Guoyu Zhengyu — 國語 鄭語, traditionally attributed to Zuo Qiuming

The Guoyu, or Discourses of the States, is a collection of speeches and discourses drawn from the courts of eight states of the Western Zhou and Spring and Autumn periods, extending in places into the early fifth century BCE. Like the Zuo Commentary, it is traditionally ascribed to Zuo Qiuming, an ascription that is ancient but cannot be verified. This book preserves the discourses of Zheng: at its center stands the court historian Shi Bo's long discourse to Duke Huan of Zheng, in which he weighs the coming collapse of the royal house of Zhou, surveys the surrounding states and lineages one by one, counsels the duke on where he might safely lodge his household, expounds the difference between harmony (和) and mere uniformity (同), and recounts the ominous legend of the two dragons of Bao, whose stored foam gave rise, generations later, to the woman who would unseat the rightful heir. A short closing notice then records how, by the end of King Ping's reign, Qin, Jin, Qi, and Chu rose in turn to prominence.

The book is arranged discourse by discourse, each given its own heading in translation as in the Chinese text. Wei Zhao's third-century commentary, printed throughout the source in interlinear notes, travels below in the source layer and is not translated here.

Names of persons, states, and places are given in Hanyu pinyin without tone marks, with the Chinese characters supplied at each figure's first appearance. Ranks follow the conventional five — duke, marquis, earl, viscount, baron — and 禮 is rendered ritual propriety throughout.

Translated directly from the classical Chinese printed in full below. We know of no complete published English translation of the Discourses of the States; no claim of firstness is made.

Contents

• Book 16 — Discourses of Zheng (卷十六 鄭語)
  • Shi Bo Discusses Rise and Decline for Duke Huan (史伯為桓公論興衰)
  • At the End of King Ping's Reign, Qin, Jin, Qi, and Chu Rise in Turn (平王之末秦晉齊楚代興)

Translation

Book 16 — Discourses of Zheng (卷十六 鄭語)

Shi Bo Discusses Rise and Decline for Duke Huan (史伯為桓公論興衰)

Duke Huan (桓公) held the office of minister of education, and he had won great favor with the multitude of Zhou and with the people of the eastern lands. He put a question to Shi Bo (史伯), saying: "The royal house has troubles in plenty. I fear that they will reach me. Where is there that I might flee from death?"

Shi Bo replied: "The royal house is about to sink low, and the Rong and the Di will surely flourish; they are not to be pressed upon. Facing Chengzhou (成周): to the south lie the Man of Jing (荊蠻), Shen (申), Lü (呂), Ying (應), Deng (鄧), Chen (陳), Cai (蔡), Sui (隨), and Tang (唐); to the north, Wei (衛), Yan (燕), the Di (狄), Xianyu (鮮虞), Lu (潞), Luo (洛), Quan (泉), Xu (徐), and Pu (蒲); to the west, Yu (虞), Guo (虢), Jin (晉), Wei (隗), Huo (霍), Yang (楊), Wei (魏), and Rui (芮); to the east, Qi (齊), Lu (魯), Cao (曹), Song (宋), Teng (滕), Xue (薛), Zou (鄒), and Ju (莒). Those of them that are not the king's collateral sons and full younger brothers, or his kin through sisters and mother's house, are all men of the Man, the Jing, the Rong, and the Di. Where they are not kin they are obstinate, and you cannot enter in among them.

"It must be the land between the Ji (濟), the Luo, the Yellow River, and the Ying (潁)! There, among the states of viscounts and barons, Guo and Kuai (鄶) are the greatest. Shu of Guo relies upon his commanding ground and Zhong of Kuai upon his natural defenses, and both of them harbor hearts of arrogance, extravagance, and slack neglect, and add to that a grasping rapacity. If my lord, on account of the troubles of Zhou, should lodge his wife and children and his goods with them, they would not dare refuse. When Zhou falls into disorder and comes to ruin, these men, being arrogant and greedy, will certainly turn their backs upon my lord; and if my lord then takes the multitude of Chengzhou, upholds a righteous pronouncement, and punishes the guilty, there is nothing he will not overcome. Once you have taken the two towns, then Wu (鄔), Bi (弊), Bu (補), Zhou (舟), Yi (依), Chou (𪑶), Li (歷), and Hua (華) will be my lord's territory. If, with Hua before you and the Yellow River behind, the Luo on your right and the Ji on your left, you preside over the spirits of Fu (芣) and Gui (騩) and take your living from the Zhen (溱) and the Wei (洧), and keep to the statutes and the punishments in guarding it, then you may be tolerably secure."

The duke said: "Is the south not possible?"

He replied: "Now Xiong Yan (熊嚴), viscount of Jing, had four sons: Bo Shuang, Zhong Xue, Shu Xiong, and Ji Xun. Shu Xiong fled from trouble to Pu (濮) and took up the ways of the Man; Ji Xun was set up in his place. The Wei clan (薳氏) meant to raise Shu Xiong up, but disaster came upon them and they did not succeed. This was Heaven's own mind opening a way for him. And Ji Xun was besides exceedingly clear-sighted and able to bring men into concord, so that he overshadowed his royal forebears. I have heard it said that what Heaven opens is not set aside for ten generations. His descendants will surely open up territory in splendor; they are not to be pressed upon.

