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THE SHIH KING.

I. ODES OF THE TEMPLE AND THE ALTAR.

IT was stated in the Introduction, p. 278, that the poems in the
fourth Part of the Shih are the only ones that are professedly
religious; and there are some even of them, it will be seen, which
have little claim on internal grounds to be so considered.

I commence with them my selections from the Shih for the Sacred Books
of the Religions of the East. I will give them all, excepting the
first two of the Praise Odes of Lû, the reason for omitting which will
be found. when I come to that division of the Part.

The ancestral worship of the common people.

The Odes of the Temple and the Altar are, most of them, connected with
the ancestral worship of the sovereigns of the Shang and Kâu
dynasties, and of the marquises of Lû. Of the ancestral worship of the
common people we have almost no information in the Shih. It was
binding, however, on all, and two utterances of Confucius may be given
in illustration of this. In the eighteenth chapter of the Doctrine of
the Mean, telling how the duke of Kâu, the legislator of the dynasty
so called, had 'completed the virtuous course of Wan and Wû, carrying
up the title of king to Wan's father and grandfather, and sacrificing
to the dukes before them with the royal ceremonies,' he adds, And this
rule he extended to the feudal princes, the great officers, the other
officers, and the common people. In the mourning and other duties
rendered to a deceased father or mother, he allowed no difference
between the noble and the mean. Again, his summary in the tenth
chapter of the Hsiâo King, of the duties of filial piety, is the
following:--'A filial son, in serving his parents, in his ordinary
intercourse with them, should show the utmost respect; in supplying
them with food, the greatest delight; when they are ill, the utmost
solicitude; when mourning for their death, the deepest grief; and when
sacrificing to them, the profoundest solemnity. When these things are
all complete, he is able to serve his parents.'

The royal worship of ancestors.

Of the ceremonies in the royal worship of ancestors, and perhaps on
some other occasions, we have much information in the pieces of this
Part, and in many others in the second and third Parts. They were
preceded by fasting and various purifications on the part of the king
and the parties who were to assist in the performance of them. The was
a great concourse of the feudal princes, and much importance was
attached to the presence among them of the representatives of former
dynasties; but the duties of the occasion devolved mainly on the
princes of the same surname as the royal House. Libations of fragrant
spirits were made, especially in the Kâu period, to attract the
Spirits, and their presence was invoked by a functionary who took his
place inside the principal gate. The principal victim, a red bull in
the temple of Kâu, was killed by the king himself, using for the
purpose a knife to the handle of which small bells were attached. With
this he laid bare the hair, to show that the animal was of the
required colour, inflicted the wound of death, and cut away the fat,
which was burned along with southernwood to increase the incense and
fragrance. Other victims were numerous, and the fifth ode of the
second decade, Part II, describes all engaged in the service as
greatly exhausted with what they had to do, flaying the carcases,
boiling the flesh, roasting it, broiling it, arranging it on trays and
stands, and setting it forth. Ladies from the palace are present to
give their assistance; music peals; the cup goes round. The
description is that of a feast as much as of a sacrifice; and in fact,
those great seasonal occasions were what we might call grand family
reunions, where the dead and the living met, eating and drinking
together, where the living worshipped the dead, and the dead blessed
the living.

This characteristic of these ceremonies appeared most strikingly in
the custom which required that the departed ancestors should be
represented by living relatives of the same surname, chosen according
to certain rules that are not mentioned in the Shih.. These took for
the time the place of the dead, received the honours which were due to
them, and were supposed to be possessed by their spirits. They ate and
drank as those whom they personated would have done; accepted for them
the homage rendered by their descendants; communicated their will to
the principal in the service, and pronounced on him and on his line
their benediction, being assisted in this point by a mediating priest,
as we may call him for want of a more exact term. On the next day,
after a summary repetition of the ceremonies of the sacrifice, those
personators of the dead were specially feasted, and, as it is
expressed in the second decade of Part III, ode 4, 'their happiness
and dignity were made complete.' We have an allusion to this strange
custom in Mencius (VI, i, ch. 5), showing how a junior member of a
family, when chosen to represent one of his ancestors, was for the
time exalted above his elders, and received the demonstrations of
reverence due to the ancestor.

When the sacrifice to ancestors was finished, the king feasted his
uncles and younger brothers or cousins, that is, all the princes and
nobles of the same surname with himself, in another apartment. The
musicians who had discoursed with instrument and voice during the
worship and entertainment of the ancestors, followed the convivial
party 'to give their soothing aid at the second blessing.' The viands
that had been provided, we have seen, in great abundance, were brought
in from the temple, and set forth anew. The guests ate to the full and
drank to the full, and at the conclusion they all did obeisance, while
one of them declared the satisfaction of the Spirits, and assured the
king of their favour to him and his posterity, so long as they did not
neglect those observances. During the feast the king showed particular
respect to those among his relatives who were aged filled their cups
again and again, and desired 'that their old age might be blessed, and
their bright happiness ever increased.'

The above sketch of the seasonal sacrifices to ancestors shows that
they were intimately related to the duty of filial piety, and were
designed mainly to maintain the unity of the family connexion. There
was implied in them a belief in the continued existence of the spirits
of the departed; and by means of them the ancestors of the kings were
raised to the position of the Tutelary spirits of the dynasty; and the
ancestors of each family became its Tutelary spirits. Several of the
pieces in Part IV are appropriate, it will be observed, to sacrifices
offered to some one monarch. They would be used on particular
occasions connected with his achievements in the past, or when it was
supposed that his help would be valuable in contemplated enterprises.
With regard to all the ceremonies of the ancestral temple, Confucius
gives the following account of the purposes which they were intended
to serve, hardly adverting to their religious significance, in the
nineteenth chapter of the Doctrine of the Mean:--'By means of them
they distinguished the royal kindred according to their order of
descent. By arranging those present according to their rank, they
distinguished the more noble and the less. By the apportioning of
duties at them, they made a distinction of talents and worth. In the
ceremony of general pledging, the inferiors presented the cup to their
superiors, and thus something was given to the lowest to do. At the
(concluding) feast places were given according to the hair, and thus
was marked the distinction of years.'

The worship paid to God.

The Shih does not speak of the worship which was paid to God, unless
it be incidentally. There were two grand occasions on which it was
rendered by the sovereign,--the summer and winter solstices. These two
sacrifices were offered on different altars, that in winter being
often described as offered to Heaven, and that in summer to Earth; but
we have the testimony of Confucius, in the nineteenth chapter of the
Doctrine of the Mean, that the object of them both was to serve
Shang-Tî. Of the ceremonies on these two occasions, however, I do not
speak here, as there is nothing said about them in the Shih. But there
were other sacrifices to God, at stated periods in the course of the
year, of at least two of which we have some intimation in the pieces
of this fourth Part. The last in the first decade of the Sacrificial
Odes of Kâu is addressed to Hâu Kî as having proved himself the
correlate of Heaven, in teaching men to cultivate the grain which God
had appointed for the nourishment of all. This was appropriate to a
sacrifice in spring, offered to God to seek His blessing on the
agricultural labours of the year, Hâu Kî, as the ancestor of the House
of Kâu, being associated with Him in it. The seventh piece of the same
decade again was appropriate to a sacrifice to God in autumn, in the
Hall of Light, at a great audience to the feudal princes, when king
Wan was associated with Him as being the founder of the dynasty of
Kâu.

With these preliminary observations to assist the reader in
understanding the pieces in this Part, I proceed to give--

1. THE SACRIFICIAL ODES OF SHANG.

THESE Odes of Shang constitute the last Book in the ordinary editions
of the Shih. I put them here in the first place, because they are the
oldest pieces in the collection. There are only five of them.

The sovereigns of the dynasty of Shang who occupied the throne from
B.C. 1766 to 1123. They traced their lineage to Hsieh, appears in the
Shû as Minister of Instruction to Shun. By Yâo or by Shun, Hsieh was
invested with the principality of Shang, corresponding to the small
department which is so named in Shen-hsî. Fourteenth in descent from
him came Thien-Yî, better known as Khang Thang, or Thang the
Successful, who dethroned the last descendant of the line of Hsiâ, and
became the founder of a new dynasty. We meet with him first at a
considerable distance from the ancestral fief (which, however, gave
name to the dynasty), having as his capital the southern Po, which
seems correctly referred to the present district of Shang-khiû, in the
department of Kwei-teh, Ho-nan. Among the twenty-seven sovereigns who
followed Thang, there were three especially distinguished:--Thâi Kiâ,
his grandson and successor (B.C. 1753 to 1721), who received the title
of Thai Zung; Thai Mâu (B.C. 1637 to 1563), canonized as Kung Zung;
and Wû-ting (B.C. 1324 to 1266), known as Kâo Zung. The shrines of
these three sovereigns and that of Thang retained their places in the
ancestral temple ever after they were first set up and if all the
sacrificial odes of the dynasty had been preserved, most of them would
have been in praise of one or other of the four. But it so happened
that at least all the odes of which Thai Zung was the subject were
lost; and of the others we have only the small portion that has been
mentioned above.

