Texts of Confucianism, Part I: The Shû King, the Religious Portions of the Shih King, the Hsiâo King — SBE Vol. 3 (trans. James Legge, 1879)

Hence the composition of the piece has been referred to the time of Ti-y?, the last but one of the kings of Shang.

Rapid was the warlike energy of (our king of)
Yin, And vigorously did he attack King-KA0

? We do not know anything of this time of decadence in the fortunes of Shang between Hsieh and Thang.

2 A-hing is f Yin, who plays so remarkable a part in the
ShQ, IV, Books iv, v, and vi.

* King, or KAQ, or Xing-KAQ, as the two names are combined here, was a large and powerful half-savage state, having its capital in the present Wf-pei. So far as evidence goes, we should say, but for this ode, that the name of XAf was not in use till long after the Shang dynasty. The name Xing appears several times in ‘the Spring and Autumn’ in the annals of duke Kwang (B.c. 693 to 662), and then it gives place to the name XAfi in the first year of duke Hsf (s.c. 659), and subsequently disappears itself altogether. In consequence of this some critics make this piece out .to have been composed under the Kau dynasty. The point cannot be fully cleared up; but on the whole I accept the words of the ode as sufficient proof against the silence of other documents.

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Boldly he entered its dangerous passes, And brought the multitudes of King together, Till the country was reduced under complete restraint :— Such was the fitting achievement of the descendant _ of Thang!

‘Ye people,’ (he said), ‘of King-KA#, Dwell in the southern part of my kingdom. Formerly, in the time of Thang the Successful, Even from the Kiang of Tt?, They dared not but come with their offerings; (Their chiefs) dared not but come to seek acknowledgment ?:—Such is the regular rule of Shang.’

Heaven had given their appointments (to the princes), But where their capitals had been assigned within the sphere of the labours of Yii, For the business of every year they appeared before our king*, (Saying), ‘Do not punish nor reprove us; We have not been remiss in our husbandry.’

When Heaven by its will is inspecting (the kingdom), The lower people are to be feared. (Our king) showed no partiality (in rewarding), no excess (in punishing); He dared not to allow himself in indolence :—So was his appointment (established)

1 The Ti Xiang, or Xiang of Ti, still existed in the time of the Han dynasty, occupying portions of the present Kan-sf.

* The chiefs of the wild tribes, lying beyond the nine provinces of the kingdom, were required to present themselves once in their lifetime at the royal court. The rule, in normal periods, was for each chief to appear immediately after he had succeeded to the headship of his tribe.

* The feudal lords had to appear at court every year. They did so, we may suppose, at the court of WA-ting, the more so because of his subjugation of Xing-KA0.

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over the states, And he made his happiness grandly secure.

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over the states, And he made his happiness grandly secure.

* The feudal lords had to appear at court every year. They did so, we may suppose, at the court of WA-ting, the more so because of his subjugation of Xing-KA0.

The capital of Shang was full of order, The model for all parts of the kingdom. Glorious was (the king’s) fame; Brilliant his energy. Long lived he and enjoyed tranquillity, And so he preserves us, his descendants.

We ascended the hill of King!, Where the pines and cypresses grew symmetrical. We cut them down and conveyed them here; We reverently hewed them square. Long are the projecting beams of pine; Large are the many pillars. The temple was completed,—the tranquil abode (of the martial king of Yin).

II. Tue SacriricraL Opes or KAv.

In this division we have thirty-one sacrificial odes of K4u, arranged in three decades, the third of which, however, contains eleven pieces. They belong mostly to the time of king Wân, the founder of the Kau dynasty, and to the reigns of his son and grandson, kings WO and KAaing. The decades are named from the name of the first piece in each.

The First Decade, or that of Aking Mido.
Ove 1. Tue Kuinc Mido.

CELEBRATING THE REVERENTIAL MANNER IN WHICH A SACRIFICE TO
KING WAN WAS PERFORMED, AND FURTHER PRAISING HIM.