"Moreover they are of the posterity of Chong and Li (重、黎). Li was master of fire under Gaoxin (高辛氏), and with pure brilliance and generous magnitude he made manifest the brightness of Heaven and the virtue of Earth, his light shining upon the four seas; therefore he was named Zhurong (祝融). Great indeed was his achievement.

"Now of those who have accomplished the great works of Heaven and Earth, the descendants have never failed to be illustrious: Yu, Xia, Shang, and Zhou are such. Mu of Yu (虞幕) could listen for the harmonious wind, and so brought things to birth in gladness. Yu of Xia (夏禹) could bring the waters and the soil wholly to order, and so set the many kinds each in its proper place. Xie of Shang (商契) could harmonize and unite the five teachings, and so nourished the hundred surnames. Qi of Zhou (周棄) could sow and raise the hundred grains and garden plants, and so clothed and fed the people. Their descendants all became kings, dukes, marquises, and earls. Zhurong likewise could make bright and manifest the light of Heaven and Earth, and so brought forth soft and excellent materials; yet among his descendants, the eight surnames, there has been none under Zhou who was chief among the lords.

"Of those who assisted in the ordering of affairs under the former dynasties, Kunwu (昆吾) was chief for Xia, and Da Peng (大彭) and Shiwei (豕韋) were chiefs for Shang. Under Zhou there has been none. Of the Ji surname (己) there were Kunwu, Su (蘇), Gu (顧), Wen (溫), and Dong (董); of the Dong surname, Zongyi (鬷夷) and Huanlong (豢龍) — and these Xia extinguished. Of the Peng surname (彭) there were Pengzu (彭祖), Shiwei, and Zhuji (諸稽) — and these Shang extinguished. Of the Tu surname (禿) there were the Zhouren (舟人) — and these Zhou extinguished. Of the Yun surname (妘) there were Wu, Kuai, Lu (路), and Biyang (偪陽); of the Cao surname (曹), Zou and Ju: all of them lie in the cai and wei domains, some of them at the royal house, some among the Yi and the Di, and no one reckons them of account. And they have no good repute besides; they will certainly not rise. The Zhen surname (斟) has no posterity.

"If any of Rong's line is to rise, will it not be in the Mi surname (羋)? Of the Mi surname, Kuiyue (夔越) is not worth the naming. The Man branch of the Mi has gone over to the Man. Only Jing truly has manifest virtue; if Zhou declines, it will surely rise. The Jiang (姜), the Ying (嬴), the Jing, and the Mi are the ones who will by turns encroach upon the several houses of Ji. The Jiang are the posterity of Bo Yi (伯夷); the Ying are the posterity of Bo Yi (伯翳). Bo Yi (伯夷) could perform the rites toward the spirits, and so assisted Yao; Bo Yi (伯翳) could deliberate upon the hundred things, and so assisted Shun. Their posterity have none of them lost their sacrifices, yet none of them has risen; when Zhou declines, their time will come."

The duke said: "What of the nine districts west of Xie (謝)?"

He replied: "Their people are grasping and greedy and hard of heart; they cannot be relied upon. Only the country between Xie and Jia (郟) — there the chief lords are extravagant and arrogant, and the people are slack and contemptuous toward their rulers, and have not yet come to the virtue of loyal good faith. If their ruler were changed and they were trained in loyal good faith, that land would be easy to take, and could moreover be held for long."

The duke said: "Will Zhou then come to ruin?"

He replied: "It is near to certain ruin. The Great Declaration (泰誓) says: 'What the people desire, Heaven will surely follow.' Now the king casts away the high and the bright, the manifest and the illustrious, and delights in the slanderous and the wicked, the dark and the obscure; he loathes the horn-ridged brow and the full cheek, and draws near to obstinate children and to men benighted and mean. He forsakes harmony and takes uniformity.

"For harmony truly brings things to birth, while uniformity does not carry on. To balance one thing against another is what is called harmony; thus things can grow abundant and all things come home to it. But if you eke out sameness with sameness, then when it is spent it is thrown away. Therefore the former kings mixed earth with metal, wood, water, and fire, and so completed the hundred things. Thus they harmonized the five flavors to satisfy the mouth, made firm the four limbs to guard the body, harmonized the six pitch-pipes to make the ear keen, set right the seven organs to serve the mind, brought the eight parts into balance to complete the person, established the nine ordering organs to set up unmixed virtue, and joined the ten ranks to school the hundred members. They brought forth a thousand grades, furnished ten thousand quarters, reckoned a hundred million affairs, shaped a million million things, gathered in the regular revenues, and carried the count out to the limit of gai (姟). Therefore the king dwells upon the fields of the nine limits (九畡) and gathers the regular revenues, and with them feeds his millions of people; he trains them in loyal good faith and so can employ them, and they are harmonious and glad as though they were one. When it is thus, harmony is at its height.

