Odes of The Kingdom - Shi Jing-02-2
Minor Odes of The Kingdom
Decade of Lu Ming
201.GU FENG
Gently blows the east wind ; --
The wind followed by the rain .
In the time of fear and dread ,
It was all I and you .
In your time of rest and pleasure ,
You have turned and cast me off .
Gently blows the east wind ; --
And the wind is followed by the tornado .
In the time of fear and dread ,
You placed me in your breast .
In your time of rest and pleasure ,
You have cast me off like an abandoned thing .
Gently blows the east wind ; --
And on the rock-covered tops of the hills .
There is no grass which is not dying ,
No tree which is not withering .
You forget my great virtues ,
And think of my small faults .
202.LIAO E
Long and large grows the e ; --
It is not the e but the hao .
Alas ! alas ! my parents ,
With what toil ye gave me birth !
Long and large grows the e ; --
It is not the e but the wei .
Alas ! alas ! my parents ,
With what toil and suffering ye gave me birth !
When the pitcher is exhausted ,
It is the shame of the jar .
Than to live an orphan ,
It would be better to have been long dead .
Fatherless , who is there to rely on ?
Motherless , who is there to depend on ?
When I go abroad , I carry my grief with me ;
When I come home , I have no one to go to .
O my father , who begat me !
O my mother , who nourished me !
Ye indulged me , ye fed me ,
Ye held me up , ye supported me ,
Ye looked after me , ye never left me ,
Out and in ye bore me in your arms .
If I would return your kindness ,
It is like great Heaven , illimitable ,
Cold and bleak is the Southern hill ;
The rushing wind is very fierce .
People all are happy ; --
Why am I alone thus miserable ?
The Southern hill is very steep ;
The rushing wind is blustering .
People all are happy ; --
I alone have been unable to finish [my duty] .
203.DA DONG
Well loaded with millet were the dishes ,
And long and curved were spoons of thorn-wood .
The way to Zhou was like a whetstone ,
And straight as an arrow .
[So] the officers trod it ,
And the common people looked on it .
When I look back and think of it ,
My tears run down in streams .
In the States of the east , large and small ,
The looms are empty .
Thin shoes of dolichos fibre ,
Are made to serve to walk on the hoar-frost .
Slight and elegant gentlemen ,
Walk along that road to Zhou .
Their going and coming ,
Makes my heart ache .
Ye cold waters , issuing variously from the spring ,
Do not soak the firewood I have cut .
Sorrowful I awake and sigh ; --
Alas for us toiled people !
The firewood has been cut ; --
Would that it were conveyed home !
Alas for us the toiled people !
Would that we could have rest !
The sons of the east ,
Are only summoned [to service] , without encouragement ;
While the sons of the west ,
Shine in splendid dresses .
The sons of boatmen ,
Have furs of the bear and grisly bear .
The sons of the poorest families ,
Form the officers in public employment .
If we present them with spirits ,
They do not look on them as liquor .
If we give them long girdle-pendants with their stones ,
They do not think them long enough .
There is the milky way in heaven ,
Which looks down on us in light ;
And the three stars together are the Weaving Sisters ,
Passing in a day through seven stages [of the sky] .
Although they go through their seven stages ,
They complete no bright work for us .
Brilliant shine the Draught Oxen ,
But they do not serve to draw our carts .
In the east there is Lucifer ;
In the west there is Hesperus ;
Long and curved is the Rabbit Net of th esky ; --
But they only occupy their places .
In the south is the Sieve ,
But it is of no use to sift .
In the north is the Ladle ,
But it lades out no liquor .
In the south is the Sieve ,
Idly showing its mouth .
In the north is the Ladle ,
Raising its handle in the west .
204.SI YUE
In the fourth month comes summer ,
And in the sixth month the heat begins to decrease .
Were not my forefathers men ?
How can they endure that I should be [thus] ?
The autumn days become cold ,
And the plants all decay .
Amid such distress of disorder and dispersion ,
Whither can I betake myself ?
The winter days are very fierce ,
And the storm blows in rapid gusts .
People all are happy ;
Why do I alone suffer this misery ?
On the mountain are fine trees , --
Chestnut trees and plum trees .
of their degenerating into ravening thieves ,
I know not the evil cause .
Look at the water of that spring ,
Sometimes clear , sometimes muddy .
I am every day coming into contact with misfortune ;
How can I be happy ?
Grandly flow the Jiang and the Han ,
Regulators of the southern States .
Worn out as I am with service ,
He yet takes no notice of me .
I am not an eagle nor a hawk ,
Which flies aloft to heaven .
I am not a sturgeon , large or small ,
Which can dive and hide in the deep .
On the hills are the turtle-foot and thorn ferns ;
In the marshes are the medlar and the yi .
I , an officer , have made this song ,
To make known my plaint .
Decade of Bei Shan
205.BEI SHAN
I ascend that northern hill ,
And gather the medlars .
An officer , strong and vigorous ,
Morning and evening I am engaged in service .
The king's business is not to be slackly performed ;
And my parents are left in sorrow .
Under the wide heaven ,
All is the king's land .
Within the sea-boundaries of the land ,
All are the king's servants .
His great officers are unfair , --
Making me serve thus as if I alone were worthy .
My four horses never halt ;
The king's business allows no rest .
They praise me as not yet old ;
They think few like me in vigour .
While the backbone retains its strength ,
I must plan and labour in all parts of the kingdom .
Some enjoy their ease and rest ,
And some are worn out in the service of the State ;
Some rest and loll upon their couches ,
And some never cease marching about .
Some never hear a sound ,
And some are cruelly toiled ;
Some lazily roost , on their backs looking up ,
And some are all-bustled in the service of the king .
Some indulge long in pleasure and drinking ,
And some are miserable , in apprehension of blame ;
Some , at home and abroad , pass critical remarks ,
And some have everything to do .
206.WU JIANG DA CHE
Do not push forward a waggon ; --
You will only raise the dust about yourself .
Do not think of all your anxieties ; --
You will only make yourself ill .
Do not push forward a waggon ; --
The dust will only blind you .
Do not think of all your anxieties ; --
You will not emerge from imperfect views .
Do not push forward a waggon ; --
The dust will only becloud you .
Do not think of all your anxieties ; --
You will only weigh yourself down .
207.XIAO MING
O bright and high Heaven ,
Who enlightenest and rulest this lower world !
I marched on this expedition to the west ,
As far as this wilderness of Qiu .
From the first day of the second month ,
I have passed through the cold and the heat .
My heart is sad ;
The poison [of my lot] is too bitter .
I think of those [at court] in their offices ,
And my tears flow down like rain .
Do I not wish to return ?
But I fear the net for crime .
Formerly , when I set out ,
The sun and moon had renewed the year .
When shall I return ?
The year is now late .
I think how I am alone ,
While the affairs devolving on me are very many .
My heart is sad ;
And I am toiled without any leisure .
I think of those [at court] in their offices ,
Looking back to them with fond regard .
Do I not wish to return ?
But I am afraid of reproof and anger .
Formerly , when I set out ,
The sun and moon were giving a mild warmth .
When shall I return ?
The affairs of government are become more urgent .
It is late in the year ,
And we are gathering the southernwood , and reaping the beans .
My heart is sad ;
I give myself nothing but distress .
When I think of those [at court] in their offices ,
I rise and pass the night outside .
Do I not wish to return ?
But I am afraid of the vicissitudes of things .
Ah ! ye gentlemen !
Do not reckon on your rest being permanent .
Quietly fulfil the duties of your offices ,
Associating with the correct and upright .
So shall the Spirits hearken to you ,
And give you good .
Ah ! ye gentlemen !
Do not reckon on your repose being permanent .
Quietly fulfil the duties of your offices ,
Loving the correct and upright .
So shall the Spirits hearken to you ,
And give you large measures of bright happiness .
208.GU ZHONG
His bells ring out jiang-jiang ,
While the waters of the Huai go sweeping on ;
Sad is my heart and wouded .
The virtuous sovereigns [of old] , --
In my heart , indeed , I cannot forget them .
His drums ring out jie-jie ,
While the waters of the Huai rush along ;
My heart is sad and grieved .
of the virtuous sovereigns [of old] ,
The virtue was without flaw .
His bells ring out , his large drums resound ,
There are the three islands in the Huai ;
Sad is my heart and moved .
of the virtuous sovereigns [of old] ,
The virtue was different from this .
His bells ring out qin-qin ;
His lutes , large and small , give their notes ;
The tones of his organs and sounding stones are in unison .
They sing the Ya and the Nan ,
Dancing to their flutes without error .
209.CHU CI
Thick grew the tribulus [on the ground] ,
But they cleared away its thorny bushes .
Why did they this of old ?
That we might plant our millet and sacrificial millet ;
That our millet might be abundant ,
And our sacrificial millet luxuriant .
When our barns are full ,
And our stacks can be counted by tens of myriads ,
We proceed to make spirits and prepare viands ,
For offerings and sacrifice ;
We seat the representatives of the dead , and urge them to eat : --
Thus seeking to increase our bright happiness .
With correct and reverent deportment ,
The oxen and sheep all pure ,
We proceed to the winter and autumnal sacrifices .
Some flay [the victims] ; some boil [their flesh] ;
Some arrange [the meat] ; some adjust [the pieces of it] .
The priest sacrifices inside the temple gate ,
And all the service is complete and brilliant .
Grandly come our progenitors ;
Their Spirits happily enjoy the offerings ;
Their filial descendent receives blessing : --
They will reward him with great happiness ,
With myriads of years , life without end .
They attend to the furnaces with reverence ;
They prepare the trays , which are very large ; --
Some for the roast meat ; some for the broiled .
Wives presiding are still and reverent ,
Preparing the numerous [smaller] dishes .
The guests and visitors ,
Present the cup , and drink all round .
Every form is according to rule ;
Every smile and word are as they should be .
The Spirits quietly come ,
And respond with great blessings ; --
Myriads of years as the [fitting] reward .
We are very much exhausted ,
And have performed every ceremony without error .
The able priest announces [the will of the Spirits] ,
And goes to the filial descendent to convey it .
' Fragrant has been your filial sacrifice ,
And the Spirits have enjoyed your spirits and viands .
They confer upon you a hundred blessings ;
Each as it is desired , each as sure as law .
You have been exact and expeditions ;
You have been correct and careful :
They will ever confer on you the choicest favours ,
In myriads and tens of myriads . '
The ceremonies having thus been completed ,
And the bells and drums having given their warning ,
The filial descendent goes to his place ,
And the able priest makes his announcement ,
' The Spirits have drunk to the full . '
The great representative of the dead then rises ,
And the bells and drums escort his withdrawal ,
[On which] the Spirits tranquilly return [to their place] .
All the servants, and the presiding wives ,
Remove [the trays and dishes] without delay .
The [descendant's] uncles and cousins ,
All repair to the private feast .
210.XIN NAN SHAN
Yes , [all about] that southern hill ,
Was made manageable by Yu .
Its plains and marshes being opened up ,
It was made into fields by the distant descendant .
We define their boundaries , we form their smaller divisions ,
And make the acres lie , here to the south , there to the east .
The heavens over head are one arch of clouds ,
Snowing in multitudinous flakes .
There is superadded the drizzling rain .
When [the land] has received the moistening ,
Soaking influence abundantly ,
It produces all our kinds of grain .
The boundaries and smaller divisions are nicely adjusted ,
And the millets yield abundant crops ,
The harvest of the distant descendant .
We proceed to make therewith spirits and food ,
To supply our representatives of the dead , and our guests ; --
To obtain long life , extending over myriads of years .
In the midst of the fields are the huts ,
And along the bounding divisions are gourds .
The fruits is sliced and pickled ,
To be presented to our great ancestors ,
That their distant descendant may have long life ,
And receive the blessing of Heaven .
We sacrifice [first] with pure spirits ,
And then follow with a red bull ;
offering them to our ancestors .
