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進《宋史》表
Memorial Presenting the History of Song
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開府儀同三司、上柱國、錄軍國重事、中書右丞相、監修國史、領經筵事、提調宣政院太醫院廣惠司事臣阿魯圖等言：
Aruqtai and others, Grand Preceptor of the Palace with the Insignia of the Three Excellencies, Upper Pillar of State, Recorder of Important Affairs of State and Military, Right Chancellor of the Central Secretariat, Supervisor of the Compilation of the National History, Director of the Classics Lectures, and Supervisor of the Broad Benefit Bureau of the Imperial Medical Institute of the Xuanzheng Bureau, respectfully submit:
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竊惟周公念先業之艱難，《七月》之詩是作； 孔子論前王之文獻，二代之禮可言。 故觀趙氏隆替之由，足見皇元混一之績。 欽惟世祖聖德神功文武皇帝，初由宗邸親總大軍，龍旂出指於離方，羽葆歸登於乾御，櫛風沐雨，詎辭跋履之勞； 略地攻城，咸遵禀授之算。 揚舲而平江、漢，卷甲而克襄、樊。 龔行吊伐之師，昭受寵綏之寄。 及夫收圖書於勝國，輯黼冔於神京，拔宋臣而列政塗，載《宋史》而歸秘府。 然後告成郊廟，錫慶臣民，推大賚以惟均，示一統之無外。 樞庭偃武，既編戡定之勳； 翰苑摛文，尋奉纂修之旨。 事幾有待，歲月易遷。 累朝每切於繼承，多務未遑於制作。 臣阿魯圖等，誠惶誠恐，頓首頓首，欽惟皇帝陛下恢弘至道，紹述丕謨。 往行前言，樂討論於古訓； 祖宗功德，思揚厲於耿光。 惟我朝大啟基圖，彼吳會後歸版籍。 視金源其未遠，紬石室以具存，及茲累洽之時，成此彌文之典。
We venture to reflect that the Duke of Zhou, recalling the hardships of his forefathers' labors, composed the "Seventh Month"; and that Confucius, expounding the records of former kings, showed that the rites of the Two Dynasties could still be set forth. Thus in tracing the rise and fall of the House of Zhao one may fully discern the achievement of the Great Yuan in unifying the realm. We respectfully consider Emperor Shizu, Sagely in Virtue and Divine in Merit, Martial and Civil, who at first from his princely residence personally took command of the great army, sent the dragon banner forth toward the south, and with the feather canopy returned to ascend the northern throne—braving wind and rain and never shrinking from the hardship of long campaigns; in seizing territory and storming cities, all followed the strategies Heaven had entrusted to him. With sails raised he pacified the Yangtze and Han regions; with armies gathered he captured Xiangyang and Fancheng. He marched as Heaven's avenger on a punitive campaign and plainly received the charge to secure the realm in imperial grace and peace. Then he gathered books from the conquered state, assembled ceremonial regalia in the sacred capital, raised Song officials to posts on the paths of government, and brought the History of Song into the imperial archives. Thereafter he reported completion to the suburban altars, bestowed blessings on officials and people, extended great largess with impartial generosity, and showed that under unification nothing lay beyond the realm. The Bureau of Military Affairs laid down arms and already compiled the record of pacification; the Hanlin Academy took up its literary charge and soon received the imperial order to compile and revise. Affairs still awaited their proper moment, and the years slipped quickly by. Reign after reign urgently attended to succession, and amid pressing duties found no leisure for such compilation. We, your servants Aruqtai and others, in deepest awe and reverence bow our heads repeatedly, respectfully considering that Your Majesty expands the utmost Way and carries forward the great design. You delight in the words of antiquity and take pleasure in debating the teachings of old; and you seek to exalt and display the brilliant glory of your ancestors' merit and virtue. Our dynasty greatly opened its founding design, and the Wu region at last returned to the imperial registers. The Jin dynasty lies not far behind us, the stone archives remain fully preserved, and at this time of accumulated harmony we complete this enriched literary canon.
