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dankodesLAST WEEK OF SHI JING!!
Get your comments in on what we do next here, and I'll put up the poll on Saturday!
* 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.
Get your comments in on what we do next here, and I'll put up the poll on Saturday!
* 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.
魯頌 - Praise-Odes Of Lu: 297. 駉 - Jiong
薄言駉者、有驈有皇、有驪有黃、以車彭彭。
思無疆、思馬斯臧。
駉駉牡馬、在坰之野。
Fat and large are the stallions,
On the plains of the far-distant borders.
Of those stallions, fat and large,
Some are black and white-breeched; some light yellow;
Some, pure black; some, bay;
[All], splendid carriage horses.
His thoughts are without limit; -
He thinks of his horses, and they are thus good.
薄言駉者、有騅有駓、有騂有騏、以車伾伾。
思無期、思馬斯才。
駉駉牡馬、在坰之野。
Fat and large are the stallions,
On the plains of the far-distant borders.
Of those stallions, fat and large,
Some are piebald, green and white; others, yellow and white;
Some, yellowish red; some, dapple grey;
[All], strong carriage horses.
His thoughts are without end; -
He thinks of his horses, and they are thus strong.
薄言駉者、有驒有駱、有騮有雒、以車繹繹。
思無斁、思馬斯作。
駉駉牡馬、在坰之野。
Fat and large are the stallions,
On the plains of the far-distant borders.
Of those stallions, fat and large,
Some are flecked as with scales; some, white and black-maned;
Some, red and black-maned; some, black and white-maned;
[All], docile in the carriage,
His thoughts never weary; -
He thinks of his horses, and such they become.
薄言駉者、有駰有騢、有驔有魚、以車祛祛。
思無邪、思馬斯徂。
Fat and large are the stallions,
On the plains of the far-distant borders.
Of those stallions, fat and large,
Some are cream-coloured; some, red and white;
Some, with white hairy legs; some, with fishes' eyes;
[All], stout carriage horses.
His thoughts are without depravity; -;
He thinks of his horses, and thus serviceable are they.
Re: 魯頌 - Praise-Odes Of Lu: 297. 駉 - Jiong
bay: 'Bay is a hair coat color of horses, characterized by a reddish-brown or brown body color with a black point coloration of the mane, tail, ear edges, and lower legs.'
'His thoughts are without limit; -' ?
'He thinks of his horses, and they are thus good.' because he cares for them, they're good?
Piebald: 'A piebald or pied animal is one that has a pattern of unpigmented spots (white) on a pigmented background of hair, feathers or scales. Thus a piebald black and white dog is a black dog with white spots.'
How is a horse GREEN?!
dapple: any of numerous usually cloudy and rounded spots or patches of a color or shade different from their background
'Some are flecked as with scales;' ...buddy are these horses? or like. are you trying to describe dragons.
'some, with fishes' eyes;' the fuck.
What are these end couplets doing?
Re: 魯頌 - Praise-Odes Of Lu: 297. 駉 - Jiong
Re: 魯頌 - Praise-Odes Of Lu: 297. 駉 - Jiong
Fascinating that the word 驈 ('black and white-breeched' per Legge) does just mean "black horse with white legs" in a modern dictionary, that is so specific? Also interesting that per Baike gloss and Legge tl, in this poem it means a black horse with white hind, so there was still language drift in such a specific word. (Baike gives a pronunciation, so this is probably not a common knowledge word)
Baike glosses the 皇 light yellow horse as 'yellow-white varicolored', and the 驪 pure black as ...'pure black', so agrees for those.
Interesting that Legge translates 黄 'yellow' (Baike glosses as golden / yellow red) to bay?
"His thoughts are without limit; -" This is an interpretation difference by Legge. Baike glosses the word "thoughts" to 'auxiliary word for the start of the sentence', and so its vernacular tl is "the road run is far and long".
Huh, Baike's gloss on the 骓 'piebald, green and white' is 'dark blue / deep green / ash gray - white varicolored'. 骓 means piebald generally though.
