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KING; 

OE, 

THE BOOK OF ANCIENT POETRY, 

TKANSLATED IN ENGLISH VEESE, 

WITH ESSAYS AND NOTES 

JAMES LEGGE, D.D., LLD., 

PROFESSOR OP CHINESE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD, 
FORMERLY OF THE LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY. 

LONDON: 
TBÜBNER & CO., 57 & 59, LUDGATE HILL. 

1876. 
[AU Sights reserved.] 

Ì 

 PEEFACE. 

JOHN CHILC8 AND BON, FEINTEES. 

IN the third chapter of the Prolegomena the author has endeavoured to 
state clearly the principles on which the metrical version of the Book of 
China's ancient poetiy, published in the present volume, has been made, 
and will only repeat here that his readers will find in it, in an English 
dress, the Chinese poems themselves, and not others composed by para 
phrase from them. It remains for him to relate how he came to undertake 
the work, and the assistance that he has received in completing it. 

While preparing his larger and critical work on the She, published at 
Hong-Kong in 1871, though, as he has stated in the chapter referred to, he 
did not think that the collection as a whole was worth the trouble of 
versifying, it often occurred to him that not a few of the pieces were well 
worth that trouble ; and if he had had the time to spare, he would then 
have undertaken it. Occupied with other Chinese classics, the subject of 
versifying any portion of the She passed from his mind until he received 
in the spring of 1874, from his nephew, the Eev. John Legge, M.A., of 
Brighton in Victoria, Australia, a suggestion that he should bring out a 
metrical version of the whole Book. To encourage him to do so, his 
nephew promised his own assistance, and that of his brother, the Eev. 
James Legge, M.A., of Hanley, Staffordshire, while another helper might 
be found in the Eev. Alexander Cran, M.A.. of Fairfield, near Manchester. 

A plan for the versification of all the pieces was drawn out in harmony 
with this suggestion, and the principles on which the versions should be 
made were laid down. Various causes, however, operated to prevent each 
of his helpers from doing all the portion that had been assigned to him, 
and many of the versions which were sent had to be altogether set aside. 
Fully three-fourths of the volume are the author's own, while he had much 
to do in revising the other fourth. To all his three associates he tenders his 
most cordial thanks. Many of the pieces have a beauty which they 
would not have possessed but. for them ; and several of them—of those 
especially from Australia—as they came to him, glowed with more of the 
fire of poetry than they now show. 

 IV 

PREFACE. 

To another gentleman he has also to acknowledge his great obligation. 
When he was beginning to see the end of his task, he asked his old Hong- 
Kong friend, W. T. Mercer, Esq., M.A. Oxford, to read and revise his 
manuscript before it went to the press. He knew he could not have a kinder 
critic, nor an abler,—as all will say who are acquainted with Mr Mercer's 
own volume of " Under the Peak ; or, Jottings in Verse, during a length 
ened residence in the Colony of Hong-Kong," published in 1869. 

Mr Mercer kindly acceded to the request, and went over every one of 
the pieces, pruning, correcting, and smoothing the versification, and 
making otherwise various suggestions. He recast some of the pieces in 
the first Part. The author has appended two of his recastings to his own 
versions, and I. ii. V. should have been mentioned as entirely his. In 
other cases it was found advisable to remake the pieces. To Mr Mercer 
also the Work is indebted, as the reader will perceive, for Latin versions 
of some of the pieces. 

Two metrical versions in German of the old Chinese poems have existed 
for a good many years. The one was published at Altona, in 1833, with 
the title :—" Schi-King, Chinesisches Liederbuch, gesammelt ron Confu 
cius, dem Deutschen angeeignet von Friedrich Eückert ; " the other at 
Crefeld, in 1844. with the title :—" Schi-King, oder Chinesische Lieder, 
gesammelt von Confucius. Neu und frei nach P. La Charme's lateinischer 
Uebertragung bearbeitet. Für's deutsche Volk herausgegeben von Johann 
Cramer." Of these the former by Eiickert has much the greater merit, 
and the second translator had it constantly before him. The present 
version, however, is under no obligation to either, nor can a comparison 
be instituted between it and them. Cramer says that his version was 
" freely " made from Lacharme's Latin translation ; nor had Eiickert any 
other original. Of the character of Lacharme's translation the author has 
spoken in the preface to his larger Work. 

122, King Henry's Road, London, 
April, 1876. 

CONTENTS. 

Oo 

PEOLEGOMENA. 

CHAPTER I. 

THE EARLY HISTORY AND THE PRESENT TEXT OF THE BOOK OF POETRY. 

SECTION PAGE 
I. THE BOOK BEFORE CONFUCIUS ; AND WHAT, IF ANY, WERE 

HIS LABOURS UPON IT .. .. .. .. .. 1 

II. THE BOOK FROM THE TIME OF CONFUCIUS TILL THE GENERAL 

ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THE PRESENT TEXT .. .. 8 

CHAPTER II. 

THE SOURCES OF THE ODES AS A COLLECTION ; THEIR INTER 
PRETATION AND AUTHORS ; THE PREFACES AND THEIR AU 
THORITY .. . . .. .. · · · · · · 13 

APPENDIX. CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF THE PIECES .. .. 25 

CHAPTER III. 

THE RHYME AND METRE OF THE PIECES ; THEIR POETICAL 
VALUE ; PRINCIPLE ON WHICH THE PRESENT VERSION OF 
THEM HAS BEEN MADE ; CERTAIN PECULIARITIES IN THEIR 
STRUCTURE .. .. .. .. .. .. ,. SI 

CHAPTER IV. 

THE CHINA OF THE BOOK OF POETRY, CONSIDERED IN RELA 
TION TO THE EXTENT OF ITS TERRITORY, ITS POLITICAL 
STATE, ITS RELIGION, AND ITS SOCIAL CONDITION .. .. 41 

THE POEMS. 
PART I.—LESSONS FROM THE STATES. 

OOK 

I. THU ODES OF CHOW AND THE SOUTH .. .. 11 58 
JI· ·· .. SHAOU AND THE SOl'TH . .. 14 67 

 CONTENTS. 

BOOK 

III. 

IT. 

V. 

VI. 

vu. 

Till. 

IX. 

X. 

XI. 

XII. 

xiii. 

XIV. 

XT. 

I. 

II. 

III. 

IT. 

T. 

VI. 

Til. 

Till. 

I. 

II. 

III. 

THE ODES OP P'EI 

YUNG 

. . WEI 

.. THE ROYAL DOMAIN 

CH'lNO 

TS'E 

WEI 

T'AKO . . 

TB'IN .. 

CH'IN . . 

KWEI 

TS'AOU 

PIN 

PART II.— MINOR ODES OF THE KINGDOM. 

DECADE OP LUH MIKO 

.. PIH HWA 

.. T'UNG KUNG 

. . K'E-FOO 

.. SEAOU MIN 

.. PIH SHAN 

.. SAUG HOO 

.. TOO JIN 8ZE .. 

PART III.— GREATER ODES OF THE KINGDOM 

DECADE OP KING WAN 

.. SHANO MIN 

.. TANG 

19 

10 

10 

10 

21 

11 

7 

12 

10 

10 

4 

4 

7 

. , 

. . 

. , 

. . 

. . 

, , 

11 

PACE 

76 

93 

102 

111 

1]9 

132 

140 

147 

157 

167 

173 

176 

180 

189 

203 

208 

219 

232 

247 

261 

274 

284 

302 

321 

PART IV.— ODES OF THE TEMPLE ANO THE ALTAR. 

I. 

II. 

III. 

I. 

II. 

SACRIFICIAL· ODES OF CHOW 

SECTION I. DECADE OP TS'lNO MEAOU 

II. .. .. SHIN KUNG 

III. .. .. MIN YU SEAOU TSZE 

PRAISE-ODES OP LOO .. .. .. · 

SACRIFICIAL ODES OP SHANO 

INDEXES. 

INDEX OP SUBJECTS 

.. PROPER NAMES 

, β 

.. 

11 

4 

5 

.. 

350 

350 

357 

364 

373 

384 

392 

428 

PBOLEGOMEM. 

CHAPTER I. 

THE EAELY HISTORY AND THE PRESENT TEXT OF THE 
BOOK OF POETRY. 

SECTION I. 

THE BOOK BEFORE CONFUCIUS ; AND WHAT, IF ANT, WEEK 
HIS LABOURS UPON IT. 

1. SZE-MA Ts'ëen, in his memoir of Confucius, says :— 
" The old poems amounted to more than 3000. Confu 
cius removed those which were only repetitions of others, 
and selected those which would be serviceable statements oí 
for the inculcation of propriety and righteous- chínese scholars. 
ness. Ascending as high as Sëeh and How-tseih, and 
descending through the prosperous eras of Yin and Chow 
to the times of decadence under kings Yew and Le, he 
selected in all 305 pieces, which he sang over to his lute, 
to bring them into accordance with the musical style of the 
Shaou, the Woo, the Ya, and the Sung." This is the first 
notice which we have of any compilation of the ancient 
poems by Confucius, and from it mainly are derived all 
the subsequent statements on the subject. 

In the History of the Classical Books in the Records 
of the Suy dynasty (A.D. 589—618), it is said :—" When 
odes ceased to be made and collected, Che, the Grand 
music-master of Loo, arranged in order those which were 
existing, and made a copy of them. Then Confucius 
expurgated them ; and going up to the Shang dynasty, 
and coming down to the State of Loo, he compiled alto 
gether 300 pieces." 

VOL. III. 1 

 THE EAELY HISTORY OF THE SHE. 

Gpw-yang Sew (A.D. 1006 — 1071) endeavours to state 
particularly what the work of expurgation performed by 
Confucius was. "Not only/' says he, "did the sage 
reject whole poems, but from others he rejected one or 
more stanzas ; from stanzas he rejected one or more lines ; 
and from lines he rejected one or more characters/' 

Choo He (A.D. 1130 — 1200), whose own classical Work 
on the Book of Poetry appeared in A.D. 11 78, declined to 
express himself positively on the question of the expurg 
ation of the odes, but summed up his view of what Con 
fucius did for them in the following words : — " Poems had 
ceased to be made and collected, and those which were 
extant were full of errors and wanting in arrangement. 
When Confucius returned from Wei to Loo, he brought 
with him the odes which he had gotten in other States, 
and digested them, along with those which were to be 
found in Loo, into a collection of 300 pieces." 

I have not been able to find evidence sustaining these 
representations, and propose uow to submit to the reader 
These state- ^G considerations" which prevent me from 
ments not sup- concurring in them, and have brought me 
deice. The-rìew to the conclusions that, before the birth of 
of the author. Confucius, the Book of Poetry existed sub 
stantially the same as it was at his death, and that, while 
he may have somewhat altered the arrangement of its 
Books and odes, the principal service which he rendered 
to it was not that of compilation, but the impulse to the 
study of it which he communicated to his disciples. The 
discrepancy in the number of the odes as given in the 
above statements will be touched on in a note. 

2. If we place Ts'een's composition of the memoir of 
Confucius in B.c. 100, nearly four hundred years will thus 
have elapsed between the death of the sage and any 
The ground- statement to the effect that he expurgated a 
Ìi»vereprés™te- previous collection of poems, or compiled 
ations. that which we now have, consisting of a few 
over 300 pieces ; and no writer in the interval, so far as we 
know, had affirmed or implied any such facts. But inde 
pendently of this consideration, there is ample evidence to 
prove, first, that the poems current before Confucius were 
not by any means so numerous as Sze-ma Ts'ëen says, and, 
secondly, that the collection of 300 pieces or thereabouts, 

THE SHE BEFORE CONFUCIUS. O 

digested under the same divisions as in the present Classic, 
existed before the sage's time. 

3 Π 1 It would not be surprising, if, floating about and 
current among the people of China, in the 6th century 
before Christ, there had been even more than J^n°£p-™ 
3000 pieces of poetry. The marvel is that cms. 
such was not the case. But in the "Narratives of the 
States," a Work attributed by some to Tso K'ew-ming,1 
there occur quotations from 31 poems, made by statesmen 
and others, all anterior to Confucius ; and of those poems 
it cannot be pleaded that more than two are not in the 
present Classic, while of those two one is an ode of it 
quoted under another name. Further, in the Tso Chuen, 
certainly the work of Tso Kfew-ming, and a most valuable 
supplement to Confucius' own Work of the Ch'un Ts'ew, 
we have quotations from not fewer than 219 poems ; and of 
these only thirteen are not found in the Classic. Thus of 
250 poems current in China before the supposed compila 
tion of the Book of Poetry, 286 are found in it, and only 
14 are absent. To use the words of Chaou Yih, a scholar 
of the present dynasty, of the period K'een-lung (A.D. 
1736—1795), "If the poems existing in Confucius' time 
had been more than 3000, the quotations found in these 
two Books of poems now lost should have been ten times 
as numerous as the quotations from the 305 pieces said to 
have been preserved by him, whereas they are only be 
tween a twenty-first and twenty-second part of those from 
the existing pieces. This is sufficient to show that Ts'ëon's 
statement i s not worthy of credit." I have made the widest 
possible induction from all existing Records in which there 
are quotations of poems made anterior to Confucius, and 
the conclusion to which I have been brought is altogether 
confirmatory of that deduced from the Works of Tso 
K'ëw-ming. If Confucius did make any compilation of 
poems, he had no such work of rejection and expurgation 
to do as is commonly imagined. 

[ii.] But I believe myself that he did no work at all 
to which the name of compilation can properly be applied, 
but simply adopted an existing collection of poems con 
sisting of 305, or at most of 311 pieces. Of the ex- 

1 Wylie's Notes on Chinese Literature, p. 6. Tso K'evv-ming was not 
far removed from the era of Confucius. 

1* 

 4 

THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE SHE. 

Proofs of the istence of the She, or Book of Poetry, before 
Bod^oFpoetr16 Confucius, digested under four divisions, and 
before the time much in the same order as at present, there 
may be advanced the following· proofs :— 

First, in the " Official Book of Chow," we are told that 
it belonged to the .grand-master " to teach the six classes 
of poems,—the Fung, with their descriptive, metaphorical, 
and allusive pieces, the Ya, and the Sung." Mr Wylie 
Bays that the question of the genuineness of the Official 
Book may be considered as set at rest since the inquiry 
into it by Choo He, and that it is to be accepted as a work 
of the duke of Chow, or some other sage of the Chow 
dynasty.1 Without committing myself to any opinion on 
this point, as I find the passage just quoted in the Preface 
to the She (of which I shall treat in the next chapter), I 
cannot but accept it as having been current before Con 
fucius ; and thus we have a distinct reference to a collec 
tion of poems, earlier than his time, with the same 
division into Parts, and the same classification of the 
pieces in those Parts. 

Second, in Part II. of the She, Book vi., Ode IX.,—an 
ode assigned to the time of king Yew, B.C. 780—770, we 
have the words, 

" They sing the Ta and the Nan, 
Dancing to their flutes without error." 

So early then as the 8th century before our era, there was 
a collection of poems, of which some bore the name of 
the Nan, which there is nothing to forbid our supposing 
to have been the Chow-nan and the Shaou-uan, forming 
the first two Books of the first Part of the present 
classic, often spoken of together as the Nan; and of 
which others bore the name of the Ya, being probably 
the earlier pieces which now compose a large portion of 
the second and third Parts. 

Third, in the narratives of Tso K'ew-ming, under tlie 
29th year of duke Sëang, B.C. 543, when Confucius was 
only 8 or 9 years old, we have an account of a visit to the 
court of Loo by an envoy from Woo, an eminent states 
man of the time, and of great learning. We are told 

1 Notes on Chinese Literature, p. 4. 

THE SHE BEFORE CONFUCIUS. 5 

that as he wished to hear the music of Chow, which he 
could do better in Loo than in any other State, they sang 
to him the odes of the Chow-nan and the Shaou-nan ; those 
of P'ei, Yung, and Wei ; of the Eoyal domain ; of Ch'ing ; 
of Ts'e ; of Pin ; of Ts'in ; of Wei ; of T'ang ; of Ch'in ; 
of Kwei ; and of Ts'aou. They sang to him also the odes 
of the Minor Ya and the Greater Ya ; and they sang 
finally the pieces of the Sung. We have here existing in 
the boyhood of Confucius, before he had set his mind on 
learning,1 what we may call the present Book of Poetry, 
with its Fung, its Ya, and its Sung. The odes of the Fung 
were in 15 Books as now, with merely some slight differ 
ences in the order of their arrangement;—the odes of 
Pin forming the 9th Book instead of the 15th, those of 
Ts'in the 10th instead of the llth, those of Wei the llth 
instead of the 9th, and those of T'ang the 12th instead of 
the 10th. In other respects the She, existing in Loo when 
Confucius was a mere boy, appears to have been the same 
as that of which the compilation has been ascribed to him. 
Fourth, in this matter we may appeal to the words of 
Confucius himself. Twice in the Analects he speaks of 
the odes as a collection consisting of 300 pieces.3 'That 
Work not being made on any principle of chronological 
order, we cannot positively assign those sayings to any 
particular periods of Confucius' life ; but it is, I may say, 
the unanimous opinion of the critics that they were spoken 
before the time to which Sze-ma Ts'èen and Choo He refer 
his special labour on the Book of Poetry. The reader 
may be left, with the evidence which has been set before 
him, to form his own opinion on the questions discussed. 
To my own mind that evidence is decisive on the points. 
—The Book of Poetry, arranged very much as we now 
have it, was current in China long before the sage ; and 
its pieces were in the mouths of statesmen and scholars, 
constantly quoted by them on festive and other occasions. 
Poems not included in it there doubtless were, but they 
were comparatively few. Confucius may have made a 
copy for the use of himself and his disciples ; but it does 
not appear that he rejected any pieces which had been 
previously received, or admitted any which had not pre 
viously found a place in the collection. 

1 Confucian Analects, II. iv. 1. 2 Confucian Analects, II. ii. ; XIII. v. 

Λ 

 6 

THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE SHE. 

4. Having come to the above conclusions, it seems 
Further errors superfluous to make any further observations 
ìnente^ in**the on *ne statements adduced in the first para- 
first paragraph, graph. If Confucius expurgated no previous 
Book, it is vain to try and specify the nature of his ex 
purgation as Gow-yang Sew did.1 From Sze-ma Ts'een 
wo should suppose that there were no odes in the She later 
than the time of king Le, whereas there are 12 of the 
time of king Hwuy, 13 of that of king Seang, and 2 of 
the time of king Ting. Even the Sung of Loo which are 
referred to by the Buy writer and Choo He are not the 
latest pieces in the Book. The statement of the former 
that the odes were arranged in order and copied by Che, 
the music-master of Loo,2 rests on no authority but his 
own ;—more than a thousand years after the time of Con 
fucius. I shall refer to it again, however, in the next 
chapter. 

5. The question arises now of what Confucius really did 
for the Book of Poetry, if, indeed, he did anything at all. 
The only thing from which we can hazard the slightest 
Did Confucius opinion on the point we have from his own lips. 
ΑΓέΑ? In the Analects, IX. xiv., he tells us :—" I 
Poetry? returned from Wei to Loo, and theii the music 
was reformed, and the pieces in the Ya and the Sung all 
found their proper places." The return from Wei to Loo 
took place when the sage was in his 69th year, only five 
years before his death. He ceased from that time to take 
au active part in political affairs, and solaced himself with 
music, the study of the Classics, the writing of the 
Chcun Ts'ew, and familiar intercourse with those of his 
disciples who still kept about him. He reformed the 
music,—that to which the poems were sung ; but wherein 
the reformation consisted we cannot tell. And he gave 
to the pieces of the Ya and the Sung their proper places. 
The present order of the Books in the Fung, slightly 
differing, we have seen, from that which was common in 
his boyhood, may also have now been determined by him. 

1 Every instance pleaded by Sew in support of his expurgation of 
stanzas, lines, and characters has been disposed of by various scholars. 

2 When this Che lived is much disputed. From tbe references to him 
in Ana. VIII. xv., XVIII. ix., we naturally suppose him to have been a 
contemporary of Confucius. 

THE ' SHE BEFORE CONFUCIUS. 

As to the arrangement of the odes in the other Parts of 
the Work, we cannot say of what extent it was. What 
are now called the correct Ya precede the pieces called the 
Ya of a changed character or of a degenerate age ; but 
there is no chronological order in their following one an 
other, and it will be seen, from the notes on the separate 
odes, that there are not a few of the latter class, which 
are illustrations of a good reign and of the observance 
of propriety, as much as any of the former. In the 
Books of the Sung again, the occurrence of the Praise- 
songs of Loo between the sacrificial odes of Chow and 
Shang is an anomaly for which we try in vain to discover 
a reasonable explanation. 

6. While we cannot discover, therefore, any peculiar 
labours of Confucius on the Book of Poetry, and we have 
it now, as will be shown in the next section, substantially 
as he found it already compiled to his hand, the subse 
quent preservation of it may reasonably be Confucius· ser- 

, , -ι 7 -ι , ,1 τ · ,· π · ι -ι vice to the She 

attributed to the admiration which he ex- was in the im 

pressed for it, and the enthusiasm for it with 
which he sought to inspire his disciples. It of it- 
was one of the themes on which he delighted to converse 
with them.1 He taught that it is from the odes that the 
mind receives its best stimulus.2 A man ignorant of them 
was, in his opinion, like one who stands with his face to 
wards a wall, limited in his views, and unable to advance.3 
Of the two things which his son could specify as particular 
ly enjoined on him by the sage, the first was that he should 
learn the odes.4 In this way Confucius, probably, contri 
buted krgely to the subsequent preservation of the Book of 
Poetry; — the preservation of the tablets on which the 
odes were inscribed, and the preservation of it in the 
memories of all who venerated his authority, and looked 
up to him as their master. 

Analects, VII. xvii. 
3 Ana., XVII. x. 

Ana., VIII. viii.; XVII. ix. 
* Ana., XVI. xiii. 

 THE SHE AFTER CONFUCIUS. 

SECTION II. 

THE BOOK OF POETRY FROM THE TIME OF CONFUCIUS TILL 
THE GENERAL-ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THE PRESENT TEXT. 

' From coníu- ^ ®T the attention paid to the study of the 
cms to the ay- Book of Poetry from the death of Confucius 

nasty of Ts'in. , ,1 · rj ,·, m ,. , , , 

to tue rise ol the is in dynasty, we have 
abundant evidence in the writings of his graudson Tsze- 
sze, of Mencius, and of Seun K'ing. One of the acknow 
ledged distinctions of Mencius is his acquaintance with 
the odes, of which his canon for the study of them pre 
fixed to 'my larger volumes is a proof ; and Seun K'ing 
survived the extinction of the Chow dynasty, and lived on 
into the times of Ts'in. 

2. The Poems shared in the calamity which all the 
other classical Works, excepting the Yih, suffered, when 
the tyrant of Ts'in issued his edict for their destraction. 
But I have shown, in the prolegomena to vol. I., that only 
The Poems a few years elapsed between the execution of 
™3terthe°fire¡ 1™ decree and the establishment of the Han 
of Ts'in. dynasty, which distinguished itself by its 
labours to restore the monuments of ancient literature. 
The odes were all, or very nearly all, recovered ;1 and the 
reason assigned for this is, that their preservation de 
pended on the memory of scholars more than on their 
inscription upon tablets and silk. We shall find reason 
to accept this statement. 

3. Three different texts of the odes made their appear- 
differ- anee early in the Han dynasty, known as the 
She of Loo, of Ts'e, and of Han ; that is, the 

ent texts. 

In the last section reference was made to the number of the odes, 
given by Confucius himself as 300. He might mention the round number, 
not thinking it worth while to say that they were 305 or 311. The 
Classic now contains the text of 305 pieces, and the titles of other 6. It 
is contended by Choo and many other scholars, that in Confucius' time 
the text of those six was already lost, or rather that the titles were names 
of tunes only. More likely is the view that the text of these pieces was 
lost after Confucius' death. 

THEEE DIFFERENT TEXTS. J 

Book of Poetry was recovered from three different 
quarters. 

[i.] Lew Hin's cataloguex of the Works in the imperial 
library of the earlier Han dynasty commences, on the She 
King, with a Collection of the three Texts in 28 chapters, 
which is followed by two Works of commentary on the 
Text of Loo. The former of them was by a The Text of 
Shin P'ei, of whom we have some account in ^0· 
the Literary Biographies of Han. He was a native of 
Loo, and had received his own knowledge of the odes from 
a scholar of Ts'e, called Fow K'ëw-pih. He was resorted 
to by many disciples, whom he taught to repeat the odes, 
bnt withont entering into discussion with them on their 
interpretation. When the first emperor of the Han 
dynasty was passing through Loo, Shin followed him to 
the capital of that State, and had an interview with him. 
The emperor Woo, in the beginning of his reign (B.C. 139), 
sent for him to court when he was more than 80 years 
old; and he appears to have survived a considerable 
number of years beyond that advanced age. The names 
of ten of his disciples are given, all men of eminence, and 
among them K'ung Gan-kwoh. A little later, the most 
noted adherent of the school of Loo was a Wei Keen, who 
arrived at the dignity of prime minister, and published 
" the She of Loo in Stanzas and Lines." Up and down in 
the Books of Han and Wei are to be found quotations of 
the odes, which must have been taken from the professors 
of the Loo recension ; but neither the text nor the 
writings on it long survived. They are said to have 
perished during the Tsin dynasty (A.D. 265—419). When 
the catalogue of the Suy library was made, none of them 
were existing. 

[ii.] The Han catalogue mentions five different works on 
the She of Ts'e. This text was from a Yuen Koo, a 
native of Ts'e, about whom we learn, from the The Text of 
same chapter of Literary Biographies, that he Ts'e· 
was one of the Great scholars of the conrt in the time of 
the emperor King (B.C. 155—142), a favourite with him, 
and specially distinguished for his knowledge of the odes 
and his advocacy of orthodox Confucian doctrine. He 
died in the next reign of Woo, more than 90 years old ; 

1 Proleg., Toi. I. p. 4. 

 10 

THE SHE AFTEE CONFUCIUS. 

and we are told that all the scholars of Tsfe who got a 
name in those days for their acquaintance with the She 
sprang from his school. Among his disciples is the well- 
known name of Hëa-how Ch'e-ch'ang, who communicated 
his acquisitions to How Ts'ang, a native of the present 
Shan-tung province, and author of two of the Works in 
the Han catalogue. How had three disciples of eminence, 
—Yih Fung, Sëaou Wang-che, and K'wang Häng. From 
them the Text of Ts'e was transmitted to others, whose 
names, with quotations from their writings, are scattered 
through the Books of Han. Neither text nor comment 
aries, however, had a better fate than the She of Loo. 
There is no mention of them in the catalogue of Suy. 
They are said to have perished even before the rise of the 
Tsin dynasty. 

[iii.] The Text of Han was somewhat more fortunate. 
The Han catalogue contains the titles of four works, all 

The Text of ^>J -Han Yinn> wh°se surname is thus perpetu- 
Han Ying. ated in the text of the She which emanated 
from him. His biography follows that of How Ts'ang. 
He was a native, we are told, of the province of Yen, and 
a " Great scholar " in the time of the emperor Wan (B.C. 
178—156), and on into the reigns of King and Woo. 
" He laboured/' it is said, " to unfold the meaning of the 
odes, and published an ' Explanation of the Text,' and 
' Illustrations of the She/ containing several myriads of 
characters. His text was somewhat different from the 
texts of the She of Loo and Ts'e, but substantially of the 
same meaning." Of course Han founded a school ; but 
while almost all the writings of his followers soon perished, 
both the Works just mentioned continued on through the 
various dynasties to the time of Sung. The Suy catalogue 
contains the titles of his text and two Works on it ; the 
T'ang those of his text and his Illustrations ; but when 
we come to the catalogue of Sung, published in the time 
of the Yuen dynasty, we find only the Illustrations, in 10 
Books or chapters ; and Gow-yang Sew tells us that in his 
time this was all of Han that remained. It continues, 
entire or nearly so, to the present day. 

4. But while these three different recensions of the 
She all disappeared, with the exception of a single frag 
ment, their unhappy fate was owing not more to the 

THE TEXT OP MAOCT. 

11 

convulsions by which the empire was often rent, and the 
consequent destruction of literary monuments, such as 
we have witnessed in our own day in China, than to the 
appearance of a fourth Text which displaced them by its 
superior correctuess, and the ability with AfourthText· 
which it was advocated and commented on. that of Maou. 
This was what is called the " Text of Maou." It came 
into the field later than the others; but the Han cata 
logue contains the She of Maou in 29 chapters, and a 
commentary on the text in 30. According to Ch'ing 
K'aug-shing, the author of this commentary was a native 
of Loo, known as Maou Häng or the Greater Maou, who 
was a disciple, we are told by Luh Tih-ming, of Seun 
K'ing. The Work is lost. He had communicated his 
knowledge of the She, however, to another Maou,—Maou 
Chang, or the Lesser Maou,—who was " a Great scholar" 
at the court of king Heen of Ho-keen.1 This king Heen 
was one of the most diligent labourers in the recovery of 
the ancient Books, and presented Maou's text and the 
Work of Häng at the court of the emperor King,—pro 
bably in B.C. 129. Chang himself published his "Ex 
planations of the She," in 29 chapters, which still re 
main ; but it was not till the reign of the emperor P'ing 
(A.D. 1—5) that Maou's recension was received into the 
imperial college, and took its place along with those of 
Loo, Ts'e, and Han. 

The Chinese critics have carefully traced the line of 
scholars who had charge of Maou's text and explanations 
down to the reign of P'ing ;—K wan Ch'ang-k'ing, Hëae 
Yen-nëen, and Seu Gaou. To Seu Gaou succeeded Ch'in 
Këah, who was in office at the court of the usurper Wang 
Mang (Α.Π. 9—22). He transmitted his treasures to 
Sëay Man-k'ing, who himself commented on the She; 
and from him they passed to the well-known Wei King- 
chung or Wei Hwang, of whom I shall have to speak in 
the next chapter. From this time the most famous 
scholars addicted themselves to Maou's text. Këa Kwei 
(A.D. 25—101) published a Work on the " Meaning and 
Difficulties of Maou's She," having previously compiled a 

The petty kingdom of Ho-këen embraced three of the districts in 
the present department of the same name in Chih-le, and one of the two 
districts of Shin Chow. King He'en's name was Tih. 

 •ί 

12 

THE SHE AFTEK CONFUCIUS. 

digest of the differences between its text and those of the 
other three recensions, at the command of the emperor 
Ming (A.D. 58—75). Ma Yung (A.D. 69—165) followed 
with another commentary ;—and we arrive at Ch'ing 
Heuen, or Ch'ing K'ang-shing, who wrote his " Supple 
mentary Commentary to the She of Maou," and his 
"Chronological Introduction to the She." The former 
of these two Works complete, and portions of the latter, 
are still extant. That the former has great defects as 
well as great merits, there can be no question ; but it 
took possession of the literary world of China, and after 
the time of Ch'ing the other three texts were little heard 
of, while the names of the commentators on Maou's text 
and his explanations of it speedily become very numerous. 
Maou's grave is still shown near the village of Tsun-fuh, 
in the departmental district of Ho-këen. 

5. Returning now to what I said in the 2nd paragraph, 
it will be granted that the appearance of three different 
and independent texts, immediately after the rise of the 
Han dynasty, affords the most satisfactory evidence of 
The différait *^e recovery of the Book of Poetry, as it had 
texts guarantee continued from the time of Confucius. Un- 

tho integrity of /·..·, Ί /. , η , ι 

the recovered lortuiiately only fragments of them remain 
Blle' now ; but we have seen that they were dili 
gently compared by competent scholars with one another, 
and with the fourth text of Maou, which subsequently 
got the field to itself. In the body of the larger Work 
attention is called to many of their peculiar readings; 
Thetextswere and it is clear to me that their variations 
^fi'S'trom™ from one another and from Maou's text arose 
citation. from the alleged fact that the preservation 
of the odes was owing to their being transmitted by re 
citation. The rhyme helped the memory to retain them, 
and while wood, bamboo, and silk were all consumed by 
the flames of Ts'in, when the time of repression ceased 
scholars would be eager to rehearse their stores. It 
was inevitable that the same sounds, when taken down by 
different writers, should in many cases be represented by 
different characters. Accepting the text as it exists, we 
have no reason to doubt that it is a near approximation 
to that which was current in the time of Confucius. 

THE SOUECES OF THE ODES AS A COLLECTION. Ϊ3 

CHAPTER II. 

THE SOURCES OF THE ODES AS A COLLECTION; THEIR 

INTERPRETATION AND AUTHORS; THE PREFACES 

AND THEIR AUTHORITY. 

APPENDIX—A CH-EOKOLOGICAL TABLE OF THE ODES. 

1. IT has been shown in the first section of last chapter 
that the Book of Poetry existed as a collection of odes 
before the time of Confucius. It becomes a question of 
some interest whether we can ascertain how the collection 
came to be formed, and account for {he gaps that now 
exist in it,—how there are no poetical memorials at 
all of several of the reigns of the Chow kings, How wore the 
and how the first Part embraces only a por- tii^flr 
tion of the States of which the kingdom was g™^ 

Composed. incomplete? 

2. Sir Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun tells us the opinion 
of " a very wise man," that " if a man were permitted to 
make all the ballads of a nation, he need not care who 
should make its laws/'1 The theory of Chinese scholars 
is, that it was the duty of the kings to make themselves 
acquainted with all the odes and songs current in the 
different States, and to judge from them of The theory of 
the character of the rule exercised by their a^r^coiec- 
several princes, so that they might minister fO^govenTment- 
praise or blame, reward or punishment, ac- ai purposes. 
cordingly. 

1 See Fletcher's account of " a Conversation on Governments." Sir 
John Davis (The Poetry of the Chinese, p. 30) adduces the remark of a 
writer in the Spectator (No. 502) :—" I have heard that a minister of 
State in the reign of Queen Elizabeth had all manner of hooks and 
ballads brought to him, of what kind soever, and took great notice how 
much they took with the people ; upon which he would, and certainly 
might, very well judge of their present dispositions, and of the most 
proper way of applying them according to his own purposes." 

\ 
Ν 

 THE SOURCES OF THE ODES AS A COLLECTION. 

3. The one classical passage which is referred to in 
support of this theory is in the Le Ke, V. ii., parr. 13, 
The ' classical 14 :—" Every fifth year, the son of Heaven 
fuppOTtatto tiS made a progress through the kingdom, when 
«y- the Grand music-master was commanded to 
lay before him the poems collected in the States of the 
several quarters, as au exhibition of the manners of the 
people." Unfortunately, this Book of the Le Ke, the 
" Eoyal Ordinances," was only compiled in the reign of 
the emperor Wan of the Han dynasty (B.C. 179—155). 
The scholars entrusted with the work did their best, we 
may suppose, with the materials at their command. They 
made much use, it is evident, of Mencins, and of the E 
Le. The Chow Le, or the " Official Book of Chow," had 
not then been recovered. But neither in Mencius, nor 
in the E Le, do we meet with any authority for the state 
ment before us. The Shoo mentions that Shun every fifth 
vear made a tour of inspection through his empire ; but 
there were then no odes for him to examine, as to him 
and his minister Kaou-yaou is attributed the first rudi 
mentary attempt at the poetic art. Of the progresses of 
the sovereigns of the Hëa and Tin dynasties we have no 
information ; and those of the kings of Chow were made, 
we know, only Once in twelve years. The above state 
ment in the Le Ke, therefore, was probably based only 
on tradition, and is erroneous in the frequency of the 
royal progresses which it asserts. 

Notwithstanding the difficulties which beset the text 
of the Le Ke, however, I am not disposed to reject it al 
together. It derives a certain amount of confirmation 
from the passage quoted in the last chapter, p. 4, from the 
" Official Book of Chow/' showing that in the Cho\v dy 
nasty there was a collection of poems, under the divisions 
of the Fuiig, the Ya, and the Sung, which it was the busi 
ness of the Grand music-master to teach the musicians 
aud the élèves of the royal school. It may be granted 
then, that the duke of Chow, in legislating for his dynasty, 
enacted that the poems produced in the different feudal 
States should be collected on the occasions of the royal 
progresses, and lodged thereafter among the archives of 
the bureau of music at the royal court. The same thing, 

THE SOURCES OF THE ODES AS A COLLECTION. 

15 

we may presnrne a fortiori, would be done with those 
produced within the royal domain itself. 

4. But the feudal States were modelled after the pattern 
of the royal State. They also had their music-masters, 
their musicians, and their historiographers. The kings 
in their progresses did not visit each particu- The music- 
lar State, so that their music-masters could £ngtewouîd *? 
have an opportunity to collect the odes in it *'« odesof each 

t· , ι ι mi , ,, , State from its 

for themselves, ihey met, at well-known music-master. 
points, the marquises, earls, barons, &c., of the different 
quarters of the kingdom ; there gave them audience ; ad 
judicated upon their merits; aud issued to them their 
orders. We are obliged to suppose that the princes 
. would be attended to the places of rendezvous by their 
music-masters, carrying with them the poetical composi 
tions collected in their several regions, to present them 
to their superior of the royal court. 

5. By means of the above arrangement, we can under 
stand how the poems of the whole kingdom were accumu 
lated and arranged among the archives of the capital. 
Was there any provision for disseminating thence the 
poems of one State among all the others ? There is suf 
ficient evidence that this dissemination was TTn„ tl . 

" 11 · Π r til -HOW tile COI- 

in some way effected. Throughout the lected poems 
"Narratives of the States" and the details Stta^Si 
of Tso K'ew-ming on the history of the Ch'un the stotcs· 
Ts'ew, the officers of the States generally are presented 
to us as familiar not only with the odes of their particular 
States, but with those of other States as well. They ap 
pear equally well acquainted with all the Parts and Books 
of our present collection ; and we saw in Chapter I., p. 5, 
how the whole of the present She was sung over to Ke- 
chah of Woo when he visited the court of Loo. My 
opinion is that there was a regular communication from 
the royal court to the courts of the various States of the 
poetical pieces, which for one reason or another were 
thought worthy of preservation. This is nowhere ex 
pressly stated ·, but it may be argued by analogy from 
the account which we have in the " Official Book of Chow " 
of the duties of the historiographers, or recorders, of the 
Exterior.—» They had charge of the Histories of all the 

 16 

THE SOUECES OF THE ODES AS A COLLECTION. 

THE SOURCES OF THE ODES AS A COLLECTION. 

17 

States ; of the Books of the three August [rulers] and of 
the five emperors. They communicated to all parts of 
the kingdom the writings [in their charge] ,"1 For want 
of fuller information it is not easy to give a thoroughly 
satisfactory account of the Histories and the Books refer 
red to in these brief sentences ; but I quote them merely 
to establish the fact that, according to the constitution of 
the kingdom under the dynasty of Chow, not only were 
the literary monuments of the feudal States collected for 
the satisfaction of the kings, but they were again sent 
forth to the courts of the different princes, and became 
the common possession of the cultivated classes through 
out the whole country. The documentary evidence of 
the fact is scanty, owing to the imperfect condition in 
which the Books of Chow were recovered during the Han 
dynasty, and so we have no special mention made of the 
odes in the passages of the " Official Book/' which I have 
adduced; but that they, as well as the other writings 
which are vaguely specified, were made known to Loo, 
Tsfe, Tsin, and all the other States, seems to have the 
evidence of analogy in its favour, and to be necessary to 
account for the general familiarity with them which, we 
know, prevailed. 