"Therefore the former kings betrothed their queens from surnames other than their own, sought goods from the quarters that had them, chose their officers by taking men who would remonstrate, and deliberated with them upon many matters, making it their business to blend and to harmonize. A single sound is nothing to listen to; a single thing makes no pattern; a single flavor is nothing to relish; a single thing admits of no deliberation. The king is about to cast away this whole kind of thing and side with sheer sameness. Heaven has taken away his sight. To wish for no ruin — can it be had?

"Now Shifu of Guo (虢石父) is a slanderer, a flatterer, a man of artful compliance, and yet he has been set up as minister: this is siding with sheer sameness. The king has put away the queen he took by betrothal and set up an inner concubine: this is loving what is benighted and mean. Dwarfs and hunchbacks wait upon him at his side: this is drawing near to obstinate children. The laws of Zhou are not made clear, and a woman's words are carried out: this is employing slanderers and the wicked. He does not establish ministers of worth, but bewitching favorites are given employment and fortune-seekers are set about him: this is walking in darkness and obscurity. Such things cannot last long.

"Moreover, in the time of King Xuan there was a children's song that ran: 'A bow of mountain mulberry, a quiver of ji-wood — these will destroy the state of Zhou.' King Xuan heard it, and when there were a husband and wife selling these very things, the king had them seized and punished. A serving girl of the treasury bore a daughter that was no child of the king's, and in fear she cast it away. These persons took it up and fled with it to Bao (褒). Heaven's decree in this matter has been long in the working; what more can be done about it?

"The Xunyu (訓語) has it: 'When Xia was in decline, the spirits of the men of Bao changed into two dragons and came together in the royal courtyard, and they spoke, saying: "We are the two rulers of Bao." The sovereign of Xia divined about killing them, about driving them off, and about keeping them, and none of these was auspicious. He divined about asking for their foam and storing it away, and this was auspicious. So he spread out offerings of jade and silk and made announcement to them upon tablets; the dragons vanished and the foam remained, and he laid it in a casket and stored it, and it was handed down and sacrificed to at the suburban altar.'

"Through Yin and Zhou no one opened it. In the last years of King Li it was opened and looked into, and the foam flowed over the courtyard and could not be got rid of. The king had women strip off their skirts and clamor at it, and it changed into a black lizard and went into the royal treasury. A young serving girl of the treasury, who had not yet finished shedding her milk teeth, encountered it; when she had received the hairpin she conceived, and in the time of King Xuan she gave birth. She had borne without a husband, and so in fear she cast the child away. The makers of the bow and quiver were then under punishment upon the road, and the husband and wife, pitying the child's crying in the night, took her up and made their escape, fleeing to Bao. Bao Xu (褒姁), a man of Bao, stood indicted, and offered her up to the king; the king thereupon let him off, and doted upon this woman, so that she came at last to be queen and bore Bofu (伯服).

"Heaven has been long in bringing this to birth, and great is the venom of it; it will wait upon a licentious virtue and be laid upon it. When a poison is fully matured and at its utmost, its killing is all the swifter. Shen, Zeng (繒), and the Western Rong are now strong, and the royal house is now in turmoil; to give rein to one's desires at such a time — is it not hard? The king wishes to kill the heir apparent in order to establish Bofu, and he will certainly demand him of Shen; the men of Shen will not hand him over, and he will certainly attack them. If he attacks Shen, and Zeng and the Western Rong join together to attack Zhou, then Zhou will not be held! Zeng and the Western Rong are now about to repay the kindness of Shen; Shen and Lü are now strong; and that they cherish the heir apparent in their hearts may certainly be known. If the king's army is there, that they will rescue him is likewise certain. The king's heart is enraged, and the duke of Guo goes along with him. As to whether Zhou stands or falls, it will not be three harvests! If my lord wishes to avoid this calamity, let him quickly mark out a place; for if he waits until the trouble comes and then seeks his provision, I fear it will be too late."

The duke said: "If Zhou declines, which of the houses of Ji will rise?"

He replied: "I have heard it said that King Wu made manifest the achievement of King Wen. When King Wen's blessing is spent, will King Wu's line not succeed to it? Among King Wu's sons, it does not lie with Ying or with Han (韓); will it not lie with Jin? Jin holds a barrier of steep ground and borders upon small states; if virtue be added to it, it may open up greatly."

The duke said: "Among the Jiang and the Ying, which will rise?"

He replied: "A state that is great and has virtue is near to rising. Zhong of Qin (秦仲) and the marquis of Qi are the finest of the Jiang and the Ying, and their states are great besides; will they not rise?"

The duke was pleased, and so he lodged his household and his goods in the east. Guo and Kuai received them, and in ten towns he had land in deposit.

At the End of King Ping's Reign, Qin, Jin, Qi, and Chu Rise in Turn (平王之末秦晉齊楚代興)

In the eighth year of King You, Duke Huan became minister of education; in the ninth year the royal house first fell into turmoil; and in the eleventh year it went down. By the end of King Ping's reign Qin, Jin, Qi, and Chu rose in turn: Jing and Xiang of Qin then took the lands of Zhou; Marquis Wen of Jin then set the Son of Heaven in his place; Zhuang and Xi of Qi then held a lesser leadership of the lords; and Fenmao of Chu (楚蚠冒) then began to open up Pu.

