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Entry tags:
Shi Jing, The Book of Odes: Greater Odes of the Kingdom, Decade of Dang
* I found the best option for the weekly reminder emails, via Gmail. The external service options are more involved than our purposes require. Does anyone know anything about how to arrange an Apps Script? Basically all it has to do is tell ten people, on Saturdays, to come and get their juice/poems.
Until someone knows what to do there, I'll send out manual messages weekly. If you'd like to receive these and are not getting them, please let me know.
* If you haven't read it yet, chapter one, on tetrasyllabic shi poetry, in How to Read Chinese Poetry is hugely useful for the Book of Odes, imo.
* Remember you can also look at How to Read Chinese Poetry in Context.
* IF YOU HAVE FRIENDS WHO MIGHT LIKE TO JOIN or have other ideas, please let me know on this post.
* Every week I search the poems' English results to see if I can find any scholarship or neat bits and pop the results in Resources. Here is this week's collection.
**NEXT BATCH JUNE 7.**
Until someone knows what to do there, I'll send out manual messages weekly. If you'd like to receive these and are not getting them, please let me know.
* If you haven't read it yet, chapter one, on tetrasyllabic shi poetry, in How to Read Chinese Poetry is hugely useful for the Book of Odes, imo.
* Remember you can also look at How to Read Chinese Poetry in Context.
* IF YOU HAVE FRIENDS WHO MIGHT LIKE TO JOIN or have other ideas, please let me know on this post.
* Every week I search the poems' English results to see if I can find any scholarship or neat bits and pop the results in Resources. Here is this week's collection.
**NEXT BATCH JUNE 7.**
255. 蕩 - Dang
疾威上帝、其命多辟。
天生烝民、其命匪諶。
靡不有初、鮮克有終。
How vast is God,
The ruler of men below!
How arrayed in terrors is God,
With many things irregular in His ordinations!
Heaven gave birth to the multitudes of the people,
But the nature it confers is not to be depended on.
All are [good] at first,
But few prove themselves to be so at the last.
文王曰咨、咨女殷商。
曾是彊禦、曾是掊克。
曾是在位、曾是在服。
天降慆德、女興是力。
King Wen said, 'Alas!
Alas! you [sovereign of] Yin-shang,
That you should have such violently oppressive ministers,
That you should have such extortionate exactors,
That you should have them in offices,
That you should have them in the conduct of affairs!
Heaven made them with their insolent dispositions,
But it is you who employ them, and give them strength.'
文王曰咨、咨女殷商。
而秉義類、彊禦多懟。
流言以對、寇攘式內。
侯作侯祝、靡屆靡究 。
King Wen said, 'Alas!
Alas! you [sovereign of] Yin-shang,
You ought to employ such as are good,
But [you employ instead] violent oppressors, who cause many dissatisfactions.
They respond to you with baseless stories,
And [thus] robbers and thieves are in your court.
Thence come oaths and curses,
Without limit, without end. '
文王曰咨、咨女殷商。
女炰烋于中國、歛怨以為德。
不明爾德、時無背無側。
爾德不明、以無陪無卿。
King Wen said, 'Alas!
Alas! you [sovereign of] Yin-shang,
You show a strong fierce will in the centre of the kingdom,
And consider the contracting of enmities a proof of virtue.
All unintelligent are you of your [proper] virtue,
And so you have no [good] men behind you, nor by your side.
Without any intelligence of your [proper] virtue,
You have no [good] intimate adviser nor minister. '
文王曰咨、咨女殷商。
天不湎爾以酒、不義從式。
既愆爾止、靡明靡晦。
式號式呼、俾晝作夜。
King Wen said, 'Alas!
Alas! you [sovereign of] Yin-shang,
It is not Heaven that flushes your face with spirits,
So that you follow what is evil and imitate it.
You go wrong in all your conduct;
You make no distinction between the light and the darkness;
But amid clamour and shouting,
You turn the day into night. '
文王曰咨、咨女殷商。
如蜩如螗、如沸如羹。
小大近喪、人尚乎由行。
內奰于中國、覃及鬼方。
King Wen said, 'Alas!
Alas! you [sovereign of] Yin-shang,
[All around you] is like the noise of cicadas,
Or like the bubbling of boiling soup.
Affairs, great and small, are approaching to ruin;
And still you [and your creatures] go on in this course.
Indignation is rife against you here in the Middle kingdom,
And extends to the demon regions. '
文王曰咨、咨女殷商。
匪上帝不時、殷不用舊。
雖無老成人、尚有典刑。
曾是莫聽、大命以傾。
King Wen said, 'Alas!
Alas! you [sovereign of] Yin-shang,
It is not God that has caused this evil time,
But it arises from Yin's not using the old [ways].
Although you have not old experienced men,
There are still the ancient statutes and laws.
But you will not listen to them,
And so your great appointment is being overthrown. '
文王曰咨、咨女殷商。
人亦有言、顛沛之揭。
枝葉未有害、本實先撥。
殷鑒不遠、在夏后之世。
King Wen said, 'Alas!
Alas! you [sovereign of] Yin-shang,
People have a saying,
'When a tree falls utterly,
While its branches and leaves are yet uninjured,
It must first have been uprooted. '
The beacon of Yin is not far-distant; -
It is in the age of the [last] sovereign of Xia. '
256. 抑 - Yi
抑抑威儀、維德之隅。
人亦有言、靡哲不愚。
庶人之愚、亦職維疾。
哲人之愚、亦維斯戾。
An outward demeanour, cautious and grave,
Is an indication of the [inward] virtue.
People have the saying,
'There is no wise man who is not [also] stupid. '
The stupidity of the ordinary man,
Is determined by his [natural] defects.
The stupidity of the wise man,
Is from his doing violence [to his natural character].
無競維人、四方其訓之。
有覺德行、四國順之。
訏謨定命、遠猶辰告。
敬慎威儀、維民之則。
What is most powerful is the being the man; -
In all quarters [of the State] men are influenced by it.
To an upright virtuous conduct,
All in the four quarters of the State render obedient homage.
With great counsels and determinate orders,
With far-reaching plans and timely announcements,
And with reverent care of his outward demeanour,
One will become the pattern of the people.
其在于今、興迷亂于政。
顛覆厥德、荒湛于酒。
女雖湛樂從、弗念厥紹。
罔敷求先王、克共明刑。
As for the circumstances of the present time,
You are bent on error and confusion in your government.
Your virtue is subverted;
You are besotted by drink.
Although you thus pursue nothing but pleasure,
How is it you do not think of your relation to the past,
And do not widely study the former kings,
That you might hold fast their wise laws?
肆皇天弗尚、如彼泉流、無淪胥以亡。
夙興夜寐、洒掃廷內、維民之章。
脩爾車馬、弓矢戎兵。
用戒戎作、用逷蠻方。
Shall not those whom great Heaven does not approve of,
Surely as the waters flow from a spring,
Sink down together to ruin?
Rise early and go to bed late,
Sprinkle and sweep your court-yard; -
So as to be a pattern to the people.
Have in good order your chariots and horses,
Your bows and arrows, and [other] weapons of war; -
To be prepared for warlike action,
To keep at a distance [the hordes of] the South.
