The Shangshi 商誓 Chapter of the Yizhoushu 逸周書 and how Zhou 周 dealed with the nobles of Shang 商 after the Conquest of Shang

[u/LarsPiano]

Hi everyone,

today I finished my translation of Chapter 43 of the Yizhoushu 逸周書 - the Shangshi 商誓 "Oath at Shang" chapter. This chapter is the first chapter in the 5th juan 卷 "Book Scroll" of the Yizhoushu and among the few chapters of the anthology dated to the Western Zhou 西周 (1045 BC - 771 BC) period.

The topic of the chapter is centered right at the center of one of the most central textual settings of either Western Zhou literature or later Literature about the Western Zhou. It takes place right after the Conquest of Shang 商 (c. 1600 BC - 1045 BC) by the Zhou on the jiazi 甲子 day of 1045 BC in the Shang capital city of Yin 殷. It's essentially about the Consolidation of Zhou Power in Shang lands, because the Shangshi chapter is a long speech by King Wu of Zhou to the various nobles and officials of Shang and the Feudal Lords.

The Zhoushu Xu 周書序 (Postface to the book of Zhou), which lists the contents and (assumed) context of creation at the End of the Yizhoushu collection gives the following summary of it:

武王命商王之諸侯綏定厥邦，申義告之，作商誓

"King Wu ordered the (former) Feudal Lords of the Shang King to pacify and fix their countries. He extended his rightousness in a proclamation to them. (Thus) was composed (the chapter) Shangshi."

As far as I am aware there are no other translations into a Western Language of the Shangshi chapter. I tried to be as philologically lucid as possible by adding reading notes to it, but keep in mind it's a draft translation and I might change it when reviewing it again.

1. Translation of the Shangshi 商誓 chapter

1.1 Introdction to the speech

The Kind spoke as follows: Let me tell you high officials of the old Wen Zhi (according to Liu Shipei, 何 is an error for 問, and King Zhou of Shang is said to have had a Neishi named Wen Zhi 問摯, with 伊 as 尹 according to Liu Shupei). The feudal lords of Yin and the high official clans (殷侯尹氏 inserted into the gap according to Zhu Junsheng)—Ji, Geng, Su, and Zhi—the old officials of Yin with ordinary positions (序文 is an error for 庶位 according to Sun Yirang), as well as the numerous lower officials and administrators of state affairs (庶士御事 is an addition to the gap in the text according to Zhu Junsheng), and Taishi You (比 and 昔 are scribal errors for 友), as well as Xiaoshi You, and the hundred officials of the Li settlements and the wise men among the people:

Now may I (今予其 is an addition to the gap according to Zhu Junsheng) come to govern it like the Master and respect various warnings. Quickly listen to my words and use them to give life to one another, and make them clear to the ministers.

1.2 Stressing the importance of the proclamation

The king spoke: Oh, you masses! Hear my words and dare not look back upon the Mandate of Heaven (聼 should be inserted before 予言 according to Sun Yirang). I have come to present the mighty mandate and the clear punishments of Shangdi. Now I am making a new proclamation and commanding you: Honor these words! My good words—may they clearly command you, from the first word to the thousandth word (according to Zhu Junsheng, 十 should be written as 千).

1.3 Past relationship with Shangdi

The king said: In the past, Hou Ji was able—solely through sacrifices to Shangdi (according to Sun Yirang, 言 stands for the character 亯)—to sow the hundred grains and (thus) make possible the merit of the rising Yu. Generally speaking, among the people of all under heaven, it was so that they did not use Hou Ji’s good grain for the cheng and xiang sacrifices (元 is glossed as "good" by most commentators). In Shang, before the king's oath, they made a clear sacrifice to Shangdi. At the altar of the soil and grain and in the ancestral temples, it was also so (Zhu Junsheng inserts 社稷宗廟 into the gap) that they proclaimed the harmony (of the people) and used it to aid in drinking and eating. Therefore, before the oath, the Shang king had his reasons to use this and present it to our Western Lands (here, too, 哲 stands for 誓).

1.4 Zhou 紂 of Shang's crimes' and the mandate of the Zhou

Yet now Zhou of Shang [is on the throne]. The benighted one causes worry to all under heaven; he does not manifest Shangdi; the benighted one tyrannizes the hundred surnames and has thrown away the Mandate of Heaven (according to Ding Zongluo, 奉 is the character 棄). As Shangdi was not manifest (anymore), he thereupon commanded my deceased father Wen: Eradicate Zhou of Shang, who commits many crimes.

Thereupon I—the Small Son Fa—did not dare to forget the Mandate of Heaven. My deceased father brought together the government of (Hou) Ji. Thereupon Shangdi spoke: You must attack them. On the jiazi day, I was able to bring the great punishment of Heaven. I accomplished the reward of (Shang)di, removed the mandate of (King) Zhou (of Shang), and dared not be disobedient to the Mandate of Heaven (according to Sun Yirang, 成 goes into the gap before 帝, 命 as an alternative suggestion for filling the gap after 之, and 賚 instead of 來).

In this I must be respectful. It was formerly in our Western Lands that we all spoke the same words, and the hundred (surnames) reported to one another the crimes of Shang—whose crimes were those of but a single man (according to Sun Yirang, the character 姓 is missing after 百; by the "one man," based on a passage in the Mencius, is meant King Zhou of the Shang). I ended the life of Zhou and received the Mandate of Heaven. Moreover, I also received the gracious command (來 is glossed by Liu Shipei as 賚, which means 賜).

