising villainy and treachery, and who kill men or violently assault them to take their property, being reckless and fearless of death - these are abhorred by all.' |
| | 康誥: |
不率大戛，矧惟外庶子、訓人惟厥正人越小臣、諸節。乃別播敷，造民大譽，弗念弗庸，瘝厥君，時乃引惡，惟朕憝。已！汝乃其速由茲義率殺。 |
| Announcement to the Prince...: |
'Those who are disobedient (to natural principles) are to be thus subjected to the laws; how much more the officers employed in your state as the instructors of the youth, the heads of the official departments, and the smaller officers charged with their several commissions, when they propagate other lessons, seeking the praise of the people, not thinking (of their duty), nor using (the rules for their offices), but distressing their ruler! These lead on (the people) to wickedness, and are an abomination to me. Shall they be let alone? Do you speedily, according to what is right, put them to death. |