G. But if the poems produced in the several States 
were thus collected in the capital, and thence again dis 
seminated throughout the kingdom, we might conclude 
that the collection would have been far more extensive 
and complete than we have it now. The smallness of it 
HOW the col- is to be accounted for by the disorder and 
email" aid to- confusion into which the kingdom fell after 
complete. t}ie lapse of a few reigns from king Woo. 
lloyal progresses ceased when royal government fell into 

1 These Histories, it is held, related to everything about the feudal 
States, and the outlying barbarous tribes, the history of their princes and 
chiefs, their origin and boundaries, their tributes», their ceremonies, music, 
customs, &c. We try in vain to discover what the Books of the three 
August ones were. The second sentence is the most important for my 
argument. I cannot accept the interpretation of " the writings,' ' in which 
many acquiesce, as simply = the names of the written characters. Biot 
gives fcr the whole :—" Ils sont charges (le propager les noms écrits, ou 
IPS signes de l'écriture, dans les quatre parties de l'empire." I believe 
that I have given the sense correctly. 

decay, and then the odes were no longer collected.1 We 
have no account of any progress of the kings during the 
period of the Ch'un Ts'e'w. But, before that period, 
there is a long gap of 143 years between kings Ch'ing 
and E, covering the reigns of K'ang, Ch'aou, Muh, and 
Kung, of which we have no poetic memorials, if we ex 
cept two doubtful pieces among the sacrificial odes of 
Chow. The reign of Hëaou who succeeded to B is simi 
larly uncommemorated, and the latest odes are of the time 
of Tiug, when a hundred years of the Ch'uii Tsce\v had 
still to run their course. I cannot suppose but that many 
odes were made and collected during the 143 years after 
king Ch'ing. The probability is that they perished 
during the feeble and disturbed reigns of B, Hëaou, B, 
and Le. Of the reign of the first of these we have only 
five pieces, of all of which Choo considers the dato to be 
uncertain ; of that of the second, as has been observed 
above, we have no memorials at all ; of that of the third 
we have only one piece, which Choo, for apparently good 
reasons, would assign to a considerably later date. Then 
follow four pieces, the date of which is quite uncertain, 
and eleven, assigned to the reign of Le,—some of them 
with evident error. To Le's succeeded the long and 
vigorous reign of Seuen (B.C. 828—781), when we may 
suppose that the ancient custom of collecting the poems 
was revived. Subsequently to him, all was in the main 
decadence and disorder. It was probably in the latter 
part of his reign that Ch'ing-k'aou-foo, an ancestor of 
Confucius, obtained from the Grand music-master of the 
conrt of Chow twelve of the sacrificial odes of the previous 
dynasty, with which he returned to Sung which was held 
by representatives of the House of Shang. They were 
used there in sacrificing to the old kings of Shang, and 
were probably taken with them to Loo when the Kfung 
family subsequently sought refuge in that State. Yet of 
the twelve odes seven were lost by the time of Confucius. 
The general conclusion to which we come is, that the 
existing Book of Poetry is the fragment of various col 
lections made during the early reigns of the kings of 
'-'how, and added to at intervals, especially on the oc- 

TOL. ΠΙ. 

See Mencius, IV. ii. XXI. 
2 

\ 

 18 

THE SOUKCES OF THE ODES AS A COLLECTION. 

THE AUTHORS OF THE ODES. 

19 

currence of a prosperous rule, in accordance with the 
regulation which has been preserved in the Le Ke. How 
it is that we have in Part I. odes of not more than a 
dozen of the States into which the kingdom was divided,1 
and that the odes of those States extend only over a 
short period of their history :—for these things we can 
not account further than by saying that such were the 
ravages of time and the results of disorder. We can 
only accept the collection as it is, and be thankful for it. 
It was well that Confucius was a native of Loo, for such 
was the position of that State among the others, and so 
close its relations with the royal court, that tlie odes 
preserved in it were probably more numerous and com 
plete than anywhere else. Yet we cannot accept the 
statement of the editor of the Suy catalogue adduced on 
page 2, that the existing pieces had been copied out 
and arranged by Che, the music-master of Loo, unless, 
indeed, Che had been in office during the boyhood of 
Confucius, when, as we have seen, the collection was to 
be found there, substantially the same as it is now. 

7. The conclusions which I have sought to establish in 
the above paragraphs, concerning the sources of the She 
as a collection, have an important bearing on the inter 
pretation of many of the odes. The remark of Sze-ma 
Bearing of the Ts'ëen, that " Confucius selected those 
above paia- pieces which would be serviceable for the 

graphs on the I: . 

interpretation of illustration ot propriety and righteousness, 

particularpieces. jg ^ emmeous as tlie οΛβ^ ^ tte sage 

selected 80S pieces out of 3000. Confucius merely 
studied and taught the pieces which he found existing, 
and the collection necessarily contained odes illustrative 
of bad government as well as of good, of licentiousness 
as well as of a pure morality. Nothing has been such a 
stumbling-block in the way of the reception of Choo He's 
interpretation of the pieces as the readiness with which he 
attributes a licentious meaning to those of Book vii., Part 
I. But the reason why the kings in their progresses had 
the odes of the different States collected and presented 
to them, was " that they might judge from them of the 

1 I might say not quite a dozen, for Books iii., iv., and v., all belong to 
Wei, and probably also xiii., as well as x., to Tsin. 

.manners of the people," and so come to a decision re 
garding the government and morals of their rulers. A 
student and translator of the odes has simply to allow 
them to speak for themselves, and has no more reason 
to be surprised at the language of vice in some of them 
than at the language of virtue in many others. The 
enigmatic saying of Confucius himself, that the whole of 
" the three hundred odes may be summed up in one sen 
tence,—Thought without depravity," l must be understood 
in the meaning which I have given to it in the translation 
of the Analects. It may very well be said, in harmony 
with all that I have here advanced, that the odes were 
collected and preserved for the promotion of good 
government and virtuous manners. The merit attaching 
to them is that they give us faithful pictures of what was 
good and what was bad in the political State of the 
country, and in the social habits of the people. 

8. The pieces in the collection were of course made by in 
dividuals who possessed the gift, or thought that they pos 
sessed the gift, of poetical composition. Who ite writers of 
they were we could tell only on the authority the odes· 
of the odes themselves, or of credible historical accounts 
contemporaneous with them or nearly so. They would 
in general be individuals of some literary culture, for the 
arts of reading and writing even could not be widely 
diffused during the Chow dynasty. It is not worth our 
while to question the opinion of the Chinese critics, who 
attribute many pieces to the duke of Chow, though we 
have independent testimony only to his composition of a 
single ode,—the second of Book xv., Part I.2 We may 
assign to him also the 1st and 3rd odes of the same 
Book ; the first 22 of Part IL; the first 18 of Part III.; 
and with two doubtful exceptions, all the sacrificial Songs 
of Chow. 

Of the 160 pieces in Pt I. only the authorship of the 
2nd of Book xv., which lias just been referred to, can be 
assigned with certainty. Some of the others, of which 
the historical interpretation may be considered as suffi 
ciently fixed, as the complaints of Chwang Keang, in Books 
iii., iv.j v., are written in the first person ; but the author 

1 See the Ana. II. ii. 
" See the Shoo, V. vi. 15. 
2* 

 20 

THE PREFACE TO THE SHE. 

may be personating his subject. In Pt II., the 7th 
ode of Book iv. was made by a Këa-foo, a noble of the 
royal State, but we know nothing more about him ; the 
6th of Book vi., by a eunuch styled Mäng-tsze ; and the 
6th of Book vii., from a concurrence of external testi 
monies, may be ascribed to duke Woo of Wei. 

In Pt III., Book iii., the 2nd piece was composed by 
the same duke Woo ; the 3rd by an earl of Juy in the 
royal domain ; the 4th must have been made by one of 
Seuen's ministers, to express the king's feelings under 
the drought which was exhausting the kingdom; and 
the 5th and 6th claim to be the work of Yin Keih-foo, 
one of Seuen's principal officers. 

9. In the preface which appeared along with Maou's 
text of the She, the occasion and authorship of many 
more of the odes are given ; but I am not inclined to 
allow much weight to its testimony. The 
substance of it will be found in the notes pre 
fixed to the pieces of the several Books, where I have 
shown in a multitude of cases the unsatisfactoriness of 
the view which it would oblige us to take of particular 
odes. There are few western Sinologues, I apprehend, 
who will not cordially concur with me in the principle of 
Choo He, that we must find the meaning of the odes in 
the odes themselves, instead of accepting the interpreta 
tion of them given by we know not whom, and to follow 
which would reduce many of them to absurd enigmas. 

From the large space which the discussion of the Pre 
face generally occupies, it is necessary that I should 
attempt a summary of what is said upon it ;—on no sub 
ject are the views of native scholars more divided. 

According to Ch'ing K'ang-shing, what is now called 
'' the Great preface " was made by Confucius' disciple 
Tsze-hëa, and what is called " the Little preface " was 
made also by Tsze-hëa, but afterwards supplemented by 
Maou. In Maou, however, there is no distinction made 
between a Great and a Little preface. As the odes came 
down to him, the Preface was an additional document by 
itself, and when he published his commentary, he divided 
it into portions, prefixing to every ode the portion which 
gave an account of it. In this way, however, the preface 
to the Kwan ts'eu, or the first ode of the collection, was 

THE PEEP ACE TO THE SHE. 

21 

of a disproportionate length ; and very early, this portion 
was separated from the rest, and called the Great Preface, 
But the division of the original preface thus made was 
evidently unnatural and inartistic ; and Choo He showed 
his truer critical ability by detaching only certain por 
tions of the preface to the Kwan ts'en, and dignifying 
them with the same name of the Great Preface. This 
gives us some account of the nature and origin of poetry 
in general, and of the different Parts which compose the 
She. But Choo should have gone farther. In what is 
left of the preface to the Kwan ts'eu, we have not only 
an account of that ode, but also what may be regarded 
as a second introduction to Part L, and especially to the 
first and second Books of it. To maintain the symmetry 
of the prefaces there ought to be corresponding sentences 
at the commencement of the introductory notices to the 
first odes of the other Parts. But there is nothing of the 
sort ; and this want of symmetry in the preface as a whole 
is a sufficient proof to me that it did not all proceed 
from one hand. 

In Section Π. of last chapter I have traced the trans 
mission of Maou's text from its first appearance until it 
got possession of the literary world of China. HOW it is at- 
Scholars try to trace it up to Tsze-hëa, and {^^g^ 
consequently through him to Confucius ; but Tsze-hea. 
the evidence is not of an equally satisfactory character. 
The first witness is Sou Ching, an officer of the State or 
Kingdom of Woo in the period of " the Three Kingdoms 
(A.D. 229—264)," who says, as reported by Luh Tih- 
niing :—" Tsze-hëa handed down the She [which he had 
received from Confucius] to Kaou Häng-tsze ; Hìíng-tsze 
to Sëeh Tsfang-tsze ; Ts'ang-tsze to Mëen Mëaon-tsze ; 
and Mëaon-tsze to the elder Maou." Luh Tih-ming gives 
also another account of the connection between Maou and 
Tsze-hëa :—" Tsze-hëa handed down the She to Tsäng 
Shin ; Tsäng Shin to Le Kcih ; Le K'ih to Mang Chung- 
tsze ; Mfing Chung-tsze to Kin Mow-tsze ; Kin Mo\v-tsze 
to Seun K'ing ; and Seun K'ing to the elder Maou." 
There is no attempt made, so far as I know, on the part 
of Chinese critics, to reconcile these two genealogies of 
of Maou's She ; but there is no doubt that, during the 
Han dynasties, the school of Maou did trace their master's 

 î 

22 

THE PKEFACE TO THE SHE. 

THE PREFACE TO THE SHE. 

23 

text up to Tsze-hëa. Yen Sze-koo states it positively in 
his note appended to Lew Hin's catalogue of the copies 
of the She ; and hence, as the text and the preface came 
to Maou together, there arose the view that the latter 
•was made by that disciple of the sage. It became current, 
indeed, under his name, and was published separately 
from the odes, so that, in the catalogue of the T'ang 
dynasty, we find " The Preface to the She by Puh Shang, 
in two Books," as a distinct Work. 

But there is another account of the origin of the Pre 
face which seems to conflict with this. In par. 4 of the 
2nd section of last chapter I have made mention of Wei 

Different ac- King-chung or Wei Hwang, one of the great 
^f0ft£eep0rt Han scholars who adopted the text of Maou. 
face· He serves as a connecting link between the 
western and eastern dynasties of Han ; and in the account 
of him in the " Literary Biographies " we are told that 
" Hwang became the pupil of Sëay Man-k'ing, who was 
famous for his knowledge of Maou's She ; and he after 
wards made the Preface to it, remarkable for the accuracy 
with which it gives the meaning of the pieces in the Fung 
and the Y a, and which is now current in the world." A 
testimony like this cannot be gainsayed. If we allow 
that, when Maou first made public his text, there were 
prefatory notes accompanying it, yet Hwang must have 
made large additions to these, as Maou himself, in the 
opinion of Ch'ing K'ang-shing, had previously done. 

Since the time of Choo He, many eminent scholars, 
such as Yen Ts'an in the Sung dynasty, and Këang Ping- 
chang in the present, adopt the first sentence in the 
introduction to each ode as what constituted the original 
preface, and which they do not feel at liberty to dispute. 
They think that so much was prefixed to the odes by the 
historiographers of the kingdom or of the States, when 
they were first collected, and they would maintain like 
wise, I suppose, that it bore the stamp of Tsze-hëa. 
Këang calls these brief sentences " the Old preface " 
and " the Great preface," and the fuller explanation which 
is often appended to them, and which he feels at liberty 
to question, he calls " the Appended preface," and " the 
Little preface." 

After long and extensive investigation of the subject, 

I have no hesitation in adopting the freer choo^ He.g 
views of Choo He, with a condensed account -news on the 
of which I conclude this chapter :— re ace" 

" Opinions of scholars are much divided as to the 
authorship of the Preface. Some; ascribe it to Confucius ;' 
some to Tsze-hëa ; and some to the historiographers of 
the States. In the absence of clear testimony it is im 
possible to decide the point ; but the notice about Wei 
Hwang, in the literary Biographies of the Han dynasties,8 
would seem to make it clear that the Preface was his 
work. We must take into account, however, on the other 
hand, the statement of Ch'ing Heuen,3 that the Preface 
existed as a separate document when Maou appeared with 
his text, and that he broke it up, prefixing to each ode 
the portion belonging to it. The natural conclusion is 
that the Preface had come down from a remote period, 
and that Hwang merely added to it and rounded it off. 
In accordance with this, scholars generally hold that the 
first sentences in the introductory notices formed the 
original Preface which Maou distributed, and that the 
following portions were subsequently added. 

" This view may appear reasonable ; but when we ex 
amine those first sentences themselves, we find some of 
them which do not agree with the obvious meaning of 
the odes to which they are prefixed, and give merely the 
rash and baseless expositions of the writers. Evidently, 
from the first, the Preface was made up of private specu 
lations and conjectures as to the subject-matter of the 
odes, and constituted a document by itself, separately ap 
pended to the text. Then on its first appearance there 
were current the explanations of the odes which were 
given in connection with the texts of Ts'e, Loo, and Han, 
so that readers could know that it was the work of later 

1 This is too broadly stated. No one has affirmed that the Preface as 
a whole was from the hand of Confucius. Ch'ing E-ch'uen (A.D. 1033— 
1107) held that the Great preface was made by him. The style, he says, 
is like that of the appendixes to the Yih, and the ideas are beyond what 
Tsze-hëa could have enunciated. Wang Tih-shin (later on in the Sung 
dynasty) ascribed to Confucius the first sentence of all the introductory 
notices, and called them the Great preface. 

2 Adduced above. 3 Also adduced above. 

 THE PEEFACE TO THE SHE. 

CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF THE ODES. 

25 

I 

hands, and not give entire credit to it.1 But when Maou 
no longer published the Preface as a separate document, 
but each ode appeared with the introductory notice as a 
portion of the text, this seemed to give to it the authority 
of the text itself. Then after the other texts disappeared 
and Maou's had the field to itself, this means of testing 
the accuracy of its prefatory notices no longer existed. 
They appeared as if they were the production of the 
poets themselves, and the odes spemed to be made from 
them as so many themes. Scholars handed down a faith 
in them from one to another, and no one ventured to 
express a doubt of their authority. The text was twisted 
and chiseled to bring it into accordance with them, and 
nobody would undertake to say plainly that they were 
the work of the scholars of the Han dynasty." 

1 That the other texte, as Maou's, all had their prefaces, often differing 
from the views of the odes given in that, is a very important fact. 

APPENDIX. 
A TABLE 

OF THE PIECES IN THE SHE CHEONOLOGICALLT AREANGED. 

I. BELONGING TO THE SHANG DYNASTY ... B.C. 1765—1122. 

Five pieces ;—the Sacrificial odes of Shang. Of the 
Na (I.), the LeeJi tsoo (II.), and the Ch'angfafi (IV.), 
the date of the composition is uncertain. I think that 
Ode IV. is the oldest, and may have been made any time 
after B.C. 1719. 

The Heuen neamt (III.) and the Tin woo (V.) were 
made after B.C. 1261. Ode V. should be referred, pro 
bably, to the reign of Te-yih, B.C. llyO—1154. 

II. BELONGING TO THE TIME OF KING WAN , 1184—1134. 

Thirty-four or thirty-five pieces. These are com 
monly included in the three hundred and six pieces of 
the Chow dynasty ; but we can only date the commence 
ment of that from the reign of Wän's son, king Woo. 
The composition, or the collection at least, of most of 
the Odes relating to Wan aud his affairs, is attributed 
to his son Tan, the duke of Chow, and must be referred 
to the reigns of kings Woo and Ch'iug ... ... „ 1121—1076. 

These pieces embrace :— 

In Part I., all the 11 pieces of Book i. :—the Kiean, 
ts'eu, the KoJi fan, the Knien iirJi, the Eete muJi, the 
CJmng-sze, the T'ami yaov, the 'J^oo tsen, the Fuiv e, the 
San kieang, the Joo fun, and the Lln, eJie cite ; and 
12, or perhaps 13 pieces, of Book ii. :—the Ts'euii ch'aoii, 
the Ts'ae fan, the Ts'auu cTi'ting, the Ts'ae pin, the 
Häng loo, the Kaou yang, the Yin k'e lity, the P'eanu 
yew mei, the Seaou sing, the Tay yem szc Iteun, the 
Keang yew sze, and the Tsote yu, with perhaps also the 
Kan t-ang (V.) 

In Part II., 8 pieces of Book i. :—the Luh ming, the 
Sze iiwtv, the Hicang-htvaiig chay ftiea, the Fall imtlt, 
the T-een paoti, the Ts'ae me, the Ch'uh Iteu, and the 
Te too. 

In Part III., 3 pieces of Book i -—the Tihp'oh, the 
Ban luh, and the Ling t'ae. 

III. BELONGING TO THE CHOW DYNASTY. 

[i.] Of the time of king Woo 

„ 1121—1115. 

 26 

CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF THE ODES. 

In all 8 or 9 pieces, viz.— 

In Part I., Book ii., the Ho pe mtny e, and perhaps 
the Kan t'ang. 

In Part II., the Nan line of Book i. ; the Plh hn-a, 
the Hwa shoo, and the Υυ le, of Book ii., though the 
date of these pieces is not certain. 

In Part III., the Meen, the Sze ehac, and the Hiding e, 
all in Book i. 

[ii.] Of the time of king Ch'ing ... ... B.C. 1114—1076. 

In all 60 pieces, viz.— 

In Part I., all the seven pieces of Book xv., the 
Ts'ih yneh, the Ch'e-heaou, the Tung shan, the POfoo, 
the fah Tin, the Kern yUi, and the Lang jioJt. All these 
are assigned to the duke of Chow iu the reign of Ch'ing. 

In Part II., ten pieces :—the Chang te, of Book i. ; 
the Yew häng, the Nan yen hea-yn, the Sung Jt'eiv, the 
Nan shan yew t'ae, the Yen; e. the Luh seavn, and the 
Chan loo, of Book ii. ; the T"img hung, and the Ts'itig- 
ts'ing duty ngo, of Book iii. Of these ten pieces, 
however, Choo He thinks that the date of all but the 
first is uncertain. 

In Part III., twelve pieces :—the Wan mang, the Ta 
ming. the Hea ΊΚΟΟ, and the Wan n-ang yew shing, of 
Book i. ; the Sang min, the Hung wei, the Ke titmj, the 
Hoc e, the Kea loft, the Knng Lew, the Ilenng choh, 
antl the Reven o, of Book ii. 

In Part IV. thirty-one pieces, viz.—all the pieces of 
Book i. [i.] :—the Ts'ing mean», the Wei T'een che 
ming, the Wei ts'ing, the Lech man, the T'cen tsoh, the 
Haou Teen y em ch'ing ming (assigned by Choo He to the 
time of king K'ang), the Go tseang, the Site mae (as 
signed by Choo to the time of king Woo), the Chili 
king (assigned by Choo to the time of king Ch'aou), and 
the Sze man : all the pieces of Book i. [ii.] :—the Shin 
ktmg, the E he (assigned by Choo to the time of king 
K'ang), the Cliin loo, the Fung iieen. the Yen koo, the 
Tit'een, the Yung (assigned by Choo to the time of king 
Woo), the Tsae iieen, the Yew h'ih, and the Woo; and 
all the pieces of Book i. [iii.] :—the Min yu seaou tsze, 
the Tang loh, the King che, the Seaoti pe, the Tsae 
shoo, the Leanrj sze, the Sze e, the Choit, the Hican, the 
Lae, and the Pan. 

[iv.] Of the time of king B (|j^ ^) ... ... „ 933—909. 

Five pieces, all in Part I. Book viii.:—the Ke ming, 
the Scuen, the Choo, the Tung fang che jih, and the 
Tung fang we ming. All these are supposed to belong 
to duke Gae of Ts'e or his times, but Choo He considers 
their date uncertain. 

[v.] Of the time of king E (ÌÈp| ^H) ... ... „ 893—878. 

One piece, the Pih chow of Part I., Book iii., assigned 

CHEONOLOGICAL TABLE OF THE ODES. 

27 

to the time of duke K'ing of Wei ; but Choo He would 
place it later in the time of king P'ing. 

[vi.] Of the time of the above king E, or of king 
Le ... ... ... ... ... ». ... B.C. 893—8«. 

Four pieces, all those of Part I., Book xiii., but Choo 
considers them to be of uncertain date :—the Kaou k'ew, 
the Sao Jíivan, the Slit yew ch'ang ts'oo, and the Fei 
fung. 

[vii.] Of the time of king Le ... ... ... „ 877—841. 

In all, eleven pieces, viz.— 

Two in Part I., Book xii. :—the Ytten If em, and the 
Tung 11111», ehe fun. Choo considers both these as of 
uncertain date. 

Four pieces in Part II. :—the Shih yueh che heaou 
(correctly assigned by Choo to the time of king Yew), 
and the Yu woo citing (Choo would also assign a later 
date to this), in Book iv. ; the Seaou min, and the 
Reaon yt/en, both considered by Choo to be of uncertain 
date, in Book v. 

Five pieces in Part III. :—the Min lamí, and the 
Pan, of Book ii. ; the Tang, the Yih (correctly assigned 
by Choo to the time of king P'ing) ; and the Sang yew 
of Book iii. 

[viii.] Of the period Kung-ho ... ... ... „ 840—827. 

One piece, the Sih tsiiii of Part I., Book x., but 
Choo considers the date to be uncertain. 

[ix.] Of the time of king Seuen ... ... „ 826—781. 

Twenty-five pieces, viz.— 

In Part I., five pieces :—the Pih chow of Book iv. ; 
the Keu, lin of Book xi. (according to Choo uncertain) ; 
and the Häng Mûn, the Tung mun che c7í'e, and the 
Tung m-iin che yang, of Book xii., all according to Clioo 
uncertain. 

In Part II., fourteen pieces, vin.— 

In Book iii,, the lath yueh, the Ts'ae li'e, the Keu 
iimig, the Keih jih, the Hung yen, the 'fing leaou 
(accordingto Choo uncertain), the Meen sñmiy (ace. to 
Choo uncertain), and the Hoh ming (ace. to Choo un 
certain) ; in Book iv., the K'e foo, the Pih Jteu, the 
Hnang neaon, the Go häng k'e yay, the Sze kan, and 
the Woo yang, all according to Choo of uncertain date. 

In Part ΠΙ., six pieces, viz.— 

The Yun han, the Sung hann, the Ching min, the Han 
yih, the Keang han, and the Chang troc, all in Book iii., 
and all admitted by Choo but the Han yih, of which 
he considers the date uncertain. 

[x.] Of the time of king Yew ... ... „ 780—770. 

In all forty-two pieces, viz.— 

Of Part II. 40 pieces :—in Book iv., the Tseeh nan 
shan,, and the Ching yveh (Choo considers the date of 
this uncertain, but there is some internal evidence for 

 28 

CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF THE ODES. 

its being of the time of-king Yew) ; in Book v., the 
Seaou piean, the K'eaou yen, the Hojin sze, the Heang 
pill, the Kuli fling, the Luh go, the Ta tung, and the 
Sze yueli, the date of all of which is with Choo uncer 
tain; in Book vi., the Pill shan, the WHO tseang ta lien, 
the Seaou ming, the Euo eliung, the Ts'oo ts'ze, the Sin 
nan shan, the Foo Peen, the Ta t'een, the Clien pe Lvh e, 
and the SJiang-shang chay Ima, of all which Choo 
denies the assigned date, excepting in the case of the Kvu 
chiing ; in Book vii., the Sang hoo. the Yuen yang, the 
Eweipecn, the Keu Tieah, the Ts'ing ying, the Pin che 
t»oo yen, the Tu ts'aou, the Ts'ae shuJi, the Keoll lamg, 
and the Tu7i lew,—hut of these Choo allows only the fin 
che tsoo yen to he capable of determinate reference to the 
time of Yew ; and in Book viii., the Tvojin sze, the Ts-ae 
lull, the Shoo mea.au (referred by Choo to the time of 
king Seuen), the Sill sang, the Pill lima, the 3Ieen man, 
the Hoo yell, the Ts-een tseen eke sliili, the T'eami che 
hwa, and the Ho ts'aou pall Juvang, but Choo only agrees 
in assigning the Pill, hiea and the Ho ts'aou puh Imang 
to Yew's reign. 

In Part III., Book iii., two pieces;—the Chenjang 
and the Shaoti min. 

[xi.] Of the time of king P*ing 

In all 28 pieces, viz.— 

In Part I., 1 in Book iii.,—the Luh e ; 3 in Book v.,— 
the K~e yuli, the K'ami pman, and the Sliili jilt, but 
Choo considers the date of the Raoupnan to be uncer 
tain; 6 in Book vi.,—the Shoo le, the Keun-txze yu 
y'ili, the Eeuii-ts-e yang-yang, the Yang che shivuy, the 
Ciiung laili yen t'uy, and the Eah luy, of which Choo 
agrees in the assignment of one only, the Yang die 
t Amity ; 7 in Book vii.,—the Tsze e, the Tseang chung- 
tsze, the SltuJt yu t'een, the Ta slmli yu t'een, the Kaou 
Wem, the Tsun ta loo, and the Neu, yueli lie tiling, of 
which Choo allows the assignment of the Tsze e, the 
STiuk yu t'een, and the Ta sliuli yu t'een ; 7 in Book x.,— 
the Slum yem cii'oo, the Yang che shnuy, the Tseanw 
leaou, the Chmv mom, the Te too, the Kaou ft'ew, and 
the Paou yu·, of which Choo agrees in the assignment 
only of the Yang die shieuy and the Tscaou leaon í in 
Book xi.,—the Sze t'eeh, the Seaou jung, the Keen Itea, 
and the Clmng nan, Choo allowing only the Seaoujung. 
[xii.] In the reign of king P'iug, or king Hwau 

Seven pieces, all of Part I., Book ix., and all, accord 
ing to Choo, of uncertain date ;—the Eoh keu, the Hicun 
tseu joo, the Yuen yem t'amt, the Cliili hoc, the Shih 
mom che ìteen, the Fall, fan, and the Sliih shoo. 
[xiii.] In the reign of king ΗΛΥ an 

Thirty-two pieces, all of Part 1., viz.— 

17 in Book iii. :—the Yen yen, the Jih yueli, the 
Cliungfung, the Keih Two, the K'aefung, the Heiing die, 

B.C. 769—719. 

769—696. 

718—G96. 

CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF THE ODES. 

29 

yero Tt'oo y eh, the Kuhfung, the Shili η·ε, the 
: k'erv, the Keen Tie, the Ts'euen shwuy, the Pih 
mun, the Pihfung, the Tsing neu, the Sin t'ae, and the 
Urh tsie shing dun», of which Choo allows only the 
date assigned to the Yen yen, the Jih yueli, the Clmng · 
fnng, and the Keih Two ; ί in Book iv.,—the Ts'eang 
yew tsze, the Keim-tsze lieae loan, the Sang divng, and 
the Shun die punpun, in regard to all of which hut the 
Sang ciiung Choo coincides ; 5 in Book v.,—the Mang, 
the Cliuli han, the Hman lan, the Pill lie, and the Yew 
Two, all ace. to Choo of uncertain date ; 3 in Book vi., 

—the T'oo yuen, the Ts'ae hill, and the Ta heit, also of 
uncertain date with Choo ; 2 in Book vii.,—the Yem neu 
t'uìig lieu, and the Keen sliang, with him uncertain ; and 

1 in Book xii.,—the Moo mun, whose date Choo in the 
same way does not think can be determined. 

[xiv.] Of the time of king Chwang ... ... B.c. 695—681. 

Fifteen pieces, all in Part I., viü.— 
1 in Book vi.,—the K'em chvng yem ma, with Choo 
uncertain ; 8 in Book vii., all with Choo uncertain,— 
the Shan yemfoo soo, the T'oh he, the Kcami t'lnig, the 
Fung, the Tung mun die shen, the Fling yii, the Tsze 
li'iii, and the Yang die sJiwuy ; and 6 in Book viii., the 
date and occasion of the 2nd and 3rd of which only are 
deemed uncertain by Choo.—the Nan shan, the Foo 
teen, the Loo ling, the Pe Itoto, the Tsae itmeu, aud the 
E tscay. 

[xv.] Of the time of king Le qj|| j£) ... „ 680—676. 

Five pieces, all in Part I., viz.— 
3 in Book vii., all with Choo uncertain,—the CWiili k-e 
tung mun, the Yay yew man ts'aov, and the Tain ivei ; 

2 in Book x., the date assigned to the former of which 
is admitted by Choo, the Woo e, and the Yew te die too . 
[xvi.] Of the time of king Hwuy ... ... „ 676—C31. 

Twelve pieces, all in Part I., viz.— 
5 in Book iv., all admitted by Choo,—the Ting che 
fang diung, the Te tung, the Scang shoo, the Kan titaoii, 
and the Tgae cJi'e ; 1 in Book v., with Choo uncertain, 

—the Muh laea ; 1 in Book vii., admitted by Choo, the 
Ts'ing j-in; 2 in Book x., with Choo uncertain,—the 
Koli sang and the Ts'ae ling ; 2 in Book xii., with Choo 
uncertain,—the Fang yew ts'eoh ch'aou, and the Yueh 
eh'uh ; and 1 in Book xiv., also with Choo uncertain,— 
the Fom yem. 

[xvii.] Of the time of king Seang ... ... „ 650—618. 

In all thirteen pieces, of which 9 are in Part I., viz.— 

1 in Book v., admitted by Choo,—the Ho Itirang ; 5 

in Book xi., of which Choo admits only the first and 

fourth,—the Hmang neaov, the Shin-fung, the Woo e, 

the Wei yang, and the E'euen yu ; 3 in Book xiv., of 

 so 

CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF THE ODES. 

which Choo accepts only the first,—the Hmv-jin, the 
She-kern, and the Sea ts'euen. 

In Part IV., the 4 pieces of Book ii., in the occasion 
assigned for the first and last of which Choo agrees,— 
the Keutu/, the Yew peih, the P>van-s7i>vuy, and the Pel 
Tiling. 

[xviii.] Of the tune of king Ting 

Two pieces in Part I., viz.— 

the Chou lin, admitted by Choo, and the Tsih p'o in 
Book xii. 

B.c. 605—585. 

The editors of the imperial edition of the present dynasty say : 

" The dates of the composition of the odes it was found difficult to 
examine thoroughly after the fires of Ts'in, and so we find them variously 
assigned by the writers of the Han, T'ang, and other dynasties. 

" But the old Preface made its appearance along with the text of the 
Poems, and Maou, Ch'ing, and K'ung Ying-tah maintained and defended 
the dates assigned in it, to which there belongs what authority may be 
derived -from its antiquity. 

" When Choo He took the She in hand, the text of the poems was 
considered by him to afford the only evidence of their occasion and date, 
and where there was nothing decisive in it, and no evidence afforded by 
other classical Books, he pronounced these points uncertain ;—thus de 
ciding according to the exercise of his own reason on the several pieces. 

" Gow-yang Sew followed the introductory notices of Ch'ing, but dis 
puted and reasoned on the subject at the same time. Heu K'c'en, and 
Lew Kin followed the authority of Choo, now and then slightly differing 
from him. 

" In the Ming dynasty appeared the ' Old meanings of the text of the 
She,' chronologically arranged by Ho K'eae, adducing abundance of 
testimonies, but with many erroneous views. We have in thia work 
collected the old assignments of the Preface, supported by Maou, Ch'ing, 
and K'ung, and given due place to the decisions of Choo. The opinions 
of others we have preserved, but have not entered on any discussion of 
them." 

THE RHYME AND METEE OF THE PIECES. 

81 

CHAPTER III. 

THE RHYME AND METRE OE THE PIECES ; THEIR POET 
ICAL VALUE; PRINCIPLE ON WHICH THE PRESENT 
VERSION OE THEM HAS BEEN MADE; CERTAIN 
PECULIARITIES IN THEIR STRUCTURE. 

1. I HAVE written at length, on tlie Prosody of the 
Book of Poetry in my larger work. In this volume, in 
tended for English readers, it is not necessary to say 
much about it. 

Rhyme has always been a characteristic of verse in 
China ; and all the earliest attempts at poetical composi 
tion were of the same form,—in lines con- Metre and 
sisting of four words, forming, from the Ehvme· 
nature of the language, four syllables. Wherever there 
is any marked deviation from this type, the genuineness 
of the piece as a relic of antiquity becomes liable to sus 
picion. 

This line of four words is the normal measure of the 
She, but it is not invariably adhered to. We have in one 
ode, according to the judgment of many native scholars, 
a line of only one word in each of its stanzas. Lines of 
two, of three, of five, of six, of seven, and even of eight 
characters, occasionally occur. When the poet once de 
parts from the normal law of the metre, he often con 
tinues his innovation for two or three more lines, and 
then relapses into the usual form. He is evidently 
aware of his deviation from that, and the stanzas where it 
takes place are in general found to be symmetrically 
constructed and balanced. 

2. The pieces, as printed, appear divided into stanzas ; 
—and properly so, though the Han scholars say that 
such division was first made by Maou. Chang. 
He did his work well, guided mainly by the anzas' 
rhyme, and by the character of the piece as narrative, 
allusive, or metaphorical. 

In most pieces the stanzas are of uniform length, and 

 \ I 

32 

THE RHYME AND METRE OF THE PIECES. 

frequently quatrains ; but the authors allowed themselves 
as much liberty in the length of the stanza as in that of 
the line. Stanzas of two lines are very rare ; and those 
of three lines, or triplets, are only less so. One ode 
occurs, made up of stanzas of two lines, and in another 
three such stanzas follow three quatrains. We have three 
odes made up of triplets, and this stanza is occasionally 
introduced among others of greater length. Stanzas of 
five lines occur, but not often. They sometimes form the 
structure of whole pieces, and are sometimes intermixed 
with others. Stanzas of six lines, of eight, of ten, and of 
twelve are frequently met with. Some are found extend 
ing to fourteen lines, and even to sixteen and seventeen. 
Those of seven lines, of nine, and of eleven, are all un 
usual. Generally speaking, stanzas with an even num 
ber of lines greatly outnumber those with an odd. 

In the present metrical version, wherever I could con 
veniently attain to it, I have made the stanzas of the 
same length as in the original Chinese. Some expansion, 
however, has frequently seemed to be necessary ; con 
densation has seldom been possible. 

3. The manner in which the rhymes are disposed has 
Disposition of received much attention from the Chinese 
tiie Rhymes. critics ; and the following cases, among 
others, have been pointed out :— 

[i.] Where lines rhyme in succession ; two, three, four 
lines, &c., occasionally up to twelve. 

[ii.] Where the rhyming lines are interrupted by one οι· 
more lines intervening, which do not rhyme with them ; 
those intervening lines rhyming differently together, or 
not rhyming at all. 

[iii.] Where the stanza contains only one rhyme, 
[iv.] Where the stanza contains two or more rhymes, 
[v.] Where the different rhymes alternate, with more 
or less of regularity. Some pieces are made up of 
quatrains proper, the first and third lines rhyming to 
gether, and the second and fourth. In. stauzas of five 
lines, the first and third will sometimes rhyme, and then 
the second, fourth, and fifth. In others of six lines, the 
first and third will rhyme, and then the second, fourth, 
fifth, and sixth. The regularities, or rather irregularities, 
of this kind are very numerous. 

THE RHYME AND METEE OF THE PIECES. 

33 

[vi.] Where one or more lines at the commencement 
of the different stanzas of a piece, or their concluding 
lines, rhyme with one another. In all the instances 
adduced to illustrate this case, however, we have not 
merely a concord of the rhymes, but the repetition of the 
whole lines. 

[vii.] What we call medial rhymes occur occasionally ; 
and in a few instances the members of different lines 
rhyme in this way at the csesural pause. 

Without specifying other characteristics, I may say 
that there are throughout the pieces multitudes of lines, 
sometimes one, and sometimes more, which do not rhyme 
with any others in the same stanza. The pieces of Part 
IV. have several peculiarities. Many of them do not 
admit of a stanzaic arrangement ; and there are at least 
eight in which there is no attempt at rhyme. We may 
consider such disregard of rhyme as an approach to the 
structure of blank verse; but while every other irregu 
larity in the ancient odes has found imitators, I am not 
aware that this has received any favour. So far from the 
Chinese having any contempt for rhyming, such as 
Milton expressed when he called it "a jingling sound of 
like endings," " a troublesome bondage," they consider 
it essential to poetry. 

In the present version, as in the prose one of my larger 
work, I have made no attempt to adhere to the length of 
the original lines, or to adopt their rhymes. The dif 
ferent attributes of the Chinese and English languages 
made it impossible to do so. In passing from this sub 
ject, I will venture to say that the nature of Chinese is 
at the best but ill adapted for the purpose of agreeable 
rhyme. It does not admit the variety that is found in an 
alphabetical language, and which is to us one of the 
charms of poetical composition. The single rhyming 
endings in English are about 360 ; and if we add to them 
the double and triple rhymes, where the accent falls on 
the penultimate syllables, they cannot come short of 400. 
In Chinese, on the other hand, the rhyming endings are 
very few. Those of the Book of Poetry are under twenty. 
There is, indeed, in Chinese a greater number of words 
or characters to any one ending than in other languages, 
and scholars have produced compositions in which the 

VOL. III. 3 

 THEIR POETICAL VALUE. 

same ending occurs a hundred times and more. Multi 
tudes of the rhymes, however, are to a foreign ear 
merely assonances, and the effect is that of a prolonged 
monotony. 

4. In the Treatise on the antiquity of the Chinese, with 

•which the "Mémoires cmicernant les Chinois" commence, 

it is said, " The poetry of the She King is so beautiful 

The poetical an<^ harmonious, the lovely and sublime tone 

value of the of antiquity rules in it so continually, its pic- 
Book of Poetry. ^ ·> .. S · ¿ 

. tures oí manners are so naive and minute, 
that all these characteristics give sufficient attestation of 
its authenticity. The less can this be held in doubt that 
in the following ages we find nothing, I will not say 
equal to these ancient odes, but nothing worthy to be 
compared with them. We are not sufficient connoisseurs 
to pronounce between the She King on the one side and 
Pindar and Homer on the other; but we are not afraid to 
say that it yields only to the Psalms of David in speaking 
of the Divinity, of Providence, of virtue, &c., with a 
magnificence of expressions and an elevation of ideas 
which make the passions cold with terror, ravish the 
spirit, and draw the soul from the sphere of the senses." 
Such language is extravagant, and the comparison of 
the compositions in the " Book of Poetry " to the Psalms 
of David is peculiarly unfortunate. They are not reli 
gious poems. The " Praise Songs," which constitute a 
small part of them, and may be described as " religious," 
have for their principal themes the heroic founders of the 
House of Chow and the worship which was paid to them. 
In these, arid in many of the other pieces, God often ap 
pears as the righteous and sovereign Lord of Providence ; 
but the writers never make Him their theme for what He 
is in Himself, and do not rise to the conception of Him 
as " over all," China and other nations, " blessed for 

ever. 