[Our lord] holds the knife with tinkling bells ,
To lay open the hair of the victim ,
And takes its flesh and fat .
Then we present , then we offer ;
All round the fragrance is diffused .
Complete and brilliant is the sacrificial service ;
Grandly come our ancestors .
They will reward [their descendant] with great blessing , --
Long life , years without end .
211.FU TIAN
Bright are those extensive fields ,
A tenth of whose produce is annually levied .
I take the old stores ,
And with them feed the husbandmen ,
From of old we have had good years ,
And now I go to the south-lying acres ,
Where some are weeding , and some gather the earth about the roots .
The millets look luxuriant ;
And in a spacious resting place ,
I collect and encourage the men of greater promise .
With my vessels full of bright millet ,
And my pure victim-rams ,
We sacrificed to [the Spirits of] the land , and to [those of] the four quarters .
That my fields are in such good condition ,
Is matter of joy to my husbandmen .
With lutes , and with drums beating ,
We will invoke the Father of husbandry ,
And pray for sweet rain ,
To increase the produce of our millets ,
And to bless my men and their wives .
The distant descendant comes ,
When their wives and children ,
Are bringing food to those [at work] in the south-lying acres .
The surveyor of the fields [also] comes , and is glad .
He takes [of the food] on the left and the right ,
And tastes whether it be good or not .
The grain is well cultivated , all the acres over ;
Good will it be and abundant .
The distant descendant has no displacency ;
The husbandmen are encouraged to diligence .
The crops of the distant descendant ,
Look [thick] as thatch , and [swelling] like a carriage cover .
The stacks of the distant descendant ,
Will stand like islands and mounds .
He will seek for thousands of granaries ;
He will seek for myriads of carts .
The millets , the paddy , and the maize ,
Will awake the joy of the husbandmen ;
[And they will say] , ' May he be rewarded with great happiness .
With myriads of years , life without end !
212.DA TIAN
Large are the fields , and various is the work to be done .
Having selected the seed , and looked after the implements ,
So that all preparations have been made for our labour ,
We take our sharp plough-shares ,
And commence on the south-lying acres .
We sow all the kinds of grain ,
Which grow up straight and large ,
So that the wish of the distant descendant is satisfied .
It ears , and the fruit lies soft in its sheath ;
It hardens and is of good quality ;
There is no wolf ' s-tail grass , nor darnel .
We remove the insects that eat the heart and the leaf ,
And those that eat the roots and the joints .
So that they shall not hurt the young plants of our fields .
May the Spirit , the Father of husbandry ,
Lay hold of them , and put them in the blazing fire !
The clouds form in dense masses ,
And the rain comes down slowly .
May it rain first on our public fields ,
And then come to our private !
There shall be young grain unreaped ,
And here some sheaves ungathered ;
There shall be handfuls left on the ground ,
And here ears untouched : --
The distant descendant will come ,
When their wives and children ,
Are bringing food to those [at work] on the south-lying acres .
The surveyor of the fields [also] will come and be glad .
They will come and offer pure sacrifices to the Spirits of the four quarters ,
With their preparations of millet :
Thus offering , thus sacrificing ,
Thus increasing our bright happiness .
213.ZHAN BI LUO YI
Look at the Luo ,
With its waters broad and deep .
Thither has come our lord ,
In whom all happiness and dignity are concentrated .
Red are his madder-dyed knee covers ,
In which he might raise his six armies .
Look at the Luo ,
With its waters broad and deep .
Thither has our lord come ,
The gems at his scabbard ' s mouth all-gleaming .
May our lord live myriads of years ,
Preserving his House !
Look at the Luo ,
With its waters broad and deep .
Thither has our lord come ,
In whom all happiness and dignities are united .
May our lord live myriads of years ,
Preserving his clans and States !
214.CHANG CHANG ZHE HUA
Splendid are the flowers ,
And the leaves are luxuriant .
I see these princes ,
And my heart is entirely satisfied .
My heart is entirely satisfied .
Right is it they should have praise and prosperity !
Splendid are the flowers ,
And deep is their yellow .
I see these princes ,
Full of all elegance .
They are full of all elegance ; --
Right is it they should have every blessing !
Splendid are the flowers ,
Some yellow , some white .
I see these princes ,
Drawn by their four white steeds , black-maned .
They are drawn by their four white steeds , black-maned .
And the six reins are glossy !
To the left [they move] , to the left ,
And they execute the movement properly .
To the right [they move] , to the right ,
And they execute the movement properly .
They are possessed of the ability ,
And right is it their movements should indicate it .
Decade of Sang Hu
215.SANG HU
They flit about , the green-beaks ,
With their variegated wings .
To be rejoiced in are these princes !
May they receive the blessing of Heaven !
They flit about , the green-beaks ,
With their glancing necks .
To be rejoiced in are these princes !
They are screens to all the States .
These screens , these buttresses , --
All the chiefs will take them as a pattern .
Are they not self-restrained ? Are they not careful ?
Will they not receive much happiness ?
How long is that cup of rhinoceros ' horn !
Good are the spirits in it and soft .
While it passes round , they show no pride ;
All blessing must come to seek them .
216.YUAN YANG
The Yellow ducks fly about ,
And are taken with hand-nets and spread-nets .
May our sovereign live for ten thousand years ,
Enjoying the happiness and wealth which are his due !
The Yellow ducks are on the dam ,
With their left wings gathered up .
May our sovereign live for ten thousand years ,
Enjoying the happiness and wealth which are his due !
The teams of steeds are in the stable ,
Fed with forage and grain .
May our sovereign live for ten thousand years ,
Sustained in his happiness and wealth !
The teams of steeds are in the stable ,
Fed with grain and forage .
May our sovereign live for ten thousand years ,
In the comfort of his happiness and wealth !
217.KUI BIAN
Those in the leather caps , --
Who are they ?
Since your spirits are [so]good ,
And your viands are [so] fine ,
How can they be strangers ?
They are your brethren , and no others .
[They are like] the mistletoe and the dodder .
Growing over the pine and the cypress .
While they do not see you , O king ,
Their sorrowful hearts are all-unsettled .
When they do see you ,
They begin to be happy and glad .
Those in the leather caps , --
Who are they ?
Since your spirits are [so]good ,
And your viands are all of the season .
How can they be strangers ?
They are your brethren , all assembled .
[They are like] the mistletoe and the dodder .
Growing over the pine .
While they do not see you , O king ,
Their hearts are full of sorrow .
When they do see you ,
They begin to feel that things are right .
There are those in the leather caps ,
Which they wear on their heads .
Since your spirits are [so] good ,
And your viands are [so] abundant ,
How can they be strangers ?
They are your brethren , and your relatives by affinity .
When there is going to be a fall of snow ,
There is first the descent of sleet .
Death and ruin may come any day ,
It is not long that you will see one another .
Rejoice over your spirits for the present evening ;
O king , enjoy the feast .
218.CHE XIA
Jian-guan went the axle ends of my carriage ,
As I thought of the young beauty , and went [to fetch her] .
It was not that I was hungry or thirsty ,
But [I longed] for one of such virtuous fame to come and be with me .
Although no good friends be with us ,
We will feast and be glad .
Dense is that forest in the plain ,
And there sit the long-tailed pheasants .
In her proper season that well-grown lady ,
With her admirable virtue , is come to instruct me .
We will feast , and I will praise her .
' I love you , and will never be weary of you . '
Although I have no good spirits ,
We will drink [what I have] , and perhaps [be satisfied] .
Although I have no good viands ,
We will eat [what I have] , and perhaps [be satisfied] .
Although I have no virtue to impart to you ,
We will sing and dance .
I ascend that lofty ridge ,
And split the branches of the oaks for firewood .
I split the branches of the oaks for firewood ,
Amid the luxuriance of their leaves .
I see you whose match is seldom to be seen ,
And my whole heart is satisfied .
The high hill is looked up to ;
The great road is easy to be travelled on .
My four steeds advanced without stopping ;
The six reins [made music] in my hands like lute-[strings] .
I see you my bride ,
To the comfort of my heart .
219.QING YING
They buzz about , the blue flies ,
Lighting on the fences .
O happy and courteous sovereign ,
Do not believe slanderous speeches .
They buzz about , the blue flies ,
Lighting on the jujube trees .
The slanderous observe no limits ,
And throw the whole kingdom into confusion .
They buzz about , the blue flies ,
Lighting on the hazel trees .
The slanderous observe no limits ,
And set us two at variance .
220.BIN ZHI CHU YAN
When the guests first approach the mats ,
They take their places on the left and the right in an orderly manner .
The dishes of bamboo and wood are arranged in rows ,
With the sauces and kernels displayed in them .
The spirits are mild and good ,
And they drink , all equally reverent .
The bells and drums are properly arranged ;
And they raise their pledge-cups with order and ease .
[Then] the great target is set up ;
The bows and arrows are made ready for the shooting ;
The archers are matched in classes .
' Show your skill in shooting , ' [it is said] .
' I shall hit that mark , ' [it is responded] ,
'And pray you to drink the cup . '
The dancers move with their flutes to the notes of the organ and drum ,
While all the instruments perform in harmony .
All this is done to please the meritorious ancestors ,
Along with the observance of all ceremonies .
When all the ceremonies have been performed ,
Grandly and fully ,
'We confer on you great blessings , ' [says the representative of the dead] ,
'And may your descendants [also] be happy ! '
They are happy and delighted ,
And each of them exerts his ability .
A guest draws the spirits ,
An attendant enters again , with a cup ,
And fills it , -- the cup of rest .
Thus are performed your seasonal ceremonies .
When the guests first approach the mats ,
All harmonies are they and reverent .
Before they have drunk too much ,
Their deportment is carefully observant of propriety ;
But when they have drunk too much ,
Their deportment becomes light and frivolous : --
They leave their seats , and go elsewhere ,
They keep dancing and capering .
Before they have drunk too much ,
Their deportment is cautious and grave : --
But when they have drunk too much ,
Their deportment becomes indecent and rude : --
Thus when they have too mcuh ,
They lose all sense of orderliness .
When the guests have drunk too much ,
They shout out and brawl .
They disorder the dishes ;
They keep dancing in a fantastic manner .
Thus when they have drunk too much ,
They become insensible of their errors .
With their caps on one side , and like to fall off ,
They keep dancing the will not stop .
If , when they have drunk too much , they went out ,
Both they [and their host] would be happy ;
But remaining after they are drunk ,
Is what is called doing injury to virtue .
Drinking is a good institution ,
Only when there is good deportment in it .
On every occasion of drinking ,
Some get drunk , and some do not .
An inspector is appointed ,
With a recorder to assist him .
But those drunkards , in their vileness ,
Are shamed of those who do not get drunk .
These have no opportunity to speak ,
And prevent the others from proceeding to such great abandonment .
[They might say] , ' Do not speak what you ought not to speak ;
Do not say what you have no occasion to say ,
If you speak , drunk as you are ,
We will make you produce a ram without horns .
With three cups you lose your memories ; --
How dare you go on to more ? '
221.YU ZAO
The fishes are there , there among the pondweed ,
Showing their large heads .
The king is here , here in Hao ,
At ease and happy , while he drinks .
The fishes are there , there among the pondweed ,
Showing their long tails .
The king is here , here in Hao ,
Drinking , happy and at ease .
The fishes are there , there among the pondweed ,
Sheltered by the rushes .
The king is here , here in Hao ,
Dwelling in tranquillity .
222.CAI SHU
They gather the beans , they gather the beans ,
In their baskets , square and round .
The princes are coming to court ,
And what gifts have I to give them ?
Although I have none to give them ,
There are the state carriages and their teams .
What more have I to give them ?
The dark-coloured [upper] robes with the dragon ,
And the [lower garments with the] hatchet .
Right up bubbles the water from the spring ,
And they gather the cress [about it] .