Chinese critics agree in assigning this piece to the sacrifice mentioned in the Shé, in the end of the thirteenth Book of Part V, when, the building of Lo being finished, king KAang came to

_” See on the last line but two of ode 3.

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the new city, and offered a red bull to Wan, and the same to Wa. It seems to me to have been sung in honour of W4n, after the service was completed. This determination of the occasion of the piece being accepted, we should refer it to B.C. 1108.

Oh! solemn is the ancestral temple in its pure stillness. Reverent and harmonious were the distinguished assistants!; Great was the number of the officers?:—(All) assiduous followers of the virtue of (king Wan). In response to him in heaven, Grandly they hurried about in the temple. Distinguished is he and honoured, And will never be wearied of among men.

Oper 2. THe Wer Tuien Ain Mince.

CELEBRATING THE VIRTUE OF KING WAN AS COMPARABLE TO THAT
OF HEAVEN, AND LOOKING TO HIM FOR BLESSING IN THE FUTURE.

According to the Preface, there is an announcement here of the realization of complete peace throughout the kingdom, and some of the old critics refer the ode to a sacrifice to king Wn by the duke of X4u, when he had completed the statutes for the new dynasty. But there is nothing to authorize a more definite argument of the contents than I have given.

The ordinances of Heaven,—How deep are they and unintermitting! And oh! how illustrious Was the singleness of the virtue of king Wan!

How does he (now) show his kindness? We will receive it, Striving to be in accord with him, our

The ordinances of Heaven,—How deep are they and unintermitting! And oh! how illustrious Was the singleness of the virtue of king Wan!

How does he (now) show his kindness? We will receive it, Striving to be in accord with him, our

1 These would be the princes who were assembled on the occasion, and assisted the king in the service.

* That is, the officers who took part in the libations, prayers, and other parts of the sacrifice.

® See what 3ze-sze says on these four lines in the Doctrine of the Mean, XXVI, par. ro.

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king Wan; And may his remotest descendant be abundantly the same!

Ope 3. THe We! Xainc.

APPROPRIATE AT SOME SACRIFICE TO KING wan, AND CELEBRATING HIS
STATUTES.

Nothing more can, with any likelihood of truth, be said of this short piece, which moreover has the appearance of being a fragment.

Clear and’ to be preserved bright, Are the statutes of king Wan. From the first sacrifice (to him), Till now when they have issued in our complete state, They have been the happy omen of (the fortunes of) Au.

Ove 4. Tue Lizu WAnN.

A SONG IN PRAISE OF THE PRINCES WHO HAVE ASSISTED AT A SACRIFICE,
AND ADMONISHING THEM.

The Preface says that this piece was made on the occasion of king Khang’s accession to the government, when he thus addressed the princes who had assisted him in the ancestral temple. AG Hsf considers that it was a piece for general use in the ancestral temple, to be sung when the king presented a cup to his assisting guests, after they had thrice presented the cup to the representatives of the dead. There is really nothing in it to enable us to decide in favour of either view.

Ye, brilliant and accomplished princes, Have conferred on me this happiness. Your favours to me are without limit, And my descendants will preserve (the fruits of) them.

Be not mercenary nor extravagant in your states,
And the king will honour you. Thinking of this

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great service, He will enlarge the dignity of your successors.

What is most powerful is the being the man :—
Its influence will be felt throughout your states.
What is most distinguished is the being virtuous :—
It will secure the imitation of all the princes. Ah!
the former kings cannot be forgotten!

Ove 5. Tue Tuien 3o.

APPROPRIATE TO A SACRIFICE TO KING THAI.

We cannot tell what the sacrifice was; and the Preface, indeed, says that the piece was used in the seasonal sacrifices to all the former kings and dukes of the House of K4u. King Thai was the grandfather of king W4&n, and, before he received that title, was known as ‘the ancient duke Than-f.’ In s.c 1327, he moved with his followers from Pin, an earlier seat of his House, and settled in the plain of XAt, about fifty If to the north-east of the present district city of K/i-shan, in Shen-hsf.