Colophon

This translation was prepared for the Chinese shelf of the Good Works Library, translated independently from the classical Chinese text printed below. The book's two entries are kept as separate headings, Shi Bo's discourse is rendered as continuous speech in his own voice, and Wei Zhao's commentary, which the source carries as interlinear notes set off by 〔 〕, is printed complete in the source layer but has not been translated.

We know of no complete published English translation of the Discourses of the States; only selections and scholarly studies are known to circulate. No claim of firstness is made for this translation.

The discourse turns on the distinction between 和, harmony — the blending of unlike things into something that can grow — and 同, mere uniformity, which Shi Bo holds cannot sustain itself; these two terms are kept as 'harmony' and 'uniformity' consistently throughout.

Prepared for the Good Work Library by the Tianmu Anglican Church with AI-assisted translation and editorial work.

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Source Text: 國語 鄭語

Classical Chinese text in the Chinese Wikisource transcription, with the commentary of Wei Zhao (韋昭) set in 〔 〕 as the transcription carries it. Presented complete for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above; the commentary is not translated.

卷十六 鄭語

史伯為桓公論興衰

桓公為司徒，〔桓公，鄭始封之君、周厲王之少子、宣王之弟桓公友也。宣王封之於鄭。幽王八年為司徒。〕甚得周眾與東土之人，〔周眾，西周之民。東土，陝以東也。〕問於史伯曰：「王室多故，〔史伯，周太史。故，猶難也。〕余懼及焉，其何所可以逃死？」史伯對曰：「王室將卑，戎、狄必昌，不可偪也。〔昌，盛也。偪，迫也。〕當成周者，〔成周，雒邑。〕南有荊蠻、申、呂、應、鄧、陳、蔡、隨、唐；〔荊蠻，羋姓之蠻，鬻熊之後。申、呂，姜姓也。應、蔡、隨、唐，皆姬姓也。應，武王子所封。鄧，曼姓也。陳，媯姓也。〕北有衛、燕、狄、鮮虞、潞、洛、泉、徐、蒲；〔衛，康叔之封；燕，邵公之封：皆姬姓也。狄，北狄也。鮮虞，姬姓在狄者也。潞、洛、泉、徐、蒲，皆赤狄，隗姓也。〕西有虞、虢、晉、隗、霍、楊、魏、芮；〔八國，姬姓也。虞，虞仲之後。虢，虢叔之後，西虢也。〕東有齊、魯、曹、宋、滕、薛、鄒、莒；〔齊，姜姓。魯、曹、滕，皆姬姓。宋，子姓。薛，任姓。鄒，曹姓。莒，己姓，東夷之國也。〕是非王之支子母弟甥舅也，則皆蠻、荊〔案：「蠻、荊」，攷異卷四：「太平御覽州郡部五引國語，『蠻、荊』作『蠻、夷』，是也。蠻、夷、戎、狄皆統舉之詞，不應獨稱荊國，下注云『頑，謂蠻、夷、戎、狄』，即其證。」〕、戎、狄之人也。〔王支子母弟，姬姓是也。甥舅，異姓是也。蠻、荊，楚也。戎、狄，北狄、潞、洛、泉、徐、蒲是也。戎，或為夷。〕非親則頑，不可入也。〔親，謂支子甥舅也。頑，謂蠻、夷、戎、狄也。〕其濟、洛、河、潁之間乎！〔言此四水之間可逃，謂左濟右洛前潁後河。〕是其子男之國，虢、鄶為大，〔是，是四水也。虢，東虢也，虢仲之後，姬姓也。鄶，妘姓也。當幽王時，於子男，此二國為大。〕虢叔恃勢，鄶仲恃險，〔此虢叔，虢仲之後。叔、仲皆當時二國君之字。勢，阻國也；險，阨也：皆恃之而不修德。案：「阻國也」，公序本作「地勢阻固也」。〕是皆有驕侈怠慢之心，而加之以貪冒。君若以周難之故，寄孥與賄焉，不敢不許。〔妻子曰孥。賄，財也。〕周亂而弊，是驕而貪，必將背君，君若以成周之眾，奉辭伐罪，無不克矣。〔桓公甚得周眾，奉直辭，伐有罪，故必勝也。〕若克二邑，〔二邑，虢、鄶。〕鄔、弊、補、舟、依、𪑶、〔案：「鄔」、「弊」、「舟」、「𪑶」，公序本作「鄢」、「蔽」、「丹」、「㽥」。「𪑶」，董增齡《正義》以為即「疇」，古國名，任姓，在今何地不詳。〕歷、華，君之土也。〔言克虢、鄶，此八邑皆可得也。〕若前華〔案：「華」。據上文注疑為「潁」字之誤。下注亦同誤。〕後河，右洛左濟，〔華，華國也。〕主芣、騩而食溱、洧，〔芣、騩，山名。主，為之神主。孔子曰：「夫顓臾為東蒙主。」食，謂居其土，食其水。〕修典刑以守之，是可以少固。」〔其後卒如史伯之言。〕