質爾人民、謹爾侯度、用戒不虞。
慎爾出話、敬爾威儀、無不柔嘉。
白圭之玷、尚可磨也。
斯言之玷、不可為也。
Perfect what concerns your officers and people;
Be careful of your duties as a prince [of the kingdom]; -
To be prepared for unforeseen dangers.
Be cautious of what you say;
Be reverently careful of your outward demeanour;
In all things be mild and correct.
A flaw in a mace of white jade,
May be ground away,
But for a flaw in speech,
Nothing can be done.
無易由言、無曰苟矣。
莫捫朕舌、言不可逝矣。
無言不讎、無德不報。
惠于朋友、庶民小子、子孫繩繩、萬民靡不承。
Do not speak lightly; - your words are your own:
Do not say, ' This is of little importance. '
No one can hold my tongue for me;
Words are not to be cast away.
Every word finds its answer;
Every good deed has its recompense.
If you are gracious among your friends,
And to the people, as if they were your children,
Your descendants will continue in unbroken line,
And all the people will surely be obedient to you.
視爾友君子、輯柔爾顏、不遐有愆。
相在爾室、尚不媿于屋漏。
無曰不顯、莫予云覯。
神之格思、不可度思、矧可射思。
Looked at in friendly intercourse with superior men,
You make your countenance harmonious and mild; -
Anxious not to do anything wrong.
Looked at in your chamber,
You ought to be equally free from shame before the light which shines in.
Do not say, ' This place is not public;
No one can see me here. '
The approaches of spiritual Beings,
Cannot be calculated [beforehand];
But the more should they not be slighted.
辟爾為德、俾臧俾嘉。
淑慎爾止、不愆于儀。
不僭不賊、鮮不為則。
投我以桃、報之以李。
彼童而角、實虹小子。
O prince, let your practice of virtue,
Be entirely good and admirable.
Watch well over your behaviour,
And allow nothing wrong in your demeanour.
Committing no excess, doing nothing injurious; -
There are few who will not in such a case take you for their pattern.
When one throws to me a peach,
I return to him a plum.
To look for horns on a young ram,
Will only weary you, my son.
荏染柔木、言緡之絲。
溫溫恭人、維德之基。
其維哲人、告之話言、順德之行。
其維愚人、覆謂我僭。
民各有心。
The soft and elastic wood,
Can be fitted with the silken string.
The mild and the respectful man,
Possesses the foundation of virtue.
There is a wise man; -
I tell him [good] words,
And he yields to them the practice of docile virtue.
There is a stupid man; -
He says on the contrary that my words are not true:
So different are people's minds.
於乎小子、未知藏否。
匪手攜之、言示之事。
匪面命之、言提其耳。
借曰未知、亦既抱子。
民之靡盈、誰夙知而莫成。
Oh! my son,
When you did not know what was good, and what was not good,
Not [only] did I lead you on by the hand,
But I showed the difference by appealing to affairs.
Not [only] did I charge you face to face,
But I held you by the ears.
And still perhaps you do not know,
Although you have held a son in your arms.
If people are not self-sufficient,
Who comes [only] to a late maturity after early instruction?
昊天孔昭、我生靡樂。
視爾夢夢、我心慘慘。
誨爾諄諄、聽我藐藐。
匪用為教、覆用為虐。
借曰未知、亦聿既耄。
Great Heaven is very intelligent,
And I pass my life without pleasure.
When I see you so dark and stupid,
My heart is full of pain.
I taught you with assiduous repetition,
And you listened to me with contempt.
You would not consider me your teacher,
But regarded me as troublesome.
Still perhaps you do not know; -
But you are very old.
於乎小子、告爾舊子。
聽用我謀、庶無大悔。
天方艱難、曰喪厥國。
取譬不遠、昊天不忒。
回遹其德、俾民大棘。
Oh! my son,
I have told you the old ways.
Hear and follow my counsels; -
Then shall you have no cause for great regret.
Heaven is now inflicting calamities,
And is destroying the State.
My illustrations are not taken from things remote; -
Great Heaven makes no mistakes.
If you go on to deteriorate in your virtue,
You will bring the people to great distress.
257. 桑柔 - Sang Rou
捋采其劉、瘼此下民。
不殄心憂、倉兄填兮。
倬彼昊天、寧不我矜。
Luxuriant is that young mulberry tree,
And beneath it wide is the shade;
But they will pluck its leaves till it is quite destroyed.
The distress inflicted on these [multitudes of the ] people,
Is an unceasing sorrow to my heart; -
My commiseration fills [my breast].
O thou bright and great Heaven,
Shouldest thou not have compassion on us?
四牡騤騤、旟旐有翩。
亂生不夷、靡國不泯。
民靡有黎、具禍以燼。
於乎有哀、國步斯頻。
The four steeds [gallop about], eager and strong;
The tortoise-and-serpent and the falcon banners fly about.
Disorder grows, and no peace can be secured.
Every State is being ruined;
There are no black heads among the people;
All are reduced to ashes, [as it were], by calamity.
Oh! alas!
The doom of the kingdom hurries on.
國步蔑資、天不我將。
靡所止疑、云徂何往。
君子實維、秉心無競。
誰生厲階、至今為梗。
There is nothing to arrest the doom of the kingdom;
Heaven does not nourish us.
There is no place in which to stop securely;
There is no place to which to go.
Superior men are the bonds [of the social state],
Allowing no love of strife in their hearts.
Who reared the steps of the dissatisfaction,
Which has reached the present distress?
憂心慇慇、念我土宇。
我生不辰、逢天僤怒。
自西徂東、靡所定處。
多我覯痻、孔棘我圉。
The grief of my heart is extreme,
And I dwell on [the condition of] our territory.
I was born at an unhappy time,
To meet with the severe anger of Heaven.
From the west to the east,
There is no quiet place of abiding.
Many are the distresses I meet with;
Very urgent is the trouble on our borders.
為謀為毖、亂況斯削。
告爾憂恤、誨爾序爵。
誰能執熱、逝不以濯。
其何能淑、載胥及溺。
You have your counsels; you employ caution;
But the disorder grows and dismemberments ensue.
I tell you the subjects for anxiety;
I instruct you how to distinguish the orders of men.
Who can hold anything hot?
Must he not dip it [first] in water?
How can you [by your method] bring a good state of things about?
You [and your advisers] will sink together in ruin.
如彼遡風、亦孔之僾。
民有肅心、荓云不逮。
好是稼穡、力民代食。
稼穡維寶、代食維好。
[The state of things] is like going in the teeth of the wind,
Which makes one quite breathless.
Some have a mind to go forward,
But they are made to think it is of no use to do so.
They attach themselves to husbandry,
And labour like the people instead of eating [the bread of office].
Their sowing and reaping are precious to them;
They love this substitute for [official] emolument.
天降喪亂、滅我立王。
降此蟊賊、稼穡卒痒。
哀恫中國、具贅卒荒。
靡有旅力、以念穹蒼。
Heaven is sending down death and disorder,
And has put an end to our king.
It is sending down those devourers of the grain,
So that the husbandry is all in evil case.