The princes are coming to court ,
And I see their dragon flags ; --
Their dragon flags moving [in the wind] ,
While the sound of their bells comes hui-hui .
There are the two outside horses , there are the whole teams , --
Proofs that the princes are come .
Their red covers on their knees ,
And their buskins below ,
There is no remissness in their demeanour ; --
of such should the son of Heaven approve .
To be rejoiced in are the princes ,
And the son of Heaven gives them the badges of his favour .
To be rejoiced in are the princes ,
And their happiness and dignities are renewed and extended .
On the branches of the oaks ,
How abundant are the leaves !
To be rejoiced in are the princes ,
Guardians of the regions of the son of Heaven .
To be rejoiced in are the princes ,
Around whom all the blessings collect .
Discriminating and able are their attendants ,
Who also have followed them hither .
It floats about , the boat of willow wood ,
Fastened by the band of the rope .
To be rejoiced in are the princes ,
And the son of Heaven scans [their merits] .
To be rejoiced in are the princes ,
And their happiness and dignities are enlarged .
How joyous , how happy ,
Is their coming here !
223.JIAO GONG
Well fashioned is the bow adorned with horn ,
And swift is its recoil .
Brothers and relatives by affinity ,
Should not be treated distantly .
When you keep yours at a distance ,
The people all do the same with theirs .
What you teach ,
The people all imitate .
Those brothers who are good ,
Continue to display much generous feeling ;
But between brothers who are not good ,
Their intercourse is marked by troubles .
People who have no conscience ,
Repine against each other , each one holding his own point of view ;
One gets a place , and shows no humility --
Till they all come to ruin .
An old horse , notwithstanding , thinks himself a colt ,
And has no regard to the future .
It is like craving a superabundance of food ,
And an excess of drink .
Do not teach a monkey to climb trees ; --
[You act] like adding mud to one in the mud .
If the sovereign have good ways ,
The small people will accord with them .
The snow may have fallen abundantly ,
But when it feels the sun's heat , it dissolves .
You are not willing to discountenance [those parties] ,
And so they become [more] troublesome and arrogant .
The snow may have fallen largely ,
But when it feels the sun's heat , it flows away .
They become like the Man or the Mao ; --
This is what make me sad .
224.WAN LIU
There is a luxuriant willow tree ; --
Who would not wish to rest [under it] ?
[But this] god is very changeable ; --
Do not approach him .
If I were to [try and] order his affairs ,
His demands afterwards would be extreme .
There is a luxuriant willow tree ; --
Who would not wish to take shelter [under it] ?
[But this] god is very changeable ,
Do not get yourself into trouble with him .
If I were to [try and] order his affairs ,
His demands on me afterwards would be beyond measure .
There is a bird flying high ,
Even up to heaven .
The heart of that man , --
To what will it proceed ?
Why should I [try to] order his affairs ?
I should only find myself in pitiable misery .
Decade of Du Ren Shi
225.DU REN SHI
Those officers of the [old] capital ,
With their fox-furs so yellow ,
Their deportment unvaryingly [correct] ,
And their speech full of elegance ! --
If we could go back to [the old] Zhou ,
They would be admiringly looked up by all the people .
Those officers of the [old] capital ,
With their hats of Tai leaves and small black caps ! --
Those ladies of noble Houses .
With their hair so thick and straight ! --
I do not see them [now] ,
And my heart is dissatisfied .
Those officers of the [old] capital ,
With their ear-plugs of xiu-stones ! --
Those ladies of noble Houses ,
Each fit to be called a Yin or a Ji ! --
I do not see them [now] ,
And my heart grieves with indissoluble sorrow .
Those officers of the [old] capital ,
With their girdles hanging elegantly down ! --
Those ladies of great Houses ,
With their [side] hair curving up like a scorpion's tail ! --
I do not see them [now] ,
[If I could] , I would walk along after them .
Not that they purposely let their girdles hang down ; --
The girdles were naturally long .
Not that they gave their hair that curve ; --
The hair had a natural curl .
I do not see them [now] ,
And how do I long for them !
226 .CAI LU
All the morning I gather the king-grass ,
And do not collect enough to fill my hands .
My hair is in a wisp ; --
I will go home and wash it .
All the morning I gather the indigo plant ,
And do not collect enough to fill my apron .
Five days was the time agreed on ; --
It is the sixth , and I do not see him .
When he went a hunting ,
I put the bow in its case for him .
When he went to fish ,
I arranged his line for him .
What did he take in angling ?
Bream and tench ; --
Bream and tench ,
While people [looked on] to see .
227.SHU MIAO
Tall and strong grows the young millet ,
Fattened by the genial rains .
Very long was our journey to the south ,
But the earl of Zhou encouraged and cheered us .
We carried our burdens ; we pushed along our barrows ;
We drove our waggons ; we led our oxen .
When our expedition was accomplished ,
We knew we should return .
We went along on foot ; we rode in our chariots ; --
Our whole host , and our battalions .
When our expedition was accomplished ,
We knew we should return home .
Severe was the work at Su ,
But the earl of Zhou built the city .
Majestic was the march of our host ; --
The earl of Zhou directed it .
The plains and low lands were regulated ; --
The springs and streams were cleared .
The earl of Zhou completed his work ,
And the heart of the king was at rest .
228.XI SANG
In the low , wet grounds , the mulberry trees are beautiful ,
And their leaves are luxuriant .
When I see the princely men ,
How great is the pleasure !
In the low , wet grounds , the mulberry trees are beautiful ,
And their leaves are glossy .
When I see the princely men ,
How can I be other than glad ?
In the low , wet grounds , the mulberry trees are beautiful ,
And their leaves are dark .
When I see the princely men ,
Their virtuous fame draws them close [to my heart] .
In my heart I love them ,
And why should I not say so ?
In the core of my heart I keep them ,
And never will forget them .
229.BAI HUA
The fibres from the white flowered rush ,
Are bound with the white grass .
This man's sending me away ,
Makes me dwell solitary .
The light and brilliant clouds ,
Bedew the rush and the grass .
The way of Heaven is hard and difficult ; --
This man does nto confirm [to good principle] .
How the water from the pools flows away to north ,
Flooding the rice fields !
I whistle and sing with wounded heart ,
Thinking of that great man .
They gather firewood of branches of the mulberry trees ,
And I burn them [only] in a [small] furnace .
That great man ,
Does indeed toil and trouble my heart .
Their drums and bells are beaten in the palace ,
And their sound is heard without .
All-sorrowful I think of him ; --
He thinks of me without any regard .
The marabou is on the dam ;
The [common] crane is in the forest .
That great man ,
Does indeed toil and trouble my heart .
The Yellow ducks are on the dams ,
With their left wings gathered up .
That man is bad ,
Ever varying in his conduct .
How thin is that slab of stone !
He that stands on it is low .
That man's sending me away ,
Makes me full of affliction .
230.MIAN MAN
There is that little oriole ,
Resting on a bend of the mound .
The way is distant ,
And I am very much wearied .
Give me drink , give me food ;
Inform me , teach me ;
Order one of the attending carriages ,
And tell them to carry me .
There is that little oriole ,
Resting on a corner of the mound .
It is not that I dare to shrink from the journey ,
But I am afraid of not being able to go on .
Give me drink , give me food ;
Inform me , teach me ;
Order one of the attending carriages ,
And tell them to carry me .
There is that little oriole ,
Resting on the side of the mound .
It is not that I dare to shrink from the journey ,
But I am afraid of not getting to the end of it .
Give me drink , give me food ;
Inform me , teach me ;
Order one of the attending carriages ,
And tell them to carry me .
231.HU YE
of the gourd leaves , waving about ,
Some are taken and boiled ;
[Then] the superior man , from his spirits ,
Pours out a cup , and tastes it .
There is but a single rabbit ,
Baked , or roasted .
[But] the superior man , from his spirits ,
Fills the cup and presents it [to his guests] .
There is but a single rabbit ,
Roasted , or broiled .
[But] from the spirits of the superior man ,
[His guests] fill the cup , and present it to him .
There is but a single rabbit ,
Roasted , or baked .
[But] from the spirits of the superior man ,
[His guests and he] fill the cup and pledge one another .
232.JIAN JIAN ZHI SHI
Those frowning rocks , --
How high they rise !
Over such a distance of hills and streams ,
How toilsome is the march !
The warrior , in charge of the expedition to the east ,
Has not a morning's leisure .
Those frowning rocks , --
How they crown the heights !
Over such a distance of hills and streams ,
When shall we have completed our march ?
The warrior , in charge of the expedition to the east ,
Has no leisure [to think] how he wll withdraw .
There are swine , with their legs white ,
All wading through streams .
The moon also is in the Hyades ,
Which will bring still greater rain .
The warrior , in charge of the expedition to the east ,
Has no leisure [to think] of anything but this .
233.TIAO ZHI HUA
The flowers of the bignonia ,
Are of a deep yellow .
My heart is sad ;
I feel its wound .
The flowers of the bignonia [are gone] ,
[There are only] its leaves all-green .
If I had known it would be thus with me ,
I had better not have been born .
The ewes have large heads ;
The Three stars are [seen] in the fish-trap .
If some men can get enough to eat ,
Few can get their fill .
234.HE CAO BU HUANG
Every plant is yellow ;
Every day we march .
Every man is moving about ,
Doing service in some quarter of the kingdom .
Every plant is purple ;
Every man is torn from his wife .
Alas for us employed on these expeditions !
How are we alone dealt with as if we were not men ?
We are not rhinoceroses , we are not tigers ,
To be kept in these desolate wilds .
Alas for us employed on these expeditions !
Morning and night we have no leisure .
The long-tailed foxes ,
May keep among the dark grass .
And our box-carts ,
Keep moving along the great roads .
Greater Odes of The Kingdom
Decade of Wen Wang
235.WEN WANG
King Wen is on high ;
Oh ! bright is he in heaven .
Although Zhou was an old country ,
The [favouring] appointment lighted on it recently .
Illustrious was the House of Zhou ,
And the appointment of God came at the proper season .
King Wen ascends and descends ,
On the left and the right of God .
Full of earnest activity was king Wen ,
And his fame is without end .
The gifts [of God] to Zhou ,
Extend to the descendants of king Wen ; --
To the descendants of king Wen ,
In the direct line and the collateral branches for a hundred generations .
All the officers of Zhou ,
Shall [also] be illustrious from age to age .
They shall be illustrious from age to age ,
Zealously and reverently pursuing their plans .
Admirable are the many officers ,
Born in this royal kingdom .
The royal kingdom is able to produce them , --
The suppporters of [the House of] Zhou .
Numerous is the array of officers ,
And by them king Wen enjoys his repose .
Profound was king Wen ;
Oh ! continuous and bright was his feeling of reverence .
Great is the appointment of Heaven !
There were the descendants of [the sovereigns] of Shang ; --
The descendants of the sovereigns of Shang ,
Were in number more than hundreds of thousands ;
But when God gave the command ,
They became subject to Zhou .
They became subject to Zhou .
The appointment of Heaven is not constant .
The officers of Yin , admirable and alert ,
Assist at the libations in [our] capital ; --
They assist at those libations ,
Always wearing the hatchets on their lower garment and their peculiar cap .
O ye loyal ministers of the king ,
Ever think of your ancestor !
Ever think of your ancestor ,
Cultivating your virtue ,
Always striving to accord with the will [of Heaven] .
So shall you be seeking for much happiness .
Before Yin lost the multitudes ,
[Its kings] were the assessors fo God .
Look to Yin as a beacon ;
The great appointment is not easily [preserved] .
The appointment is not easily [preserved] ,
Do not cause your own extinction .
Display and make bright your righteousness and name ,
And look at [the fate of] Yin in the light of Heaven .
The doings of High Heaven ,
Have neither sound nor smell .
Take your pattern from king Wen ,
And the myriad regions will repose confidence in you .
