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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 V.

THE FESTAL ODES OF SHANG.

[Shang,—also called Yin, and Yin-Shang, as appears elsewhere in this volume,—was the dynasty that preceded Chow. As in the case of the Chow poems, only certain kings are singled out from the many. Of these T‘ang, the founder of the dynasty, naturally has the chief place. There are said to have been seven poems, in addition to the following five, in existence at the beginning of the eighth century bc, but they appear not to have reached the hands of Confucius.]

IV. v. 1.

AT THE SACRIFICES IN HONOUR OF KING T‘ANG.

• • So-ho! now to the grand display!
  • Our drums and tabours to the fore!
  • Strike up, let drums make music gay;
  • ’Twill please our glorious sire of yore.
• • T‘ang’s scion thus his ear would win,
  • Thus fills our hearts with fullest cheer.
  • The drums and tabours wake their din,
  • The flutes add music shrill and clear.
• • Harmonious, regular they sound,
  • And with our sounding-stones agree.
  • O, T‘ang’s descendant is renowned,
  • And wondrous in his minstrelsie!
• • High rise the sounds of drum and bell;
  • Well move the dancers to each measure;
  • And we have worthy guests as well,
  • To share with us our joy and pleasure.
• • In days gone by, ere we were born,
  • The men of yore would do the same;
  • And, meek and humble, night and morn,
  • Devoutly to the service came.
• • May (T‘ang) regard the offerings*
  • That T‘ang’s descendant for us brings!

IV. v. 2.

THE SAME.

• • Ah, from thy glorious sire of yore,—
  • Source of unfailing blessedness!—
  • Do gifts unstinted more and more
  • Descend upon thee in this place.
• • The clear pure spirits are outpoured:
  • Our hopes shall have their full reward.
  • The savoury soups are also there,
  • Mingled with diligence and care.
  • With gifts—not words—his presence we invite;
  • No discord nor contention mars the rite.
  • With green old age, and hair long hoar,
  • He’ll cheer and bless us evermore.
  • With hide-girt naves, and yokes ornate,
  • Their eight bells tinkling, come in state
  • (My lords) upon the rite to wait.
  • So win we blessing full and free:
  • From Heaven is sent prosperity—
  • Rich years, aye plenteous as may be.
  • His* presence, his acceptance of this food
  • Will bring us down untold beatitude.
• • May (T‘ang) regard the offerings
  • That T‘ang’s descendant for us brings!

IV. v. 3.

AT A ROYAL SACRIFICE.

• • At Heaven’s behest the dusky bird† flew down,
  • And was the parent of the House of Shang,—
  • Which dwelt in Yin, and greatly multiplied.
  • And long ago God charged the warlike T‘ang
  • To fix their boundaries on every side.
• • Then had the princes their commission given.
  • Anon they held the territories nine;‡
  • And he, the first in Shang to be the king,
  • The appointment held unthreatened with decline,—
  • Now vested in a scion of Wu-ting.§
• • And Wu-ting’s scion is a warrior-king,
  • And ne’er a task for him is too severe.
  • Ten chariots with his dragon-banners* bring
  • Large store of sacrificial millet here.
• • His royal lands extend a thousand li,†
  • And there his people’s settled dwellings be,—
  • And thence his landmarks stretch to every sea.
• • From every sea‡ men come, all hither bound;
  • They come, and here in multitudes are found,
  • Where flows the Ho (the hill of) King around.
  • Most meet it was that Yin received the Call,
  • Now bearing its great honours one and all.

IV. v. 4.

IN HONOUR OF THE FOUNDERS OF SHANG.

[There is no variation of rhymes in the original in any stanza except the last; and this peculiarity is here preserved.]

• • In Shang was wisdom most profound,
  • And long with blessing it was crowned.
  • When the Great Flood§ increased around
  • Yü led its waters through the lowland ground.
  • To each great border State he placed a bound,
  • Till far the frontier-lines extended round.
  • Then, when the State of Sung became renowned,*
  • Did God raise up a son, the House of Shang to found.
• • The dusky† monarch made success his aim:
  • Had he a small State, greater it became;
  • Had he a great one, still it was the same.
  • The course he followed was devoid of blame;
  • At his mere glance quick men’s response‡ thus came.
  • Siang-t‘u,§ a Chief of glorious fame,
  • Could foes beyond the seas subdue and tame.
• • Nor then did God’s appointment fall away:
  • Till T‘ang arose it kept its even way;
  • And T‘ang came to the world without delay.
  • More sage grew he, more reverent day by day.
  • Long had his influence a marked display.
  • God-fearing, he was given by God to sway
  • The territories nine that round him lay.
• • Ensigns of rank∥ were brought him, small and great;
  • On him, like banner-pendants, hung each State;
  • And (well) he bore his Heaven-sent honours’ weight.
  • Not hasty was he, yet not prone to wait,
  • Not soft and yielding, yet not obdurate;
  • And calmly could he all things regulate.
  • So did all honours on him congregate.
• • To him was tribute, large or little,* paid;
  • The States’ strong beast of burden he was made!
  • And (well) he bore Heaven’s favours on him laid.
  • And far abroad his prowess he displayed,—
  • Ne’er agitated, nor at aught dismayed,
  • Ne’er apprehensive, nor of aught afraid.
  • So were all honours heaped upon his head.
• • The warrior-king would by his banner stand,
  • His battle-axe grasped firmly in his hand,
  • His ardour glowing like a blazing brand.
  • Who then were they that dared our might withstand?
  • A root with triple shoot† (was in the land),
  • That had no growth, no vigour to expand;
  • And then the regions nine did sundered stand;
  • So were Kun-wu and Wei and Ku outmanned,
  • And Kiĕ, Hià’s sovereign, fell beneath his hand.
• • There was a time once, in his mid career,
  • Of agitation and of quaking fear;
  • But O, he was a Son indeed of Heaven,
  • And unto him a Minister was given;
  • And of a truth this same was that A-Hang,
  • The true supporter of the King of Shang.

