Part 5 (1/2)

The ordinances of Heaven,--How deep are they and unintermitting! And oh!

how ill.u.s.trious 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 a.s.sembled on the occasion, and a.s.sisted 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) Kau.

ODE 4. THE LIEH WAN.

A SONG IN PRAISE OF THE PRINCES WHO HAVE a.s.sISTED AT A SACRIFICE, AND ADMONIs.h.i.+NG 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 a.s.sisted him in the ancestral temple. Ku Hsi considers that it was a piece for general use in the ancestral temple, to be sung when the king presented a cup to his a.s.sisting 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 THaI.

We cannot tell what the sacrifice was; and the Preface, indeed, says that the piece was used in the seasonal sacrifices to all the former king., s and dukes of the House of Kau. King Thai was the grandfather of king Wan, and, before he received that t.i.tle, was known as 'the ancient duke Than-fu.' In B.C. 1327, he moved with his followers from Pin, an earlier seat of his House, and settled in the plain of Khi, about fifty li to the north-east of the present district city of Khi-shan, in Shen-hsi.

Heaven made the lofty hill[1], And king Thai 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) Khi Had level roads leading to it. May their descendants ever preserve it!

ODE 6. THE HaO THIEN Yu KHANG MING.

APPROPRIATE TO A SACRIFICE TO KING KHANG.