公曰：「南方不可乎？」〔南方，當成周之南，申、鄧之閒。〕對曰：「夫荊子熊嚴生子四人：伯霜、仲雪、叔熊、季紃。〔荊，楚也。熊嚴，楚子鬻熊之後十世也。伯霜，楚子熊霜。季紃，楚子熊紃也。仲不立，叔在濮。〕叔熊逃難於濮而蠻，季紃是立，薳氏將起之，禍又不克。〔濮，蠻邑。薳氏，楚大夫。先熊霜之世，叔熊逃難奔濮，而從蠻俗。熊霜死，國人立季紃。薳氏將起叔熊而立之，又有禍難，而熊不立。〕是天啟之心也，〔啟，開也。天開季紃，故叔熊不得立。有「心」字誤。〕又甚聰明和協，蓋其先王。〔言季紃又聰明，能和協其民臣之心，功德蓋其先王也。〕臣聞之，天之所啟，十世不替。〔替，廢也。〕夫其子孫必光啟土，不可偪也。〔光，大也。〕且重、黎之後也，〔重、黎，官名。楚語曰：「顓頊乃命南正重司天，北正黎司地。」言楚之先為此二官。〕夫黎為高辛氏火正，〔高辛，帝嚳。黎，顓頊之後也。顓頊生老童，老童產重、黎及吳回，吳回產陸終，陸終生六子，其季曰連，為羋姓，楚之先祖也。季連之後曰鬻熊，事周文王，其曾孫熊繹，當成王時，封為楚子。黎當高辛氏為火正。〕以淳燿敦大，天明地德，光照四海，故命之曰『祝融』，其功大矣。〔淳，大也。耀，明也。敦，厚也。言黎為火正，能理其職，以大明厚大天明地德，故命之為「祝融」。祝，始也。融，明也。大明天明，若歷象三辰也。厚大地德，若敬授民時也。光照四海，使上下有章也。〕

「夫成天地之大功者，其子孫未嘗不章，〔章，顯也。〕虞、夏、商、周是也。〔是成天地之功者。〕虞幕能聽協風，以成樂物生者也。〔虞幕，舜後虞思也。協，和也。言能聽知和風，因時順氣，以成育萬物，使之樂生。周語曰「瞽告有協風至」，乃耕籍之類是也。　案發正卷一六：「虞幕為虞舜之上祖，韋解以為舜後虞思，誤與魯語同。」〕夏禹能單平水土，以品處庶類者也。〔單，盡也。庶，眾也。品，高下之品也。禹除水災，使万物高下各得其所。〕商契能和合五教，以保于百姓者也。〔保，養也。五教：父義、母慈、兄友、弟恭、子孝。魯語曰：「契為司徒而民輯。」〕周棄能播殖百穀蔬，以衣食民人者也。〔棄，后稷也。播，布也。殖，長也。百穀，黍稷稻粱麻麥荏菽雕胡之屬。蔬，草菜之可食者。〕其後皆為王公侯伯。〔禹身王。稷棄在子孫。公侯伯，謂其後杞、宋及幕後陳侯也。　案：「稷棄在子孫」，攷異卷四：「『棄』，公序本作『契』，疑『稷』乃『契』之訛，『契』、『棄』承上傳文而言也。」〕祝融亦能昭顯天地之光明，以生柔嘉材者也，〔柔，潤也。嘉，善也。善材，五穀材木。〕其後八姓於周未有侯伯。〔八姓，祝融之後。八姓：己、董、彭、禿、妘、曹、斟、羋也。侯伯，諸侯之伯。〕佐制物於前代者，〔佐，助也。物，事也。前代，夏、殷也。〕昆吾為夏伯矣，〔昆吾，祝融之孫、陸終第一子，名樊，為己姓，封於昆吾，昆吾衛是也。其後夏衰，昆吾為夏伯，遷於舊許。傳曰：「楚之皇祖伯父昆吾，舊許是宅。」〕大彭、豕韋為商伯矣。〔大彭，陸終第三子，曰籛，為彭姓，封於大彭，請之彭祖，彭城是也。豕韋，彭姓之別封於豕韋者也。殷衰，二國相繼為商伯。〕當周未有。〔未有侯伯。〕己姓昆吾、蘇、顧、溫、董，〔五國皆昆吾之後別封者，莒其後。〕董姓鬷夷、豢龍，則夏滅之矣。〔董姓，己姓之別受氏為國者也。有飂叔安之𧜟子曰董父，以擾龍服事帝舜，賜姓曰董，氏曰豢龍，封之鬷川，當夏之興，別封鬷夷，於孔甲前而滅矣。傳曰：「孔甲不能食龍而未獲豢龍氏，劉累學擾龍於豢龍氏以事孔甲。」〕彭姓彭祖、豕韋、諸稽，則商滅之矣，〔彭祖，大彭也。豕韋、諸稽，其後別封也。大彭、豕韋為商伯，其後世失道，殷復興而滅之。〕禿姓舟人，則周滅之矣。〔禿姓，彭祖之別。舟人，國名。〕妘姓鄔、〔案：「鄔」，攷異卷四據左傳襄公十年疏及詩檜譜疏引國語並作「鄢」；札記卷一六據惠棟云潛夫論亦作「鄢」。注同。〕鄶、路、偪陽，〔陸終第四子曰求言，為妘姓，封於鄶。鄶，今新鄭也。鄔、路、偪陽，其後別封也。〕曹姓鄒、莒，〔陸終第五子曰安，為曹姓，封於鄒。〕皆為采衛，〔皆，妘、曹也。采，采服，去王城二千五百里。衛，衛服，去王城三千里。〕或在王室，或在夷、狄，莫之數也。〔或，六姓之後。在王室，蘇子、溫子也。在夷狄，莒、偪陽也。〕而又無令聞，必不興矣。斟姓無後。〔斟姓，曹姓之別。或云夏少康滅之，非也。傳有斟灌、斟鄩，澆所滅，非少康，又皆夏同姓，非此也。〕融之興者，其在羋姓乎？羋姓夔越不足命也。〔夔越，羋姓之別國，楚熊繹六世孫曰熊摯，有惡疾，楚人廢之，立其弟熊延。摯自棄於夔，其子孫有功，王命為夔子。〕蠻羋蠻矣，〔蠻羋，謂叔熊在濮從蠻俗。〕唯荊實有昭德，若周衰，其必興矣。〔昭，明也。〕姜、嬴、荊、羋，實與諸姬代相干也。〔姜，齊姓。嬴，秦姓。羋，楚姓。代，更也。干，犯也。言其代彊更相犯間。〕姜，伯夷之後也，〔伯夷，堯秩宗，炎帝之後，四岳之族。〕嬴，伯翳之後也。〔伯翳，舜虞官，少皞之後伯益也。〕伯夷能禮於神以佐堯者也，〔秩宗之官，於周為宗伯，漢為太常，掌國祭祀。書曰：「典朕三禮。」謂天神、人鬼、地祇之禮。〕伯翳能議百物以佐舜者也。〔百物，草木鳥獸。議，使各得其宜。〕其後皆不失祀而未有興者，〔興，謂為侯伯也。〕周衰其將至矣。」〔至於伯也。〕