駓 'others, yellow and white' is not glossed at all, but Baike's separate article on the character indicates it originally meant a yellow and white horse.
骍 'yellowish red' is glossed as red yellow, but 骐 'dapple gray' is 青黑色相间的马 -- which would literally be alternating green black, but I suspect 青 is not meant to invoke green here.
驒 'flecked as with scales' is glossed as 青色而有鳞状斑纹的马 which has the qing blue/green/black color again and then a 'with an appearance of scaly streaks'. Internet searching gave me the impression that the scales lent a kind of "shimmering" "light spots on dark" feeling?
There are so many hyperspecific words for horses... 骆 'white and black-maned' is just in the dictionary as that (as the archaic meaning; it means camel now)
駰 'cream-coloured' is iron-gray in the dictionary; baike glosses as gray with mixed white. Baike does agree for 騢 'red and white'
However, it disagrees with Legge for 驔 'white hairy legs', which the dictionary says is a black horse, and which Baike glosses as a black horse with a yellow back.
The fishes' eyes refers to a particular kind of marking where there are circles of white hair around the horses' eyes.
Baike says this poem uses Fu and not Xing.
Re: 魯頌 - Praise-Odes Of Lu: 297. 駉 - Jiong
魯頌 - Praise-Odes Of Lu: 298. 有駜 - You Bi
夙夜在公、在公明明。
振振鷺、鷺于下。
鼓咽咽、醉言舞。
于胥樂兮。
Fat and strong, fat and strong,
Fat and strong, are the chestnut teams.
Early and late are the [officers] in the court,
In the court, discriminating and intelligent.
[They are as] a flock of egrets on the wing,
Of egrets anon lighting on the ground.
The drums emit their deep sound;
They drink to the full and then dance; -
Thus rejoicing together.
有駜有駜、駜彼乘牡。
夙夜在公、在公飲酒。
振振鷺、鷺于飛。
鼓咽咽、醉言歸。
于胥樂兮。
Fat and strong, fat and strong,
Fat and strong are the teams of stallions.
Early and late are the [officers] with the prince,
With the prince drinking.
[They are as] a flock of egrets on the wing,
Of egrets flying about.
The drums emit their deep sound;
They drink to the full and then return home; -
Thus rejoicing together.
有駜有駜、駜彼乘駽。
夙夜在公、在公載燕。
自今以始、歲其有。
君子有殼、詒孫子。
于胥樂兮。
Fat and strong, fat and strong,
Fat and strong are the teams of iron-greys.
Early and late are the [officers] with the prince,
With the prince feasting.
'From this time forth,
May the years be abundant.
May our prince maintain his goodness,
And transmit it to his descendants! ' -
Thus they rejoice together.
Re: 魯頌 - Praise-Odes Of Lu: 298. 有駜 - You Bi
"[They are as] a flock of egrets on the wing,
Of egrets anon lighting on the ground." ?
So they are diligent in their work, and then, at the appropriate time (state/ritual occasions), they celebrate.
Re: 魯頌 - Praise-Odes Of Lu: 298. 有駜 - You Bi
Does Legge know words other than fat, or does that just Sound Nice? Baike glosses to stout and strong anyway.
This poem praises Lu Xi gong, thought to be either when he, Qi Huan gong, and Song Huan gong attacked Chu, or in 657 BC (the third year of his rule) when there was a long drought that had broken. When Lu Xi inherited the throne, the country as in a precarious state, so after he made efforts to overcome the natural and man-made calamities, the country was finally having a good harvest.
Baike's gloss for the egrets points out that their feathers are used as dance equipment and later the article describes the poem as set during a banquet and the dancers as using the egret feathers.
魯頌 - Praise-Odes Of Lu: 299. 泮水 - Pan Shui
魯侯戾止、言觀其旂。
其旂茷茷、鸞聲噦噦。
無小無大、從公于邁。
Pleasant is the semi-circular water,
And we will gather the cress about it.
The marquis of Lu 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.