But it wouid be wrong to deny to the Chinese odes 
a very considerable amount of poetical merit. It is true 
that many of them, as Sir John Davis has said in his 
"Treatise on the Poetry of the Chinese,"1 do not rise above 

1 The Poetry of the Chinese, p. 35 (London, 1870). This interesting 
Treatise was first published nearly fifty years ago. It had the merit of 
introducing the subject of Chinese poetry to the English public ; and may 

PRINCIPLE ON WHICH PRESENT VERSION IS MADE. 35 

the most primitive simplicity, and that the principal 
interest which the collection possesses arises from its 
pictures of manners ; but there are not a few pieces which 
may be read with pleasure from the pathos of their de 
scriptions, their expressions of natural feeling, and the 
boldness and frequency of their figures. 

I expressed myself to the above effect in writing about 
the poetical value of the She in 1871, and I have now 
to re-affirm the judgment with a greater emphasis, and a 
wider application to the pieces. The critical labour neces 
sary to secure accuracy of translation in ray larger work 
kept me from being sufficiently alive to their beauty. The 
renewed study which every poem has received, and flio 
endeavour to give an adequate rendering of it in English 
verse, have resulted in the perception of many beauties 
which I did not previously appreciate. I shall be dis 
appointed if my readers do not agree with me in think 
ing that in China's ancient Odes, Ballads, Songs, and 
Bardic Effusions there is much poetry of a high order. 

5. Sir John Davis contends, in the Treatise referred to 
above, that " verse must be the shape into which Chinese, 
as well as other poetry, must be converted, in order to do 
it mere justice," adding that he himself, while giving 
now a pruse translation, now a faithful metrical üvrsion, 
and now an avoiced paraphrase, has deferred more thau 
his judgment and inclinations approved to the prejudices 
of those who are partial to the literal side of the ques 
tion. When I had resolved to publish ihe present 
volume, I had no hesitation in deciding that Principie ou 
the rendering of every piece should be a ^r^rS'oiuLS 
faithful metrical version of the original. I becn raad6 
thought at first of re-publishing, side by side with each 
piece, the prose translation in my larger work ; but this 
plan was abandoned, as it would have made the book 
larger than was desirable, and would only have distracted 
the attention of the majority of the readers for whom it 
was intended. They may rest assured, however, that 
they have here no paraphrase, but the poems ut' the 

well stand side by side with the author's two volumes on " The Chinese," 
published in the " Library of Kntertainmg Knowledge " in 18.'!C. Fuller 
descriptions of China and the Chinese have since appeared, but none with, 
the sume literary finish which we find in these volumes. 

 36 PEINCIPLE ON WHICH PKESENT VEESION IS MADE. 

Chinese writers presented to them faithfully, with as 
little introduction of ideas of my own or of my helpers as 
it was possible to attain to. Rhyme is often a hard 
master, and as it was our endeavour to give the pieces 
in as good English verse as the nature of the case would 
permit, it was necessary to employ occasionally epithets 
which are not found in the Chinese text, but this has 
been done sparingly. While much amplification would 
have been a misrepresentation of the original, a bad 
translation would often have been mere doggerel. And 
not only so ; it would also have been unfaithful. There 
is more in the words of the text than meets the ear ; 
it might be more correct to say, from the peculiar nature 
of the Chinese characters, than meets the eye. Apart 
even from the satirical pieces, and the allusive pieces on 
which I shall presently touch, in translating Chinese 
poetry one has constantly to regard what was in the 
mind of the writer. It was my object to bring this out 
in the notes in my larger work ; and what was brought 
out there had to be transferred to the stanzas of the 
present version. But this also has been done only so 
far as seemed indispensable. 

I had some difficulty in getting rny nephews, of whose 
valuable assistance I have spoken in the Preface, to 
enter fully into my views of what their versions should 
be ; and occasionally I had to re-cast their versions, the 
result being pieces inferior in poetical merit to what 
they had produced, but which I thought better repre 
sented the original Chinese. A correspondent in Hong- 
Kong, having himself no little of the poetical faculty, 
and condemning the adherence to the letter of the text 
even to the extent for which I contend, referred to the 
words of Horace in his De Arte Poética, 

Et qnœ 
Desperat Iractata nitescere posse, relinqidt. 

Horace, howover, is giving his view of the course 
which an. original poet should pursue, and I agree in the 
counsel which he suggests. But I was intending to 
come before the public not as an original poet, but as a 
translator in English verse of what Chinese poets wrote 
between two and three thousand years ago. If they 

PECULIAEITIES IN THEIE STEUCTUKE. 

37 

dealt with themes which they could not make to shine, 
it was still my duty to show how they liad treated them. 
Nor did it appear to me that there was anything in the 
She, which might make me take warning from that other 
advice of Horace, touching me more nearly, 

Nee destiles imitator in arctmn, 
Unacjjcdem prvferrc piidor tetet, ant operls lex. 

There are, indeed, pieces in it which no treatment 
could make to " shine," and others which might be 
described as narrow and cramping, entrance into which 
is difficult and graceful exit from them all but impos 
sible. My friend and others, seeing this, advised that 
I should publish a selection of the pieces, and not the 
whole of them. But this was forbidden by "the law 
of the work," as a reproduction in English verse of the 
translation of the Book of Poetry. And as I pursued 
my task, even the poorer odes became clothed with an 
attractiveness which I did not previously perceive. I 
would not now say,as I did in 1871, that "the collection 
as a whole is not worth the trouble of versifying." The 
versification, no doubt, might have been executed better 
than I and my coadjutors have succeeded in doing ; but 
our labours, such as they are, will, I hope, satisfy my 
readers, that these ancient Chinese poems have, as a 
whole, not a little poetical merit. At any rate they have 
those poems, and not others made by paraphrase from 
them. If the dress be English, the voice is always 
Chinese ; while much may be learned from them of the 
mind and manners of feudal China. 

6. Nothing could be more simple than the structure of 
the bulk of the odes in the first Part of the She. The 
different stanzas of a piece often convey substantially the 
same idea, which is repeated again and again „ ,. ... 

.,, ,.' . · ii -, 6 9m Peculiarities 

with little change in the language, ihe in the structure 
writer wishes to prolong his ditty, and he oi the pleces· 
effects his purpose by the substitution of a fresh rhyme, 
the preceding stanza re-appearing with no other alter 
ation but what is rendered necessary by the new term. 
There is an amusing instance in the third ode of Book 
xiv., where the poet is compelled by the necessities of 
his rhyme to say that the young of the turtle-dove are 

 38 

PECULIARITIES IN THEIK STRUCTURE. 

seven in number. Some of the pieces in the other Parts 
are marked by the same characteristic. In those Parts, 
however, there are many others which afford the best ex 
amples of Chinese poetry. The first piece of Part III. 
is remarkable as being constructed, in Chinese, in the 
same way as the 121st and other step Psalms, as they 
have been called, the concluding line of one stanza form 
ing the commencing one of the next. " In other pieces 
there is an approximation to the same form. 

Throughout the book the pieces are distinguished 
among themselves as narrative, metaphorical, or alhisive. 
In a narrative piece the poet says what he has to say 
right out, writing it down in a simple, straightforward 
manner, without any hidden meaning reserved in his 
mind. It is not to be supposed, however, because such 
pieces are distinguished from the other two classes, that 
the anther does not, at his pleasure, use the metaphor 
and other figures of speech in their composition. He uses 
them as freely as descriptive poets in any other language. 
In a metaphorical piece the poet has under his lan- 
o-uage a meaning dînèrent from what it expresses,—a 
meaning which there should be nothing in the language 
to indicate. Such a piece may be compared to the 
^sopic fable ; but while it is the object of the fable 
to inculcate the virtues of morality and prudence, an 
historical interpretation has to be sought for the meta 
phorical pieces of the She. Often, moreover, the moral 
of the fable is subjoined to it, which never is done in the 
case of these pieces. The best specimen of such a com 
position is the second ode of Book xv., Part I., where 
we hear only the plaint of a bird, whose young, reared 
by her with toil, have been destroyed by an owl, and who 
is afraid that her nest will also be destroyed. We know, 
however, from the Book of History, that the writer, the 
duke of Chow, intended himself by the bird, and that he 
wished in the piece to vindicate the stern course which 
he had adopted to put down the rebellion of some of 
his brothers. 

The allusive pieces are more numerous than the me 
taphorical. They often commence with a couple of 
lines which are repeated without change, or with slight 
rhythmical changes, in all the stanzas. In other pieces 

PECULIARITIES IN THEIR STEUCTUEE. 

G9 

each, stanza has allusive lines peculiar to itself. These are 
for the most part descriptive of some objector circumstance 
in the animal or vegetable world, and after them the poet 
proceeds to his proper subject. Generally, the allusive 
lines convey a meaning harmonizing with the lines which 
follow, as in I. i. IV., where an English poet would begin 
the verses with Like or As. They are in reality meta 
phorical, but the difference between an allusive and a 
metaphorical piece is this,—that in the former the poet 
proceeds to state the theme which he is occupied with, 
while no such intimation is given in the latter. Some 
times, however, it is difficult to discover the metaphorical 
element in the allusive lines, and we can only deal with 
them as a sort of refrain, strangely placed at the begin 
ning of the verses. Chinese critics do not scruple to say that 
there are many cases in which it is impossible to find any 
meaning in the allusive lines akin to what is subsequently 
said. I cannot persuade myself, however, that the poets 
ever wrote in such a random style ; and the fresh and 
careful study of each piece, required in preparing the 
present volume, enabled me to see a good and suitable 
meaning in many .lines, of whose force I had previously 
enjoyed but a dim and vague perception, and even in some 
lines where the meaning had eluded all the critics. My 
rule has been to bring out in the English verse the con 
nexion between the allusive lines and those that follow ; 
and this is the principal reason why my stanzas are 
frequently longer than those of the Chinese text. Occa 
sionally, where the connexion was sufficiently evident, I 
have made no addition to show it. More rarely, I have 
been obliged to leave the connexion in obscurity, as being 
myself unable to perceive it. 

In leaving this subject, it is only necessary to say 
further that the allusive, the metaphorical, and the narra 
tive elements sometimes all occur in the same piece. 

Chinese critics make a further distinctiou of the pieces, 
especially in the first three Parts, into correct and changed, 
or pieces of an age of good government, and pieces of a 
degenerate age. Such a distinction was made at a very 
early time ; but it is of little importance. Many pieces 
ranked in the second and inferior class are in their spirit 
and style equal, and more than equal, to any in the other. 

 Ί! 

40 

THE CHINA OF THE BOOK OF FOETEY. 

41 

CHAPTER TV. 

THE CHINA OF THE BOOK OF POETRY, CONSIDERED IN 

RELATION TO THE EXTENT OF ITS TERRITORY, AND 

ITS POLITICAL STATE; ITS RELIGION; AND 

SOCIAL CONDITION. 

1. A GLANCE at the map prefixed to this chapter will 
give the reader an idea of the extent of the kingdom of 
Chow,—of China as it was during the period to which 
the Book of Poetry belongs. The China of The terrltory 
the present day, what we call China proper, of the kingdom 

, " - υ · ι i · rr,o£ Chow. 

embracing the eighteen provinces, may be 
described in general terms as lying between the 20th and 
40th degrees of north latitude, and the 100th and 121st 
degrees of east longitude, and containing an area of about 
1,300,000 square miles. The China of the Chow dynasty 
lay between the 33rd and 38th parallels of latitude, and 
the 106th and 119th of longitude. The degrees of longi 
tude included in it were thus about two-thirds of the 
present ; and of the 20 degrees of latitude the territory 
of Chow embraced no more than five. It extended nearly 
to the limit of the present boundaries on the north and 
west, because it was from the north, along the course of 
the Yellow river, that the first Chinese settlers had come 
into the country, and it was again from the west of the 
Yellow river that the chiefs of the Chow family and their 
followers pushed their way to the east, and took posses 
sion of the tracts on both sides of that river, which had 
been occupied, nearly to the sea, by the dynasties of Hëa 
and Shang. The position of the present departmental 
city of Pin-chow,in which neighbourhood we find duke Lew 
with his people emerging into notice, in the beginning of 
the 18th century before our era, is given as in lat. 35° 
4', and long. 105° 46'. 

The She says nothing of the division of the country 
under the Chow dynasty into the nine Chow or provinces, 
of which we read so much in the third Part of the Shoo, 
in connection with the labours of Yu. Four times in the 

 42 

THE CHINA OF THE BOOK OP POETET. 

Books of Chow in the She that famous personage is men 
tioned with honour,1 but the sphere in which his action is 
referred to does not extend beyond the country in the 
neighbourhood of the Ho before it turns to flow to the 
east, and there is reason to believe that he did here ac 
complish a most meritorious work. Twice he is men 
tioned in the sacrificial odes of Shang, and there the 
predicates of him are on a larger scale, but without dis 
tinct specification ; but T'ang, the founder of the dynasty, 
is represented as receiving from God the " nine regions,'"2 
and appointed to be a model to the " nine circles "3 of 
the land. These nine regions and nine circles were 
probably the nine Cliow of the Shoo ; and though no 
similar language is found in the She respecting the first 
kings of Chow, their dominion, according to the Official 
book of the dynasty,4 was divided into nine provinces, 
seven of which bear the same names as those in the Shoo. 
We have no Seu-chow, which extended along the sea on 
the east from IVing-chow to the Këang river, and Chinese 
scholars tell us, contrary to the evidence of the She and 
of the Tso-chuen, that it was absorbed in the Ts'ing pro 
vince of Chow. In the same way they say that Yu's 
Lëang-chow on the west, extending to his Yung-chow, 
was absorbed in Chow's Yung. The number of nine 
provinces was kept up by dividing Yu's K'e-chow in the 
north into three ;—Kfe to the east, Ping in the west, and 
Yew in the north and centre. The disappearance of Seu 
and Lëang suíBciently shows that the kings of Chow had 
no real sway over the country embraced in them ; and 
though the names of Yang and King, extending south 
from the Këang, were retained, it was merely a retention 
of the names, as indeed the dominion of China south of 
the Këang in earlier times had never been anything but 
nominal. The last ode of the She, which is also the last 
of the Sacrificial odes of the Shang dynasty, makes men 
tion of the subjugation of the tribes of King, or King- 
ts'oo, by king Woo-ting (B.C. 1323—1263) ; but, as I 
have shown on that ode, its genuineness is open to sus- 

1 See II. vi. VI. 1 : III. i. X. 5 ; iii. VII. 1 : IV. ii. IV. 1. 

* IV. iii. IV. 1 ; V. 3. 3 IV. iii. III. 1. 7 and IV. 3 

4 Ch. XXXIII. 

THE CHINA OF THE BOOK OF POETET. 

43 

picion. The 9th ode of Book iii., Part TH., relates, in a 
manner full of military ardour, an expedition conducted 
by king Seuen in person to reduce the States of the south 
to order ; but it was all confined to the region of Seu, and 
in that to operations against the barbarous hordes north 
of the Hwae. The 8th ode of the same Book gives an 
account of an expedition, sent by the saine king Seueu 
under an earl of Shaou, to start from the point where the 
Këang and Han unite, to act against the tribes south of 
the Hwae, between it and the Këang, and to open up the 
country and establish States in it after the model of the 
king's own State. All this was done " as far as the 
southern Sea," which did not extend therefore beyond 
the mouth of the Këang. Ode 5th, still of the same 
Book, describes the appointment of an uncle of king 
Seuen to be marquis of Shin, and the measures taken to 
establish him there, with his chief town in what is now 
the department of Nan-yang, Ho-nan, as a bulwark 
against the encroachments of the wild tribes of the south. 
Now Seuen was a sovereign of extraordinary vigour and 
merit, and is celebrated as having restored the kingdom 
to its widest limits under Woo and Ch'ing ; and after his 
death the process of decay went on more rapidly and 
disastrously even than it had done during several reigns 
that preceded his. During the period of the Ch'un Ts'ëw, 
the princes of Ts'oo, Woo, and Yueh, to whom belonged 
Yu's provinces of Yang, King, and Lëang, all claimed 
the title of king, and aimed at the sovereignty of the 
States of the north,—to wrest the sceptre from the kings 
of Chow. The China of Chow did not extend beyond 
the limits which I have assigned it, and which are indi 
cated by the imperfect oval marked on the map, hardly 
reaching half way from the Yellow river to what is now 
called the Yang-tsze Këang. The country held by the 
kings themselves, often styled the royal State, lay along the 
Wei and the Ho for about five degrees of longitude, but 
it was not of so great extent from north to south. It was, 
moreover, being continually encroached upon by the 
growing States of Ts'oo on the south, Ts'in on the west, 
and Tsin on the north, till it was finally extinguished by 
Ts'in, which subdued also all the feudal States, changed 
the feudal kingdom into a despotic empire, and extended 

 44 

THE CHINA OF THE BOOK OF POETRY. 

THE CHINA OF THE BOOK OF POETET. 

45 

II 
¡I 

; \ 

its boundaries to the soutli far beyond tliose of any 
former period. 

2. In the prolegomena to the Shoo I have mentioned 
the extravagant statements of Chinese writers, that at 
a great durhar held by Yu the feudal princes amounted 
to 10,000 ; that, when the Shang dynasty superseded the 
house of Yu, the princes were reduced to about 3000 ; 
and that, when Shang was superseded in its turn by 
Chow, they were only 1773. The absurdity of the 
lowest of these numbers cannot be exposed better than 
by the fact that the districts into which the empire of 
the present day, in all its eighteen provinces, is divided 
are not quite 1300. But in the Book of Poetry, as has 
been pointed out already, we have odes of only about a 
dozen States ; and all the States or territorial divisions, 
mentioned in the Chcun Ts'ew and Tso-chnen, including 
the outlying regions of Ts'oo, Woo, and Yueh, with 
appanages in the royal domain, attached territories in 
the larger States, and the barbarous tribes on the east, 
west, north, and south, are only 198. In the " Anna- 
listic Tables of the successive dynasties," published in 
1803, the occurrences in the kingdom of Chow, from its 
commencement in B.C. 1121 clown to 403, are arranged 
under thirteen States, and from 402 down to its extinc 
tion in B.C. 225, under seven States. 

The principal States which come before us in the She 
states mention- are Ts'in, lying west from the royal domain, 
ed in the she. & considerable part of which was granted to 
it in B.C. 759 ; Tsin, having the Ho on the west, and 
lying to the north of the royal domain ; then to the east, 
Wei, on the north of the Ho, and Ch'ing on the south 
of it, with Heu and Ch'in extending south from Ch'ing. 
East from Ch'ing, and south of the Ho, was Sung, a 
dukedom held by descendants of the royal family of the 
Shang dynasty. North from Sung was the marquisate 
of Ts'aou ; and north from it again was Loo, held by 
the descendants of Tan, the famous duke of Chow, to 
whose political wisdom, as much as to the warlike enter 
prise of his brother king Woo, was due the establishment 
of the dynasty. Conterminous with the northern border 
of Loo, and extending to the waters of what is now 
called the gulf of Pih-chih-le, was the powerful State of 

Tsre. Yen, mentioned in III. iii. VII. 6, lay north and 
east from Ts'e. The subject of that ode is a marquis of 
Han, who appears to have played a more noticeable part 
in the time of king Seuen, than any of his family who 
went before or came after him did. His principality was 
on the west of the Ho, covering the present department 
of T'ung-chow, Shen-se, and perhaps some adjacent 
territory. The ode commences with a reference to the 
labours of Yu which made the country capable of cultiva 
tion, but much of it must still have been marsh and 
forest in the time of king Seuen, for mention is made of 
its large streams and meres, and of the multitudes of its 
deer, wild-cats, bears, and tigers. 

The princes of these States, distinguished among them 
selves by the titles of Kung, How, Pih, Tsze, and Nan, 
which may most conveniently be expressed by duke, 
marquis, earl, count or viscount, and baron, were mostly 
Kes, offshoots from the royal stem of Chow. So it was 
with those of Loo, Ts'aou, Wei, Ch'ing, Tsiu, Yen, and 
Han. Sung, it has been stated, was held by descendants 
of the kings of Shang, who were therefore Tszes. The 
first marquis of Ts'e, was Shaug-foo, a chief counsellor 
and military leader under kings Wan and Woo. He 
was a Këang, and would trace his liueage up to the chief 
minister of Yaou, as did also the barons of Heu. The 
marquises of Ch'in were Kweis, claiming to be descended 
from the ancient Shun. The earls of Ts'in were Yings, 
and boasted for their ancestor LJih-yih, who appears in 
the Shoo, II. i. 22, as forester to Shun. The sacrifices 
to Yu, and his descendants, the sovereigns of the Hëa 
dynasty, were maintained by the lords of Ke, who were 
consequently Szes, but that State is not mentioned in the 
She. 

All these princes held their lands by royal grant at the 
commencement of the dynasty, or subsequently. I have 
touched slightly on the duties which they owed to the 
king of Chow as their suzerain in the prolegomena to 
the Shoo, and I do not enter further on them here. A 
more appropriate place for exhibiting them, and the re 
lations which the States maintained with one another, 
will be in the prolegomena to the Chun Ts'ew and the 
-Iso-chuen. 

\ 

 46 

THE CHINA OF THE BOOK OF POETEY. 

Religious views. 

3. The Book of Poetry abundantly confirms the con 
clusion drawn from the Shoo-king that the ancient 
Chinese had some considerable knowledge of God. The 
names given to Him are Te, which we commonly trans 
late emperor or rider, and Shauy Te, the 
Supreme Ruler. My own opinion, as I have 
expressed and endeavoured to vindicate it in various pub 
lications on the term to be employed in translating in 
Chinese the Hebrew Elohim and Greek Theo«, is that Te 
corresponds exactly to them, and should be rendered in 
English by God. He is also called in the She " the 
great and sovereign God/'1 and " the bright and glorious 
God ; " 2 but, as in the Shoo, the personal appellation is 
interchanged with T'ëen, Heaven ; Shang T'ëen, Supreme 
Heaven; Haou T'ëen, Great Heaven ; Hivamj T'ëen, Great 
or August Heaven; καά Η in Teen, Compassionate IL'acen. 
The two styles are sometimes combined, as in III. iii. 
TV., where we have the forms of Shany Te, Ηαοιι T'ëen, 
and Haou T'ëen Shanij Te, which last seems to me to 
mean—God dwelling in the great heaven. 

God appears especially as the ruler of men and this 
lower world.3 He appointed grain for the nourishment 
of all.4 He watches especially over the conduct of kings, 
whose most honourable designation is that of "Son of 
Heaven." 5 While they reverence Him, and administer 
their high duties in His fear, and with reference to His 
will, taking His ways as their pattern, He maintains them, 
smells the sweet savour of their offerings, and blesses them 
and their people with abundance and general prosperity." 
When they become impious and negligent of their duties, 
He punishes them, takes from them the throne, and 
appoints others in their place.' His appointments come 
from His fore-knowledge and fore-ordination.7 

Sometimes he appears to array Himself in terrors, and 
the course of His providence is altered.8 The evil in the 
State is ascribed to Him.8 Heaven is called uiipitying.8 
But this is His strange work ; in judgment ; and to call 

1 IV. ii. IV. 3. 2 rv. i. [ii.] I. 
3 E.g., III. i. VII. 1 ; iii. I. I. 4 IV. i. [i.] X 

5 Er/., II. i. VIII. 1, 3 ; IV. i. [i.] VIII. 

6 EJJ., II. i. VI.; III. i. I.; VII. 7 ; IV. ii. IV. 

7 III. i. VII. 1, a. " III. \\. X.; iii. I. 1 ; II. iv. VII.: und often. 

THE CHINA OF THE BOOK OF POETET. 

47 

men to repentance.1 He hates no one ; and it is not He 
who really causes the evil time :—that is a consequence of 
forsaking the old and right ways of government.2 In 
giving birth to the multitudes of the people, He gives to 
them a good nature, but few are able to keep it, and hold 
out good to the end.3 In one ode, II. vii. X., a fickle 
and oppressive king is called Shang Te in bitter irony. 

While the ancient Chinese thus believed in God, and 
thns conceived of Him, they believed in other Spirits 
under Him, some presiding over hills and rivers, and 
others dwelling in the heavenly bodies. In fact there 
was no object to which a tutelary Spirit might not at 
times be ascribed, and no place where the approaches of 
spiritual Beings might not be expected, and ought not to 
be provided for by the careful keeping of the heart and 
ordering of the conduct.4 In the legend of How-tseih 
(III. ii. I.), we have a strange story of his mother's preg 
nancy being caused by her treading on a toe-print made 
by God. In III. iii. V. a Spirit is said to have been sent 
down from the great mountains, and to have given birth 
to the princes of Foo and Shin. In IV. i. [i.] VIII. 
king Woo is celebrated as having attracted and given re 
pose to all spiritual Beings, even to the Spirits of the Ho 
and the highest mountains. In II. v. IX., the writer, 
when deploring the sufferings caused to the States of the 
east by misgovernment and oppression, suddenly raises a 
complaint of the host of heaven;—the Milky way, the 
Weaving sisters (three stars in Lyra), the Draught oxen 
(some stars in Aquila), Lucifer, Hesperus, the Hyades, 
the Sieve (part of Sagittarius), and the Ladle (also in 
Sagittarius) :—all idly occupying their places, and giving 
no help to the afflicted country. In no other ode do we 
have a similar exhibition of Sabían views. Mention is 
made in HI. iii. IV. 5 of the demon of drought ; and we 
find sacrifices offered to the Spirits of the ground and of 
the four quarters of the sky/ to the Father of hus 
bandry," the Father of war/ and the Spirit of the p.ith.8 

These last three, however, were probably the Spirits of 

HI. ii. X. 8 ; and often. 

3 III. iii. I. 1. 
5 II. vi. VII. 2 ; et al. 
7 III. i. VII. 8. 

II. iv. VIII. 4 ; III. iii. I. 5. Χ. δ. 
' III. iii. II. 7. 
6 If. vi. VIII. 2: et al. 
* III. ii. 1. 7, et al. 

 48 

THE CHINA OF THE BOOK OF POETEY. 

THE CHINA OF THE BOOK OF POETEY. 

49 

departed men. A belief in the continued existence of the 
dead in a spirit-state, and in the duty of their descendants 
to maintain by religious worship a connection with them, 
have been characteristics of the Chinese people from their 
first appearance in history. The first and third Books of 
the last Part of the She profess to consist of sacrificial 
odes used in the temple services of the kings of Chow and 
Shang. Some of them are songs of praise and thanks 
giving ; some are songs of supplication ; and others relate 
to the circumstances of the service, describing the occasion 
of it, or the parties present and engaging in it. The 
ancestors worshipped are invited to come and accept the 
homage and offerings presented ; and in one (IV. i. [i.] 
VII.) it is said that "king Wan, the Blesser," has 
descended, and accepted the offerings. 

The first stanza of III. i. I. describes king Wan after 
his death as being " on high, bright in heaven, ascending 
and descending on the left and the right of God," and 
the 9th ode of the same Book affirms that Wan, his father, 
and grandfather, were associated in heaven. The early 
Chinese, as I have just said, did not suppose that man 
ceased all to be, when his mortal life terminated. We 
know, indeed, from the Tso-cliuen, that scepticism on this 
point had begun to spread among the higher classes 
before the time of Confucius, and we know that the sage 
himself would neither affirm nor deny it ; but that their 
dead lived on in another state was certainly the belief of 
the early ages with which we have now to do, as it is still 
the belief of the great majority of the Chinese people. 
But the She is as silent as the Shoo-king as to any puni 
tive retribution hereafter. There are rewards and dignity 
for the good after death, but nothing is said of any 
punishment for the bad. In one ode, indeed (II. v. VI. 
6), a vague feeling betrays itself in the writer, that after 
every other method to deal with proud slanderers had 
failed, Heaven might execute justice upon them ;—but it 
may be that he had only their temporal punishment in 
view. The system of ancestral worship prevented the 
development of a different view on this subject. The 
tyrant-oppressor took his place in the temple, there to be 
feasted, and worshipped, and prayed to, in his proper order, 
as much as the greatest benefactor of his people. I have 

pointed out, on III. iii. IV. 5, how king Seuen, in his 
distress in consequence of the long-continued drought, 
prays to his parents, though his father king Le had been 
notoriously wicked and worthless; and how endeavours 
have been made to explain away the simple text, from a 
wish, probably, to escape from the honour which it would 
seem to give to one so undeserving of it. 

4. The odes do not speak of the worship which was paid 
to God, unless it be incidentally. There were two grand 
occasions on which it was rendered by the Beiigious cere- 
sovereign,—the summer and winter solstices. monies· 
The winter sacrifice is often described as offered to Heaven, 
and the summer one to earth ; but we have the testimony 
of Confucius, in the Doctrine of the Mean, ch. XIX., that 
the object of them both was to serve Shang Te. Of the 
ceremonies used on those occasions I do not here speak, 
as there is nothing said about them in the She. Whether 
besides these two there were other sacrifices to God, at 
stated periods in the course of the year, is a point on which 
the opinions of the Chinese scholars themselves are very 
much divided. I think that there were, and that we have 
some intimation of two of them. IV. i. [i.] X. is addressed 
to How-tseih, as having proved himself the correlate to 
Heaven, in teaching men to cultivate the grain which God 
appointed for the nourishment of all. This was appro 
priate to a sacrifice in spring, which was offered to God, 
to seek His blessing on the agricultural labours of the 
year, How-tseih, as the ancestor of the House of Chow, 
and the great improver of agriculture, being associated 
with Him in it. IV. i. [i.] VII-, again, was appropriate 
to a sacrifice to God in autumn, in the Hall of Light, at 
a great audience to the feudal princes, when king Wan 
was associated with Him, as being the founder of the 
dynasty of Chow. 

Of the ceremonies at the sacrifices in the royal temple 
of ancestors, in the first months of the four seasons of 
the year, we have much information in several odes. 
They were preceded by fasting and various purifications 
on the part of the king and the parties who were to 
assist in the performance of them.1 There was a great 
concourse of the feudal princes,2 and much importance 

1 HI. ii. I. 7. 

VOL. III. 

2 IV. i. [i.] I., IV.; et al. 

 50 THE CHINA OP THE BOOK OP POETRY. 

was attached to the presence among them of the repre 
sentatives of the former dynasties ; * but the duties of 
the Occasion devolved mainly on the princes of the same 
surname as the royal House. Libations of fragrant 
spirits were made to attract the Spirits, and their pre 
sence was invoked by a functionary who took his place 
inside the principal gate.2 The principal victim, a red 
bull, was killed by the king himself, using for the pur 
pose a knife to the handle of which were attached small 
bells.3 "With this he laid bare the hair, to show that the 
animal was of the required colour, inflicted the wound 
of death, and cut away the fat, which was burned 
along with southernwood, to increase the inceuse and 
fragrance.3 Other victims were numerous, and II. vi. V. 
describes all engaged in the service as greatly exhausted 
with what they had to do, flaying the carcases, boiling 
the flesh, roasting it, broiling it, arranging it on trays 
and stands, and setting it forth.4 Ladies from the harem 
are present, presiding and assisting ; music peals ; the 
cup goes round.4 The description is as much that of a 
feast as of a sacrifice ; and in fact, those great seasonal 
Occasions were what we might call grand family reunions, 
where the dead and the living met, eating aud drinking 
together, where the living worshipped the dead, and the 
dead blessed the living. 

This characteristic of these ceremonies appeared most 
strikingly in the custom which required that the de 
parted ancestors should be represented by living indi 
viduals of the same surname, chosen according to certain, 
rules which the odes do not mention. They took for the 
time the place of the dead, received the honours which 
were due to them, and were supposed to be possessed by 
their Spirits. They ate and drank as those whom they 
personated would have done ; accepted for them the 
homage rendered by their descendants ; communicated 
their will to the principal in the sacrifice or feast, and 
pronounced on him and his line their benediction, being- 
assisted in this point by a mediating priest, as we must 
call him for want of a better term. On the next day. 

THE CHINA OP THE BOOK OP POETET. 

51 

1 III. i. I. 4, 5 ; IV. i [ii.] III. 
3 II. ii. VI. 5. 

2 II. vi. V. 2. 
4 II. vi. V. 

after a summary repetition of the ceremonies of the 
sacrifice, these personators of the dead were specially 
feasted, and so, as it is expressed in III. ii. IV., "their 
happiness and dignity were made complete." We have 
an allusion to this strange custom in Mencius (VI. Pt i. 
V.), showing how a junior member of a family, when 
chosen to represent at the sacrifice one of his ancestors, 
was for the time exalted above his elders, and received 
the demonstrations of reverence due to the ancestor. 
This custom probably originated under the Chow dynasty, 

—one of the regulations made by the duke of Chow ; 
and subsequently to it, it fell into disuse. 

When the sacrifice to ancestors was finished, the king 
feasted his uncles and younger brothers or cousins, that 
is, all the princes and nobles of the same surname with 
himself, in another apartment. The musicians who hud 
discoursed with instrument and voice during the worship 
and entertainment of the ancestors, followed the con 
vivial party, " to give their soothing aid at the second 
blessing." * The viands, which had been provided, we 
have seen, in great abundance, aud on which little im 
pression could thus far have been made, were brought in 
from the temple, and set forth anew. The guests ate to 
the full and drank to the full ; and at the conclusion they 
all bowed their heads, while one of them declared the 
satisfaction of the Spirits with the services rendered to 
them, and assured the king of their favour to him and 
his posterity, so long as they did not neglect those 
observances.1 During the feast the king showed parti 
cular respect to those amoug his relatives who were aged, 
filled their cups again and again, and desired that'"their 
old age might be blessed, and their bright happiness 
ever increased." 2 

The above sketch of the seasonal sacrifices to ancestors 
shows that they were mainly designed to maintain the 
unity of the family connection, and intimately related to 
the duty of filial piety. Yet by means of them the 
ancestors Of the kings were raised to the position of the 

•Îutelary Spirits of the dynasty ; aud the ancestors of 
each family became its Tutelary Spirits. Several of the 
Pieces in Part IV., it is to be observed, are appropriate 

1 II. TÍ. V. 6. 

III. ii. II. 4. 

 52 

THE CHINA OF THE BOOK OF POETET. 

to sacrifices offered to some one monarch. They 
would be celebrated on particular occasions connected 
with his achievements in the past, or when it was sup 
posed that his help would be specially valuable in con 
templated enterprises. 

There were also other services performed in the temple 
of ancestors which were of less frequent occurrence, and 
all known by the name of te. That term was applied in 
a restricted sense to the annual sacrifice of the summer 
season ; but there were also " the fortunate te," when 
the Spirit-tablet of a deceased monarch was solemnly 
set up in its proper place in the temple, 25 months after 
his death ; and " the great te," called also Jieah, cele 
brated once in five years, when all the ancestors of the 
royal House were sacrificed to, beginning with the 
mythical emperor Kuh, to whom their lineage was traced. 
There is no description in the She of the ceremonies used 
on those occasions. 

With regard to all the ceremonies of the ancestral 
temple, Confucius gives the following account of them 
and the purposes they were intended to serve in the 
Doctrine of the Mean, ch. XIX. 4 :—" By means of them 
they distinguished the royal kindred according to their 
order of descent. By arranging those present according 
to their rank, they distinguished the more noble and the 
less. By the apportioning of duties at them, they made 
a distinction of talents and worth. In the ceremony of 
general pledging, the inferiors presente'd the cup to their 
superiors, and thus something was given to the lowest to 
do. At the [concluding] feast, places were given ac 
cording to the hair, and thus was marked the distinction 
of years." 

5. The habits and manners of the ancient Chinese 
Manners and generally, as they may be learned from the 
cune™ teñe?- She, will be found set forth in a variety of 
al'y- particulars in an essay by M. Edouard Biot, 
whose early death was a great calamity to the cause of 
Chinese study. It appeared in the Journal Asiatique 
for November and December, 1843. It was not possible 
for him in his circumstances, and depending so much as 
he did on Lacharme's translation of the odes, to avoid 
falling into some mistakes. The pioneers in a field of 

THE CHINA OF THE BOOK OF POETET. 

53 

literature so extensive as the Chinese could not but fall 
into many devious tracks. It is only by degrees that 
Sinologues are attaining to the proper accuracy in their 
representations of the subjects which they take in hand. 
On two or three points I subjoin some additional observ 
ations. 

i. That filial piety or duty is the first of all virtues is 
a well-known principle of Chinese moralists ; and at the 
foundation of a well-ordered social State they place the 
right regulation of the relation between husband and 
wife. Pages might be filled with admirable sentiments 
from them on this subject ; but nowhere does a funda 
mental vice of the family and social constitution of the 
nation appear more strikingly than in the She. In the 
earliest pieces of it, as well as in the latest, The low status 
we have abundant evidence of the low status of woman, and 
which was theoretically accorded to woman, poygamy· 
and of the practice of polygamy. Biot has referred to 
the evidence furnished by the last two stanzas of II. iv. 
VI. of the different way in which the birth of sons and 
that of daughters was received in a family. The family 
there, indeed, is the royal family, but the king to whom 
the ode is believed to refer was one of excellent 
character ; and the theory of China is that the lower 
classes are always conformed to the example of those 
above them. The sentiments expressed in that ode are 
those of every class of the Chinese, ancient and modem. 
\Vhile the young princes would be splendidly dressed 
and put to sleep on couches, the ground to sleep on and 
coarse wrappers suffice for the princesses. The former 
would have sceptres to play with ; the latter only tiles. 
The former would be-—one of them the future king, the 
others the princes of the land; the latter would go 
beyond their province if they did wrong or if they did 
right, all their work being confined to the kitchen and 
tlie temple, and to causing no sorrow to their parents. 
The line which says that it was for daughters neither to 
do wrong nor to do good was translated by Dr Morrison 
as if it said that "woman was incapable of good or 
evil ; " but he subjoins from a commentary the correct 
meaning,—that " a slavish submission is woman's duty 
and her highest praise." She onght not to originate 

 54 THE CHINA OF THE BOOK OF POETET. 

anything, but to be satisfied with doing in all loyal sub 
jection what is prescribed to her to do. In I. i. I a 
bride is compared to a dove, but the point of comparison 
lies in the stupidity of the bird, whose nest consists of a 
few sticks brought inartistically together. It is no un 
desirable thing for a wife to be stupid, whereas a wise 
woman is more likely to be a curse in a family than a 
blessing. As it is expressed in III. iii. X. 8, 

" A wise man builds up the wall [of a city], 
But a wise woman overthrows it. 
Admirable may be the wise woman, 
But she is no better than an owl. 
A woman with a long tongue 
Is [like] a stepping-stone to disorder. 
Disorder does not come down from heaven ;— 
It is produced by the woman. 
Those from whom come no lessons, no instruction, 
Are women and eunuchs." 

The marquis D' Hervey Saint-Denys, in the introduc 
tion to his Poetry of the T'ang dynasty, p. 19, gives a 
different account of the status of the woman anciently in 
China. He says :— 

" The wife of the ancient poems is the companion of a spouse who 
takes her counsels, and never speaks to her as a master. She chooses 
freely the man with whose life she will associate her own. Kothing 
shows us as yet polygamy in the Songs of the JĹicnh Futtg, composed be 
tween the 12th and tile 8th century before our era.1 If tradition will 
have it that Yaou gave bis two daughters to Shun in choosing him to 
succeed to the throne ; if the Chow Le mentions a grand number of im 
perial concubines independently of the empress proper ;—we may believe 
that these were only royal exceptions, not in accordance with the popular 

manners. 

That there was often a true affection between husband 
and wife in China, in the times of the She-king, as there 
is at the present day, is a fact to be acknowledged and 
rejoiced in. Notwithstanding the low estimation in which 
woman's intellect and character were held, the mind of 
the wife often was and is stronger than her husband's, 
and her virtue greater. Many wives in Chinese history 
have entered into the ambition of their husbands, and 
spurred them on in the path of noble enterprise; many 

1 Between the 12th century and the 6th. 

THE CHIMA OF THE BOOK OF POETET. 

