The Most Venerable Book Shang Shu

Contents

Cover

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Introduction

What exactly is the Shang Shu and why was it so important?
The Book of Yu – 2357 to 2205 BC
The Book of Xia
The Book of Shang
The Book of Zhou
The Story of the Book
The Rediscovery of the Shang Shu
Chapters of the Shang Shu
Critical Study of the Shang Shu

Note on the Translation

The Poet and the Text

The Most Venerable Book Shang Shu

THE BOOK OF YU
1. 1 The Chronicle of Yao
2. 2 The Chronicle of Shun
3. 3 The Counsels of Yu the Great
4. 4 The Counsels of Gaoyao
5. 5 Yi and Qi
THE BOOK OF XIA
1. 6 Yu’s Report to Heaven
  1. Jizhou Area initial focus – Hukou
  2. Yanzhou Area between the Ji and Yellow River
  3. Qingzhou Area from Mount Tai to the sea
  4. Xuzhou Area between the seas, Mount Tai and the Huai River
  5. Yangzhou Area from Huai River in the north to the southern sea
  6. Jingzhou Area from Jing mountains to the south of Heng mountain
  7. Yuzhou Area Jing mountain to the Yellow River
  8. Liangzhou Area South of Hua mountain to the Black River in the east
  9. Yongzhou Area between the Black and West Rivers
2. 7 The Covenant at Gan
3. 8 Lament of the Five Sons
4. 9 The Punishment of Yin
THE BOOK OF SHANG
1. 10 The Covenant of Tang
2. 11 The Solemn Pledge of Zhonghui
3. 12 The Declaration of Tang
4. 13 The Teachings of Yi
5. 14 Instructions to King Tai Jia, Part I
6. 15 Instructions to King Tai Jia, Part II
7. 16 Instructions to King Tai Jia, Part III
8. 17 We are both Straightforward Virtuous Men
9. 18 King Pan Geng, Part I
10. 19 King Pan Geng, Part II
11. 20 King Pan Geng, Part III
12. 21 The Mandate of Yue, Part I
13. 22 The Mandate of Yue, Part II
14. 23 The Mandate of Yue, Part III
15. 24 King Gaozong’s Sacrifice Day
16. 25 The Lord of the West Conquers Li
17. 26 The Viscount of Wei
THE BOOK OF ZHOU
1. 27 The Great Vow, Part I
2. 28 The Great Vow, Part II
3. 29 The Great Vow, Part III
4. 30 The Vow at Mu
5. 31 The End of the War
6. 32 The Great Plan
7. 33 The Hound of Lü
8. 34 The Golden Chest
9. 35 The Great Announcement
10. 36 The Commission to the Viscount of Wei
11. 37 Announcement to Kang
12. 38 The Pronouncement on Drinking
13. 39 The Right Stuff
14. 40 The Pronouncement of Shao
15. 41 The Solemn Announcement about Luo
16. 42 The Many Officials
17. 43 Beware Idleness
18. 44 Prince Shi
19. 45 The Instruction to Zhong of Cai
20. 46 The Many Places
21. 47 The Foundations of Government
22. 48 The Officials of Zhou
23. 49 Prince Chen
24. 50 The Affectionate Command
25. 51 The Proclamation of King Kang
26. 52 The Command to Bi
27. 53 Lord Ya
28. 54 Command to Qiong
29. 55 The Penal Codes and the Prince of Lu
30. 56 The Command to Prince Wen
31. 57 The Oath at Bi
32. 58 The Oath at Qin

Personalities of the Book

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Footnotes

Introduction
1. Page xv
2. Page xix
3. Page xxv
4. Page xxxii
5. Page xl
6. Page xliv
7. Page xlviii
8. Page l
Note on the Translation
1. Page lxii
THE BOOK OF YU
1. 1 The Chronicle of Yao
  1. Page 7
2. 2 The Chronicle of Shun
  1. Page 9
  2. Page 10
3. 3 The Counsels of Yu the Great
  1. Page 15
  2. Page 19
4. 5 Yi and Qi
  1. Page 25
THE BOOK OF XIA
1. 6 Yu’s Report to Heaven
  1. Page 29
THE BOOK OF ZHOU
1. 34 The Golden Chest
  1. Page 104
2. 48 The Officials of Zhou
  1. Page 153