236.DA MING
The illustration of illustrious [virtue] is required below ,
And the dread majesty is on high .
Heaven is not readily to be relied on ;
It is not easy to be king .
Yin's rightful heir to the heavenly seat ,
Was not permitted to possess the kingdom .
Jin , the second of the princesses of Zhi ,
From [the domain of] Yin-shang ,
Came to be married to the prince of Zhou ,
And because his wife in his capital ,
Both she and king Ji ,
Were entirely virtuous .
[Then] Da-ren became pregnant ,
And gave birth to our king Wen .
This king Wen ,
Watchfully and reverently ,
With entire intelligence served God ,
And so secured the great blessing .
His virtue was without deflection ;
And in consequence he received [the allegiance of] the States from all quarters .
Heaven surveyed this lower world ;
And its appointment lighted [on king Wen] .
In his early years ,
It made for him a mate ; --
On the north of the Qia ;
On the banks of the Wei .
When king Wen would wive ,
There was the lady in a large State .
In a large State was the lady ,
Like a fair denizen of Heaven .
The ceremonies determined the auspiciousness [of the union] .
And in person he met her on the Wei .
Over it he made a bridge of boats ; --
The glory [of the occasion] was illustrious .
The favouring appointment was from Heaven ,
Giving the throne to our king Wen ,
In the capital of Zhou .
The lady-successor was from Xin ,
Its eldest daughter , who came to marry him .
She was blessed to give birth to king Wu ,
Who was preserved , and helped , and received also the appointment ,
And in accordance with it smote the great Shang .
The troops of Yin-shang ,
Were collected like a forest ,
And marshalled in the wilderness of Mu .
We rose [to the crisis] ; --
'God is with you , ' [said Shang-fu to the king] ,
'Have no doubts in your heart . '
The wilderness of Mu spread out extensive ;
Bright shone the chariots of sandal ;
The teams of bays , black-maned and white-bellied , galloped along ;
The grand-master Shang-fu ,
Was like an eagle on the wing ,
Assisting king Wu ,
Who at one onset smote the great Shang .
That morning's encounter was followed by a clear bright [day] .
237.MIAN
In long trains ever increasing grow the gourds .
When [our] people first sprang ,
From the country about the Ju and the Qi ,
The ancient duke Tan-fu ,
Made for them kiln-like huts and caves ,
Ere they had yet any houses .
The ancient duke Tan-fu ,
Came in the morning , galloping his horses ,
Along the banks of the western rivers ,
To the foot of [mount] Qi ;
And there , he and the lady Jiang ,
Came , and together looked out for a site on which to settle .
The plain of Zhou looked beautiful and rich ,
With its violets and sowthistles [sweet] as dumplings .
There he began with consulting [his followers] ;
There he singed the tortoise-shell , [and divined] .
The responses were - there to stay , and then ;
And they proceeded there to build their houses .
He encouraged the people and settled them ;
Here on the left , there on the right .
He divided the ground into larger tracts and smaller portions ;
He dug the ditches ; he defined the acres ;
From the west to the east ,
There was nothing which he did not take in hand .
He called his superintendent of works ;
He called his minister of instruction ;
And charged them with the building of the houses .
With the line they made everything straight ;
They bound the frame-boards tight , so that they should rise regularly .
Uprose the ancestral temple in its solemn grandeur .
Crowds brought the earth in baskets
They threw it with shouts into the frames ;
They beat it with responsive blows ;
They pared the walls repeatedly , and they sounded strong .
Five thousand cubits of them arose together ,
So that the roll of the great drum did not overpower [the noise of the builders] .
They set up the gate of the enceinte ;
And the gate of the enceinte stood high .
They set up the court gate ;
And the court gate stood grand .
They reared the great altar [to the Spirits of the land] ,
From which all great movements should proceed .
Thus though he could nto prevent the rage [of his foes] ,
He did not let fall his own fame .
The oaks and the Yu were [gradually] thinned ,
And roads for travelling were opened .
The hordes of the Hun disappeared ,
Startled and panting .
[The chiefs of] Yu and Rui were brought to an agreement ,
By king Wen's stimulating their natural virtue .
Then , I may say , some came to him , previously not knowing him ;
And some , drawn the last by the first ;
And some , drawn by his rapid success ;
Ans some , by his defence [of the weak] from insult .
238.YU PU
Abundant is the growth of the yu and the pu ,
Supplying firewood ; yea , stores of it .
Elegant and dignified was our prince and king ;
On the right and the left they hastened to him .
Elegant and dignified was our prince and king ;
On his left and his right they bore their half-mace [libation-cups] ; --
They bore their instruments with solemn gravity ,
As beseemed such eminent officers .
They rush along , -- those boats on the King .
All the rowers labouring at their oars .
The king of Zhou marched on ,
Followed by his six hosts .
Vast is that Milky Way ,
Making a brilliant figure in the sky .
Long years did the king of Zhou enjoy ; --
Did he not exert an influence upon men ?
Engraved and chiselled are the ornaments ;
of metal and of jade is their substance .
Ever active was our king ,
Giving law and rules to the four quarters [of the kingdom] .
239.ZAO LU
Look at the foot of the Han ,
How abundantly grow the hazel and the arrow-thorn !
Easy and self-possessed was our prince ,
In his pursuit of dignity [still] easy and self-possessed !
Massive is that libation-cup of jade ,
With the yellow liquid [sparkling] in it .
Easy and self-possessed was our prince ,
The fit recipient of blessing and dignity .
The hawk flies up to heaven ;
The fishes leap in the deep .
Easy and self-possessed was our-prince ; --
Did he not exert an influence upon men ?
His clear spirits are in vessel ;
His red bull is ready ; --
To offer , to sacrifice ,
To increase his bright happiness .
Thick grow the oaks and the yu ,
Which the people use for fuel .
Easy and self-possessed was our prince ,
Cheered and encouraged by the Spirits .
Luxuriant are the dolichos and other creepers ,
Clinging to the branches and stems ,
Easy and self-possessed was our prince ,
Seeking for happiness by no crooked ways .
240.SI QI
Pure and reverent was Da-ren ,
The mother of king Wen ;
Loving was she to Zhou Jiang ; --
A wife becoming the House of Zhou .
Da-si inherited her excellent fame ,
And from her came a hundred sons .
He conformed to the example of his ancestors ,
And their Spirits had no occasion for complaint .
Their Spirits had no occasion for dissatisfaction ,
And his example acted on his wife ,
Extended to his brethren ,
And was felt by all the clans and States .
Full of harmony was he in his palace ;
Full of reverence in the ancestral temple .
Out of sight he still felt as under inspection ;
Unweariedly he maintained [his virtue] .
Though he could not prevent [some] great calamities ,
His brightness and magnanimity were without stain .
Without previous instruction he did what was right ;
Without admonition , he went on [in the path of goodness] .
So , grown up men became virtuous [through him] ,
And young men made [constant] attainments .
[Our] ancient prince never felt weariness ,
And from him were the fame and eminence of his officers .
241.HUANG YI
Great is God ,
Beholding this lower world in majesty .
He surveyed the four quarters [of the kingdom] ,
Seeking for some one to give settlement to the people .
Those two [earlier] dynasties ,
Had failed to satisfy Him with their government ;
So throughout the various States ,
He sought and considered ,
For one on which he might confer the rule .
Hating all the great [States] ,
He turned His kind regards on the west ,
And there gave a settlement [to king Da] .
[King Da] raised up and removed ,
The dead trunks , and the fallen trees .
He dressed and regulated ,
The bushy clumps , and the [tangled] rows .
He opened up and cleared ,
The tamarix trees , and the stave-trees .
He hewed and thinned ,
The mountain-mulberry trees .
God having brought about the removal thither of this intelligent ruler ,
The Guan hordes fled away .
Heaven raised up a helpmeet for him .
And the appointment he had received was made sure .
God surveyed the hills ,
Where the oaks and yu were thinned ,
And paths made through the firs and cypresses .
God , who had raised the State , raised up a proper ruler for it ; --
From the time of Da-bo and king Ju [this was done] .
Now this king Ju ,
In his heart was full of brotherly duty .
Full of duty to his elder brother ,
He gave himself the more to promote the prosperity [of the country] ,
And secured to him the glory [of his act] .
He accepted his dignity , and did not lose it ,
And [ere long his family] possessed the whole kingdom .
The king Ju ,
Was gifted by God with the power of judgement ,
So that the fame of his virtue silently grew .
His virtue was highly intelligent ; --
Highly intelligent and of rare discrimination ;
Able to lead , able to rule , --
To rule over this great country ;
Rendering a cordial submission , effecting a cordial union .
When [the sway] came to king Wen ,
His virtue left nothing to be dissatisfied with .
He received the blessing of God ,
And it was extended to his descendants .
God said to king Wen ,
' Be not like those who reject this and cling to that ;
Be not like those who are ruled by their likings and desires ; '
So he grandly ascended before others to the height [of virtue] .
The people of Mi were disobedient ,
Daring to oppose our great country ,
And invaded Yuan , marching to Gung .
The king rose majestic in his wrath ;
He marshalled his troops ,
To stop the invading foes ;
To consolidate the prosperity of Zhou ;
To meet [the expectations of ] all under heaven .
He remained quietly in the capital ;
But [his troops] went on from the borders of Yuan .
They ascended our lofty ridges ,
And [the enemy] arrayed no forces on our hills ,
On our hills , small or large ,
Nor drank at our springs ,
Our springs or our pools .
He then determined the finest of the plains ,
And settled on the south of Ju ,
On the side of the Wei ;
The centre of all the States ,
The resort of the lower people .
God said to king Wen ,
'I am pleased with your intelligent virtue ,
Not loudly proclaimed nor pourtrayed ,
Without extravagance or changeableness ,
Without consciousness of effort on your part ,
In accordance with the pattern of God . '
God said to king Wen ,
' Take measures against the country of your foes .
Along with your brethren ,
Get ready your scaling ladders ,
And yoru engines of onfall and assault ,
To attack the walls of Chong . '
The engines of onfall and assault were gently plied ,
Against the walls of Chong high and great ;
Captives for the question were brought in one after another ;
' The left ears [of the slain] were taken leisurely .
He sacrificed to God , and to the Father of War ,
Thus seeking to induce submission ;
And throughout the kingdom none dared to insult him .
The engines of onfall and assault were vigorously plied ,
Against the walls of Chong very strong ;
He attacked it , and let loose all his forces ;
He extinguished [its sacrifices] , and made an end of its existence ;
And throughout the kingdom none dared to oppose him .'
242.LING TAI
When he planned the commencement of the marvellous tower ,
He planned it , and defined it ;
And the people in crowds undertook the work ,
And in no time completed it .
When he planned the commencement , [he said] , ' Be not in a hurry ; '
But the people came as if they were his children .
The king was in the marvellous park ,
Where the does were lying down , --
The does , so sleek and fat ;
With the white birds glistening .
The king was by the marvellous pond ; --
How full was it of fishes leaping about !
On his posts was the toothed face-board , high and strong ,
With the large drums and bells .
In what unison were their sounds !
What joy was there in the hall with its circlet of water !
In what unison sounded the drums and bells !
What joy was there in the hall with its circlet of water !
The lizard-skin drums rolled harmonious ,
As the blind musicians performed their parts .
243.XIA WU
Successors tread in the steps [of their predecessors] in our Zhou .
For generations there had been wise kings ;
The three sovereigns were in heaven ;
And king [Wu] was their worthy successor in his capital .
King [Wu] was their worthy successor in his capital ,
Rousing himself to seek for the hereditary virtue ,
Always striving to accord with the will [of Heaven] ;
And thus he secured the confidence due to a king .
He secured the confidence due to a king ,
And became a pattern of all below him .
Ever thinking how to be filial ,
His filial mind was the model [which he supplied] .
Men loved him , the One man ,
And responded [to his example] with a docile virtue .
