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King Jeongjo, “Royal dictum to encourage farming” (Gweonnong yuneum 勸農綸音, 1781)

Student 1

甲戌朔/下勸農綸音于八道兩都: "王若曰, First day of the gapsul year. A royal edict encouraging farming was sent down to the eight provinces and two secondary capitals. Thus spoke the king.

予自臨御以來, 勸農之敎, 凡幾下矣? 國之本在民, 民之本在農, 而農之勤惰, 又在蕫飭之如何。 Since I have taken up the reins of state how many times already have I sent down edicts encouraging farming? The foundation of the state lies in the people. The foundation of the people lies in farming. But the diligence and laziness of farming lies in turn in how the order and management are.

肆先王設農師、置田畯, 汲汲焉惟是之爲先務, 予其敢忽諸? So therefore the previous king established the positions of nongsa, the teacher of farming, and jeonjun, the inspector of fields. The king was avid in this and considered the act of this as a matter of first importance . How could I dare to neglect it?

玆故每當歲首, 輒敷十行, 用飭我道臣、守令, 俾盡勸農之方, 而迄無其效何也? It is for for this reason that each start of the year, I always spread out ten lines in order to put my provincial ministers and magistrates in order, and to make them spend their efforts in the methods of encouraging farming, but why has there been no effects up till now?

豈予愛民之誠, 未足以下孚歟? 抑長吏怠慢, 不克奉宣予德意歟? 噫! Is the sincerity of my love for the people still not enough to be trusted those below? Or is it the case that the seniors officers are lazy and unable to deferentially promulgate my virtuous intentions? Hmm!

凡玆八方民庶, 皆予赤子也。或未免艱于食, 而塡于壑, 是憂是懼, 雖處廈氈、臨玉食, 而心未嘗一息不在于民于農。 The multitudes of people in all of the eight directions are all my newborn children. Some have still not avoided difficulties in food or have fallen in a ditch. This worries me and concerns me. Even though I live in a palace and look down on exquisite food, my heart has never been for one moment not with the people and farming.

賴天之眷佑, 一二年來雨暘不愆, 稼穡稍登. 抑未知蔀屋之生, 其盡無饑歟; 流移之氓, 其盡安集歟; 耕耘之糧, 其盡不匱, 而荒廢之土, 其盡墾闢歟。苟未盡然也, 予之憂懼, 曷敢少弛? Relying on the care and assistance of the heavens, rain and sunlight were not delayed in recent years, while sowing and reaping increased a little. Or is it that I do not know yet about the lives of humble houses and whether they are all free from starvation; and whether the drifters have all safely collected; and whether the grains of plowing and weeding are not all lacking; and whether the rough and deserted land has all been cleared and reclaimed. If it is indeed not yet all so, how could I relax my worries even a little bit?

而凡所以救饑而懷安, 助糧而闢荒, 其責顧不在於長吏歟? Is the responsibility of all the means with which to relieve famine, harbor peace, help the grains and reclaim neglected lands not with the senior officials?

況天心難必於屢豐, 人情易懈於稍裕. Moreover, whereas the heart of the heavens is hardly certain after repeated abundance, human nature easily turns slothful after a little surplus.

苟不倍加蕫飭,作勞服勤, 則竊恐來秋之虞, 反有甚於前日矣。 If we do not double our efforts in orders, labor and toil, then I fear the coming fall will be more grave than the past days.

夫耕種有時, 耘耔有節。倘能不奪, 使趨其期, 而黍稷茂則喜而賞, 田不治則怒而罰, 亦必如古長吏之爲, 則民豈不競勸疾作,而庶幾其有秋乎? It is so that plowing and sowing has its times, and weeding and hoeing earth has its seasons. If we could not deprive them and make them follow these periods, and make the grains flourish, then be happy and reward them. If the fields are not well ordered then be angry and punish them.

咨! 爾長吏, 有勤、有慢,朝廷亦宜有賞罰。今予誕諭, 其毋曰應故事, 而惕念擧行。 Alas! Among you senior officials there are those who toil and those who laze. The royal court for its part has punishments and rewards too. Now then, I have talked excessively but you should not say that I respond to past matters and keep it in mind carefully and uphold these lines.

Student 2

On the first day of 11th year king layed down a royal edict to encourage farming to 8 provinces and 2 capitals.

Thus the king spoke: Since I took the throne how many times have I gave you the teaching about farming? The root of country lies in people, and farming is crucial to human existence. The previous king established officials of farming and eagerly made it their first duty, how would I dare to neglect it?

Every time facing the beginning of the year, I spread royal messages, using them to order provinces' gubernators and encourage farming, but there is no effect, why? Why my sincerity of loving the poeple does not gain enough confidence among citizens down below? If it is not so, is it you, senior officers, to be lazy and not illuminate my virtuous intensions?