All is in peril and going to ruin;
I have no strength [to do anything],
And think of [the Power in] the azure vault.
維此惠君、民人所瞻。
秉心宣猶、考慎其相。
維彼不順、自獨俾臧。
自有肺腸、俾民卒狂。
Here is a good and righteous ruler,
Who is looked up to by the people and by all; -
He keeps his heart, and his plans are formed on mature deliberation,
Searching carefully for helpers.
There is one who has no such character,
But reckons only his own views to be good; -
He holds only to his own thoughts,
And causes the people to be distracted.
瞻彼中林、甡甡其鹿。
朋友已譖、不胥以穀。
人亦有言、進退維谷。
Look into the middle of that forest,
At the herds of deer roaming together.
[But here] friends are insincere,
And do not help one another in what is good.
People have the saying,
'To go forwards or backwards is alike impracticable. '
維此聖人、瞻言百里。
維彼愚人、覆狂以喜。
匪言不能、胡斯畏忌。
Here is a wise man; -
His views and words reach to a hundred li,
There is a stupid man; -
He on the contrary rejoices in his madness.
It is not that I could not speak [all this]; -
How is it I was withheld by my fear?
維此良人、弗求弗迪。
維彼忍心、是顧是復。
民之貪亂、寧為荼毒。
Here is a good man,
But he is not sought out nor employed.
There is a hard-hearted man,
And he is thought of and promoted once and again.
The people [in consequence] desire disorder,
And find emjoyment in bitter, poisonous ways.
大風有隧、有空大谷。
維此良人、作為式穀。
維彼不順、征以中垢。
Great winds have a path; -
They come from the large empty valleys.
Here is a good man,
Whose doings will be good.
There is a man unobservant of the right,
Whose goings will be according to his inward filthiness.
大風有隧、貪人敗類。
聽言則對、誦言如醉。
匪用其良、覆俾我悖。
Great winds have a path; -
The covetous men try to subvert their peers.
I would speak, if he would hear my words,
But I can [only] croon them over as if I were drunk.
He will not employ the good,
And on the contrary causes me [such] distress.
嗟爾朋友、予豈不知而作。
如彼飛蟲、時亦弋獲。
既之陰女、反予來赫。
Ah! my friends,
Is it in ignorance that I make [this ode]?
[But it may happen] as in the case of a bird on the wing,
Which sometimes is hit and caught.
I go to do you good,
But you become the more incensed against me.
民之罔極、職涼善背。
為民不利、如云不克。
民之回遹、職競用力。
The unlimited disorder of the people,
Is owing to those hypocrites, skilful to prevaricate.
They work out the injury of the people,
As if their efforts were not equal to it.
The depravity of the people,
Is brought about by their strenuous endeavours.
民之未戾、職盜為寇。
涼曰不可、覆背善詈。
雖曰匪予、既作爾歌。
That the people are unsettled,
Is owing to the robbers that prey on them.
Hypocritical, they say ' These men will not do; '
But when their backs are turned, they show their skill in reviling [the good].
Although you say, ' We did not do this, '
I have made this song about you.
258. 雲漢 - Yun Han
王曰於乎、何辜今之人。
天降喪亂、饑饉薦臻。
靡神不舉、靡愛斯牲。
圭璧既卒、寧莫我聽。
Bright was that milky way,
Shining and revolving in the sky.
The king said, 'Oh!
What crime is chargeable on us now,
That Heaven [thus] sends down death and disorder?
Famine comes again and again.
There is no victim I have grudged;
Our maces and other tokens are exhausted:
How is it that I am not heard?
旱既大甚、蘊隆蟲蟲。
不殄禋祀、自郊徂宮。
上下尊瘞、靡神不宗。
后稷不克、上帝不臨。
耗斁下土、寧丁我躬。
'The drought is excessive;
Its fervours become more and more tormenting.
I have not ceased offering pure sacrifices;
From the border altars I have gone to the ancestral temple.
To the [Powers] above and below I have presented my offerings and then buried them:
There is no Spirit whom I have not honoured.
Hou-ji is not equal to the occasion;
God does not come to us.
This wasting and ruin of our country, -
Would that it fell [only] on me!
旱既大甚、則不可推。
兢兢業業、如霆如雷。
周餘黎民、靡有孑遺。
昊天上帝、則不我遺。
胡不相畏、先祖于摧。
'The drought is excessive;
And I may not try to excuse myself.
I am full of terror and feel the peril,
Like the clap of thunder or the roll.
Of the remnant of Zhou, among the black-haired people,
There will not be half a man left;
Nor will God from His great heaven,
Exempt [even] me.
Shall we not mingle our fears together?
[The sacrifices to] my ancestors will be extinguished.
旱既大甚、則不可沮。
赫赫炎炎、云我無所。
大命近止、靡瞻靡顧。
群公先正、則不我助。
父母先祖、胡寧忍予。
'The drought is excessive;
And it cannot be stopped.
More fierce and fiery,
It is leaving me no place.
My end is near; -
I have none to look up to, none to look around to.
The many dukes and their ministers of the past,
Give me no help.
O ye parents and [nearer] ancestors,
How can ye bear to see us thus?
旱既大甚、滌滌山川。
旱魃為虐、如惔如焚。
我心憚暑、憂心如熏。
群公先正、則不我聞。
昊天上帝、寧俾我遯。
'The drought is excessive; -
Parched are the hills, and the streams are dried.
The demon of drought exercises his oppression.
As if scattering flames and fire.
My heart is terrified with the heat; -
My sorrowing heart is as if on fire.
The many dukes and their ministers of the past,
Do not hear me,
O God, from Thy great heaven,
Grant me the liberty to withdraw [into retirement]!
旱既大甚、黽勉畏去。
胡寧瘨我以旱、憯不知其故。
祈年孔夙、方社不莫。
昊天上帝、則我不虞。
敬恭明神、宜無悔怒。
'The drought is excessive; -
I struggle, and fear to go away.
How is it I am afflicted with this drought?
I cannot ascertain the cause of it.
In praying for a good year I was abundantly early;
I was not late [in sacrificing] to [the Spirits] of the four quarters and of the land.
God in the great heaven,
Does not consider me.
Reverent to the intelligent Spirits,
I ought not to be thus the object of their anger.
旱既大甚、散無友紀。
鞫哉庶正、疚哉冢宰。
趣馬師氏、膳夫左右。
靡人不周、無不能正。
瞻卬昊天、云如何里。
'The drought is excessive; -
All is dispersion, and the bonds of government are relaxed.
Reduced to extremities are the Heads of departments;
Full of distress are my chief minister,
The master of the horse, the commander of the guards,
The chief cook, and my attendants.
There is no one who has not [tried to] help [the people];
They have not refrained on the ground of being unable.
I look up to the great heaven; -
Why am I plunged in this sorrow?
瞻卬昊天、有嘒其星。
大夫君子、昭假無贏。
大命近止、無棄爾成。
何求為我、以戾庶正。
瞻卬昊天、曷惠其寧。
'I look up to the great heaven,
But its stars sparkle bright.
My great officers and excellent men,
Ye have drawn near [to Heaven] with reverence with all your powers.
