Pan Geng, Part II

AnonymousBashu Publishing House · ChinaJun 2024

4.3

Word count: 670 words
Chapters: 2

Summary

Pan Geng arose and prepared to cross the river to move the people. He then spoke to those among the people who would not follow, and made a great proclamation in all sincerity. When the multitude had all assembled, and were not to be treated lightly in the royal courtyard, Pan Geng then brought the people forward. He said: "Listen clearly to my words, and do not neglect or lose my command! Alas! Of old, our former kings all upheld and protected the people. The kings shared their sorrows and seldom failed to act in accord with Heaven's seasons. When great calamities descended on Yin, the former kings did not cling to what they had built, but looked to what was beneficial for the people and moved accordingly. Why do you not think of the reports of our former kings? I support you and enable you only because I wish for shared joy and peace, not because you have faults deserving punishment. When I call you to cherish this new city, it is also for your sake, to greatly follow your aspirations."

Editor's review

"Pan Geng II" is one of the three Pan Geng pieces in the Book of Documents concerning the move to Yin. It records Pan Geng facing doubts from "those among the people who would not follow," guiding them directly by "speaking to the people" and "making a great proclamation in all sincerity." He first recalls the tradition of the former kings, who "all upheld and protected the people" and "looked to what was beneficial for the people and moved," then declares that the move is "for your sake." The language is archaic, yet it preserves the immediacy of early Chinese political persuasion: royal authority interwoven with concern for the people's livelihood, exhortation coexisting with reassurance. This Bashu Press edition presents the piece on its own, making it easy for readers to focus on one classic text without being burdened by comprehensive coverage of the whole book. It is suitable as a close-reading sample for beginning the Book of Documents, and for readers interested in pre-Qin political thought, the history of ancient capital moves, and early narrative style. When reading, do not rush to master everything; first use annotations to clarify the words, then consider how Pan Geng builds a logic of persuasion between "Heaven's mandate" and "the people's feelings," and thereby understand the source of the later idea of "revering Heaven and protecting the people."

Who it's for

A good fit for

Undergraduates and graduate students in classical texts and pre-Qin history
Teachers and researchers who need close reading of a single piece of the Book of Documents
Readers interested in pre-Qin political persuasion and the history of capital moves
Self-learners who wish to approach early classics through short pieces

Not a good fit for

General readers expecting a vernacular story or plot-driven narrative
Beginners who want to read the original directly without annotation
Readers who need a systematic overview of the whole Book of Documents

Reading tips

First read a modern annotated translation to clear up the words, then return to the original and compare sentence by sentence.
Extract Pan Geng's reasons for the move one by one, and observe how he moves from the tradition of the former kings to the present.
Read alongside "Pan Geng I" and "Pan Geng III" to understand the layers of persuasion in the move to Yin.
After reading, retell Pan Geng's order of argument in your own words to test whether you have truly understood it.

About the publisher

Bashu Publishing House China · Founded in 1983

Bashu Publishing House is a publisher centered on collating and publishing classical Chinese cultural texts, with its main publishing areas covering classical literature, Eastern philosophy, ancient poetry, and educational classics. Its library currently holds 1,075 titles, including representative works such as Dream of the Red Chamber, the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Gathering, Renjian Cihua, and Out to the Frontier, involving authors such as Cao Xueqin, Wang Xizhi, Wang Guowei, Wang Changling, Liu Xie, and Yan Yu. These reflect the publisher's focus on literary classics, poetry criticism, and philosophical readings. Its publishing character lies in working around ancient texts and canonical works, with attention to textual collation and presentation. Public information on its more detailed publishing background and series plans is limited; this introduction is based only on the library's book information.

版权信息
商书·盘庚中第十

FAQ

Can I read this book without a foundation in classical Chinese?

Reading the original directly will pose considerable obstacles, because the words in "Pan Geng" are archaic and the sentence structures are convoluted. It is advisable to prepare an annotated translation of the Book of Documents or use this book's annotations first, clear up the difficult words and sentences, and then read the original, focusing on Pan Geng's logic of persuasion rather than on word-by-word textual criticism.

What is the relationship between "Pan Geng II" and the other Pan Geng pieces?

"Pan Geng" is usually divided into three parts, all recording Pan Geng's move to Yin but with different emphases: some address the nobles, some the common people, and some declare government orders. This piece centers on "speaking to those among the people who would not follow," focusing on guiding the people who were unwilling to move. Only by reading all three can one see the full picture of the move to Yin and Pan Geng's persuasive strategy.

Is this book suitable as an introduction to the Book of Documents?

It can serve as an introductory sample for close reading of a single piece, but it is not suitable as the first general reader for the whole Book of Documents. It is short and focused, making it easy to appreciate the style and thought of an early classic; to build an overall understanding, one still needs a selected or complete annotated translation, and should first learn the format and background of the various pieces.

Related on WeRead

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Anonymous Author

Anonymous is not a real personal name but a general Chinese designation for authors whose names are unknown, lost, or unsigned. Neither nationality nor dates of birth and death can be verified, and available public information is limited, so the works attributed to this name are the only basis for description. The collection holds 2,078 works under Anonymous, spanning medicine, classics, historical readings, ancient poetry, classical literature, and philosophy. Representative works include The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Lingshu, Mencius, The Book of Documents, Nineteen Old Poems, Complete Song Ci, and The Peacock Flies Southeast. Most of these works took shape through long transmission and editing, emerging either from collective folk creation or from authors whose names were lost over time. In ancient China, the Book of Songs, the Great Learning, and many popular storybooks and plays were signed Anonymous because their authors could not be traced. Anonymous works cross the classics, histories, philosophical writings, medical texts, and poetry; their subjects are broad, and their styles vary from archaic simplicity to clear naturalness, making them important and influential sources for understanding ancient Chinese thought, medicine, and literature.