IV. v. 5.

ON THE COMPLETION OF A NEW TEMPLE BUILT IN HONOUR OF KING WU-TING.*

• • Quick was the Yin, in warlike mood:
  • King-ts‘u† received his onslaught rude;
  • Bold in its fastnesses he‡ stood,
  • Brought back its (scattered) multitude,
  • And every part of it subdued.
  • T‘ang’s scion thus his father’s course pursued.
• • “Men of King-ts‘u,” (quoth then Wu-ting,)
  • “Far South though ye be settled in my realm,
  • Yet once, when T‘ang the Perfecter was king,
  • E’en from Ti-kiang,§ none dared but bring
  • To Court his loyal offering,
  • Nor dared absent him from his king;
  • And ‘Shang is Shang’:∥ its rule unaltering.”
• • The many Princes¶ ruled by Heaven’s command,
  • With cities placed where Yü the sites had planned,
  • Yet yearly came before their King to stand,
  • And deprecate reproof or vengeful hand,
  • As unremiss in tillage of the land.
• • Would Heaven its searching eye turn down,
  • Or wore the people’s face a frown,
  • In him no error nor excess was known;
  • Nor idle leisure dared he make his own.
  • Charged with the rule of every lesser State,
  • So prospered he, and sealed his happy fate.
• • His* city, nobly built on every side,
  • Was model to all countries far and wide;
  • And glorious, glorious was his praise.
  • His genius shone with purest rays;
  • Ripe years were his, and still he stays
  • And shields ourselves, born in these later days.
• • Of yonder hill of King† we made the ascent,
  • Where tall grew pine and cypress, and unbent;
  • Hewn down were these, and hither were they sent,
  • And tooled to line, with care most diligent.
  • The pine beams—long was their extent;
  • The frequent pillars grandeur lent:—
  • The shrine stood perfect—great (his soul’s) content.‡

Woodfall & Kinder, Printers, 70 to 76, Long Acre, London, W.C.

[* ]ching shang, the autumnal and winter sacrifices in the ancestral temple.

[* ]i.e., the spirit of T‘ang.

[† ]The swallow. The legend is told in various ways. Chu-Hi says that Kian-ti, the ancestress of the House of Shang, prayed at a sacrifice for a son, and thereupon came a swallow and left an egg, which Kian-ti swallowed, after which she gave birth to Siĕ, who became the Prince of Shang.

[‡ ]The division of the kingdom into nine provinces was made in the time of the Emperor Yü (2205-2197 bc). Afterwards the number was doubled.

[§ ]Wu-ting reigned bc 1324-1265. Hence the Ode may be dated sometime during the thirteenth century bc

[* ]This is said to refer to the arrival of the princes to assist at the royal sacrifice.

[† ]A li is about one-third of an English mile.

[‡ ]Lit., the four seas, the supposed four boundaries of the earth.

[§ ]The Deluge referred to at the beginning of the Shu King (Book of History). To Yü is ascribed the leading off of the waters.

[* ]Lit., great. This son of Sung was Siĕ. His mother was of Sung.

[† ]So-called, probably with reference to the legend of the “dusky bird” of the preceding Ode.

[‡ ]His people hastened to do his will.

[§ ]Siang-t‘u was the grandson of Siĕ.

[∥ ]Jade-tokens, given to the princes in the first instance by the sovereign, and afterwards, as here, brought by them to the Court, as evidencing their rank, and in acknowledgment of his supremacy.

[* ]i.e., according to the size or importance of each feudal State.

[† ]The “root” was Kiĕ, the last king of the Hià dynasty; and the three shoots were the princes of Wei, Ku, and Kun-wu mentioned below.

[* ]About bc 1260. [There are the same almost constantly recurring rhymes, in the original, as in the preceding Ode.]

[† ]The Prince of T‘su (called both King and King-t‘su) had opposed himself to Wu-ting his sovereign, and refused to bring the annual offering and to appear at the annual levee at Court.

[‡ ]Wu-ting.

[§ ]An ancient principality, probably older than T‘su.

[∥ ]There is a play upon the words in the original. The first “Shang” is the dynastic name, and the second “Shang” means changeless, constant. The words are introduced by the character yuch, implying that this was a proverbial saying.

[¶ ]i.e., feudal lords.

[* ]Lit., Shang’s city.

[† ]The hill mentioned in the 3rd Ode.

[‡ ]i.e., the spirit of Wu-ting could now fully repose.