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The Shangshu 尚書 "Documents of the elder" , also called Shujing 書經 "Book of documents", is one of the five ancient Confucian classics (wujing 五經). It is a collection of speeches made by rulers and important politicians from mythical times to the mid of the Western Zhou period 西周 (11th cent - 770 BC). The Shangshu consists of five parts. The first and shortest is the Tangshu 唐書 "Book of Tang" (i. e. the mythical Emperor Yao 堯); the second is the Yushu 虞書 "Book of Yu" (i. e. mythical Emperor Shun 舜); the third is the Xiashu 夏書 "Book of the Xia dynasty" 夏 (17th to 15th cent. BC), followed by the Shangshu 商書 "Book of the Shang dynasty" 商 (17th to 11th cent. BC), and finally the Zhoushu 周書 "Book of the Zhou dynasty" 周 (11th. cent.-221 BC).
From the language it can be seen that at least a part of the documents allegedly derived from the Shang period was written or at least revised during the early Zhou period, supposedly by historians at the court of the state of Song 宋, whose rulers were descendants of the Shang dynasty. Of the parts covering even more remote times, it might be that a part (especially the chapter Ganshi 甘誓 "The speech at Gan") originated in the Shang period, but most of it, like the Shundian 舜典 "The canon of Shun", the Gaoyao mo 皋陶謨 "The counsels of Gaoyao", or the famous chapter Yugong 禹貢 "The tribute of Yu", was written down in the early Eastern Zhou period.
The literary style of speech was very common during the Shang and early Zhou period. This can still be seen in the many bronze vessel inscriptions, a great part of which contain instructions by the king. Other, similar books are mentioned in the sources (books like the Sanfen 三墳, Wudian 五典, Basuo 八索, or Jiuqiu 九丘), but are long lost. There are six different types of speeches in the Shangshu: dian 典 "canons", mo 謨 "counsels", shi 誓 "speeches", gao 誥 "announcements", xun 訓 "instructions", and ming 命 "charges". Yet not all chapters can be attributed to such a type of speech. Some titles are names of persons, some titles refer to the events described in the chapter. The latter are actually no speeches but a recording of events. Especially noteworthy is the chapter Yugong which is a description of how the mythical emperor Yu the Great tamed the floods and divided China into provinces, giving each province a quality lable for its soils, tributes and local products. This chapter must have been added later, at a point of time then China has obtained her traditional geographic extent, presumably the late Warring States 戰國 (5th cent.-221 BC) or even the Han period 漢 (206 BC-8 AD).
It is not possible to determine the exact size of a book called Shangshu prior to the Han period. Some authors speak of 20 chapters (pian), others of fourty. At least 30 of those chapters have been lost at an early point of time. Of the 28 chapters transmitted through the Han period 14 are not mentioned in earlier times. During the Han period it became common to arrange the chapters regularly under the title of a dynasty, except the title of the Yushu, which seems to be only created during the Han dynasty. The title "Shangshu" likewise appears during Han times; before, it was simply called Shu 書 "The Documents". The Shangshu was soon incorporated into the canon of the Five Confucian classics. Because Confucius as well as Mengzi 孟子 venerated the saint kings of the past their speeches as recorded in the Shangshu were an integral part of Confucian tradition.
It is told that during the Qin period 秦 (221-206 BC) when the First Emperor of Qin 秦始皇 (r. 246/221-210 BCE) had burnt all "useless" books, including the Confucian writings, Master Fu Sheng 伏勝 mured the Shangshu into the walls of his house in order to hide it. Only a few decades later it was taken out of its hiding place, but only 28 chapters were preserved. This version was copied and distributed in the academies of the Confucian scribes in the regions of Qi 齊 and Lu 魯, the ancient home of Confucius. There were thus three different versions of the Shangshu common during the Han period, namely that of Ouyang Gao 歐陽高 (the tradition of Ouyang 歐陽氏學), Xiahou Sheng 夏侯勝 (the tradition of Xiahou Senior 大夏侯氏學), and that of Xiahou Jian 夏侯建 (the tradition of Xiahou Junior 小夏侯氏學). All of them were based on the book preserved by Fu Sheng, plus the chapter Taishi 泰誓 preserved by somebody else. The only greater difference seemed to be that the Ouyang tradition divided the chapter Pangeng 盤庚 into three parts. This is the so-called 100-chapter version (baipian Shangshu 百篇尚書), each chapter headed by a short introduction allegedly written by Confucius.