Death is approaching,
But do not cast away what you have done.
You are seeking not for me only,
But to give rest to all our departments.
I look up to the great heaven; -
When shall I be favoured with repose?
259. 崧高 - Song Gao
維嶽降神、生甫及申。
維申及甫、維周之翰。
四國于蕃、四方于宣。
Grandly lofty are the mountains,
With their large masses reaching to the heavens.
From these mountains was sent down a Spirit,
Who gave birth to [the princes of] Fu and shen.
Fu and Shen,
Are the support of Zhou,
Screens to all the States,
Diffusing [their influence] over the four quarters of the kingdom.
亹亹申伯、王纘之事。
于邑于謝、南國是式。
王命召伯、定申伯之宅。
登是南邦、世執其功。
Full of activity is the chief of Shen,
And the king would employ him to continue the services [of his fathers],
With his capital in Xie,
Where he should be a pattern to the States of the south.
The king gave charge to the earl of Shao,
To arrange all about the residence of the chief of Shen,
Where he should do what was neccessary for the regions of the south,
And where his posterity might maintain his merit.
王命申伯、式是南邦。
因是謝人、以作爾庸。
王命召伯、徹申伯土田。
王命傅御、遷其私人。
The king gave charge to the chief of Shen,
'Be a pattern to the regions of the south,
And by means of those people of Xie,
Proceed to display your merit. '
The king gave charge to the earl of Shao,
To make the statutory definition of the territory and fields of the chief of Shen.
The king gave charge to the chief 's steward,
To remove the members of his family to the spot.
申伯之功、召伯是營。
有俶其城、寢廟既成。
既成藐藐、王錫申伯。
四牡蹻蹻、鉤膺濯濯。
Of the services of the chief of Shen,
The foundation was laid by the earl of Shao,
Who built first the walls [of this city],
And then completed his ancestral temple.
When the temple was completed, wide and grand,
The king conferred on the chief of Shen,
Four noble steeds,
With their hooks for the trappings of the breast-bands, glittering bright.
王遣申伯、路車乘馬。
我圖爾居、莫如南土。
錫爾介圭、以作爾寶。
往近王舅、南土是保。
The king sent away the chief of Shen,
With its carriage of state and its team of horses.
'I have consulted about your residence,
That it had best be fixed in the South.
I confer on you a great sceptre,
As the symbol of your dignity.
Go, my uncle,
And protect the country of the South.'
申伯信邁、王餞于郿。
申伯還南、謝于誠歸。
王命召伯、徹申伯土疆。
以峙其粻、式遄其行。
The chief of Shen took his departure,
And the king gave him a parting feast in Mei.
Then the chief of Shen returned, [and proceeded] to the south,
And found himself at last in Xie.
The king had given charge to the earl of Shao,
To make the statutory division of the lands,
And to lay up stores of provisions,
That the progress of the chief might be accelerated.
申伯番番、既入于謝、徒御嘽嘽。
周邦咸喜、戎有良翰。
不顯申伯、王之元舅、文武是憲。
Martial-like, the chief of Shen,
Entered into Xie.
His footmen and charioteers were numerous,
And throughout the regions of Zhou all rejoiced.
'You have got a good support:
Very distinguished is the chief of Shen,
The great uncle of the king,
The pattern of the officers, both civil and military. '
申伯之德、柔惠且直。
揉此萬邦、聞于四國。
吉甫作誦、其詩孔碩、其風肆好、以贈申伯。
The virtue of the chief of Shen,
Is mild, and regulated, and upright.
He will keep all these countries in order,
And be famed throughout the kingdom.
[I], Ji-fu, made this song,
An ode of great excellence,
Of influence good,
To present to the chief of Shen.
260. 烝民 - Zheng Min
民之秉彝、好是懿德。
天監有周、昭假于下、保茲天子、生仲山甫。
Heaven, in giving birth to the multitudes of the people,
To every faculty and relationship annexed its law.
The people possess this normal nature,
And they [consequently] love its normal virtue.
Heaven beheld the ruler of Zhou,
Brilliantly affecting it by his conduct below;
And to maintain him, its Son,
Gave birth to Zhong Shan-fu.
仲山甫之德、柔嘉維則。
令儀令色、小心翼翼。
古訓是式、威儀是力、天子是若、明命使賦。
The virtue of Zhong Shan-fu,
Is mild and admirable, according as it ought to be.
Good is his deportment; good his looks;
The lessons of antiquity are his law;
He is strenuously attentive to his deportment.
In full accord with the Son of Heaven,
He is employed to spread abroad his bright decrees.
王命仲山甫、式是百辟。
纘戎祖考、王躬是保。
出納王命、王之喉舌。
賦政于外、四方爰發。
The king gave charge to Zhong Shan-fu:
'Be a pattern to all the princes;
Continue [the services of] your ancestors.
You have to protect the royal person;
Give out the royal decrees, and report on them.
Be the king's throat and tongue;
Spread his government abroad,
So that in all quarters it shall be responded to. '
肅肅王命、仲山甫將之。
邦國若否、仲山甫明之。
既明且哲、以保其身。
夙夜匪解、以事一人。
Most dignified was the king's charge,
And Zhong Shan-fu carries it into execution.
In the States, the princes, be they good or bad,
Are clearly distinguished by Zhong Shan-fu.
Intelligent is he and wise,
Protecting his own person;
Never idle, day or night,
In the service of the One man.
人亦有言、柔則茹之、剛則吐之。
維仲山甫、柔亦不茹、剛亦不吐、不侮矜寡、不畏疆禦。
The people have a saying:
'The soft is devoured,
And the hard is ejected from the mouth. '
But Zhong Shan-fu,
Does not devour the soft,
Nor eject the powerful.
He does not insult the poor or the widow;
He does not fear the strong or the oppressive.
人亦有言、德輶如毛、民鮮克舉之。
我儀圖之、維仲山甫舉之、愛莫助之。
袞職有闕、維仲山甫補之。
The people have a saying:
'Virtue is light as a hair,
But few are able to lift it. '
When I think of the matter,
It is only Zhong Shan-fu that can lift it.
I love him, but can do nothing to help him.
Any defects in the king's duties,
Are supplied by Zhong Shan-fu.
仲山甫出祖、四牡業業、征夫捷捷、每懷靡及。
四牡彭彭、八鸞鏘鏘。
王命仲山甫、城彼東方。
Zhong Shan-fu went forth, having sacrificed to the Spirit of the road.
His four steeds were strong;
His men were alert;
He was always anxious lest he should not be equal to his commission;
His steeds went on without stopping,
To the tinkling of their eight bells.
The king had given charge to Zhong Shan-fu,
To fortify the city there in the east.
四牡騤騤、八鸞喈喈。
仲山甫徂齊、式遄其歸。
吉甫作誦、穆如清風。仲山甫永懷、以慰其心。
With his four steeds so strong,
And their eight bells, all tinkling,
Zhong Shan-fu proceeded to Qi; -
And he will soon return.
I, Yin Ji-fu, have made this song:
May it enter like a quiet wind,
Among the constant anxieties of Zhong Shan-fu,
To soothe his mind!