公曰：「謝西之九州，何如？」〔謝，宣王之舅申伯之國，今在南陽。謝西有九州，二千五百家曰州。何如，問可居否。〕對曰：「其民沓貪而忍，不可因也。〔沓，黷也。忍，忍行不義。因，就也。〕唯謝、郟之間，〔閒，謂郟南謝北，虢、鄶在焉。郟，後屬鄭，鄭衰，楚取之。魯昭元年傳曰「葬王于郟，謂之郟敖」是也。〕其冢君侈驕，〔冢，大也。〕其民怠沓其君，而未及周德；〔怠，慢也。忠信為周。言民慢黷其君，而未及於忠信。〕若更君而周訓之，是易取也，〔更，更以君道導之則易取。〕且可長用也。」〔長用，久處之。〕

公曰：「周其弊乎？」〔弊，敗也。〕對曰：「殆於必弊者也。〔殆，近也。〕泰誓曰：『民之所欲，天必從之。』〔泰誓，周書。言民惡幽王猶惡紂，欲令之亡，天必從之。〕今王棄高明昭顯，而好讒慝暗昧；〔王，幽王。高明昭顯，謂明德之臣。暗昧，幽冥不見光明之德也。〕惡角犀豐盈，而近頑童窮固。〔角犀，謂顏角有伏犀；豐盈，謂頰輔豐滿：皆賢明之相。頑童，童昏。固，陋也。謂皆昧暗窮陋，不識德義。〕去和而取同。〔和，謂可否相濟。同，謂同欲。君子和而不同。〕夫和實生物，同則不繼。〔陰陽和而萬物生。同，同氣。〕以他平他謂之和，〔謂陰陽相生，異味相和。〕故能豐長而物歸之；〔土氣和而物生之，國家和而民附之。〕若以同裨同，盡乃棄矣。〔裨，益也。同者，謂若以水益水，水盡乃棄之，無所成也。〕故先王以土與金木水火雜，以成百物。〔雜，合也。成百物，謂若鑄冶煎烹之屬。〕是以和五味以調口，剛四支以衛體，〔剛，彊也。〕和六律以聰耳，〔聽和則聰。〕正七體以役心，〔役，營也。七體，七竅也。謂目為心視，耳為心聽，口為心談，鼻為心芳。〕平八索以成人，〔平，正也。八索，八體，以應八卦，謂乾為首，坤為腹，震為足，巽為股，離為目，兌為口，坎為耳，艮為手。〕建九紀以立純德，〔建，立也。純，純一不駁也。九紀，九藏也：正藏五，又有胃、膀胱、腸、膽也。紀，所以經紀性命，立純德也。周禮曰：「九藏之動。」賈、唐云：「九紀，九功也。」〕合十數以訓百體。〔此所謂近取諸身，遠取諸物。賈、唐云：「十數，自王以下位有十等：王臣公，公臣大夫，大夫臣士，士臣皁，皁臣輿，輿臣隸，隸臣僚，僚臣僕，僕臣臺。百體，百官各有體屬也，合此十數之位，以訓導百官之體。」〕出千品，具萬方，〔百官，官有徹品，十於王位，謂之千品。五物之官，陪屬萬位，謂之萬方。方，道也。〕計億事，材兆物，收經入，行姟極。〔計，算也。材，裁也。賈、虞說，皆以萬萬為億。鄭後司農云：「十萬曰億，萬億曰兆，從古數也。」經，常也。姟，備也。數極於姟也，萬萬兆曰姟。自十等至千品萬方，轉相生，故有億事兆物，王收其常入，舉九姟之數。　案：「虞」，公序本作「唐」。「萬億曰兆」，公序本作「十億曰兆」。〕故王者居九畡之田，收經入以食兆民，〔九畡，九州之極數。楚語曰：「天子之田九畡，以食兆民，王取經入焉，以食萬官。」〕周訓而能用之，和樂如一。〔忠信為周。訓，教也。言以忠信教導之，其民和樂如一室。〕夫如是，和之至也。〔至，極也。〕於是乎先王聘后於異姓，〔同則不繼。〕求財於有方，〔使各以其方賄來，方之所無，則不貢。〕擇臣取諫工而講以多物，務和同也。〔工，官也。講，猶校也。多，眾也。物，事也。〕聲一無聽，〔五聲雜，然後可聽。〕物一無文，〔五色雜，然後成文。〕味一無果，〔五味合，然後可食。果，美。〕物一不講。〔講，論校也。〕王將棄是類也而與剸同。〔類，謂和也。〕天奪之明，欲無弊，得乎？

