Ode I. The Shin kung

Ho! ministers of husbandry,

Your duties reverent care demand.

The king has given you perfect rules;—

See that those rules ye understand.

Ho! ye who aid the ministers,

The last month of our spring is here.

’Tis yours the new-sown fields to tend,

And manage those in their third year.

How fair each wheat and barley field,

That soon their waving crops shall yield!

In them the bright and glorious GOD

Will grant to us a plenteous year;

Give heed that, with spud and hoe

Provided well, your men appear.

Anon the stalks that rustling stand

Shall fall before the reaper’s hand.

Ode II. The Yih he

O yes! the [counsel] of king Ching,

When we [recalled] it, drew nigh,

And clearly told us when to bring

The gifts that now before [GOD] lie,

Lead forth your men, with energy

O’er their own fields to sow the grain.

Those, in each square of thirty le,

Ten thousand families can maintain.

Now let the ploughs turn up the soil,

The men attending, pair by pair.

The harvest will repay their toil;—

The bounteous produce all shall share.

Ode III. The Chin loo

Round yonder marsh, there in the west,

A flock of egrets fly.

With graceful movement, like those birds,

My visitors came nigh,—

Their fathers reigned where I reign now,

But loyal are they to our Chow.

There in their own States are they loved,

Nor tired of are they here.

Their fame with lapse of time shall grow

Both day and night more clear.

Their fathers reigned where I reign now,

But loyal are they to our Chow.

Ode IV. The Fung neen

The plenteous ear has given us large supply

Of rice and millet, and our granaries high

Hardly suffice the produce to contain,—

Millions of measures of the garnered grain!

From this distilled, shall spirits [lawful drink], strong and sweet,

Our sires and mothers [honoured in memory] with their fragrance greet,

When to their shrines each season we repair;

And in all other rites their part shall bear.

Blessings of every kind our land shall crown;—

And [GOD] our devotion own!

Ode V. The Yew koo

See the blind musicians here!

Sightless all, the men appear,

In the temple-court of Chow.

All is ready for them now,

Stand the music frames around,

On whose posts rich plumes abound,

While their face-boards, edged like teeth,

Show the drums that hang beneath.

Sounding-stones and hand-drums there

In the concert part shall bear.

See the ch’uh to signalize

When the music shall arise;

And the yu, whose harsher note

Hushes instrument and throat.

When the duke has thus prepared,

Soon the various notes are heard.

Organ’s swell and flutes’ soft voice,

Make the listening ears rejoice.

Sweet the harmony of sound,

Holding all in rapture bound!

When such music shall be made,

Then our sires [honoured in memory] for whom ’tis played,

And the visitors who come,

Welcomed to this sacred home,

Shall desire it to last long,

Thrilled with the melodious song.

Ode VI. The Ts’een

In Ts’eih and Ts’eu, those streams of K’e,

About the warrens fish abound.

Large swarms of various kinds we see.

The mudfish and the carp are found,

The thryssa and the yellow-jaws,

And sturgeons, large and lank, are there,

Which we, observant of the laws,

Offer in sacrifice [to GOD], with prayer,

That Chow may hold its brightening way,

Nor o’er its fortunes come decay.

Ode VII. The Yung

The helping princes stand around,

With reverent air, in concord fine.

The king, [GOD’s servant], with looks profound,

Thus prays [to GOD] before his father’s shrine:—

“This noble bull I bring [to GOD, in thy memory],

And these assist me in the rite.

All-sagely didst thou play the man,

Alike in peace and war a king.

Heaven [was pleased] in thee, O great Wan;

Who to thy sons still good [didst] bring.

The eye-brows of long life to me,

Great source of comfort, [GOD hath] given.

[He] makes me great, for ’tis [from Him]

Come all the other gifts of Heaven.”

Ode VIII. The Tsae heen

Before their sovereign king the lords appeared,

To seek the rules that he for them ordains.

Their banners bright with dragon blazonry

Waved grandly in the air. Upon their reins

Rings glittering shone, while on their broidered flags

And carriage fronts bells gave a tinkling sound.

Thus full of majesty, they came to court,

And splendid were their equipages found!

The king then led them on the left, and laid,

With filial heart, before his father’s shrine,

His offerings [to GOD], that long life he might obtain,

And still preserve the honours of his line.

Favours he gets, both great and manifold.

’Tis from those brilliant and accomplished lords

They spring; and there shall long through them descend

Blessings unmixed and bright that Heaven [GOD] affords.

Ode IX. The Yew k’ih

Behold our noble visitor,

The son of Shang’s high line.

His steeds, like those of his great sires,

All white and spotless shine.

The polished members of his train

Are with him come in state.

With reverence and dignity,

For his commands they wait.

Our noble visitor will stay

But for one night or two.

Glad should we be if he would think

Two nights or four were due.

Bring forth the ropes to bind his steeds.

Alas! he will not bide.

To him be every comfort given!

A parting feast provide!

The greatest dignity is his.

’Tis right our noble guest

Should with their choicest favours be

By men and Spirits [angels] graced!

Ode X. The Woo

You were august and great, O royal Woo,

And showed your matchless strength in every plan.

Your father Wan, accomplished he and true,

Had on the road to triumph led the van.

The heritage you from your sire obtained,

And soon the oppressive rule of Yin was staid.

O’er all its hosts the victory you gained,

And, firmly ’stablished, all the land you swayed.