堯典
曰若稽古帝堯：曰放勛。欽明文思安安。允恭克讓，光被四表，格于上下。克明俊德：以親九族，九族既睦；平章百姓，百姓昭明；協和萬邦，黎民於變時雍。 乃命羲、和：欽若昊天，曆象日月星辰，敬授民時。 分命羲仲，宅嵎夷，曰暘谷。寅賓出日，平秩東作；日中星鳥，以殷仲春。厥民析，鳥獸孳尾。 申命羲叔，宅南交，。平秩南僞，敬致，日永星火，以正仲夏。厥民因，鳥獸希革。 分命和仲，宅西，曰昧谷。寅餞納日，平秩西成；宵中星虛，以殷仲秋。厥民夷，鳥獸毛毨。 申命和叔，宅朔方，曰幽都。平在朔易；日短星昴，以正仲冬。厥民隩，鳥獸氄毛。 帝曰：「咨！汝羲暨和，期三百有六旬有六日，以閏月定四時成歲。」 允釐百工，庶績咸熙。 帝曰：「疇咨若時登庸？」 放齊曰：「胤子朱啟明。」 帝曰：「吁！嚚訟，可乎？」 帝曰：「疇咨若予采？」 驩兜曰：「都！共工方鳩𠊩功。」 帝曰：「吁！靜言庸違，象恭滔天。」 帝曰：「咨！四岳！湯湯洪水方割，蕩蕩懷山襄陵，浩浩滔天。下民其咨，有能俾乂？」 僉曰：「於，鯀哉！」 帝曰：「吁！咈哉！方命圮族。」 岳曰：「异哉，試可乃已。」 帝曰：「往，欽哉！」 九載，績用弗成。 帝曰：「咨！四岳！朕在位七十載，汝能庸命，巽朕位？」 岳曰：「否德忝帝位。」 曰：「明明揚側陋。」 師錫帝曰：「有鰥在下，曰虞舜。」 帝曰：「俞，予聞。如何？」 岳曰：「瞽子，父頑，母嚚，象傲；克諧，以孝烝烝，乂不格姦。」 帝曰：「我其試哉。」 女于時，觀厥刑于二女。釐降二女于嬀汭，嬪于虞。 帝曰：「欽哉！」 慎徽五典，五典克從；納于百揆，百揆時敘；賓于四門，四門穆穆；納于大麓，烈風雷雨弗迷。 帝曰：「格，汝舜。詢事考言，乃言厎可績，三載。汝陟帝位。」 舜讓于德，弗嗣。 正月上日，受終于文祖。在璇璣玉衡，以齊七政。肆類于上帝，禋于六宗，望于山川，徧于羣神。輯五瑞，既月乃日，覲四岳羣牧，班瑞于羣后。 歲二月，東巡守，至于岱宗，柴，望秩于山川，肆覲東后。協時月正日；同律、度、量、衡。修五禮、五玉、三帛、二生、一死贄，如五器，卒乃復。 五月，南巡守，至于南岳，如岱禮。 八月，西巡守，至于西岳，如初。 十月一月，朔巡守，至于北岳，如西禮。 歸，格于藝祖，用特。 五載一巡守，羣后四朝。敷奏以言，明試以功，車服以庸。 肇十有二州，封十有二山，濬川。 象以典刑。流宥五刑。鞭作官刑，扑作教刑，金作贖刑，眚災肆赦，怙終賊刑。 「欽哉！欽哉！惟刑之卹哉！」 流共工于幽州，放驩兜于崇山，竄三苗于三危，殛鯀于羽山，四罪而天下咸服。 二十有八載，放勛乃殂落，百姓如喪考妣，三載，四海遏密八音。 月正元日，舜格于文祖。詢于四岳，辟四門，明四目，達四聰。 咨十有二牧，曰：「食哉！惟時柔遠能邇，惇德允元，而難任人，蠻夷率服。」 舜曰：「咨！四岳！有能奮庸，熙帝之載，使宅百揆，亮采惠疇？」 僉曰：「伯禹作司空。」 帝曰：「俞，咨！禹，汝平水土，惟時懋哉！」 禹拜稽首，讓于稷、契暨皋陶。 帝曰：「俞，汝往哉！」 帝曰：「弃。黎民阻飢。汝后稷，播時百穀。」 帝曰：「契。百姓不親，五品不遜。汝作司徒，敬敷五教，在寬。」 帝曰：「皋陶。蠻夷猾夏，寇賊奸宄。汝作士，五刑有服，五服三就；五流有宅，五宅三居。惟明克允。」 帝曰：「疇若予工？」 僉曰：「垂哉。」 帝曰：「俞。咨！垂，汝共工。」 垂拜稽首，讓于殳斨暨伯與。 帝曰：「俞，往哉。汝諧。」 帝曰：「疇若予上下草木鳥獸？」 僉曰：「益哉！」 帝曰：「俞。咨！益，汝作朕虞。」 益拜稽首，讓于朱、虎、熊、羆。 帝曰：「俞，往哉！汝諧。」 帝曰：「咨，四岳。有能典朕三禮？」 僉曰：「伯夷。」 帝曰：「俞，咨！伯，汝作秩宗。夙夜惟寅，直哉惟清。」 伯拜稽首，讓于夔、龍。 帝曰：「俞，往，欽哉！」 帝曰：「夔，命汝典樂，教胄子。直而溫，寬而栗，剛而無虐，簡而無傲。詩言志，歌詠言，聲依詠，律和聲。八音克諧，無相奪倫，神人以和。」 夔曰：「於！予擊石拊石，百獸率舞。」 帝曰：「龍，朕墍讒說殄行，震驚朕師。命汝作納言，夙夜出納朕命，惟允。」 帝曰：「咨！汝二十有二人，欽哉！惟時亮天功。」 三載考績，三考黜陟幽明，庶績咸熙。 分北三苗。 舜生三十徵庸，三十在位，五十載，陟方乃死。
PART I. THE BOOK OF THANG. The Canon of Yâo.