Oh! All these people in 8 directions are like my new born babies.

Whether or not they are avoiding being deprived of food or fall into ditches - that is what concerns me, even though I reside in a royal mansion, enjoying beautiful food, but in my heart there was not even one moment when I was not with people and farming. Relying on heaven's care and help within last few years, the rain and sunlight were not delayed and the sowing and harvest extended. Perhaps we don't know about the lives of the poeple in the humble houses, whether or not they suffer starvation and if the scattered people that are drifting around would be collected and secured, whether the seed of farming would not be lacking and if the deserted land would be recultivated. If it is indeed so, it concerns me, how my words can be ignored? But if we think about the reason, does not helping starving people and embracing them, helping with crops and cultivating deserted lands lay in senior officials' responsibilities?

Moreover, we can hardly be sure of the fruitful harvest as heaven's mind can not be easily defined. The human nature can easily turn into laziness because of surplus and if we don't establish order and make people work diligently, I'm fairly concerned that coming fall will be more serious than the previous one.

Student 3

The first day of kapsul year. The king laid down a royal edict to encourage farming to 8 provinces and 2 capitals Thus the king spoke: Ever since I took the throne how many times have I announced the teaching on encouraging farming? The root of country lies in people, and the people foundation is based on farming. The previous king established officials of farming and eagerly made it their first duty, how would I dare to neglect it? Everytime with the beginning of the new year, I promogate royal announcements, using them to order magistrate gubernators and encourage farming. But why there is no effect of it until now? Perhaps, my sincere love for people is not enought to win get their trust. If it is not so, is it you, senior officers, that are lazy and do not fullfill my virtous intensions? It must be so! All these people in all directions are like my newborn babies. Whether or not they avoided being deprived of food or falling into ditches - that is what concerns me, even though I reside in a royal mansion, enjoying beautiful food, in my heart there was not even one moment when I was not with people and farming. Relying on heaven's care and help within the last few years, the rain and sunlight were not delayed and the sowing and harvest extended. Perhaps we do not know about the lives in the humble houses, whether or whether they suffer starvation and if the scattered people that are drifting around would be collected and secured. Whether the seed for farming would not be lacking and if the deserted land would be recultivated. If it is indeed so, how could I relax and relieve my worries a bit? But if we think about the reason, does not helping starving people and embracing them, helping with crops and cultivating deserted lands lay in senior officials' responsibilities? Moreover, we can hardly be sure of the fruitful harvest as heaven's mind can not be easily defined. The human nature can easily turn into laziness because of surplus and if we do not establish order and make people work diligently, I am fairly concerned that the coming fall will be more serious than the previous one. The plowing and sowing has its times, and there is time for removing weeds and hoeing. If the senior officials could not deprive people of time and labour, make them follow farming season and if the millets will grow well, be pleased and reward them. But if the fields are not well maintained, be ferious and order punishment. You senior officials, some of you are dilligent and some neglect their responsibilities. The royal court must as well punish or reward you. If we continue like this, how can we expect that there will be harvest season? If the old practice is used to encourage officials, people could work dilligently and competevely, and we could possibly expect autumn harvest. Today I give you guidance and do not say it only corresponds to old matters, but be focused and watchfully perform my teachings.

Student 4

The first month of kapsul cyclic year/ King’s edict encouraging farming was laid down to the eight provinces and two (secondary) capitals/cities [Kaeseong and Kanghwa]: “Thus King spoke, ever since I took the throne, how many times by far have I laid down the teaching of encouraging farming? State’s foundation is in the people, people’s foundation is in farming, yet diligence and laziness in farming depends on how management and orders are. Therefore, the previous king installed the inspector of farming and manager of farming, and eager about this being the foremost task, would I dare to neglect it? For this reason every time in the beginning of the year, I always spread out ten lines (royal messages), and using it to order my provincial administrators, (and) magistrates, to make them work on ways to encourage agriculture, but so far there has not been its result - why is this so? Is it perhaps the sincerity of my loving the people, is not enough thus unable to reach to the people below? Or is it that the senior officers are lazy, thus not well uphold and show my virtuous intention? Ah! These people everywhere, all are my newborns. Whether they avoid the difficulty with food, or falling into a ditch (sufferings: i.e. natural disasters), this concerned me, even though I live in the royal mansion [reference to Mongolian tent yulta] and face beautiful/fine food, there was not a moment that my heart was not with the people or with farming. Relying on heaven’s care and help, within the last couple of years rain and sun did not delay, and sowing and harvest has increased by a little, perhaps I do not know the lives in the poor houses, whether they all not suffer starvation; whether the drifters (refugees) who drift and move around, if they all have been taken care of; whether the grains for farming, they all be not lacking, and land of devastation, whether it be all cleared and cultivated. If it is indeed not yet completely so, how dare my worries could be loosened even a little bit? The means of helping the people in starvation and embracing them in comfort is by helping (them) with the crops and the cultivation of rough land, if we think about it isn’t this responsibility with the senior officers? Furthermore, the mind of the heaven we can hardly be sure of repeating abundance, human nature easily be loosened for small surplus, if we don’t add encouragement and order many times, and make people work diligently, then I fairly am afraid of the coming fall, reversely more serious than previous days. Overall, farming has its time and pulling out weeds has its seasons. If we cannot deprive them (of time and labor), and have them follow along the farming (seasons), if the millets are abundant, be pleased and award them, and if the field is not well maintained, be furious and punish them. If it surely be like the acts of the officials of the ancient times, then how can people not competitively work diligently labor, then perhaps we can expect a autumn harvest? Ah! You, senior officials, some are diligent and some are negligent, the court shall award and punish as well. Today I give you guidance, and do not say it responds to old matters, but watchfully mind it and perform it.

