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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 I.

THE HYMNS OF CHOW.*

FIRST SECTION.

IV. i. 1.

AT THE SACRIFICE TO KING WĂN.

• How solemn is the sacred temple now!
• How grave are all the illustrious acolytes!†
• While, crowding round, the many ministers
• Who cleave unto the virtuous ways of Wăn,
• In actions echoing his in Heaven, alert
• Yet dignified, move up and down the hall.
• Illustrious is not he, and had in honour?
• O never shall men weary of his praise.

IV. i. 2.

WĂN’S EXAMPLE.

• The orderings of Heaven
• Are how profound, how pauseless!
• And O, shone out not brightly
• King Wăn’s unsullied virtue?
• To deluge us with blessings
• He purposed:—let us take them.
• Great our King Wăn, and gracious!
• May all his line be like him!

IV. i. 3.

HIS STATUTES AND ORDINANCES.

• Bright, and growing ever brighter,
• Are the statutes of King Wăn.
• From the first pure offering made—
• While men keep them whole as now,
• Doth it augur well for Chow.

IV. i. 4.

THE KING TO THE PRINCES ASSISTING HIM AT SACRIFICES.

• Illustrious and accomplished lords and princes!
• Ye have conferred on me this happiness.
• The unbounded loyalty thus shown to me—
• Such may my children’s children long retain!
• While in your realms ye hoard not, neither waste,
• Your conduct shall have honour from your king
• Who, mindful too of these high services,
• Shall still exalt those who succeed to you.
• None is so strong as (he who plays) the man:
• Of him the people everywhere will learn.
• Nought shines so bright as Virtue: this it is
• Whereto all princes for example turn.
• Ah, not forgotten are our former kings!

IV. i. 5.

AT THE SHRINE OF KING T‘AI.

• Heaven made the lofty hill;*
• King T‘ai reclaimed and dressed it.†
• He laboured first thereat;
• King Wăn in peace possessed it.‡
• O’er that once rugged K‘i
• Now were there easy thoroughfares.
• So keep it long, ye sons of theirs!

IV. i. 6.

AT THE SHRINE OF KING CH‘ING.

• High Heaven the appointment fully hath confirmed.
• Two potentates received the same;
• Nor dared King Ching to rest, but day and night
• By still deep thought looked to the grounds of it.
• O gloriously, unceasingly,
• He strove with all his heart and mind,
• And so hath won tranquillity.

IV. i. 7.

AT THE SHRINE OF KING WĂN, AS THE ASSESSOR OF GOD.§

• • I bring my votive gifts
  • Of sheep and kine;
  • It may be that to these
  • Heaven will incline.
  • The statutes of King Wăn
  • My rule and guide,
  • Daily grows peacefulness
  • On every side.
  • And he, King Wăn the Blest,*
  • Hath to my heart inclined,
  • Well gratified.
• • The majesty of Heaven
  • Both night and day
  • Will I revere, and hold
  • To this good way.†

IV. i. 8.

ON KING WU’S PROGRESS THROUGH HIS DO MINIONS, AFTER THE OVERTHROW OF SHANG.

• • Now that he takes his journey through the land,
  • May highest Heaven acknowledge him Its Son!
• • Yea, Heaven doth honour him who now succeeds
  • Unto the throne of Chow. And dread is he;
  • And none there is who trembles not before him!
  • The host of Spirits he hath won to him,
  • Far as the Ho, far as the highest hills.
  • Assuredly a Sovereign is our king.
• • Glorious is he who ruleth over Chow,
  • In due succession seated on its throne.
  • Away, away (with war)—with shield and spear!
  • Away—shut up the arrow and the bow!
  • Virtue benign be now our (only) quest;
  • Virtue, to spread throughout this ancient* land:—
  • Assuredly our king will cherish it.

IV. i. 9.

AT SACRIFICES IN HONOUR OF KINGS WU, CH‘ING, AND K‘ANG.

• • O mighty was the monarch Wu,
  • Nor famed for might alone.
  • And Ch‘ing and K‘ang—shone they not too?
  • God set them on the throne.
• • From these—from Ch‘ing and K‘ang—
  • Strong grew the land all round.
  • Their judgment how profound!
  • Let bell and drum then clang,
  • And stones† and pipe resound,
  • For good thus showered around!
• • Yea, blessing hath been freely on us shed;
  • Be our deportment grave, decorous, ever.
  • Deep have we drunk, and fully have we fed,—
  • Our happinesses interrupted never.

IV. i. 10.

AT SACRIFICES IN HONOUR OF HOW-TSIH.*

• O Tsih, thou Prince accomplished,
• Worthy to link with Heaven,
• Grain-giver to our nation!
• Thy grace supreme, none other’s,
• Gave us the wheat, the barley,
• God sanctioned for our life-staff.
• No limit here restrained thee.
• So spread’st thou social order
• Throughout this ancient† nation.

[* ]Many of the Odes in this portion of the Shi are without rhyme.

[† ]These were the princes of the various States, who are frequently spoken of as “assisting” the king at such sacrifices.

[* ]The hill of K‘i, named in the fifth line.

[† ]See III. i. 7, stanza 2.

[‡ ]Rather, perhaps, made it to flourish.

[§ ]For use in the “Brilliant Hall,” or Hall of Audience.

[* ]Or, “Blesser.”

[† ]Or, “and thus maintain” (its favours).

[* ]Lit., “this Hià (land).” Hià was the dynasty before Shang; hence the name is given to the country, as afterwards, and even now, we find it called T‘ang, Han, &c., after those dynasties.

[† ]Suspended sounding-stones, of various tones.

[* ]This was in the Spring.

[† ]Lit., Hià, as in Ode 8.