The book preserved by Fu Sheng was written in the chancery script (lishu 隸書) which became common during the late Zhou period and, with the unification of China by Qin, in the whole empire. It was therefore called the "modern script" or "new text" Shangshu (jinwen Shangshu 今文尚書, see new text classics). The Ouyang version served as the base for the stone inscriptions of the Confucian classics prepared during the Xiping reign 熹平 (172-177, the so-called Xiping stone classics Xiping shijing 熹平石經). In the course of time there were several fragments of the Shangshu discovered throughout the country which likewise had been hidden somewhere to survive the literary inquisition by the First Emperor. These versions appeared to be older and were written in an antique seal script style, and therefore called the "old script" or "old text" Shangshus (guwen Shangshu 古文尚書, see old text classics). These were the version detected in the walls of the Kong familiy’s manour in old Lu (the specimen was saved on the orders of Prince Gong of Lu 魯恭王 and revised by Kong Anguo 孔安國, a descendant of Confucius), the version found by Prince Xian of Hexian 河間獻王, the Zhongmi version 中秘, Zhang Ba’s 張霸 version in 200 chapters, and Du Linqi's version 杜林漆. The version from Confucius' hometown had 16 chapters more than Fu Sheng's modern script version. The clash between these versions led to the long-lasting strife between the adherents of the old text and the new text schools. The most widespread new text Shangshu was Du Linqi's version which contained the same number of chapters like the new text versions. It was commented by the Han period scholars Wei Hong 衛宏, Jia Kui 賈逵, Ma Rong 馬融, Zheng Xuan 鄭玄 and Wang Su 王肅. Ma Rong and Zheng Xuan divided the chapters Pangeng and Taishi, and extracted the chapter Kangwang zhi gao 康王之誥 from the chapter Guming 顧命, which made a total sum of 34 chapters. This version was the base for the classic incised into stone slabs during the Cao-Wei period 曹魏 (220-265; the so-called santi shijing 三體石經 "stone Classics in three character types").
The many different versions of the Shangshu – and of other Confucian classics – were lost during the disturbances of the Jin period 晉 (265-420). In the early 4th century a certain Mei Ze 梅賾 submitted a Shangshu written in chancery script on the base of ancient seal script characters (hence called liguding 隸古定 version, "fixed in chancery and ancient script"), together with a commentary (zhu 注) by Kong Anguo. It was thus an old text version, but with a length of 13 juan "scrolls" containing 33 chapters. It was, nevertheless, possible to reconstruct a part of the missing chapters from surviving fragments and the commentaries of Liu Xiang 劉向 and Zheng Xuan. This reconstructed version with 58 chapters is that which is transmitted until today, although it contains both new text and old text fragments side by side.
During the Tang period 唐 (618-907) Kong Yingda 孔穎達 wrote his famous commentary Shangshu zhengyi 尚書正義. It was, during the Song period 宋 (960-1279) printed together with the old commentary by Kong Anguo as Shangshu zhushu 尚書注疏, zhu being the Kong Anguo commentary, shu the Kong Yingda sub-commentary. A third time the Shangshu was incised in stone slabs was during the Tang period (Tang shijing 唐石經, the Tang Stone Classics), based on the modern kaishu 楷書 writing style version created by Wei Bao 衛包.
Cai Shen 蔡沈, a disciple of the great Neo-Confucian scholar Zhu Xi 朱熹, assembled all Song period commentaries on the Shangshu and published them as Shujizhuan 書集傳, in 6 juan. The Shangshu, or Shujing, as it was called from then on, had to be studied by all those wishing to pass the state examinations. During the Ming period 明 (1368-1644), therefore, it was part of the book Wujing daquan 五經大全 "All about the Five Classics", which served as a kind of textbook for candidates of the state examinations.