Student 5

1. King Cheongjo 正祖, “Royal dictum” (Yuneum 綸音) (1781)

First day of the /gabsul/ [1] cyclic month [King Cheongjo] laid down the royal dictum [2] encouraging farming in the 8 provinces and 2 capitals [Gaesong and Ganghwa] [3].

The king spoke thus: how many times have I laid down the teaching and encouraging of farming since taking the throne? The foundation of the state lies in the people, the foundation of the people lies in farming, and how the courts encourage and mandate the diligence and negligence of farming to the people. The previous king was eager about the establishment of /nongsa/ [4] [agriculture inspectors] and /cheonjun/ [5] [farming officials] as being the first and foremost task, would I dare to neglect it? For this reason, each time I face the beginning of the year I always spread out my edict [6] to my /doshin/ [7] [provincial ministers] and /suryeong/ [8] [magistrates] in order to enable the methods of encouraging farming fully, but so far there has been no effect, how can that be?

How is the sincerity of my love for the people not enough to gain their trust? If not it must be the /jangmi/ [9] [senior officers] who are negligent and not upholding and spreading my virtuous intention. Alas! All the many people everywhere are all my newborn children. Whether they are avoiding difficulties with food, have fallen into a ditch [10] or not, it concerns me and worries me, even though i live in the royal mansion [11] and have abundant food [12] there is not a moment my thoughts are not with the people or farming.

Relying on the heavens care and help, these last few years the rain and sunlight were not delayed, the sowing and harvest slightly increased. Or perhaps is that I do not know yet about those of humble houses and whether they are free from hunger, whether the drifters have been safely collected [and brought back to their feet], whether the grains for farming are lacking, and whether the rough deserted land has all been cleared and recultivated. If it is indeed all not so, as king how can my worries be lessened, even by a little bit? The way to help the hungry and embrace them in comfort, is to help the crops and clear and re-cultivate the rough earth, if we think about this does the responsibility of this not lie on the senior officers? Moreover, whereas the heart of the heavens is certain with difficulty after repeated abundance [13], people’s nature easily becomes lax after a small surplus.

Indeed if we do not increase our encouragements so that they may exert more labour and work, then I fear the coming fall will be more severe than the previous times. There are times for plowing and sowing, and weeding has it’s own season too. If the senior officer cannot deprive the people [of their time and labour] and make them observe the required farming seasons, if the rice [14] is abundant and growing well be pleased and reward them. If the fields are not well maintained show anger and give punishment.

Alas! You senior officers,there maybe be diligence, there may be negligence [whichever the case may be], [you] will be punished and rewarded by the courts as well. Today I give you teachings, do not say they merely correspond to old matters but watchfully keep [them] in mind and perform [the duties].

[1] Pre-modern texts were based on the traditional Korean calendar kapja (甲子) which is a lunisolar calendar, derived from the Chinese calendar. It consists of ten heavenly stems cheongan (天干) combined with twelve earthly branches jiji (地支), which form a sixty year cycle. [2] 綸音 (allusion referring to the King’s speech which comes out like “silk”) Royal dictum, royal edict. [3] Kaesong the capital of Goryeo and Ganghwa the secondary capital, which acted as a refuge for the royal family during mongol invasions. [4] 農師 farming inspector [5] 田畯 farming official [6] 十行 Imperial or royal message [7] 道臣 provincial minister [8] 守令 magistrate [9] 長史 senior officer [10] 塡于壑 “fall into a ditch” allusion, figurative suffering. [11] 廈氈 royal mansion [12] 玉食 food served in jade plates [13] 屢豐 repeated good harvest, repeated abundance [14] 黍 millet. Commonly grown grain at the time

Student 6

甲戌朔/下勸農綸音于八道兩都: 1) The first day of the month kapsul 甲戌, the king laid down and his speech encourage the farming to the eight province and the two capitals.

