詩 經 Shi Jing – The Book of Odes

那
猗與那與、置我鞉鼓。
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、依我聲聲。
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。

原文 301

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 the 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 !

Legge 301

烈祖
嗟嗟烈祖、有秩斯祜。
申錫無疆、及爾思所。
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。

原文 302

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 princess] 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 !

Legge 302

玄鳥
天命玄鳥、降而生商、
宅殷土芒芒。
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、大饎是承。
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。

原文 303

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 ; –
King 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.

Legge 303

長發
濬哲維商、長發其祥。
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。

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。

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。

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。

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。

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。

昔在中葉、有震且業。
允也天子、降于鄉士、
實維阿衡、實左右商王。

原文 304

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.

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.

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 model to 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 iin him.

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.

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.

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.

Legge 304

殷武
撻彼殷武、奮伐荊楚。
深入其阻、裒荊之旅。
有截有所、湯孫之緒。

維女荊楚、居國南鄉。
昔有成湯、自彼氐羌、
莫幹不來享、莫幹不來王、
曰商是常。

天命多辟、設都于禹之績。
歲事來辟、勿予禍適、稼穡匪解。

天命降監、下民有嚴。
不僭不濫、不敢怠遑。
命于下國、封建厥福。

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。

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。

原文 305

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 King together,
Till the country was reduced under complete restraint : –
Such was the fitting achievement of the descendant of Tang.

'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. '

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. '

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.

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.

We ascended the hill of King,
Where the pines and cypresses grew symmetrical.
We cut them down, and conveyed them here ;
We reverently hewed them square.
Long are the projecting beams of pine ;
Large are the many pillars.
The temple was completed, – the tranquil abode [of his tablet].

Legge 305