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Shi Jing Introduction Table of content – The Book of Odes

The oldest collection of Chinese poetry, more than three hundred songs, odes and hymns. Tr. Legge (en) and Granet (fr, incomplete).

Section II — Minor odes of the kingdom
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Chapter 3 — Decade of Tong Gong

175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184

Shijing II. 3. (177)

In the sixth month all was bustle and excitement.
The war carriages had been made ready,
With the four steeds [of each], strong and eager ;
And the regular accountrements had been placed in the carriages.
The Xian-yun were in blazing force,
And thence was the urgency.
The king had ordered ther expedition,
To deliver the royal kingdom.

Matched in strength were the four black steeds,
Well trained to observe every rule.
On this sixth month,
We completed our accountrements.
Our accountrements were completed,
And we marched thirty Li [every day].
The king had ordered ther expedition,
To help the son of Heaven.

The four steeds were long, and stout,
And large-headed.
We smote the Xian-yun,
And achieved great merit.
Severely strict and careful [was our leader],
Discharging his military service, –
Discharging his military service,
And settling thereby the royal kingdom.

Badly reckoned the Xian-yun,
When they confidently occupied Jiao and Huo,
And overran Hao and Fang,
As far as to the north of the Jing.
On our flags was their blazonry of birds,
While their white streamers fluttered brightly.
Ten large war chariots,
Led the way in front.

The war carriages were well made.
Nicely balanced, before and behind.
Their four steeds were strong,
Both strong and well trained.
We smote the Xian-yun,
As far as Tai-yuan.
For peace or for war fit is Ji-fu,
A pattern to all the States.

Ji-fu feasts and is glad ;
Great happiness is his.
In returning from Hao,
Distant and long had been our march.
He entertains and feasts his friends,
With roast turtle and minced carp.
And who are there ?
There is Zhang Zhong, the filial and brotherly.

Legge 177

Shi Jing II. 3. (177) IntroductionTable of content
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The Book of Odes – Shi Jing II. 3. (177) – Chinese on/offFrançais/English
Alias Shijing, Shi Jing, Book of Odes, Book of Songs, Classic of Odes, Classic of Poetry, Livre des Odes, Canon des Poèmes.

The Book of Odes, The Analects, Great Learning, Doctrine of the Mean, Three-characters book, The Book of Changes, The Way and its Power, 300 Tang Poems, The Art of War, Thirty-Six Strategies
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