"王若曰,予自臨御以來, 勸農之敎, 凡幾下矣? 2) The king spoke this: ‘From the time I face up to governing, the teaching of encourage the farming, by far how many times I have been laying down?’

國之本在民, 民之本在農, 而農之勤惰, 又在蕫飭之如何。 3) The State’s basis is in the people; the people’s root is in farming, but, they encourage the laziness of farming, moreover, how the management and commandment are like.

肆先王設農師、置田畯, 汲汲焉惟是之爲先務, 予其敢忽諸? 4) Therefore the last king instituted the Nongsa 農師 (Farming teacher); then he established the Chŏnju 田畯(1), he was eager to do only this as his duty, how can I dare to neglect this?

玆故每當歲首, 輒敷十行, 用飭我道臣、守令, 俾盡勸農之方, 而迄無其效何也? 5) For this reasons, every time in the beginning the year, I always spread out ten lines, making it observe to the governors of provinces, to the magistrate of district (2). That I do my best for the provinces’ encouragement farming. However, until now, how there is no results?

豈予愛民之誠, 未足以下孚歟? 6) How the sincerity of my loving people, is still insufficient by laying down?

抑長吏怠慢, 不克奉宣予德意歟? 7) If is not, [that] bureaucrats are negligent and do not well expose my virtue and intention?

噫! 凡玆八方民庶, 皆予赤子也。 8) He! All the people of the eight directions, they are my newborn babies.

或未免艱于食, 而塡于壑, 是憂是懼, 雖處廈氈、臨玉食, 而心未嘗一息不在于民于農。 9) Maybe they do not avoid difficulties in food, and fill in in the gutter, this love, this fear, even though I live in a leather tent (royal mansion), facing a noble food, there is no instant when my spirit is not about people, is not about farming.

賴天之眷佑, 一二年來雨暘不愆, 稼穡稍登, 抑未知蔀屋之生, 其盡無饑歟; 流移之氓, 其盡安集歟; 耕耘之糧, 其盡不匱, 而荒廢之土, 其盡墾闢歟。 10) Rely on the kind help of the Heaven, the last couple of years the coming rain and sunlight does not delay, sowing and reaping rose a little, Perhaps I do not know yet the life of poor grass hut, whether they are completely not in starvation; people who are circulating and moving (refugee), whether they are entire collected in security; whether the grain of agriculture, they are completely not insufficient, and the desolate ground, whether they are completely cultivated and developed.

苟未盡然也, 予之憂懼, 曷敢少弛? 而凡所以救饑而懷安, 助糧而闢荒, 其責顧不在於長吏歟? 11) Indeed if this is not so, my worries, can I let them be loosen. And, for all these reasons saving from starvation and embracing stability, helping grains and developing uncultivated land, the duty of looking back is not in senior official (3).

況天心難必於屢豐, 人情易懈於稍裕, 苟不倍加蕫飭,作勞服勤, 則竊恐來秋之虞, 反有甚於前日矣。 12) Moreover, Heaven’s mind is hardly sure of year of abundance, human essence is easily lazy for a small surplus. Really, if we not work twice as hard to manage and command, and (do not) make them work with devotion, then I fear of the expected coming autumn, perhaps it will be more serious than some time ago.

夫耕種有時, 耘耔有節。倘能不奪, 使趨其期, 而黍稷茂則喜而賞, 田不治則怒而罰, 亦必如古長吏之爲, 則民豈不競勸疾作, 而庶幾其有秋乎? 13) As you know, plowing the seed has its time, picking weeds out of and springing up has its season. Perhaps, they are able to not take it, make them follow the farming times, if the millet is abundant then be pleased and praised them. If the field is not cultivate, then show anger and punish them. Moreover you must do like the Seniors Officials of the antiquity, then how do the people not vie with one another and work diligent?

咨! 爾長吏, 有勤、有慢, 朝廷亦宜有賞罰。今予誕諭, 其毋曰應故事, 而惕念擧行。 14) Oh! You, seniors officials, there are those who toil, there are those who idle. The Court should also to have praise and punishment. Now, I give your guidance, do not say it is corresponding to old matters, and think carefully and hold up my lines.

(1) Archaic titles from Zhou dynasty linked to the myth of foundation of this dynasty. (2) Translation from the RHAC of Maurice Courant ref. 896. (3) Translation from the DOTIC of Charles Hucker ref. 153.