維二十六年，皇帝作始。

​

After just twenty-six years[1],

The Emperor started out[2]:

​

端平法度，萬物之紀。

​

He established fair rules and measures,

And ordered the ten thousand things.

​

以明人事，合約父子。

​

​Such as to clarify the affairs of each,

Fathers and sons in compact,

​

聖智仁義，顯白道理。

 

Wisdom, benevolence and justice:

He traced out the paths to be followed.

​

東撫東土，以省卒士。

​

In the East he quieted the eastern lands,

He garrisoned them as provinces[3].

​

事已大畢，乃臨於海。

 

His work having reached its grand conclusion,

He gazed out over the sea,

​

皇帝之功，勤勞本事。

​

His imperial honours

Hard won by labour alone.

​

上農除末，黔首是富。

​

He elevated farming and eliminated subsidiary professions,

And the poor prospered[4].

​

普天之下，摶心揖志。

​

All beneath the heavens,

Are of one mind, subsumed in one will.

​

器械一量，同書文字。

​

All scales used one measure,

All missives one script,

​

日月所照，舟輿所載。

​

Wherever sun and moon may shine,

Wherever boat and carriage may reach.

​

皆終其命，莫不得意。

​

All end their appointed days,

Without any cause for dissatisfaction.

​

應時動事，是維皇帝。

​

To impel such affairs in due season,

Belongs to none but a true Emperor.

​​

匡飭異俗，陵水經地。

​

He reined in the various local customs,

Channeled the waters and mapped out the lands.

​

憂卹黔首，朝夕不懈。

​

Out of concern for the poor,

He worked without respite from dawn to dusk,

​

除疑定法，鹹知所闢。

​

Eliminating uncertainty and fixing the laws,

That all should know what not to do.

​

方伯分職，諸治經易。

​

Dividing up the duties of the local officials,

​To manage stasis and change.

​

舉錯必當，莫不如畫。

 

Excellence and failure met with due consequences,

Nothing matched his plans.

​

皇帝之明，臨察四方。

 

The Emperor's wisdom

Oversaw all the four directions

​

尊卑貴賤，不逾次行。

​

The respected and contemptible, worthy and worthless,

None overstepped their due ranks,

​

姦邪不容，皆務貞良。

​

No subversion was admitted,

And all served the good.

​

細大盡力，莫敢怠荒。

​

In small and great they strive alike,

None daring any dissipation.

​

遠邇闢隱，專務肅莊。

​

Near and far, even in private,

All were solemnly devoted to their work,

​

端直敦忠，事業有常。

​

With honesty and loyalty,

Establishing their careers.

​

皇帝之德，存定四極。

​

Respect for the Emperor

Maintained stability in all four corners of the earth.

​

誅亂除害，興利致福。

​

Eliminating rebellion and removing threats,

Generating abundance and bringing blessings.

​

節事以時，諸產繁殖。

​

All works were completed in due season,

And the various industries thrived.​

​

黔首安寧，不用兵革。

 

The common people were at peace,

And there was no need to provision armies.

​

六親相保，終無寇賊。

​

Families[5] took care of one another,

And bandits were no more.

​

歡欣奉教，盡知法國。

 

Gratefully they received their instructions,

And all knew the laws of the land.

 

六合之內，皇帝之土。

 

All within the six unified states,

Was the Emperor's domain:

​

西涉流沙，南盡北戶。

​

From the shifting sands in the west,

To the far South where doors open northwards[6].

​

東有東海，北過大夏。

​

In the East he has the Eastern Sea,

In the North his writ runs beyond Daxia[7].

​

人跡所至，無不臣者。

 

Wherever man sets foot,

There are none who are not his servants.

 

功蓋五帝，澤及牛馬。

 

His achievements surpass the Five Emperors,

And his blessings pour down even to the oxen and horses[9].

​

莫不受德，各安其宇。

​

None have not benefited from his merit,

And each is tranquil within his own domain.

​​

[1] I.e. after twenty-six years as King of Qin.

[2] Contrary to modern interpretations, this stele discounts the work of unification itself, seeing the real task as being the consolidation of the Empire.

[3] This line is phrased somewhat strangely.

[4] Literally "the black-headed people" - that is, those not wearing official caps.

[5] Literally the "six kin". There are various lists of the relationships included within the official six.

[6] In northern China buildings were constructed to face South and take maximum advantage of solar heat and light. Builders in the newly-formed southern commanderies seem to have been more flexible in their orientations - the palace of Nanyue was built diagonally to the compass points, for example.

[7] The area between the Yellow and the Fen rivers.

[8] Semi-legendary founding fathers. The precise list of individuals varies depending on the source.

[9] The idea that even draft animals benefited from peace as much as humans (not being obliged to participate in warfare) was a common trope in literature at the time.