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Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1Look at the foot of the Han’, How abundantly grow the hazel and arrow-thorn*. Easy and selfpossessed was our prince, In his pursuit of dignity (still) easy and self-possessed. Massive is that libation-cup of jade, With the 1 It is difficult to trace the connexion between these allusive lines and the rest of the piece. * Here we have the lord of X4u in his ancestral temple, assisted by his ministers or great officers in pouring out the libations to the spirits of the departed. The libation-cup was fitted with a handle of jade, that used by the king having a complete kwei, the obelisklike symbol of rank, while the cups used by a minister had for a handle only half a kwei. ' § Where mount Han was cannot now be determined. * As the foot of the hill was favourable to vegetable growth, so were king Wan’s natural qualities to his distinction and advancement. ODE 6. THE MAJOR ODES OF THE KINGDOM. 387 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 on men ? His clear spirits were in the vessels; His red bull was ready*;—To offer, to sacrifice, To increase his bright happiness. Thick grow the oaks and the buckthorn, 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 selfpossessed was our prince, Seeking for happiness by no crooked ways. Ove 6. Tue Sze KA. THE VIRTUE OF WAN, WITH HIS FILIAL PIETY AND CONSTANT REVERENCE, AND THEIR WONDERFUL EFFECTS. THE EXCELLENT CHARACTER OF HIS MOTHER AND WIFE. Pure and reverent was Thai Z4n5, The mother of king Wan. Loving was she to Kau Kiang * ;— 1 As a cup of such quality was the proper receptacle for the yellow, herb-flavoured spirits, so was the character of Win such that all blessing must accrue to him. * It is the nature of the hawk to fly and of fishes to swim, and so there went out an influence from Wn unconsciously to himself. 5 Red, we have seen, was the proper colour for victims in the ancestral temple of Kau. * As it was natural for the people to take the wood and use it, so it was natural for the spirits of his ancestors, and spiritual beings generally, to bless king W4n. 5 Thai Zan is celebrated, above, in the second ode. * K4u Kiang is ‘the lady Kiang’ of ode 3, the wife of Than-fa or Cc2 388 THE SHIH KING. DECADE I. A wife becoming the House of Aéu. Thai Sze! 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.
2Their 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. Unseen (by men), he still felt that he was 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. king Thai, who came with him from Pin. She is here called Ku, as having married the lord of Ku. 1 Thi Sze, the wife of W4n, we are told in ode 2, was from the state of Hsin. The surname Sze shows that its lords must have been descended from the Great Yu. * We are not to suppose that Thai Sze had herself a hundred sons. She had ten, and her freedom from jealousy so encouraged the fruitfulness of the harem, that all the sons born in it are ascribed to her. ® Where there was no human eye to observe him, Wan still felt that he was open to the observation of spiritual beings. ODE 7. THE MAJOR ODES OF THE KINGDOM. 389 Ope 7. Tue Hwanc f. SHOWING THE RISE OF THE HOUSE OF XAU TO THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE KINGDOM THROUGH THE FAVOUR OF GOD. THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF KINGS THAI AND Xf, AND ESPECIALLY OF KING WAN. Great is God, Beholding this lower world in majesty. He surveyed the four quarters (of the kingdom), Seeking for some one to give establishment 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 whom 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 Thai). (King Thai) 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 tamarisk 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 Kwan hordes fled away*?. Heaven had raised up a helpmeet for him, And the appointment he had received was made sure. God surveyed the hills, Where the oaks and the buckthorn were thinned, And paths made through the firs and cypresses. God, who had raised the * Those of Hsia and Shang. 2 The same as ‘the hordes of the Khw&n’ in ode 3. Mr. T. W. Kingsmill says that ‘Kwan’ here should be ‘Chun,’ and charges the transliteration Kwan with error (Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society for April, 1878). He had not consulted his dictionary for the proper pronunciation of the Chinese character. 390 THE SHIH KING, DECADE I.
