1. 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，歷象日月星辰，敬授人時。分命羲仲，宅嵎夷，曰暘穀。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。平秩南訛；敬致。日永、星火，以正仲夏。厥民因；鳥獸希革。分命和仲，宅西，曰昧穀。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！汝義暨和，期三百有六旬有六日，以閏月定四時成歲。」允厘百工，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！共工方鳩僝功。」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：「異哉，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，烝烝乂不格奸。」帝曰：「我其試哉。」女于時，觀厥刑于二女。厘降二女于媯汭，嬪于虞。帝曰：「欽哉！」

BOOK I. THE CANON OF YÂO.

¹

Examining into antiquity, (we find that) the Tî Yâo ² was styled Fang-hsü ³. 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 ⁴, 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 ⁵, 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 ⁶, (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 ⁷ 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 ⁸ 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 ⁹, 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 Khwan ¹⁰?' 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).' (Khwan) 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 ¹¹'. 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 ¹², to be wives in (the family of) Yü. The Tî said to them, 'Be reverent!'