思樂泮水、薄采其藻。
魯侯戾止、其馬蹻蹻。
其馬蹻蹻、其音昭昭。
載色載笑、匪怒伊教。
Pleasant is the semi-circular water,
And we will gather the pondweed in it.
The marquis of Lu has come to it,
With his horses looking so grand.
His horses are grand.
His fame is brilliant.
Blandly he looks and smiles;
Without any impatience he delivers his instructions.
思樂泮水、薄采其茆。
魯侯戾止、在泮飲酒。
既飲旨酒、永錫難老。
順彼長道、屈此群醜。
Pleasant is the semi-circular water,
And we will gather the mallows about it.
The marquis of Lu has come to it,
And in the college he is drinking.
He is drinking the good spirits;
And may there be given him the old age that is seldom enjoyed!
May he accord with the grand ways,
So subduing to himself all the people!
穆穆魯侯、敬明其德。
敬慎威儀、維民之則。
允文允武、昭假烈祖。
靡有不孝、自求伊祜。
Very admirable is the marquis of Lu,
Reverently displaying his virtue,
And reverently watching over his deportment,
The pattern of the people.
With great qualities truly civil and martial,
Brilliantly he affects his meritorious ancestors.
In everything entirely filial,
He seeks the blessing for himself.
明明魯侯、克明其德。
既作泮宮、淮夷攸服。
矯矯虎臣、在泮獻馘。
淑問如皋陶、在泮獻囚。
Very intelligent is the marquis of Lu,
Making his virtue illustrious.
He has made this college with its semicircle of water,
And the tribes of the Huai will submit in consequence.
His martial-looking, tiger leaders,
Will here present the left ears [of their foes].
His examiners, wise as Gao-yao,
Will here present their prisoners.
濟濟多士、克廣德心。
桓桓于征、狄彼東南。
烝烝皇皇、不吳不揚。
不告于訩、在泮獻功。
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 grand,
Without noise or display,
Without having appealed to the judges,
They will here present [the proofs of] their merit.
角弓其觩、束矢其搜。
戎車孔博、徒御無斁。
既克淮夷、孔淑不逆。
式固爾猶、淮夷卒獲。
How they draw their bows adorned with bone!
How their arrows whizz forth!
Their war chariots are very large!
Their footmen and charioteers never weary!
They have subdued the tribes of the Huai,
And brought them to an unrebellious submission!
Only lay your plans securely,
And all the tribes of the Huai will be got!
翩彼飛鴞、集于泮林、食我桑黮、懷我好音。
憬彼淮夷、來獻其琛、元龜象齒、大賂南金。
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.
So awakened shall be those tribes of the Huai;
They will come presenting their precious things,
Their large tortoises and their elephants' teeth,
And great contributions of the southern metals.
Re: 魯頌 - Praise-Odes Of Lu: 299. 泮水 - Pan Shui
"Blandly he looks and smiles;" cnovel translation is STILL obsessed with 'blandly' and it never signifies quite as they want it to
"And in the college he is drinking." with his fellows?
"So subduing to himself all the people!" interesting emphasis on service/agreeability as fit conduct
"He has made this college with its semicircle of water," ?
"And the tribes of the Huai will submit in consequence." are they his foes submitting bc he has his shit together, or his subjects being docile because he's a good ruler? (later verse makes it seem like the former)
'His examiners, wise as Gao-yao,
Will here present their prisoners.' are these judiciary officers?
'Without having appealed to the judges,' so they won't drag in others to testify to how cool they are?
"the southern metals." ?
Re: 魯頌 - Praise-Odes Of Lu: 299. 泮水 - Pan Shui
IDK where blandly comes from though. The gloss and tl say something about an amiable expression.
Have no idea where college comes from either?? The words just say at Pan (the semi-circular water place). Baike's vernacular tl adds some words to say the palace at Pan.
Nooo, "So subduing to himself all the people!" is more like, (Baike vernacular tl) large numbers of the Huaiyi captives kowtow towards him. The poem itself calls them 'evil' in that phrase too, yikes.