55 

more have sympathized with them in their trials and 
poverty, and helped them to keep their little means to 
gether and to make them more. I. ii. III. ; v. VIII. ; vi. 
II., III., and V. ; vii. VIII. and XVI. ; viii. I. ; x. V. and 
XI., are among the odes of the fcshe which give pleasant 
pictures of wifely affection and permanent attachment. 
I believe also that in those early days there was more 
freedom of movement allowed to young women than there 
is now, as there was more possibility of their availing 
themselves of it so many centuries before the practice of 
cramping their feet and crippling them had been intro 
duced. But on the other hand there are odes where the 
wife, displaced from her proper place as the mistress of 
the family, deplores her hard lot. There is no evidence 
to show that honourable marriages ever took place with 
out the intervention of the go-between, and merely by 
the preference and choice of the principal parties con 
cerned ; and there can be no doubt that polygamy pre 
vailed from the earliest times, just as it prevails now, 
limited only by the means of the family. So far from 
there being no intimations of it in the odes of Part I., 
there are many. In ode IV. of Book i., the other ladies 
of king Wìín's harem sing the praises of T'ae-sze,his queen, 
the paragon and model to all ages of female excellence, 
because of her freedom from jealousy. The subject of 
ode V. is similar. In ode X., Book ii., we see the ladies 
of some prince's harem repairing to his apartment, happy 
in their lot, and acquiescing in the difference between it 
and that of their mistress. Every feudal prince received 
his bride and eight other ladies at once,—a younger sister 
of the bride and a cousin, and three ladies from each of 
two great Houses of the same surname. The thing is 
seen in detail in the narratives of the Tso-chuen. Nothing 
could show more the degrading influence of polygamy 
than the vaunted freedom from jealousy on the part of 
the proper wife, and subordinately in her inferiors. 

The consequences of this social State were such as might 
be expected. Many of the odes have reference to the 
deeds of atrocious licentiousness and horrible bloodshed 
to which it gave rise. We wonder that, with such an 
element of depravation and disorder working among the 
people, the moral condition of the country, bad as it was. 

 56 

THE CHINA OF THE BOOK OF POETRY. 

χ astwe 
expec , 

was not worse. That China now, with this thing in it, 
can be heartily received into the comity of western nations 
is a vain imagination. 

ii. The preserving salt of the kingdom was, I believe, 
the filial piety, with the strong family affections of the 
Chinese race, and their respect for the aged ; — virtues 
certainly of eminent worth. All these are illustrated in 

The filial piety mally Ο(1θ8 °f tn6 81ΐθ ' &Π<1 F6* ther£! ÌS Ά 

and other vir- danger of misiudgin!? from them the actual 

tues of the CM- *?·,. c ii. i T 4.1,- · A ¿1 

nese,notcoiiduo condition oi the country. In this point the 
marquis D' Hervey Saint-Denys has again 
η ™*° error. Starting from the 4th ode 
^ J3oo]j iX-j Part I., he institutes an eloquent 

contrast between ancient Greece and ancient China (Intro 

duction, p. 15) : — 

" The Iliad," says he, " is the most ancient poem of the west, the only 
one which can be of use to us by way of comparison in judging of the 
two civilizations which developed parallelly under conditions so different 
at the two extremities of the inhabited earth. On one side are a warlike 
life ; sieges without end ; combatants who challenge one another ; the 
sentiment of military glory which animates in the same degree the poet 
and his heroes : — we feel ourselves in the midst of a camp. On the 
other side are regrets for the domestic hearth ¿ the home-sickness of a 
young soldier who ascends a mountain to try and discern at a distance 
the house of his father ; a mother whom Sparta would have rejected from 
her walls ; a brother who counsels the absent one not to make his race 
illustrious, but above all things to return home : — we feel ourselves in 
another world, in I know not what atmosphere of quietude and of country 
life. Tile reason is simple. Three or four times conquered by the time 
of Homer, Greece became warlike as her invaders. Uncontested mis 
tress of the most magnificent valleys of the globe, China behoved to 
remain pacific as her first colonists had been." 

But there are not a few odes which breathe a warlike 
spirit of great ardour, such as II. iii. III. and IV. : III. i. 
VIL; iii. VIII. and IX.: IV. ii. III.; iii. IV. and V. 
There is certainly in others an expression of dissatisfaction 
with the toils and dangers of war,—complaints especially 
of the separation entailed by it on the soldiers from their 
families. What the speakers in II. iv. I. deplore most of 
all is that their mothers were left alone at home to do all 
the cooking for themselves. It may be allowed that tho 
natural tendency of the She as a whole is not to excite a 
military spirit, but to dispose to habits of peace ; yet as 

THE CHINA OF THE BOOK OF POETET. 

57 

a matter of fact there has not been less of war in China 
than in other lands. During the greater part of the Chow 
dynasty a condition of intestine strife among the feudal 
States was chronic. The State of Te'in fought its way to 
empire through seas of blood. Probably there is no 
country in the world which has drunk in so much blood 
from its battles, sieges, and massacres as this. 

iii. The 6th ode of Book xi., Part I., relates to a de 
plorable event, the burying of three men, brothers, 
esteemed throughout the State of Ts'in for their admirable 
character, in the grave of duke Muh, and along with his 
coffin. Altogether, according to the Tso-chuen, 177 in 
dividuals were immolated on that occasion, immolating 
Following the authority of Sze-ma Ts'ëen, £m'bs a*( íhe 
who says that the cruel practice beran with princes, or bury- 

ΊΙ /-ii r· Tirii TIT η π ι ιηΚ them alive 

duke Oh mg, Muh s elder brother and prede- in them. 
cessor, at whose death 66 persons were buried alive, M. 
Biot observes that, this bloody sacrifice had been recently 
taken from the Tartars. Yen Tsfan, of the Sung dynasty, 
of whose commentary on the She I have made much use, 
says that the State of Ts'in, though at that time in pos 
session of the old territory of the House of Chow, had 
brought with it the manners of the barbarous tribes 
among whom its people had long dwelt. But in my mind 
there is no doubt that the people of Ts'in was made up 
mainly of those barbarous tribes. This will appear plainly 
when the Ch'un Ts'ew and Tso-chuen give occasion for us 
to review the rise and progress of the three great States of 
Ts'in, Tsin, and Ts'oo. The practice was probably of old 
existence among the Chinese tribe as well as other neigh 
bouring tribes. A story of Tsze-k'in, one of Confucius' 
disciples, mentioned in a note on p. 119 of the Analects, 
would indicate that it had not fallen into entire disuse, 
even in the time of the sage, in the most polished States 
of the kingdom. Among the Tartars so called it con 
tinues to the present day. Dr Williams states, on the 
authority of De Guignes, that the emperor Shun-che, the 
Erst of the present Man chew dynasty, ordered thirty 
persons to be immolated at the funeral of his consort, but 
-h-'ang.he, his son, forbade four persons from sacrificing 
themselves at the death of his.1 

1 The Middle Kingdom, vol. i., p. 267. 

 Βκ 1.1.] 

THE BOOK OF I'OETEY. 

59 

THE BOOK OF POETEY. 

PAET I. 

LESSONS FROM THE STATES. 

« 

BOOK I. The Odes of Chow and the South. 

TITLE or THE WHOLE WOKK. This in Chinese is SHE KING, " The 
Book of Poetry," or simply ¡SHE, " The Poems." By poetry, according 
to Chinese scholars, is denoted the expression, in rhymed words, of 
thought impregnated with feeling. In this collection there were origin 
ally oil pieces, but of six of them there are ou!y the titles remaining. 
They are generally short ; not one of them, indeed, is a long poem. 
Father Lacharme, a Eoman Catholic missionary who translated them 
into Latin about a century and a half ago, calls the Book Jjïbcr Car- 
miwum ; and with most English writers the ordinary designation of 
them has been "Tlie Book of Odes." Otic is a sufficiently correct 
designation of many of the pieces, understanding by that term a short 
lyric poem. Some might better be termed songs ; some ballads ; and 
others Bartlic effusions. All come under the general name of Poems. 

TITLE or THE PART. This in Chinese is Kirnli Vung, which I have 
translated " Lessons from the States." Sir John Davis translates the 
words by " The manners of the States." Similarly the French Sinologues 
render them by " Les mœurs des Royaumes." Clioo He, the foremost of 
Chinese critics, says :—" The pieces are called Fling, because they 
ΟΛΥβ their origin to, and are descriptive of, the influence produced by 
superiors ; and the exhibition of this is again sufficient to affect men, 
just as things give forth sound when moved by the wiiul, and their sound 
is again sufficient to move outer things." "Lessons from the States" 
seems therefore to come nearer to the force of the Chinese terms than 
"Manners of the States." 

The States are those of Chow, Shaou, P'ei, Yung, and the others, which 
give their names to the several Books. 

TITLE OF THE BOOK.—"The Udes of Chow and the South." By 
Chow is intended the Seat of the House or lords of Chow, from the 
time of " the old duke T'an-foo " in B.C. 1325, to king Wan. The chiefs 
of Chow traced their lineage back to K'e, better known as How-tseih, 
Shun's minister of Agriculture, more than 2000 years B.C. His descend 
ants had withdrawn among the wild tribes of the west and north ; 

but one of them, called duke Lew, returned to China in B.c. 1796, and 
made a settlement iu Pin, the site of which is pointed out in the present 
Pin Chow in Shen-se. There the family remained till T'an-foo moved 
still farther south in B.C. 1325, and settled in K'e, in the present district 
of K'e-shan, department Fung-ts'cang. Thence his grandson Wan 
moved south and east again, across the Wei, to Fung, south-west from 
the present provincial city of Se-gan. When Wan took this step, he 
separated the original Chow—K'e-chow—into Chow and Shaou, which 
he made the appanages of his son Tan, and of Shih, one of his principal 
supporters. The pieces in this Book are said to have been collected by 
Tau in Chow, and the States lying south from it, along the Han and other 
rivers. 

The Kiran-ts'en ; mainly allusive. CELEBRATING THE VIRTUE OF 

THE BHIDE OF KING WAN, HIS QUEST FOR HER, AND WELCOMING 
HER TO HIS PALACE. 

This is the view of Choo He, and is so in accordance with the language 
of the stanzas, that it is not worth while to discuss the view of the 
older school,—that the subject of the piece is Wän's queen, and that 
it celebrates her freedom from jealousy, and her anxiety to fill his harem 
with virtuous ladies ! It is. moreover, entirely from tradition, that we 
believe the subject to be the famous T'ae-sze, Wän's bride and queen. 

I have given the Chinese name of the piece,—the Juran-ts'eti, two 
characters in the first line. The names of most of the other pieces are 
formed in the same way, and are not in themselves descriptive of their 
subjects. They were attached to them, however, before the time of Con 
fucius. 

1 Hark ! from the islet in the stream the voice 
Of the fish-hawks that o'er their uest rejoice ! 
From them our thoughts to that young lady go, 
Modest and virtuous, loth herself to show. 
Where could be found, to share our prince's state, 
So fair, so virtuous, and so fit a mate ? 

2 See how the duckweed's stalks, or short or long, 
Sway left and right, as moves the current strong ! 
So hard it was for him the maid to find ! 
By day, by night, our prince with constant mind 
Sought for her long, but all his search was vain. 
Awake, asleep, he ever felt the pain 
Of longing thought, as when on restless bed, 
Tossing about, one turns his fevered head. 

3 Here long, there short, afloat the duckweed lies ; 
But caught at last, we seize the longed-for prize. 

 60 

THE BOOK OF POETRY. 

[PAKT I. 

BK I. iv.] 

THE BOOK OF POETEY. 

61 

The maiden modest, virtuous, coy, is found; 
Strike every lute, and joyous welcome sound. 
Ours now, the duckweed from the stream we bear. 
And cook to use with other viands rare. 
He has the maiden, modest, virtuous, bright ; 
Let bells and drums proclaim our great delight. 

II. 

The KoJi fan ; narrative. CELEBRATING THE INDUSTRY AND DUTI- 

FULNESS OF KING WAN'S QUEEN. 

It is supposed to have been made, and however that was, it is to be read 
as if it had been made, by the queen herself. The old interpreters held 
that the piece was of T:ae-sze in her virgin prime, intent on all woman's 
work, and they placed it among the allusive pieces. The first two stanzas 
might be thus explained ; but the third requires too much straining to 
admit of a proleptical interpretation as to what the virgin would do in 
the future when a married wife. 

1 Sweet was the scene. The spreading dolichos 
Extended far, down to the valley's depths, 
With leaves luxuriant. The orioles 
Fluttered around, and on the bushy trees 
In throngs collected,—whence their pleasant notes 
Resounded far in richest melody. 

2 The spreading dolichos extended far, 

Covering the valley's sides, down to its depths, 
With leaves luxuriant and dense. I cut 
It down, then boiled, and from the fibres span 
Of cloth, both fine and coarse, large store, 
To wear, unwearied of such simple dress. 

3 Now back to my old home, my parents dear 
To see, I go. The matron I have told. 
Who will announcement make. Meanwhile my clothes, 
My private clothes I wash, and rinse my robes. 
Which of them need be rinsed ? and which need not ? 
My parents dear to visit, back I go. 

III. 

The E'euen-urli ; narrative. LAMENTING THE ABSENCE OF A CHER 
ISHED FRIEND, PROBABLY OF A HUSBAND. 

The old interpreters thought that this ode celebrated T'ae-sze for being 
earnestty bent on getting the court of Chow filled with worthy ministers, 
for sympathizing with faithful officers in their toils on distant expeditions, 
and for suggesting to king Wan to feast them on their return. It is 
astonishing that the imperial editors should still lean to this view ; on 
which the piece belongs to the allusive class. 

Choo ascribes the ode to T'ae-sze, whose husband, " the mnn of her 
heart," is absent on some toilsonip expedition, and for whose return she 
longs in vain. I must drop the idea of T'ae-sze altogether, and can make 
nothing more of the piece than I have stated. We must read it as if it 
were from the pencil of its subject, and narrative. 

1 Though small my basket, all my toil 

Filled it with mouse-ears but in part. 
I set it on the path, and sighed 
For the dear master of my heart. 

2 My steeds, o'er-tasked, their progress stayed, 

When midway up that rocky height. 
Give me a cup from that gilt vase,— 
When shall this longing end in sight ? 

3 To mount that lofty ridge I drove, 

Until my steeds all changed their hue. 
A cup from that rhinoceros' horn 
May help my longing to subdue. 

4 Striving to reach that flat-topped hill, 

My steeds, worn out, relaxed their strain ; 
My driver also sank oppressed :— 
PU never see my lord again ! 

IV. 

The Rim-miili ; allusive. CELEBRATING T'AE-SZE'S FREEDOM FROM 

JEALOUSY, AND OFFERING FERVENT WISHES FOR HER HAPPINESS. 

Tlie piece is supposed to be from the ladies of king Wän's harem, in 
praise of T'ae-sze, who was not jealous of them, but cherished them 
radier, as the great tree does the creepers that twine round it. 

1 In the South are the trees whose branches are bent, 
And droop in such fashion that o'er their extent 

All the dolichos' creepers fast cling. 
See our princely lady, from whom we have got 
Rejoicing that's endless ! May lier happy lot 

And her honours repose ever bring ! 

1/ 

 62 

THE BOOK OP POETBY. 

[PAKT I. 

2 In the South are the trees whose branches are bent, 
And droop in such fashion that o'er their extent 

All the dolichos' creepers are spread. 
See our princely lady, from whom we have got 
Rejoicing that's endless ! Of her happy lot 

And her honours the greatness ne'er fade ! 

3 In the South are the trees whose branches are bent, 
And droop in such fashion that o'er their extent 

All the dolichos' creepers entwine. 
See our princely lady, from whom we have got 
Rejoicing that's endless. May her happy lot 

And her honours complete ever shine ! 

V. 

The Ckung-sze ; metaphorical. THE FRUITFULNESS OF THE LOCUST ; 

SUPPOSED TO CELEBRATE T'AE-SZE'S FREEDOM FROM JEALOUSY. 

The piece is purely metaphorical, T'ae-sze not being mentioned in it. 
The reference to her exists only in the writer's mind. This often dis 
tinguishes such pieces from those which are allusive. 

1 Ye locusts, winged tribes, 
Gather in concord fine ; 
Well your descendants may 

In numerous bright hosts shine ! 

2 Ye locusts, winged tribes, 

Your wings in flight resound ; 
Well your descendants may 
In endless lines be found ! 

3 Ye locusts, winged tribes, 
Together cluster strong ; 
Well your descendants may 
In swarms for ever throng ! 

VI. 

The T'ami yaau; allusive. PIÍAISE OF A BRIDE GOING TO HEB 

FUTURE HOME. 

1 Graceful and young the peach tree stands ; 
How rich its flowers, all gleaming bright ! 

13κ I. vin.] 

THE BOOK OP POETET. 

This bride to her new home repairs ; 
Chamber and house she'll order right. 

2 Graceful and young the peach tree stands; 

Large crops of fruit it soon will show. 
Thi.s bride to her new home repairs ; 

Chamber and house her sway shall know. 

3 Graceful and young the peach tree stands, 

Its foliage clustering green and full. 
This bride to her new home repairs ; 
Her household will attest her rule. 

63 

PRAISE OF A RABBIT-CATCHER 

VII. 

The Too tteu ; allusive, or narrative. 
AS FIT TO BE A PRINCE'S HATE. 

The generally accepted view of this piece is that it sets forth the in 
fluence of king Wan (according to Choo), or of T'ae-sze ^according to 
Maou), as so powerful and beneficial, that individuals in the lowest rank 
were made fit by it to occupy the highest positions. I prefer, however, 
the view of others, who interpret it according to an old tradition that 
two of Wän's ministers had at one time actually been rabbit-catchers. 

1 Careful he sets his rabbit-nets all round ; 
Chting-chani/ his Llows upon the pegs resound. 
Stalwart the man and bold ! his bearing all 
Shows he might be his prince's shield and wall. 

2 Careful he is his rabbit-nets to place, 

Where many paths of rabbits' feet bear trace. 
Stalwart the man and bold ! 'tis plain to see 
He to his prince companion good would be. 

3 Careful he is his rabbit-nets to spread, 

Where in the forest's depth the trees give shade. 
Stalwart the man and bold ! fit his the part 
Guide to his prince to be, and faithful heart. 

VIII. 

The I\no e ; narrative. THE soso OF THE PLANTAIN-GATHERERS. 

We are supposed to have here a happy instance of the tranquillity of 
Uie times of Wan, so that the women, their household labours over, could 

 THE BOOK OP POETET. 

PAHT I. 

go out and gather the seeds of the plantain or rib-grass in cheerful con 
cert ; — for what purposes we are not told. 

1 We gather and gather the plantains ; 

Come gather them anyhow. 
Yes, gather and gather the plantains, 
And here \ve have got them now. 

2 We gather and gather the plantains ; 

Now off the ears we must tear. 
Yes, gather and gather the plantains, 
And no\v the seeds are laid bare. 

3 We gather and gather the plantains, 
The seeds in our skirts are placed. 
Yes, gather and gather the plantains. 
Ho ! safe in the girdled waist ! 

IX. 

The Han kn-ang : allusive and metaphorical. THE VIRTUOUS MAK- 
NEES OF THE ÏOUNG WOMEN ABOUT THE HAN AXD KËANG EIVEES. 

Through the influence of Wan the dissolute manners of the people, and 
especially of the women, in the regions south from Chow, had undergone 
ι great transformation. The praise of the ladies in the piece, therefore, 
is to the praise of Wan. 

1 High and compressed, the southern trees 

No shelter from the sun afford. 
The girls free ramble by the Han, 
But will not hear enticing word. 
Like the broad Han are they, 

Through which one cannot dive ; 
And like the Keang's long stream, 
Wherewith no raft can strive. 

2 Many the faggots bound and piled ; 

The thorns I'd hew still more to make. 
As brides, those girls their new homes seek ; 
Their colts to feed I'd undertake. 
Like the broad Han are they. 

Through which one cannot dive; 
And like the Keang's long stream, 
Wherewith no raft can strive. 

BE I. XL] 

THE BOOK OP POETET. 

65 

3 Many the faggots bound and piled ; 

The southernwood I'd cut for more. 
As brides, those girls their new homes seek ; 
Food for their colts I'd bring large store. 
Like the broad Han are they, 

Through which one cannot dive ; 
And like the Keang's long stream, 
Wherewith no raft can strive. 

The Joo fun; mainly narrative. THE AFFECTION OF THE WIVES OK 

THE JOO, AND THEIB SOLICITUDE ABOUT THEIB HUSBANDS' HONOUR. 

The royal House, in the last stanza, like a blazing fire, is supposed to 
be that of Shang. under the tyranny of Show, its last monarch. The 
piece therefore belongs to the closing time of that dynasty, when Wan was 
consolidating his power and influence. 

1 Along the raised banks of the Joo, 

To hew slim stem and branch I wrought, 
My lord away, my husband true, 

Like hunger-pang my troubled thought! 

2 Along the raised banks of the Joo, 

Branch and fresh shoot confessed my art. 
I've seen my lord, my husband true, 
And still he folds me in his heart. 

3 As the toiled bream makes red its tail, 

Toil you, Sir, for the royal House, 
Amidst its blazing fires, nor quail :— 
Your parents see you pay your vows. 

XI. 

The ΐίη che cite ; allusive. CELEBRATING THE GOODNESS OF THE 

OFFSPBING AND DESCENDANTS OF KING WAN. 

The Un is the female of the li'e, a fabulous animal, the symbol of all 
goodness and benevolence ; having the body of a deer, the tail of an ox, 
the hoofs of a horse, one horn, the scales of a fish, &c. Its feet do not 
tread on any living thing, not even on live grass ; it does not butt with 
its forehead ; and the end of its Jiorn, is covered with flesh, to show that, 
while able for war, it wills to have peace. The linwas supposed to appear, 
inaugurating a golden age, but the poet finds a better auspice of that in 
the character of Wäu's family and kindred. 

VOL. III. 5 

 66 

THE BOOK OF POETEY. 

[PART I. 

THE BOOK OF POETKY. 

67 

ii 

1 As the feet of the lin, which avoid each living thing, 
So our prince's noble sons no harm to men will bring. 
Tliey are the lin ! 

2 As the front of the Un, never forward thrust in wrath, 
So our prince's noble grandsons of love tread the path. 
They are the lin ! 

3 As the horn of the lin, flesh-tipped, no wound to give, 
So our prince's noble kindred kindly with all live. 
They are the lin ! 

BOOK II. 

THE ODES OF SHAOU AND THE SOUTH. 

IT has been stated, on the title of the first Book, that king Wan, on 
removing to Fung, divided the original Chow of his House into two por 
tions, which he settled on his son Tan, the duke of Chow, and on Shih, 
one of his principal adherents, the duke of Shaou. The site of the city 
of Shaou was in the present department of Fung-ts'ëang. and probably 
in the district of K'e-shan. Shih was of the Chow surname of K'e, but his 
exact relationship to king Wan cannot be determined. On the overthrow 
of the Shung dynasty, he was invested by king Woo with the principality 
of Yen, or North Yen, having its capital in the present district of Ta-hing, 
department of Shun-t'ëen, Chih-le. There we can trace his descendants, 
down to the Ts'in dynasty ; but he himself, as did Tan, remained at court, 
and we find them, in the Book of History, as the principal ministers of 
king Ching. They were known as " the highest dukes," and " the two 
great chiefs," Tan having charge of the eastern portion of the kingdom, 
and Shih of the western. 

The pieces in this Book are supposed to have been produced in Shaou 
and the States south of it,—west from those that yielded the odes of the 
last Book. 

I. 

The Ts'ëoh cfi'aim ; allusive. CELEBRATING THE MAEEIAGE OF A 

PEINCESS TO THE PBIKCE OF ANOTHER STATE. 

The critics will all have it, that the poet's object was to set forth " tbe 
virtue of the lady ; " but I do not see that the writer wished to indicate 
that at all. His attention was taken by the splendour of the nuptials. 
Be that as it may, the virtue of the bride is supposed to be emblemed by 
the stupidity and quietness of the dove, unable to make a nest for 
herself, or making a very simple, unartistic one. The dove is a favourite 
emblem with all poets for a lady, but surely never, out of China, because 
of its " stupidity." One writer says, " The duties of a wife are few and 
confined ;—there is no harm in her being stupid." 

That the dove is found breeding in the magpie's nest, as assumed in 
the allusive lines, is a thing I often looked out for in China, and never 
saw. Some of the critics, however, vehemently assert it. 

1 In the magpie's nest 

Dwells the dove at rest. 
This young bride goes to her future home; 
To meet her a hundred chariots come. 

 π 

68 

THE BOOK OF POETRY. 

[PAET I. 

BE II. iv.] 

THE BOOK OF POETEY. 

69 

2 Of the magpie's nest 
Is the dove possest. 

This bride goes to her new home to live ; 
And escort a hundred chariots give. 

8 The nest magpie wove 
Now filled by the dove. 
This bride now takes to her home her way ; 
And these numerous cars her state display. 

II. 
The Ts'aefan; narrative. THE INDUSTRY AND REVERENCE OF A 

PRINCE'S WIFE, ASSISTING HIM IN SACRIFICING. 

We must suppose the ladies of a harem, in one of the States of the South, 
admiring and praising the way in which their mistress discharged her 
duties. 

1 Around the pools, the islets o'er, 

Fast she plucks white southernwood, 
To help the sacrificial store ; 

And for our prince does service good. 

2 Where streams among the valleys shine, 

Of southernwoods she plucks the white ; 
And brings it to the sacred shrine, 
To aid our prince in solemn rite. 

3 In. head-dress high, most reverent, she 

The temple seeks at early dawn. 
The service o'er, the head-dress see 
To her own chamber slow withdrawn. 

III. 

The Ts'aou-ch'ung ; narrative. THE WIFE OF SOME GREAT OFFICER 

BEWAILS HIS ABSENCE ON DUTY, AND LONGS FOR THE JOY OF HIS 
RETURN. 

1 Shrill chirp the insects in the grass ; 

All about the hoppers spring. 
While I my husband do not see, 
Sorrow must my bosom wring. 

0 to meet him ! 
0 to greet him ! 
Then my heart would rest and sing. 

2 Ascending high that southern hill, 

Turtle ferns I strove to get. 
While I my husband do not see, 
Sorrow must my heart beset. 
0 to meet him ! 
0 to greet him ! 
Then my heart would cease to fret. 

3 Ascending high that southern hill, 

Spinous ferns I sought to find. 
While I my husband do not see, 
Hankies sorrow in my mind. 
0 to meet him ! 
0 to greet him ! 
In my heart would peace be shrined. 

IV. 
The Ts'aepin; narrative. THE DILIGENCE AND REVERENCE OF THE 

YOUNG WIFE OF AN OFFICER, DOING HER PART IN SACRIFICIAL OFFER 
INGS. 

1 She gathers fast the large duckweed, 

From valley stream that southward flows ; 
And for the pondweed to the pools 
Left on the plains by floods she goes. 

2 The plants, when closed her toil, she puts 
• In baskets round and baskets square. 
Then home she hies to cook her spoil, 
In pans and tripods ready there. 

3 In sacred chamber this she sets, 

Where the light falls down through the wall. 
JTis she, our lord's young reverent wife, 
Who manages this service all. 

 70 

THE BOOK OF POETET. 

I. 

The Kan t'ang ; narrative. THE LOVE ov THE PEOPLE FOE THE 

MEJIOBY OF THE DUKE OF SHAOU MAKES THEM LOVE THE TEEES BE 
NEATH WHICH HE HAD BESTED. 

The duke of Shaou is mentioned in the preliminary note to tins' Book. 
He is here called " the Chief of Shaou " as having been invested with 
jurisdiction over all the States of the west. In the exercise of that, he 
had won the hearts of the people, aud his memory was somehow connect 
ed with the pear-tree which the poet had in his mind's eye, who would 
therefore make them, as the Chinese often express it, " think of the man 
and love the tree." 

1 0 fell not that sweet pear tree ! 
See how its branches spread. 

Spoil not its shade, 

For Shaou's chief laid 
Beneath it his weary head. 

2 O clip not that sweet pear tree ! 
Each twig and leaflet spare. 

'Tis sacred now, 

Since the lord of Shaou, 
When weary, rested him there. 

3 0 touch not that sweet pear tree ! 
Bend not a twig of it now. 
There long ago, 
As the stories show, 
Oft halted the chief of Shaou. 

VI. 

The Hing loo ; narrative and allusive. A LADY RESISTS AN ATTEMPT 

TO FOECE HEE TO MARRY, AND AEGUES HER CAUSE. 

It is thought that we have here a specimen of the cases that came be 
fore the duke of Shaou.—A lady of Shin was promised in marriage to 
a man of Fung. The ceremonial offerings from his family, however, 
were not so complete as the rules required ; and when he wished to meet 
her and convey her to his house, she and her friends refused to carry out 
the engagement. The case was brought to trial, and the lady made this 
ode, asserting that, while a single rule of ceremony was not complied 
with, she would not leave her parents' house. 

1 The de\v thick on the wet paths lay ; 
Thither at early dawn my way 

BE IL vin.] THE BOOK OF POETET. 71 

I might have ta'en ; but I said, " Nay. 
" The dew is thick, at home I'll stay." 

2 You say the sparrow has a horn.— 

How could it else bore through your house ? 
You say this trial is a proof 

That I exchanged betrothal vows. 
But though you've made me here appear in court, 
Yet at betrothal what you did fell short. 

3 You say the rat's teeth are complete.— 

How could it else bore through your wall ? 
You say this trial proves my vows 

Of plighted troth were perfect all. 
But though to court you've forced me here to come, 
My will is firm ;—I'll not with you go home. 

The Kaou yaug ; narrative. 

AT SOME COUET. 

VII. 

THE EASY DIGNITY ΟΓ THE OFFICERS 

1 Arrayed in skins of lamb or sheep, 

With five silk braidings all of white, 
From court they go, to take their meal, 
All self-possessed, with spirits light. 

2 How on their skins of lamb or sheep 

The five seams wrought with white silk show ! 
With easy steps, and self-possessed, 

From court, to take their meal, they go. 

3 Upon their skins of lamb or sheep 

Shines the white silk the seams to link. 
With easy steps and self-possessed, 
They go from court to eat and drink. 

VIII. 

The Yin Tt'e Ivy ; allusive. A LADY'S ADMIRATION or HEE HUS 
BAND ABSENT ON PUBLIC SEEVICE, AND HEB LONGING FOE HIS KETUEN. 

1 Grand in the south the thunder rolls, 
Beyond that lofty hill. 

 72 THE BOOK OF ΓΟΕΤΕΤ. [?AET I. 

Why must he go, nor dare to stay 

Brief space at rest and still Ï 
Absent my noble lord I mourn, 
May he return ! may he return ! 

2 Grand in the south the thunder rolls 

Along that mountain's side. 
Why must he go from this, nor dare 

Brief time at rest to bide 1 
Absent my noble lord I mourn, 
May he return ! may he return ! 

3 Grand in the south the thunder rolls, 

Around that mountain's base. 
Why must he go from this, nor dare 

Indulge himself a space 1 
Absent my noble lord I mourn, 
May he return ! may he return ! 

IX. 

The P'eami yen mei ; narrative. ANXIETY OF A YOUNG LADY TO 

GET MABBIED. 

1 Ripe, the plums fall from the bough ; 
Only seven tenths left there now ! 
Ye whose hearts on me are set, 
Now the time is fortunate ! 

2 Eipe, the plums fall from the bough ; 
Only three tenths left there now ! 
Ye who wish my love to gain, 
Will not now apply in vain ! 

3 No more plums upon the bough ! 
All are in my basket now ! 
Ye who me with ardour seek, 
Need the word but freely speak ! 

The Sëaou sing; allusive. THE THANKFUL SUBMISSION TO THEIR 

LOT OF THE INFEB10B MEMBEKS OP A HAREM. 

We have here the description by .one of the concubines of the lot of 

BK II. XL] 

THE BOOK OF POETET. 

73 

herself and her companions. It is the early dawn, and she is returning 
from her visit to the prince's chamber, which had been allowed her by 
his wife, who alone could pass the whole night with her husband. T.he 
others were admitted only for a short time, and had to go and return in 
the dark. But so had the influence of king Wan and T-ae-sze wrought, 
that throughout Shaou and tlie South the wives of the princes dealt kindly 
with their inferiors. They were not jealous, and the others were not en 
vious. Such is the interpretation given to this piece. 

1 Behold those starlets small, 

How three or five the east illume ! 
Swiftly we came when fell the gloom, 
And now at dawn the hall 
Of the harem we leave, nor dare gainsay 
Our lot which grants us here no longer stay. 

2 Behold those starlets small, 

Orion and the Pleiads bright ! 

Swiftly we came as failed the light, 
And here brought to the hall 
Our coverlets and sheets. Now we return, 
Nor our inferior lot presume to mourn. 

XI. 
The Eiang yew sze ; allusive. JEALOUSY CUBED ; THE RESTORATION 

OP GOOD FEELING IN A HAEEM. 

The bride of some prince in the south, we are told, had refused to allow 
her cousins, who by rule should have accompanied her, to go with her to 
the harem; but afterwards, coming under the influence of King Wan 
and Tae-sze, she repented of her jealousy, sent for them, and was happy 
with them. The lines agree tolerably well with this traditional inter 
pretation. 

1 See how the Keang's great branches flow, 
Here leave its stream, and there back go ! 
When first our lady came as bride, 
She would not have us by her side. 
She would not have us by her side ; 
But soon a better course she tried. 

2 The islets part the Keang's broad course, 
Which soon resumes its wonted force. 
When first as bride our lady came, 
To be with us she thought it shame. 

 74 THE BOOK OF FOETEY. 

To be with us she thought it shame ; 
Ere long she knew she was to blame. 

3 The TO streams, from the river led, 
Mow devious, and rejoin its bed. 
When first we saw our lady here, 
She would not deign us to come near. 
She would not deign us to come near ; 
But to a song she changed her sneer. . 

[PAKT I. 

XII. 

The fay yëro sze Tteiin ; allusive and narrative. 
LAUT EESISTS THE ATTEMPTS OP A BEDUCEB. 

Δ VIBTUOUS TOUKG 

1 In the wild lies an antelope dead, 

Wrapt up in a mat of white grass. 
With her thoughts of the spring comes a maid, 
Whom a treacherous fop watches pass. 

2 Scrubby oaks grow the forest around ; 

In the wild there lies stretched a dead deer, 
Close and tight with the white matting bound. 
As a gem see the maiden appear. 

3 " Hold thy hand, and beware, Sir," she cries. 

" Be thou civil, and haste not to wrong. 
Meddle not with my handkerchiefs ties. 
Do not make my dog bark. Pass along." 

Kill. 
The Ho pe nung ; allusive. THE MAEEIAGE OF ONE OF THE BOYAL 

PRINCESSES. 

1 Of flowers in clusters large and gay, 
How bright the sparrow-plum's display ! 
In reverent harmony on glide 
The chariots of the royal bride. 

2 These flowers their clusters large and gay, 
As of the peach or plum display. 
This grand-child of the Peaceful king 
Joy to the marquis5 son shall bring. 

BE II. XIV.] THE BOOK OF FOETET. 

3 As threads of silk together twine, 
To form the angler's faithful line ; 
So may the union close abide 
Of gallant prince and royal bride ! 

75 

The Tsow-yu : narrative. 

SOUTH FOB HIS BENEVOLENCE. 

XIV. 

CELEBRATING BOMB PRINCE IN THE 

This interpretation of the piece depends on the meaning of the words 
Tson-yu in the third line. Both Maou and Choo take these as the name 
of a wild beast, " a righteous beast, a white tiger with black spots, which 
does not tread on live grass, and does not eat any living thing, making 
its appearance when a State is ruled by a prince of perfect benevolence 
and sincerity." This view of them has been called in question, but the 
concluding ode of Book i. is decisive in favour of its substantial correct 
ness. 

1 Five boars collect where grow the rushes rank and 

strong ; 

He only sends one arrow all the five among. 
Oh ! the Tsow-yu is he ! 

'2 Five pigs collect where grows the mugwort rank and 

strong ; 

He only sends one arrow all the five among. 
Oh ! the Tsow-yu is he ! 

 76 

THE BOOK OF POETRY. 

[PART I. 

BE III. i.] 

THE BOOK OP POETRY. 

77 

BOOK Π1. 

THE ODES OF PfEI. 

OF P'ei which gives its name to this Book, and of Tung which gives 
its name to the next, we hardly knojr anything. Long before the time of 
Confucius, they had become incorporated with the State of Wei ; and it is 
universally acknowledged that the odes of Books iii., iv., and v. are odes 
of Wei. Why they should he divided into three parts, two of which are 
assigned to P'ei and Yung respectively, is a question which has baffled all 
the critics. 

When king Woo overthrew the dynasty oE Shang, the domain of its 
kings was divided by him into three portions. That north of their capi 
ta] was P'ei ; that south of it was Yung ; and that east of it was Wei. 
These were constituted into three principalities ; but who among his ad 
herents were invested with P'ei and Yung has not been clearly ascertained. 
The marquises of Wei, however, managed in course of time to add them 
to their own territory. 

The first marquis of Wei was K'ang-shuh, a brother of Woo, of whose 
investiture we have an account in the Book of History. The first capital 
of the State was on the north of the Ho, to the east of Ch'aou-ko, the old 
capital of Shang. There it continued till B.c. 659, when the State was 
nearly extinguished by Borne northern hordes, and duke Tae removed 
across the river to Ts'aou ; but in a couple of years, his successor, duke 
Wan, removed again to Ts'oo-K'ëw,—in the present district of Shing-woo, 
department of Ts'aou-chow, Shan-tung. 

I, 

The Pih climv ; mostly narrative. AN OFFICES OF WORTH BEWAILS 
THE NEGLECT AKD CONTEMPT WITH WHICH HE WAS TREATED. , 

Such is the view taken of the piece by Maou, who refers it to the time 
of duke K'ing, B.c. 866—854. Choo He contends against him that we 
have in it the complaint of Chwang Këang, the wife of one of the mar 
quises of Wei, because of the neglect with which she was treated by her 
husband. Mencius, however, VII. ii. XIX., sanctions the view of the 
piece which regards it as the complaint of a worthy officer, neglected by 
his ruler, and treated with contempt by a host of mean creatures. 

1 It floats about, that boat of cypress wood, 

Now here, now there, as by the current borne. 
Nor rest nor sleep comes in my troubled mood ; 
I suffer as when painful wound has torn 
The shrinking body. Thus I dwell forlorn, 

And aimless muse, my thoughts of sorrow full. 

I might with wine refresh my spirit worn ; 
I might go forth, and, sauntering try to cool 
The fever of my heart ; but grief holds sullen rule. 

2 My mind resembles not a mirror plate, 

Reflecting all th' impressions it receives. 
The good I love, the bad regard with hate ; 
I only cherish whom my heart believes. 
Colleagues I have, but yet my spirit grieves, 
That on their honour I cannot depend. 

I speak, but my complaint no influence leaves 
Upon their hearts; with mine no feelings blend; 
With me in anger they, and fierce disdain contend. 

3 My mind is fixed, and cannot, like a stone, 

Be turned at will indifferently abont ; 
And what I think, to that, and that alone, 
I utterance give, alike within, without ; 
Nor can like mat be rolled and carried out. 
With dignity, in presence of them all, 

My conduct marked, my goodness who shall scout ? 
My foes I boldly challenge, great and small, 
If there be aught in me they can in question call. 

4 How full of trouble is my anxious heart ! 

With hate the blatant herd of creatures mean 
Ceaseless pursue. Of their attacks the smart 

Keeps my mind iu distress. Their venomed spleen 
Aye vents itself; and with insulting mien 
They vex my soul ; and no one on my side 

A word will speak. Silent, alone, unseen, 
I think of my sad case ; then opening wide 
My eyes, as if from sleep, I beat my breast, sore-tried. 

5 Thy disk, 0 sun, should ever be complete, 

While thine, 0 changing moon, doth wax and wane. 
But now our sun hath waned, weak and effete, 
And moons are ever full. My heart with pain 
Is firmly bonnd, and held in sorrow's chain, 
As to the body cleaves an unwashed dress. 

Silent I think of my sad case ; in vain 
I try to find relief from my distress. 
Would I had wings to fly where ills no longer press ! 

 78 

THE BOOK OP POETKY 

II. 

[PAKT I. 

The Luh e, metaphorical-allusive. THE COMPLAINT, SAD BUT EE- 

6IGNED, OB A NEGLECTED WIFE. 

This ode is interpreted as if it had been written by Chwang Këang, a 
marchioness of Wei. The marquis Yang, better known as duke Chwang, 
married her, a daughter of the House of Ts'e, in B.c. 755. She was a 
lady of admirable character ; and, as she had no child, he took another 
wife, a Kwei of the state of Ch'in. She had a son who died early ; but 
a cousin, called Tae Kwei, who had accompanied her to the harem, gave 
birth to a son, Hwan, whom the marquis recognized as destined in due 
time to succeed. Chwang Këang brought up this child as her own. But 
another lady of the harem, of inferior rank, bore also a son, called Chow- 
yu, who grew up a bold, dashing, unprincipled young man. The mar 
quis died in 734, and was succeeded by Hwan, who was murdered subse 
quently by Chow-yu. 