Of how it is that we have even these, we have the following account in
the Narratives of the States, compiled, probably, by a contemporary of
Confucius. The count of Wei was made duke of Sung by king Wû of Kâu,
as related in the Shû, V, viii, there to continue the sacrifices of
the House of Shang; but the government of Sung fell subsequently into
disorder, and the memorials of the dynasty were lost. In the time of
duke Tâi (B.C. 799 to 766), one of his ministers, Kang-khâo, an
ancestor of Confucius, received from the Grand Music-Master at the
court of Kâu twelve of the sacrificial odes of Shang with which he
returned to Sung, where they were used in sacrificing to the old Shang
kings. It is supposed that seven of these were lost subsequently,
before the collection of the Shih was formed.

ODE 1. THE NÂ [1].

APPROPRIATE TO A SACRIFICE TO THANG, THE FOUNDER OF THE SHANG DYNASTY,
DWELLING ESPECIALLY ON THE MUSIC AND THE REVERENCE WITH WHICH THE SACRIFICE
WAS PERFORMED.

We cannot tell by which of the kings of Shang the sacrifice here
referred to was first performed. He is simply spoken of as 'a
descendant of Thang.' The ode seems to have been composed by some one,
probably a member of the royal House, who had taken part in the
service.

How admirable! how complete! Here are set our hand-drums and drums.
The drums resound harmonious and loud, To delight our meritorious
ancestor [2].

The descendant of Thang invites him with this music, That he may
soothe us with the realization of our thoughts[3]. Deep is the sound
of our hand-

[1. The piece is called the Nâ, because a character so named is an
important part of the first line. So generally the pieces in the Shih
receive their names from a character or phrase occurring in them. This
point will not be again touched on.

2. The 'meritorious ancestor' is Thang. The sacrifices of the Shang
dynasty commenced with music; those of the Kâu with libations of
fragrant spirits;--in both cases with the same object, to attract the
spirit, or spirits, sacrificed to, and secure their presence at the
service. Khan Hâo (Ming dynasty) says, 'The departed spirits hover
between heaven and earth, and sound goes forth, filling the region of
the air. Hence in sacrificing, the people of Yin began with a
performance of music.'

3. The Lî Kî, XXIV, i, parr. 2, 3, tells us, that the sacrificer, as
preliminary to the service, had to fast for some days, and to think of
the person of his ancestor,--where he had stood and sat, how he had
smiled and spoken, what had been his cherished aims, pleasures, and
delights; and on the third day he would have a complete image of him
in his mind's eye. Then on the day of sacrifice, when he entered the
temple, he would seem to see him in his shrine, and to hear him, as he
went about in the discharge of the service. This line seems to
indicate the realization of all this.]

drums and drums; Shrilly sound the flutes; All harmonious and blending
together, According to the notes of the sonorous gem. Oh! majestic is
the descendant of Thang; Very admirable is his music.

The large bells and drums fill the ear; The various dances are grandly
performed[1]. We have the admirable visitors[2], who are pleased and
delighted.

From of old, before our time, The former men set us the example;--How
to be mild and humble from morning to night, And to be reverent in
discharging the service.

May he regard our sacrifices of winter and autumn[3], (Thus) offered
by the descendant of Thang!

ODE 2. THE LIEH ZÛ.

PROBABLY LIKE THE LAST ODE, APPROPRIATE TO A SACRIFICE TO THANG, DWELLING ON
THE SPIRITS, THE SOUP, AND THE GRAVITY OF THE SERVICE, AND ON THE ASSISTING
PRINCES.

Neither can we tell by which of the kings of Shang this ode was first
used. Kû Hsî says that the object of the sacrifice was Thang. The
Preface assigns it to Thâi Mâu, the Kung Zung, or second of the three
'honoured Ones.' But there is not a

[1. Dancing thus entered into the service as an accompaniment of the
music. Two terms are employed; one denoting the movements appropriate
to a dance Of war, the other those appropriate to a dance of peace.

2. The visitors would be the representatives of the lines of Hsiâ,
Shun, and Yâo.

3. Two of the seasonal sacrifices are thus specified, by synecdoche,
for all the four.]

word in praise of Fung Zung, and the 'meritorious ancestor' of the
first line is not to be got over. Still more clearly than in the case
of the former ode does this appear to have been made by some one who
had taken part in the service, for in line 4 he addresses the
sacrificing king as 'you.'

Ah! ah! our meritorious ancestor! Permanent are the blessings coming
from him, Repeatedly conferred without end;--They have come to you in
this place.

The clear spirits are in our vessels, And there is granted to us the
realization of our thoughts. There are also the well-tempered soups,
Prepared beforehand, with the ingredients rightly proportioned. By
these offerings we invite his presence, without a word, Without
(unseemly) contention (among the worshippers). He will bless us with
the eyebrows of longevity, With the grey hair and wrinkled face in
unlimited degree.

With the naves of their wheels bound with leather, and their
ornamented yokes, With the eight bells at their horses' bits all
tinkling, (The princes) come to assist at the offerings[1]. We have
received the appointment in all its greatness, And from Heaven is our
prosperity sent down, Fruitful years of great abundance. (Our
ancestor) will come and enjoy (our offerings), And confer on us
happiness without limit.

May he regard our sacrifices of winter and autumn, (Thus) offered by
the descendant of Thang!

[1. These lines are descriptive of the feudal princes, who were
present and assisted at the sacrificial service. The chariot of each
was drawn by four horses yoked abreast, two insides and two outsides,
on each side of the bits of which small bells were attached.]

ODE 3. THE HSÜAN NIÂO

APPROPRIATE TO A SACRIFICE IN THE ANCESTRAL TEMPLE OF SHANG;--INTENDED
SPECIALLY TO DO HONOUR TO THE KING WÛ-TING.

If this ode were not intended to do honour to Wû-ting, the Kâo Zung of
Shang, we cannot account for the repeated mention of him in it. Kû
Hsî, however, in his note on it, says nothing about Wû-ting, but
simply that the piece belonged to the sacrifices in the ancestral
temple, tracing back the line of the kings of Shang to its origin, and
to its attaining the sovereignty of the kingdom. Not at all unlikely
is the view of Kang Hsüan, that the sacrifice was in the third year
after the death of Wû-ting and offered to him in the temple of Hsieh,
the ancestor of the Shang dynasty.

Heaven commissioned the swallow, To descend and give birth to (the
father of our) Shang[1]. (His descendants) dwelt in the land of Yin,
and became great. (Then) long ago God appointed the martial Thang, To
regulate the boundaries throughout the four quarters (of the kingdom).

(In those) quarters he appointed the princes, And grandly possessed
the nine regions[2]. The

[1. The father of Shang is Hsieh, who has already been mentioned. The
mother of Hsieh was a daughter of the House of the ancient state of
Sung, and a concubine of the ancient ruler Khû (B.C. 2435). According
to Mâo, she accompanied Khû, at the time of the vernal equinox, when
the swallow made its appearance, to sacrifice and pray to the first
match-maker, and the result was the birth of Hsieh. Sze-mâ Khien and
Kang make Hsieh's birth more marvellous:--The lady was bathing in some
open place, when a swallow made its appearance, and dropt an egg,
which she took and swallowed; and from this came Hsieh. The editors of
the imperial edition of the Shih, of the present dynasty, say we need
not believe the legends;--the important point is to believe that the
birth of Hsieh was specially ordered by Heaven.

2 'The nine regions' are the nine provinces into which Yü divided the
kingdom.]

first sovereign of Shang[1] Received the appointment without any
element of instability in it, And it is (now) held by the descendant
of Wû-ting [2].

The descendant of Wû-ting Is a martial sovereign, equal to every
emergency. Ten princes, (who came) with their dragon-emblazoned
banners, Bear the large dishes of millet.

The royal domain of a thousand lî Is where the people rest; But the
boundaries that reach to the four seas commence there.

From the four seas [3] they come (to our sacrifices); They come in
multitudes. King has the Ho for its outer border [4]. That Yin[5]
should have received the appointment (of Heaven) was entirely
right;--(Its sovereign) sustains all its dignities.

ODE 4. THE KHANG FÂ.

CELEBRATING HSIEH, THE ANCESTOR OF THE HOUSE OF SHANG; HSIANG-THÛ, HIS
GRANDSON; THANG, THE FOUNDER OF THE DYNASTY; AND Î-YIN, THANG'S CHIEF
MINISTER AND ADVISER.

It does not appear on occasion of what sacrifice this piece was made.
The most probable view is that of Mâo, that it was the

[1. That is, Thang.

2. If this ode were used, as Mang supposes, in the third year after
Wû-ting's death, this ' descendant' would be his son Zû-kang, B.C.
1265 to 1259.

3. This expression, which occurs also in the Shû, indicates that the
early Chinese believed that their country extended to the sea, east,
west, north, and south.

4. Kû Hsî Says he did not understand this line; but there is ground in
the Zo Kwan for our believing that King was the name of a hill in the
region where the capital of Shang was.

5. We saw in the Shû that the name Shang gave place to Yin after the
time of Pan-kang, B.C. 1401 to 1374. Wû-ting's reign was subsequent to
that of Pan-kang.]