PENGUIN CLASSICS

Published by the Penguin Group
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Penguin Books Ltd, Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

www.penguin.com

This translation first published in Great Britain by Penguin Classics 2014

Cover: Portrait of Confucius, illustration after a carved stone stele, from the Forest of the Stelae, Shaanxi Provincial Museum © Bettmann/Corbis

The moral right of the translators and author of the editorial material has been asserted

ISBN: 978-0-141-97040-0

Note on the Translation

The Poet and the Text

Introduction

THE MOST VENERABLE BOOK

The Book of Yu

1 The Chronicle of Yao

2 The Chronicle of Shun

3 The Counsels of Yu the Great

4 The Counsels of Gaoyao

5 Yi and Qi

The Book of Xia

6 Yu’s Report to Heaven

7 The Covenant at Gan

8 Lament of the Five Sons

9 The Punishment of Yin

The Book of Shang

10 The Covenant of Tang

11 The Solemn Pledge of Zhonghui

12 The Declaration of Tang

13 The Teachings of Yi

14 Instructions to King Tai Jia, Part I

15 Instructions to King Tai Jia, Part II

16 Instructions to King Tai Jia, Part III

17 We are both Straightforward Virtuous Men

18 King Pan Geng, Part I

19 King Pan Geng, Part II

20 King Pan Geng, Part III

21 The Mandate of Yue, Part I

22 The Mandate of Yue, Part II

23 The Mandate of Yue, Part III

24 King Gaozong’s Sacrifice Day

25 The Lord of the West Conquers Li

26 The Viscount of Wei

The Book of Zhou

27 The Great Vow, Part I

28 The Great Vow, Part II

29 The Great Vow, Part III

30 The Vow at Mu

31 The End of the War

32 The Great Plan

33 The Hound of Lü

34 The Golden Chest

35 The Great Announcement

36 The Commission to the Viscount of Wei

37 Announcement to Kang

38 The Pronouncement on Drinking

39 The Right Stuff

40 The Pronouncement of Shao

41 The Solemn Announcement about Luo

42 The Many Officials

43 Beware Idleness

44 Prince Shi

45 The Instruction to Zhong of Cai

46 The Many Places

47 The Foundations of Government

48 The Officials of Zhou

49 Prince Chen

50 The Affectionate Command

51 The Proclamation of King Kang

52 The Command to Bi

53 Lord Ya

54 Command to Qiong

55 The Penal Codes and the Prince of Lu

56 The Command to Prince Wen

57 The Oath at Bi

58 The Oath at Qin

Personalities of the Book

Follow Penguin

PENGUIN CLASSICS

THE MOST VENERABLE BOOK

Nothing at all is known about the authors and compilers of The Most Venerable Book (Shang Shu – also known as The Shu Jing: Classic of Chronicles). It is believed to have been edited by Confucius, but in fact the contents both predate and heavily postdate his life.

MARTIN PALMER has translated a number of key Chinese texts, including The Book of Chuang Tzu (Penguin Classics). He is Director of the International Consultancy on Religion, Education and Culture (ICOREC) and Secretary General of the Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC). He has written and commentated extensively on Chinese religious traditions. His most recent book is Sacred Land.

JAY RAMSAY has collaborated with Martin Palmer on a number of Chinese texts as a poet since 1991. Author of The White Poem, Alchemy, Kingdom of the Edge, Crucible of Love, The Poet in You, and Out of Time, he also works as a psychotherapist in private practice and runs poetry and personal development workshops worldwide. His latest collection is Monuments.

VICTORIA FINLAY is the author of Colour: Travels Through the Paintbox and Buried Treasure: Travels Through the Jewel Box.

THE BEGINNING

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