3. 武成

惟一月壬辰，旁死魄，越翼日癸巳，王朝步自周，于征伐商。厥四月哉生明，王來自商至于豐。乃偃武修文。歸馬于華山之陽，放牛于桃林之野，示天下弗服。丁未，祀于周廟，邦甸、侯、衛，駿奔走，執豆籩。越三日庚戌，柴望大告武成。既生魄，庶邦冢君，暨百工，受命于周。

王若曰：「嗚呼！群後，惟先王建邦啟土。公劉克篤前烈，至于大王，肇基王跡，王季其勤王家。我文考文王，克成厥勛，誕膺天命，以撫方夏。大邦畏其力，小邦懷其德。惟九年，大統未集。予小子其承厥志。厎商之罪，告于皇天後土，所過名山大川。曰：『惟有道曾孫周王發，將有大正于商。』今商王受無道，暴殄天物，害虐烝民，為天下逋逃主，萃淵藪。予小子既獲仁人，敢只承上帝，以遏亂略。華夏蠻貊，罔不率俾，恭天成命。肆予東征，綏厥士女。惟其士女，篚厥玄黃，昭我周王。天休震動，用附我大邑周。惟爾有神，尚克相予，以濟兆民，無作神羞。」

既戊午，師逾孟津，癸亥，陳于商郊，俟天休命。甲子昧爽，受率其旅若林，會于牧野。罔有敵于我師，前徒倒戈，攻于後以北，血流漂杵。一戎衣，天下大定。乃反商政，政由舊。釋箕子囚，封比干墓，式商容閭。散鹿臺之財，發鉅橋之粟。大賚于四海，而萬姓悅服。列爵惟五，分土惟三。建官惟賢，位事惟能。重民五教。惟食喪祭。惇信明義，崇德報功，垂拱而天下治。

BOOK III. THE SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE WAR.

¹

In the first month, the day Zan-khan immediately followed the end of the moon's waning. The next day was Kwei-kî, when the king, in the morning, marched from Kâu ² to attack and punish Shang. In the fourth month, at the first appearance of the moon, the king came from Shang to Fang ³, when he hushed all the movements of war, and proceeded to cultivate the arts of peace. He sent back his horses to the south of mount Hwâ, and let loose his oxen in the open country of Thâo-lin ⁴, showing to all under heaven that he would not use them (again). On the day Ting-Wei, he sacrificed in the ancestral temple of Kâu, when (the princes) of the royal domain, and of the Tien, Hâu, and Wei domains, all hurried about, carrying the dishes.* The third day after was Kang-hsü, when he presented a burnt-offering to Heaven, and worshipped towards the hills and rivers, solemnly announcing the successful completion of the war.* After the moon began to wane, the hereditary princes of the various states, and all the officers, received their appointments from Kâu ⁵.

The king spoke to the following effect:--'Oh! ye host of princes, the first of our kings ⁶ founded his state, and commenced (the enlargement of) its territory. Kung Liû ⁷ was able to consolidate the services of his predecessor. But it was the king Thâi who laid the foundations of the royal inheritance. The king Kî was diligent for the royal House; and my deceased father, king Wan, completed his merit, and grandly received the appointment of Heaven, to soothe the regions of our great land.* The great states feared his strength; the small states thought fondly of his virtue. In nine years, however, the whole kingdom was not united under his rule, and it fell to me, the little child, to carry out his will. 'Detesting the crimes of Shang, I announced to great Heaven and the sovereign Earth, to the famous hill ⁸ and the great river ⁹ by which I passed, saying, "I, Fâ, the principled, king of Kâu by a long descent, am about to administer a great correction to Shang. Shâu, the present king of Shang, is without principle, cruel and destructive to the creatures of Heaven, injurious and tyrannical to the multitudes of the people, lord of all the vagabonds under heaven, who collect about him as fish in the deep, and beasts in the prairie. I, the little child, having obtained (the help of) virtuous men, presume reverently to comply with (the will of) God, and make an end of his disorderly ways.* Our flowery and great land, and the tribes of the south and north, equally follow and consent with me. Reverently obeying the determinate counsel of Heaven, I pursue my punitive work to the east, to give tranquillity to its men and women. They meet me with their baskets full of dark-coloured and yellow silks, thereby showing (the virtues) of us, the kings of Kâu. Heaven's favours stir them up, so that they come with their allegiance to our great state of Kâu. And now, ye spirits, grant me your aid, that I may relieve the millions of the people, and nothing turn out to your shame."'*

On the day Wû-wû, the army crossed the ford of Mâng, and on Kwei-hâi it was drawn up in array in the borders of Shang, waiting for the gracious decision of Heaven. On Kiâ-dze, at early dawn, Shâu led forward his troops, (looking) like a forest, and assembled them in the wild of Mû. But they offered no opposition to our army. Those in the front inverted their spears, and attacked those behind them, till they fled; and the blood flowed till it floated the pestles of the mortars. Thus did (king Wû) once don his armour, and the kingdom was grandly settled. He overturned the (existing) rule of Shang, and made government resume its old course. He delivered the count of Khî from prison, and raised a mound over the grave of Pî-kan. He bowed forward to the cross-bar of his carriage at the gate of Shang Yung's village ¹⁰. He dispersed the treasures of the Stag Tower ¹¹, and distributed the grain of Kü-khiâo ¹², thus conferring great gifts on all within the four seas, so that the people joyfully submitted to him. He arranged the nobles in five orders ¹³, assigning the territories to them according to a threefold scale ¹⁴. He gave offices only to the worthy, and employments only to the able. He attached great importance to the people's being taught the duties of the five relations of society, and to measures for ensuring a sufficient supply of food, attention to the rites of mourning, and to sacrifices.* He showed the reality of his truthfulness, and proved clearly his righteousness. He honoured virtue, and rewarded merit. Then he had only to let his robes fall down, and fold his hands, and the kingdom was orderly ruled.