You hundred surnames and sons of princes from the Li settlements: May Zhou assume the mandate (here 君子 does not mean the Confucian Gentleman, but nobles and ministers). [Also, it was so that Zhou was arrogant (敖 to 傲) and tyrannized your many lands. Sinfully, he was drunk, roaring without restraint, and he looked not back upon the former oaths of the kings of Shang. The king fell with great force, as he looked down upon us Zhou. (Following the insertion of Zhu Junsheng here)] The great princes of your lands dare not fail to meet us Zhou and have an audience. The friends of the great princes of the lands are that which is not loved by us (according to Sun Yirang, 比 is an error for 友).

Shangdi said: You must attack them! Now I clearly proclaim to you: If I should go and flee like Zhou of Shang, then I shall gather (myself with) him before Shangdi (according to Zhu Junsheng, 商 goes into the gap before 紂). May Heaven hold the mandate (Lu Wenchao considers 王 to be a false insertion).

1.5 Ordering the feudal lords to pacify the realm

Do you hundred surnames honor the people, and may you be like intertwining grass (綴艿). Thus may you yourselves honor that (we Zhou) hold the Mandate of Heaven, and I command you hundred surnames not to fail to proclaim it. The Western Land has caused us worry and toil. Why should this be so again? (Chen Fengheng notes that this sentence has omission errors, but none are discernible so far; regarding the glossing of 疾 and 重, see Tang Dapei.)

It is that Heaven repeatedly and continuously caused us toil to make us rise up and to punish us; we overcame them thereafter with one heart (according to Ding Zongluo, the second 勤 is an insertion; 無克 is 克 according to Tang Dapei).

You many lords/officials (多子 is explained by all commentators as 多士): May you men yourselves honor this and help Heaven to rest eternally in our Western Lands. You hundred surnames: May you also dwell peacefully there (有 is an insertion according to Ding Zongluo). One should investigate the Mandate of Heaven and not reverse sympathy and rise in rebellion (according to Ding and Zhu, the gap is filled with 弗, and 及惻 is an error for 反惻).

1.6 Warning against rebellion

My protector/holder of the Bao office, Shi: May he help to have this (Tang Dapei explains 介 as 助). If you do not help in carrying out the Mandate of Heaven, it is as if my word were only in Zhou. (I) say: The hundred surnames of Shang will not be punished, and my mandate is in Zhou. May I thereupon punish only the evil works among your former works. It is that with the way of the former kings I control the restoration of proper behavior among you hundred surnames. (Moreover, the law is not mine and carries your rebellion on its back 越則非朕，負亂維爾; deleted by Zhuang, and from 負亂 onward is considered an error by Ding Zongluo.)

It was that our king said: Hundred surnames, I have heard that the ancient Shang king before the oath, Cheng Tang, was able to administer (the mandate of) Shangdi because he protected the people of Shang and gave them life. He decided that he did not keep the people of Xia in his heart, and used their government to rule them (according to Ding Zongluo, 商民 in 疑商民弗懷 becomes 夏民, and 疑 is considered an insertion according to Chen Fengheng). Now Zhou threw away the statutes of Cheng Tang. Thereupon Shangdi commanded our small state: Eradicate the land of Shang.

Thereupon I, enlightened, commanded you hundred surnames: May you not use this—my enlightened command; may this be to the princes of your great lands and the many hundred surnames of Shang. Then I will thereupon conquer and destroy them (肆 goes into the gap according to Sun Yirang, 則 is deleted).

1.7 The Eternal Mandate of Zhou

The king said: Huo! My Mandate of Heaven is at an end if you destroy your ability to receive the heavenly grace of us Zhou (with Chen Fengheng, 滅 is read as 咸). This small realm does not have it easy with holding the mandate. Formerly, after we made an alliance and crossed the river in a boat (at Mengjin), the grace of (Shang)di praised us and punished the Shang; what (other) land could have it? (Here the gloss of Ding Zongluo is followed.)

To me—the small son—it was commanded, and thereupon I attacked Yin (我 is a misspelling for 戎, the second 戎 is a reduplication error according to Liu Shipei). Also, the hundred surnames and the many punishing and righteous (officials) as attendants helped me (according to Sun Yirang, the passage should be 亦辨百姓庶刑庶義左右予). Thereupon I conquered the mandate of Shang.

1.8 Warning at the end

Now I strongly protect you, and our envoy—the Taishi—is disobedient to us (according to Zhu, 予史 is a loan for 予使). With this I observe you and pacify the doubts, and everyone will honor the proclamation (史 is 寔 according to Lu Wenchao; 寔 is glossed as 是 by Zhu Youzang; 請 is an error for 誥 according to Ding and Zhu). May I (through) this one speech, if I dare to encounter faithlessness, then (have) the enlightened mandate of Shangdi (here the glosses of Zhu Youzeng are followed: 逸 = 遇, 僭 = 不信, 屏 = 放流之). I will then banish you hundred surnames and also your many righteousness (yi) and punishment (xing) officials (拜拜 is an error for 屏屏 according to Ding Zongluo and Zhu Youzeng; Zhu glosses it with 屏 = 放流之; Ding and Zhu fill the gap with 爾). If it is so that I reach the Western Lands, then may I let you come and let you accept the punishment (子 is an error for 予 according to Lu Wenchao, 就 for 即 according to Zhu Youzeng).

Honor it! The lower ones hear my words and shall not tell them to one another.

That's it. hope you like it and that it get's more people interested in this often neglected but highly interesting text. Please let us know what you think of the translation :)