'great Tî sacrifice,' when the principal object of honour would be the
ancient Khû, the father of Hsieh, with Hsieh as his correlate, and all
the kings of the dynasty, with the earlier lords of Shang, and their
famous ministers and advisers, would have their places at the service.
I think this is the oldest of the odes of Shang.

Profoundly wise were (the lords of) Shang, And long had there appeared
the omens (of their dignity).

When the waters of the deluge spread vast abroad, Yû arranged and
divided the regions of the land, And assigned to the exterior great
states their boundaries, With their borders extending all over (the
kingdom). (Even) then the chief of Sung was beginning to be great, And
God raised up the son (of his daughter), and founded (the line of)
Shang[1].

The dark king exercised an effective sway[2]. Charged with a small
state, he commanded success: Charged with a large state, he commanded
success[3]. He followed his rules of conduct without error; Wherever
he inspected (the people), they responded (to his instructions[4].
(Then came) Hsiang-thû all ardent [5], And all within the four seas,
beyond (the middle regions), acknowledged his restraints.

[1. This line refers to the birth of Hsieh, as described in the
previous ode, and his being made lord of Shang.

2. It would be hard to say why Hsieh is here called 'the dark king.'
There may be an allusion to the legend about the connexion of the
swallow,--'the dark bird,'--with his birth, He never was 'a king;' but
his descendants here represented him as such.

3. All that is meant here is, that the territory of Shang was enlarged
under Hsieh.

4. There is a reference here to Hsieh's appointment by Shun to be
Minister of Instruction.

5. Hsiang-thû appears in the genealogical lists as grandson of Hsieh.
We know nothing of him but what is related here.]

The favour of God did not leave (Shang), And in Thang was found the
fit object for its display. Thang was not born too late, And his
wisdom and reverence daily advanced:--Brilliant was the influence of
his character (on Heaven) for long. God he revered, And God appointed
him to be the model for the nine regions.

He received the rank-tokens of the states, small and large, Which
depended on him like the pendants of a banner:--So did he receive the
blessing of Heaven. He was neither violent nor remiss, Neither hard
nor soft. Gently he spread his instructions abroad, And all dignities
and riches were concentrated in him.

He received the tribute of the states, small and large, And he
supported them as a strong steed (does its burden):--So did he receive
the favour of Heaven. He displayed everywhere his valour, Unshaken,
unmoved, Unterrified, unscared:--All dignities were united in him.

The martial king displayed his banner, And with reverence grasped his
axe. It was like (the case of) a blazing fire which no one can
repress. The root, with its three shoots, Could make no progress, no
growth[1]. The nine regions were effectually secured by Thang. Having
smitten (the princes of) Wei and Kû, He dealt with (him of) Kün-wû and
with Kieh of Hsiâ.

Formerly, in the middle of the period (before

[1. By 'the root' we are to understand Thang's chief opponent, Kieh,
the last king of Hsiâ. Kieh's three great helpers were 'the three
shoots,'--the princes of Wei, Kû, and Kün-wû; but the exact sites of
their principalities cannot be made out.]

Thang), There was a time of shaking and peril[1]. But truly did Heaven
(then) deal with him as a son, And sent him down a high minister,
Namely, Â-hang[2], Who gave his assistance to the king of Shang.

ODE 5. THE YIN WÛ.

CELEBRATING THE WAR OF WÛ-TING AGAINST KING-KHÛ, ITS SUCCESS, AND THE
GENERAL HAPPINESS AND VIRTUE OF HIS REIGN;--MADE, PROBABLY, WHEN A SPECIAL
AND PERMANENT TEMPLE WAS BUILT FOR HIM AS THE 'HIGH AND HONOURED' KING OF
SHANG.

The concluding lines indicate that the temple was made on the occasion
which I thus assign to it. After Wû-ting's death, his spirit-tablet
would be shrined in the ancestral temple, and he would have his share
in the seasonal sacrifices; but several reigns would elapse before
there was any necessity to make any other arrangement, so that his
tablet should not be removed, and his share in the sacrifices not be
discontinued. Hence the composition of the piece has been referred to
the time of Tî-yî, 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-Khû [3].

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

2. Â-hang is Î Yin, who plays so remarkable a part in the Shû, IV,
Books iv, v, and vi.

3. King, or Khû, or King-Khû, as the two names are combined here, was
a large and powerful half-savage state, having its capital in the
present Wû-pei. So far as evidence goes, we should say, but for this
ode, that the name of Khû was not in use till long after the Shang
dynasty. The name King 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 Khû in the first year of duke Hsî (B.C. 659),
and subsequently disappears itself altogether. In consequence of this
some critics make this piece out to have been composed under the Kâu
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.]

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-Khû, Dwell in the southern part of my
kingdom. Formerly, in the time of Thang the Successful, Even from the
Kiang of Tî[1], They dared not but come with their offerings; (Their
chiefs) dared not but come to seek acknowledgment[2]:--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 Yü,
For the business of every year they appeared before our king[3],
(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 Tî Kiang, or Kiang of Tî, still existed in the time of the Han
dynasty, occupying portions of the present Kan-sû.

2. 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.

3. The feudal lords had to appear at court every year. They did so, we
may suppose, at the court of Wû-ting, the more so because of his
subjugation of King-Khû.]

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

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[1], 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. THE SACRIFICIAL ODES OF KÂU.

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

The First Decade, or that of Khing Miâo.

ODE 1. THE KHING MIÂO.

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 Shû, in the end of the thirteenth Book of Part V,
when, the building of Lo being finished, king Khang came to

[1. See on the last line but two of ode 3.]

the new city, and offered a red bull to Win, and the same to Wû. It
seems to me to have been sung in honour of Wan, 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[1]; Great was the number
of the officers [2]:--(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.

ODE 2. THE WEI THIEN KIH MING.

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 Win by the duke of
Kâu, 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 [3]!

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.

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

3 See what Dze-sze says on these four lines in the Doctrine of the
Mean, XXVI, par. 10.]

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

ODE 3. THE WEI KHING.

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)
Kâu.

ODE 4. THE LIEH WAN.

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. Kû Hsî 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 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!

ODE 5. THE THIEN ZO.

APPROPRIATE TO A SACRIFICE TO KING THÂI.

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
king., s and dukes of the House of Kâu. King Thâi was the grandfather
of king Wan, and, before he received that title, was known as 'the
ancient duke Than-fû.' In B.C. 1327, he moved with his followers from
Pin, an earlier seat of his House, and settled in the plain of Khî,
about fifty lî to the north-east of the present district city of
Khî-shan, in Shen-hsî.

Heaven made the lofty hill[1], And king Thâi brought (the country
about) it under cultivation. He made the commencement with it, And
king Wan tranquilly (carried on the work), (Till) that rugged (mount)
Khî Had level roads leading to it. May their descendants ever preserve
it!

ODE 6. THE HÂO THIEN YÛ KHANG MING.

APPROPRIATE TO A SACRIFICE TO KING KHANG.

Khang was the honorary title of Sung, the son and successor of king
Wû, B.C. 1115 to 1079.

Heaven made its determinate appointment, which our two sovereigns
received[2]. King Khang did not dare to rest idly in it, But night and
day enlarged

[1. Meaning mount Khî.

2. Wan and Wû.]

its foundations by his deep and silent virtue. How did he continue and
glorify (his heritage), Exerting all his heart, And so securing its
tranquillity!

ODE 7. THE WÛ KIANG.

APPROPRIATE TO A SACRIFICE TO KING WAN, ASSOCIATED WITH HEAVEN, IN THE HALL
OF AUDIENCE.

There is, happily, an agreement among the critics as to the occasion
to which this piece is referred. It took place in the last month of
autumn, in the Hall of Audience, called also 'the Brilliant Hall,' and
'the Hall of Light.' We must suppose that the princes are all
assembled at court, and that the king receives them in this hall. A
sacrifice is then presented to God, with him is associated king Wan,
and the two being the fountain from which, and the channel through
which, the sovereignty had come to Kâu.

I have brought my offerings, A ram and a bull. May Heaven accept
them[1]!

I imitate and follow and observe the statutes of king Wan, Seeking
daily to secure the tranquillity of the kingdom. King Wan, the
Blesser, has descended on the right, and accepted (the offerings).

Do I not, night and day, Revere the majesty of Heaven, Thus to
preserve (its favour).

ODE 8. THE SHIH MÂI.

APPROPRIATE TO KING WÛ'S SACRIFICING TO HEAVEN, AND TO THE SPIRITS OF THE
HILLS AND RIVERS, ON A PROGRESS THROUGH THE KINGDOM, AFTER THE OVERTHROW OF
THE SHANG DYNASTY.

Here again there is an agreement among the critics. We find from the
Zo Kwan and 'the Narratives of the States.' that the

[1. This is a prayer. The worshipper, it is in view of the majesty of
Heaven, shrank from assuming that God would certainly accept his
sacrifice. He assumes, below, that king Wan does so.]

piece was, when those compilations were made, considered to be the
work of the duke of Kâu; and, no doubt, it was made by him soon after
the accession of Wû to the kingdom, and when he was making a royal
progress in assertion of his being appointed by Heaven to succeed to
the rulers of Shang. The 'I' in the fourteenth line is, most probably,
to be taken of the duke of Kâu, who may have recited the piece on
occasion of the sacrifices, in the hearing of the assembled princes
and lords.