Chow-yu's mother is the concubine or favourite in the piece. Yellow is 
one of the five " correct " colours of the Chinese, while green is one of the 
" intermediate " colours that are less esteemed. Here we have the yellow 
used merely as a lining to the green, or employed in the lower, or less 
honourable part of the dress ;—an inversion of propriety, and intimating 
how the concubine had got into the place of the rightful wife, and thrust 
her down. 

1 "When the upper robe is green, 
With a yellow lining seen, 
There we have a certain token 
Right is wronged and order broken. 
How can sorrow from my heart 
In a case like this depart ? 

2 Colour green the robe displays ; 
Lower garment yellow's Haze. 
Thus it is that favourite mean 
In the place of wife is seen. 
Vain the conflict with my grief; 
Memory denies relief. 

3 Yes, 'twas you the green who dyed, 
You who fed the favourite's pride. 
Anger rises in my heart, 
Pierces it as with a dart. 
But on ancient rules lean I, 
Lest to wrong my thoughts should fly. 

4 Fine or coarse, if thin the dress, 
Cold winds always cause distress. 

BE III. in.] THE BOOK OF POETET. 79 

Hard my lot, my sorrow deep, 
But my thoughts in check I keep. 
Ancient story brings to mind 
Sufferers who were resigned. 

III. 

The Yen-yen ; allusive and narrative. CHWANG KÉ ANG RELATES HER 
GRIEF AT THE DEPARTURE OF TAB KWEI, AND CELEBRATES THAT 
LÄDT'S VIRTUE. 

The introductory note to the last ode speaks both of Chwang Këang 
and Tae Kwei. When duke Hwan, the son of the latter, was murdered 
by his half-hrother, Chow-yu, in B.C. 718, she returned—was obliged, 
prohably, to return—to her native state of Ch'in. Chwang Këang, the 
marchioness-dowager, continued in Wei. and here bewails the loss of her 
virtuous friend and companion. 

1 With wings, not level, spread, 

About the swallows stir. 
Homeward the lady sped, 

And I escorted her. 
And when away from sight she passed, 
Like rain, my tears came falling fast. 

2 The swallows fly about, 

Now up, now down, they dart. 
She to her home set out, 
And I was loth to part. 
Her form when distance from me kept, 
Long time I stood, and silent wept. 

3 Above, beneath, their cry 

The flying swallows vent. 
Homeward she passed, and I 

Far with her southwards went. 
Her form when distance from me bore 
With bitter grief my heart was sore. 

4 This lady Chung loved me 

With feeling true and deep. 
Docile and good was she, 

Nor failed the right to keep. 
Unworthy me her deed and word 
Taught to respect our former lord. 

 80 

THE BOOK OF POETKY. 

IV. 

[PAKT I. 

The JlJi yneh ; narrative. CHWANG KË.ANG COMPLAINS or, AND AP 
PEALS AGAINST, THE BAD TREATMENT WHICH SHE RECEIVED FBOM 
HER HUSBAND. 

See the introductory notes to the two last pieces. 

1 O sun so bright, O moon so fair, 

This lower earth that light, 
Behold this man, so bold to dare 

Transgress the ancient right. 
How shall he fix his restless mind ? 
Would he not then to me be kind ? 

2 O sun, O moon, whose shining vault 

O'erspreads this earth below, 
Behold this man, with wilful fault, 

Kindness refuse to show. 
His restless mind how shall he turn ? 
He could not then my fondness spurn. 

3 O sun, O moon, in upper sphere, 
That from the east come forth, 
This man speaks phrases sounding fair, 

But all of little worth. 
Were but his mind to goodness set, 
He could not me so much forget. 

4 O sun so bright, 0 moon so fair, 
That from the east forth come ; 
O parents dear, whose tender care 
Ne'er comes in this uew home ; 
If fixed his mind, 'gainst reason sage 
He could not thus my heart outrage. 

V. 

The Ciamgftmg ; metaphorical-allusive. CHWANG KËANG BEMOANS 

THE SUPERCILIOUS TREATMENT WHICH SHE BECEIVED FROM HEB HUS 
BAND. 

1 Fierce is the wind and cold ; 

And such is he. 
Smiling he looks, and bold 
Speaks mockingly. 

ΕΚ III. VI.] THE BOOK OP POETEY. 81 

Scornful and lewd his words, 

Haughty his smile. 
Bound is my heart with cords 

In sorrow's coil. 

2 As cloud of dust wind-blown, 

Just such is he. 
Heady he seems to own, 

And come to me. 
But he comes not nor goes, 

Stands in his pride. 
Long, long, with painful throes, 

Grieved I abide. 

3 Strong blew the wind ; the cloud 

Hastened away. 
Soon dark again, the shroud 

Covers the day. 
I wake, and sleep no more 

Visits my eyes. 
His course I sad deplore, 

With heavy sighs. 

4 Cloudy the sky, and dark ; 

The thunders roll. 
Such outward signs well mark 

My troubled soul. 
I wake, and sleep no more 

Comes to give rest. 
His course I sad deplore, 

In anguished breast. 

VI, 

The Ke'iìi ÌÌOO; narrative. SOLDIERS or WEI HEWAIL THEIR SEPARA 
TION FBOM THEIR FAMILIES, AND ANTICIPATE THAT IT WILL BE 
FINAL. 

In B.C. 718, Wei twice joined in an expedition against Ch'ing. Chow- 
yu had just murdered duke Hwan, and the people were restless under his 
rule. To divert their minds, and make himself acceptable to other 
States, he attacked Ch'ing ; and having made an agreement with Sung, 
Ch'in, and Ts'ae, a combined force marched against that State. This ex 
pedition did not last long, and a second was undertaken in autumn, in 
VOL. in. 6 

 82 

THE BOOK OF POETEY. 

[PART I. 

83 

alliance with a force from Loo. It is supposed that it is to these opera 
tions that reference is made in the piece. 

1 List to the thunder and roll of the drum ! 

See how we spring and brandish the dart ! 
Some raise Ts'aou's walls ; some do fieldwork at home ; 
But we to the southward lonely depart. 

2 Our chief, Sun "Tsze-chung, agreement has made, 

Our forces to join with Ch'iri and with Sung. 
When shall we back from this service be led ? 
Our hearts are all sad, our courage unstrung. 

3 Here we are halting, and there we delay ; 

Anon we soon lose our high-mettled steeds. 
The forest's gloom makes our steps go astray; 
Each thicket of trees our searching misleads. 

4 For death as for life, at home or abroad, 

We pledged to our wives our faithfullest word. 
Their hands clasped in ours, together we vowed, 
We'd live to old age in sweetest accord. 

5 This march to the south can end but in ill ; 

Oh ! never shall we our wives again meet. 
The word that we pledged we cannot fulfil ; 
Us home returning they never will greet. 

VII. 
The JS'ae fang ; metaphorical-allusive. SEVEN SONS OF SOME TAMIL r 

IN WEI BLAME THEMSELVES FOR THE RESTLESS UNHAPPINESS OP THEIR 
MOTHEB. 

The mother, it is supposed, would not rest in her widowhood, but 
wanted to marry again ; and it is added, though the ode says nothing ou 
the point, that the sons, by laying the blame of her restlessness on them 
selves, recalled her to a sense of her duty. 

1 On that jujube tree the wind, 

Prom the south, blows soft and kind, 
Till each twig, in inmost place, 
Swells with life, and shines with grace. 
O how great the toil and care 
'Twas our mother's lot to bear ! 

BE III. VIII.] THE BOOK OF POETE Y. 

2 On that jujube tree the wind, 

From the south, blows soft and kind, 
Till its branches all are seen 
Bright and rich in living green. 
Wise our mother is and good; 
Goodness we have never showed. 

3 See that cool and crystal spring, 
How its waters comfort bring, 
Welling forth the city near, 
All who dwell in Tseun to cheer ! 
Pained our mother is and tried, 
As if help we seven denied. 

4 In their yellow plumage bright, 
Lovely gleam those birds to sight, 
And their notes fall orí the ear, 
Rich and, oh ! so sweet to hear. 
Seven sons we, without the art 
To compose our mother's heart ! 

VIII. 

The Hetmg che ; allusive and narrative. A WIFE DEPLORES THE 
ABSENCE OP HEE HUSBAND, AND CELEBRATES HIS VIBTUE. 

1 Away the startled pheasant flies, 

With lazy movement of his wings. 
Borne was my heart's lord from my eyes ;— 
What pain the separation brings ! 

2 The pheasant, though no move in view, 

His cry, below, above, forth sends. 
Alas ! my princely lord, 'tis you,— 
Your absence, that my bosom rends. 

3 At sun and moon I sit and gaze, 

In converse with my troubled heart. 
Par, far from me my husband stays ! 
When will he come to heal its smart ? 

4 Ye princely men, who with him mate, 
Say, mark ye not his virtuous way. 
His rule is—covet nought, none hate ;— 
How can Eis steps from gooduess stray ? 

 Sí 

THE BOOK OF ΓΟΕΤΕΤ. 

[PART I. 

IX. 
The Peanu y fin Ji'oo yéli ; allusive and narrative. AGAINST THE 

LICENTIOUS MANNERS OP WEI. 

The old school held that this piece was directed against dulie Señen, 
who was distinguished for his licentiousness, and his wife also. Choo, 
agreeing generally in the object of the piece, yet demurs to this particu 
lar reference. Some notice of Seuen may be given here, as several of 
the odes that follow are'interpreted of him and his doings. 

His first wife was E Këang, a lady of his father's harem, by an inces 
tuous connection with whom he had a son, called Keih-tsze, who became 
his heir-apparent. By-and-by he contracted a marriage for this son 
with a daughter of Ts'e, known as Seuen Këang ; but on her arrival in 
Wei, moved by her youth and beauty, he took her himself, and by her he 
had two sons,—Show and Soh. E Këang hanged herself in vexation ; 
and in course of time Sfiien was prevailed on by Soh and his mother to 
consent to the death of Keih-tsze, Show persisting in a noble, but fruit 
less, attempt to preserve his life. In the next year, the duke died, and 
was succeeded by Soli, when the court of Ts'e insisted on Ch'aou-peh. 
another son of Seuen, marrying Seuen Këang. From this connection 
sprang two sons, who both became marquises of Wei, and two daughters, 
who married the rulers of other States. 

When such was the history of the conrt of Wei, we can well perceive 
that licentiousness prevailed throughout the State ; and that connexions 
of the kind which this piece condemns were being continually formed. 

1 Its bitter leaves still hang upon the gourd ; 
Deep is the water where we cross the ford. 
Conditions these which well might make them pause, 
But bent are they to break the heavenly laws ! 
"We'll cross," they say, "if deep, clothes on go through; 
If shallow, holding up our clothes will do." 

2 To overflowing full the ford appears ; 

The female pheasant's cry salutes their ears. 
Now will they pause, nor tempt the foaming stream. 
In vain the warning ; more intent they seem. 
" The depth," they say : " our axles will not wet, 
" And by her cry the pheasant calls her mate." 

3 In early morn, when 'gins to dawn the day, 
In spring, the ice not yet dissolved away, 
The gentleman, who home his wife would bring, 
Presents the goose, whose notes harmonious ring. 
Such is the rale that virtue's law lays down ; 
And such the rule which I will ever own. 

Εκ III. x.] 

THE BOOK OF POETEY. 

4 The boatman beckons, waving oft his hand ; 
And with him others cross, but I here stand. 
Others may cross, but not with them I go ; 
I wait my friend, the proper time to show. 
I dare not rush to gratify mere lust ; 
By virtue's law my lusts control I must. 

85 

X. 

The Kuh fung ; metaphorical, allusive, and narrative. THE PLAINT 

OP A WIPE SUPPLANTED BY ANOTHER, AND KEJECi'ED BY HEB HUSBAND. 

1 The east wind gently blows, 

With cloudy skies and rain. 
'Twixt man and wife should ne'er be strife, 

But harmony obtain. 

Radish and mustard plants 

Are used, though some be poor ; 
While my good name is free from blame, 

Don't thrust me from your door. 

2 I go along the road, 

Slow, with reluctant heart. 
Your escort lame to door but came, 

There glad from me to part. 

Sow-thistle, bitter called, 

As shepherd's purse is sweet ; 
With your new mate you feast elate, 

As joyous brothers meet. 

3 Part clear, the stream of King 

Is foul beside the Wei. 
You feast elate with your new mate, 

And take no heed of me. 

Loose mate, avoid my dam, 

Nor dare my basket move ! 
Person slighted, life all blighted, 

What can the future prove ? 

4 The water deep, in boat, 

Or raft-sustained, Pd go ; 
And where the stream did narrow seem, 

I dived or breasted through. 

 86 

THE BOOK OF POEÏEY. 

[PAKT I. 

I laboured to increase 
Our means, or great or small ; 
When 'mong friends near death did appear, 
On knees to help Pd crawl. 

5 No cherishing you give, 

Fm hostile in your eyes. 
As pedlar's,wares for which none cares, 

My virtues you despise. 

When poverty was nigh, 

I strove our means to spare ; 
You, DOW rich grown, me scorn to own; 

To poison me compare. 

6 The stores for winter piled 

Are all unprized in spring. 
So now, elate with your new mate, 

Myself away you fling. 

Your cool disdain for me 

A bitter anguish hath. 
The early time, our love's sweet prime, 

Tn you wakes only wrath. 

XI. 

The Shih mei; narrative. THE OFFICERS OF SOME STATE, WHO 

WERE REFUGEES AND IN DISTRESS IN WEI, EXHORT THEIE BULEB TO 
BETUEN WITH THEM. 

It is supposed that the speakers in these two verses were from Le, a 
State adjoining Wei, in which they had taken refuge in the time of duke 
Seuen. 

1 At this low ebb ! At this low ebb ! 
Why not, 0 prince, return to Le ? 
But for your sake, why bide we here, 
Houseless beneath the dew to be ? 

2 At this low ebb ! At this low ebb ! 

Why not to Le go back again ? 
But for your person, how should we 
Here in the mire so long have lain Î 

BE III. xiii.] THE BOOK OF ΓΟΕΤΕΤ. 87 

XII. 
The Maoit Ik'en: ; allusive and narrative. THE BEFUGEE MINISTERS 

OF LE COMPLAIN OF THOSE OF WEI FOR NOT ASSISTING THEM. 

1 On that high sloping mound, 

With joints now parted wide, 
The plants of dolichos 
Show here we long abide. 

Wei's nobles, whom we uncles style, 

Why thus delay on us to smile ? 

2 They rest and do not stir ;— 

Do they allies expect ? 
Wherefore protract the time ? 

AVhy us so much neglect ? 
Some reason they could surely plead 
For conduct, strange in this our need. 

3 ID chariots of the west, 

Hither from danger borne, 
In Wei we live depressed, 

Our fox-furs frayed and worn. 
Ye nobles, uncles, sooth to say, 
For us no sympathy display. 

4 A remnant small of Le, 

Driven from our proper home ; 
Children dispersed, we hoped 

That help from Wei would come. 
Alas ! though grand the robes you wear, 
You stop your ears against our prayer. 

XIII. 
The Keen he ; narrative and allusive. HALF IN SCOKN, HALF IN 

SOBROW, AN OFFICER OF WEI TELLS OF THE MEAN SEBVICES IN 
WHICH HE WAS EMPLOYED. 

1 With mind indifferent, things I easy take. 
In every dance I prompt appearance make :— 
Then, when the sun is at his topmost height ; 
There, in the place that courts the public sight. 

 THE BOOK OF POETEY. 

[PAET I. 

2 With figure large I in the court-yard dance, 

And the duke smiles, when he beholds ine prance. 
A tiger's strength I have ; the steeds swift bound ; 
The reins as ribbons in my hands are found. 

3 See how I hold the flute in iny left hand ; 

In right the pheasant's plume, waved like a wand ; 
With visage red, where rouge you think to trace, 
While the duke pleased, sends down the cup of grace ! 

4 Hazels on hills ; the ling in meadow damp;— 
Each has its place, while I'm a slighted scamp. 
My thoughts go back to th' early days of Chow, 
And inuse upon its chiefs, not equalled now. 
0 noble chiefs, who then the west adorned, 
Would ye have thus neglected ine and scorned ? 

XIV. 

The Ts'eiien shmuy ; allusive and narrative. A DAUGHTER OF THE 
HOUSE OF WEI, MARRIED IN ANOTHER STATE, EXPRESSES HER LONGING 
TO REVISIT WEI. 

It is not said who this princess was ; but her parents must have been 
dead. It would have been allowable for her to visit them at stated times 
if they were still alive. 

1 As the streamlet from its spring- 
Flows into the river E/e, 
So my daily thoughts on wing 
Fly, my native Wei, to thee ; 
For I long with cousins there 
Counsel sweet and love to share. 

2 For a night, at Tse I stayed ; 

Drank the cup to Ne when come ; 
Parents, brothers, farewell bade :— 

Such the fate on leaving home. 
Parents are not now alive ; 
Aunts and sister still survive. 

8 Lo ! I hasten home again. 

Let the rushing chariot-wheel 
Pause at Kan, and part at Yen, 
Pebbles flashing to its steel. 

III. XVI.] THE BOOK OF POETEY. 8(J 

Does my heart go far astray, 
Panting for its native Wei ? 

4 By the Fei-tsfeuen's winding stream 

Daily sighing thought will stray. 
Sen and Ts'aou in memory gleam, 

Broken glints of childhood's day. 
Spring, my horses ! Speed, my wheels ! 
Gone the grief my bosom feels ! 

XV. 

The Pih ΏΙΙΙΠ ; metaphorical and narrative. AN OFFICER OF WEI SETS 

FORTH, RATHER JESTINGLY, HIS HARD LOT, AND HIS SILENCE UNDER IT 
IN SUBMISSION TO HEAVEN. 

1 My way leads forth by the gate on the north ; 

My heart is full of woe. 
I hav'n't a cent, begged, stolen, or lent, 

And friends forget me so. 
So let it be ! 'tis Heaven's decree. 
What can I say,—a poor fellow like me ? 

2 The king has his throne, sans sorrow or moau ; 

On me fall all his cares, 
And when I come home, resolved not to roam, 

Each one indignant stares. 
So let it be ! 'tis Heaven's decree, 
What can I say,—a poor fellow like me ? 

3 Each thing of the king, and the fate of the State, 

On me come more and more. 
And when, sad and worn, I come back forlorn, 

They thrust me from the door. 
So let it be ! 'tis Heaven's decree. 
What can I say,—a poor fellow like me ? 

XVI. 

The Pih fung; metaphorical-narrative. SOME ONE OF WEI 
PRESSES HIS FRIENDS TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY WITH HIM AT ONCE, 
IN CONSEQUENCE OP THE PREVAILING OPPRESSION AND MISERY. 

1 As when the north winds keenly blow, 
And all around fast falls the snow, 

 90 THE B.OOK OF POETET. [PAET I. 

The source of pain and suffering great, 
So now it is in Wei's poor State. 
Let us join hands and haste away, 

My friends and lovers all. 
'Tis not a time will brook delay ; 
Things for prompt action call. 

2 As when the north winds whistle shrill, 
And drifting snows each hollow fill, 
The source of pain and suffering great. 
So now it is in Wei's poor State. 
Let us join hands, and leave for aye, 

My friends and lovers all, 
'Tis not a time will brook delay; 
Things for prompt action call. 

3 We look for red, and foxes meet ; 
For black, and crows our vision greet. 
The creatures, both of omen bad, 
Well suit the state of Wei so sad. 

Let us join hands and mount our cars, 

My friends and lovers all. 
No time remains for wordy jars ; 
Things for prompt action call. 

XVII. 

The Tsing neu; narrative. A GENTLEMAN DEPLORES HIS DISAP 
POINTMENT IN NOT BEING MET BY A LADY ACCORDING TO ENGAGEMENT, 
AND CELEBRATES HEB, GIFTS AND BEAUTY. 

1 0 sweet maiden, so fair and retiring, 
At the corner I'm waiting for you ; 
And I'm scratching my head, and inquiring 
What on earth it were best I should do. 

2 Oh ! the maiden, so handsome and coy, 

For a pledge gave a slim rosy reed. 
Than the reed is she brighter, my joy ; 
On her loveliness how my thoughts feed ! 

3 In the pastures a t'e blade she sought, 
And she gave it, so elegant, rare. 

BE: III. xix.] THE BOOK OF POETRY. 

Oh ! the grass does not dwell in my thought, 
But the donor, more elegant, fair. 

91 

XVIII. 

The Sin t'ae ; allusive-narrative. SATIRIZING THE MARRIAGE OF 
DUKE SEUEN AND SEUEN KËANG. 

In the introductory note to Ode IX., it has been stated how duke 
Seuen took to himself the lady who had been contracted to marry his 
eon Keih-tsze. It is only necessary to add here, that to accomplish his 
purpose, he caused a towpr to be built near the Ho, where he received the 
lady on her way from Ts'e, and detained her. We are not to suppose 
that the duke was hump-backed or otherwise mis-shaped ;—the poet so 
describes Mm, to express how he loathed his character. 

1 The New tower, fresh and bright, they show, 
Wliere its vast volume rolls the Ho ;— 

For bride a palace rare. 
To Wei she came, a mate to find ; 
She sought a husband young and kind, 

But found this mis-shaped bear. 

2 There stands the New tower grand and high, 
Where with still stream the Ho flows by ;— 

For bride a palace rare. 
To Wei she came, a mate to find ; 
She sought a husband young and kind, 
But found this mis-shaped bear. 

3 As when the net for fish they set, 
And lo ! a goose ensnared they get, 

They stamp with sudden ire ; 
So might she stamp who came to wed 
The genial son, and in his stead 
Got but the hump-backed sire. 

XIX. 

The Urli-tsze ; narrative. SURMISES AS TO THE DEATH or TWO 
SONS or DUKE SEUEN. 

It has been stated, on Ode IX., how Seuen Këang and Sob had plotted 
to clear the way for Soli's succession to the State by getting rid of Keih- 
tsze, the proper heir. At last the duke was prevailed on to send him on 
a mission to Ts'e, haviug arranged that he should be waylaid by ruffians, 

 92 

THE BOOK OF POETKY. 

[PART I. 

Εκ IV. T.] 

THE BOOK OF POETEY. 

after he landed on the northern bank of the Ho. Show hecame aware 
of the scheme, told Keih-tsze of it, and advised him to escape to another 
State. Keih-tsze declining to do this, the other took his boat, personated 
him, and was murdered by the ruffians. When Keih-tsze awoke, and 
found that Show was gone, he divined his object, took another boat, and 
followed him ; crying out, as he drew near the ruffians, in language which 
must always recall to a western reader the words of Ńisus, 

Me, me! adgum qui fed ; in me convertite ferrum. 

It was too late. The ruffians, " that they might make no mistake," mur 
dered him also. The duke tried to conceal the facts, but the people here 
intimate their suspicions of the truth. 

1 The two youths went into their boats, 
Whose shadow on the water floats. 

What evil to them came ? 
Anxious and wondering, long we muse ; 
Our hearts are tossed with tossing views. 

Some One must be to blame. 

2 Into their boats the two youths passed, 
And on the stream were carried fast. 

What was there to alarm ? 
With longing thought we fain would trace, 
The secret of thoir ill-starred race. 

Did they not come to harm ? 

BOOK IV. 

THE ODES OF YUNG. 

THERE is little to be said here beyond what has been stated on the title 
of the last Book. The statistical account of the present dynasty Bays 
that the capital of Yung was in the north-east of the present district of 
Keih, department Wei-hwey, Ho-nan. 

The Peh charv ; allusive. PBOTEST OP A WIDOW AGAINST BEING 

TJEGED TO MAKBY AGAIN. 

The piece, it is said, was made by Kung Keang, the widow of Kung- 
peh, son of the marquis He, B.c. 854—813. Her husband dying anearly 
tleath, her parents, who must have been the marquis of Ts'e and his wife, 
or one of the ladies of his harem, wanted to force upon her a second 
marriage ;—against which she here protests. This reference of the piece 
to Kung Kcang is not without historical difficulties ; but, no doubt, the 
piece was preserved as au example of what the Chinese have always con 
sidered a great virtue,—the refusal of a widow to marry again. A 
famous writer gives his opinion on the point tlius :—" It may be asked 
whether a widow left solitary and poor, « ith none to depend on, may not 
marry again, to which I reply that such is the suggestion of subsequent 
times through fear of want and starvation. But to die of want is a very 
small matter, while the loss of chastity is a very great matter ! " But 
why should Chinese moralists mete out different measures for the widow 
and the widower Î 

1 In the mid Ho that cypress boat floats free, 
While friends a second marriage press on me. 
I see my hnsband's youthful forehead there, 
And on it the twin tufts of falling hair. 
Rather than wed again Pll die, I swear ! 
O mother dear, 0 Heaven supreme, why should 
You not allow my vow, and aid my purpose good ? 

2 Near to the bank that cypress boat floats free, 
While friends a second marriage press on me. 
He was my only one, with forehead fair, 
And on it the twin tufts of falling hair. 

i'1, I, 

 THE BOOK OF POETEY. 

[PART I. 

Β κ IV. iv.] THE BOOK OP POETEY. 

95 

Till death to shun the evil thing I swear ! 
O mother dear, O Heaven supreme, why should 
You not allow my vow, and aid my purpose good ? 

II. 

The Ts'ëang yem ts'ze ; allusive. THE THINGS DONE IN THE HAEEM 

OF THE PALACE OF WE! WEEE TOO SIIAHEÎUL TO BE TOLD. 

The " things done in the harem " are supposed to refer to the connexion 
between Ch'aou-peh and Seuen K ang, which has been mentioned on the 
9th ode of last Book. 

1 As grows on wall the tribulus, 

And 'gainst the brush retains its hold ; 
So let what's in the harem done 
By us without remain untold. 
What must be told would tongue defile 
With things unfit for speech, and vile. 

2 As grows on wall the tribulus, 

Which vainly to remove we try ; 
So let what's in the harem done 

By us without unspoken lie. 
If on details we condescend, 
The narrative would have no end. 

3 As grows on wall the tribnlus, 

And cannot in the sheaf be tied ; 
So let what's in the harem done 

By us without untouched abide. 
If truth were in the tale laid bare, 
How foul a scene were painted there ! 

HI. 

The Kemi-tszc Mae laou ; narrative. CoKTEAST BETWEEN THE 
BEAUTY AND SPLENDOUR OF SEUEN KËANG AND HEB. VICIOUSNESS. 

See again the note on the 9th ode of the last Book. The intention and 
spirit of this piece only come out in the last two lines of the first stanza. 

1 Pledged to her husband, his alone to be ; 

With head-dress high, cross pins, and jewels rare; 
Her movements graceful, elegant, and free ; 
As mountain stately, with imposing air ; 

Majestic as a river, large and fair ; 
Her robes the various figured forms display. 

Fit seems it she such pictured robes should wear ! 
But, lady, vain is all your grand array ; · 
No claim to it can you, in virtue wanting, lay. 

2 Her pheasant-figured robe resplendent shines, 

Her hair, jet-black, cloud-like surmounts her head ; 
Her own, no false locks with it she entwines. 

Then see her ear-plugs, of the precious jade ; 

Her comb-pin, of the finest ivory made ; 
And her high forehead, shining pure and white. 

Like visitant come down from heaven, arrayed 
In fashion thus, for sacrificial rite,— 
Well may we goddess call her, and no earthly wight. 

3 At court now see her, on occasions great, 
To meet the ruler, or guests entertain ! 

As rich and splendid is her robe of state, 
With muslin 'neath it of the finest grain, 
Which takes the place of warmer garment plain. 

Her eyes are clear, with forehead broad and high, 
Which the full temples on each side sustain. 

With woman such as this how few can vie ! 

The beauty of the land, she charms the gazing eye ! 

IV. 

The Sanff-cfninff ; narrative. A GENTLEMAN BOASTS Or His INTIMACY 

AND INTEIGUES WITH VAEIODS NOBLE LADIES. 

The old school holds that this piece was intended as a satire on " the 
lewd customs of Wei." Choo sees in it only a love song. As a new lady 
comes up in every stanza, I think it may have been constructed to expose 
the licentiousness which prevailed. 

1 

The gold-thread to gather I'm going, 
Where in Wei it spreads over the tree ; 

But my thoughts for ever are flowing 
To the Beauty who captive holds me,— 

To the eldest Keang. Yes, it is she ! 
Freely did she agree in Sang-chung, 
She would come to me here in Shang-kung, 

And then company keep with me on to the K/e. 

 THE BOOK OF POETEY. 

[PART I. 

BE IV. VI.] THE BOOK OF FOETEY. 

97 

2 For the -wheat about Wei I'm going 

To the north where it grows in each part. 

But my thoughts for ever are flowing 
To the Beauty who rules in my heart,— 

To the eldest Yih. Yes, it is she ! 
Freely did she agree in Sang-chung, 
She would come to me here in Shang-kung, 

And then company keep with me on to the K'e. 

3 For the mustard-plant I am going 

Where in Wei it grows over the east. 

But my thoughts for ever are flowing 
To the Beauty on whose love I feast,— 

To the eldest Yung. Yes, it is she ! 
Freely did she agree in Sang-chung, 
She would come to me here in Shang-kung, 

And then company keep with me on to the Kfe. 

AGAINST SEUEN KËANG AND 

V. 

The SJiiin che pun-pirn ; allusive. 
CH'AOU PER, as worse than beasts. 

1 How bold the quails together rush, 

Each fighting for his mate ! 
How strong the magpies, battling fierce 

Upon the same debate ! 
This man, without a trait that's good, 

Is stained by vicious crime ; 

Yet him as brother I regard :— 

Alas ! woe worth the time ! 

2 How strong the magpies, battling fierce, 

Each one to keep his mate ! 
How fierce the quails together rush, 

Upon the same debate ! 
This woman, with no trait that's good, 

Is stained by vicious crime, 
Yet her I hail as marchioness :— 

Alas ! woe worth the time ! 

VI. 

The Ting cTiefang ¿hung ; narrative. THE PRAISE or DUKE WAN : 

——HIS DILIGENCE, FORESIGHT, SYMPATHY WITH THE PEOPLE, AND 
PROSPERITY. 

The Duke Hwuy of Wei died in B.C. 668, and was succeeded by his son 
Oh'ih, known as duke E, who perished in fighting with the Teih in B.c. 
659. Wei was then reduced to extremity, and had nearly disappeared from 
among the States of China. The people destroyed all the family of Hwuy, 
and, what we cannot but be surprised at, called to their head Shin, a son 
of Seuen Ke'ang and Ch'aou-pih. He was duke Tae, and crossed the Ho 
with the shattered remnant of the people, with whom he camped in the 
neighbourhood of Ts'aou. He died that same year, and his brother Wei, 
known as duke Woo, was called to his place, and became a sort of second 
founder of the State. It is of him that this piece speaks. 

Ting is a small space in the heavens, embracing two stars of Pegasus. 
It culminated at this time in the 10th month of the year, counting from 
the first month of spring, at night-fall, and this was a signal that now the 
labours of husbandry were over for the year, and that building operations 
should be taken in hand. The urgency for the rearing of the new capi 
tal was great, but the marquis would not take it in hand till the proper 
time for such a labour had arrived. 

1 At dusk the Ting star passed on to the west, 
And field-work for the year was laid to rest. 
At Ts'oo the duke his palace took in hand, 
And by the sun fixed how its walls should stand. 
All round about he planted many a tree,— 
Hazels and chestnuts, t'ung, and Isze, and e, 
And varnish trees. The grove would yield ere long 

Abundant wood for lutes, to aid the voice of song. 

2 He climbed those ruined walls, thence to inspect 
The site he wished for Ts'oo-k'ew to select. 
His glance the land from Ts'oo to T'ang mapped out, 
Noting the hills and smaller heights about. 
He then came down, the mulberry trees to view, 
And judged the soil, and learned its nature true. 
These things once done, he asked the tortoise-shell, 

Answer auspicious got,—and all succeeded well. 

3 Thereafter, when there fell the copious showers. 
He -often called his groom, and in the hours 
Of early dawn a-field by starlight drove 
Among the labourers, and to cheer them strove. 
And many ways he had, not this alone, 
In which his character distinguished shone, 
To duty bound, assiduous in his cares ;— 

And blessing came,—three thousand steeds and mares. 
VOL. in. 7 

 98 

THE BOOK OF POETKT. 

VII. 

[PAKT I. 

The Te tiing ; metaphorical and narrative. AGAINST LEWD CON 
NEXIONS. 

A rainbow is regarded by the Chinese as the result of an improper 
connexion between the yin and the ynng, the dark and the light, the 
feminine and masculine principles of nature ; and so it is an emblem of 
improper connexions between men and women. To point to a rainbow 
in the east is deemed unlucky. 

1 A rainbow in the east invites the gaze, 
But none a finger to it dares to raise. 
All view it with dislike ; but viler she, 
Who hastes to marry 'gainst propriety ! 
When from their early homes young women go, 
Parents and brothers they nigh cease to know. 
Important rules for step like this are made, 
And to such rules obedience should be paid. 

2 When rainbows in the west at morn appear, 
By morning's close the sky from rain is clear; 
So fleeting are the joys of lawless love ; 
Licentious pleasures evanescent prove. 
When from their early homes young women go, 
Parents and brothers they nigh cease to know. 
Important rules for step like this are made, 
And to such rules obedience should be paid. 

8 Ah ! think of this young girl whose wilful heart 
Is bent on marriage as her only part. 
She wrongs herself, to the right course untrue, 
Which every virtuous woman should pursue. 
She blames her lot, and, wanton, will not own 
Heaven's ordering of it on the parents thrown. 
For marriage ties the wisest rules are made, 
And to such rules obedience should be paid. 

VIII. 

The Sëang shod; allusive. A MAN WITHOUT PROPRIETY is NOT 

EQUAL TO A RAT. 

1 Behold a rat ! Its skin has glossy sheen ! 
Then mark that man's demeanour, poor and mean ! 

BK IV. IX.] THE BOOK OF POETKY. 99 

Bearing of bearing void !—what means it ? This :— 
'Twere better death than longer life were his ! 

2 Behold a rat ! Its teeth can sharply bite ! 

Then mark deportment careless of what's right ! 
Manners thus careless of what's right declare 
'Twere well the man himself for death prepare. 

3 Behold a rat ! How small its limbs, and fine ! 
Then mark the course that scorns the proper line ! 
Propriety's neglect may well provoke 
A wish the man would quickly court death's stroke. 

IX. 

The Ean maon; narrative. THE ZEAL or THE orriCERS or WEI 

TO WELCOME MEN OF WORTH. 

According to Choo, who gives the only admissible explanation of this 
piece, the first four lines of the stanzas describe the officers of Wei, 
meeting in the neighbourhood of Tseun, a recluse, but a man of worth, 
who comes from his obscurity, or a visitor to Wei from another State. 

1 Where Tseun's suburbs lie remote, 
Prom the staffs the ox-tails float. 
High the staffs, and each one bright 
With its silken bandlets white ! 
Pour cars drawn by steeds of fire 
Welcome guest whom all desire. 
Admirable, what will he 
Give to meet such courtesy ? 

2 In Tseun's suburbs near the town, 
Ply the falcon banners, blown 
Prom the staffs that rise around, 
All with bands of white silk bound. 
Five cars drawn by horses strong 
Wait the guest who comes along. 
Courteous, worthy,—what shall he 
Pay for all this courtesy ? 

3 Now the walls of Tseun we see j 
Feather'd streamers flutter free 
From the flag staffs strong and stout, 
Girt by silken bands about. 

7 * 

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[PART I 

BK IV. Till.] THE BOOK OF POETET. 

101 

Six cars drawn by steeds of fame 
Well attest the guest's high name. 
Sage profound, what can he say 
That euch welcome will repay ? 

The Tsae ch'e ; narrative. THE BARONESS MUH as HETJ COMPLAINS 
ΟΓ NOT BEING ALLOWED TO GO TO WE1 TO CONDOLE WITH THE MAR- 
QITIS ON THE DESOLATION OF HIS SlATE, AND APPEAL TO SOME GKEAT 
POWERS ON ITS BEHALÏ. 

The wife of the baron of Heu was one of the daughters of Señen 
Këang and Ch'aou-pih Hwan (see on iii. IX.), and a sister consequently 
of the dukes Tae and Wan of Wei. Sorry for the ruin which the Teih 
had brought on Wei, she had wished, while the remnant of the people 
was collected about Ts'aou, to go and condole with her brother (probably 
duke Wan), and consult with him as to what could be done in his 
desperate case. It was contrary, however, to the rules of propriety for 
a lady in her position to return to her native State, and she was not 
allowed to do so. In this piece we hare, it is supposed, her complaint, 
and the vindication of her purpose. 

1 I wished to urge my steeds, and drive 
To Wei, to share my brother's grief, 
Not slacking till we should arrive 

And halt at Ts'aou, and find relief. 
Another went, o'er hill, through stream, cross plain ; 
Here in deep sorrow I must still remain. 

2 What I wished for you denied; 
Here in Heu I must abide. 
And in your decision's spite' 
I must hold my purpose right. 
You, unkind, my purpose spurn ;— 
Not to Wei can I return. 
I must slight your views as nought, 
For I cannot quench my thought. 

3 I'll climb the sides of that steep mound, 

And pluck the lilies growing there. 
Thoughts in my woman's heart abound, 

And every thought might blossom bear. 
In Hcu the people all my purpose blame ; 
Their childish, hasty thoughts cause me no shame. 

4 I would through the land have gone, 
Passed where fields of rich wheat shone, 
Prayer have made to Ts'e's great state, 
Help have sought for Wei's sore strait. 
Nobles who o'er Wei preside, 
Zeal like this you should not chide. 
Hundreds are the plans you make ; 
Best the course I wished to take ! 

 102 

THE BOOK OF POETEY. 

[PART I. 

BOOK V. 

THE ODES OF WEI. 

To what has been said of Wei in the introductory note to the third 
Book, it may be added here that the State had a longer history under the 
descendants of K'ang-shuh than any of the other States of the Chow 
dynasty. It outlasted that dynasty itself, and subsisted through a period 
of 905 years, when the last prince of Wei was reduced to the ranks of 
the people under the second of the emperors of Ts'in. 

I. 

yuh; allusive. THE PRAISE OF DUKE Woo,—HIS ASSIDU 
OUS CULTIVATION OP HIMSELF ; HIS DIGNITY ; HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS. 

All the critics agree to accept duke Woo of Wei as the subject of this 
piece. He had a very long rule,—of 55 years ; and in his 42nd year, 
when " the Dog Jung " killed king Yew (B.C. 770), he led a body of 
Koldiers to the assistance of Chow, and did great service against the Jung, 
so that Yew's son, king P'ing, appointed him " a duke of the Court." 

1 How rich the clumps of green bamboo, 

Around each cove of Kfe ! 
They lead my thoughts to our duke Woo ;— 

Of winning grace is he ! 
As knife and file make smooth the bone, 
As jade by chisel wrought and stone, 

Is stamp upon him set. 
Grave and of dignity serene; 
With force of will as plainly seen ; 
Accomplished, elegant in mien; 

Him we can ne'er forget. 

2 Strong grow the clumps of green bamboo, 

Around each cove of Kfe. 
They lead my thoughts to our duke Woo ;— 

Of winning grace is he ! 
His ear-plugs are of pebbles fine; 
And gems like stars bright glittering shine, 

All o'er his cap of state. 

Εκ V. in.] 

THE BOOK OF POETEY. 

103 

Grave and of dignity serene ; 
With force of will as plainly seen ; 
Accomplished, elegant in mien ; 
Him we can ne'er forget. 

3 How thick the clumps of green bamboo, 

Around each cove of K'e ! 
They lead my thoughts to our duke Woo ;- 

Of winning grace is he ! 
Pure as the finest tin or gold, 
And as the sceptre princes hold 

So strong, while mild in mood ! 
See him in car with lofty side, 
Magnanimous and free from pride. 
His words to jest are oft allied, 

But never are they rude. 

II. 

The K'cuni pman ; narrative. A HAPPY EECLUSE. 

1 By the stream in the vale his hut he has reared, 

That man tall and stout, looking free from all cares. 
He lives all alone ; he sleeps, wakes, and then talks ;— 
And ne'er to forget what he prizes, he swears. 

2 In the bend of the mound his hut he has reared, 

That man tall and stout, gay and lightsome of heart. 
He lives all alone ; he sleeps, wakes, and then sings ;— 
He swears from this spot he will never depart. 