Ever thinking how to be filial ,
He brilliantly continued the doings [of his fathers] .
Brilliantly ! and his posterity ,
Continuing to walk in the steps of their forefathers ,
For myriads of years ,
Will receive the blessing of Heaven .
They will receive the blessing of Heaven .
And from the four quarters [of the kingdom] will felicitations come to them .
For myriads of years ,
Will there not be their helpers ?
244.WEN WANG YOU SHENG
King Wen is famous ;
Yea , he is very famous .
What he sought was the repose [of the people] ;
What he saw was the completion [of his work] .
A sovereign true was king Wen !
King Wen received the appointment [of Heaven] ,
And achieved his martial success .
Having overthrown Chong ,
He fixed his [capital] city in Feng .
A sovereign true was king Wen !
He repaired the walls along the [old] moat :
His establishing himself in Feng was according to [the pattern of his forefathers] ,
It was not that he was in haste to gratify his wishes ; --
It was to show the filial duty which had come down to him .
A sovereign true was [our] royal prince !
His royal merit was brightly displayed ,
By those walls of Feng .
There were collected [the sympathies of the people of] the four quarters ,
Who regarded the royal prince as their protector .
A sovereign true was [our] royal prince !
The Feng-water flowed on to the east [of the city] ,
Through the meritorious labour of Yu .
There were collected [the sympathies of the people of ] the four quarters ,
Who would have the great king as their ruler .
A sovereign true was the great king !
In the capital of Hao he built his hall with its circlet of water ;
From the west to the east ,
From the south to the north ,
There was not a thought but did him homage .
A sovereign true was the great king !
He examined and divined , did the king ,
About settling in the capital of Hao .
The tortoise-shell decided the site ,
And king Wu completed the city .
A sovereign true was king Wu !
By the Feng-water grows the white millet ; --
Did not king Wu show wisdom in his employment of officers ?
He would leave his plans to his descendants ,
And secure comfort and support to his son .
A sovereign true was king Wu !
生民之(Decade of Shang Min)
245.SHENG MIN
The first birth of [our] people ,
Was from Jiang Yuan .
How did she give birth to [our] people ?
She had presented a pure offering and sacrificed ,
That her childlessness might be taken away .
She then trod on a toe-print made by God , and was moved ,
In the large place where she rested .
She became pregnant ; she dwelt retired ;
She gave birth to , and nourished [a son] ,
Who was Hou-ji .
When she had fulfilled her months ,
Her first-born son [came forth] like a lamb .
There was no bursting , nor rending ,
No injury , no hurt ; --
Showing how wonderful he would be .
Did not God give her the comfort ?
Had He not accepted her pure offering and sacrifice ,
So that thus easily she brought forth her son ?
He was placed in a narrow lane ,
But the sheep and oxen protected him with loving care .
He was placed in a wide forest ,
Where he was met with by the wood-cutters .
He was placed on the cold ice ,
And a bird screened and supported him with its wings .
When the bird went away ,
Hou-ji began to wail .
His cry was long and loud ,
So that his voice filled the whole way .
When he was able to crawl ,
He looked majestic and intelligent .
When he was able to feed himself ,
He fell to planting large beans .
The beans grew luxuriantly ;
His rows of paddy shot up beautifully ;
His hemp and wheat grew strong and close ;
His gourds yielded abundantly .
The husbandry of Hou-ji ,
Proceeded on the plan of helping [the growth] .
Having cleared away the thick grass ,
He sowed the ground with the yellow cereals .
He managed the living grain , till it was ready to burst ;
Then he used it as seed , and it sprang up ;
It grew and came into ear ;
It became strong and good ;
It hung down , every grain complete ; --
And thus he was appointed lord of Tai .
He gave his people the beautiful grains : --
The black millet , and the double-kernelled ;
The tall red , and the white .
They planted extensively the black and the double-kernelled ,
Which were reaped and stacked on the ground .
They planted extensively the tall red and the white ,
Which were carried on their shoulders and backs ,
Home for the sacrifices which he founded .
And how as to our sacrifices [to him] ?
Some hull [the grain] ; some take it from the mortar ;
Some sift it ; some tread it .
It is rattling in the dishes ;
It is distilled , and the steam floats about .
We consult ; we observe the rites of purification ;
We take southernwood and offer it with the fat ;
We sacrifice a ram to the Spirit of the path ;
We offer roast flesh and broiled : --
And thus introduce the coming year .
We load the stands with the offerings ,
The stands both of wood and of earthenware .
As soon as the fragrance ascends ,
God , well pleased , smells the sweet savour .
Fragrant is it , and in its due season !
Hou-ji founded the sacrifice ,
And no one , we presume , has given occasion for blame or regret in regret to it ,
Down to the present day .
246.XING WEI
In thick patches are those rushes , springing by the way (-side) ;
Let not the cattle and sheep trample them .
Anon they will burst up ; anon they will be completely formed ,
With their leaves soft and glossy .
Closely related are brethren ; --
Let none be absent , let all be near .
For some there are spread mats ;
For some there are given stools [besides] .
The mats are spread , and a second one above ;
The stools are given , and there are plenty of servants .
[The guests] are pledged , and they pledge [the host] in return ;
He rinses the cup , and the guests put theirs down .
Sauces and pickles are brought in ,
With roast meat and broiled .
Excellent provisions there are [also] of tripe and cheek ;
With singing to lutes , and with drums .
The ornamented bows are strong ,
And the four arrows are all balanced .
They discharge the arrows , and all hit ,
And the guests are arranged according to their skill .
The ornamented bows are drawn full ,
And the four arrows are grasped in the hand .
They go straight to the mark as if planted in it ,
And the quests are arranged by the humble propriety of their demeanour .
The distant descendant presides over the feast ;
His sweet spirits are strong .
He fills their cups from a measure ,
And prays for the hoary old [among his quests] ; --
That with hoary age and wrinkled back ,
They may lead on one another [to virtue] , and support one another [in it] ;
That so their old age may be blessed ,
And their bright happiness [ever] increased .
247.JI JUI
You have made us drink to the full of your spirits ;
You have satiated us with your kindness ,
May you enjoy , O our lord , myriads of years !
May your bright happiness [ever] be increased !
You have made us drink to the full of your spirits ;
Your viands were all set out before us .
May you enjoy , O our lord , myriads of years !
May your bright intelligence [ever] be increased !
May your bright intelligence become perfect ,
High and brilliant , leading to a good end !
That good end has [now] its beginning : --
The personator of your ancestors announced it in his blessing .
What was his announcement ?
' [ The offerings in] your dishes of bamboo and wood are clean and fine .
Your friends asisting at the service ,
Have done their part with reverent demeanour .
' Your reverent demeanour was altogether what the occasion required ,
And not yours only , but that also of your filial son .
For such filial piety , without ceasing ,
There will ever be conferred blessing on you .
' What will the blessings be ?
That along the passages of your palace ,
You shall move for ten thousand years ;
And there will be granted to you for ever dignity and posterity .
' How as to your posterity ?
Heaven invests you with your dignity ,
Yea for ten thousand years ,
The bright appointment is attached to your person .
' How will it be attached ?
There is given you a heroic wife .
There is given you a heroic wife ,
And from her shall come [the line of] descendants . '
248.FU YI
The wild-ducks and widgeons are on the King ;
The personators of your ancestors feast and are happy .
Your spirits are clear ,
Your viands are fragrant ;
The personators of your ancestors feast and drink ; --
Their happiness and dignity are made complete .
The wild-ducks and widgeons are on the sand ;
The personators of the dead enjoy the feast , their appropriate tribute .
Your spirits are abundant ,
Your viands are good ;
The personators of your ancestors feast and drink ; --
Happiness and dignity lend them their aids .
The wild ducks and widgeons are on the islets ;
The personators of your ancestors feast and enjoy themselves .
Your spirits are strained ,
Your viands are in slices ;
The personators of your ancestors feast and drink ; --
Happiness and dignity descend on them .
The wild ducks and widgeons are where the waters meet ;
The personators of your ancestors feast , and are honoured .
The feast is spread in the ancestral temple ,
The place where happiness and dignity descend .
The personators of your ancestors feast and drink ; --
Their happiness and dignity are at the highest point .
The wild ducks and widgeons are in the gorge ;
The personators of your ancestors rest , full of complacency .
Your fine spirits are delicious ,
Your flesh , roast and broiled , is fragrant ;
The personators of your ancestors feast and drink ; --
No troubles shall be theirs after this .
249.JIA LE
of [our] admirable , amiable , sovereign ,
Most illustrious is the excellent virtue .
He orders rightly the people , orders rightly the officers ,
And receives his dignity from heaven ,
Which protects and helps him , and [confirms] his appointment ,
By repeated acts of renewal from heaven .
[So] does he seek for the emoluments of dignity , [and obtain] all blessings , --
Thousands and hundreds of thousands of descendants ,
of reverent virtue and admirable character ,
Fit to be rulers [of States] , fit to be king ,
Erring in nothing , forgetful of nothing ,
Observing and following the old statutes .
[May they] manifest all self-restraint in deportment ,
And their virtuous fame be without fail !
Without resentments , without dislikes ,
[May they] give free course to [the good among] the officers ,
Receiving blessing without limit ,
And regulating all within the four quarters [of the kingdom] !
Regulating all , and determining each point ,
Giving repose to his friends ,
All the princes and ministers ,
Will love the son of Heaven .
Not idly occupying his office ,
The people will find rest in him .
250.GONG LIU
of generous devotion to the people was duke Liu ,
Unable to rest or take his ease [where he was] ,
He divided and subdivided the country into fields ;
He stored up the produce in the fields and in barns ;
He tied up dried meat and grain ,
In bottomless bags and in sacks ; --
That he might hold [the people] together , and glorify [his tribe] .
Then with bows and arrows all ready ,
With shields and spears , and axes , large and small ,
He commenced his march .
of generous devotion to the people was duke Liu ,
He had surveyed the plain [where he was settled] ;
[The people] were numerous and crowded ;
In sympathy with them , he made proclamation [of his contemplated measure] ,
And there were no perpetual sighings about it
He ascended to the hill-tops ;
He ascended again to the plains .
What was it that he carried at his girdle ?
Pieces of jade , and yao gems ,
And his ornamented scabbard with its sword .
of generous devotion to the people was duke Liu ,
He went there to [the place of] the hundred springs ,
And saw [around him] the wide plain .
He ascended the ridge on the south ,
And looked at a large [level] height ,
A height affording space for multitudes .
Here was room to dwell in ;
Here might booths be built for strangers ;
Here he told out his mind ;
Here he entered on deliberations .
of generous devotion to the people was duke Liu ,
When he had found rest on the height ,
With his officers all in dignified order ,
He caused mats to be spread , with stools upon them ;
And they took their places on the mats and leaned on the stools .
He had sent to the herds ,
And taken a pig from the pen .
He poured out his spirits into calabashes ;
And so he gave them to eat and to drink ,
Acknowledged by them as ruler , and honoured .
of generous devotion to the people was duke Liu ,
[His territory] being now broad and long ,
He determined the points of the heavens by means of the shadows ; and then , ascending the ridges ,
He surveyed the light and the shade ,
Viewing [also] the [course of the] streams and springs .
His armies were three troops ;
He measured the marshes and plains ;
He fixed the revenue on the system of common cultivation of the fields ;
He measured also the fields west of the hills ;
And the settlement of Bin became truly great .
of generous devotion to the people was duke Liu ,
Having settled in temporary lodging houses in Bin ,
He crossed the Wei by means of boats ,
And gathered whetstones and iron .
When his settlement was fixed , and all boudaries defined ,
The people became numerous and prosperous ,
Occupying both sides of the Huang valley ,
And pushing on up that of Guo ;
And as the population became dense ,
They went on to the country beyond the Ju .