Examining into antiquity, (we find that) the Tî Yâo was styled Fang-hsün. He was reverential, intelligent, accomplished, and thoughtful,—naturally and without effort. He was sincerely courteous, and capable of (all) complaisance. The bright (influence of these qualities) was felt through the four quarters (of the land), and reached to (heaven) above and (earth) beneath. He made the able and virtuous distinguished, and thence proceeded to the love of (all in) the nine classes of his kindred, who (thus) became harmonious. He (also) regulated and polished the people (of his domain), who all became brightly intelligent. (Finally), he united and harmonized the myriad states; and so the black-haired people were transformed. The result was (universal) concord. He commanded the Hsîs and Hos, in reverent accordance with (their observation of) the wide heavens, to calculate and delineate (the movements and appearances of) the sun, the moon, the stars, and the zodiacal spaces, and so to deliver respectfully the seasons to be observed by the people. He separately commanded the second brother Hsî to reside at Yü-î, in what was called the Bright Valley, and (there) respectfully to receive as a guest the rising sun, and to adjust and arrange the labours of the spring. 'The day,' (said he), 'is of the medium length, and the star is in Niâo;—you may thus exactly determine mid-spring. The people are dispersed (in the fields), and birds and beasts breed and copulate.' He further commanded the third brother Hsî to reside at Nan-kiâo, (in what was called the Brilliant Capital), to adjust and arrange the transformations of the summer, and respectfully to observe the exact limit (of the shadow). 'The day,' (said he), 'is at its longest, and the star is in Hwo;—you may thus exactly determine mid-summer. The people are more dispersed; and birds and beasts have their feathers and hair thin, and change their coats.' He separately commanded the second brother Ho to reside at the west, in what was called the Dark Valley, and (there) respectfully to convoy the setting sun, and to adjust and arrange the completing labours of the autumn. 'The night,' (said he), 'is of the medium length, and the star is in Hsü;—you may thus exactly determine mid-autumn. The people feel at ease, and birds and beasts have their coats in good condition.' He further commanded the third brother Ho to reside in the northern region, in what was called the Sombre Capital, and (there) to adjust and examine the changes of the winter.' The day,' (said he), 'is at its shortest, and the star is in Mâo;—you may thus exactly determine mid-winter. The people keep in their houses, and the coats of birds and beasts are downy and thick.' The Tî said, 'Ah! you, Hsîs and Hos, a round year consists of three hundred, sixty, and six days. Do you, by means of the intercalary month, fix the four seasons, and complete (the period of) the year. (Thereafter), the various officers being regulated in accordance with this, all the works (of the year) will be fully performed.' The Tî said, 'Who will search out (for me) a man according to the times, whom I can raise and employ?' Fang-khî said, '(Your) heir-son Kû is highly intelligent.' The Tî said, 'Alas! he is insincere and quarrelsome:—can he do?' The Tî said, 'Who will search out (for me) a man equal to the exigency of my affairs?' Hwan-tâu said, 'Oh! the merits of the Minister of Works have just been displayed on a wide scale.' The Tî said, 'Alas! when all is quiet, he talks; but when employed, his actions turn out differently. He is respectful (only) in appearance. See! the floods assail the heavens!' The Tî said, 'Ho! (President of) the Four Mountains, destructive in their overflow are the waters of the inundation. In their vast extent they embrace the hills and overtop the great heights, threatening the heavens with their floods, so that the lower people groan and murmur! Is there a capable man to whom I can assign the correction (of this calamity)?' All (in the court) said, 'Ah! is there not Khwǎn?' The Tî said, 'Alas! how perverse is he! He is disobedient to orders, and tries to injure his peers.' (The President of) the Mountains said, 'Well but—. Try if he can (accomplish the work).' (Khwǎn) was employed accordingly. The Tî said (to him), 'Go; and be reverent!' For nine years he laboured, but the work was unaccomplished. The Tî said, 'Ho! (President of) the Four Mountains, I have been on the throne seventy years. You can carry out my commands; I will resign my place to you.' The Chief said, 'I have not the virtue;—I should disgrace your place.' (The Tî) said, 'Show me some one among the illustrious, or set forth one from among the poor and mean.' All (then) said to the Tî, 'There is an unmarried man among the lower people, called Shun of Yü.' The Tî said, 'Yes, I have heard of him. What have you to say about him?' The Chief said, 'He is the son of a blind man. His father was obstinately unprincipled; his (step-)mother was insincere; his (half-)brother Hsiang was arrogant. He has been able, (however), by his filial piety to live in harmony with them, and to lead them gradually to self-government, so that they (no longer) proceed to great wickedness.' The Tî said, 'I will try him; I will wive him, and thereby see his behaviour with my two daughters.' (Accordingly) he arranged and sent down his two daughters to the north of the Kwei, to be wives in (the family of) Yü. The Tî said to them, 'Be reverent!'