OK in the second Legge use of college, that line in the Chinese specifically is saying 'the palace at Pan' or 'Pan palace'
He's trying to conquer the Huai
The gloss on Gao-yao says 'tradition has it that Yao is the official responsible for punishment and prisons"
'Without having appealed to the judges' yeah, I think this bit is generally about how the subordinates aren't fighting for merits or vying for fame.
Southern metals are glossed as either copper or gold
Re: 魯頌 - Praise-Odes Of Lu: 299. 泮水 - Pan Shui
Huaiyi are an ethnic group not controlled by the Zhou in the Huai river basin. So in the 13th year and 16th year of Lu Xi (647, 644 BC) a bunch of the vassal states of Zhou attacked. I think this says that they weren't very successful, but it was still rallying for the people?
The first three stanzas are about the marquis of Lu attending the ceremony of offering prisoners, stanzas four and five are about his virtues with emphasis on martial arts, six and seven praising the character of his subordinates, and eight on the surrender of the Huaiyi.
Evil owls again.
魯頌 - Praise-Odes Of Lu: 300. 閟宮 - Bi Gong
赫赫姜嫄、其德不回。
上帝是依、無災無害。
彌月不遲、是生后稷、降之百福。
黍稷重穋、稙稺菽麥。
奄有下國、俾民稼穡、有稷有黍、有稻有秬。
奄有下土、纘禹之緒。
How pure and still are the solemn temples,
In their strong solidity and minute completeness!
Highly distinguished was Jiang Yuan,
Of virtue undeflected.
God regarded her with favour;
And without injury or hurt,
Immediately, when her months were fulfilled,
She gave birth to Hou-ji.
On him were conferred all blessings, -
[To know] how the millet ripened early, and the sacrificial millet late,
How first to sow pulse, and then wheat.
Anon he was invested with an inferior State,
And taught the people how to sow and to reap,
The millet and the sacrificial millet,
Rice and the black millet;
Ere long all over the whole country; -
[Thus] continuing the work of Yu.
后稷之孫、實維大王。
居岐之陽、實始翦商。
至于文武、纘大王之緒。
致天之屆、于牧之野。
無貳無虞、上帝臨女。
敦商之旅、克咸厥功。
王曰叔父、建爾元子、俾侯于魯。
大啟爾宇、為周室輔。
Among the descendants of Hou-ji,
There was king Da,
Dwelling on the south of [mount] Qi,
Where the clipping of Shang began.
In process of time Wen and Wu,
Continued the work of king Da,
And [the purpose of] Heaven was carried out in its time,
In the plain of Mu.
'Have no doubts, no anxieties, ' [it was said];
'God is with you. '
[Wu] disposed of the troops of Shang;
He and his men shared equally in the achievement.
[Then] king [Cheng] said, ' My uncle,
I will set up your eldest son,
And make him marquis of Lu.
I will greatly enlarge your territory there,
To be a help and support to the House of Zhou. '
乃命魯公、俾侯于東。
錫之山川、土田附庸。
周公之孫、莊公之子。
龍旂承祀、六轡耳耳。
春秋匪解、享祀不忒。
皇皇后帝、皇祖后稷。
享以騂犧、是饗是宜。
降福既多、周公皇祖、亦其福女。
Accordingly he appointed [our first] duke of Lu,
And made him marquis in the east,
Giving him the hills and rivers,
The lands and fields, and the attached States.
The [present] descendant of the duke of Zhou,
The son of duke Zhuang,
With dragon-emblazoned banner attends the sacrifices,
His six reins soft and pliant.
In spring and autumn he does not neglect [the sacrifices];
His offerings are all without error.
To the great and sovereign God,
And to his great ancestor Hou-ji,
He offers the victims, red and pure.
Then enjoy, they approve,
And bestow blessings in large number.
The duke of Zhou, and [your other] great ancestors,
Also bless you.
秋而載嘗、夏而楅衡。
白牡騂剛、犧尊將將。
毛炰胾羹、籩豆大房。
萬舞洋洋、孝孫有慶。
俾爾熾而昌、俾爾壽而臧。
保彼東方、魯邦是常。
不虧不崩、不震不騰。
三壽作朋、如岡如陵。
In autumn comes the sacrifices of the season,
But in summer the bulls for it have had their horns capped.