3Mr. T. W. Kingsmill says that ‘Kwan’ here should be ‘Chun,’ and charges the transliteration Kwan with error (Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society for April, 1878). He had not consulted his dictionary for the proper pronunciation of the Chinese character. 390 THE SHIH KING, DECADE I. state, raised up a proper ruler! for it,—From the time of Thai-po and king A? (this was done)?. Now this king A? 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. This king At Was gifted by God with the power of judgment, 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 Wan, His ' King W4n is ‘the proper ruler’ intended here, and the next line intimates that this was determined before there was any likelihood of his becoming the ruler even of the territory of K4u;— another instance of the foreseeing providence ascribed to God. Thai-po was the eldest son of king Thai, and king A? was, perhaps, only the third. The succession ought to have come to Théi-po; but he, seeing the sage virtues of Khang (afterwards king Wan), the son of A7, and seeing also that king Thai was anxious that this boy should ultimately become ruler of 4u, voluntarily withdrew from du altogether, and left the state to Ai and his son. See the remark of Confucius on Thi4i-po’s conduct, in the Analects, VIII, i. * The lines from six to ten speak of king A7 in his relation to his elder brother. He accepted Thai-po’s act without any failure of his own duty to him, and by his own improvement of it, made his brother more glorious through it. His feeling of brotherly duty was simply the natural instinct of his heart. Having accepted the act, it only made him the more anxious to promote the good of the state, and thus he made his brother more glorious by showing what advantages accrued from his resignation and withdrawal from Kau. * This line refers to Xi’s maintenance of his own loyal duty ODE 7. THE MAJOR ODES OF THE KINGDOM. 391 virtue left nothing to be dissatisfied with, He re- ceived the blessing of God, And it was extended to his descendants. - God said to king Wan!, ‘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 Yiian, marching to Kung*, The king rose, majestic in his wrath; He marshalled his troops, To stop the invading foes ; To consolidate the prosperity of Kau; To meet the expectations of all under heaven.
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1Look at the foot of the Han’, How abundantly grow the hazel and arrow-thorn*. Easy and selfpossessed was our prince, In his pursuit of dignity (still) easy and self-possessed. Massive is that libation-cup of jade, With the 1 It is difficult to trace the connexion between these allusive lines and the rest of the piece. * Here we have the lord of X4u in his ancestral temple, assisted by his ministers or great officers in pouring out the libations to the spirits of the departed. The libation-cup was fitted with a handle of jade, that used by the king having a complete kwei, the obelisklike symbol of rank, while the cups used by a minister had for a handle only half a kwei. ' § Where mount Han was cannot now be determined. * As the foot of the hill was favourable to vegetable growth, so were king Wan’s natural qualities to his distinction and advancement. ODE 6. THE MAJOR ODES OF THE KINGDOM. 387 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 on men ? His clear spirits were in the vessels; His red bull was ready*;—To offer, to sacrifice, To increase his bright happiness. Thick grow the oaks and the buckthorn, 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 selfpossessed was our prince, Seeking for happiness by no crooked ways. Ove 6. Tue Sze KA. THE VIRTUE OF WAN, WITH HIS FILIAL PIETY AND CONSTANT REVERENCE, AND THEIR WONDERFUL EFFECTS. THE EXCELLENT CHARACTER OF HIS MOTHER AND WIFE. Pure and reverent was Thai Z4n5, The mother of king Wan. Loving was she to Kau Kiang * ;— 1 As a cup of such quality was the proper receptacle for the yellow, herb-flavoured spirits, so was the character of Win such that all blessing must accrue to him. * It is the nature of the hawk to fly and of fishes to swim, and so there went out an influence from Wn unconsciously to himself. 5 Red, we have seen, was the proper colour for victims in the ancestral temple of Kau. * As it was natural for the people to take the wood and use it, so it was natural for the spirits of his ancestors, and spiritual beings generally, to bless king W4n. 5 Thai Zan is celebrated, above, in the second ode. * K4u Kiang is ‘the lady Kiang’ of ode 3, the wife of Than-fa or Cc2 388 THE SHIH KING. DECADE I. A wife becoming the House of Aéu. Thai Sze! 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.