261. 韓奕 - Han Yi
韓侯受命、王親命之、纘戎祖考。
無廢朕命、夙夜匪解。
虔共爾位、朕命不易。
榦不庭方、以佐戎辟。
Very grand is the mountain of Liang,
Which was made cultivable by Yu.
Bright it is the way from it,
[Along which came] the marquis of Han to receive investiture.
The king himself gave the charge:
'Continue the services of your ancestors;
Let not my charge to you come to nought.
Be diligent, early and late,
And reverently discharge your duties; -
So shall my appointment of you not change.
Be a support against those princes who do not come to court,
Thus assisting your sovereign. '
四牡奕奕、孔脩且張。
韓侯入覲、以其介圭、入覲于王。
王錫韓侯、淑旂綏章。
簟茀錯衡。
玄袞赤舄、鉤膺鏤錫、鞹鞃淺幭、鞗革金厄。
With his four steeds, all noble,
Very long, and large,
The marquis of Han came to court,
With the large sceptre of his rank; -
He entered and appeared before the king.
The king gave him,
A fine dragon-flag, with its feathery ornaments;
A chequered bamboo-screen, and an ornamented yoke;
A dark-coloured robe with the dragons on it, and the redslippers;
The hooks for the trappings of the breast-bands, and the carved frontlets;
The leaning-board bound with leather, and a tiger's skin to cover it,
The ends of the reins, with their metal rings.
韓侯出祖、出宿于屠。
顯父餞之、清酒百壺。
其殽維何、炰鱉鮮魚。
其蔌維何、維筍及蒲。
其贈維何、乘馬路車。
籩豆有且、侯氏燕胥。
When the marquis of Han left the court, he sacrificed to the Spirit of the road;
He went forth, and lodged for the night in Tu.
There Xian-fu gave him the parting feast; -
With a hundred vases of clear spirits.
And what were the viands?
Roast turtle and fresh fish.
And what were the vegetables?
Bamboo sprouts and pu.
And what were the gifts?
A carriage of state with its team.
Many were the vessels of sauces and fruits;
And the other princes [at court] joined in the feast.
韓侯取妻、汾王之甥、蹶父之子。
韓侯迎止、于蹶之里。
百兩彭彭、八鸞鏘鏘、不顯其光。
諸娣從之、祁祁如雲。
韓侯顧之、爛其盈門。
The marquis of Han took to himself a wife, -
A niece of king Fen,
The daughter of Jue-fu.
The marquis of Han went to receive her.
To the residence of Jue.
His hundred chariots were in grand array,
The eight bells of each emitting their tinkling; -
Illustrious was the glory [of the occasion].
The virgins, her companions, followed the lady,
Leisurely like a beautiful cloud.
The marquis of Han looked round at them,
Filling the gate with their splendour.
蹶父孔武、靡國不到。
為韓姞相攸、莫如韓樂。
孔樂韓土、川澤訏訏、魴鱮甫甫、麀鹿噳噳、有熊有羆、有貓有虎。
慶既令居、韓姞燕譽。
Jue-fu is very martial,
And there is no State which he had not visited.
When he would select a home for Han-ji,
There seemed none so pleasant as Han,
Very pleasant is the territory of Han,
With its large streams and meres,
Full of big bream and tench;
With its multitudes of deer,
With its bears and grisly bears;
With its wild-cats and tigers.
Glad was he of so admirable a situation,
And here Han-ji found rest and joy.
溥彼韓城、燕師所完。
以先祖受命、因時百蠻。
王錫韓侯、其追其貊、奄受北國、因以其伯。
實墉實壑、實畝實籍、獻其貔皮、赤豹黃羆。
Large is the wall of [the city of] Han,
Built by the multitudes of Yan.
As his ancestor had received charge,
To preside over all the wild tribes [of that quarter],
The king [now] gave to the marquis of Han,
The Zhui and the Mo,
Forthwith to hold the States of the north,
And to preside over them as their chief;
Making strong his walls, and deep his moats,
Laying out his fields, regulating his revenues,
Presenting his skins of the white fox,
With those of the red panther and the yellow grisly bear.
262. 江漢 - Jiang Han
匪安匪遊、淮夷來求。
既出我車、既設我旟。
匪安匪舒、淮夷來鋪。
Large was the volume of the Jiang and the Han,
And the troops advanced like a flowing current.
There was no resting, no idle wandering; -
We were seeking for the tribes of the Huai.
We had sent forth our chariots;
We had displayed our falcon-banners.
There was no resting, no remissness; -
Against the tribes of the Huai were we marshalled.
江漢湯湯、武夫洸洸。
經營四方、告成于王。
四方既平、王國庶定。
時靡有爭、王心載寧。
Large flowed the Jiang and the Han,
And grandly martial looked the troops.
The whole country had been reduced to order,
And an announcement of our success had been made to be king.
When the whole country was pacified,
The king's State began to feel settled.
There was then an end of strife,
And the king's heart was composed.
江漢之滸、王命召虎、式辟四方、徹我疆土。
匪疚匪棘、王國來極。
于理于理、至于南海。
On the banks of the Jiang and the Han,
The king had given charge to Hu of Shao:
'Open up the whole of the country;
Make the statutory division of my lands there;
Not to distress the people, nor with urgency,
But making them conform to the royal state.
Make the larger and the smaller divisions of the ground,
As far as the southern sea.'
王命昭虎、來旬來宣。
文武受命、召公維翰。
無曰予小子、召公是似。
肇敏戎公、用錫爾祉。
The king gave charge to Hu of Shao:
'You have everywhere diffused [and carried out my orders].
When Wen and Wu received their appointment,
The duke of Shao was their strong support.
You do not [only] have a regard to me the little child,
But you try to resemble that duke of Shao.
You have commenced and earnestly displayed your merit;
And I will make you happy.
釐爾圭瓚、秬鬯一卣。
告于文人、錫山土田。
于周受命、自召祖命。
虎拜稽首、天子萬年。
'I give you a large libation-cup of jade,
And a jar of herb-flavoured spirits from the black millet.
I have made announcement to the accomplished one,
And confer on you hills, lands, and fields.
In [Qi]zhou shall you receive investiture,
According as your ancestor received his. '
Hu bowed with his head to the ground, [and said],
'May the Son of Heaven live for ever! '
虎拜稽首、對揚王休、作召公考、天子萬壽。
明明天子、令聞不已、矢其文德、洽此四國。
Hu bowed with his head to the ground,
And in response displayed the goodness of the king,
And roused himself to maintain the fame of his ancestor.
'May the Son of Heaven live for ever!
Very intelligent is the Son of Heaven;
His good fame shall be without end.
Let him display his civil virtues,
Till they permeate all quarters of the kingdom.
263. 常武 - Chang Wu
整我六師、以脩我戎。
既敬既戒、惠此南國。
Grandly and clearly,
The king gave charge to his minister,
A descendant of Nan Zhong,
The Grand-master Huang-fu:
'Put my six armies in order,
And get ready all my apparatus of war.