251.JIONG ZHUO
Take the pool-water from a distance ;
Draw it into one vessel and let it flow to another ,
And it may be used to stream rice or millet .
[How much more should] the happy and courteous sovereign ,
Be the parent of the people !
Take the pool-water from a distance ;
Draw it into one vessel and let it flow to another ,
And it may be used to wash a [spirit] vase .
[How much more should] the happy and courteous sovereign ,
Be the centre of attraction to the people !
Take the pool-water from a distance ;
Draw it into one vessel and let it flow to another ,
And it may be used for all purpose of cleansing .
[How much more should] the happy and courteous sovereign ,
Be the centre of rest to the people !
252.JUAN A
Into the recesses of the large mound ,
Came the wind whirling from the south .
There was [our] happy , courteous sovereign ,
Rambling and singing ;
And I took occasion to give forth my notes .
'Full of spirits you ramble ;
Full of satisfaction you rest .
O happy and courteous sovereign ,
May you fulfill your years ,
And end them like your ancestors !
'Your territory is great and glorious ,
And perfectly secure .
O happy and courteous sovereign ,
May you fulfill your years ,
As the host of all the Spirits !
'You have received the appointment long-ackowledged ,
With peace around your happiness and dignity .
O happy and courteous sovereign ,
May you fulfill your years ,
With pure happiness your constant possession !
'You have helpers and supporters ,
Men of filial piety and of virtue ,
To lead you on , and act as wings to you ,
[So that] , O happy and courteous sovereign ,
You are a pattern to the four quarters [of the kingdom] .
'Full of dignity and majesty [are they] ,
Like a jade-mace [in its purity] ,
The subject of praise , the contemplation of hope .
O happy and courteous sovereign ,
[Through them] the four quarters [of the kingdom] are guided by you .
'The male and female phoenix fly about ,
Their wings rustling ,
While they settle in their proper resting place .
Many are your admirable officers , O king ,
Ready to be employed by you ,
Loving you , the son of Heaven .
'The male and female phoenix fly about ,
Their wings rustling ,
As they soar up to heaven .
Many are your admirable officers , O king ,
Waiting for your commands ,
And loving the multitudes of the people .
'The male and female phoenix give out their notes ,
On that lofty ridge .
The dryandras grow ,
They grow luxuriantly ;
And harmoniously the notes resound .
'Your carriages , O sovereign ,
Are many , many .
Your horses , O sovereign ,
Are well trained and fleet .
I have made my few verses ,
In prolongation of your song . '
253.MIN LU
The people indeed are heavily burdened ,
But perhaps a little ease may be got for them .
Let us cherish this centre of the kingdom ,
To secure the repose of the four quarters of it .
Let us give no indulgence to the wily and obsequious ,
In order to make the unconscientious careful ,
And to repress robbers and oppressors ,
Who have no fear of the clear will [of Heaven] .
Then let us show kindness to those who are distant ,
And help those who are near ; --
Thus establishing [the throne of] our king .
The people indeed are heavily burdened ,
But perhaps a little rest may be got for them .
Let us cherish this centre of the kingdom ,
And make it a gathering-place for the people .
Let us give no indulgence to the wily and obsequious ,
In order to make the noisy braggarts careful ,
And to repress robbers and oppressors ; --
So the people shall not have such sorrow .
Do not cast away your [former] service ,
But secure the quiet of the king .
The people indeed are heavily burdened ,
But perhaps a little relief may be got for them .
Let us cherish this capital ,
To secure the repose of the States in the four quarters .
Let us give no indulgence to the wily and obsequious ,
To make careful those who set no limit to themselves ,
And to repress robbers and oppressors ; --
Not allowing them to act out their evil .
Then let us be reverently careful of our demeanour ,
To cultivate association with the virtuous .
The people indeed are heavily burdened ,
But perhaps a little repose may be got for them .
Let us cherish this centre of the kingdom ,
That the sorrow of the people may be dispelled .
Let us give no indulgence to the wily and obsequious ,
In order to make the multitudes of the evil careful ,
And to repress robbers and oppressors ,
So that the right shall not be over thrown .
Though you may be [but as] little children ,
Your work is vast and great .
The people indeed are heavily burdened ,
But perhaps a little tranquillity may be got for them .
Let us cherish this centre of the kingdom ,
That it may not everywhere suffer such wounds .
Let us give no indulgence to the wily and obsequious ,
In order to make the parasites careful ,
And to repress robbers and oppressors ,
So that the right shall not be reversed .
The king wishes to hold you as [sceptres of] jade ,
And therefore I thus strongly admonish you .
254.BAN
God has reversed [His usual course of procedure] ,
And the lower people are full of distress .
The words which you utter are not right ;
The plans which you form are not far-reaching .
As there are not sages , you think you have no guidance ;
You have no reality in your sincerity .
[Thus] your plans do not reach far ,
And I therefore strongly admonish you .
Heaven is now sending down calamities ; --
Do not be so complacent .
Heaven is now producing such movements ; --
Do not be so indifferent .
If your words were harmonious ,
The people would become untied .
If your words were gentle and kind ,
The people would be settled .
Though my duties are different from yours ,
I am your fellow-servant .
I come to advise with you ,
And you hear me with contemptuous indifference .
My words are about the [present urgent] affairs ; --
Do not think them matter for laughter .
The ancients had a saying : --
'Consult the grass and firewood-gatherers . '
Heaven is now exercising oppression ; --
Do not in such a way make a mock of things .
An old man , [I speak] with entire sincerity ;
But you , my juniors , are full of pride .
It is not that my words are those of age ,
But you make a joke of what is sad .
But the troubles will multiply like flames ,
Till they are beyond help or remedy .
Heaven is now displaying its anger ; --
Do not be either boastful or flattering ,.
Utterly departing from all propriety of demeanour ,
Till good men are reduced to personators of the dead .
The people now sigh and groan ,
And we dare not examine [into the causes of their trouble] .
The ruin and disorder are exhausting all their means of living ,
And we show no kindness to our multitudes .
Heaven enlightens the people ,
As the bamboo flute responds to the porcelain whistle ;
As two half maces form a whole one ;
As you take a thing , and bring it away in your hand ,
Bringing it away without any more ado .
The enlightenment of the people is very easy .
They have [now] many perversities ; --
Do not you set up your perversity [before them] .
Good men are a fence ;
The multitudes of the people are a wall ;
Great States are screens ;
Great Families are buttresses ;
The cherishing of virtue secures repose ;
The circle of [the king's] Relatives is a fortified wall .
We must not let the fortified wall get destroyed ;
We must not let him solitary be consumed with terrors .
Revere the anger of Heaven ,
And presume not to make sport or be idle .
Revere the changing moods of Heaven ,
And presume not to drive about [at your pleasure] .
Great Heaven is intelligent ,
And is with you in all your goings .
Great Heaven is clear-seeing ,
And is with you in your wandering and indulgences .
Decade of Dang
255.DANG
How vast is God ,
The ruler of men below !
How arrayed in terrors is God ,
With many things irregular in His ordinations !
Heaven gave birth to the multitudes of the people ,
But the nature it confers is not to be depended on .
All are [good] at first ,
But few prove themselves to be so at the last .
King Wen said , 'Alas !
Alas ! you [sovereign of] Yin-shang ,
That you should have such violently oppressive ministers ,
That you should have such extortionate exactors ,
That you should have them in offices ,
That you should have them in the conduct of affairs !
Heaven made them with their insolent dispositions ,
But it is you who employ them , and gave them strength . '
King Wen said , 'Alas !
Alas ! you [sovereign of] Yin-shang ,
You ought to employ such as are good ,
But [you employ instead] violent oppressors , who cause many dissatisfactions .
They respond to you with baseless stories ,
And [thus] robbers and thieves are in your court .
Thence come oaths and curses ,
Without limit , without end . '
King Wen said , 'Alas !
Alas ! you [sovereign of] Yin-shang ,
You show a strong fierce will in the centre of the kingdom ,
And consider the contracting of enmities a proof of virtue .
All unintelligent are you of your [proper] virtue ,
And so you have no [good] men behind you , nor by your side .
Without any intelligence of your [proper] virtue ,
You have no [good] intimate adviser nor minister . '
King Wen said , 'Alas !
Alas ! you [sovereign of] Yin-shang ,
It is not Heaven that flushes your face with spirits ,
So that you follow what is evil and imitate it .
You go wrong in all your conduct ;
You make no distinction between the light and the darkness ;
But amid clamour and shouting ,
You turn the day into night . '
King Wen said , 'Alas !
Alas ! you [sovereign of] Yin-shang ,
[All around you] is like the noise of cicadas ,
Or like the bubbling of boiling soup .
Affairs , great and small , are approaching to ruin ;
And still you [and your creatures] go on in this course .
Indignation is rife against you here in the Middle kingdom ,
And extends to the demon regions . '
King Wen said , 'Alas !
Alas ! you [sovereign of] Yin-shang ,
It is not God that has caused this evil time ,
But it arises from Yin's not using the old [ways] .
Although you have not old experienced men ,
There are still the ancient statutes and laws .
But you will not listen to them ,
And so your great appointment is being overthrown . '
King Wen said , 'Alas !
Alas ! you [sovereign of] Yin-shang ,
People have a saying ,
'When a tree falls utterly ,
While its branches and leaves are yet uninjured ,
It must first have been uprooted . '
The beacon of Yin is not far-distant ; --
It is in the age of the [last] sovereign of Xia . '
256.YI
An outward demeanour , cautious and grave ,
Is an indication of the [inward] virtue .
People have the saying ,
'There is no wise man who is not [also] stupid . '
The stupidity of the ordinary man ,
Is determined by his [natural] defects .
The stupidity of the wise man ,
What is most powerful is the being the man ; --
In all quarters [of the State] men are influenced by it .
To an upright virtuous conduct ,
All in the four quarters of the State render obedient homage .
With great counsels and determinate orders ,
With far-reaching plans and timely announcements ,
And with reverent care of his outward demeanour ,
One will become the pattern of the people .
Is from his doing violence [to his natural character] .
As for the circumstances of the present time ,
You are bent on error and confusion in your government .
Your virtue is subverted ;
You are besotted by drink .
Although you thus pursue nothing but pleasure ,
How is it you do not think of your relation to the past ,
And do not widely study the former kings ,
That you might hold fast their wise laws ?
Shall not those whom great Heaven does not approve of ,
Surely as the waters flow from a spring ,
Sink down together to ruin ?
Rise early and go to bed late ,
Sprinkle and sweep your court-yard ; --
So as to be a pattern to the people .
Have in good order your chariots and horses ,
Your bows and arrows , and [other] weapons of war ; --
To be prepared for warlike action ,
To keep at a distance [the hordes of] the South .
Perfect what concerns your officers and people ;
Be careful of your duties as a prince [of the kingdom] ; --
To be prepared for unforeseen dangers .
Be cautious of what you say ;
Be reverently careful of your outward demeanour ;
In all things be mild and correct .
A flaw in a mace of white jade ,
May be ground away ,
But for a flaw in speech ,
Nothing can be done .
Do not speak lightly ; -- your words are your own : --
Do not say , ' This is of little importance . '
No one can hold my tongue for me ;
Words are not to be cast away .
Every word finds its answer ;
Every good deed has its recompense .
If you are gracious among your friends ,
And to the people , as if they were your children ,
Your descendants will continue in unbroken line ,
And all the people will surely be obedient to you .
Looked at in friendly intercourse with superior men ,
You make your countenance harmonious and mild ; --
Anxious not to do anything wrong .
Looked at in your chamber ,
You ought to be equally free from shame before the light which shines in .
Do not say , ' This place is not public ;
No one can see me here . '
The approaches of spiritual Beings ,
Cannot be calculated [beforehand] ;
But the more should they not be slighted .
O prince , let your practice of virtue ,
Be entirely good and admirable .
Watch well over your behaviour ,
And allow nothing wrong in your demeanour .
