The Online Library of Liberty

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• Introduction to the Shi King. *
• Part I.: Characteristics of the States.
• Book I.: The Odes of Chow and the South. *
• Book II.: The Odes of ShÂu and the South. *
• Book III.: The Odes of P‘ei.
• Book IV.: The Odes of Yung. *
• Book V.: The Odes of Wei.
• Book VI.: The Odes of the Royal Domain. *
• Book VII.: The Odes of Ch‘ing. *
• Book VIII.: The Odes of Ts‘i. *
• Book IX.: The Odes of Wei. *
• Book X.: The Odes of T‘ang. *
• Book XI.: The Odes of Ts‘in. *
• Book XII.: The Odes of Ch‘in. *
• Book XIII.: The Odes of Kwai. *
• Book XIV.: The Odes of Ts‘Âu. *
• Book XV.: The Odes of Pin. *
• Part II.: The Minor Festal Odes.
• Book I.
• Book II.
• Book III.
• Book IV.
• Book V.
• Book VI.
• Book VII.
• Book VIII.
• Part III.: The Greater Festal Odes.
• Book I.: The “wĂn Wong” Decade. *
• Book II.: The “shang Min” Decade.
• Book III.: The “tang” Decade.
• Part IV.: Festal Hymns and Songs.
• Book I.: The Hymns of Chow. * First Section.
• Book II.: The Hymns of Chow. Second Section.
• Book III.: The Hymns of Chow. Third Section.
• Book IV.: The Festal Songs of Lu. *
• Book V.: The Festal Odes of Shang.

BOOK IX.

THE ODES OF WEI.*

I. ix. 1.

A WEALTHY NIGGARD.

• • Sparsely woven fibre-shoes
  • Serve to walk on frozen dews!
  • Dainty fingers of his bride
  • Are to tailoring applied,—
  • Trimming here, and edging there,
  • What the gentleman shall wear!
• • With what ease and courteous grace
  • He can yield the honoured place!†
  • [Mark the dress]‡ —the ivory pin
  • As a girdle-pendant strung.
  • ’Tis the stingy heart within—
  • That alone—moves satire’s tongue.

I. ix. 2.

OFFICIAL NIGGARDS

• • To yonder swamps along the Făn*
  • The sorrel-gatherers repair.
  • And there behold a gentleman
  • Comely beyond compare,
  • Comely beyond compare!
  • Sure, not† the noble Equerry is there!
• • To yonder plot beside the Făn
  • Now mulberry-pickers all repair.
  • And there behold a gentleman
  • As any floweret fair,
  • As any floweret fair!
  • Sure, not the Chariot-Marshaller is there!
• • Again, where yonder curves the Făn
  • They gather marsh-plants, root and stem.
  • And there behold a gentleman
  • Bright as a polished gem,
  • Bright as a polished gem!
  • Sure, not the Clan-Recorder is with them!

I. ix. 3.

SECRET GRIEF OF A STATESMAN AT THE APPROACHING DOWNFALL OF THE STATE.

• • Who peach-trees in his garden grows
  • The peach anon will eat.
  • I, with a sad heart, sing my song
  • And on my lute the song repeat;
  • And those who understand me not
  • Call me a master of supreme conceit.
  • “ ’Tis those* are right,” say they;
  • “And thou, what wouldst thou say?”
  • And so my heart still grieveth;
  • Yet none the cause perceiveth,
  • Not one the cause perceiveth,—
  • And why?—their thoughts are far away.
• • Who date-trees in his garden grows
  • Anon will eat the date.
  • I, in the sadness of my heart.
  • Thought I would travel through the State;
  • But those who understood me not
  • Called me the master insubordinate!
  • “ ’Tis those are right,” said they;
  • “And thou, what wouldst thou say?”
  • And so my heart still grieveth;
  • Yet none the cause perceiveth,
  • Not one the cause perceiveth;—
  • And why?—their thoughts are far away.

I. x. 4.

RECIPROCATED AFFECTION.*

• • He climbs the wooded hills,
  • And turns his wistful gaze
  • There, where afar his father dwells;
  • The while the father prays,—
  • Alas, my son a-soldiering has gone,
  • And morn and night must aye be toiling on:
  • O may he still, by watchful care,
  • Return, nor end his travels there!
• • He climbs the barren fells,
  • And turns his wistful eyes
  • There, where afar his mother dwells;
  • The while the mother cries,—
  • Alas! my child a-soldiering is led,
  • And morn and night rests not his weary head:
  • O may he still, by watchful care,
  • Return, nor lie unburied there!
• • He climbs the rocky scar,
  • And still his eye pursues
  • The spot where elder brothers are;
  • The while the brothers muse,—
  • Alas, our younger one is at the war,
  • And morn and night must aye be with his corps:
  • O may he still, by watchful care,
  • Return, ere death o’ertake him there!