They are the white bull and the red one;
[There are] the bull-figured goblet in its dignity;
Roast pig, minced meat, and soups;
The dishes of bamboo and wood, and the large stand;
And the dancers all-complete.
The filial descendant 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 Lu,
Unwaning, unfallen,
Unshaken, undisturbed!
They will make your friendship with your three aged [ministers],
Like the hills, like the mountains!
公車千乘、朱英綠縢、二矛重弓。
公徒三萬、貝冑朱綅。
烝徒增增、戎狄是膺。
荊舒是懲、則莫我敢承。
俾爾昌而熾、俾爾壽而富、黃髮台背、壽胥與試。
俾爾昌而大、俾爾耆而艾、萬有千歲、眉壽無有害。
Our prince's chariots are a thousand,
[And in each] are the vermilion tassels and the green bands of the two spears and two bows.
His footmen are thirty thousand,
With shells on vermillion-strings adorning their helmets.
So numerous are his ardent followers,
To deal with the tribes of the west and north,
And to punish [those of] Jing and Shu,
So that none of them will dare to withstand us.
May [the Spirits] make you grandly prosperous!
May they make you long-lived and wealthy!
May the hoary hair and wrinkled back,
Marking the aged men, be always in your employment!
May they make you prosperous and great!
May they grant you old age, ever vigorous,
For myriads and thousands of years,
With the eyebrows of longevity, and ever unharmed!
泰山巖巖、魯邦所詹。
奄有龜蒙、遂荒大東。
至于海邦、淮夷來同。
莫不率從、魯侯之功。
The mountain of Da is lofty,
Looked up to by the State of Lu.
We grandly possess also Gui and Meng;
And we shall extend to the limits of the east,
Even the States along the sea.
The tribes of the Huai will seek our alliance; -
All will proffer their allegiance:
Such shall be the achievements of the marquis of Lu.
保有鳧繹、遂荒徐宅。
至于海邦、淮夷蠻貊。
及彼南夷、莫不率從。
莫敢不諾、魯侯是若。
He shall maintain the possession of Hu and Yi,
And extend his sway to the regions of Xu,
Even to the States along the sea.
The tribes of the Huai, the Man, and the Mi,
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 Lu.
天錫公純嘏、眉壽保魯。
居常與許、復周公之宇。
魯侯燕喜、令妻壽母。
宜大夫庶士、邦國是有。
既多受祉、黃髮兒齒。
Heaven will give great blessing to our prince,
So that with the eyebrows of longevity he shall maintain Lu.
He shall possess Chang and Xu,
And recover all the territory of the duke of Zhou.
Then shall the marquis of Lu feast and be glad,
With his admirable wife and aged mother;
With his excellent ministers and all his [other] officers.
Our region and State shall be hold,
Thus receiving many blessings,
To hoary hair, with a child's teeth.
徂來之松、新甫之柏。
是斷是度、是尋是尺。
松桷有舄、路寢孔碩。
新廟奕奕、奚斯所作。
孔曼且碩、萬民是若。
The pines of Cu-lai,
And the cypresses of Xin-fu,
Were cut down and measured,
With the cubit line and the eight cubits line.
The projecting beams of pine were large;
The large inner apartments rose vast.
Splendid look the new temples,
The work of Xi-si,
Very wide and large,
Answering to the expectations of all the people.
Re: 魯頌 - Praise-Odes Of Lu: 300. 閟宮 - Bi Gong
"undeflected." ?
"an inferior State," ouch?
"Where the clipping of Shang began." ?
"In the plain of Mu." ?
"He offers the victims, red and pure." cows?
"Then enjoy, they approve," typo?
"have had their horns capped." clipped or coated in something in preparation for the offering?
"the bull-figured goblet in its dignity;" so this ritual also involved using a goblet--also shaped like a bull? or made from the horn of one?