「夫虢石父讒諂巧從之人也，而立以為卿士，與剸同也；〔石父，虢君之名。巧從，巧於媚從。〕棄聘后而立內妾，好窮固也；〔聘后，申后。內妾，褒姒。〕侏儒戚施，實御在側，近頑童也；〔侏儒、戚施，皆優笑之人。御，侍也。〕周法不昭，而婦言是行，用讒慝也；不建立卿士，而妖試幸措，行暗昧也。〔試，用也。措，置也。不建立有德以為卿士，而妖嬖之臣用之於位，徼倖之人置之於側。案：「徼倖之人」，公序本作「佞幸之人」。〕是物也，不可以久。且宣王之時有童謠〔宣王，幽王之父。〕曰：『檿弧箕服，實亡周國。』〔山桑曰檿。弧，弓也。箕，木名。服，矢房。〕於是宣王聞之，有夫婦鬻是器者，〔鬻，賣也。〕王使執而戮之。〔戮之於路。〕府之小妾生女而非王子也，懼而棄之。〔府，王內之府藏。〕此人也，收以奔褒。〔此人，賣弧服者。收，取也。〕天之命此久矣，〔案：此句上，公序本有「褒人有獄而以為入」八字，並有注文：「褒人，褒君姁也。獄，罪也。入，進之於王。」〕其又何可為乎？〔為，治也。〕訓語有之〔訓語，周書。〕曰：『夏之衰也，褒人之神化為二龍，以同于王庭，〔褒人，褒君。共處曰同。〕而言曰：「余，褒之二君也。」〔二先君。〕夏后卜殺之與去之與止之，莫吉。〔止，留也。〕卜請其漦而藏之，吉。〔漦，龍所吐沫，龍之精氣也。〕乃布幣焉而策告之，〔布，陳也。幣，玉帛也。陳其玉帛，以簡策之書告龍，而請其漦。〕龍亡而漦在，櫝而藏之，〔櫝，櫃也。〕傳郊之。』〔傳祭之郊。〕及殷、周，莫之發也。及厲王之末，發而觀之，〔末，末年，流彘之歲。〕漦流于庭，不可除也。〔言流於庭前，謂取而發之也。〕王使婦人不幃而譟之，〔裳正幅曰幃。譟，讙呼。〕化為玄黿，以入于王府。〔黿，或為「蚖」。蚖，蜇蝪，象龍。〕府之童妾未既齓而遭之，〔既，盡也。遭，遇也。毀齒曰齓。未盡齓，毀未畢也。女七歲而毀齒。〕既笄而孕，〔孕，任身也。女十五而笄。〕當宣王時而生。〔厲王流彘，共和十四年死。十五年，宣王立，立四十六年，幽王在位，十一年而滅。〕不夫而育，〔育，生也。〕故懼而棄之。為弧服者方戮在路，夫婦哀其夜號也，而取之以逸，逃于褒。〔逃，亡也。〕褒人褒姁有獄，而以為入於王，〔褒姁，褒君。〕王遂置之，〔置，赦褒姁。〕而嬖是女也，使至於為后而生伯服。〔以邪辟取愛曰嬖。使至，有漸之言也。〕天之生此久矣，其為毒也大矣，將使候淫德而加之焉。〔加，遺也，遺以褒女。〕毒之酋腊者，其殺也滋速。〔精熟為酋。腊，極也。滋，益也。〕申、繒、西戎方彊，〔申，姜姓，幽王前后太子宜臼之舅也。繒，姒姓，申之與國也。西戎亦黨於申。周衰，故戎、狄彊。〕王室方騷，〔騷，擾也。〕將以縱欲，不亦難乎？王欲殺太子以成伯服，必求之申，〔太子將奔申。　案攷異卷四：「詩王風譜疏引注，『將』作『時』，『將』字誤。」〕申人弗畀，必伐之。〔畀，予也。〕若伐申，而繒與西戎會以伐周，周不守矣！〔言幽王無道，無與共守者。〕繒與西戎方將德申，〔申修德於二國，二國亦欲助正，徼其後福。〕申、呂方彊，〔呂，申同姓。〕其隩愛太子亦必可知也，〔隩，隱也。〕王師若在，〔在於申。〕其救之亦必然矣。王心怒矣，虢公從矣，〔言石父亦從王而怒。〕凡周存亡，不三稔矣！〔稔，年也。〕君若欲避其難，其速規所矣，時至而求用，恐無及也！」〔時，難也。用，備也。〕