The origin of Mei Ze's book was questioned at a very early point of time, and many scholars asked whether it was not a forgery. Wu Yu 吳棫 (Song), Wu Cheng 吳澄 (Yuan), Mei Zhuo 梅鷟 (Ming), Yan Ruoqu 閻若璩 and Hui Dong 惠棟 (both Qing period) called Mei Ze's 25-chapter Shangshu a phantastic concoction. Nevertheless nobody thought about eliminating doubtful parts or giving up the study of the Shangshu at all. Scholars continued being attracted by its contents and studies all aspects of the Shangshu. Those were Wang Mingsheng 王鳴盛 (Shangshu hou'an 尚書後案), Sun Xingyan 孫星衍 (Shangshu jinguwen zhushu 尚書今古文注疏), Wang Xianqian 王先謙 (Shangshu Kong zhuan canzheng 尚書孔傳參證), as well as the Republican scholars Wu Kaisheng 吳闓生 (Shangshu dayi 尚書大義) and Yang Yun 楊筠 (Shangshu hegu 尚書核詁). For modern scholars the Shangshu is of special interest as a source with a lot of material comparable with the Shangshu dazhuan 尚書大傳, a parallel tradition of speeches from that period of time, as well as the many bronze vessel inscriptions only discovered in the 20th century.
Sources:
Liu Qiyu 劉起釪 (1992). "Shangshu 尚書", in: Zhongguo da baike quanshu 中國大百科全書, Zhongguo lishi 中國歷史, vol. 2, pp. 904 f. Beijing/Shanghai: Zhongguo da baike quanshu chubanshe.
Yang Weisheng 楊渭生 (1986). "Shangshu 尚書", in: Zhongguo da baike quanshu 中國大百科全書, Zhongguo wenxue 中國文學, vol. 2, p. 694 f. Beijing/Shanghai: Zhongguo da baike quanshu chubanshe.
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Explanations:
N. Number of extant chapter
(N) No. of chapter in the 100 ch. version
--- (N) No. of lost chapter
-------- (lost) chapter of the parallel tradition Shangshu dazhuan 尚書大傳 |
唐書 Tangshu The Book of Tang (Yao)
1. 堯典 (1) Yaodian The Canon of Yao
虞書 Yushu The Book of Yu (Shun)
2. 舜典(2) Shundian The Canon of Shun
---汨作(3) Mizuo
---九共九篇(4-12) Jiugong jiupian
---稿飫(13) Gaoyu
3. 大禹謨(14) Dayu mo The Counsels of Yu the Great
4. 皋陶謨(15) Gaoyao mo The Counsels of Gaoyao
--------咎繇謨 Jiuyou mo (= Gaoyao mo)
5. 益稷(16) Yi Ji Yi and Ji
夏書 Xiashu The Book of Xia
6. 禹貢(17) Yugong The Tribute of Yu
7. 甘誓(18) Ganshi The Speech at Gan
8. 五子之歌(19) Wu zi zhi ge The Songs of the Five Sons
9. 胤征(20) Yinzheng The Punitive Expedition of Yin
商書 Shangshu The Book of Shang
---帝告(21) Digao
---釐沃(22) Liwo
---湯征(23) Tangzheng
---汝鳩(24) Rujiu
---汝方(25) Rufang
10. 湯誓(26) Tangshi The Speech of Tang
---夏社(27) Xiashe
---疑至(28) Yizhi
---臣扈(29) Chenhu
---典寶(30) Dianbao
11. 仲虺之誥(31) Zhonghui zhi gao The Announcement of Zhonghui
12. 湯誥(32) Tanggao The Announcement of Tang
---明居(33) Mingju
13. 伊訓(34) Yixun The Instructions of Yi
---肆命(35) Siming
---徂后(36) Cuhou
14.-16. 太甲上中下(37-39) Taijia King Taijia
17. 咸有一德(40) Xian you yi de The Common Possession of PureVirtue
---沃丁(41) Woding
---咸乂四篇(42-45) Xianyi sipian
---伊陟(46) Yizhi
---原命(47) Yuanming
---仲丁(48) Zhongding
---河亶甲(49) Hedanjia
---祖乙(50) Zuyi
18.-20. 盤庚上中下(51-53) Pangeng King Pangeng
21.-23. 說命上中下(54-56) YuemingThe Charge to Yue
24. 高宗肜日(57) Gaozong tong ri The Day of the Supplementary Sacrifice of King Gaozong
---高宗之訓(58) Gaozong zhi xun
25. 西戡黎(59) Xi kan li The Chief of the West's Conquest of the Li People
26. 微子(60) Weizi Prince Weizi
周書 Zhoushu The Book of Zhou
27.-29. 泰誓上中下(61-63; 大誓) Taishi/Dashi The Great Speech or Declaration
30. 牧誓(64) Mushi The Speech at Muye
31. 武成(65) Wucheng The Successful Completion of the War