I. ix. 5.

WEARY OFFICIALS CONTEMPLATING A RETREAT.*

• • ’Mid his acres ten,† contented, free,—
  • O the mulberry-planter’s life for me!
  • There fain would I, friend, retire with thee.
• • By his acres ten, without one care,—
  • O the mulberry-planter’s life to share!
  • There fain would I, friend, with thee repair.

I. ix. 6.

THE THRIFTY WOODMAN AND THE HOARDING OFFICIAL.

• • Rap, rap! the sandal-trees‡ he slaughters,
  • And lays beside Ho’s barriered waters,
  • Ho’s clear and rippling laughing waters.
  • And thou, that reapest not, nor sowest,—
  • How cam’st thou by the grain that full three hundred farms should grow?
  • And, since thou ne’er a-hunting goest,
  • How see we there the badgers hanging in thy court below?
  • Ah, sure, the honourable man is there!*
  • Though lacking even simple homely fare.
• • Rap, rap! the spoke-wood he is mowing,
  • And by the Ho the timber stowing,—
  • Ho’s waters clear and smoothly flowing.
  • And thou, that reapest not, nor sowest,—
  • How cam’st thou by the grain thou hast—three hundred lakhs of stooks?
  • And, since thou ne’er a-hunting goest,
  • How see we in thy courtyard there the game upon the hooks?
  • Ah, sure, the honourable man is there!
  • Though lacking even simple homely fare.
• • Rap, rap! the tire-wood he is cleaving,
  • And by the Ho the timber leaving,—
  • Ho’s waters clear and gently heaving.
  • And thou, that reapest not, nor sowest,—
  • How cam’st thou by the grain that in three hundred barns is found?
  • And, since thou ne’er a-hunting goest,
  • How see we in thy courtyard there the qualls that hang around?
  • Ah, sure, the honourable man is there!
  • Though wanting even simple homely fare.

I. ix. 7.

SONG OF FARMERS DRIVEN FORTH BY EXTORTION.

• • O monster* rats! O monster rats!
  • Eat not our millets, we implore.
  • Three years we’ve borne with you,
  • And still our presence you ignore.
  • Now we abandon you,
  • And to you pleasant lands repair.
  • O pleasant lands! O pleasant lands!
  • A refuge have we surely there.
• • O monster rats! O monster rats!
  • Devour not all our crops of wheat.
  • Three years we’ve borne with you,
  • Still with no mercy do we meet.
  • Now we abandon you,
  • And take to you glad Land our flight.
  • O gladsome Land! O gladsome Land!
  • There justice shall we have, and right.
• • O monster rats! O monster rats!
  • Devour not all our springing grain.
  • Three years we’ve borne with you,
  • Nor heed you still our toil and pain.
  • Now we abandon you
  • For brighter plains† that yonder lie.
  • O brighter plains! O brighter plains!
  • Whose, then, will be the constant cry?

[* ]This Wei is different from that of the 5th Book. It was a small State situated within the modern province of Shan-si, and was incorporated in the seventh century bc with the State of Tsin.

[† ]Lit., withdraw to the left.

[‡ ]A line seems to have been lost here, which I have ventured to replace with the bracketed words, the meaning of the whole verse being that though the gentleman was outwardly correct in all things in public, he was a niggard at home.

[* ]The Făn, or Hwun, is a tributary of the Ho, and the capital of Wei was near their junction.

[† ]In all the stanzas, “not”=one different from (i ü).

It is not meant that these high officials actually shared the labours of the peasantry; only their parsimony was such that they might well be mentioned side by side with these.

[* ]His opponents in the government.

[* ]This Ode is a favourite one as giving an example of filial piety, and of the feelings which ought to exist between parents and children, and elder and younger brothers. It is quoted as such in commentaries on the Shing ü hâu (), a well-known school book.

[* ]On account of the confusion in the government and the dangers threatening the State.

For similar sentiments see III. iii. 3, verse 6:—

• “Better be farmers—working men—
• Than live on such emolument.”

[† ]Dr. Legge has a lengthy note on the question “Why ten acres are here specified?”, and on the allotments made to farmers on the original division of the country; but does not see the force of the mention of “ten” acres. As a Chinese acre (mau) is less than a sixth of an English one, a plot of ten acres would represent one of the very smallest holdings; and with such some men could live contentedly.

[‡ ]This wood was much used in making carriages (see III. i. 2, v. 6). This will explain the “spoke-wood” and “tire-wood” in the 2nd and 3rd stanzas.

[* ]There is great diversity of opinion as to the last two lines. I think they must refer to the woodman, and translate accordingly.

[* ]Huge. The State officials had grown fat on their extortion, and were no less troublesome than rats.

[† ]Borders, frontiers.