Committing no excess , doing nothing injurious ; --
There are few who will not in such a case take you for their pattern .
When one throws to me a peach ,
I return to him a plum .
To look for horns on a young ram ,
Will only weary you , my son .
The soft and elastic wood ,
Can be fitted with the silken string .
The mild and the respectful man ,
Possesses the foundation of virtue .
There is a wise man ; --
I tell him [good] words ,
And he yields to them the practice of docile virtue .
There is a stupid man ; --
He says on the contrary that my words are not true : --
So different are people's minds .
Oh ! my son ,
When you did not know what was good , and what was not good ,
Not [only] did I lead you on by the hand ,
But I showed the difference by appealing to affairs .
Not [only] did I charge you face to face ,
But I held you by the ears .
And still perhaps you do not know ,
Although you have held a son in your arms .
If people are not self-sufficient ,
Who comes [only] to a late maturity after early instruction ?
Great Heaven is very intelligent ,
And I pass my life without pleasure .
When I see you so dark and stupid ,
My heart is full of pain .
I taught you with assiduous repetition ,
And you listened to me with contempt .
You would nto consider me your teacher ,
But regarded me as troublesome .
Still perhaps you do not know ; --
But you are very old .
Oh ! my son ,
I have told you the old ways .
Hear and follow my counsels ; --
Then shall you have no cause for great regret .
Heaven is now inflicting calamities ,
And is destroying the State .
My illustrations are not taken from things remote ; --
Great Heaven makes no mistakes .
If you go on to deteriorate in your virtue ,
You will bring the people to great distress .
257.SANG ROU
Luxuriantly is that young mulberry tree ,
And beneath it wide is the shade ;
But they will pluck its leaves till it is quite destroyed .
The distress inflicted on these [multitudes of the ] people ,
Is an unceasing sorrow to my heart ; --
My commiseration fills [my breast] .
O thou bright and great Heaven ,
Shouldest thou not have compassion on us ?
The four steeds [gallop about] , eager and strong ;
The tortoise-and-serpent and the falcon banners fly about .
Disorder grows , and no peace can be secured .
Every State is being ruined ;
There are no black heads among the people ;
All are reduced to ashes , [as it were] , by calamity .
Oh ! alas !
The doom of the kingdom hurries on .
There is nothing to arrest the doom of the kingdom ;
Heaven does not nourish us .
There is no place in which to stop securely ;
There is no place to which to go .
Superior men are the bonds [of the social state] ,
Allowing no love of strife in their hearts .
Who reared the steps of the dissatisfaction ,
Which has reached the present distress ?
The grief of my heart is extreme ,
And I dwell on [the condition of] our territory .
I was born at an unhappy time ,
To meet with the severe anger of Heaven .
From the west to the east ,
There is no quiet place of abiding .
Many are the distresses I meet with ;
Very urgent is the trouble on our borders .
You have your counsels ; you employ caution ;
But the disorder grows and dismemberments ensue .
I tell you the subjects for anxiety ;
I instruct you how to distinguish the orders of men .
Who can hold anything hot ?
Must he not dip it [first] in water ?
How can you [by your method] bring a good state of things about ?
You [and your advisers] will sink together in ruin .
[The state of things] is like going in the teeth of the wind ,
Which makes one quite breathless .
Some have a mind to go forward ,
But they are made to think it is of no use to do so .
They attach themselves to husbandry ,
And labour like the people instead of eating [the bread of office] .
Their sowing and reaping are precious to them ;
They love this substitute for [official] emolument .
Heaven is sending down death and disorder ,
And has put an end to our king .
It is sending down those devourers of the grain ,
So that the husbandry is all in evil case .
All is in peril and going to ruin ;
I have no strength [to do anything] ,
And think of [the Power in] the azure vault .
Here is a good and righteous ruler ,
Who is looked up to by the people and by all ; --
He keeps his heart , and his plans are formed on mature deliberation ,
Searching carefully for helpers .
There is one who has no such character ,
But reckons only to his own views to be good ; --
He holds only to his own thoughts ,
And causes the people to be distracted .
Look into the middle of that forest ,
At the herds of deer roaming together .
[But here] friends are insincere ,
And do not help one another in what is good .
People have the saying ,
'To go forwards or backwards is alike impracticable . '
Here is a wise man ; --
His views and words reach to a hundred Li ,
There is a stupid man ; --
He on the contrary rejoices in his madness .
It is not that I could not speak [all this] ; --
How is it I was withheld by my fear ?
Here is a good man ,
But he is not sought out nor employed .
There is a hard-hearted man ,
And he is thought of and promoted once and again .
The people [in consequence] desire disorder ,
And find emjoyment in bitter , poisonous ways .
Great winds have a path ; --
They come from the large empty valleys .
Here is a good man ,
Whose doings will be good .
There is a man unobservant of the right ,
Whose goings will be according to his inward filthiness .
Great winds have a path ; --
The covetous men try to subvert their peers .
I would speak , if he would hear my words ,
But I can [only] croon them over as if I were drunk .
He will not employ the good ,
And on the contrary causes me [such] distress .
Ah ! my friends ,
Is it in ignorance that I make [this ode]?
[But it may happen] as in the case of a bird on the wing ,
Which sometimes is hit and caught .
I go to do you good ,
But you become the more incensed against me .
The unlimited disorder of the people ,
Is owing to those hypocrites , skilful to prevaricate .
They work out the injury of the people ,
As if their efforts were not equal to it .
The depravity of the people ,
Is brought about by their strenuous endeavours .
That the people are unsettled ,
Is owing to the robbers that prey on them .
Hypocritical , they say ' These men will not do ; '
But when their backs are turned , they show their skill in reviling [the good] .
Although you say , ' We did not do this , '
I have made this song about you .
258.YUN HAN
Bright was that milky way ,
Shining and revolving in the sky .
The king said , 'Oh !
What crime is chargeable on us now ,
That Heaven [thus] sends down death and disorder ?
Famine comes again and again .
There is no victim I have grudged ;
Our maces and other tokens are exhausted : --
How is it that I am not heard ?
'The drought is excessive ;
Its fervours become more and more tormenting .
I have not ceased offering pure sacrifices ;
From the border altars I have gone to the ancestral temple .
To the [Powers] above and below I have presented my offerings and then buried them : --
There is no Spirit whom I have not honoured .
Hou-ji is not equal to the occasion ;
God does not come to us .
This wasting and ruin of our country , --
Would that it fell [only] on me !
'The drought is excessive ;
And I may not try to excuse myself .
I am full of terror and feel the peril ,
Like the clap of thunder or the roll .
of the remnant of Zhou , among the black-haired people ,
There will not be half a man left ;
Nor will God from His great heaven ,
Exempt [even] me .
Shall we not mingle our fears together ?
[The sacrifices to] my ancestors will be extinguished .
'The drought is excessive ;
And it cannot be stopped .
More fierce and fiery ,
It is leaving me no place .
My end is near ; --
I have none to look up to , none to look around to .
The many dukes and their ministers of the past ,
Give me no help .
O ye parents and [nearer] ancestors ,
How can ye bear to see us thus ?
'The drought is excessive ; --
Parched are the hills , and the streams are dried .
The demon of drought exercises his oppression .
As if scattering flames and fire .
My heart is terrified with the heat ; --
My sorrowing heart is as if on fire .
The many dukes and their ministers of the past ,
Do not hear me ,
O God , from Thy great heaven ,
Grant me the liberty to withdraw [into retirement] !
'The drought is excessive ; --
I struggle , and fear to go away .
How is it I am afflicted with this drought ?
I cannot ascertain the cause of it .
In praying for a good year I was abundantly early ;
I was not late [in sacrificing] to [the Spirits] of the four quarters and of the land .
God in the great heaven ,
Does not consider me .
Reverent to the intelligent Spirits ,
I ought not to be thus the object of their anger .
'The drought is excessive ; --
All is dispersion , and the bonds of government are relaxed .
Reduced to extremities are the Heads of departments ;
Full of distress are my chief minister ,
The master of the horse , the commander of the guards ,
The chief cook , and my attendants .
There is no one who has not [tried to] help [the people] ;
They have not refrained on the ground of being unable .
I look up to the great heaven ; --
Why am I plunged in this sorrow ?
'I look up to the great heaven ,
But its stars sparkle bright .
My great officers and excellent men ,
Ye have drawn near [to Heaven] with reverence with all your powers .
Death is approaching ,
But do not cast away what you have done .
You are seeking not for me only ,
But to give rest to all our departments .
I look up to the great heaven ; --
When shall I be favoured with repose ?
259.SONG GAO
Grandly lofty are the mountains ,
With their large masses reaching to the heavens .
From these mountains was sent down a Spirit ,
Who gave birth to [the princes of] Fu and shen .
Fu and Shen ,
Are the support of Zhou ,
Screens to all the States ,
Diffusing [their influence] over the four quarters of the kingdom .
Full of activity is the chief of Shen ,
And the king would employ him to continue the services [of his fathers] ,
With his capital in Xie ,
Where he should be a pattern to the States of the south .
The king gave charge to the earl of Zhou ,
To arrange all about the residence of the chief of Shen ,
Where he should do what was neccessary for the regions of the south ,
And where his posterity might maintain his merit .
The king gave charge to the chief of Shen ,
'Be a pattern to the regions of the south ,
And by means of those people of Xie ,
Proceed to display your merit . '
The king gave charge to the earl of Zhou ,
To make the statutory definition of the territory and fields of the chief of Shen .
The king gave charge to the chief 's steward ,
To remove the members of his family to the spot .
of the services of the chief of Shen ,
The foundation was laid by the earl of Zhou ,
Who built first the walls [of this city] ,
And then completed his ancestral temple .
When the temple was completed , wide and grand ,
The king conferred on the chief of Shen ,
Four noble steeds ,
With their hooks for the trappings of the breast-bands , glittering bright .
The king sent away the chief of Shen ,
With its carriage of state and its team of horses .
'I have consulted about your residence ,
That it had best be fixed in the South .
I confer on you a great sceptre ,
As the symbol of your dignity .
Go , my uncle ,
And protect the country of the South .'
The chief of Shen took his departure ,
And the king gave him a parting feast in Mei .
Then the chief of Shen returned , [and proceeded] to the south ,
And found himself at last in Xie .
The king had given charge to the earl of Zhou ,
To make the statutory division of the lands ,
And to lay up stores of provisions ,
That the progress of the chief might be accelerated .
Martial-like , the chief of Shen ,
Entered into Xie .
His footmen and charioteers were numerous ,
And throughout the regions of Zhou all rejoiced .
'You have got a good support : --
Very distinguished is the chief of Shen ,
The great uncle of the king ,
The pattern of the officers , both civil and military . '
The virtue of the chief of Shen ,
Is mild , and regulated , and upright .
He will keep all these countries in order ,
And be famed throughout the kingdom .
[I] , Ji-fu , made this song ,
An ode of great excellence ,
of influence good ,
To present to the chief of Shen .
260.ZHENG MIN
Heaven , in giving birth to the multitudes of the people ,
To every faculty and relationship annexed its law .
The people possess this normal nature ,
And they [consequently] love its normal virtue .
Heaven beheld the ruler of Zhou ,
Brilliantly affecting it by his conduct below ;
And to maintain him , its Son ,
Gave birth to Zhong Shan-fu .
The virtue of Zhong Shan-fu ,
Is mild and admirable , according as it ought to be .
Good is his deportment ; good his looks ;
The lessons of antiquity are his law ;
He is strenuously attentive to his deportment .
In full accord with the Son of Heaven ,
He is employed to spread abroad his bright decrees .
The king gave charge to Zhong Shan-fu : --
'Be a pattern to all the princes ;
Continue [the services of] your ancestors .
You have to protect the royal person ;
Give out the royal decrees , and report on them .