32. 洪範(66; 鴻笵) Hongfan The Great Plan
---分器(67) Fenqi
33. 旅獒(68) Lüao The Hounds of Lü
---旅巢命(69) Lüchao ming
34. 金滕(70) Jinteng The Golden Coffer
35. 大誥(71) Dagao The Great Announcement
36. 微子之命(72) Weizi zhi ming The Charge to Prince Weizi
---歸禾(73) Guihe
---嘉禾(74) Jiahe
37. 康誥(75) Kanggao The Announcement to Prince Kang
38. 酒誥(76) Jiugao The Announcement about Drunkenness
39. 梓材(77; 杍材) Zicai The Timber of Rottlera
40. 召誥(78) Shaogao The Announcement of Duke Shao
41. 洛誥(79; 雒誥) Luogao The Announcement concerning Luoyang
42. 多士(80) Duoshi The Numerous Officers
43. 無逸(81; 毋佚) Wuyi Against Luxurious Ease
44. 君奭(82) Jun Shi Lord Shi
45. 蔡仲之命(83) Cai Zhong zhi ming The Charge to Cai Zhong
--- 成王政(84) Chengwang zheng
--- 將蒲姑(85) Jiang pu gu
--------揜誥 Yangao
46. 多方(86) Duofang The Numerous Regions
47. 立政(87) Lizheng The Establishment of Government
48. 周官(88) Zhouguan The Officers of Zhou
--- 賄肅慎之命(89) Yousu Shen zhi ming
--- 亳姑(90) Haogu
49. 君陳(91) Jun Chen Lord Chen
50. 顧命(92) Guming The Testamentary Charge
--------臩命 Guangming (lost = Guming ?)
51. 康王之誥(93) Kangwang zhi gao The Announcement of King Kang
--------鮮誓 Xianshi (lost)
52. 畢命(94) Biming The Charge to the Duke of Bi
53. 君牙(95) Jiong Ya Lord Ya
54. 冏命(96) Jiongming The Charge to Jiong
55. 呂刑(97; 甫刑) Lüxing/Fuxing Marquis Lü on Punishments
56. 文侯之命(98) Wenhou zhi ming The charge to Marquis Wen
57. 費誓(99) Feishi The Speech at Fei
58. 秦誓(100) Qinshi The Speech of Qin
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Exemplarious translation:
６．（１７．）禹貢
（序：禹別九州．隨山濬川．任土作貢．）禹敷土．隨山刊木．奠高山大川．
．．．濟河惟兗州．九河既道．雷夏既澤．灉沮會同．桑土既蠶．是降丘宅土．厥土黑墳．厥草惟繇．厥木惟條．厥田惟中下．厥賦貞．作十有三載．乃同．厥貢漆絲．厥篚織文．浮于濟漯．達于河．．．
The Tribute of Yu
(Preface: Yu marked out the nine provinces; followed the course of the hills, and deepened the rivers; defined the imposts on the land, and the articles of tribute.) Yu divided the land. Following the course of the hills, he cut down the trees. He determined the highest hills and largest rivers (in the several regions). [...]
Between the Ji and the Yellow River was the region of Yanzhou. The nine branches of the Yellow River were made to keep their proper channels. Leixia was made a marsh, in which (the waters of) the Yong and the Ju were united. The mulberry grounds were made fit for silkworms, and then (the people) came down from the heights, and occupied the grounds (below). The soil of this province was blackish and rich; the grass in it was luxuriant, and the trees grew high. Its fields were the lowest of the middle class. Its contribution of revenue was fixed at what would just be deemed the correct amount; but it was not required from it, as from the other provinces, till after it had been cultivated for thirteen years. Its articles of tribute were varnish and silk, and, in baskets, woven ornamental fabrics. They floated along the Ji and Ta, and so reached the Yellow River. [...]
２７．（６１．）泰誓上
（序： 惟十有一年．武王伐殷．一月戊午．師渡孟津．作泰誓三篇．）
惟十有三年春．大會于孟津．王曰．嗟我友邦冢君．越我御事庶士．
明聽誓．惟天地萬物父母．惟人萬物之靈．亶聰明作元后．元后作民父母．今商王受．弗敬上天．降災下民．沈湎冒色．敢行暴虐．罪人以族．官人以世．惟宮室臺榭陂池侈服．以殘害于爾萬姓．焚炙忠良．刳剔孕婦．皇天震怒．命我文考．肅將天威．大勳未集．...
The Great Declaration (1)
(Preface: In the eleventh year of his reign, king Wu started to attack Yin (Shang). In the first month, the day wuwu, his army crossed the Mengjin Ford. Thus were made the three chapters of the "Great Declaration".)