"Marking the aged men, be always in your employment!" so like, may you always have the council of wise, experienced old men?
eyebrows of longevity again
"To hoary hair, with a child's teeth." so you hope he lives a long time and so gets hoary hair, but retains the signs and benefits of his vigour, like a child's teeth
and in the end we loop back to the temples: maybe this is a song commemorating their making, or to be performed in them
Re: 魯頌 - Praise-Odes Of Lu: 300. 閟宮 - Bi Gong
"undeflected": Baike's gloss is not abnormal / improper; vernacular tl is not demonic / evil and not low
"clipping": Baike's gloss is extinguishing, some say cut off, weaken. Weird word choice by Legge
"plain of Mu": Baike says this is Muye (ye means plain), which is a place name in modern day Yindu, Henan
"He offers the victims, red and pure." Yes cows
"have had their horns capped." Baike says this is a wooden crossbar attached to the horns to prevent them from fighting. Animals for sacrifice couldn't have any damage, so in preparation for fall ceremonies, the ox get this attached in the summer.
"the bull-figured goblet" is shaped like a bull per Baike. Also that line ends in some onomatopoeia of the clinking of the goblets
商頌 - Sacrificial Odes Of Shang: 301. 那 - Na
奏鼓簡簡、衎我烈祖。
湯孫奏假、綏我思成。
鞉鼓淵淵、嘒嘒管聲。
既和且平、依我磬聲。
於赫湯孫、穆穆厥聲。
庸鼓有斁、萬舞有奕。
我有嘉客、亦不夷懌。
自古在昔、先民有作。
溫恭朝夕、執事有恪。
顧予烝嘗、湯孫之將。
How admirable! how complete!
Here are set our hand-drums and drums.
The drums resound harmonious and loud,
To delight our meritorious ancestor.
The descendant of Tang invites him with this music,
That he may soothe us with the realization of our thoughts.
Deep is the sound of the hand-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 Tang;
Very admirable is his music.
The large bells and drums fill the ear;
The various dances are grandly performed.
We have admirable visitors,
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 in summer and autumn,
[Thus] offered by the descendant of Tang!
Re: 商頌 - Sacrificial Odes Of Shang: 301. 那 - Na
"the notes of the sonorous gem." ?
Re: 商頌 - Sacrificial Odes Of Shang: 301. 那 - Na
商頌 - Sacrificial Odes Of Shang: 302. 烈祖 - Lie Zu
申錫無疆、及爾斯所。
既載清酤、賚我思成。
亦有和羹、既戒既平。
鬷假無言、時靡有爭。
綏我眉壽、黃耇無疆。
約軧錯衡、八鸞鶬鶬。
以假以享、我受命溥將。
自天降康、豐年穰穰。
來假來饗、降福無疆。
顧予烝嘗、湯孫之將。
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, the ingredients rightly proportioned.
By these offerings we invite his presence, without a word,
Nor is there now any contention [in any part of the service].
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 and assist at the offerings.
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 in summer and winter,
[Thus] offered by the descendant of Tang!
Re: 商頌 - Sacrificial Odes Of Shang: 302. 烈祖 - Lie Zu
Permanent are the blessings coming from him," I am BEGGING the Shi Jing to stop sounding like weird porn
"And there is granted to us the realization of our thoughts." answer to our prayers?
"well-tempered soups" I get what they mean but this is an odd way of phrasing it
Re: 商頌 - Sacrificial Odes Of Shang: 302. 烈祖 - Lie Zu
商頌 - Sacrificial Odes Of Shang: 303. 玄鳥 - Xuan Niao
古帝命武湯、正域彼四方。
方命厥后、奄有九有。
商之先后、受命不殆、在武丁孫子。
武丁孫子、武王靡不勝。
龍旂十乘、大糦是承。
邦畿千里、維民所止、肇域彼四海。
四海來假、來假祁祁、景員維河。
殷受命咸宜、百祿是何。
Heaven commissioned the swallow,
To descend and give birth to [the father of our] Shang.