Now is he making a progress through his states; May Heaven deal with
him as its son!

Truly are the honour and succession come from it to the House of Kâu.
To his movements All respond with tremulous awe. He has attempted and
given rest to all spiritual beings [1], Even to (the spirits of) the
Ho and the highest hills. Truly is the king our sovereign lord.

Brilliant and illustrious is the House of Kâu. He has regulated the
positions of the princes; He has called in shields and spears; He has
returned to their cases bows and arrows[2]. He will cultivate
admirable virtue, And display it throughout these great regions. Truly
will the king preserve the appointment.

[1. 'All spiritual beings' is, literally, 'the hundred spirits,'
meaning the spirits presiding, under Heaven, over all nature, and
especially the spirits of the rivers and hills throughout the kingdom.
Those of the Ho and the lofty mountains are mentioned, because if
their spirits Were satisfied with Wû, those of all other mountains and
hills, no doubt, were so.

2. Compare with these lines the last chapter of 'the Completion of the
War' in the Shû.]

ODE 9. THE KIH KING.

AN ODE APPROPRIATE IN SACRIFICING TO THE KINGS WÛ, KHANG, AND KHANG.

The Chinese critics differ in the interpretation of this ode, the
Preface and older scholars restricting it to a sacrifice to king Wû,
while Kû Hsî and others find reference in it, as to me also seems most
natural, to Khang and Khang, who succeeded him.

The arm of king Wû was full of strength; Irresistible was his ardour.
Greatly illustrious were Khang and Khang [1], Kinged by God.

When we consider how Khang and Khang Grandly held all within the four
quarters (of the kingdom), How penetrating was their intelligence!

The bells and drums sound in harmony; The sounding-stones and flutes
blend their notes; Abundant blessing is sent down.

Blessing is sent down in large measure. Careful and exact is all our
deportment; We have drunk, and we have eaten, to the fall; Our
happiness and dignity will be prolonged.

ODE 10. THE SZE WAN.

APPROPRIATE TO ONE OF THE BORDER SACRIFICES, WHEN HÂU-KÎ WAS WORSHIPPED AS
THE CORRELATE OF GOD, AND CELEBRATING HIM.

Hâu-kî was the same as Khî, who appears in Part II of the Shû as
Minister of Agriculture to Yâo and Shun, and co-operating with

[1. If the whole piece be understood only of a sacrifice to Wû, this
line will have to be translated--'How illustrious was he, who
completed (his great work), and secured its tranquillity.' We must
deal similarly with the next line. This construction is very forced;
nor is the text clear on the view of Kû-Hsî.]

Yü in his labours on the flooded land. The name Hâu belongs to him as
lord of Thâi; that of Ki, as Minister of Agriculture. However the
combination arose, Hâu-kî became historically the name of Khî of the
time of Yâo and Shun, the ancestor to whom the kings of Kâu traced
their lineage. He was to the people the Father of Husbandry, who first
taught men to plough and sow and reap. Hence, when the kings offered
sacrifice and prayer to God at the commencement of spring for his
blessing on the labours of the year, they associated Hâu-kî with him
at the service.

O accomplished Hâu-kî, Thou didst prove thyself the correlate of
Heaven. Thou didst give grain-food to our multitudes:--The immense
gift of thy goodness. Thou didst confer on us the wheat and the
barley, Which God appointed for the nourishment of all. And without
distinction of territory or boundary, The rules of social duty were
diffused throughout these great regions.

The Second Decade, or that of Khan Kung.

ODE 1. THE KHAN KUNG.

INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN TO THE OFFICERS OF HUSBANDRY.

The place of this piece among the sacrificial odes makes us assign it
to the conclusion of some sacrifice; but what the sacrifice was we
cannot tell. The Preface says that it was addressed, at the conclusion
of the spring sacrifice to ancestors to the princes who had been
present and taken part in the service. Kû Hsî says nothing but what I
have stated in the above argument of the piece.

Ah! ah! ministers and officers, Reverently attend to your public
duties. The king has given you perfect rules;--Consult about them and
consider them.

Ah! ah! ye assistants.. It is now the end of spring [1]; And what have
ye to seek for? (Only) how to manage the new fields and those of the
third year, How beautiful are the wheat and the barley! The bright and
glorious God Will in them give us a good year. Order all our men To be
provided with their spuds and hoes:--Anon we shall see the sickles at
work.

ODE 2. THE Î HSÎ.

FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS TO THE OFFICERS OF HUSBANDRY.

Again there is a difficulty in determining to what sacrifice this
piece should be referred. The Preface says it was sung on the
occasions of sacrifice by the king to God, in spring and summer, for a
good year. But the note on the first two lines will show that this
view cannot be accepted without modification.

Oh! yes, king Khang [2] Brightly brought himself near [2]. Lead your
husbandmen To sow their various kinds of grain, Going vigorously to
work

[1. It is this line which makes it difficult to determine after what
sacrifice we are to suppose these instructions to have been delivered.
The year, during the Hsiâ dynasty, began with the first month of
spring, as it now does in China, in consequence of Confucius having
said that that was the proper time. Under the Shang dynasty, it
commenced a month earlier; and during the Kâu period, it ought always
to have begun with the new moon preceding the winter
solstice,--between our November 22 and December 22. But in the
writings of the Kâu period we find statements of time continually
referred to the calendar of Hsiâ,--as here.

2 These first two lines are all but unmanageable. The old critics held
that there was no mention of king Khang in them; but the text is
definite on this point. We must suppose that a special service had
been performed at his shrine, asking him to intimate the day when the
sacrifice after which the instructions were given should be performed;
and that a directing oracle had been received.]

on your private fields[1], All over the thirty lî[2]. Attend to your
ploughing, With your ten thousand men all in pairs.

ODE 3. THE KÂU LÛ.

CELEBRATING THE REPRESENTATIVES OF FORMER DYNASTIES, WHO HAD COME TO COURT
TO ASSIST AT A SACRIFICE IN THE ANCESTRAL TEMPLE.

This piece may have been used when the king was dismissing his
distinguished guests in the ancestral temple. See the introductory
note to this Part, pp. 300, 301.

A flock of egrets is flying, About the marsh there in the west[3]. My
visitors came, With an (elegant) carriage like those birds.

There, (in their states), not disliked, Here, (in Kâu), never tired
of;-They are sure, day and night, To perpetuate their fame.

[1. The mention of 'the private fields' implies that there were also
'the public fields,' cultivated by the husbandmen in common, in behalf
of the government. As the people are elsewhere introduced, wishing
that the rain might first fall on 'the public fields,' to show their
loyalty, so the king here mentions only 'the private fields,' to show
his sympathy and consideration for the people.

2. For the cultivation of the ground, the allotments of single
families were separated by a small ditch; ten allotments, by a larger;
a hundred, by what we may call a brook; a thousand, by a small stream;
and ten thousand, by a river. The space occupied by 10,000 families
formed a square of a little more than thirty-two lî. We may suppose
that this space was intended by the round number of thirty lî in the
text. So at least Kang Khang-kang explained it.

3. These two lines make the piece allusive. See the Introduction, p.
279.]

ODE 4. THE FANG NIEN.

AN ODE OF THANKSGIVING FOR A PLENTIFUL YEAR.

The Preface says the piece was used at sacrifices in autumn and
winter. Kû Hsî calls it an ode of thanksgiving for a good
year,--without any specification of time. He supposes, however, that
the thanks were given to the ancient Shan-nang, 'the father of
Agriculture,' Hâu-kî, 'the first Husbandman,' and the spirits
presiding over the four quarters of the heavens. To this the imperial
editors rightly demur, saying that the blessings which the piece
speaks of could come only from God.

Abundant is the year with much millet and much rice And we have our
high granaries, With myriads, and hundreds of thousands, and millions
(of measures in them); For spirits and sweet spirits, To present to
our forefathers, male and female, And to supply all our ceremonies.
The blessings sent down on us are of every kind.

ODE 5. THE YÛ KÛ.

THE BLIND MUSICIANS OF THE COURT OF KÂU; THE INSTRUMENT OF MUSIC; AND THEIR
HARMONY.

The critics agree in holding that this piece was made on occasion of
the duke of Kâu's completing his instruments of music for the
ancestral, temple, and announcing the fact at a grand performance in
the temple of king Wan. It cam hardly be regarded as a sacrificial
ode.

There are the blind musicians; there are the blind musicians; In the
court of (the temple of) Kâu.[1]

[1. The blind musicians at the court of Kâu were numerous. The
blindness of the eyes was supposed to make the ears more acute in
hearing, and to be favourable to the powers of the voice. In the
Official Book of Kâu, III, i, par. 22, the enumeration of these blind
musicians gives 2 directors of the first rank, and 4 of the second; 40
performers of the first grade, 100 of the second, and 160 of the
third; with 300 assistants who were possessed of vision. But it is
difficult not to be somewhat incredulous as to this great collection
of blind musicians about the court of Kâu.]