In the spring of the thirteenth year there was a great assembly at Mengjin. The King said, 'Ah! ye hereditary rulers of my friendly states, and all ye my officers, managers of my affairs, hearken clearly to my declaration. 'Heaven and earth is the parent of all creatures; and of all creatures man is the most highly endowed.The sincerely intelligent (among men) becomes the great sovereign; and the great sovereign is the parent of the people. But now, Shou, the king of Shang, does not reverence Heaven above, and inflicts calamities on the people below. Abandoned to drunkenness and reckless in lust, he has dared to exercise cruel oppression. He has extended the punishment of offenders to all their relatives. He has put men into offices on the hereditary principle. He has made it his pursuit to have palaces, towers, pavilions, embankments, ponds, and all other extravagances, to the most painful injury of you, the myriads of the people. He has burned and roasted the loyal and good. He has ripped up pregnant women. Great Heaven was moved with indignation, and charged my deceased father Wen to display its terrors; but (he died) before the work was completed...
３０．（６４．）牧誓
（序： 武王戎車三百兩．虎賁三百人．與受戰于牧野．作牧誓．）
時甲子昧爽，王朝至于商郊牧野，乃誓。王左杖黃戉 ，右秉白旄以麾，曰：「逖矣西土之人。」王曰：「差！ 我友邦冢君，御事、司徒、司馬、司空、亞、旅、師氏、千夫長、百夫長及庸、蜀、羌、 髳、微、盧、彭、濮人。稱爾戈，比爾干，立爾矛，予其誓。」 王曰：「古人有言曰：『牝雞無晨。牝雞之晨，惟家之索。』今商王受，惟婦言是 用。昏棄厥肆祀，弗答；昏棄厥遺王父母弟，不迪。乃惟四方之多罪逋逃，是崇是長， 是信是使，是以為大夫卿士；俾暴虐于百姓，以姦宄于商邑。今予發，惟恭行天之罰。 今日之事，不愆于六步、七步，乃止齊焉。夫子勗哉！不愆于四伐、五伐、六伐、七伐， 乃止齊焉。勗哉夫子！尚桓桓，如虎、如貔、如熊、如羆，于商郊；弗迓克奔，以役西土。 勗哉夫子！爾所弗勗，其于爾躬有戮！」
The Speech at Mu
(Preface: King Wu the Martial, with three hundred chariots of war and three hundred (three thousand) tiger-like warriors, fought with Shou (Zhou, the king of Shang) in the wilderness of Muye. Thus was made the "Speech at Mu".)
The time was the gray dawn of the day jiazi. On that morning the king came to the open country of Mu in the borders of Shang, and addressed his army. In his left hand he carried a battle-axe, yellow with gold, and in his right he held a white ensign, which he brandished, saying, "Far are you come, you men of the western regions!" He added, "Ah! You hereditary rulers and ministers of my friendly states; you, the ministers of instruction, of war, and of public works; the first and second officers and secretaries; and you, o men of Yong, Shu, Qiang, Mao, Wei, Lu, Peng and Bo; lift up your lances, join your shields, raise your spears, I have a speech to make."
The king said, "The ancients have said, 'The hen does not announce the morning. The crowing of a hen in the morning indicates the subversion of the family.' Now Shou, the king of Shang, follows only the words of his wife. He has blindly thrown away the sacrifices, and makes no response (for the favours which he has received); he has blindly thrown away his paternal and maternal relatives, not treating them (properly). They are only the vagabonds of the empire, loaded with crimes, whom he honours and exalts, whom he employs and trusts, making them great officers and nobles, so that they can tyrannize over the people, exercising their villainies in the city of Shang. Now I, Fa (king Wu's personal name), am simply executing respectfully the punishment appointed by heaven. In today's business do not advance more than six or seven steps; and then stop and adjust your ranks: my brave men, be energetic! Do not exceed four blows, five blows, six blows, or seven blows; and then stop and adjust your ranks: my brave men, be energetic! Display a martial bearing. Be like tigers and panthers, like bears, and grisly bears; here in the border of Shang. Do not rush on those who fly to us in submission, but receive them to serve our western land: my brave men, be energetic! Which of your are not thus energetic, you will bring destruction on yourselves."
Translated by James Legge (1960). The Chinese Classics in Five Volumes. 3. The Shoo King. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press.
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Chinese literature according to the four-category system
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