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周書 旅獒 Zhou Shu - Hounds of Lu
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惟克商，遂通道于九夷八蠻。西旅厎貢厥獒。太保乃作《旅獒》，用訓于王。After the conquest of Shang, the way being open to the nine tribes of the Yi and the eight of the Man, the western tribe of Lu sent as tribute some of its hounds, on which the Grand-Guardian made 'the Hounds of Lu,' by way of instruction to the king.
曰：「嗚呼！明王慎德，四夷咸賓。無有遠邇，畢獻方物，惟服食器用。王乃昭德之致于異姓之邦，無替厥服。分寶玉于伯叔之國，時庸展親。人不易物，惟德其物。德盛不狎侮；狎侮君子，罔以盡人心；狎侮小人，罔以盡其力。不役耳目，百度惟貞，玩人喪德，玩物喪志。志以道寧，言以道接。不作無益害有益，功乃成；不貴異物賤用物，民乃足。犬馬非其土性不畜；珍禽奇獸，不育于國。不寶遠物，則遠人格；所寶惟賢，則邇人安。嗚呼！夙夜罔或不勤，不矜細行，終累大德；為山九仞，功虧一簣；允迪茲，生民保厥居，惟乃世王。」
He said, 'Oh! the intelligent kings paid careful attention to their virtue, and the wild tribes on every side acknowledged subjection to them. The nearer and the more remote all presented the productions of their countries, in robes, food, and vessels for use. The kings then displayed the things thus drawn forth by their virtue, (distributing them) to the (princes of the) states of different surnames from their own, (to encourage them) not to neglect their duties. The (more) precious things and pieces of jade they distributed among their uncles in charge of states, thereby increasing their attachment (to the throne). The recipients did not despise the things, but saw in them the power of virtue.
Complete virtue allows no contemptuous familiarity. When (a ruler) treats superior men with such familiarity, he cannot get them to give him all their hearts; when he so treats inferior men, he cannot get them to put forth for him all their strength. Let him keep from being in bondage to his ears and eyes, and strive to be correct in all his measures. By trifling intercourse with men, he ruins his virtue; by finding his amusement in things (of mere pleasure), he ruins his aims. His aims should repose in what is right; he should listen to words (also) in their relation to what is right.
When he does not do what is unprofitable to the injury of what is profitable, his merit can be completed. When he does not value strange things to the contemning things that are useful, his people will be able to supply (all that he needs). (Even) dogs and horses that are not native to his country he will not keep. Fine birds and strange animals be will not nourish in his state. When he does not look on foreign things as precious, foreigners will come to him; when it is real worth that is precious to him, (his own) people near at hand will be in a state of repose.
Oh! early and late never be but earnest. If you do not attend jealously to your small actions, the result will be to affect your virtue in great matters; in raising a mound of nine fathoms, the work may be unfinished for want of one basket (of earth). If you really pursue this course (which I indicate), the people will preserve their possessions, and the throne will descend from generation to generation.'
本作品在全世界都属于公有领域，因为作者逝世已经超过100年，并且于1923年1月1日之前出版。
English translation: James Legge
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