There are (the music-frames with their) face-boards and posts, The
high toothed-edge (of the former), and the feathers stuck (in the
latter); With the drums, large and small, suspended from them; And the
hand-drums and sounding-stones, the instrument to give the signal for
commencing, and the stopper. These being all complete, the music is
struck up. The pan-pipe and the double flute begin at the same time
[1].

Harmoniously blend their sounds; In solemn unison they give forth
their notes. Our ancestors will give ear. Our visitors will be
there;--Long to witness the complete performance.

ODE 6. THE KHIEN.

SUNG IN THE LAST MONTH OF WINTER, AND IN SPRING, WHEN THE KING PRESENTED A
FISH IN THE ANCESTRAL TEMPLE.

Such is the argument of this piece given in the Preface, and in which
the critics generally concur. In the Lî Kî, IV, vi, 49, it is recorded
that the king, in the third Month of winter, gave orders to his chief
fisher to commence his duties, and went himself to see his operations.
He partook of the fish first captured, but previously presented some
as an offering in the back apartment of the ancestral temple. In the
third month of spring, again, when the sturgeons began to make their
appearance (Lî Kî, IV, i, 25), the king presented one in the same
place. On

[1. All the instruments here enumerated were performed on in the open
court below the hall. Nothing is said of the stringed instruments
which were used in the hall itself; nor is the enumeration of the
instruments in the courtyard complete.]

these passages, the prefatory notice was, no doubt, constructed.
Choice specimens of the earliest-caught fish were presented by the
sovereign to his ancestors, as an act of duty, and an acknowledgment
that it was to their favour that he and the people were indebted for
the supplies of food, which they received from the waters.

Oh! in the Khî and the Khü, There are many fish in the
warrens;--Sturgeons, large and snouted, Thryssas, yellow-jaws,
mud-fish, and carp;--For offerings, for sacrifice, That our bright
happiness may be increased.

ODE 7. THE YUNG.

APPROPRIATE, PROBABLY, AT A SACRIFICE BY KING WÛ TO HIS FATHER WAN.

From a reference in the Analects, III, ii, to an abuse of this ode in
the time of Confucius, We learn that it was sung When the sacrificial
vessels and their contents were being removed.

They come full of harmony; They are here in all gravity;--The princes
assisting, While the Son of Heaven looks profound.

(He says), 'While I present (this) noble bull, And they assist me in
setting forth the sacrifice, O great and august Father, Comfort me,
your filial son.

With penetrating wisdom thou didst play the man. A sovereign with the
gifts both of peace and war, Giving rest even to great Heaven[1], And
ensuring prosperity to thy descendants.

[1. To explain this line one commentator refers to the seventh stanza
of the first piece in the Major Odes of the Kingdom, where it is said,
'God surveyed the four quarters of the kingdom, seeking for some one
to give settlement and rest to the people;' and adds, 'Thus what
Heaven has at heart is the settlement of the people, When the), have
rest given to them, then Heaven is at rest.']

'Thou comfortest me with the eyebrows of longevity; Thou makest me
great with manifold blessings, I offer this sacrifice to my
meritorious father, And to my accomplished mother[1].'

ODE 8. THE ZÂI HSIEN.

APPROPRIATE TO AN OCCASION WHEN THE FEUDAL PRINCES HAD BEEN ASSISTING KING
KHANG AT A SACRIFICE TO HIS FATHER.

They appeared before their sovereign king, To seek from him the rules
(they were to observe). With their dragon-emblazoned banners, flying
bright, The bells on them and their front-boards tinkling, And with
the rings on the ends of the reins glittering, Admirable was their
majesty and splendour.

He led them to appear before his father shrined on the left [2], Where
he discharged his filial duty, and presented his offerings;--That he
might have granted to him long life, And ever preserve (his dignity).
Great and many are his blessings. They are the brilliant and
accomplished princes, Who cheer him with his many sources of
happiness,

[1. At sacrifices to ancestors, the spirit tablets of wives were
placed along with those of their husbands in their shrines, so that
both shared in the honours of the service. So it is now in the
imperial ancestral temple in Peking. The 'accomplished mother' here
would be Thâi Sze, celebrated often in the pieces of the first Book of
Part I, and elsewhere.

2 Among the uses of the services of the ancestral temple, specified by
Confucius and quoted on p. 302, was the distinguishing the order of
descent in the royal House. According to the rules for that purpose,
the characters here used enable us to determine the subject of this
line as king Wû, in opposition to his father Wan.]

Enabling him to perpetuate them in their brightness as pure blessing.

ODE 9. THE YÛ KHO.

CELEBRATING THE DUKE OF SUNG ON ONE OF HIS APPEARANCES AT THE CAPITAL TO
ASSIST AT THE SACRIFICE IN THE ANCESTRAL TEMPLE OF KÂU;--SHOWING HOW HE WAS
ESTEEMED AND CHERISHED BY THE KING.

The mention of the white horses here in the chariot of the visitor
sufficiently substantiates the account in the Preface that he was the
famous count of Wei, mentioned in the Shû, IV, xi, and whose
subsequent investiture with the duchy of Sung, as the representative
of the line of the Shang kings, is also related in the Shû, V, viii.
With the dynasty of Shang white had been the esteemed and sacred
colour, as red was with Kâu, and hence the duke had his carriage drawn
by white horses. 'The language,' says one critic, 'is all in praise of
the visitor, but it was sung in the temple, and is rightly placed
therefore among the Sung.' There is, in the last line, an indication
of the temple in it.

The noble visitor! The noble visitor! Drawn, like his ancestors, by
white horses! The reverent and dignified, Polished members of his
suite!

The noble guest will stay (but) a night or two! The noble guest will
stay (but) two nights or four! Give him ropes, To bind his horses [1].

I will convoy him (with a parting feast); I will comfort him in every
possible way. Adorned with such great dignity, It is very natural that
he should be blessed.

[1. These four lines simply express the wish of the king, to detain
his visitor, from the delight that his presence gave him. Compare the
similar language in the second ode of the fourth decade of Part II.]

ODE 10. THE WÛ.

SUNG IN THE ANCESTRAL TEMPLE TO THE MUSIC REGULATING THE DANCE IN HONOUR OF
THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF KING WÛ.

This account of the piece, given in the Preface, is variously
corroborated, and has not been called in question by any critic.
Perhaps this brief ode was sung as a prelude to the dance, or it may
be that the seven lines are only a fragment. This, indeed, is most
likely, as we have several odes in the next decade, all said to have
been used at the same occasion.

Oh! great wast thou, O king Wû, Displaying the utmost strength in thy
work. Truly accomplished was king Wan, Opening the path for his
successors. Thou didst receive the inheritance from him. Thou didst
vanquish Yin, and put a stop to its cruelties;--Effecting the firm
establishment of thy merit.

The Third Decade, or that of Min Yü Hsiâo Dze.

ODE 1. THE MIN YÜ.

APPROPRIATE TO THE YOUNG KING KHANG, DECLARING HIS SENTIMENTS IN THE TEMPLE
OF HIS FATHER.

The speaker in this piece is, by common consent, king Khang. The only
question is as to the date of its composition, whether it was made for
him, in his minority, on his repairing to the temple when the mourning
for his father was completed, or after the expiration of the regency
of the duke of Kâu. The words 'little child,' according to their
usage, are expressive of humility and not of age. They do not enable
us to determine the above point.

Alas for me, who am a little child, On whom has devolved the unsettled
state! Solitary am I and full of distress. Oh! my great Father, All
thy life long, thou wast filial.

Thou didst think of my great grandfather, (Seeing, him, as it were)
ascending and descending in the court, I, the little child, Day and
night will be as reverent.

Oh! ye great kings, As your successor, I will strive not to forget
you.

ODE 2. THE FANG LO.

THE YOUNG KING TELLS OF HIS DIFFICULTIES AND INCOMPETENCIES; ASKS FOR
COUNSEL TO KEEP HIM TO COPY THE EXAMPLE OF HIS FATHER; STATES HOW HE MEANT
TO DO SO; AND CONCLUDES WITH AN APPEAL OR PRAYER TO HIS FATHER.

This seems to be a sequel to the former ode. We can hardly say
anything about it so definite as the statement in the Preface, that it
relates to a council held by Khang and his ministers in the ancestral
temple.

I take counsel at the beginning of my (rule), How I can follow (the
example of) my shrined father. Ah! far-reaching (were his plans), And
I am not yet able to carry them out. However I endeavour to reach to
them, My continuation of them will still be all-deflected. I am a
little child, Unequal to the many difficulties of the state. Having
taken his place, (I will look for him) to go up and come down in the
court, To ascend and descend in the house. Admirable art thou, O great
Father, (Condescend) to preserve and enlighten me.

ODE 3. THE KING KIH.

KING KHANG SHOWS HIS SENSE OF WHAT WAS REQUIRED OF HIM TO PRESERVE THE
FAVOUR OF HEAVEN, A CONSTANT JUDGE; INTIMATES HIS GOOD PURPOSES; AND ASKS
THE HELP OF HIS MINISTERS TO BE ENABLED TO PERFORM THEM.