Be reverent, be cautious,
That we may give comfort to the States of the south. '
王謂尹氏、命程伯休父。
左右陳行、戒我師旅。
率彼淮浦、省此徐土。
不留不處、三事就緒。
The king said to the Head of the Yin clan,
'Give a charge to Xiu-fu, earl of Cheng,
To undertake the arrangement of the ranks,
And to warn all my troops.
Along the bank of the Huai,
[We go] to see the land of Xu,
Not delaying [our march], not occupying [the territory],
That the threefold labours [of husbandry ] may proceed in order. '
赫赫業業、有嚴天子。
王舒保作、匪紹匪遊、徐方繹騷。
震驚徐方、如雷如霆、徐方震驚。
Full of grandeur and strength,
The Son of Heaven looked majestic.
Leisurely and calmly the king advanced,
Not with his troops in masses, nor in broken lines.
The region of Xu from stage to stage was moved;
It shook and was terrified, - the region of Xu.
As by the roll of thunder or its sudden crash,
The region of Xu shook and was terrified.
王奮厥武、如震如怒。
進厥虎臣、闞如虓虎。
鋪敦淮濆、仍執醜虜。
截彼淮浦、王師之所。
The king aroused his warlike energy,
As if he were moved with anger.
He advanced his tiger-like officers.
Looking fierce like raging tigers.
He displayed his masses along the bank of the Huai,
And forthwith seized a crowd of captives.
Securely kept was the country about the bank of the Huai,
Occupied by the royal armies.
王旅嘽嘽、如飛如翰、
如江如漢、如山之苞、
如川之流、緜緜翼翼、
不測不克、濯征徐國。
The royal legions were numerous;
[Swift] as if they flew on wings,
[Imposing] as the current of the Jiang and the Han;
Firm as a mountain;
Rolling on like a stream;
Continuous and orderly;
Inscrutable, invincible;
Grandly proceeding to set in order the States of Xu.
王猶允塞、徐方既來。
徐方既同、天子之功。
四方既平、徐方來庭。
徐方不回、王曰還歸。
The king's plans were directed in truth and sincerity,
And the region of Xu came [at once to terms];
Its [chiefs] were all collected together; -
Through the merit of the Son of Heaven.
The country was all reduced to order;
Its [chiefs] appeared before the king.
They would not again change their minds,
And the kings said, ' Let us return. '
264. 瞻卬 - Zhan Yang
孔填不寧、降此大厲。
邦靡有定、士民其瘵。
蟊賊蟊疾、靡有夷屆。
罪罟不收、靡有夷瘳。
I look up to great Heaven,
But it shows us no kindness.
Very long have we been disquieted,
And these great calamities are sent down [upon us].
There is nothing settled in the country;
Officers and people are in distress.
Through the insects from without and from within,
There is no peace or limit [to our misery].
The net of crime is not taken up,
And there is no peace nor cure [for our state].
人有土田、女反有之。
人有民人、女覆奪之。
此宜無罪、女反收之。
彼宜有罪、女覆說之。
Men had their ground and fields,
But you have them [now].
Men had their people and followers,
But you have violently taken them from them.
Here is one who ought to be held guiltless,
But you snare him [in the net of crime].
There is one who ought to be held guilty,
But you let him escape [from it].
哲夫成城、哲婦傾城。
懿厥哲婦、為梟為鴟。
婦有長舌、維厲之階。
亂匪降自天、生自婦人。
匪教匪誨、時維婦寺。
A wise man builds up the wall [of a city],
But a wise woman overthrows it.
Admirable may be the wise woman,
But she is [no better than] an owl.
A woman with a long tongue,
Is [like] a stepping-stone to disorder.
[Disorder] does not come down from heaven; -
It is produced by the woman.
Those from whom come no lessons, no instruction,
Are women and eunuchs.
鞫人忮忒、譖始竟背。
豈曰不極、伊胡為慝。
如賈三倍、君子是識。
婦無公事、休其蠶織。
They beat men down, hurtful, deceitful.
Their slanders in the beginning may be falsified in the end,
But they do not say [that their words were] very wrong; -
[They say], ' What evil was there in them?
As if in the three times cent per cent of traffic,
A superior man should have any knowledge of it;
So a woman who has nothing to do with public affairs,
Leaves her silk-worms and weaving.
天何以刺、何神不富。
舍爾介狄、維予胥忌。
不弔不祥、威儀不類。
人之云亡、邦國殄瘁。
Why is it that Heaven is [thus] reproving [you]?
Why is it that the Spirits are not blessing [you]?
You neglect your great barbarian [foes],
And regard me with hatred.
You are regardless of the evil omens [that abound],
And your demeanour is all-unseemly;
[Good] men are going away,
And the country is sure to go to ruin.
天之降罔、維其優儀。
人之云亡、心之憂矣。
天之降罔、維其幾矣。
人之云亡、心之悲矣。
Heaven is letting down its net,
And many [are the calamities in it].
[Good] men are going away,
And my heart is sorrowful.
Heaven is letting down its net,
And soon [will all be caught in it ].
Good men are going away.
And my heart is sad.
觱沸檻泉、維其深矣。
心之憂矣、寧自今矣。
不自我先、不自我後。
藐藐昊天、無不克鞏。
無忝皇祖、式救爾後。
Right from the spring comes the water bubbling,
Revealing its depth.
The sorrow of my heart, -
Is it [only] of to-day?
Why were these things not before me?
Or why were they not after me?
But mysteriously Great Heaven,
Is able to strengthen anything;
Do not disgrace your great ancestors,
And it will save your posterity.
265. 召旻 - Shao Min
瘨我饑饉、民卒流亡。
我居圉卒荒。
Compassionate Heaven is arrayed in angry terrors;
Heaven is indeed sending down ruin,
Afflicting us with famine,
So that the people are all wandering fugitives; -
In the settled regions and on the borders all is desolation.
天降罪罟、蟊賊內訌、昏椓靡共、
潰潰回遹、實靖夷我邦。
Heaven sends down its net of crime; -
Devouring insects, who weary and confuse men's minds,
Ignorant, oppressive, neglient,
Breeders of confusion, utterly perverse:
These are the men employed to tranquilize our country.
臯臯訿訿、曾不知其玷。
兢兢業業、孔填不寧、我位孔貶。
Insolent and slanderous, -
[The king] does not know a flaw in them.
We, careful and feeling in peril,
For long in unrest,
Are constantly subjected to degradation.
如彼歲旱、草不潰茂。
如彼棲苴。
我相此邦、無不潰止。
As in a year of drought,
The grass not attaining to luxuriance;
As water plants attached to a tree;
So do I see in this country,
All going to confusion.
維昔之富、不如時、維今之疚、不如茲。
彼疏斯粺、胡不自替、職兄斯引。
The wealth of former days,,
Was not like our present condition.
The distress of the present,
Did not previously reach this degree.
Those are [like] coarse rice, these are [like] fine; -
Why do you not retire of yourselves,
But prolong my anxious sorrow?
池之竭矣、不云自頻。
泉之竭矣、不云自中。
溥斯害矣、職兄斯弘、不烖我躬。
A pool becomes dry, -
Is it not because no water comes to it from its banks?
A spring becomes dry, -
Is it not because no water rises in it from itself?
Great is the injury [all about].
So that my anxious sorrow is increased.