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命臣阿魯圖、左丞相臣別兒怯不花領史事，前右丞相臣脫脫為都總裁，平章政事臣帖穆爾達世、御史大夫臣惟一、翰林學士承旨臣起巖、臣玄、治書御史臣好文、禮部尚書臣沂、崇文大監臣宗瑞為總裁官，平章政事臣納麟、臣顏、前中書右丞臣達世睦邇、左丞臣守簡、參議臣岳柱、臣住、臣思謙、郎中臣斡欒、臣思立等協恭董治，史官工部侍郎臣斡玉倫徒，秘書卿臣泰不華、太常僉院臣杜秉彝、翰林直學士臣宋褧，國子司業臣王思誠、臣澤民、集賢待制臣干文傳、翰林待制臣張瑾、臣師道、宣文閣鑒書博士臣麥文貴、監察御史臣余闕、太常博士臣李齊、翰林修撰臣劉聞、太醫院都事臣賈魯、國子助教臣馮福可、太廟署令臣陳祖仁、西臺御史臣趙中、翰林應奉臣王儀、臣貞、秘書著作左郎臣譚慥、翰林編修臣張翥、國子助教臣吳當、經筵檢討臣危素編劘分局，彙粹為書。
Your Majesty appointed Aruqtai and Left Chancellor Bayan Qutlugh to direct the history project, with former Right Chancellor Toqto'a as chief director-in-chief, and Chief Directors including Chief Councillors Temür Dash, Censor-in-Chief Weiyi, Hanlin Academicians Expositor Qiyan and Xuan, Investigating Censor Haowen, Minister of Rites Yi, and Director of the Directorate of Education Zongrui; together with Chief Councillors Nalin and Yan, former Right Vice Director of the Central Secretariat Dashimur, Left Vice Director Shoujian, Counsellors Yuezhu, Zhu, and Siqian, Bureau Directors Olon and Sili, and others to assist in reverent supervision; and history officers including Vice Minister of Works Oluntur, Secretary Director Taibuhua, Vice Director of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices Du Bingyi, Hanlin Academician Song Xing, Rectors of the Directorate of Education Wang Sicheng and Zemin, Awaiting Editor-in-Chief of the Hall of Gathered Worthies Gan Wenchuan, Hanlin Awaiting Editors Zhang Jin and Shidao, Doctor of the Xuanwen Pavilion Mai Wengui, Investigating Censor Yu Que, Doctor of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices Li Qi, Hanlin Compiler Liu Wen, Chief Administrator of the Imperial Medical Institute Jia Lu, Instructors of the Directorate of Education Feng Fuke, Director of the Imperial Ancestral Temple Office Chen Zuren, Western Censor Zhao Zhong, Hanlin Attendants Wang Yi and Zhen, Left Secretary Compiler Tan Kao, Hanlin Compiler Zhang Zhu, Instructor of the Directorate of Education Wu Dang, and Classics Lectures Reviewer Wei Su to edit in separate bureaus and gather the whole into a book.
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起自東都，迄於南渡，紀載餘三百載，始終纔一再期。 考夫建隆、淳化之經營，景德、咸淳之潤色，慶曆、皇祐以忠厚美風化，元豐、熙寧以聰明紊憲章。 馴致紹聖紛紜，崇寧荒亂，治忽昭陳於方冊，操存實本於宮庭。 若乃建炎、紹興之圖回，乾道、淳熙之保乂，正直用則人存政舉，邪佞進則臣辱主憂。 光、寧之朝，僅守宗社，理、度之世，日蹙封疆，顧乃拘信使以渝盟，納畔臣而侵境，由權奸之擅命，啟事釁以召兵。 厥後瀛國歸朝，吉王航海，齊亡而訪王燭，乃存秉節之臣； 楚滅而諭魯公，堪矜守禮之國。 載惟貞元之會合，屬當泰道之熙明。 眾言淆亂於當時，大義昭宣於今日。 矧先儒性命之說，資聖代表章之功，先理致而後文辭，崇道德而黜功利，書法以之而矜式，彝倫賴是而匡扶。 雖微董孤直筆之可稱，庶逃司馬寡識而輕信。 至若論其有弊，亦惟斷以至公。 大概聲容盛而實德衰，論建多而成效少。 且辭之繁簡以事，而文之古今以時，舊史之傳述既多，雜記之蒐羅又廣。 於是參是非而去取，權豐約以損增。 事嚴敢計於疾徐，日積亦虞於玩愒。
Beginning from the Eastern Capital and ending with the southward crossing, the record spans more than three hundred years, its beginning and end spanning barely two sixty-year cycles. Consider the founding labors of the Jianlong and Chunhua eras, the cultural refinement of the Jingde and Xianchun reigns, the Qingli and Huangyou periods when generous sincerity beautified customs, and the Yuanfeng and Xining reigns when keen intelligence threw statutes and ordinances into confusion. This led in turn to the turmoil of Shaosheng and the reckless disorder of Chongning—whether rule flourished or declined is set forth clearly in the written records, while conduct and self-cultivation truly had their root in the palace. As for the recovery of the Jianyan and Shaoxing eras, the preservation and good governance of the Qiandao and Chunxi reigns—when upright men were