Let me be reverent! Let me be reverent! (The way of) Heaven is
evident, And its appointment is not easily preserved[1]. Let me not
say that it is high aloft above me. It ascends and descends about our
doings; It daily inspects us wherever we are.

I am a little child, Without intelligence to be reverently (attentive
to my duties); But by daily progress and monthly advance, I will learn
to hold fast the gleams (of knowledge), till I arrive at bright
intelligence. Assist me to bear the burden (of my position), And show
me how to display a virtuous conduct.

ODE 4. THE HSIÂO PÎ.

KING KHANG ACKNOWLEDGES THAT HE HAD ERRED, AND STATES HIS PURPOSE TO HE
CAREFUL IN THE FUTURE; HE WILL GUARD AGAINST THE SLIGHT BEGINNINGS OF EVIL;
AND IS PENETRATED WITH A SENSE OF HIS OWN INCOMPETENCIES.

This piece has been considered by some critics as the conclusion of
the council in the ancestral temple, with which the previous two also
are thought to be connected. The Preface says that the king asks in it
for the assistance of his ministers, but no such request is expressed.
I seem myself to see in it, with Sû Kheh and others, a reference to
the suspicions which Khang at one time, we know, entertained of the
fidelity of the duke of Kâu, when he was inclined to believe the
rumours spread against him by his other uncles, who joined in
rebellion with the son of the last king of Shang.

I condemn myself (for the past), And will be on my guard against
future calamity. I will have nothing to do with a wasp, To seek for
myself its painful sting. At first indeed it seemed to be

[1. The meaning is this: 'The way of Heaven is very clear, to bless
the good, namely, and punish the bad. But its favour is thus dependent
on men themselves, and hard to preserve.']

(but) a wren[1]. But it took wing, and became a large bird. I am
unequal to the many difficulties of the kingdom, And am placed in the
midst of bitter experiences.

ODE 5. THE ZÂI SHÛ

THE CULTIVATION OF THE GROUND FROM THE FIRST BREAKING OF IT UP, TILL IT
YIELDS ABUNDANT HARVESTS:--AVAILABLE SPECIALLY FOR SACRIFICES AND FESTIVE
OCCASIONS. WHETHER INTENDED TO BE USED ON OCCASIONS OF THANKSGIVING, OR IN
SPRING WHEN PRAYING FOR A GOOD YEAR, CANNOT BE DETERMINED.

The Preface says that this ode was used in spring, when the king in
person turned up some furrows in the field set apart for that purpose,
and prayed at the altars of the spirits of the land and the grain, for
an abundant year. Ka Hsî says he does not know on what occasion it was
intended to be used; but comparing it with the fourth ode of the
second decade, he is inclined to rank it with that as an ode of
thanksgiving. There is nothing in the piece itself to determine us in
favour of either view. It brings before us a series of pleasing
pictures of the husbandry of those early times. The editors of the
imperial edition say that its place in the Sung makes it clear that it
was an accompaniment of some royal sacrifice, We need not controvert
this; but the poet evidently singled out some large estate, and
describes the labour on it, from the first bringing it under
cultivation to the state in which it was before his eyes, and
concludes by saying that the picture which he gives of it had long
been applicable to the whole country.

They clear away the grass and the bushes; And the ground is laid open
by their ploughs.

In thousands of pairs they remove the roots, Some in the low wet land,
some along the dykes.

[1. The Chinese characters here mean, literally, 'peach-tree insect,'
or, as Dr. Williams has it, 'peach-bug.' Another name for the bird is
'the clever wife,' from the artistic character of its nest, which
would point it out as the small 'tailor bird.' But the name is applied
to various small birds.]

There are the master and his eldest son; His younger sons, and all
their children; Their strong helpers, and their hired servants. How
the noise of their eating the viands brought to them resounds! (The
husbands) think lovingly of their wives; (The wives) keep close to
their husbands. (Then) with their sharp ploughshares They set to work
on the south-lying acres.

They sow their various kinds of grain, Each seed containing in it a
germ of life.

In unbroken lines rises the blade, And, well nourished, the stalks
grow long.

Luxuriant looks the young grain, And the weeders go among it in
multitudes.

Then come the reapers in crowds, And the o-rain is piled up in the
fields, Myriads, and hundreds of thousands, and millions (of stacks);
For spirits and for sweet spirits, To offer to our ancestors, male and
female, And to provide for all ceremonies.

Fragrant is their aroma, Enhancing the glory of the state. Like pepper
is their smell, To give comfort to the aged.

It is not here only that there is this (abundance); It is not now only
that there is such a time:--From of old it has been thus.

ODE 6. THE LIANG SZE.

PRESUMABLY, AN ODE OF THANKSGIVING IN THE AUTUMN TO THE SPIRITS OF THE LAND
AND GRAIN.

Very sharp are the excellent shares, With which they set to work on
the south-lying, acres.

They sow their various kinds of grain, Each seed containing in it a
germ of life.

There are those who come to see them, With their baskets round and
square, Containing the provisions of millet.

With their light splint hats on their heads, They ply their hoes on
the ground, Clearing away the smartweed on the dry land and wet.

The weeds being decayed, The millets grow luxuriantly.

They fall rustling before the reapers. The gathered crop is piled up
solidly, High as a wall, United together like the teeth of a comb; And
the hundred houses are opened (to receive the grain)[1].

Those hundred houses being full, The wives and children have a feeling
of repose.

(Now) we kill this black-muzzled tawny bull[2], with his crooked
horns, To imitate and hand down, To hand down (the observances of) our
ancestors.

ODE 7. THE SZE Î.

AN ODE APPROPRIATE TO THE PREPARATIONS AND PROGRESS OF A FEAST AFTER A
SACRIFICE.

The Preface and the editors of the Yung-khang Shih say that the piece
has reference to the entertainment given, the day after a

[1. 'The hundred houses,' or chambers in a hundred family residences,
are those of the hundred families, cultivating the space which was
bounded by a brook;--see note on the second ode of the preceding
decade. They formed a society, whose members helped one another in
their field work, so that their harvest might be said to be carried
home at the same time. Then would come the threshing or treading, and
winnowing, after which the groin would be brought into the houses.

2 It has been observed that under the Kâu dynasty, red was the colour
of the sacrificial victims. So it was for the ancestral temple but in
sacrificing to the spirits of the land and grain, the victim was a
'yellow' bull with black lips.]

sacrifice, in the ancestral temple, to the personators of the dead,
described on p. 301. Kû Hsî denies this, and holds simply that it
belongs to the feast after a sacrifice, without further specifying
what sacrifice. The old view is probably the more correct.

In his silken robes, clean and bright, With his cap on his head,
looking so respectful, From the hall he goes to the foot of the
stairs, And (then) from the sheep to the oxen[1]. (He inspects) the
tripods, large and small, And the curved goblet of rhinoceros horn[2].
The good spirits are mild, (But) there is no noise, no insolence:--An
auspice (this) of great longevity.

ODE 8. THE KO.

AN ODE IN PRAISE OF KING WÛ, AND RECOGNISING THE DUTY TO FOLLOW HIS COURSE.

This was sung, according to the Preface, at the conclusion of the
dance in honour of king Wû;--see on the last piece of the second
decade.

Oh! powerful was the king's army, But he nursed it, in obedience to
circumstances, while the

[1. The subject of these lines must be an ordinary officer, for to
such the silk robes and a purple cap were proper, when he was
assisting at the sacrifices of the king or of a feudal prince. There
were two buildings outside the principal gate leading to the ancestral
temple, and two corresponding inside, in which the personators of the
departed ancestors were feasted. We must suppose the officer in
question descending from the upper hall to the vestibule of the gate,
to inspect the dishes, arranged for the feast, and then proceeding to
see the animals, and the tripods for boiling the flesh, &c.

2 The goblet of rhinoceros horn was to be drained, as a penalty, by
any one offending at the feast against the rules of propriety; but
here there was no occasion for it.]

time was yet dark. When the time was clearly bright, He thereupon
donned his grand armour. We have been favoured to receive What the
martial king accomplished. To deal aright with what we have inherited,
We have to be sincere imitators of thy course, (O king).

ODE 9. THE HWAN.

CELEBRATING THE MERIT AND SUCCESS OF KING WÛ.

According to a statement in the Zo Kwan, this piece also was sung in
connexion with the dance of Wû. The Preface says it was used in
declarations of war, and in sacrificing to God and the Father of War.
Perhaps it came to be used on such occasions; but we must refer it in
the first place to the reign of king Khang.

There is peace throughout our myriad regions. There has been a
succession of plentiful years:--Heaven does not weary in its favour.
The martial king Wû Maintained (the confidence of) his officers, And
employed them all over the kingdom, So securing the establishment of
his family. Oh! glorious was he in the sight of Heaven, Which kinged
him in the room (of Shang).

ODE 10. THE LÂI.

CELEBRATING THE PRAISE OF KING WAN.