Will not calamity light on my person?
昔先王受命、有如召公、日辟國百里。
今也日蹙國百里。
於乎哀哉、維今之人、不尚有舊。
Formerly when the former kings received their appointment,
There were such ministers as the duke of Shao,
Who would in a day enlarge the kingdom a hundred li;
Now it is contracted in a day a hundred li.
Oh! Alas!
Among the men of the present day,
Are there not still some with the old virtue?
Re: 255. 蕩 - Dang
‘Irregular in His ordinations’ is weirder
Unintelligent is weird here, maybe should have gone with unmindful
‘Flushes your face with spirits’ so is this native proud spirits or has the guy turned to drink?
Do cicadas portend anything or are they just loud?
‘Extends to the demon regions’ what fucking demon regions what
What’s the last couplet doing?
Re: 256. 抑 - Yi
The stupidity of the ordinary man,
Is determined by his [natural] defects.
The stupidity of the wise man,
Is from his doing violence [to his natural character]." this is odd, what's the upshot of this?
"What is most powerful is the being the man;" awkwardly put
"Sprinkle and sweep your court-yard" ritual? tidiness?
"To look for horns on a young ram,Will only weary you, my son." ?
"And he yields to them the practice of docile virtue." ?
"If people are not self-sufficient,Who comes [only] to a late maturity after early instruction?" ?
Re: 257. 桑柔 - Sang Rou
"There are no black heads among the people;" people's hair white from bad times?
"You have your counsels; you employ caution;But the disorder grows and dismemberments ensue.
I tell you the subjects for anxiety;
I instruct you how to distinguish the orders of men.
Who can hold anything hot?
Must he not dip it [first] in water?
How can you [by your method] bring a good state of things about?
You [and your advisers] will sink together in ruin."
odd flow of ideas
"Here is a wise man; -His views and words reach to a hundred li,
There is a stupid man; -
He on the contrary rejoices in his madness.
It is not that I could not speak [all this]; -
How is it I was withheld by my fear?" ?
"Is owing to those hypocrites, skilful to prevaricate.They work out the injury of the people,
As if their efforts were not equal to it." ?
Re: 258. 雲漢 - Yun Han
‘Tokens are exhausted’ okay so they’ve been trying to correct this with rites, and it’s not working, the spiritual tools don’t seem to be efficacious
Interesting to have one where the problem isn’t just a shitty emperor who doesn’t care but one who does, who can’t get the fertility magic he embodies to behave.
Re: 259. 崧高 - Song Gao
"hooks for the trappings of the breast-bands" ?
So the king is sending his vassal uncle south on some errand?
Re: 259. 崧高 - Song Gao
Curiously, the most visible statements on authorship in these songs are not in the “Airs of the States” (guofeng) that speak intensely, and often emotionally, of personal experience. Instead, they are found mostly in the “Major Court Hymns” (daya) that arose within the ritual institutions of the Zhou royal court. In particular, songs 259 (“Song gao”) and 260 (“Zheng min”) both conclude with a statement that “Jifu made a recitation” in order to influence a named historical figure. These two songs are understood as compositions by Yin Jifu (“Overseer Jifu”), a high Western Zhou official and military leader from around 900 BC who is briefly mentioned also in other sources. In each song, the final quatrain that mentions Jifu as the “reciter” is taken to define the entire text as Jifu’s personal expression. In addition, since Han times the next two songs in the Shijing – 261 (“The Jiang and the Han”) and 262 (“Han yi”) – have been likewise attributed to him. While the authorship of songs 261 and 262 was questioned by later imperial scholars, that of “Song gao” and “Zheng min” remains universally accepted.3A close analysis of the four texts raises doubts about Jifu as the author of any of the four songs. With regard to “Song gao” and “Zheng min,” one observes: first, in both songs, the concluding claim about Jifu is formally distinct from the preceding text, separated by a different rhyme; second, in each song, the concluding claim about Jifu as “reciter” (not to mention author) is not related to anything else in the preceding lyrics; third, the songs have no coherent voice but are composite structures of different voices and idioms, including direct royal speech, proverbs, language from administrative documents, poetic phrases found elsewhere in the Shijing, and narrative prose; fourth, while each text is a composite structure of such different voices, the two texts are also considerably different in nature and do not suggest a common author; fifth, both songs show a number of parallels especially to “The Jiang and the Han” and “Han yi”, two texts that are even more densely modeled on administrative documents; sixth, while quotations of “Song gao” and “Zheng min” abound in early texts, these quotations never include the final quatrains; seventh, no early reference to the texts mentions Jifu as author; eighth, when Jifu is mentioned in other sources, he appears as a military leader but never as an author of texts; and ninth, self-referential notions of authorship are exceedingly rare in Shijing – and in pre-imperial sources altogether – suggesting that authorship was not an integral property of such poetry.4Taken together, these observations make a compelling case against Jifu as the author of “Song gao” and “Zheng min,” not to mention “The Jiang and the Han” and “Han yi.” But what do they tell us about the raison d’être for the final quatrains in “Song gao” and “Zheng min”? First, it may be that “Jifu has made a recitation” does not refer at all to authorship but to the mere recitation (song) of the text. Second, the final quatrains are most likely later (if still pre-imperial) additions to the two songs: instead of marking authorship, they merely connect exemplary – and highly non-individual – court compositions with the voice of an exemplary official of high status. As such, the final quatrains of the two songs are retrospective constructions of remembrance and interpretation; they reveal how a later audience imagined the performance of ritual communication at the Western Zhou royal court.
Re: 260. 烝民 - Zheng Min
''The soft is devoured,
And the hard is ejected from the mouth. ''; ''Virtue is light as a hair,
But few are able to lift it. '' again, oddly put
261. 韓奕 - Han Yi
"Be a support against those princes who do not come to court," is it considered disloyal not to turn out at court, and a sign you're too busy making yourself too much the master of the lands you hold at the king's pleasure? Or is this simply a matter of logistics, rather than a situation of being 'against' the king, where the poem's subject is a liaison between these parties?
"dragon-flag, with its feathery ornaments;
A chequered bamboo-screen, and an ornamented yoke;
A dark-coloured robe with the dragons on it, and the redslippers;
The hooks for the trappings of the breast-bands, and the carved frontlets;
The leaning-board bound with leather, and a tiger's skin to cover it,
The ends of the reins, with their metal rings." significant, or simply choice gifts?
"pu"?
"Han-ji"?
"A mere is a shallow lake, pond, or wetland, particularly in Great Britain and other parts of western Europe. "
"With its bears and grisly bears" ...ok so I seriously thought China only had idk pandas, aren't grizzly bears NA-exclusive?
"Presenting his skins of the white fox,
With those of the red panther and the yellow grisly bear." any significance?
Re: 262. 江漢 - Jiang Han
"reduced to order" awkward phrasing
"Make the statutory division of my lands there;" so what exactly is legally occurring when he gives orders like this? is it like, Manifest Destiny era title give-away? Is it wealth redistribution? Enserfdom?
"herb-flavoured spirits from the black millet" starting to sound sort of like north European Akvavit?
"I have made announcement to the accomplished one," ?