2Their 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. Unseen (by men), he still felt that he was 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. king Thai, who came with him from Pin. She is here called Ku, as having married the lord of Ku. 1 Thi Sze, the wife of W4n, we are told in ode 2, was from the state of Hsin. The surname Sze shows that its lords must have been descended from the Great Yu. * We are not to suppose that Thai Sze had herself a hundred sons. She had ten, and her freedom from jealousy so encouraged the fruitfulness of the harem, that all the sons born in it are ascribed to her. ® Where there was no human eye to observe him, Wan still felt that he was open to the observation of spiritual beings. ODE 7. THE MAJOR ODES OF THE KINGDOM. 389 Ope 7. Tue Hwanc f. SHOWING THE RISE OF THE HOUSE OF XAU TO THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE KINGDOM THROUGH THE FAVOUR OF GOD. THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF KINGS THAI AND Xf, AND ESPECIALLY OF KING WAN. Great is God, Beholding this lower world in majesty. He surveyed the four quarters (of the kingdom), Seeking for some one to give establishment 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 whom 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 Thai). (King Thai) 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 tamarisk 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 Kwan hordes fled away*?. Heaven had raised up a helpmeet for him, And the appointment he had received was made sure. God surveyed the hills, Where the oaks and the buckthorn were thinned, And paths made through the firs and cypresses. God, who had raised the * Those of Hsia and Shang. 2 The same as ‘the hordes of the Khw&n’ in ode 3. Mr. T. W. Kingsmill says that ‘Kwan’ here should be ‘Chun,’ and charges the transliteration Kwan with error (Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society for April, 1878). He had not consulted his dictionary for the proper pronunciation of the Chinese character. 390 THE SHIH KING, DECADE I.
3Mr. T. W. Kingsmill says that ‘Kwan’ here should be ‘Chun,’ and charges the transliteration Kwan with error (Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society for April, 1878). He had not consulted his dictionary for the proper pronunciation of the Chinese character. 390 THE SHIH KING, DECADE I. state, raised up a proper ruler! for it,—From the time of Thai-po and king A? (this was done)?. Now this king A? 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. This king At Was gifted by God with the power of judgment, 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 Wan, His ' King W4n is ‘the proper ruler’ intended here, and the next line intimates that this was determined before there was any likelihood of his becoming the ruler even of the territory of K4u;— another instance of the foreseeing providence ascribed to God. Thai-po was the eldest son of king Thai, and king A? was, perhaps, only the third. The succession ought to have come to Théi-po; but he, seeing the sage virtues of Khang (afterwards king Wan), the son of A7, and seeing also that king Thai was anxious that this boy should ultimately become ruler of 4u, voluntarily withdrew from du altogether, and left the state to Ai and his son. See the remark of Confucius on Thi4i-po’s conduct, in the Analects, VIII, i. * The lines from six to ten speak of king A7 in his relation to his elder brother. He accepted Thai-po’s act without any failure of his own duty to him, and by his own improvement of it, made his brother more glorious through it. His feeling of brotherly duty was simply the natural instinct of his heart. Having accepted the act, it only made him the more anxious to promote the good of the state, and thus he made his brother more glorious by showing what advantages accrued from his resignation and withdrawal from Kau. * This line refers to Xi’s maintenance of his own loyal duty ODE 7. THE MAJOR ODES OF THE KINGDOM. 391 virtue left nothing to be dissatisfied with, He re- ceived the blessing of God, And it was extended to his descendants. - God said to king Wan!, ‘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 Yiian, marching to Kung*, The king rose, majestic in his wrath; He marshalled his troops, To stop the invading foes ; To consolidate the prosperity of Kau; To meet the expectations of all under heaven.
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
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