3 There on that level height his hut he has reared, 

That man tall and stout, who himself so contains. 
He lives all alone ; he sleeps, wakes, sleeps again ;— 
He swears he'll ne'er tell what in his mind reigns. 

III. 
The SMh jin : narrative. CHWANG KËANG AS RHE APPEARED ON 

HER ARRIVAL IN WEI. HER GREAT CONNEXIONS ; HER BEAUTY ; HER 
EQUIPAGE ; THE BICHES OF TS'E. 

The principal points in the history of Cliwang Kcang, who is evidently 
the subject of this piece, have been touched oil in the notes to the second 

Í 

 104 

THE BOOK OF POETRY. 

[PART I. 

BE V. iv.] 

THE BOOK OF POETET. 

105 

and some other odes of Book iii. The only difficulty in translating or 
versifying it is to determine whether the verbs are to be taken in the past 
tense or in the present. I have deferred to the general opinion of the 
Chinese critics, who take the piece to have been written after the lady 
became an object of commiseration through the behaviour of her husband. 

1 The lady was of figure large and tall. 

In broidered robe, hid 'neatli a garment plain, 
A bride, she carne from Ts'e's high palace hall, 
In Wei, as wife of our great lord to reign. 
'Gainst her of no inferior birth the stain 
Could be alleged, sister of Ts'e's great heir. 

Of other grand alliances a train 
She could display, for her two sisters fair 
The highest dignity in Hing and T£an did wear. 

2 Like blades of white grass were her fingers fine ; 
Her skin like purest ointment hard congealed ; 
Her neck like larvas on the tree which shine 
So long and white. Her opening lips revealed 
Her even teeth, behind their screen concealed, 
Like melon seeds. Her front cicada-square, 

Displayed her eyebrows curved upon its field, 

Like horns of silkworm moth ; and dimples rare, 

With dark and lucid eyes, showed face beyond compare. 

3 When, on her coming, near the city Avail, 

She halted in the cultured fields, each eye 
Viewed with delight her figure large and tall. 

Her team of mettled steeds their bits tossed high, 
Bound which was twined red cloth in rich supply. 
Then in her carriage she went on in state, 

Its pheasant-screens oft followed by the cry, 
" Early retire from court, ye nobles great ; 
The marquis leave untired, to cherish this fit mate." 

4 Where out of Ts'e into our State she passed, 

Its banks all green with rush and sedges rank, 
Northwards the Ho rolled on the waters vast 
Of its majestic stream, while in it sank 
With plashing sound the nets, which dripping, dank, 
The toiling fishers dropt into the wave, 

'Mong shoals of sturgeon, both the large and lank. 
Her sister ladies shone in dresses brave, 
And martial looked the officers, who escort gave. 

IV. 

The Jlfanff : narrative, with the other elements interspersed. A WO 
MAN, WHO HAD FOBJIED AN IlIPEuPER CONNEXION, NOW CAST OFF, 
BELATES AND BEMOANS HEE SAD CASE. 

In the 9th line of the 1st stanza the speaker refers to the practice in 
China from the most ancient times of employing go-betweens or inter- 
nuncii to form the contract of marriage. The " shell and reeds " in line 
11th of stanza 2nd are the tortoise-shell and the stalks of the achillew, 
used for purposes of divination. 

1 A simple-looking lad you seemed, 

When first you met my eye, 
By most a travelling merchant deemed, 

Raw silk for cloth to buy. 
But your true aim "was to propose 

That I should go with you ; 
And through the K'e I went quite free, 

Until we reached Tun-k'ew. 
'Twas then I said, " It is not I, 

Who would the time delay ; 
Your go-between I have not seen, 

I must not run away. 
I pray, Sir, do not angry be ; 

In autumn be the day." 

2 When autumn came, then climbed I oft 

That ruined wall, and gazed 
Towards Fuh-kwan, my heart all soft, 

With expectation raised. 
When you came not, my hapless lot 

With streams of tears I mourned. 
At last your longed-for form I saw, 

And tears to smiles were turned. 
With words I strove to tell my love, 

While you averment made 
That shell and seeds good answer gave. 

" No more delay," I said. 

" Your carriage bring ; I'll go at once, 
My goods all in it laid." 

3 When on the mulberry tree the leaves 
All hang in glossy state, 

 106 THE BOOK OP POETEY. [PART I. 

The sight is fair. 0 dove, beware ; 

Its fruits intoxicate. 
Ah ! thou, young maiden, too wilt find 

Cause for repentance deep, 
If, by a lover's arts seduced, 

Thyself thou fail to keep. 
A gentleman who hastes to prove 

The joys of lawless love, 
For what is done may still atone ; 

To thee they'll fatal prove. 

Thou'lt try in vain excuse to feign, 
Lost like the foolish dove. 

4 When sheds its leaves the mulberry tree, 

All yellow on the ground, 
And sear they lie. Such fate have I 

Through my rash conduct found. 
Three years with you in poverty 

And struggles hard I've passed ; 
And now with carriage-curtains wet, 

Through flooded K'e I haste. 
I always was the same, but you 

A double mind have shown. 
'Tis you, Sir, base, the right transgress ; 

Your conduct I have known. 

Aye changing with your moods of mind, 
And reckless of rny moan. 

5 Three years of life I was your wife, 

And laboured in your house ; 
I early rose, late sought repose, 

And so fulfilled my vows. 
I never did, one morning's space, 

My willing work suspend, 
But me thus cruelly you treat, 

And from your dwelling send. 
All this my brothers will not own, 

At me they'll only jeer, 
And say I reap as I have sown ; 

Reply they will not hear. 
In heart I groan, and sad bemoan 

My fate with many a tear. 

BK V. v.] 

THE BOOK OP POETET. 

107 

6 Together were we to grow old ;— 

Old now, you make me pine. 
The K'e aye flows within its banks, 

Its shores the lake confine. 
But you know neither bank nor shore, 

Your passions ne'er denied. 
Back to my happy girlhood's time, 

With hair in knot still tied, 
I wildly go ; I'll never know 

Its smiles and chat again. 
To me you clearly swore the faith, 

Which now to break you're fain. 
Could I foresee so false you'd be ? 

And now regret is vain. 

V. 

The Chuh kan ; narrative. A DAUGHTER OP THE HOUSE Or WEI, 
MAEEIBD IN ANOTHER STATE, EXPRESSES HEK LONGING TO REVISIT 
WEI. 

The argument of this ode is the same with that of iii. XIV. ; but we 
are not to suppose that the lady of the one is the same as that in the 
other. 

1 With long and tapering rods, 

You angle in the K'e. 
I think of you, dear friends, 
Here far removed from Wei. 

2 Ts'euen-yuen upon the left, 
K'e on the right I view. 
But married far away, 
To home I bade adieu. 

3 Those streams, this on the right, 

That on the left, appear. 
The laugh that shows your teeth, 
Your tinkling gems, I hear. 

4 I watch the cedar oars 

On K'e, and boats of pine. 
O might I travel there, 

And soothe this heart of mine ! 

\ 

\ 

 108 

THE BOOK OP POETET. 

[PAKT I. 

BK Y. ix.] 

THE BOOK OF POETET. 

109 

The Hman-lan; allusive. 
OP BANK. 

VI. 
PICTURE OF A CONCEITED YOUNG MAN 

It is of no use trying, as many Chinese critics do, to find a historical 
application for the subject of this piece. The spike at the girdle was of 
ivory, worn for the purpose of loosening knots. It belonged to the 
equipment of grown-up men, and was supposed to indicate their com 
petency for the management of business, however intricate. The archer's 
thimble was also made of ivory ; it was placed on the thumb of the 
right hand, to assist in drawing the bow. A ring of jade is now often 
employed for the same purpose. 

1 Feeble as branch, of sparrow-gourd, this youth, 
Wears spike at girdle, as if he, forsooth, 
Were quite a man ; but though the spike he wears, 
He knows not us at whom he proudly stares. 
How easy and conceited is his mien ! 
How drop his girdle-ends, full jaunty seen ! 

2 Like leaf of sparrow-gourd, that coxcomb young, 
With archer's thimble at his girdle hung ! 
He wears the thimble, but he's not the Swell 
To lord it over us who know him well. 
How easy and conceited is his mien ! 
How drop his girdle-ends, full jaunty seen ! 

VII. 
The Ho Jtimnff : narrative. OTHER THINGS MORE DIFFICULT TO 

OVERCOME THAN DISTANCE MAY KEEP ONE FROM A PLACE. 

This little piece is referred to a daughter of Seuen Ke'ang (iii. IX.) 
who was married to duke Hwan of Sung. After bearing a son, she was 
divorced, and returned to Wei. By and by that son became duke of 
Sung, and she wished to return to that State, but submitted to the rules 
of propriety, which forbade her doing so ;—intimating, however, her 
maternal longing in these two verses, which are supposed to be greatly to 
her honour. 

1 They tell me that the Ho is wide ;— 

With a few reeds I could cross through. 
They tell me Sung is distant far ;— 
Rising on tiptoe Sung I view. 

2 They tell me that the Ho is wide ;— 
A little boat it will not bear. 

They tell me Sung is distant far ;— 
Ere morning fades I might be there. 

VIII. 
The Pik he ; narrative, and metaphorical. A WIPE MOURNS OVER 

THE PROTRACTED ABSENCE OF HEB HUSBAND ON THE KING'S SERVICE. 

1 How martial looks my noble man, 

The hero of the land ! 
See him in chariot lead the van, 
His halberd in his hand ! 

2 Since eastward on his course he sped, 

My hair neglected flies. 
I might anoint and wash my head, 
But not to meet his eyes. 

3 For rain, for rain, the people cry, 

But brightly shines the sun ; 
So for my absent lord long I, 
Head pained, and heart undone. 

4 Where shall I lethe's lily find, 

Behind my house to set ? 
I think of him with aching mind, 
For how can I forget ? 

IX. 

The Tern Ju>o ; metaphorical. A WOMAN EXPRESSES HEB DESIEE FOR 

A HUSBAND. 

The woman certainly does so in a singular way ; but in this interpreta 
tion of the piece all the critics agree ; while the older ones find in it a 
condemnation of the government of Wei, which certainly does not appear 
in it. 

1 Lonely, suspicious, is that fox, 

At that dam cross the Kfe. 
Like him that man, for whom I'm sad ! 
No lower dress has he. 

2 Lonely, suspicious, is that fox. 

At that deep ford of K'e. 
Like him that man, for whom I'm sad ! 
No girdle-sash has he ! 

 110 

THE BOOK OF POETRY. 

[PAKT T. 

BK VI. i.] 

THE BOOK ΟΓ POETET. 

Ill 

3 Lonely, suspicious, is that fox, 

There, on the bank of K'e. 
Like him that man, for whom I'm sad ! 
No clothes at all has he ! 

BOOK VI. 

X. 

The Muh Jiwa ; metaphorical. SMALL GIFTS OF KINDNESS SHOULD 

BE RESPONDED TO WITH GREATER ; WHILE FRIENDSHIP IS MORE THAN 
ANY GIFT. 

When Wei was nearly extinguished by the Teih, duke Hwan of Ts'e, 
as the leading prince among the States, came grandly and munificently 
to its help ; and Maou finds in this piece the grateful sentiments of the 
people of Wei towards him. If this be the correct interpretation, 
Hwan's all but royal munificence and favour is strongly represented by 
the insignificant present of a fruit. Choo compares the piece with Hi. 
XVII., and thinks it may refer to an interchange of courtesies between 
a lover and his mistress. But we need not seek any particular interpret 
ation of it. What is metaphorically set forth may have a general ap 
plication. 

1 A tree-gourd they gave me in compliment, 

And I in return gave a lovely A-ett-gem. 
'Twas not in return for the compliment ;— 

I wished to make lasting my friendship with them. 

2 A peach they presented in compliment, 

And I in return gave a lovely yaou-gem. 
'Twas not in return for the compliment ;— 

I wished to make lasting my friendship with them. 

3 A plum they presented in compliment, 

And I in return gave a lovely /rew-stone. 
'Twas not in return for the compliment ;— 
Our friendship to knit was my motive alone. 

THE ODES ΟΓ THE ROYAL DOMAIN. 

BY the " Royal Domain " we are to understand the territory attached 
to Loh, or the eastern capital of ( !how. At the beginning of that dynasty 
king Wan occupied the city of Fung, in the present district of Hoo of 
the department Se-gan, Shen-se, from which his son Woo moved the seat 
of government a little further east to Haou, SO le south of the present 
district city of Ch'ang-gan. in the same department. In the time of king 
Ch'ing, a city was built near the present Loh-yang, Ho nan, and called 
" the eastern capital." Meetings of the princes of the States assembled 
there, but the court continued to be held at Haou, till the accession of 
king P'ing, who removed it to Loh in B.C. 769. From this time the Chow 
kings sank nearly to the level of the princes of the States, and the poems 
collected in their domain were classed with " the Lessons of Manners," 
though still distinguished by the epithet of Boyal, prefixed to them. 

I. 

The Shoo le; narrative. AN OFFICEE DESCRIBES His MELANCHOLY 

AND REFLECTIONS ON SEEING THE DESOLATION OF THE OLD CAPITAL 
OF CHOW. 

1 Where the palaces rose grand, 
When Chow nobly ruled the land, 
Millets, some with drooping head, 
Some, just coming into blade, 
All around abundant grew. 
Slow the fields I wandered through, 
Moved in heart such sight to view. 
Friends who knew me understood 
What induced my saddened mood. 
Those who did not know me said, 
There I search for something made. 
0 thou azure Heaven, remote, 
Who this desolation wrought ? 

2 Where the palaces rose grand, 
When Chow nobly ruled the land, 
Millets, drooping, heavy here, 
There just coining into ear, 

 ¿ 

112 THE BOOK OF POETRY. [PAßT I. 

All around abundant grew. 
Slow the fields I wandered through, 
Drunk with grief such sights to view. 
Friends who knew me understood 
What induced my saddened mood. 
Those who did not know me said, 
There I search for something made. 
0 thou azure Heaven, remote, 
Who this desolation wrought Î 

3 Where the palaces rose grand, 
When Chow nobly ruled the land, 
Millets, heavy, drooping low, 
Some the bursting grain that show, 
All around abundant grew. 
Slow the fields I wandered through, 
Breath nigh stopt such scene to view. 
Friends who knew me understood 
What induced my saddened mood. 
Those who did not know me said, 
There I search for something made. 
0 thou azure Heaven, remote, 
Who this desolation wrought ? 

II. Scoticè. 
The Keuii-tsze yn yih ; narrative. THE FEELINGS OF A WIFE ON 

THE PROLONGED ABSENCE OF HEB HUSBAND ON SEBYICE, AND HEB 
LONGING FOB HIS BETUBN. 

1 The gudeman's awa, for to fecht vd' the stranger, 

An' when he'll be back, oh ! my hert canna tell. 
The hens gae to reist, an' the beests to their manger, 
As hameward they wend frae their park on the hill. 
But hoc can T, thus left alane, 
Help thinking o' my man that's gane ? 

2 The gudeman's awa, for to fecht wi' the stranger, 

An' lang will it be ere he see his fireside. 
The hens g-ae to reist, an' the beests to their manger, 
As the slantin' sunbeams throu the forest trees glide. 
Heaven kens the láñeseme things I think. 
Heaven sen' my man his meat an' drink ! 

BE VI. iv.] THE BOOK OF POETKT. 

113 

III. Scoticè. 

The Keun-tsze yang-yang ; narrative. THE HUSBAND S SATISFACTION, 
AND THE WIFE'S JOY, ON HIS EETTJRN. 

I have interpreted both this piece and the former after Choo He. He 
thinks this is a sequel to the other ; and I do not think anything better 
can be made of it. 

1 The gudeman's come hame, an' his face weers a bloom, 

His organ o' reeds he hads in his left han' ; 
An' his rieht han' ca's me to come till his room :— 
It's siccan a joy ; it's mair nor I can stan'. 

2 The gudeman's come hame, an' he's pleesed I'll engage, 

His gran' fether screen he hads in his left han' j 
An' his rieht han' ca's me to come till the stage :— 
It's siccan a joy ; it's mair nor I can stan'. 

For the following Latin version of these two verses I am indebted to 
Mr Mercer. 

Fronte vir grata meus appropinquat, 
In manu portât citharam sinistrâ ; 
Allicit dextrâ thalamos inire. 
Gaudia nobis ! 

Indicit Isetam faciem Maritus, 
Fert et umbellam gracilem in sinistrâ ; 
Invocat dextrâ penetrare scenam. 
Gaudia nobis ! 

IV. 

The Yang che shmuy : allusive. THE TEOOPS OF CHOW, KEPT ON 
DUTY IN SHIN, MUEMUB AT THEIB SEPABATION FBOM THEIE FAMILIES. 

The mother of king P'ing was a Këang, a daughter of the house of 
Shin. That State had suffered repeatedly from the attacks of Ts'oo, and 
the king, after removing to the eastern capital, sent his own people to 
occupy and defend it, and kept them long absent on the service ; and this 
piece contains the expression of their dissatisfaction in consequence. The 
bearing of the two allusive lines in each stanza on the rest has not been 
detected in a satisfactory way by any one.—Ptoo and Heu were Email 
States, confederate with Shin. 

VOL. in. 8 

 114 

THE BOOK OP POETRY. 

[PAKT I. 

1 Fretted the waters seem, 

Yet gently flows the stream ;— 

Unable a faggot to bear. 

Guarding Shin here we roam, 
Wives and children at home, 

All absent our toils who should share. 
We think of them ever ; 
Thought parts from them never ;— 

What month shall we homeward repair ? 

2 Fretted the waters seem. 

Yet gently flows the stream ;— 

A bundle of thorns 'twill not bear. 
Guarding Pfoo here we roam, 
Wives and children at home, 

All absent our toils who should share. 
We think of them ever ; 
Thought parts from them never;— 

What month shall we homeward repair ? 

3 Fretted the waters seem, 

Yet gently flows the stream ;— 

The reed-bun die powerless to bear, 
GuardiDg Pieu here we roam, 
Wives and children at home, 

All absent our toils who should share. 
We think of them ever ; 
Thought parts from them never ;— 

What month shall we homeward repair ? 

v. 

The Chnmg Jath; allusive. THE BAD CASE OF A WOMAN FORCED 

TO SEPARATE FROM HEE HUSBAND BY THE PRESSURE OP FAMINE. 

1 The valleys show the mother-wort, 

Now scorched in each dry spot. 
Behold a wife driven forth from home, 

Beneath hard famine's lot ! 
She sadly sighs, she sadly sighs, 
From husband torn and dearest ties. 

2 The valleys show the mother-wort, 
Now scorched where tall it rose. 

BK VI. vi.] THE BOOK OP POETKT. 115 

Behold a wife driven forth from home, 

By stern misfortune's blows ! 
We hear her groans, we hear her groans, 
As she her hapless fate bemoans. 

3 The valleys show the mother-wort, 

Scorched in each dampest place. 
Behold a wife driven forth from home— 

Bewail in vain her case ! 
Her tears aye flow, her tears aye flow ; 
However she grieve, ne'er ends her woe ! 

VI. 

The T'oo ynen; metaphorical. AN OFFICER OF CHOW DECLARES 

HIS WEARINESS OF LIFE BECAUSE OF THE GROWING MISERIES OF THE 
STATE, AOT> OF THE WAY IN WHICH MEÎÏ OF PRINCIPLE SUFFERED, 
WHILE WORTHLESS MEN ESCAPED. 

1 Caught is the pheasant in the net, 
That vainly for the hare is set. 
So those who duty promptly do 
Find cause their loyal zeal to rue, 
While one whose ends are base and mean 
Contrives from harm himself to screen. 
When I was in my youthful prime, 
Without commotion passed the time ; 
Bnt since those happy days were o'er, 
Numerous the ills that press us sore :— 

1 would that I might sleep, and rise no more ! 

2 Caught is the pheasant in the snare, 
Avoided by the cautious hare. 
So those who duty promptly do 
Find cause their loyal zeal to rne, 
While one whose ends are base and mean 
Contrives from harm himself to screen. 
When I was in my youthfnl prime, 
No strange events e'er marked the time ; 
But now those days have passed away, 
And sorrows meet us day by day :— 

I would that I might sleep, and sleep for aye ! 

 116 

THE BOOK OF POBTET. 

[ΡΔΕΤ I. 

3 Into the trap the pheasant flies, 

Which the hare shuns with cautious eyes. 
So those who duty promptly do 
Find cause their loyal zeal to rue, 
While one whose ends are base and mean 
Contrives from harm himself to screen. 
When I was in my youthful prime, 
No toilsome tasks distressed the time ; 
But in these latter days of life, 
Our miseries are waxen rife :— 

0 for the sleep unbroke by sound of strife ! 

VII. 

The Koh luy ; allusive. A WANDERER FEOM CHOW, SEPARATED 

FROM HIS KIN, MOURNS OVER HIS LOT. 

1 Around the creepers thickly spread, 

On the borders of the Ho. 
My native soil no more I tread ; 
Into exile forth I go. 

Far removed from kindred all, 
Father I a stranger call. 
Though so called, he does not brook 
Kindly upon me to look. 

2 Around the creepers thickly spread, 

On the green banks of the Ho. 
My native soil no more I tread ; 
Into exile forth I go. 

Far removed from kindred all, 
Mother I a stranger call. 
Though so called, she does not deign 
Me as child to entertain. 

3 Around the creepers thickly spread, 

On the bank-lips of the Ho. 
My native soil no more I tread ; 
Into exile forth I go. 

Far from all who bear my name, 
Elder brother I would claim 
In a stranger, but he spurns 
Such a claim, and from me turns. 

BE VI. IX.] THE BOOK OF POETKY. 

117 

VIII. 
The Ts'ae koh; narrative. A LADY LONGS FOB THE SOCIETY OF 

THE OBJECT OF HER AFFECTION. 

1 He's there, the dolichos among ! 
Only one day from sight away,— 
To me it seems as three months long ! 

2 He's there, among the southernwood ! 
Only one day from sight away,— 
It seems three seasons' solitude ! 

3 Among the mugwort he appears ! 
Only one day from sight away,— 
To me it seems as three full years ! 

IX. 

The Ta hew ; narrative. THE INFLUENCE or A SEVEEE AND VIRTU 
OUS MAGISTRATE IN EEPRESSING LICENTIOUSNESS. 

1 He rolls along in carriage grand, 

His robes are bright with green,— 
His robes of rank, as on the bank 

The tender sedge is seen. 
Thinking I always am of thee, 

Thinking with fond desire ; 
But dreading his severity, 

I must repress the fire. 

2 With slow and heavy sound his car,— 

His car of state, moves on. 
O'er his dress spread, the colours red 

Shine like carnation-stone. 
Thinking I always am of thee ; 

The fondest thoughts have I. 
The fear of him alone holds me, 

Or to thine arms I'd fly. 

3 Our fate may be, while still alive, 

Always apart to dwell ; 
But when we're dead, we shall be laid 
In the same earthen cell. 

 118 THE BOOK OF POETET. [PART I. 

If haply thou should'st say that I 

Am not iu this sincere, 
I swear its truth by that day's eye, 

Whose piercing glance I fear. 

The Ji'ew chunff yew ma ; narrative. A WOMAN LONGS FOE THE 

PRESENCE OF HEB LOVERS, WHO, SHE THINKS, ABE DETAINED FROM 
HER BY ANOTHER WOMAN. 

This interpretation of the ode lies upon the surface of it, and is that 
given by Choo He. The older interpreters refer the piece to the time of 
king Chwang (B.C. 69η—β79), who drove away from their employment 
men of worth through his want of intelligence. The people, they say, 
mourned the loss of such men, and expressed their desire for their return 
in these verses. 

1 Where the hemp grows on the mound, 
There some one keeps Tsze-tseay ; 
There some one keeps Tsze-tseay :— 
Why comes not lie to me with a bound ? 

2 On the mound where grows the wheat, 
There some one keeps Tsze-kwoh ; 
There some one keeps Tsze-kwoh :— 
Why comes not he with me here to eat ? 

3 On the mound plum trees have place. 
There some one keeps those youths ; 
There some one keeps those youths :— 
0 for their Äeiü-stones girdle to grace ! 

BK VII. i.] 

THE BOOK OF POETET. 

119 

BOOK VII. 

THE ODES OF CHfING. 

THE State of Ch'ing was not one of the oldest fief s of the Chow dynasty. 
In B.C. 805, king Seuen conferred on his brother Yew the appanage of 
Ch'ing in the present Hwa Chow, department of T'ung-chow, Shen-se. 
Yew, who is called duke H wan in the list of the lords of Ch'ing, acted as 
minister of Instruction at the royal court, and was killed in 773, not long 
before the Juag hordes took the capital, and put the reigning sovereign 
to death. His son, known as duke ΛΥοο, was of great service to king 
P'ing when he moved the capital to the east, and succeeded to his father's 
office ; and becoming possessed of the lands of Kih and K'wei, south of 
the Ho, north of the Ying, east of the Loh, and west of the Tse, he re 
moved there, and called his State New Ch'ing (/Si«, Ch'ing), which is still 
the name of one of the districts of the department of K'ae-fung, Ho-nan. 
For further information about Ch'ing, see the note on the title of Bkxiii. 

I. 

The Tsze e ; narrative. THE PEOPLE OF THE CAPITAL EXPBESS THEIS 

ADM1BATION OF, AND REGARD FOR, DUKE WoO OF Cll'lNG. 

We have the authority of Confucius, in the Le Ke, for understanding 
this piece as expressive of the regard due to ability and virtue. The 
subject of it is by all critics understood to be duke Woo, mentioned in 
the preceding note. Ministers of the court wore black rohes,—not in the 
king's court when having audience of him, but in their own courts or 
offices, to which they proceeded after the morning audience to discharge 
their several duties. 

1 The black robes well your form befit ; 

When they are worn we'll make you new. 
Now for your court ! oh ! there we'll sit, 

And watch how you your duties do. 
And when we to our homes repair, 
We'll send to you our richest fare, 
Such is the love to you we bear ! ! 

2 Those robes well with your virtue match ; 

When they are worn we'll make you new. 
Now for your court ! There will we watch, 
Well pleased, how you your duties do. 

 120 

THE BOOK OF POETET. 

[PART I. 

And when we to our homes repair, 
We'll send to you our richest fare, 
Such is the love to you we bear ! 

3 Those robes your character beseem ; 

When they are worn we'll make you new. 
Now for your court ! oh ! there we deem 

It pleasure great your form to view. 
And when we to our homes repair, 
We'll send to you our richest fare, 
Such is the love to you we bear ! 

II. 

The Tsëang Cleung-tsze ; narrative. A LADY BEGS HER LOVEE το 

LET HEB ALONE, AND NOT EXCITE THE SUSPICIONS OF HEB PAEKNTB 
AND OTHEES. 

1 My worthy Chung, I pray, 
Do not in such a way 
Into my hamlet bound, 
My willow trees to wound. 
For them I do not care, 
But you my parents scare, 
'lis their words I fear. 

You, Chung, have my heart ; 
But their words severe 
Will cause me to smart. 

2 My worthy Chung, I pray, 
Do not in such a way 
Come leaping o'er my wall, 
And make the branches fall 
From my mulberry tree. 
That does not trouble me, 
But my brothers all see. 
'Tis their words I fear. 

You, Chung, have my heart ; 
But their words severe 
Will cause me to smart. 

3 My worthy Chung, I pray, 
Do not in such a way 

BE VIT. m.] THE BOOK OF POETET. 

Into my garden jump, 
My sandal trees to thump. 
For them I do not care, 
But people grow aware 
What 'tis that brings you there. 
'Tis their words I fear. 

You, Chung, have my heart ; 
But their words severe 
Will cause me to smart. 

121 

IIL 

The SJwh yu t'ëen ; narrative. 
SHUH-TWAJÍ WAS BEGAUDED. 

THE ADMIRATION WITH WHICH 

Duke Woo was succeeded by his son Woo-shang, known as duke Chwang, 
in B.C. 742. To this son his mother had a great dislike, while a younger 
brother (Shuh), named Twan, was her favourite ; and the two plotted 
together to get possession of the State. Shuh was a dashing young fel 
low ; but his character otherwise was the reverse of being worthy of 
admiration, and we must suppose that this ode and the next merely ex 
press the sentiments of his partisans. 

1 To the hunt Shuh has gone, 
And people there are none 

Remaining in the street. 
Perhaps a few you'll find ; 
But none like Shuh so kind, 

So graceful, will you meet. 

2 To the chase Shuh has gone, 
And people there are none 

Left feasting in the street. 
If find a few you could, 
Yet none like Shuh so good, 

So graceful, would you meet. 

3 To the fields Shuh has gone, 
And people there are none 

Careering through the street. 
Some riders though you told, 
Yet none like Shuh so bold, 

So graceful, would you meet. 

 122 

THE BOOK OF POETET. 

[PART I. 

IV. 

The Ta Shuh yu t'ëeti; narrative. CELEBRATING THE CHARIOTEER 
ING, BAKING, AND AECHEEY OF SHUH-TWAN. 

1 Our Shuh a-hunting forth has gone ; 
In four-horsed chariot grand lie shone. 
As ribbon in his grasp each rein ; 
With measured steps, like dancers twain, 

The outside horses flew. 

They now have reached the marshy ground ; 
At once the flames break out around. 
With naked arm and chest Shuh stands ; 
A tiger fierce his nervous hands 

Grapple and soon subdue. 
He then presents it to the duke, 
While all with wonder on him look. 
But, Shuh, try not such sport again. 
What grief were ours if you were slain ! 

Your daring we should rue. 

2 Our Shuh a-hunting drove away, 
His four steeds all of colour bay. 
The outsides followed close behind 
The insides, finest of their kind, 

Like wild geese on the wing. 
They now have gained the marshy ground ; 
At once the flames blaze all around. 
Few archers can with Shuh compare ; 
A charioteer of cunning rare, 

The steeds before him spring. 
Now they dash on in course direct ; 
Now they're brought up and quickly checkt. 
Forth flies the arrow, fleet and stark, 
Nor fails to hit its proper mark, 

His left hand following. 

3 Our Shuh a-hunting drove away, 
His four steeds all of colour grey. 
With heads in line the insides sped ; 
The outsides followed like the head 
Succeeded by the arms. 

VIT. V.] THE BOOK OF POETEY. 123 

They now have reached the marshy ground ; 
One blaze of flame wraps all around ; 

Soon cease the hunt's alarms. 
Shuh's steeds before him slowly move ; 
His skill the arrows cease to prove. 
Straightway the quiver's lid is closed, 
And in its case the bow reposed. 

How his fine bearing charms ! 

V. 

The Ts'ing jlii ; narrative. THE USELESS MANŒUVHING or AN ABMY 
or CH'ING ON THE FEONTIEES. 

The Tso-chuen, on the sentences in the Ts'ëun-Ch'ew, under the 2nd year 
of duke Min, that " The Teih entered Wei," and " Ch'ing threw away its 
army," says that " the carl of Ch'ing hated Kaou K'ih, and sent him with 
an army to the Ho to resist the Teih. where he was stationed for a long 
time without being recalled. The troops dispersed, and returned to their 
homes. Kaou K'ih himself fled to Ch'in ; and the people of Ch'ing, 
with reference to the affair, made the Ta'ing jin." The attack of Wei by 
the Teih, which has been often referred to in Books iv. and v., took place 
in B.c. 659. P'ang, Sëaou, and Chow were all cities near the Ho, 
which flowed through both the States of Ch'ing and Wei. 

1 The men of Ts'ing in P'ang all idle lie. 

The general's chariot with its mail-clad team 
Moves restlessly, and, rising from it, gleam 
The tasseled spears, one 'bove the other high. 
So aimless roam the troops about the Ho ! 

2 The men of Ts'ing all round in Seaou are spread, 
Although the chariot, with its mail-clad team, 
Looks martial-like, and, rising from it, gleam 
The hooked spears, one high, one low displayed ; 
Yet aimless look they all about the Ho ! 

3 The men of Ts'ing have moved to Chow. Proud pace 
The mail-clad team, whose driver on the left 
Wheels round the chariot, and the spearman deft 
Displays his spear ; 'tween them the general's face 
Looks pleased ;—'tis mimic war upon the Ho ! 

 'Il 

124 

THE BOOK OP POETRY. 

VI 

[PART L 

BE VII. IX.] THE BOOK OF POETRY. 

125 

The Kaou Wem ; narrative. CELEBRATING SOME OFFICER OF CH'ING 

FOK HIS ELEGANT APPEARANCE AND INTEGRITY. 

1 How glossy is the lambkin's fur, 

Smooth to the touch, and fair to view ! 
In it arrayed, that officer 

Rests in his lot, to virtue true. 

2 With leopard-cuffs, the lambkin's fur 

Seems made for wearer strong in fight. 
It well becomes that officer, 

Whom none will see swerve from the right. 

3 Splendid his robe of lambkin's fur, 

With its three decorations grand ! 
It well beseems that officer, 

The pride and glory of our land. 

VII. 
The Tsun ta loo ; narrative. OLD FRIENDSHIP SHOULD NOT BE 

HASTILY BROKEN OFF. 

I cannot venture on any further interpretation of these two verses. 
Choo hears in them the words of a woman entreating her lover not to 
cast her off ; Maou, the words of the people, entreating good men not to 
leave the State. 

1 Along the great highway, 
I hold you by the cuff. 
O spurn me not, I pray, 

Nor break old friendship off. 

2 Along the highway worn, 

I hold your hand in mine. 
Do not as vile me scorn ; 
Your love I can't resign. 

vm. Scoticè. 

The Neu yneh Tte ming ; narrative. A PLEASANT PICTURE OF DO 
MESTIC LIFE. A WIFE BENDS HEK HUSBAND FKOM HEK SIDE TO HIS 
HUNTING, EXPRESSES HEK AFFECTION, AND ENCOURAGES HIM TO CUL 
TIVATE VIRTUOUS FRIENDSHIPS. 

I might have modified the account of this piece a little, if I had had be 
fore me, when I wrote it, the version now subjoined, which was sent to me 
by my nephew in Australia. Nothing could be better than the first two 
verses, which also are true to the original. The third is, perhaps, better 
of its kind ; but that kind is of Scotland, rather than of China. It is 
so good, however, that I have made no attempt to recast it ; but give it 
as I received it,—with this note. 

1 Says oor gudewife, " The cock is crawin'." 
Quoth oor gudeman, " The day is dawin'." 
" Get up, gudeman, an' tak a spy ; 
See gin the mornin'-star be high, 
Syne tak a saunter roon' aboot ; 
There's rowth o" dyukes and geese to shoot. 

2 " Lat flee, and bring them hame to me, 
An' sic a dish as ye sail pree. 
In comin' times as ower the strings 
Tour noddm' heed in rapture hings, 
Supreme ower care, nor fasht wi' fears, 
We'll baith grow auld in worth and years. 

3 " An' when we meet the friends ye like, 
I'll gie to each some little fyke ;— 
The lasses beads, trocks to their brithers, 
An' auld-warld fairlies to their mithers. 
Some nick-nack lovin' hands will fin', 
To show the love that d walls within." 

IX. 

The Yew neu fìing Tteu ; narrative. THE PKAISE OF SOME LADY. 
I can make nothing more out of the piece than this, though the old 
interpreters, as a matter of course, find a historical basis for it. 

1 There by his side in chariot rideth she, 
As lovely flower of the hibiscus tree, 
So fair her face ; and when about they wheel, 
Her girdle gems of Tteu themselves reveal. 
For beauty all the House of Keang have fame ; 
Its eldest daughter,—she beseems her name. 

2 There on the path, close by him, walketh she, 
Bright as the blossom of hibiscus tree 

 126 

THE BOOK OF POETRY. 

[PART I. 

ΒΚ VII. XIV.] THE BOOK OF POETRY. 

127 

And fair her face ; and when around they flit, 
Her girdle gems a tinkling sound emit. 
Among the Keang she has distinguished place, 
For virtuous fame renowned, and peerless grace. 

The Shan yen foo-foo ; allusive. A LADY MOCKING HEE LOVEE. 

1 On mountain grows the mulberry tree ; 

The lotus flower in meadow damp. 
It is not Tsze-too that I see, 

But only you, you foolish scamp ! 

2 Polygonums the damp meads cover; 
The lofty pines on mountains view. 
It is not Tsze-ch'ung comes as lover ; 
You artful boy, 'tis only you ! 

XI. 

The 2'oh tie; metaphorical. AN APPEAL FROM THE INTERIOR 
OFFICERS OF CH'lNG TO THEIR SUPERIORS ON THE SAD CONDITION 
OF THE STATE. 

Choo hears in this piece the words of a bad woman, soliciting the ad 
vances of her lovers, and offering to respond to them ; but this by no 
means appears on the surface of the verses ;—it is, in fact, imported into 
them. 

1 Ye withered leaves, ye withered leaves, 

Blown by the wind away ! 
So tossed is Ch'ing. My spirit grieves 

To see its sad decay. 
Ye uncles, nobles of the land, 
Reform the State ; we'll by you stand ! 

2 Ye withered leaves, ye withered leaves, 
By winds so wildly tossed ! 

What grief my mourning heart receives 
From Ch'ing thus foully lost ! 

Uncles, your starting note we wait ; 

We'll follow and reform the State. 

XII. 

The Këaou t'mg ; narrative. A WOMAN scOESflNG HER LOVEE. 

1 0 dear ! that artful boy 

Refuses me a word ! 
But, Sir, I shall enjoy 

My food, though you're absurd ! 

2 O dear ! that artful boy 

My table will not share ! 
But, Sir, I shall enjoy 

My rest, though you're not there ! 

XIII. 

The K'een chang ; narrative. A LADY'S DECLARATION OF HEE AT 
TACHMENT TO HEE LOVEE, WHOM SHE ADDRESSES, HOWEVER, IN A 
DEFIANT MANNER. 

1 If you, good Sir, continue to be kind, 

I'll hold my garments up the Ts'in to cross. 

If you prefer 'bout me to change your mind, 

Is there no other to replace your loss ? 

Of all the foolish youths I've seen, 

Most foolish you I well may ween. 

2 If you, good Sir, continue to be kind, 

I'll hold my garments up the Wei to cross. 

If you prefer 'bout me to change your mind, 

Is there no other to replace your loss ? 

Of all the foolish youths I've seen, 

Most foolish you I well may ween. 

XIV. 
The Fung ; narrative. A WOMAN REGRETS LOST OPPORTUNITIES, AND 

WOULD WELCOME A FEESH SUITOE. 

1 Handsome the suitor was and stout, 
Who for me in the lane looked out : 
I should have gone with him I doubt. 

 128 

THE BOOK ΟΓ POETKT. 

[PAKT I. 

BE VII. xviii.] THE BOOK OF POETKT. 

129 

> .1 

2 Can I that suitor's form forget, 
Who for me in the hall did wait ? 
That I held off I now regret. 

3 I'm here, my broidered upper robe 
Concealed beneath a garment plain. 

As lovely is my lower robe, 

With the same guard 'gainst travel-stain. 

0 Sir, 0 Sir, come and me hence convey ; 

Your waiting chariot I shall not delay ! 

4 I'm here, my broidered lower robe 

Concealed beneath a garment plain. 
As lovely is my upper robe, 

With the same guard 'gainst travel-stain. 
0 Sir, 0 Sir, if you would only come, 
At once your chariot should convey me home ! 

XV. 
The Tung mun cTie shen ; narrative. A WOMAN THINKS OF HER 

LOVER'S RESIDENCE, AND COMPLAINS THAT HE DOES NOT COME TO 
HER. 

1 By th' eastern gate, flat lies the ground, 
And madder there grows on the slope. 
Hard by my lover's house is found ;— 
He keeps away, and mocks my hope. 

2 Where chestnuts grow, near th' eastern gate, 

There stands a row, where is your home. 
My heart turns aye to you, its mate, 
But ah ! to me you never come ! 

XVI. 

The Fung yu ; narrative. A WIFE IB CONSOLED, IN CIRCUMSTANCES 

OF GLOOM, BY THE ARRIVAL OF HER HUSBAND. 

1 Cold is the wind, fast falls the rain, 

The cock aye shrilly crows. 
But I have seen my lord again ;— 
Now must my heart repose. 

2 Whistles the wind, patters the rain, 

The cock's crow far resounds. 
But I have seen my lord again, 

And healed are my heart's wounds. 