employed, worthy men endured and government flourished; when the wicked and fawning advanced, ministers were disgraced and the ruler was troubled. Under the Guang and Ning reigns they barely preserved the altars of state; under Lizong and Duzong the borders shrank day by day; yet they detained envoys in violation of treaties, welcomed defecting ministers and allowed border incursions—because powerful traitors usurped authority, they provoked incidents and invited war. Afterward Emperor Gong submitted to the court and the loyal princes took to the sea; when Qi perished they still sought out Wang Zhu—thus there remained ministers who held fast to their integrity; and when Chu was destroyed they still praised the Duke of Lu—a state worthy of admiration for preserving ritual. We consider that this convergence at the founding of the Yuan belongs to an age when the Great Way shines in full brilliance. Many voices were confused and disorderly in that age; the great principle is now proclaimed clearly in our own day. Moreover, the former Confucians' teachings on nature and destiny, supporting the sage's achievement in representing the classics, putting principle first and literary ornament after, exalting moral virtue and rejecting utility and profit—the standards of historiography take this as their model, and the great human relations rely upon it for support. Although we fall short of the praise due to Dong Gu's upright brush, we may yet escape Sima Qian's fault of limited knowledge and credulous acceptance. As for discussing its defects, we likewise judge only with utmost fairness. In general, outward display flourished while real virtue declined; proposals were many but results were few. Moreover, the complexity or simplicity of language follows the matter, and the antiquity or modernity of style follows the time; the old histories' transmissions are already numerous, and miscellaneous records gathered are also extensive. Therefore we weighed right and wrong and made selections, balancing fullness and brevity to add or subtract. The work was grave and we dared not calculate whether it went fast or slow; day by day it accumulated, yet we still feared laxity and delay.
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臣阿魯圖等忝司當揆，實預提綱，周詢在局之言，靡不究心乃職。 第述作之才有限，而報效之志無窮。 儻垂清燕之觀，尚助緝熙之益。 曰若帝堯，曰若帝舜，惟聖心稽古之功； 監於有夏，監于有殷，乃臣子告君之道。 謹撰述《本紀》四十七卷，《志》一百六十二卷，《表》三十二卷，《列傳》、《世家》二百二十五卷，裝潢成四百九十二帙，隨表塵獻以聞。
We, your servants Aruqtai and others, unworthily holding the chief ministership, truly took part in directing the overall plan; we thoroughly inquired into the views of those in the bureau, and none failed to devote their full hearts to their duties. Only our talent for composition is limited, while our resolve to repay Your Majesty's favor is boundless. If Your Majesty would grant a clear and tranquil audience, it would still aid the increase of brilliant governance. "Oh, how like Emperor Yao! Oh, how like Emperor Shun!"—such is the sage's achievement in examining antiquity; "Take warning from Xia; take warning from Yin"—such is the way subjects report to their ruler. We respectfully compiled forty-seven juan of Basic Annals, one hundred sixty-two juan of Treatises, thirty-two juan of Tables, and two hundred twenty-five juan of Biographies and Hereditary Houses, bound into four hundred ninety-two fascicles, and present them with this memorial, humbly raised in dust, for Your Majesty's review.