[His descendants] dwelt in the land of Yin, and became great.
[Then] long ago God appointed the martial Tang,
To regulate the boundaries throughout the four quarters.
[In those] quarters he appointed the princes,
And grandly possessed the nine regions [of the kingdom].
The first sovereign of Shang,
Received the appointment without any element of instability in it,
And it is [now] held by the descendant of Wu-ding.
The descendant of Wu-ding,
Is a martial king, 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 li,
Is where the people rest;
But there commence the boundaries that reach to the four seas.
From the four seas they come [to out sacrifices];
They come in multitudes; -
Jing has the He for its outer border.
That Yin should have received the apppointment [of Heaven] was entirely right; -
[Its sovereign] sustains all its dignities.
Re: 商頌 - Sacrificial Odes Of Shang: 303. 玄鳥 - Xuan Niao
So a potted history, telling you the Role of various important families/tribes, and stressing they are culturally unified by a shared heritage, a modern state and ongoing rites that serve as a trans-historical connective tissue.
Re: 商頌 - Sacrificial Odes Of Shang: 303. 玄鳥 - Xuan Niao
http://www.csstoday.com/Item/5781.aspx
Birds played a prominent role in the mythology surrounding the origins of human among the ancient Chinese tribes. The legends of the Shang Dynasty (1600?-1046? BCE) associated its antecedents with a mythical bird called Xuan Niao. According to the Records of the Grand Historian, Qi, the predynastic founder of the Shang lineage, was miraculously conceived when Jian Di, one of the Emperor Ku’s wives, swallowed an egg dropped by a Xuan Niao.
Re: 商頌 - Sacrificial Odes Of Shang: 303. 玄鳥 - Xuan Niao
商頌 - Sacrificial Odes Of Shang: 304. 長發 - Chang Fa
洪水芒芒、禹敷下土方、外大國是疆。
幅隕既長、有娀方將、帝立子生商。
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,
Yu 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].
Then the State of Song began to be great,
And God raised up the son [of its daughter], and founded [the Family of] Shang.
玄王桓撥、受小國是達、受大國是達。
率履不越、遂視既發。
相土烈烈、海外有截。
The dark king exercised an effective sway.
Charged with a small State, he commanded success;
Charged with a large State, he commanded success.
He followed his rules of conduct without error;
Wherever he inspected [the people], they responded [to his instructions].
[Then came] Xiang-tu, all-ardent,
And all [within] the seas, beyond [the middle region], acknowledged his restraints.
帝命不違、至于湯齊。
湯降不遲、聖敬日躋。
昭假遲遲、上帝是祗、帝命式于九圍。
The favour of God did not leave [Shang],
And in Tang was found the subject for its display.
Tang was not born too late,
And his wisdom and virtue daily advanced.
Brilliant was the influence of his character [on Heaven] for long,
And God appointed him to be a model to the nine regions.
受小球大球、為下國綴旒。
何天之休、不競不絿、不剛不柔、敷政優優、百祿是遒。
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.
受小共大共、為下國駿厖。
何天之龍、敷奏其勇、不震不動、不戁不竦、百祿是總。
He received the tribute [of the States], large and small,
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.
武王載旆、有虔秉鉞。
如火烈烈、則莫我敢曷。
苞有三蘗、莫遂莫達、九有有截。
韋顧既伐、昆吾夏桀。
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.
The nine regions were effectually secured by him.
Having smitten [the princes of] Wei and Gu,
He dealt with [the prince of] Kun-wu, and with Jie of Xia.
昔在中葉、有震且業。
允也天子、降予卿士、實維阿衡、實左右商王。
Formerly in the middle of the period [before Tang],
There was a time of shaking and peril,
But truly did Heaven [then] deal with him as its son,
And sent him down a minister,
Namely A-heng,
Who gave his assistance to the king of Shang.
Re: 商頌 - Sacrificial Odes Of Shang: 304. 長發 - Chang Fa
"of its daughter" nice that she's who the descent comes from?
"The dark king " sexy?