3 All's dark amid the wind and rain, 
Ceaseless the cock's clear voice ! 
But I have seen my lord again ;— 
Should not mv heart rejoice ? 

XVII. 

The Tsze Jt'in; narrative. A LADY MOURNS THE INDIFFERENCE AND 
ABSENCE OF HER STUDENT LOVER. 

Up to the present dynasty, students wore a blue collar, and the phrase 
" Blue collar " is a designation of a graduate of the first degree. 

1 You student, with the collai* blue, 

Long pines my heart with anxious pain. 
Although I do not go to you, 

Why from all word do you refrain ? 

2 0 you, with girdle strings of blue, 

My thoughts to you for ever roam ! 
Although I do not go to you, 

Yet why to me should you not come ? 

3 How reckless you, how light and wild, 

There by the tower upon the wall ! 
One day, from sight of you exiled, 
As long as three long mouths I call. 

XVIII. 

The Tang che shivuy ; allusive. ONE PARTY ASSERTS GOOD FAITH 

TO ANOTHER, AND PROTESTS AGAINST PEOPLE WHO WOULD MAKE 
THEM DOUBT EACH OTHER. 

1 Fretted its waters seem, 

Yet gently flows the stream :— 
A bundle of thorns 'twill not bear. 
Our brethren are so few ; 
There are but I and you :— 
Let nothing our friendship impair. 
VOL. m. 9 

 130 

THE BOOK OP POETET. 

[PART I. 

People's words don't believe ; 

They are meant to deceive :— 

Their purpose is but to ensnare. 

2 Fretted its waters seem, 

Yet gently flows the stream :— 
A bundle of wood 'twill not bear. 

Our brethren are so few ; 

There are only we two :— 
Let nothing our friendship impair. 

Trust not the people's breath ; 

They don't deserve your faith :— 
Their purpose is but to ensnare. 

XIX. 

The Chilli k'e timg mun ; narrative. A MAN'S PRAISE OP HIS OWN 
POOR WIFE, CONTRASTED WITH FLAUNTING BEAUTIES. 

1 My path forth from the east gate lay, 
Where cloud-like moved the girls at play. 
Numerous are they, as clouds so bright, 
But not on them my heart's thoughts light. 
Dressed in a thin white silk, with coiffure gray, 
Is she, my wife, my joy in life's low way. 

2 Forth by the covering wall's high tower, 
I went, and saw, like rush in flower, 
Each flaunting girl. Brilliant are they, 
But not with them my heart's thoughts stay. 
In thin white silk, with head-dress madder-dyed, 
Is she, my sole delight, 'foretime my bride. 

XX. 
The Yay yen· man ts'aou ; narrative and allusive. A LADT KEJOTCES 

IN AN UNLAWFUL CONNEXION WHICH SHE HAD FORMED. 

1 On the moor, where thickly grew 
Creeping grass, bent down with dew, 
There a handsome man drew nigh, 
'Neath whose forehead, broad and high, 
Gleamed his clear and piercing eye. 
'Twas by accident we met ; 
Glad was I my wish to get. 

VII. XXI.] THE BOOK OF POETEY. 

2 Where the grass creeps o'er the moor, 
With the dew all covered o'er, 
There the finest man found I, 
'Bove whose clear and piercing eye, 
Rose his forehead, broad and high. 
Chance gave us a meeting rare, 
And we both were happy there. 

131 

XXI. 

The Tsin Wei; narrative. A FESTIVITY "OF CH'ING, AND ADVAN 
TAGE TAKEN OF IT FOR LICENTIOUS ASSIGNATIONS. 

Tsin and Wei were two rivers in Ch'ing, which joined at a certain point, 
and flowed afterwards in a common stream. 

1 Of the Tsin and the Wei 

Onward the broad stream pours. 
Women and men go by, 

With valerian flowers. 
To gentleman a lady says, 
" Have you been there to see the plays ? " 
" I've been," he says, and she replies, 
" Let's go again, and feast our eyes. 
The ground beyond the Wei you'll find 
Large, and for pleasure well designed." 
So gentlemen and ladies wend 
Their way, in sport the day to spend, 
And to each other oft small peonies extend. 

2 Of Tsin and Wei along 
The lucid waters flow, 
And on their banks a throng 

Of men and women go. 
To gentleman a lady says, 
" Have you been there to see the plays ? " 
" I've been," says he, and she replies, 
" Let's go again and feast our eyes. 
The ground beyond the Wei you'll find 
Large, and for pleasure well designed." 
So gentlemen and ladies wend 
Their way, in sport the day to spend, 
And to each other oft small peonies extend. 

 132 

THE BOOK OF POETKY. 

[PAKT L 

BOOK VIII. 

THE ODES OF TSfE. 

TS'B was one of the great fiefs of the kingdom of Chow. On the over 
throw of the Shang dynasty, king Woo appointed Shang-f oo, one of his 
principal ministers, known also as " Grandfather Hope," marquis of Ts'e, 
with his capital at Ying-k'ëw ;—in the present district of Lin-tsze, de 
partment T'sing-chow, Slian-tung. The State greatly increased in popu 
lation and territory, having the Ho on the west, the sea On the east, and 
Loo on the south. 

Shang-f oo claimed to be descended from Yaou's chief minister, hence the 
family surname was Ki-ang. Sometimes we find the surname Leu taking 
the place of Këang, from a State so called in the Shang dynasty, of which 
his ancestors had been chiefs. The Ke'angs continued in Ts'e for about 
six centuries and a half. Their last representative died in B.c. 378. 

The Kerning; narrative. A MODEL MARCHIONESS STIMULATING HEB 

HUSBAND TO BISE EARLY, AND ATTEND TO HIS DUTIES AT COURT. 

1 His lady to the marquis says, 

" The cock has crowed · 'tis late. 
Get up, my lord, and baste to court. 

'Tis full ; for you they wait.3' 
She did not hear the cock's shrill sound, 
Only the blue flies buzzing round. 

2 Again she wakes him with the words, 

" The east, my lord, is bright. 
A crowded court your presence seeks ; 

Get up, and hail the light." 
'Twas not the dawning light which shone, 
But that which by the moon was thro\vn. 

8 He sleeping still, once more she says, 

" The flies are buzzing loud. 
To lie and dream here by your side 

Were pleasant, but the crowd 
Of officers will soon retire ; 
Draw not on you and me their ire ! " 

BE VIII. m.] THE BOOK OF POETKY. 

133 

II· 

The Señen; narrative. FRIVOLOUS AND .VAINGLORIOUS COMPLI 
MENTS INTERCHANGED BY THE HUNTERS OP TS'E. 

Naou was a hill in Ts'e, not far from the capital. 

1 " How agile you are ! " 'Twas thus that I spoke, 
What time near to Naou together we drew. 

Two boars three years old from cover then broke, 
And we in our chariots after them flew. 

The chase being over, you said with a bow, 

" If agile am I, as active art thou ! " 

2 " How une is your skill ! " So said I to you ; 

'Twas when near to Naou we met on the way. 
That moment two males attracted our view, 

And at them we dashed, to make them our prey. 
The chase being over, you said with a bow, 
" If skilful am I, not less so art thou ! " 

3 " How you know your art ! " I said to you then, 

When south of mount ISfaou together we came. 
That moment two wolves came under our ken, 

And hotly we drove, well pleased with the game. 
The chase being over, you said with a bow, 
" If I know my art, as artful art thou ! " 

ILL 

The fíwo ; narrative. A BEIDE DESCRIBES HER FIRST MEETING WITH 

HEE BRIDEGROOM. 

The critics, old and new, suppose that this piece was directed against 
the disuse of the practice which required the bridegroom, in person, to 
meet his bride at her parents' house, and conduct her to her future home. 
This does not appear, however, in the piece itself ; and, indeed, there is 
nothing in it about a bride and bridegroom, though it is natural to sup 
pose that the speaker in it is a bride. Some think that we have three 
brides in it, and as many bridegrooms ; but it is more in accordance 
with the structure of many other pieces, to suppose that the places where 
the parties meet, and the colour of the stones of the ear-stoppers, are 
varied, simply to prolong the piece, and give new rhymes. 

1 He waited 'tween the gate and screen, 
With ear-plug strings of white silk seen. 
The plugs themselves had /«pa-stones' sheen. 

 1-31 

TEE BOOK OF POETEY. 

[PAET L 

2 He waited in the court and stood, 

With ear-ping strings of silk green-hued. 
The plugs themselves were yung stones good. 

3 There in the hall he stood and stayed. 
Of yellow silk his plug-strings made. 
The plugs of fine y ing gems displayed. 

IV. 

The Twngfang cue jlJi ; narrative. THE LICENTIOUS INTERCOURSE 

OF THE PEOPLE OP Ts'E. 

Such is the ordinary account given of this short piece ; and I have 
adopted it for want of a better. 

1 When the sun is in the east, 

That lovely girl I see. 
In my chamber she appears ; 
There fronting me is she. 
She treads upon my footsteps, 
And quickly comes to me. 

2 When the moon is in the east, 

That lovely girl I see. 
'Twixt door and screen she passes ; 

'Twixt screen and door is she. 
She treads upon my footsteps, 

And hastes away from me. 

V. 

The Twngfang me ming ; narrative and metaphorical. THE IRREGU 
LARITY AND DISORDER OP THE COURT OP Ts'E ; AS SEEN ESPECIALLY 
IN THE TIME OF GIVING THE MORNING AUDIENCE. 

1 I was putting my clothes on upside down, 

Before the eastern sky was clear. 
I was putting my clothes on upside down, 
When a call to the court came here. 

2 I was putting my clothes on upside down, 

Ere showed the east the rising flame. 

I was putting my clothes on upside down, 

When from the court an order came. 

VIII. VI.] THE BOOK OP POETEY. 

o Ou garden fence, made but of willow wands, 

E'en reckless fellows look with fear. 
Our prince can't tell the night from dawn ;— 
Too soon, or late, his calls appear ! 

VI. 

The Nan shan; allusive. ON THE DISGRACEFUL CONNEXION BE 
TWEEN WAN KËANG, THE MARCHIONESS OP LOO, AND HER BROTHER ; 

—AGAINST SËANG OP TS'E AND H WAN OP LOO. 

In B.C. 708, Kwei, the marquis of Loo, known as duke Hvvan, mar- 

•ied a daughter uf the House of Ts'e, known as Wan Koang. There was 
in improper affection between her and her brother ; and on his accession 
[O Ts'e, the couple visited him. The consequences were—incest between 
the brother and sister, the murder of her husband, and a disgraceful 
connexion, long continued, between the guilty pair. The marquis of Tg'e 
is known in history as duke Sëang. Stanzas 1 and 2 are to be taken as 
directed against duke Sëang, and the other two as against duke Hwan. 

1 There where the South hill rises high and great, 

A male fox sits, suspicious and alone. 
Ts'e's daughter went to Loo, to wed her mate; 

The pathway, plain and easy, is well known. 
From you, her brother, thus away she went ; 
Why further think of her, like fox intent ? 

2 The dolichos five kinds of shoes supplies, 

Made always so that two shall form a pair. 

On caps they match the strings that serve for ties, 
The same in length, not differing a hair. 

The road to Loo all plain and easy lies, 

By which Ts'e's daughter joined her husband there. 

Since she has travelled that way leaving you, 

Why do you her continue to pursue ? 

3 Hemp seed to sow, this is the course we take,— 
The acres lengthwise and across we dress. 

Taking a wife, the thing at once we make 

Known to our parents, and their leave possess. 

Since, prince of Loo, Ts'e's daughter thus you took ;— 

Why on her evil ways indulgent look ? 

 136 

THE BOOK OP POETEY. 

[PAKT I. 

4 How do we act when firewood we would split ? 

•"Tis through the axe in hand that we succeed. 
Taking a wife, this form we must admit,— 

Without the go-between we cannot speed. 
When you brought home your wife, all this was done ;— 
Why let her now to such excesses run ? 

The Foo t'een; metaphorical. 
BEYOND ONE'S STRENGTH. 

THE FOLLY OP PURSUING OBJECTS 

1 The weeds will but the ranker grow, 
If fields too large you seek to till. 
To try to gain men far away 

With grief your toiling heart will fill. 

2 If fields too large you seek to till, 

The weeds will only rise more strong. 
To try to gain men far away 

Will but your heart's distress prolong. 

3 Things grow the best when to themselves 
Left, and to nature's vigour rare. 

How young and tender is the child, 
With his twin tufts of falling hair ! 

But when you him ere long behold, 
That child shall cap of manhood wear ! 

vm. 

The Loo ling ; narrative. THE ADMIRATION IN TS'E or HOUNDS AND 
HUNTERS. 

1 Lin-lin go the hounds ; lin-lin the hounds go. 
Their master is kindly and good, as we know. 

2 With double rings furnished, on go the hounds ; 
In goodness and grace their master abounds. 

3 Three rings at their necks, they rush to the chase ; 
Their master is famous for power and for grace. 

VIII. X.] THE BOOK OF POETET. 

137 

IX. 

The Pe Turn; metaphorical. THE BOLD LICENTIOUS FREEDOM OF 
WAN KBANG IN RETURNING TO TS'E ;—AGAINST DUKE CHWANG OF 
Loo, HER SON. 

The old and new schools alike understand "Ts'e's daughter "of this 
piece to be Wan Ke'ang ; but the preface speaks of it as directed against 
her husband. This is altogether unlikely. See on ode VI. 

1 Bent is the basket at the dam, 

Where bream and kwan abound ; 
As useless is the prince of Loo, 

In vigour wanting found. 
Ts'e's daughter now to Ts'e comes back, 

Her followers as a cloud ; 
Her son should hold her fast in Loo, 

Her wickedness to shroud. 

2 Rent is the basket at the dam, 

Where bream and tench abound ; 
As useless is the prince of Loo, 

In vigour wanting found. 
Back comes Ts'e's daughter, with a shower 

Of followers at her side ; 
Her son should hold her fast in Loo, 

Her wanton ways to hide. 

3 Rent is the basket at the dam ; 

Fish in and out can go ; 
As useless is the prince of Loo, 

And vigour fails to show. 
Back comes Ts'e's daughter, with a stream 

Of followers behind ; 
Her son should hold her fast in Loo, 

From such lewd ways confined. 

The Tsae Jt'eu ; narrative. THE OPEN SHAMELESSNESS OF WAN 

KËANG IN HER MEETINGS WITH HER BROTHER. 

1 On comes her chariot, fast and loud, 
With screen of bamboos finely wove, 

 138 

THE BOOK OF POETET. 

[PAKT I. 

And leather bright, vermilion-hued ;— 

Ts'e's daughter hastes to lawless love. 
To this from Loo the road is smooth and plain ; 
'Twas but last night she started with her train. 

2 Her four black steeds are beautiful ; 

Soft are the reins the driver holds. 
The road from Loo is smooth and plain ;— 

Ts'e's daughter's heart its joy unfolds. 
Full of complacency is she ; nor shame 
Abashes her, nor fear of evil name. 

8 Broad flow the waters of the Wan, 
And crowds of travellers go by. 
The road from Loo is smooth and plain ;— 

She looks around with careless eye. 
That many see her gives her no concern ; 
Her thoughts to her licentious fancy turn. 

4 On sweep the waters of the Wan ; 

More numerous are the travellers now. 
The road from Loo is smooth and plain ;— 

Ts'e's daughter shows her brazen brow. 
At ease and proud, she holds her onward way, 
Careless of what all think of her display. 

XI 
The E tseay ; narrative. LAMENT OVEB DUKE CHWANG OF Loo, 

NOTWITHSTANDING HIS BEAUTY OF PEBSON, ELEGANCE OF MANNERS, 
AND SKILL IN ABCHEB5T. 

. There underlies these verses a reference to the disgraceful conduct of 
Chwang's mother. 

1 A grand man is the prince of Loo, 

With person large and high. 
Lofty his front, and suited to 

The fine glance of his eye ! 
Swift are his feet. In archery -^ 

What man with him can vie ? 
With all these goodly qualities, 

We see him and we sigh ! 

Εκ VIII. XI.] THE BOOK ΟΓ POETET. 

2 Renowned through all the land is he. 

The nephew of our lord. 
With clear and lovely eyes, his grace 

May not be told by word. 
All day at target practice, 

He'll never miss the bird. 
Such is the prince of Loo, and yet 

With grief for him we're stirred ! 

8 All grace and beauty he displays, 

High forehead, and eyes bright. 
And dancing choice ! His arrows all 

The target hit aright. 
Straight through they go, and every one 

Lights on the self-same spot. 
Rebellion he could well withstand, 

And yet we mourn his lot ! 

139 

 140 

THE BOOK OF POETEY. 

[PART I. 

BOOK IX. 

THE ODES OF WEI. 

THE Wei here is quite a different character from that in the title of 
Book v., and the State indicated by it was far distant from the other, 
though we are obliged to write the two names with the same English 
letters. This was within the present Këae-chow of Shan-se, but did not 
extend over all the territory now forming that department. It was thus a 
small State, but the manners of the people were thrifty and industrious. 

In B.C. 660, duke Heen of Tsin extinguished the State of Wei, and in 
corporated it with his own dominions. At the division of the kingdom, 
after the subjugation of the Shang dynasty, Wei had been assigned to 
some chief of the Ke stock ; but no details of its history have been pre 
served. In consequence of this, many critics are of opinion that these 
odes of Wei are really odes of Tsin, and that they are prefixed to those 
of T'ang, just as those of P'ei and Yung are prefixed to the odes of that 
other Wei, all really belonging to it. 

I. 

The Koh Tt,eu ; narrative. THE EXTBEME PABSUIONIOUSNESS EVEN 

OF AtEALTHY MEN IN WEI. 

1 Thin cloth of dolichos supplies the shoes, 

In which some have to brave the frost and cold. 
A bride, when poor, her tender hands must use, 

Her dress to make, and the sharp needle hold. 
This man is wealthy, yet he makes his bride 
Collars and waistbands for his robes provide. 

2 Conscious of wealth, -he moves with easy mien ; 

Politely on the left he takes his place ; 
The ivory pin is at his girdle seen ; 

His dress and gait show gentlemanly grace. 
Why do we brand him in our satire here ? 
5Tis this,—his niggard soul provokes the sneer. 

The ïïintn teew-joo ; allusive. 

THE OFFICERS OF WEI. 

II. 
AGAINST THE PAKSIMONIOTJSNESS or 

IX. III.] THE 

BOOK OF POETET. 

141 

1 Where near the Hwun damp is the ground, 
The sorrel-gatherers are found, 

To eke their scanty food. 
Such arts that officer displays, 
(Whose elegance exceeds all praise ;) 

In him they are not good. 

Charged with the cars of State, we look to find 
His conduct show a higher style of mind. 

2 On the Hwun's banks the poor are found, 
Who pluck the mulberry leaves around, 

A little gain to make. 
In grace and beauty like a flower, 
That officer himself doth lower, 

Such small mean ways to take. 
The cars of State to marshal is his charge ; — 
Strange such high post his mind should not enlarge ! 

3 Where the Hwun bends to join the Ho, 
For ox-lip leaves the people go, 
Some nourishment to find. 
That officer we gem-like call, 
Yet shrinks he not from ways as small, 

To greed too much inclined. 
The ruler's kindred he has for his care ; — 
Should he not show a loftier character ? 

III. 

The Yiien yew t'ami ; allusive. AN OFFICES TELLS HIS GEIEP BE 
CAUSE OF THE MISGOVEENMENT OF THE SlATE, AND HOW HE WAS 
MISUNDERSTOOD. 

1 A fruit, small as the garden peach, 

May still be used for food. 
A State, though poor as ours, might thrive, 

If but its rule were good. 
Our rule is bad, our state is sad, 

With mournful heart I grieve. 
All can from instrument and voice 

My mood of mind perceive. 
Who know me not, with scornful thought, 

Deem me a scholar proud. 

 142 THE BOOK OP POETRY. [PART I. 

" Those men are right." they fiercely say, 
" What mean your words so loud ? " 

Deep in my heart my sorrows lie, 
And none the cause may know. 

How should they know, who never try 
To learn whence comes our woe ? 

2 The garden jujube, although small, 

May still be used for food. 
A State, though poor as ours, might thrive, 

If but its rule were good. 
Our rule is bad, our state is sad, 

With mournful heart I grieve. 
Methinks I'll wander through the land, 

My misery to relieve. 
Who know me not, with scornful thought, 

Deem that wild views I hold. 
" Those men are right," they fiercely say, 

" What mean your words so bold ? " 
Deep in my heart my sorrows lie, 

And none the cause may know. 
How can they know, who never try 

To learn whence comes our woe ? 

IV. 

The ClnJi 7ioo; narrative. A YOUNG SOLDIER ON SERVICE SOLACZS 

HIMSELF WITH THE THOUGHT OF HOME. 

1 To the top of that tree-clad hill I go, 

And towards my father I gaze, 
Till with my mind's eye his form I espy, 

And my mind's ear hears how he says :— 
" Alas for my son on service abroad ! 

He rests not from morning till eve. 
May he careful be, and come back to me ! 

While he is away, how I grieve ! " 

2 To the top of that barren hill I climb, 

And towards my mother I gaze, 
Till with my mind's eye her furm I espy, 
And my mind's ear hears how she says :— 

BE IX. vi.j THE BOOK OP POETRY. 

" Alas for my child on service abroad ! 

He never in sleep shuts an eye. 
May he careful be, and come back to me ! 

In the wild may his body not lie ! " 

3 Up the lofty ridge I, toiling, ascend, 

And towards my brother I gaze, 
Till with my mind's eye his form I espy, 

And my mind's ear hears how he says :— 
" Alas ! my young brother, serving abroad, 

All day with his comrades must roam. 
May he careful be, and come back to me, 

And die not away from his home ! " 

143 

v. 

The Shihmow cfte Jt&n ; narrative. 
or WEI. 

THE STEAITS or THE PEASANTRY 

In versifying this short piece, I have followed the view of Choo, who 
thinks that in the 3rd line of each verse a worthy officer, disgusted with the 
irregularities of the court, proposes to a companion to withdraw to a quiet 
life among the mulberry trees in the country. 

1 Among their ten acres of mulberry trees, 
The planters move idly about at their ease. 
" Ho ! back," says a courtier, " and let us join these ! " 

2 Beyond their ten acres of mulberry trees, 
The planters move idly about at their ease. 
" Away," says a courtier, " and join us with these ! " 

VI. 

The Fall Van: allusive. AGAINST THE IDLE AND GREEDY MINIS 
TERS or THE STATE. CONTRAST BETWEEN THEM AND A STALWAKT 

WOODMAN. 

1 K'an-Jc'an upon the sandal trees 

The woodman's strokes resound. 
Then on the bank he lays the trunks 

His axe brings to the ground ; 
The while the stream goes rippling by, 

Its waters cool and clear. 
You work not so, O Wei's great men, 

From me the truth now hear. 

 144 

THE BOOK OF POETEY. 

[PAET 1. 

BE IX. vu.] THE BOOK or POETET. 

145 

You sow no seed ; no harvest tasks 

Your soft hands take in charge ; 
And yet each boasts three hundred farms, 

And stores the produce large. 
You never join the hunt's halloo, 

Nor dare to share its toils ; 
Yet lo ! your wide courtyards are seen 

Hung round with badgers' spoils. 
I must conclude that woodman rude 

A man of higher style. 
To eat the bread of idleness 

He feels would stamp him vile. 

2 K'an-k'an upon the sandal wood 

The woodman's strokes resound, 
Then by the river's side he lays 

What fit for spokes is found; 
The while the river onward flows, 

Its waters clear and smooth. 
You work not so, O Wei's great men, 

From me now hear the truth.— 
You sow no seed; no harvest tasks 

Your dainty fingers stain ; 
And yet each boasts three million sheaves ;- 

Whence gets he all that grain ? 
You never join the hunt's halloo, 

Nor brave its ventures bold ; 
Yet lo ! your wide courtyards display 

Those boars of three years old. 
I must conclude that woodman rude 

A man of higher style. 
To eat the bread of idleness 

He feels would stamp him vile. 

3 K'an-Jt'an resound the woodman's strokes 

Upon the sandal wood ; 
Then on the river's lip he lays 

What for his wheels is good ; 
The while the river onward flows, 

Soft rippled by the wind. 
That you dou't work, 0 Wei's great men, 

Is thus brought to my mind. 

You sow no seed ; no harvest tasks 

Your soft hands undertake ; 
Yet grain each boasts, three hundred binns ;— 

Who his that grain did make ? 
You never join the hunt's halloo ; 

Your feeble courage fails; 
Yet lo ! your wide courtyards display 

Largo strings of slaughtered quails. 
I must conclude that woodman rude 

A man of higher style. 
To eat the bread of idleness 

He feels would stamp him vile. 

VII. 
The SMh sJioo; metaphorical. AGAINST THE OPPEESSION A.OT EX- 

TOEIION ΟΓ THE GOVERNMENT OF \\Έΐ. 

1 Large rats, large rats, let us entreat 
That you our millet will not eat. 
But the large rats we mean are you, 
With whom three years we've had to do, 
And all that time have never known 
One look of kindness on us thrown. 
We take our leave of Wei and you ; 
That happier land we long to view. 
0 happy land ! O happy land ! 
There in our proper place we'll stand. 

2 Large rats, large rats, let us entreat 
You'll not devour our crops of wheat. 
But the large rats we mean are yon, 
With whom three years we've had to do ; 
And all that time you never wrought 
One kindly act to cheer our lot. 
To you and Wei we bid farewell, 
Soou in that happier State to dwell. 
0 happy State ! O happy State ! 
There shall we learn to bless our fate. 

3 Large rats, large rats, let us entreat 
Our springing grain you will not eat. 

VOL. III. 10 

 146 THE BOOK OF POETRY. [PART I. 

But the large rats we mean are you, 
With whom three years we've had to do. 
From you there came not all that while 
One word of comfort 'mid our toil. 
We take our leave of you and Wei ; 
And to those happier coasts we flee. 
0 happy coasts, to you we wend ! 
There shall our groans and sorrows end. 

BK X. i.] 

THE BOOK OF POETKY. 

147 

BOOK X. 

THE ODES OF 

THE odes of T'ang were the odes of Tsin,—the greatest, perhaps, of the 
fiefs of Chow, until the rise and growth of Ts'in. King Ching, in B.c. 111 >fi, 
invested his youngest brother, called Sliuh-yu, with the territory where 
Yaou was supposed to have ruled anciently as the marquis of T'ang;— 
in the present department of T'ae-yuPn, Shan-se, the fief retaining that 
ancient name. In the south of the territory was the river Tsin, and Shih- 
foo, the son of Shuh-yu, gave its name to the marquisate. The soil, 
it is said, was thin and the people poor ; but they were diligent, thrifty, 
and plain in their ways, thinking deeply and forecasting. It is difficult to 
say why the name of the State, which had gone into disuse, should be 
given to the collection of its poems. The State of Tsin developed greatly, 
having the Ho as its boundary on the west, and extending nearly to it 
on the south and east. 

I. 

The Si7i-fsii7i ; narrative. THE CHEERFULNESS AND DISCRETION Op 

THE PEOPLE OF TSIN, AND THEIR TEMPERED ENJOYMENT AT PITTING 
SEASONS. 

1 The cricket appears in the hall, 

And towards its close draws the year. 
Then let us to-day to pleasure give way, 
Ere the days and months disappear. 
But duty should have our first thought ; 

Indulgence we strictly must bound. 

Take heed lest the joy our reason destroy :— 

The good man looks out and around. 

2 The cricket appears in the hall. 

And the year is fast passing on. 
Then let us to-day to pleasure give way, 

Ere the days and months shall be gone. 
But some things our care still demand; 

Against all excess we must guard. 
Take heed lest the joy our reason destroy :— 
The good man thinks 110 toil too hard. 
10* 

Ì 

 148 

THE BOOK OP POETEY. 

[PAET I. 

3 The cricket appears in the hall ; 

The need for oar carts is all o'er. 
Then let us to-day to pleasure give way, 

Ere the days and months be no more. 
But first think of griefs that may come ; 
Between the extremes keep the mean. 
Take heed lest the joy our reason destroy :— 
The good man is calm and serene. 

II. 

The Shan yen cli'oa ; allusive. THE FOLLY OP NOT ENJOriNÖ THE 
GOOD THINGS WHICH WB HAVE, AND LETTING DEATH TUT THEM INTO 
THE HANDS OF OTHEKS. 

1 The thorny elms on the mountains grow, 

And the white elms rise where the grounds are low. 
You have suits of robes which you never wear ; 
You have steeds and cars you are fain to spare. 
All these another will have by and by, 
For the time will come when you shall die. 

2 The Jc'aou trees thrive on the mountain's brow, 
And the new trees rise where the grounds are low. 
Unwatered your courts, your rooms are unswept ; 
Your drums and your bells all silent are kept. 
All these another shall have by and by, 
For the time will come when you shall die. 

3 The varnish trees on the mountains grow, 

And the chestnuts rise where the grounds are low. 
Why not, at the feast, your lute gaily play, 
To add to your joy, and lengthen the day. 
Another's your house will be by and by, 
For the time will come when you shall die. 

III. 
The Yang che slavvy ; allusive. REBELLION PLOTTED AGAINST THE 

-MAKQUIS OF TSIN BY THE CHIEF OF K'EUH-YUH AND HIS PARTISANS. 

At the beginning of his rule, the marquis Ch'aou (B.C. 711—738) in 
vested his uncle, called Ching-sze and Hwan-shuh, with the great city of 
K'ëuh-yuh, thus weakening his own power ; and from this proceeding there 
resulted long disorder in the State of Tsin. A party was soon formed 
to displace the marquis, and raise Hwan-shuh in his room. 

BE X. iv.] 

THE BOOK OP POETEY. 

This piece is to be talcen as describing the plottings of conspirators in 
the capital of Tsin, and the person whom they address as an emissary 
from Hwan-shuh. Kaou was a city in the territory of K'e'uh-yuh. 

1 'Midst the fretted waters 

The white rocks grandly stand. 
To Yuh we'll follow you, 

With white silk robe in hand, 
And collar of red hue, 

Your master to invest, 
And hail him lord of Tsin, 

Of the whole State possest. 
The sight of him, our princely lord, 
Will joy to all our hearts afford. 

2 'Midst the fretted waters 

The white rocks glist'ning stand. 
To Kaou we'll follow you, 

With white silk robe in hand, 
And collar of red hue, 

And broidered axes fine, 
Your master to invest 

As chief of T'ang's great line. 
When him, our princely lord, we see, 
From every pain we shall be free. 

3 'Midst the fretted waters 

The white rocks grandly show. 
Your orders we have heard, 
But not a single word 

Shall any from us know. 

IV. 
The Tscaou leaou ; allusive and metaphorical. SUPPOSED TO CELE 

BRATE THE POTTER AND PROSPERITY OP JEtvVAN-SHUH, AND TO PREDICT 
THE GROWTH OF HIS PAMILY. 

See the note to the last piece. 

1 What clusters so rare 

The pepper plants bear ! 
A measure, luxuriant and large, they would fill. 

As much without peer 

Is this hero here ! 
Sing hey for the shoots of the pepper plant still ! 

 150 

THE BOOK OP POETRY. 

[PAKT I. 

2 "What clusters so rare 

The pepper plants bear ! 
Luxuriant and large, both your hands they would fill. 

So generous and great 

This chief of our State ! 
And it's hey for the far-shooting pepper plant still ! 

V. 

The Chow-mom; allusive. HUSBAND AM) WIFE EXPBESS THEIB, DE- 

LIGHI ΑΙ TIIEIB UNEXPECTED UNION. 

By "the Heart," which in the original text is " the Three stars," is 
probably to be understood what is also called the constellation of Sin, or 
" the Heart," in Scorpio. 

1 Bound and round the faggots I've bound, 

And the Heart in heaven shines clear. 
Oh ! that I such an evening have found ! 
That this good man should be here ! 

0 me ! 0 me ! 
With a husband like this I have nothing to fear. 

2 Round and round the grass we have bound ; 

At the corner shines the Heart. 
Strange that we such an evening have found ! 
Thus to meet and never to part ! 

O 

oy 

h 

That this meeting should come without scheming or art ! 

3 Bound and round the thorns I have bound ; 

From the door the Heart I see. 
Oh ! that I such an evening have found ! 
That this Beauty is come to me ! 

0 me ! 0 me ! 
That this lady so lovely mine only should be ! 

VI. 
The Te too ; allusive. LAMENT OF AN INDIVIDUAL BEEEAYED or HIS 

BBOTIIEKS AND BELATIVES, OB FOKSAKEN BY THEM. 

1 A russet pear tree rises all alone, 

But rich the growth of leaves upon it shown ! 

BK X. VIII.] THE BOOK OF POBTET. 151 

I walk alone, without one brother left, 

And thus of natural aid am I bereft. 

Plenty of people there are all around, 

But none like my own father's sons are found. 

Ye travellers, who for ever hurry by, 

"Why on me turn the unsympathizing eye ? 

No brother lives with whom my cause to plead ;— 

Why not perform for me the helping deed ? 

2 A russet pear tree rises all alone, 

But rich with verdant foliage o'ergrown. 

I walk alone, without one brother's care, 

To whom I might, amid my straits, repair. 

Plenty of people there are all around, 

But none like those of my own name are found. 

Ye travellers, who for ever hurry by, 

Why on me turn the unsympathizing eye ? 

No brother lives with whom my cause to plead ;— 

Why not perform for me the helping deed ? 

VII. 

The Καοιι Ti'eiv ; narrative. THE PEOPLE OF SOME CHEAT OFFICES 
COMPLAIN OF HIS HARD TKEATMENÏ OF THEM, WHILE THEY DECLARE 
THEIB LOYALTY. 

Choo differs from the view of these verses given in the Preface, but 
does not attempt to give any interpretation of them himself. I have fol 
lowed the Preface. 

1 You, of the leopard's cuff and lambkin's fur, 

To us have been a governor unkind ; 
But we look back on many an ancestor, 

And stay, when we another chief might find. 

2 Unsympathizing, violent, and rough 

With us poor folks from day to day are you. 
Man of the lambkin fur and leopard cuff, 

What keeps us here but hearts that still beat true ? 

VIII. 
The Paou yn ; allusive or metaphorical. THE MEN OF TSIN, CALLED 

OUT TO WAIÌFAEB BY THE KING'S OBDEE, MOUBN OVEE THE CONSE 
QUENT SUFFERING OF THEIB PARENTS, AND LONG FOR THEIB RETURN 
ÏO THEIR OEDINARY AGRICULTURAL PURSUITS. 

 152 

THE BOOK OP POETEY. 

[PART I. 

BK X. x.] 

THE BOOK OP POETEY. 

153 

This piece is referred, we may presume correctly, to some time after 
duke Ch'aou, when, for more than fifty years, a struggle went on between 
the ambitious chiefs of K'ëuh-yuh, and the marquises proper of Tsin. 
The people were in the main loyal to Tsin, and one king and another sent 
expeditions to support them. There was of course great trouble and 
confusion in the State, and the work of agriculture was much interfered 
with. 

1 The wild geese fly the bushy oaks around, 
With clamour loud. Suh-suh their wings resound, 
As for their feet poor resting-place is found. 
The king's affairs admit of no delay ; 
Our millets still unsown, we haste away. 
No food is left our parents to supply ; 
When we are gone, on whom can they rely ? 
O azure Heaven, that shinest there afar, 
When shall our homes receive us from the war ? 

2 The wild geese on the bushy jujube trees 
Attempt to settle, and are ill at ease ;— 
Suh-suh their wings go flapping in the breeze. 
The king's affairs admit of no delay ; 
Our millets still unsown, we haste away. 
How shall our parents their requirements get ? 
How in our absence shall their wants be met ? 
O azure Heaven, that shinest there afar, 
When shall our homes receive us from the war ? 

8 The bushy mulberry trees the geese in rows 
Seek eager, and to rest around them close,— 
With rustling loud, as disappointment grows. 
The king's affairs admit of no delay ; 
To plant our rice and maize we cannot stay. 
How shall our parents find their wonted food ? 
When we are gone, who will to them be good ? 
O azure Heaven, that shinest there afar, 
When shall our homes receive us from the war ? 

IX. 

The Woo e ; narrative. A BEQUEST TO THE KING'S ENVOY FOE THE 

ACKNOWLEDGMENT OP DUKE WOO AS MABQUIS OP 

In B.C. 678 the struggle between the branches of the House of Tsin 
was brought to a close, and Ching, earl of K'ëuh-yuh, called after his 

death duke Woo, made himself master of the whole State. It was an 
act of spoliation, but the usurper bribed the reigning king He, and got 
himself acknowledged as marquis of Tsin. In this piece \ve must sup 
pose that application is made by one of his officers to an envoy from the 
capital for the royal confirmation. 

The different ranks in ancient China were marked by the number of 
carriages, robes, &c., conferred by the king. The prince of a great State 
had seven of the ten royal symbolic figures on his robes. Those had pre 
viously belonged to the marquises of Tsin, and Woo might have assumed 
them at once, but he wished to have the king's sanction in doing so. The 
prince of a State, when serving at court as a minister of the crown, was 
held to be of lower rank by one degree ; hence the seven symbols of 
stanza 1 appear in 2 as only 6. 

1 State robes can he be said to want ? 

His robes the seven high symbols show. 
But let him have them by your grant :— 
That peace and fortune will bestow. 

2 State robes can he be said to want ? 
The symbols six his robes display. 
But let him have them by your grant, 
And that will lasting peace convey. 

X. 

The Tern teclie, too ; metaphorical. SOME ONE REGRETS THE POVERTY 
OP HIS CIRCUMSTANCES, WHICH PREVENTED HIM FBOM GATHERING 
ABOUND HIM COMPANIONS WHOM HE ADMIRED. 

1 On the left of the way, a i-usset pear tree 
Stands there all alone,—a fit image of me. 
There is that princely man ! 0 that he would come, 
And in my poor dwelling with me be at home ! 
In the core of my heart do I love him, but say, 
Whence shall I procure him the wants of the day. 

2 At the bend in the way a russet pear tree 
Stands there all alone,—a fit image of me. 
There is that princely man ! 0 that he would come, 
And rambling with me be himself here at home ! 
In the core of my heart I love him, but say, 
Whence shall I procure him the wants of the day. 

 154 THE BOOK OF POETKY. [PAKT I. 

XI. 

The Xoh sang ; allusive and narrative. A WIFE MOURNS THE DEATH 
OF HEB HUSBAND, REFUSING TO BE COMFORTED, AND WILL CHE1ÏISH 
HIS ME1IOKY TILL HER OWN DEATH. 

1 The dolichos over the thorn tree grows ; 

Its shoots o'er the waste the convolvulus throws : 

Thus finds its proper aid each plant. 
He whom I loved, my husband, from me gone, 
I sadly mourn my lot, and dwell alone, 

Doomed thus my heart's support to want. 

2 The dolichos twines round the jujube tree ; 
The tombs with convolvulus covered we see :— 

Each plant thrives in its proper place. 
He whom I loved, the husband of my heart, 
Is here no more, and I remain apart, 

Nor can my life's strength now embrace. 

3 Bright in our room was the pillow of horn, 
And coverlet broidered the couch to adorn, 

When first in one was blent our fate. 
The husband of my heart, whom I admired, 
Is here no more, and I must live retired, 
And for each morning lonely wait. 

4 Each day a day of the long summer light, 

Each night as long as the dark winter night ;— 

Shall I in solitude here pine. 
A hundred years will seem their course to run 
Ere of this mortal life the time is done, 

And him within the tomb I join. 

5 Each night as long as the dark winter night, 
Each day a day of the long summer light ;·— 

To me no comfort e'er will come. 
My life will seem to last a hundred years, 
Till in my death its welcome close appears, 

And to his chamber I go home. 

K X. XII.] THE BOOK OF POETKY. 

Another version. By W. T. Mercer. 

155 

1 The dolichos grows and covers the thorn, 

O'er the waste is the dragon-plant creeping. 
The man of my heart is away, and I mourn.— 
What home have I, lonely and weeping ? 

2 Covering the jujubes the dolichos grows, 
The graves many dragon-plants cover ; 
But where is the man on whose breast I'd repose ? 
No home have I, having no lover ! 

3 Fair to see was the pillow of horn, 

And fair the bed-chamber's adorning ; 
But the man of my heart is not here, and I mourn 
All alone, and wait for the morning. 

4 While the long days of summer pass over my head, 

And long winter nights leave their traces, 
I'm alone ! Till a hundred of years shall have fled, 
And then I shall meet his embraces. 