Be the king's throat and tongue ;
Spread his government abroad ,
So that in all quarters it shall be responded to . '
Most dignified was the king's charge ,
And Zhong Shan-fu carries it into execution .
In the States , the princes , be they good or bad ,
Are clearly distinguished by Zhong Shan-fu .
Intelligent is he and wise ,
Protecting his own person ;
Never idle , day or night ,
In the service of the One man .
The people have a saying : --
'The soft is devoured ,
And the hard is ejected from the mouth . '
But Zhong Shan-fu ,
Does not devour the soft ,
Nor eject the powerful .
He does not insult the poor or the widow ;
He does not fear the strong or the oppressive .
The people have a saying : --
'Virtue is light as a hair ,
But few are able to lift it . '
When I think of the matter ,
It is only Zhong Shan-fu that can lift it .
I love him , but can do nothing to help him .
Any defects in the king's duties ,
Are supplied by Zhong Shan-fu .
Zhong Shan-fu went forth , having sacrificed to the Spirit of the road .
His four steeds were strong ;
His men were alert ;
He was always anxious lest he should not be equal to his commission ;
His steeds went on without stopping ,
To the tinkling of their eight bells .
The king had given charge to Zhong Shan-fu ,
To fortify the city there in the east .
With his four steeds so strong ,
And their eight bells , all tinkling ,
Zhong Shan-fu proceeded to Qi ; --
And he will soon return .
I , Yin Ji-fu , have made this song : --
May it enter like a quiet wind ,
Among the constant anxieties of Zhong Shan-fu ,
To soothe his mind !
261.HAN YI
Very grand is the mountain of Liang ,
Which was made cultivable by Yu .
Bright it is the way from it ,
[Along which came] the marquis of Han to receive investiture .
The king himself gave the charge : --
'Continue the services of your ancestors ;
Let not my charge to you come to nought .
Be diligent , early and late ,
And reverently discharge your duties ; --
So shall my appointment of you not change .
Be a support against those princes who do not come to court ,
Thus assisting your sovereign . '
With his four steeds , all noble ,
Very long , and large ,
The marquis of Han came to court ,
With the large sceptre of his rank ; --
He entered and appeared before the king .
The king gave him ,
A fine dragon-flag , with its feathery ornaments ;
A chequered bamboo-screen , and an ornamented yoke ;
A dark-coloured robe with the dragons on it , and the redslippers ;
The hooks for the trappings of the breast-bands , and the carved frontlets ;
The leaning-board bound with leather , and a tiger's skin to cover it ,
The ends of the reins , with their metal rings .
When the marquis of Han left the court , he sacrificed to the Spirit of the road ;
He went forth , and lodged for the night in Tu .
There Xian-fu gave him the parting feast ; --
With a hundred vases of clear spirits .
And what were the viands ?
Roast turtle and fresh fish .
And what were the vegetables ?
Bamboo sprouts and pu.
And what were the gifts ?
A carriage of state with its team .
Many were the vessels of sauces and fruits ;
And the other princes [at court] joined in the feast .
The marquis of Han took to himself a wife , --
A niece of king Fen ,
The daughter of Jue-fu .
The marquis of Han went to receive her .
To the residence of Jue .
His hundred chariots were in grand array ,
The eight bells of each emitting their tinkling ; --
Illustrious was the glory [of the occasion] .
The virgins , her companions , followed the lady ,
Leisurely like a beautiful cloud .
The marquis of Han looked round at them ,
Filling the gate with their splendour .
Jue-fu is very martial ,
And there is no State which he had not visited .
When he would select a home for Han-ji ,
There seemed none so pleasant as Han ,
Very pleasant is the territory of Han ,
With its large streams and meres ,
Full of big bream and tench ;
With its multitudes of deer ,
With its bears and grisly bears ;
With its wild-cats and tigers .
Glad was he of so admirable a situation ,
And here Han-ji found rest and joy .
Large is the wall of [the city of] Han ,
Built by the multitudes of Yan .
As his ancestor had received charge ,
To preside over all the wild tribes [of that quarter] ,
The king [now] gave to the marquis of Han ,
The Qi and the Mo ,
Forthwith to hold the States of the north ,
And to preside over them as their chief ;
Making strong his walls , and deep his moats ,
Laying out his fields , regulating his revenues ,
Presenting his skins of the white fox ,
With those of the red panther and the yellow grisly bear .
262.JIANG HAN
Large was the volume of the Jiang and the Han ,
And the troops advanced like a flowing current .
There was no resting , no idle wandering ; --
We were seeking for the tribes of the Huai .
We had sent forth our chariots ;
We had displayed our falcon-banners .
There was no resting , no remissness ; --
Against the tribes of the Huai were we marshalled .
Large flowed the Jiang and the Han ,
And grandly martial looked the troops .
The whole country had been reduced to order ,
And an announcement of our success had been made to be king .
When the whole country was pacified ,
The king's State began to feel settled .
There was then an end of strife ,
And the king's heart was composed .
On the banks of the Jiang and the Han ,
The king had given charge to Hu of Zhou : --
'Open up the whole of the country ;
Make the statutory division of my lands there ;
Not to distress the people , nor with urgency ,
But making them conform to the royal state .
Make the larger and the smaller divisions of hte ground ,
As far as the southern sea . '
The king gave charge to Hu of Zhou : --
'You have everywhere diffused [and carried out my orders] .
When Wen and Wu received their appointment ,
The duke of Zhou was their strong support .
You do not [only] have a regard to me the little child ,
But you try to resemble that duke of Zhou .
You have commenced and earnestly displayed your merit ;
And I will make you happy .
'I give you a large libation-cup of jade ,
And a jar of herb-flavoured spirits from the black millet .
I have made announcement to the accomplished one ,
And confer on you hills , lands , and fields .
In Yu-zhou shall you receive investiture ,
According as your ancestor received his . '
Hu bowed with his head to the ground , [and said] ,
'May the Son of Heaven live for ever ! '
Hu bowed with his head to the ground ,
And in response displayed the goodness of the king ,
And roused himself to maintain the fame of his ancestor .
'May the Son of Heaven live for ever !
Very intelligent is the Son of Heaven ;
His good fame shall be without end .
Let him display his civil virtues ,
Till they permeate all quarters of the kingdom .
263.CHANG WU
Grandly and clearly ,
The king gave charge to his minister ,
A descendant of Nan Zhong ,
The Grand-master Huang-fu : --
'Put my six armies in order ,
And get ready all my apparatus of war .
Be reverent , be cautious ,
That we may give comfort to the States of the south . '
The king said to the Head of the Yin clan ,
'Give a charge to Xiu-fu , earl of Cheng ,
To undertake the arrangement of the ranks ,
And to warn all my troops .
Along the bank of the Huai ,
[We go] to see the land of Xu ,
Not delaying [our march] , not occupying [the territory] ,
That the threefold labours [of husbandry ] may proceed in order . '
Full of grandeur and strength ,
The Son of Heaven looked majestic .
Leisurely and calmly the king advanced ,
Not with his troops in masses , nor in broken lines .
The region of Xu from stage to stage was moved ;
It shook and was terrified , -- the region of Xu .
As by the roll of thunder or its sudden crash ,
The region of Xu shook and was terrified .
The king aroused his warlike energy ,
As if he were moved with anger .
He advanced his tiger-like officers .
Looking fierce like raging tigers .
He displayed his masses along the bank of the Huai ,
And forthwith seized a crowd of captives .
Securely kept was the country about the bank of the Huai ,
Occupied by the royal armies .
The royal legions were numerous ;
[Swift] as if they flew on wings ,
[Imposing] as the current of the Jiang and the Han ;
Firm as a mountain ;
Rolling on like a stream ;
Continuous and orderly ;
Inscrutable , invincible ;
Grandly proceeding to set in order the States of Xu .
The king's plans were directed in truth and sincerity ,
And the region of Xu came [at once to terms] ;
Its [chiefs] were all collected together ; --
Through the merit of the Son of Heaven .
The country was all reduced to order ;
Its [chiefs] appeared before the king .
They would not again change their minds ,
And the kings said , ' Let us return . '
264.ZHAN YANG
I look up to great Heaven ,
But it shows us no kindness .
Very long have we been disquieted ,
And these great calamities are sent down [upon us] .
There is nothing settled in the country ;
officers and people are in distress .
Through the insects from without and from within ,
There is no peace or limit [to our misery] .
The net of crime is not taken up ,
And there is no peace nor cure [for our state] .
Men had their ground and fields ,
But you have them [now] .
Men had their people and followers ,
But you have violently taken them from them .
Here is one who ought to be held guiltless ,
But you snare him [in the net of crime] .
There is one who ought to be held guilty ,
But you let him escape [from it] .
A wise man builds up the wall [of a city] ,
But a wise woman overthrows it .
Admirable may be the wise woman ,
But she is [no batter than] an owl .
A woman with a long tongue ,
Is [like] a stepping-stone to disorder .
[Disorder] does not come down from heaven ; --
It is produced by the woman .
Those from whom come no lessons , no instruction ,
Are women and eunuchs .
They beat men down , hurtful , deceitful .
Their slanders in the beginning may be falsified in the end ,
But they do not say [that their words were] very wrong ; --
[They say] , ' What evil was there in them ?
As if in the three times cent per cent of traffic ,
A superior man should have any knowledge of it ;
So a woman who has nothing to do with public affairs ,
Leaves her silk-worms and weaving .
Why is it that Heaven is [thus] reproving [you] ?
Why is it that the Spirits are not blessing [you] ?
You neglect your great barbarian [foes] ,
And regard me with hatred .
You are reagrdless of the evil omens [that abound] ,
And your demeanour is all-unseemly ;
[Good] men are going away ,
And the country is sure to go to ruin .
Heaven is letting down its net ,
And many [are the calamities in it] .
[Good] men are going away ,
And my heart is sorrowful .
Heaven is letting down its net ,
And soon [will all be caught in it ] .
Good men are going away .
And my heart is sad .
Right from the spring comes the water bubbling ,
Revealing its depth .
The sorrow of my heart , --
Is it [only] of to-day ?
Why were these things not before me ?
Or why were they not after me ?
But myteriously Great Heaven ,
Is able to strengthen anything ;
Do not disgrace your great ancestors ,
And it will save your posterity .
265.ZHOU WEN
Compassionate Heaven is arrayed in angry terrors ;
Heaven is indeed sending down ruin ,
Afflicting us with famine ,
So that the people are all wandering fugitives ; --
In the settled regions and on the borders all is desolation .
Heaven sends down its net of crime ; --
Devouring insects , who weary and confuse men's minds ,
Ignorant , oppressive , neglient ,
Breeders of confusion , utterly perverse : --
These are the men employed to tranquilize our country .
Insolent and slanderous , --
[The king] does not know a flaw in them .
We , careful and feeling in peril ,
For long in unrest ,
Are constantly subjected to degradation .
As in a year of drought ,
The grass not attaining to luxuriance ;
As water plants attached to a tree ;
So do I see in this country ,
All going to confusion .
The wealth of former days ,,
Was not like our present condition .
The distress of the present ,
Did not previously reach this degree .
Those are [like] coarse rice , these are [like] fine ; --
Why do you not retire of yourselves ,
But prolong my anxious sorrow ?
A pool becomes dry , --
Is it not because no water comes to it from its banks ?
A spring becomes dry , --
Is it not because no water rises in it from itself ?
Great is the injury [all about] .
So that my anxious sorrow is increased .
Will not calamity light on my person ?
Formerly when the former kings received their appointment ,
There were such ministers as the duke of Zhou ,
Who would in a day enlarge the kingdom a hundred Li ;
Now it is contracted in a day a hundred Li .
Oh ! Alas !
Among the men of the present day ,
Are there not still some with the old virtue ?
SACRIFICIAL ODES OF ZHOU, DECADE OF QING MIAO
Sacrificial Oses of zhou, Decade of qing miao