This is the only account of the piece that can be given from itself.
The Zo Kwan, however, refers it to the dance of king Wû; and the
Preface says it contains the words with which Wû accompanied his grant
of fiefs and appanages in the ancestral temple to his principal
followers.

King Wan laboured earnestly:--Right is it we should have received (the
kingdom). We will diffuse (his virtue), ever cherishing the thought of
him; Henceforth we will seek only the settlement (of the kingdom). It
was he through whom came the appointment of Kâu. Oh! let us ever
cherish the thought of him.

ODE 11. THE PAN.

CELEBRATING THE GREATNESS OF KÂU, AND ITS FIRM POSSESSION OF THE KINGDOM, AS
SEEN IN THE PROGRESSES OF ITS REIGNING SOVEREIGN.

In the eighth piece of the first decade we have an ode akin to this,
relating a tentative progress of king Wû, to test the acceptance of
his sovereignty. This is of a later date, and should be referred,
probably, to the reign of king Khang, when the dynasty was fully
acknowledged. Some critics, however, make it, like the three
preceding, a portion of what was sung at the Wû dance.

Oh! great now is Kâu. We ascend the high hills, Both those that are
long and narrow, and the lofty mountains. Yes, and (we travel) along
the regulated Ho, All under the sky, Assembling those who now respond
to me. Thus it is that the appointment belongs to Kâu.

III. THE PRAISE ODES OF LÛ.

IT is not according to the truth of things to class the Sung of Lû
among the sacrificial odes, and I do not call them such. Kû Hsî
says:--'King Khang, because of the great services rendered by the duke
of Kâu, granted to Po-khin, (the duke's eldest son, and first marquis
of Lû), the privilege of using the royal ceremonies and music, in
consequence of which Lû had its Sung, which were sung to the music in
its ancestral temple. Afterwards, they made in Lû other odes in praise
of their rulers, which they also called Sung.' In this way it is
endeavoured to account for there being such pieces in this part of the
Shih as the four in this division of it. Confucius, it is thought,
found them in Lû, bearing the name of Sung, and so he classed them
with the true sacrificial odes, bearing that designation. If we were
to admit, contrary to the evidence in the case, that the Shih was
compiled by Confucius, this explanation of the place, of the Sung of
Lû in this Part would not be complimentary to his discrimination.

Whether such a privilege as Kû states was really granted to the first
marquis of Lû, is a point very much controverted. Many contend that
the royal ceremonies were usurped in the state,--in the time of duke
Hsî (B.C. 659 to 627). But if this should be conceded, it would not
affect the application to the odes in this division of the name of
Sung. They are totally unlike the Sung of Shang and of Kâu. It has
often been asked why there are no Fang of Lû in the first Part of the
Shih. The pieces here are really the Fang of Lû, and may be compared
especially with the Fang of Pin.

Lû was one of the states in the east, having its capital in Khü-fâu,
which is still the name of a district in the department of Yen-kâu,
Shan-tung. According to Kû, king Khang invested the duke of Kâu's
eldest son with the territory. According to Sze-ma Khien, the duke of
Kâu was himself appointed marquis of Lû; but being unable to go there
in consequence of his duties at the royal court, he sent his son
instead. After the expiration of his 'regency, the territory was
largely augmented, but he still remained in Kâu.

I pass over the first two odes, which have no claim to a place among
'sacred texts.' And only in one stanza of the third is there the
expression of a religious sentiment. I give it entire, however.

ODE 3. THE PHAN SHUI.

IN PRAISE OF SOME MARQUIS OF LÛ, CELEBRATING HIS INTEREST IN THE STATE
COLLEGE, WHICH HE HAD, PROBABLY, REPAIRED, TESTIFYING HIS VIRTUES, AND
AUSPICING FOR HIM A COMPLETE TRIUMPH OVER THE TRIBES OF THE HWÂI, WHICH
WOULD BE CELEBRATED IN THE COLLEGE.

The marquis here celebrated was, probably, Shan, or 'duke Hsî,'
mentioned above. The immediate occasion of its composition must have
been some opening or inauguration service in connexion with the repair
of the college.

1. Pleasant is the semicircular water [1], And we gather the cress
about it. The marquis of Lû is coming to it, And we see his
dragon-figured banner. His banner waves in the wind, And the bells of
his horses tinkle harmoniously. Small and great, All follow the prince
in his progress to it.

2. Pleasant is the semicircular water, And we gather the pondweed in
it. The marquis of Lû has come to it, With his horses so stately. His
horses are grand; His fame is brilliant. Blandly he looks and smiles;
Without any impatience he delivers his instructions.

3. Pleasant is the semicircular water, And we gather the mallows about
it. The marquis of Lû has come to it, And in the college he is
drinking. He is drinking the good spirits. May there be

[1. It is said in the tenth ode of the first decade of the Major Odes
of the Kingdom, that king Wû in his capital of Hâo built 'his hall
with its circlet of water.' That was the royal college built in the
middle of a circle of water; each state had its grand college with a
semicircular pool in front of it, such is may now be seen in front of
the temples of Confucius in the metropolitan cities of the provinces.
It is not easy to describe all the purposes which the building served.
In this piece the marquis of Lû appears feasting in it, delivering
instructions, taking counsel with his ministers, and receiving the
spoils and prisoners of war. The Lî Ki, VIII, ii, 7, refers to
sacrifices to Hâu-kî in connexion with the college of Lû. There the
officers of the state in autumn learned ceremonies; in winter,
literary studies; in spring and summer, the use of arms; and in autumn
and winter, dancing. There were celebrated trials of archery; there
the aged were feasted; there the princes held council with their
ministers. The college was in the western suburb of each capital.]

given to him such old age as is seldom enjoyed! May he accord with the
grand ways, So subduing to himself all the people!

4. Very admirable is the marquis of Lû, Reverently displaying his
virtue, And reverently watching over his deportment, The pattern of
the people.

With great qualities, both civil and martial, Brilliantly he affects
his meritorious ancestors [1]. In everything entirely filial, He seeks
the blessing that is sure to follow.

5. Very intelligent is the marquis of Lû, Making his virtue
illustrious. He has made this college with its semicircle of water,
And the tribes of the Hwâi will submit to him [2]. His martial-looking
tiger-leaders Will here present the left ears (of their foes)[3]. His
examiners, wise as Kâo-yâo [4] Will here present the prisoners.

6. His numerous officers, Men who have enlarged their virtuous minds,
With martial energy conducting their expedition, Will drive far away
those tribes of the east and south. Vigorous and

[1. The meaning is that the fine qualities of the marquis 'reached to'
and affected his ancestors in their spirit-state, and would draw down
their protecting favour. Their blessing, seen in his prosperity, was
the natural result of his filial piety.

2. The Hwâi rises in the department of Nan-yang, Ho-nan, and flows
eastward to the sea. South of it, down to the time of this ode, were
many rude and wild tribes that gave frequent occupation to the kings
of Kâu.

3. When prisoners refused to submit, their left ears were cut off, and
shown as trophies.

4. The ancient Shun's Minister of Crime. The 'examiners' were
officers. who questioned the prisoners, especially the more important
of them, to elicit information, and decide as to the amount of their
guilt and punishment.]

grand, Without noise or display, Without appeal to the judges [1],
They will here present (the proofs of) their merit.

7. How they draw their bows adorned with bone! How their arrows whiz
forth! Their war chariots are very large! Their footmen and
charioteers never weary! They have subdued the tribes of Hwâi, And
brought them to an unrebellious submission. Only lay your plans
securely, And all the tribes of the Hwâi will be won [2].

8. They come flying on the wing, those owls, And settle on the trees
about the college; They eat the fruit of our mulberry trees, And
salute us with fine notes [3]. So awakened shall be those tribes of
the Hwâi. They will come presenting their precious things, Their large
tortoises, and their elephants' teeth, And great contributions of the
southern metals [4].

[1. The 'judges' decided all questions of dispute in the army, and on
the merits of different men who had distinguished themselves.

2. In this stanza the poet describes a battle with the wild tribes, as
if it were going on before his eyes.

3 An owl is a bird with a disagreeable scream, instead of a beautiful
note; but the mulberries grown about the college would make them sing
delightfully. And so would the influence of Lû, going forth from the
college, transform the nature of the tribes about the Hwâi.

4 That is, according to 'the Tribute of Yü,' in the Shû, from King-kâu
and Yang-kâu.]

ODE 4. THE PÎ KUNG.

IN PRAISE OF DUKE HSÎ, AND AUSPICING FOR HIM A MAGNIFICENT CAREER OF
SUCCESS, WHICH WOULD MAKE-LÛ ALL THAT IT HAD EVER BEEN:--WRITTEN, PROBABLY,
ON AN OCCASION WHEN HSÎ HAD REPAIRED THE TEMPLES OF THE STATE, OF WHICH
PIOUS ACT HIS SUCCESS WOULD BE THE REWARD.

There is no doubt that duke Hsî is the hero of this piece. He is
mentioned in the third stanza as 'the son of duke Kwang,' and the
Hsî-sze referred to in the last stanza as the architect under whose
superintendence the temples had been repaired was his brother, whom we
meet with elsewhere as 'duke's son, Yü'. The descriptions of various
sacrifices prove that the lords of Lû, whether permitted to use royal
ceremonies or not, did really do so. The writer was evidently in a
poetic rapture as to what his ruler was, and would do. The piece is a
genuine bardic effusion.