"Xiang-tu, all-ardent," is this the king? or a successor?
"Tang was not born too late," ?
"Brilliant was the influence of his character [on Heaven] for long," the [] seems wrong?
"rank-tokens " authority over? what ARE these as actual items?
"The root, with its three shoots,
Could make no progress, no growth." the root of rebellion?
odd finishing note, to focus on this other guy, and only a minister at that
Re: 商頌 - Sacrificial Odes Of Shang: 304. 長發 - Chang Fa
In the Shi Jing continuing to sound like weird porn, the rank-tokens bit literally translates to (on a contemporary reading anyway) 'received small balls and big balls'.
The other guy was apparently a major minister: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yi_Yin
In dynastic founding stories there seems to be often a lot of focus on the officials/generals who did the founding alongside the actual emperor. So for e.g. Han Dynasty founding stories don't just focus on Liu Bang, but also on Zhang Liang, Han Xin and Xiao He, etc.
Re: 商頌 - Sacrificial Odes Of Shang: 304. 長發 - Chang Fa
Tang is the founder of the Shang dynasty. From the vernacular tl, the implication is more that he was born at the right time
The rank-tokens are glossed as some say jade artifacts, small ones two chi, big three chi, some say a homonym for 'law'. The vernacular tl uses jade tablet (ceremonial badge of rank)
商頌 - Sacrificial Odes Of Shang: 305. 殷武 - Yin Wu
撻彼殷武、奮伐荊楚。
冞入其阻、裒荊之旅。
有截有所、湯孫之緒。
Rapid was the warlike energy of [our king of] Yin,
And vigorously did he attack Jing-Chu.
Boldly he entered its dangerous passes,
And brought the multitudes of Jing together,
Till the country was reduced under complete restraint:
Such was the fitting achievement of the descendant of Tang.
維女荊楚、居國南鄉。
昔有成湯、自彼氐羌、莫敢不來享、莫敢不來王、曰商是常。
'Ye people, ' [he said], ' of Jing-chu,
Dwell in the southern part of my kingdom.
Formerly, in the time of Tang the Successful,
Even from the Jiang of Di,
They dared not but come with their offerings;
[Their chiefs] dared not but come to seek acknowledgment:
Such is the regular rule of Shang. '
天命多辟、設都于禹之績。
歲事來辟、勿予禍適、稼穡匪解。
Heaven has given their appointments [to the princes],
But where their capitals had been assigned within the sphere of the labours of Yu,
For the business of every year, they appeared before our king,
[Saying], ' Do not punish nor reprove us;
We have not been remiss in our husbandry. '
天命降監、下民有嚴。
不僭不濫、不敢怠遑。
命于下國、封建厥福。
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] over the States,
And he made his happiness grandly secure.
商邑翼翼、四方之極。
赫赫厥聲、濯濯厥靈。
壽考且寧、以保我後生。
The capital of Shang was full of order,
The model for all parts of the kingdom,
Glorious was his fame;
Brilliant, his energy.
Long lived he and enjoyed tranquillity,
And so he preserves us, his descendants.
陟彼景山、松柏丸丸。
是斷是遷、方斲是虔。
松桷有梴、旅楹有閑、寢成孔安。
We ascended the hill of Jing,
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 his tablet].
Re: 商頌 - Sacrificial Odes Of Shang: 305. 殷武 - Yin Wu
"Till the country was reduced under complete restraint:" subdued?
"Tang the Successful" what a name
"But where their capitals had been assigned within the sphere of the labours of Yu," slightly confusing
"When Heaven by its will is inspecting [the kingdom],
The lower people are to be feared." ?
"He dared not to allow himself in indolence" awkwardly phrased
This last stanza very reminiscent of an earlier poem in this section, that opens and closes with the temple
Re: 商頌 - Sacrificial Odes Of Shang: 305. 殷武 - Yin Wu
Baike says this was written by the grandson of Tang, Yin Gaozong, after attacking the Jing Chu and gaining the allegiance of feudal princes. Then it talked a lot about the various historical commentaries and I couldn't follow it...