Re: 262. 江漢 - Jiang Han
https://scholar.princeton.edu/sites/default/files/mkern/files/the_formation_of_the_classic_of_poetry_0.pdf
"The Jiang and Han” (Mao 262 “Jiang Han”), at 193 characters a
“Major Court Hymn” of average length, reveals how this composite
nature could cross over into other, non-poetic genres:
The Jiang and the Han were surging, surging, / the warriors were
streaming, streaming. / Not resting, not at leisure, / the Huai barbarians,
these they assaulted. / Now they moved our chariots, / now they planted our banners. / Not resting, not at ease, / the Huai barbarians, these
they harassed.
The Jiang and the Han were swelling, swelling, / the warriors were
rushing, rushing. / They ordered and organized the four quarters, / reported the accomplishment to the King. / The four quarters were now
pacified, / the royal state, it was settled. / And thus, there was no strife,
/ the King’s heart, it was at peace.
The first two stanzas offer a typical narrative, in this case, of how the
Zhou vanquished the southern barbarians. The diction shifts fundamentally beginning in stanza three:
On the banks of the Jiang and the Han, / the King commanded Hu of
Shao: / “Ah! Open up the four quarters! / Clear our border lands! / Not
causing anguish, not pressing, / let [the people] be drawn to the royal
state. / Go to draw borders, go to draw divisions, / reach as far as the
southern sea.”
The King commanded Hu of Shao: / “There you go around, / there you
make announcements. / When Kings Wen and Wu received the mandate, / the Duke of Shao, he was their pillar. / Do not say: ‘I am but the
small child.’ / The Duke of Shao, him you succeed. / You commenced
and pursued great achievement, / for this, I bestow blessings on you.”
The final two stanzas provide an account of the gifts the King gives to
Hu of Shao, followed by Hu thanking the King:
“I give you a jaden libation ladle, / one [bronze] vessel for flavored
black-millet ale. / Announce this to your accomplished ancestors: / I
bestow on you hills, land, and fields. / In Zhou you receive the command, / to continue the ancestral command of Shao.” / Hu made obeisance with his head to the ground: / “To the Son of Heaven, a myriad
years!”
Hu made obeisance with his head to the ground: / “May I requite by
extolling the royal blessings; / may I rise to my ancestral Duke of Shao!
/ To the Son of Heaven, a myriad years! / Bright, bright is the Son of
Heaven, / his illustrious fame will not cease. / He spreads his civil virtue, / harmonizing this state throughout its four quarters!”
This poem, traditionally dated into the reign of King Xuan, is typical in
its narrative voice devoid of any particular identity; even its two speaking voices show numerous parallels elsewhere. Eleven out of the sixteen lines of the first two stanzas are shared with ritual poems from the
“Eulogies,” “Major,” and “Minor Court Hymns,” 40 revealing “The
Jiang and the Han” as a modular text from the linguistic repertoire of
court ritual. Of the related poems, none is identical to any other, but
most are alike, together constituting a single totalizing narrative of
Zhou, and circumscribed by a limited lexicon and tight formal structure: tetrasyllabic lines, extensive use of end-rhyme, frequent reduplicative binomes, and a small set of syntactic patterns. These features
embody the ideology of Zhou ritual especially in its orientation toward the ancestral past: the old is always the model of the new, and the new
never fully its own but shared with other ritual expressions."
Also a long treatment here:
Writing and Rewriting the Poetry
http://cccp.uchicago.edu/archive/2009BookOfOdesSymposium/2009_BookOfOdesSymposium_EdShaughnessy.pdf
Re: 263. 常武 - Chang Wu
Re: 264. 瞻卬 - Zhan Yang
"But she is [no better than] an owl." ??
"Those from whom come no lessons, no instruction,
Are women and eunuchs." but a second ago she was wise?
'But they do not say [that their words were] very wrong; -
[They say], ' What evil was there in them?
As if in the three times cent per cent of traffic,
A superior man should have any knowledge of it;' what?
'Heaven is letting down its net,
And many [are the calamities in it].' so we're back with the net, but I'm not clear on what this net is doing
Re: 265. 召旻 - Shao Min
"These are the men employed to tranquilize our country." so these are the soldiers? But they're not good guys?
This seems more indifferently translated than some.
Re: 255. 蕩 - Dang
Per baike, the demon regions are far-away regions.
The last bit is referencing the fall of the earlier Xia dynasty, whose last ruler was regarded poorly by history.
Re: 256. 抑 - Yi
Baike's vernacular for "What is most powerful is the being the man" is "With the virtuous man, the country is full of power"
I think the sweeping is just tidiness / good habits? Based on context? Baike says nothing more about it.
The young ram is glossed as a lamb without horns, so maybe something like wasting effort on unnecessary / useless things?
Baike's vernacular for "And he yields to them the practice of docile virtue." is "immediately put into practice"
Bake's vernacular for "If people are not self-sufficient,Who comes [only] to a late maturity after early instruction?" is "Despite people's shortcomings, who is early intelligent yet late success/complete" [I'm not sure I understand this one either...]
Re: 257. 桑柔 - Sang Rou
Re: 258. 雲漢 - Yun Han
Anyway, Baike says this was about a four year drought during the reign of Zhou Xuan wang, but also says it was written by someone else, who is unknown.
Baike also mentions that:
Of the remnant of Zhou, among the black-haired people,
There will not be half a man left;
Was early considered as a model of exaggeration / rhetoric.
Re: 259. 崧高 - Song Gao
Re: 259. 崧高 - Song Gao
Yeah, it seems he was sent to consolidate power of the Zhou dynasty in the south?
Re: 260. 烝民 - Zheng Min
This poem has some rhyme scheme, but it's kind of complicated and not regular. Baike also points out that it uses folk sayings, so I wonder if it's in not quite as high a formal register?
Re: 261. 韓奕 - Han Yi
Re: 262. 江漢 - Jiang Han
Re: 263. 常武 - Chang Wu
Baike also notes that this poem is unusual in that the title does not appear in the poem. It may refer to the martial/military arts, or it may be the name of the music to which this poem was set.
Re: 264. 瞻卬 - Zhan Yang
I think the net of crime bit is saying that like, justice isn't being served / criminals aren't being caught.
Owls are bad, remember? Baike also glosses as legend says they would eat their mothers when they grew up. Anyway, evil birds.
I-- don't think that 'wise' is meant to be a good adjective for a woman. I wonder if this part is calling out the Bao Si situation, where You wang was trying to depose his empress for her?
The three times bit is glossed as referring to get three times the profit. Calling them profiteers, basically? Baike's discussion on this stanza is that it's saying that the way to prevent women's disasters is for them to return to women's work and not the gov't.
Baike's explanation for the heaven's net stanza is that the narrator is worried about the country in the face of natural and man made disasters
Re: 265. 召旻 - Shao Min
I don't think they're soldiers, I think the narrator is still insulting the corrupt people in power.
Re: 258. 雲漢 - Yun Han
Re: 264. 瞻卬 - Zhan Yang
'cunning' or 'crafty' would be better than wise, then, because both have negative, femme associations 'wise' does not
Re: 264. 瞻卬 - Zhan Yang