The poet traces the lords of Lû to Khang Yüen and her son Hâu-kî. He
then comes to the establishment of the Kâu dynasty, and under it of
the marquisate of Lû; and finally to duke Hsî, dilating on his
sacrificial services, the military power of Lû, and the achievements
which be might be expected to accomplish in subjugating all the
territory lying to the east and a long way South, of Lû.

I. How pure and still are the solemn temples, In their strong solidity
and minute completeness! Highly distinguished was Kiang Yüan[1], Of
virtue undeflected. God regarded her with favour, And without injury
or hurt, Immediately, when her months were completed, She gave birth
to Hâu-kî! On him were conferred all blessings,--(To know) how the
(ordinary) millet ripened early, and the sacrificial millet late; How
first to sow pulse

[1. About Kiang Yüan and her conception and birth of Hâu-kî, see the
first piece in the third decade of the Major Odes of the Kingdom.
There also Hâu-kî's teaching of husbandry is more fully described.]

and then wheat. Anon he was invested with an inferior state, And
taught the people how to sow and to reap, The (ordinary) millet and
the sacrificial, Rice and the black millet; Ere long over the whole
country:--(Thus) continuing the work of Yü.

2. Among the descendants of Hâu-kî, There was king Thâi[1], Dwelling
on the south of (mount) Khî, Where the clipping of Shang began. In
process of time Wan and Wû Continued the work of king Thâi, And (the
purpose of) Heaven was carried out in its time, In the plain of Mû
[2]. 'Have no doubts, no anxieties,'--(it was said), 'God is with you
[3].' Wû disposed of the troops of Shang; He and his men equally,
shared in the achievement. (Then) king (Khang) said, 'My uncle [4], I
will set up your eldest son, And make him marquis of Lû. I will
greatly enlarge your territory there, To be a help and support to the
House of Kâu.'

3. Accordingly he appointed (our first) duke of Lo, And made him
marquis in the east, Giving him the hills and rivers, The lands and
fields, and the attached states [5]. The (present) descendant of the
duke of Kâu, The son of duke Kwang, With dragon-emblazoned banner,
attends the sacrifices, (Grasping) his six reins soft and pliant. In
spring

[1. See on the Sacrificial Odes of Kâu, decade i, ode 5.

2. See the Shû, V, iii.

3. Shang-fû, one of Wû's principal leaders, encouraged him at the
battle of Mû with these words.

4 That is, the duke of Kâu.

5 That is, small territories, held by chiefs of other surnames, but
acknowledging the jurisdiction of. the lords of Lû, and dependent on
them for introduction to the royal court.]

and autumn he is not remiss; His offerings are all without error[1].
To the great and sovereign God, And to his great ancestor Hâu-kî, He
offers the victims, red and pure [2] They enjoy, they approve, And
bestow blessings in large number. The duke of Kâu, and (your other)
great ancestors, Also bless you.

4. In autumn comes the sacrifice of the season[3], But the bulls for
it have had their horns capped in summer [4]; They are the white bull
and the red one [5]. (There are) the bull-figured goblet in, its
dignity [6]; Roast pig, minced meat, and soups; The dishes of bamboo
and wood, and the large stands [7], And the dancers all complete. The
filial descendant

[1. These lines refer to the seasonal sacrifices in the temple of
ancestors, two seasons being mentioned for all the four, as in some of
the odes of Shang.

2. From the seasonal sacrifices the poet passes to the sacrifice to
God at the border altar in the spring,--no doubt the same which is
referred to in the last ode of the first decade of the Sacrificial
Odes of Kâu.

3. The subject of the seasonal sacrifices is resumed.

4. A piece of wood was fixed across the horns of the victim-bulls, to
prevent their injuring them by pushing or rubbing against any hard
substance. An animal injured in any way was not fit to be used in
sacrifice.

5. In sacrificing to the duke of Kâu, a white bull was used by way of
distinction. His great services to the. dynasty had obtained for him
the privilege of being sacrificed to with royal ceremonies. A white
bull, such as had been offered to the kings of Shang, was therefore
devoted to him; while for Po-khin, and 'the other marquises (or dukes
as spoken of by their own subjects), a victim of the orthodox Kâu
colour was employed.

6. This goblet, fashioned in the shape of a bull, or with a bull
pictured on it, must have been well known in connexion with these
services.

7. 'The large stand' was of a size to support half the roasted body of
a victim.]

will be blessed. (Your ancestors) will make you gloriously prosperous,
They will make you long-lived and good, To preserve this eastern,
region, Long possessing the state of Lû, Unwaning, unfallen, Unshaken,
undisturbed! They will make your friendship with your three aged
(ministers)[1] Like the hills, like the mountains.

5. Our prince's chariots are a thousand, And (in each) are (the two
spears with their) vermilion tassels, and (the two bows with their)
green bands. His footmen are thirty thousand, With shells on vermilion
strings adorning their helmets [2]. So numerous are his ardent
followers, To deal with the tribes of the west and north, And to
punish those of King and Shû [3], So that none of them will dare to
withstand us. (The spirits of your ancestors) shall make you grandly
prosperous; They

[1. Referring, probably, to the three principal ministers of the
state.

2. These lines describe Hsî's resources for war. A thousand chariots
was the regular force which a great state could at the utmost bring
into the field. Each chariot contained three mailed men;--the
charioteer in the middle, a spearman on the right, and an archer on
the left. Two spears rose aloft with vermilion tassels, and there were
two bows, bound with green bands to frames in their cases. Attached to
every chariot were seventy-two foot-soldiers and twenty-five
followers, making with the three men in it, 100 in all; so that the
whole force would amount to 100,000 men. But in actual service the
force of a great state was restricted to three 'armies' or 375
chariots, attended by 37,500 men, of whom 27,500 were foot-soldiers,
put down here in round numbers as 30,000.

3 King is the King-khû of the last of the Sacrificial Odes of Shang,
and the name Shû was applied to several half-civilized states to the
east of it, which it brought, during the Khun Khiû period, one after
another under its jurisdiction.]

shall make you long-lived and wealthy. The hoary hair and wrinkled
back, Marking the aged men, shall always be in your service. They
shall grant you old age, ever vigorous, For myriads and thousands of
years, With the eyebrows of longevity, and ever unharmed.

6. The mountain of Thâi is lofty, Looked up to by the state of Lû [1].
We grandly possess also Kwei and Mang [2]. And we shall extend to the
limits of the east, Even the states along the sea. The tribes of the
Hwâi will seek our alliance; All will proffer their allegiance:--Such
shall be the achievements of the marquis of Lû.

7. He shall maintain the possession of Hû and Yî [3], And extend his
sway to the regions of Hsü [4], Even to the states along the sea. The
tribes of the Hwâi, the Man, and the Mo [5], And those tribes (still
more) to the south, All will proffer their allegiance;--Not one will
dare not to answer to his call, Thus showing their obedience to the
marquis of Lû.

8. Heaven will give great blessing to our prince, So that with the
eyebrows of longevity he shall

[1. Mount Thâi is well known, the eastern of the four great mountains
of China in the time of Shun. It is in the department of Thâi-an,
Shan-tung.

2 These were two smaller hills in Lû.

3 These were two hills of Lû, in the present district of Zâu.

4. Hsü was the name of one of Yü's nine provinces, embracing portions
of the present Shan-tung, Kiang-sû, and An-hui.

5. Mo was properly the name of certain wild tribes in the north, as
Man was that of the tribes of the south. But we cannot suppose any
tribes to be meant here but such as lay south of Lû.]

maintain Lû. He shall possess Kang and Hsü[1], And recover all the
territory of the duke of Kâu. Then shall the marquis of Lû feast and
be glad, With his admirable wife and aged mother; With his excellent
ministers and all his (other) officers[2]. Our region and state shall
he hold, Thus receiving many blessings, To hoary hair, and with teeth
ever renewed like a child's.

9. The pines of Zû-lâi [3], And the cypresses of Hsin-fû [3], Were cut
down and measured, With the cubit line and the eight cubits' line. The
projecting beams of pine were made very large; The grand inner
apartments rose vast. Splendid look the new temples, The work of
Hsî-sze, Very wide and large, Answering to the expectations of all the
people.

[1. Kang was a city with some adjacent territory, in the present
district of Thang, that had been taken from Lû by Khî. Hsü, called in
the Spring and Autumn 'the fields of Hsü' was west from Lû, and had
been granted to it as a convenient place for its princes to stop at on
their way to the royal court; but it had been sold or parted with to
Kang in the first year of duke Hwan (B.C. 711). The poet desires that
Hsî should recover these and all other territory which had at any time
belonged to Lû.

2 He would feast with the ladies in the inner apartment of the palace,
suitable for such a purpose; with his ministers in the outer
banqueting-room.

3. These were two hills, in the present department of Thâi-an.]
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Next: Part II: Minor Odes of the Kingdom