| | 洪範: |
惟十有三祀，王訪于箕子。王乃言曰：「嗚呼！箕子。惟天陰騭下民，相協厥居，我不知其彝倫攸敘。」 |
| Great Plan: |
In the thirteenth year, the king went to enquire of the count of Qi, and said to him, Oh! count of Qi, Heaven, (working) unseen, secures the tranquillity of the lower people, aiding them to be in harmony with their condition. I do not know how the unvarying principles (of its method in doing so) should be set forth in due order.' |
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箕子乃言曰：「我聞在昔，鯀堙洪水，汩陳其五行。帝乃震怒，不畀『洪範』九疇，彝倫攸斁。鯀則殛死，禹乃嗣興，天乃錫禹『洪範』九疇，彝倫攸敘。 |
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The count of Qi thereupon replied, 'I have heard that in old time Gun dammed up the inundating waters, and thereby threw into disorder the arrangement of the five elements. God was consequently roused to anger, and did not give him the Great Plan with its nine divisions, and thus the unvarying principles (of Heaven's method) were allowed to go to ruin. Gun was therefore kept a prisoner till his death, and his son Yu rose up (and entered on the same undertaking). To him Heaven gave the Great Plan with its nine divisions, and the unvarying principles (of its method) were set forth in their due order.' |