公曰：「若周衰，諸姬其孰興？」對曰：「臣聞之，武實昭文之功，〔武，武王。文，文王。〕文之祚盡，武其嗣乎！〔文王子孫，魯、衛是也。祚盡，謂衰也。嗣，繼也。武王子孫當繼之而興。〕武王之子，應、韓不在，〔三君云：「不在，時已亡也。」昭謂：若已亡，無宜說也。近宣王時，命韓侯為侯伯，其後為晉所滅，以為邑，以賜桓叔之子萬，是為韓萬，則其亡非平王時也。應則在焉，上史伯云「南有應、鄧」是也。不在，言不在應、韓，當在晉。　案：「則其亡非平王時也」，攷異卷四：「『非』字誤，詩韓奕疏引注作『在』字，是也。」〕其在晉乎！距險而鄰於小，〔距，距守之地險也。小，小國，謂虞、虢、霍、楊、韓、魏、芮之屬。〕若加之以德，可以大啟。」〔國已險固，若增之以德，可以大開土宇。後魯閔元年，晉滅魏、霍；僖五年，滅虞、虢也。〕公曰：「姜、嬴其孰興？」對曰：「夫國大而有德者近興，秦仲、齊侯，姜、嬴之雋也，且大，其將興乎？」〔秦仲，嬴姓，附庸秦公伯之子，為宣王大夫。詩序云：「秦仲始大。」齊侯，齊莊公，姜姓之有德者也。此二人為姜、嬴之雋，且國大，故近興。〕公說，乃東寄帑與賄，虢、鄶受之，十邑皆有寄地。〔十邑，謂虢、鄶、鄔、蔽、補、舟、依、柔、歷、華也。後桓公之子武公，竟取十邑之地而居之，今河南新鄭是也。賈侍中云：「寄地，寄止。」　案：「鄔」、「舟」、「柔」，公序本作「鄢」、「丹」、「㽥」。〕

平王之末秦晉齊楚代興

幽王八年而桓公為司徒，〔即位八年。〕九年而王室始騷，〔騷，謂適庶交爭，亂虐滋甚。〕十一年而斃。〔幽王伐申，申、繒召西戎以伐周，殺幽王於驪山戲下，桓公死之。　案：「驪山戲下」，公序本作「麗山戲水」，攷異卷四：「案『水』字疑誤。魯語注云：『戲，戲山』」。〕及平王之末，而秦、晉、齊、楚代興，〔代，更也。平王即位五十一年。〕秦景、襄於是乎取周土，〔「景」，當為「莊」。莊公，秦仲之子、襄公之父。取周土，謂莊公有功於周，周賜之土。及平王東遷，襄公佐之，故得西周酆、鎬之地，始命為諸侯。三君皆云：「秦景公，宣王季年伐西戎，破之，遂有其地。」昭謂：幽王為西戎所殺，故史伯云「申、繒、西戎方彊」。至平王時，秦襄公征伐之，故詩敘云襄公「備其兵甲，以討西戎。西戎方彊，而征伐不休」是也。又景公乃襄公十世之孫，而云宣王時破之，遂取其地，誤矣。〕晉文侯於是乎定天子，〔文侯，仇也。定，謂迎平王，定之於洛邑。〕齊莊、僖於是乎小伯，〔莊，齊太公後十二世莊公購。僖公，莊公之子祿父。小伯，小主諸侯盟會。〕楚蚠冒于是乎始啟濮。〔蚡冒，楚季紃之孫、若敖之子熊率。濮，南蠻之國，叔熊避難處也。〕

Source Colophon

The Chinese text follows the Chinese Wikisource transcription of the Discourses of the States (article 國語/卷16, revision of 4 January 2022), inspected from a witness copy captured on 22 August 2026. Chinese Wikisource transcriptions are published under CC BY-SA 4.0 and the GFDL; the text itself is ancient and in the public domain. The wiki header, navigation links, license templates, and modern contributors' footnotes have been removed; the text is otherwise complete and unaltered.

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