5 Through the longwinter nights I am burdened with fears, 

Through the long summer days I am lonely ; 
But when Time shall have counted its hundred of years 
I then shall be his—and his Only ! 

XII. 

The Ts'ae ling ; metaphorical. 
DEREBS. 

AGAINST GIVING EAR TO SLAN- 

When told to Show-yang's top to go, 

The ling plants there to take, 
The speaker false at once you'd know, 

Nor heed the words he spake. 
And so, when men their stories feign, 

To credit them be slow. 
Put them aside, put them aside; 

Belief should slowly grow. 
'Tis thus the stories told by men 

Subside, nor farther go. 

 156 

THE BOOS OF POETET. 

[PART I. 

i 

2 When told to search round Show-yang's base, 

Sow-thistles there to find, 
The search you'd think a hopeless case, 

Nor would the counsel mind. 
And so, when men their stories feign, 

Do not approve in haste. 
Put them aside, put them aside ; 

Assent should be repressed. 
'Tis thus the.stories told by men 

Soon unregarded rest. 

3 When told Ou th' east of Show-yang hill 

For mustard-plants to try, 
You'd know the quest would speed but ill, 

And let the words pass by. 
And so, when meu their stories feign, 

No hearing to them lend. 
Put them aside, put them aside, 

Your faith loth to extend. 
JTis thus the stories told by men 

Come shortly to an end. 

Εκ ΧΙ. ι.] 

THE BOOK OP POETEY. 

157 

BOOK XI. 

THE ODES OF TSfIN. 

THE State of Ts'in took its name from its earliest principal city,—in 
the present district of Ts'ing-shwuy, department of Ts'in-chow, Kan- 
Buh. Its chiefs claimed to be descended from Yih, or Pih-yih, Shun's 
forester, and the assistant, in his labours on the deluge, of the great Yu, 
from whom he received the clan name of Yiiig. Among his descendants, 
we are told, there was a Chung-keueh, who resided among the wild 
tribes of the west for the protection of the western borders of the king 
dom of Shang. The sixth in descent from him, called Ta-loh, had a son, 
Fei-tsze, who had charge of the herds of horses belonging to king Hëaou 
(B.C. 908—894), and in consequence of his good services was invested 
with the small territory of Ts'in asan attached State. His great-grandson, 
called Ts'in Chung, or Cliung of Ts'in, was made a great officer of the 
court by king Seuen, in B.c. 826 ; and his grandson again, known in 
history as duke Sëang, in consequence of his loyal services in 7C9, when 
the capital of Chow was moved to the east, was raised to the dignity of an 
earl, and took his place amoug the great feudal princes of the kingdom, 
receiving a large portion of territory, which included the ancient capital 
of the House of Chow. 

Ts'in in course of time, as is well known, superseded the dynasty of 
Chow, having gradually moved its capital more and more to the east, after 
the example of Chow itself in earlier times. The people of Ts'in were, no 
doubt, composed of the wild tribes of the west, though the ruling chiefs 
may have come originally from the more civilized China on the east. 

I. 

The Ken I'm ; narrative and allusive. CELEBRATING THE GKOWIXG 

OPULENCE AND STYLE OF BOMB LORD OF TS'IN, AND THE PLEASURES 
AND FREEDOM OF HIB COURT. 

The Preface says the lord of Ts'in here intended was Ts'in-chung, 
mentioned in the preceding note. The piece must have been made at an 
early time, when the State was emerging from its obscurity and weakness. 

1 His many chariots rush along, 

Drawn by white-fronted steeds and strong. 
When audience now we wish to gain, 
His eunuchs' aid we must obtain. 

 I ì 

158 THE BOOK OF POETRY. [PART I. 

2 The varnish trees on hill-sides grow, 
And chestnuts on the lands below. 
When access to the prince we've found, 
We sit and hear the lutes' sweet sound. 
If we seize not this joy to-day, 
Old age will have us for its prey. 

3 The mulberries on the hill-sides grow, 
And willows where the grounds are low. 
When to the prince our way we've made, 
We sit and hear the organs played. 
If we pass by this joy to-day, 
Old age will bear us all away. 

II. 
The Sue t'ëeh; narrative. CELEBRATING THE GROWING OPULENCE 

OF THE LORDS OF Ts'IN, AS SEEN IN THEIR HUNTING. 

1 Our ruler to the hunt proceeds ; 
And black as iron are his steeds 
That heed the charioteer's command, 
Who holds the six reins in his hand. 
His favourites follow to the chase, 
Rejoicing in his special grace. 

2 The season's males, alarmed, arise,— 
The season's males, of wondrous size. 
Driven by the beaters, forth they spring, 
Soon caught within the hunters' ring. 
" Drive on their left," the ruler cries ; 
And to its mark his arrow flies. 

3 The hunting done, northward he goes ; 
And in the park the driver shows 
The horses' points, and his own skill 
That rules and guides them at his will. 
Light cars, whose teams small bells display, 
The long and short-mouthed dogs convey. 

HI. 

The Seacujmiff; narrative. THE LADY ΟΙΆΝ OFFICER ABSENT ON 

AN EXPEDITION AGAIXST THE TRIBES OP THE WEST GIVES A GLOW 
ING DESCRIPTION OF HIS CHARIOT, AND PRAISES HIMSELF, EXPBESSING, 
BUT WITHOUT MURMURING, HER REGRET AT HIS ABSENCE. 

XI. IV.] THE BOOK OF POETEY. 

159 

1 Before my mind's eye stands my lord's short car, 
In which he dares the risks of savage war :— 
Its pole, whose end turns upward, curving round, 
And in five places shines, with leather bound ; 
The slip rings and the side straps ; the masked place, 
Where gilt rings to the front unite the trace ; 
The mat of tiger's skin ; the naves so long ; 
The steeds, with left legs white, and piebalds, strong. 
Such my lord's oar ! He rises in my mind, 
Lovely and bland, like jade of richest kind ; 
Yet there he lives, in his log hut apart :— 
The veiy thought confuses all my heart. 

2 The driver with the six reins guides along 

The horses, with their shining coats, and strong :— 
One inside dappled, one bay with black mane ; 
Black-mouthed and bay, and black, the outer twain. 
Shields, dragon-figured, rise up side by side, 
Shelter in front 'gainst missiles to provide. 
Gilt buckles with the carriage front connect 
The inner reins by which the insides are checkt. 
I see my lord, thus in his carriage borne, 
With his mild form the frontier towns adorn. 
What time can be for his return assigned ? 
Ah me ! his figure ever fills my mind ! 

3 With measured steps move the mail-covered team. 
The trident spears, with gilded shaft-ends gleam. 
The feather-figured shield, of beauty rare, 
He holds before him, all his foes to dare. 
The bow-case, made of tiger's skin, and bright 
With metal plates, lies ready for the fight. 
It holds two bows which bamboo frames secure, 
And keep unhurt, to send tho arrows sure. 
To him thus busy all my thoughts are borne, 
Both when I rest at night and rise at morn. 
He, my good lord, is tranquil and serene, 
His virtuous fame more prized, the more he's seen. 

IV. 

The Eeen 7iea ; narrative. SOME ONE TELLS HOW HE SOUGHT AN 
OTHER, WHOM IT SEEMED EASY TO FIND, AND YET COULD NOT FIND 
HIM. 

 IGO 

THE BOOK OP POETET. 

[PAET I. 

This piece reads very much like a riddle, and so it has proved to the 
critics. No satisfactory historical explanation of it has been given. Choo 
does not attempt a solution. 

1 Reed and rush are dark and green ; 
As hoar-frost the white dew is seen. 
Him, the man I have in mind, 
By this water I should find. 
Searching, np the stream I haste, 
On a long and toilsome quest. 
Downwards then I turn, and see ! 
In the mid-stream standeth he. 
He is there but far removed ; 
Vain has all my searching proved. 

2 Reed and rush luxuriant rise ; 
Still undried the white dew lies. 
Him, the man I have in mind, 
On the stream's edge I should find. 
Upwards first my course I keep, 
Though the way is rough and steep. 
Downwards then, and what to see ? 
In the mid-stream standeth he, 
On the islet, far removed ;— 
Vain has all my searching proved. 

3 Reed and rush grow thick and tall ; 
Ceases not the dew to fall. 
Him, the man I have in mind, 
On the stream's bank I should find. 
Upwards first I go along, 
But the hard path leads me wrong. 
Downwards then my steps I turn, 
And in mid-stream him discern, 
On the island, far removed ;— 
Vain has all my searching proved. 

V. 

The CJiung-nan; allusive. CELEBRATING THE GROWING OPULENCE 

OF SOME BULEB OF TS'IN, AND ADMONISHING, WHILE PEAKING, I1IJI. 

Chung-nanwas the most famous mountain in the old demesne of Chow, 
lying south of the old capital of Haou,—in the present department of Se- 

Βκ XI. VL] 

THE BOOK OP POETET. 

161 

gan, in Shen-se. It came to belong to Ts'in, when king P'ing granted to 
duke Seang the old possessions of Chow. 

The double Ke on the lower robe was one of the symbols of rank, em 
broidered on the robes of the king and feudal lords. It was in the form of 

CJÜJ, or two ISe (^)i an<l has been called "the symbol of distinction," or 
discrimination. 

1 What trees grow on the Chung-nan hill ? 

The white fir and the plum. 
In fur of fox, 'neath broidered robe, 

Thither our prince is come. 
His face glows with vermilion hue. 
O may he prove a ruler true ! 

2 What find we on the Chung-nan hill ? 

Deep nook and open glade. 
Our prince shows there the double Ke 

On lower robe displayed. 
His pendant holds each tinkling gem. 
Long life be his, and deathless fame ! 

By W. T. Mercer, Esq. Latiné. 

1 Die mihi qu33 crescunt altis in montibus illis ? 

Candida ad est abies, multaque prunus adest. 
Illuc advenit Rex noster ! veste decoras 

Prœtextâ, et vulpis vellere tectus adit ; 
Tingitur et rúbeo, minii velut, ora colore. 

Justitiœ custos sedulus ille regat ! 

2 Quœ nunc aspicimus longis in montibus illis ? 

Cœcœ sunt latebras, sunt et aperta loca. 
Illuc accessit noster Rex ; inferiore 

Imperil sigiium veste ferente venit ! 
A zona résonant pendentes murmure gemmas. 

Illi sit senium, perpetuumque déçus ! 

VI. 
The JTwany nëaou; allusive. LAMENT FOB THBEE WOBTHY BBO- 

THEBS OF Ts'IN WHO WEBE BUB1ED ALIVE IN THE SAME GBAVE WITH 
DUKE MUH. 

There is no difference or difficulty about the historical interpretation 
of this piece ; and it brings us down to the year B.c. 620. Then died 

VOL. III. 11 

 ; 

(1 

162 

THE BOOK OF POETEY. 

[PART I. 

duke Muh, after playing an important part in the north-west of China for 
39 years. The Τεο-chuen, under the sixth year of duke Wan of Loo, 
makes mention of Muh's requiring the three officers here celebrated to be 
buried with him, and of the composition of the piece in consequence. 
The " Historical Records " say that the barbarous practice began with 
duke Ching, Muh's predecessor, and that in all 170 individuals were 
buried with Muh. The death of the last distinguished man of the Ts'in 
dynasty, the Emperor I., was subsequently celebrated by the entombment 
with him of all the inmates of his harem. 

1 They flit about, the yellow birds, 
And rest upon the jujubes find. 
Who buried were in duke Muh's grave, 
Alive to awful death consigned ? 

'Mong brothers three, who met that fate, 
'Twas sad the first, Yen-seih, to see. 

He stood alone ; a hundred men 
Could show no other such as he. 

When to the yawning grave he came, 

Terror unnerved and shook his frame. 

Why thus destroy our noblest men, 
To thee we cry, O azure Heaven ! 

To save Yen-seih from death, we would 
A hundred lives have freely given. 

2 They flit about, the yellow birds, 

And on the mulberry trees rest find. 
Who buried were in duke Muh's grave, 
Alive to awful death consigned ? 

'Mong brothers three, who met that fate, 
'Twas sad the next, Chung-hang, to see. 

When on him pressed a hundred men, 
A match for all of them was he. 

When to the yawning grave he came, 

Terror unnerved and shook his frame. 

Why thus destroy our noblest men, 
To thee we ciy, O azure Heaven ! 

To save Chung-hang from death, we would 
A hundred lives have freely given. 

BE XI. vi.] THE BOOK or POETET. 

3 They flit about, the yellow birds, 

And rest upon the thorn trees find. 
Who buried were in duke Muh's grave, 
Alive to awful death consigned ? 

'Mong brothers three, who met that fate, 
JTwas sad the third, K'ëen-foo, to see. 

A hundred men in desperate fight 
Successfully withstand could he. 

When to the yawning grave he came, 

Terror unnerved and shook his frame. 

Why thus destroy our noblest men, 
To thee we cry, O azure Heaven ! 

To save K'ëen-foo from death, we would 
A hundred lives have freely given. 

Another version. By W. T. Mercer. 

1 The birds, the yellow birds, are rife, 
And flit about the jujube bloom ; 
Not so who doomed to death in life, 
Must lie within the ducal tomb. 
Yen was a man above all men, 

He was more than a hundred brave ; 
But scared was his look, 
And he trembled and shook, 
When he came to the great man's grave. 
Why thus destroy our noblest men ? 

To thee we cry, O azure Heaven ! 
For to redeem the life of Yen 

A hundred lives we would have given. 

2 The birds, the yellow birds, are rife, 
And all the mulberry blossom stir; 
Not so, who, doomed to death in life, 
Must lie in duke Muh's sepulchre. 
Chung was a man above all men, 
Ay—more than a hundred brave ; 
But scared was his look, 
And he trembled and shook, 
As he stood by the great man's grave. 
Why send our highest to the grave ? 
To thee we cry, thou azure Heaven ! 
11* 

163 

 164 

THE BOOK OP POETRY. 

[PART I. 

The life of gallant Chung to save 

A hundred lives we would have given. 

3 The birds, the yellow birds, are rife, 

And through the thorny branches fly. 
Not so who doomed to death in life, 
Must fill the ducal cemetery. 
K'een was a man above all men, 
And more than a hundred brave ; 
But he trembled and shook, 
And scared was his look, 
When he stood by the prince's grave. 
Why thus destroy our good and great ? 

To thee we cry, 0 azure Heaven ! 
If K'een were living with us yet, 

A hundred lives we would have given. 

VII. 

The Skin fung ; allusive. A WIFE TELLS HER GEIEF BECAUSE oí 

THE ABSENCE OP HEK HUSBAND, AND HIS FORGETFULNESS OF HEB. 

1 The falcon swiftly seeks the north, 
And forest gloom that sent it forth. 
Since I no more my husband see, 
My heart from grief is never free. 
O how is it, I long to know, 
That he, my lord, forgets me so ? 

2 Bushy oaks on the mountain grow, 
And six elms where the ground is low. 
But I, my husband seen no more, 
My sad and joyless fate deplore. 
0 how is it, I long to know. 
That he, my lord, forgets me so ? 

3 The hills the bushy wild plums show, 
And pear trees grace the ground below. 
But, with my husband from me gone, 
As drunk with grief, I dwell alone. 
0 how is it, I long to know, 
That he, my lord, forgets me so ? 

BK XI. IX.] THE BOOK OP POETRY. 

165 

Till. 
The Woo e : narrative. THE PEOPLE OF TS'IN DECLARE THEIR 

READINESS, AND STIMULATE OKE ANOTHER, TO FIGHT IN THE KING'S 

CAUSE. 

Evidently this piece was made at a time when the people were being 
called out in the service of Chow, and the loyalty which they had felt, 
when they were subjects of Chow, still asserted itself. 

1 Say you you have no clothes to wear ? 
My long robes let me with you share. 
The king his armies has called out ; 
Then let us hail the battle shout. 
My lance and spear I will prepare, 
And as your comrade with you fare. 

2 Say you you have no clothes to wear ? 
Come and my under-garments share. 
The king his armies has called out ; 
Then let us hail the battle shout. 
My spear and lance I will prepare, 
And to the field with you will fare. 

3 Say you you have no clothes to wear ? 
My lower clothing you shall share. 
The king his armies has called out ; 
Then let us hail the battle shout. 
Buff coat I'll get, and weapons keen, 
And with you on the march be seen. 

IS. 

The Wei yang ; narrative. THE FEELINGS WITH WHICH DUKE 

K'ANG OF TS'IN ESCORTED HIS UNCLE, DUKE WAN. TO TSIN, AND HIS 
PARTING GIFTS. 

Duke Hëen of Tsin had a daughter who was married to duke Muh of 
Ts'in, and became the mother of his son, afterwards duke K'ang. The 
eldest sou and heir of Been was driven to suicide by the machinations of 
an unworthy favourite of his father, and his two other sons fled to other 
States. One of them, Ch'ung-urh, afterwards the famous duke Wan of 
Tsin, took refuge finally in Ts'in, and by the help of Muh was restored 
to his native State, and became master of it after he had been a fugitive 
for 19 years. K'ang was then the heir-apparent of Ts'in, and escorted 
his nncle into Tsin, when he undertook the expedition to recover it. 

 166 

THE BOOK ΟΓ POETRY. 

[PART I. 

These verses are supposed to have been written to him at a subsequent 
time, when he recalled the event with interest. 

1 I escorted my uncle to Tsiri, 

Till the Wei we crossed on the way. 
Then I gave as I left 
For his carriage a gift 
Four steeds, and each steed was a bay. 

2 I escorted my uncle to Tsin, 

And I thought of him much in my heart. 
Pendant stones, and with them 
Of fine jasper a gem, 
I gave, and then saw him depart. 

X. 

The E'even yu ; narrative. SOME PARTIES, PBOBABLY REFUGEES, 

COMPLAIN OF THE DIMINISHED RESPECT AND ATTENTION PAID TO 
THEM. 

1 He lodged us in a spacious house, 

And plenteous was our fare. 
But now at every frugal ineal 

There's not a scrap to spare. 
Alas ! alas that this good man 
Could not go on as he began ! 

2 Four dishes on the mat the grain 

For every meal supplied. 
The change is great, from every meal 

We rise unsatisfied. 
Alas ! alas that this good man 
Could not go on as he began ! 

XII. I.] THE BOOK ΟΓ POETRY. 

167 

BOOK XII. 

THE DDKS OF CHCIN. 

CH'IN was one of the smaller feudal States of Chow, and its name 
remains in the department of Ch'iu-chow, Ho-nan. It was a marqnisate, 
and its lords traced their lineage up to the earliest commencement of his 
toric times, and boasted of being descended from the famousemperor Shun, 
so that they had the surname of Kwei. At the rise of the Chow dynasty, one 
of Shun's descendants, called Ngoh-foo, was potter-iu-chief to king Woo, 
who was so pleased with him that he gave his own eldest daughter to be 
wife to his son Mwan, whom he invested with the principality of Ch'in. 
He is known as duke Hoo, and established his capital near the monnd 
called Yuen-k'ëw, in the present district of Hwae-ning, department of 
Ch'in-chow. His marchioness is said to have been fond of witches and 
wizards, and of singing and dancing, and so to have affected badly the 
manners and customs of the people of the State. 

The Yiten-k'ëtv ; narrative. THE DISSIPATION AND PLEASURE-SEEK 
ING OP THE OFFICERS OF CH'IN. 

Yuen-k'ëw has been explained in the preceding note. If not in the 
city, it was near it, and a favourite resort of pleasure-seekers. 

It has been mentioned, in the title of Book viit, that the surname of 
the ruling House of the State of Ts'e was Këang. That of the lords of 
Sung, as being descended from the kings of the Shang dynasty, was Tsze. 

1 How gay and volatile you are, 

When upon Yuen-k'ew's top you stand 1 
Kindly you are indeed, but want 

All that would men's respect command. 

2 How at the foot of Yuen-k'ew's height 
Your blows upon the drum resound ! 
In winter and in summer, there 

With egret's plume in hand you're found. 

3 To Yuen-kfew as you move along, 

You beat your sounding earthenware. 
In winter and in summer both, 

Your fan of egret's plumes you bear. 

 1G8 

THE BOOK OP POETET. 

[PAKT I. 

II. 

The Tung man cite fun ; narrative. 

YOUNG PEOPLE OF CH'IN. 

WANTON ASSOCIATIONS OF THE 

1 The white elms by the east gate grow, 

And clumps of oaks crown Yuen-k'ew's head ; 
There Tsze-chung's daughter oft we see, 
Dancing about beneath their shade. 

2 On a bright morning they have fixed, 

To seek the plain that southward lies. 
Then from her task of twisting hemp, 
See ! dancing through the mart she hies. 

3 The morning fair, young men and girls 

Together go. You hear a youth 
Say to his mate, " 0 sunflower bright, 

Pledge me with pepper-stalk your truth ! " 

HI. 

The Bang inûn ; narrative. THE CONTENTMENT AND HAPPINESS OP 

A POOE RECLUSE. 

1 My only door some pieces of crossed wood, 

Within it I can rest enjoy. 
I drink the water wimpling from the spring ; 
Nor hunger can my peace destroy. 

2 Purged from ambition's aims, I say, '' For fish, 

We need not bream caught in the Ho ; 
Nor, to possess the sweets of love, require 
To Ts'e, to find a Keang, to go. 

3 " The man contented with his lot, a meal 

Of fish without Ho carp can make ; 
Nor needs, to rest in his domestic joy, 
A Tsze of Sung as wife to take." 

IV. 
The Tung i,m,i cJie ch'e ; allusive. THE TEAISE OF SOME VIRTUOUS 

AND INTELLIGENT LADY. 

BE XII. VI.] THE BOOK OF POETET. 

1 To steep your hemp, you seek the moat, 

Where lies the pool, th' east gate beyond. 
/ seek that lady, good and fair, 
Who can to me in song respond. 

2 To steep your grass-cloth plants, you seek 

The pool that near the east gate lies. 
I seek that lady, good and fair, 

Who can with me hold converse wise. 

3 Out by the east gate, to the moat, 

To steep your rope-rush, you repair. 
Her pleasant converse to enjoy, 
I seek that lady, good and fair. 

169 

v. 

The Tung man che yang ; allusive. 
TION. 

THE FAILURE OF AN ASSIGNA - 

1 Where grow the willows near the eastern gate, 
And 'neath their leafy shade we could recline, 
She said at evening she would me await, 
And brightly now I see the day star shine ! 

2 Here where the willows near the eastern gate 

Grow, and their dense leaves make a shady gloom, 
She said at evening she would me await. 
See now the morning star the sky illume ! 

VI. 

The Moo mûn; allusive. ON SOME EVIL PERSON WHO WAS GOING 

ON OBSTINATELY TO HIS EUIÎf. 

This is the argument of these verses finally adopted by Choo He. The 
Preface gives an historical interpretation of them which Choo at one 
time accepted. They were directed, according to that, against TO of 
Ch'in. This TO was a brother of duke Hwan (B.c. 743—706), upon 
whose death he killed his eldest sou and got possession of the State,—to 
come to an untimely end himself the year after. The piece may have 
been made against TO ; but in itself it indicates nothing more than I 
have stated. 

1 Where through the gate in to the tombs we go, 
Thick jujube trees, the axe requiring, grow. 

 170 

THE BOOK ΟΓ POETRY. 

[PART I. 

Like them that man, who ill befits his place. 
And through the State is reckoned a disgrace ! 
All know him bad, but to his course he'll hold, 
So long to evil has the man been sold. 

2 Where through the gate in to the tombs we turn, 
Owls perched upon the plum-trees we discern. 
Such omen well may to that man belong, 
Whom to admonish I now sing this song. 
No welcome will the admonition find ; 
When overthrown, my words he'll call to mind. 

VII. 
The Fang yëm ts'ëoTi cTi'amt ; allusive. A LADY LAMENTS THE 

ALIENATION OF HEK LOYER BY MEANS OF EVIL TONGUES. 

1 The magpies' nests are on the bank ; 
On heights the lovely pea grows rank ; 
While withered my heart is and blank. 
Who wiled my Love away ? 

2 The temple path its fine tiles shows ; 

On heights the ribbon-plant bright grows ; 
While my breast heaves with sorrow's throes. 
Who led his heart astray ? 

By W. T. Mercer. Latine. 

1 Montibus incultas florescunt pisa decora, 

In ripa nidum gárrula pica facit ; 
Delicias nostras quis nunc circumdedit arte ? 
Labe notât nostras lachryma multa genas ! 

2 En ! medium templí callera bene tegula condit. 

En ! monte in sumino gramina pulchra virent. 
Sed quis delicias nostras circumdedit arte ? 
Ah ! nostras maculant flumina salsa genas I 

vin. 

The Yueh ch'iih ; allusive. A GENTLEMAN TELLS ALL THE EXCITE 
MENT OF HIS DESIKE FOE THE POSSESSION OF A BEAUTIFUL LADY. 

XII. IX.] THE BOOK OF POETRY. 171 

1 The moon comes forth, brignt in the sky ; 
A lovelier sight to draw my eye 

Is she, that lady fair. 

She round my heart has fixed love's chain, 
But all my longings are in vain. 

'Tis hard the grief to bear. 

2 The moon comes forth, a splendid sight ; 
More winning far that lady bright, 

Object of my desire ! 
Deep-seated is my anxious grief; 
In vain I seek to find relief, 

While glows the secret fire. 

3 The rising moon shines mild and fair; 
More bright is she, whose beauty rare 

My heart with longing fills. 
With eager wish I pine in vain ; 
0 for relief from constant pain, 

Which through my bosom thrills ! 

IX 

The Clwo lin; narrative. THE INTRIGUE OF DUKE LING WITH THE 
LADY OF CKOO-LIN. 

Ghoo observes that this is the only one of the odes of Ch'in of which the 
historical interpretation is certain. The intrigue Of duke Ling with Hëa 
Ke (B.C. 612—598) makes the filthiest narrative, perhaps, of all detailed 
in the Tso-chuen. She was one of the vilest of women ; and the duke 
was killed by Hëan Nan, her son. who was himself put to a horrible and 
undeserved death, the year after, by one of the viscounts of Ts'oo. 

1 What to Choo-lin takes his car ? 
Hea Nan" is the leading star. 
Not for Choo-lin does he go ; 
Hea Nan 'tis who draws him so. 

2 Oft his purpose to go there 
At the court he will declare :— 
" Yoke for me my goodly team ; 
I to-night in Choo will dream. 
With those colts my way I'll make, 
Morning meal at Choo to take." 

 172 

THE BOOK OP POETRY. 

[PART I. 

XIII. I.] THE BOOK OF POETRY. 

173 

The TsiJi p'o; allusive. A GENTLEMAN'S ADMIBATION OF AND 

LONGING ΡΟΚ A CERTAIN LADY. 

1 There where its shores the marsh surround, 
Rushes and lotus plants abound. 
Their loveliness brings to my mind 
The lovelier one that I would find. 
In vain I try to ease the smart 
Of wounded love that wrings my heart. 
In waking thought and nightly dreams, 
From every pore the water streams. 

2 All round the marsh's shores are seen 
Valerian flowers and rushes green. 
But lovelier is that Beauty rare, 
Handsome and large, and tall, and fair. 
I wish and long to call her mine, 
Doomed with the longing still to pine. 
Nor day nor night e'er brings relief; 
My inmost heart is full of grief. 

3 Around the marsh, in rich display, 
Grow rush and lotus flowers, all gay. 
But not with her do they compare, 
So tall and large, majestic, fair. 
Both day and night, I nothing speed ; 
Still clings to me the aching need. 
On side, on back, on face, 1 lie, 
But vain each change of posture try. 

BOOK XIII. 

THE ODES OP KWEI. 

KWEI was originally a small State, in the present Ch'ing Chow, depart 
ment K'ae-fung, Ho-nan, or, as others think, in the district of Meih of 
the same department. Its lords were Yuns, and claimed to be descended 
from Chuh-yung, a minister of the prae-historic emperor Chuen-hëuh. 
Before the period of the Ch'un-ts'ëw, which begins about B.C. 720, it had 
been extinguished by one of the earls of Ch'ing, the one, probably, whom 
we have met with in Book vii. as duke1 Woo (B.c. 770—743), and had 
become a portion of that State. Some of the critics think that the odes 
of Ewei are really odes of Ch'ing, just as those of P'ei and Yung belonged 
toWei. 

I. 

The Kami Tt'em ; narrative. SOME OFFICER OF KWEI LAMENTS OVER 

THE FRIVOLOUS CHARACTER OF HIS BULER. FOND OF DISPLAYING HIS 
ROBES, INSTEAD OP ATTENDING/ TO THE DUTIES OF GOVERNMENT. 

1 In lamb's-fur robe you lounge about. 

Hold court in fox-fur clad. 
Such habits wake my anxious thought ;— 

My weary heart is sad. 
When thus you slight each rule of dress, 

Must not your rule be bad ? 

2 Aimless you roam in lamb's-fur robe, 

In fox-fur grace the hall. 
Such habits wake my anxious thought, 

And fill my heart with gall. 
When thus you slight the laws of dress, 

You'll heed no laws at all. 

3 Your glossy lamb's-fur in the sun 

Gleams as with ointment's sheen. 
•"Tis this that wakes my anxious thought, 

My heart's core pierces keen. 
That thus you slight the laws of dress, 

Is sorry sign I ween. 

.11,, 

 174 

THE BOOK OF POETRr. 

[PART I. 

The Soo Ttwan ; narrative. SOME ONE DEPLORES THE DECAY OF 

FILIAL FEELING, AS SEEN IN THE NEGLECT OF THE MOURNING HABIT. 

Both Maou and Choo quote, in illustration of the sentiment of the 
piece, various conversations of Confucius on the three years' mourning for 
parents ;—see the Analects, XVII. xxi. The " white cap " spoken of was 
one assumed by mourners for a parent at the end of two years. The 
skirt, or lower robe, and the knee-covers were then also of plain white 
silk. 

1 O that I saw the mourning robe of white, 

Assumed when two years from the death are o'er, 
And earnest mourner's form, to leanness worn ! 
Not seeing this, my heart with grief is sore. 

2 0 that I saw the lower robe to match 

This cap of white ! I'd with the wearer go, 
And live with him, my heart eased of its smart,— 
Its sadness gone, such mourner true to know. 

3 0 that I saw the white knee-covers worn, 

Suiting the cap and skirt ! I should feel bound 
To him whose lasting grief so sought relief. 

The sympathy would heal my heart's deep wound. 

III. 

The SiJi yew cJiteng-t^oo ; narrative. SOME ONE, GROANING USDEB 

THE OPPRESSION OF THE GOVERNMENT, WISHES HE WERE AN UN 
CONSCIOUS TREK. 

1 Where the grounds are wet and low, 
There the trees of goat-peach grow, 
With their branches small and smooth, 
Glossy in their tender youth. 
Joy it were to me, O tree. 
Consciousness to want like thee. 

2 Where the grounds are wet and low, 
There the trees of goat-peach grow. 
Soft and fragrant are their flowers, 
Glossy from the vernal showers. 
Joy it were to me, O tree, 
Ties of home to want like thee. 

BK XIII. iv.] THE BOOK OF POETRY. 175 

3 Where the grounds are wet and low, 
There the trees of goat-peach grow. 
What delicious fruits they bear, 
Glossy, soft, of beauty rare ! 
Joy it were to me, O tree, 
Household cares to want like thee. 

IV. 

The Fei fling ; narrative and allusive. SOME ONE TELLS HIS SORROW 
FOR THE DECAY OF THE POWER OF CHOW. 

It is certainly a homely subject which the writer employs in the third 
stanza to introduce the expression of his sympathy with the friends of 
Chow. 

1 Not for the stormy wind, 

Nor rushing chariots' roar, 
But when I view the road to Chow,— 
I'm pained to my heart's core. 

2 Not for the whirlwind's sweep, 

Nor car's unsteady roll, 
But when I view the road to Chow,— 
Deep sadness dulls my soul. 

3 For one who fish can cook, 

His boilers I would clear ; 
So him whose heart beats westward true, 
With these good words I cheer. 

 176 

THE BOOK OF POETEY. 

[PAET I. 

XIV. III.] THE BOOK OF POETRY. 

177 

BOOK XIV. 

THE ODES OF TSfAOU. 

TS'AOU was a small State,-corresponding to the present department of 
Ts'aou-chow, Shan-tung ; having for its chief city T'aou-k'ëw,—in the 
present district of Ting-t'aou. Its lords were earls, the first of them, 
Chin-toll, having been a younger brother of king Woo. It continued for 
1)46 years, when it was extinguished by the larger Sung. 

I. 

The Fow-yëw ; metaphorical. AGAINST SOME PATCHES is THE STATE, 

OCCUPIED WITH FRIVOLOUS PURSUITS, AND OBLIVIOUS OP IMPORTANT 
MATTERS. 

1 Like splendid robes appear the wings 

Of the ephemeral fly ; 
And such the pomp of those great men, 

Which soon in dust shall lie ! 
I grieve ! Would they but come to me ! 

To teach them I should try. 

2 The wings of the ephemeral fly 

Are robes of colours gay ; 
And such the glory of those men, 

Soon crumbling to decay ! 
I grieve ! Would they but rest with me, 

They'd learn a better way ! 

3 The ephemeral fly bursts from its hole, 

With gauzy wings like snow ; 
So quick the rise, so quick the fall, 

Of those great men we know ! 
I grieve ! \Vould they but lodge with me, 
Forth they would wiser go. 

II. 

The Horv-jin ; allusive and metaphorical. LAMENT OVER THE FA 
VOUR SHOWN TO WORTHLESS OFFICERS AT THE COURT OF Ts'AOU. 
AND THE DISCOUNTENANCE OF GOOD MEN. 

The Preface refers this piece to the time of duke Rung (B.C. 651—617), 
who was chargeable, no doubt, with the error that is here condemned, for 
we are told in the Tso-chuen how, when duke Wan of Tsiri entered 
Ts'aou in B.C. 631, he condemned its ruler for having about him " three 
hundred" worthless and useless officers. It has been argued, however, 
that, when duke Wan specified the number of three hundred, he was 
speaking from this ode, previously in existence. But we may contend, 
on the other hand, that it had only become current in the previous years 
of Kung. 

1 Each warden of the gates appears, 
With lancers and with halberdiers, 

As well befits his place ; 
But these three hundred men, who shine 
Grand in their red knee-covers fine, 

Only the court disgrace. 

2 Like pelicans, upon the dam 

Which stand, and there their pouches cram, 

Unvvet the while their wings, 
Are those who their rich dress display, 
But no befitting service pay, 
Intent on meanest things. 

3 Like pelicans which eager watch 
Upon the dam, their prey to catch, 

And spare to wet the beak, 
Are those who richest favours share, 
But take no part in toil or care, 

Nor the State's welfare seek. 

4i Like grass luxuriant on its side, 

While morning mists the south hill hide, 

These creatures seem to grow ; 
But meu of worth, like virtuous maid, 
Lovely but poor, denied wealth's aid, 
No recognition know. 

in. 

The She-kern; allusive. THE PRAISE OF SOME ONE, SOME EARL, 

PROBABLY, OF Ts'AOU, UN1FOKMLY OF VIRTUOUS CONDUCT AND OF 
EXTENSIVE INFLUENCE. 

There is a difficulty, in this piece, in the statement that the young ones 
of the bird amount to " seven," as the turtle dove, like all other birds of 
VOL. in. 12 

 178 

THE BOOK OF POETET. 

[PART I. 

the same species, has only two young at a time. It is highly character 
istic of the Chinese critics, that the only one I have met with who touches 
on this point is Maou K'e-ling. He observes that we have the " seven," 
or the Chinese character tg'ih, because it rhymes with the character yih, 
translated in my larger work by " uniformly correct," and are not to 
understand the text as if it gave definitely the number of the turtle's 
young I Almost all the critics, moreover, supposing the " seven " to give 
correctly the numbpr of the young ones, follow " the old Maou " in the 
most absurd statements about the dove's method in feeding its young, 
from which they deduce the meaning of the piece. 

1 See in the mulberry tree the turtle dove 
Her seven young tending with untiring love. 
Like lier is lie, our lord, whose virtuous aim 
His movements, all to rule exact, proclaim. 
His movements, all to rule exact, attest 
His heart to virtue bound within his breast. 

2 The mulberry tree still gives the dove to sight, 
But to the plum her young have taken flight. 
So is that princely man to virtue bound, 
Who ever with his silken sash is found. 
In silken girdle loves he to appear, 
And bonnet made from skin of spotted deer. 

3 Behold the dove upon the mulberry tree, 
While on the jujube her seven young we see. 
In soul so steadiest is that princely man, 
Whose course for fault or flaw we vainly scan. 
His movements without fault or flaw beget 
Good order for his rule throughout the Otate. 

4 See on the mulberry tree the dove still sit, 
And on the hazel all her young ones flit. 
So on his aim that princely man is set. 
Who rectifies the people of our State. 
His laws to all affairs such order give ;— 
Ten thousand years in vigour may he live ! 

rv. 

The Jlca-ts'cven ; metaphorical-allusive. THE MISERY AND MIS- 

GOVERNMENT OF Ts'AOU MAKES THE WRITER THINK OF CHOW AND 
OF ITS FORMER VIGOUR AND PROSPERITY. 

Seun, mentioned in the last stanza, was a small Siate, in the present 
district of Lin-tsin, department P'oo-chow, Shan-se. It was first con- 

XIV. IV.] THE BOOK OF POETET. 

179 

ferred on a son of king Wan, one of whose descendants was the " chief " 
in the text,—so called as presiding with vice-regal authority over a dis 
trict, embracing many States. We do not know when he lived. 

1 Down from the spring the chilling waters pass, 
And overflow the bushy wolf-tail grass ;— 

Fit emblem of our state unblest. 
In the dark night, restless, I wake and sigh, 
And to my thoughts Chow's capital comes nigh, 

When through its kings the land had rest. 

2 The bushy southernwood is flooded o'er, 

By the cold waters from that spring which pour ;— 

Fit emblem of our state unblest. 
In the dark night, restless, I wake and sigh, 
And to my thoughts Chow's capital comes nigh, 
When through its kings the land had rest. 

3 The bushy plants, whose stalks serve to divine 
Beneath the waters of that cold spring pine ;— 

Fit emblem of our state unblest. 
In the dark night, restless, I wake and sigh, 
And to my thoughts Chow's capital comes nigh, 

When through its kings the land had rest. 

4 Of old there fell the fertilizing rains, 

And brightly shone the millet on our plains ;— 

The land knew no oppression hard. 
The States the king's authority obeyed, 
And to each lord, for loyal service paid, 

The chief of Seun dispensed reward. 

12 * 

 180 

THE BOOK OF POETEY. 

[PART I. 

BK XV. ι.! 

THE BOOK OF POETEY. 

181 

\> 

BOOK XV. 

THE ODES OF PIN. 

ENOUGH has been said about Pin in the note On the title of Book i. 
There the chiefs of what was subsequently called the House of Chow 
dwelt for nearly five centuries, from B.C. 179(i to 1325. The first piece 
in this Book is accepted as a description by the famous duke of Chow of 
the ways of the first settlers in Pin, and hence the name of Pin is given 
to all the odes in it, though no other of them refers to anything that 
took place in that region. They were all made by the duke of Chow 
about matters in his own day, or they were made by others about him. 

The Ts'ih yueii ; narrative. LIFE IN PIN IN THE OLDEN TIME ; THE 

PROVIDENT ARRANGEMENTS THERE TO SECURE THE CONSTANT SUPPLY 
OF FOOD AND RAIMENT,—WHATEVER WAS NECESSAEY FOR THE SUP 
PORT AND COMFORT OP THE PEOPLE. 

This universally accepted account of the ode is not without its diffi 
culties. Pin is not once mentioned in it. The note of time with which 
the three first stanzas commence is not a little perplexing :—'· In the 
seventh month, the Ho or Fire-star, i.e., the Heart in Scorpio, passes on ; " 
that is, passes to the westward of the meridian at night-fall. li has been 
urged that this could not have beeu the case if the year of Chow began 
with our December ; but the critics meet this difficulty by saying that in 
this piece, and indeed throughout the She, the specification of the months 
is according to the calendar of the He'a dynasty, and not that of Chow. 
This may be granted ; but it only leads to another difficulty. Scorpio did 
pass to the westward in August, or the seventh month of the Hëa dynasty, 
in the time of the duke of Chow,—say about B.c. 1114; but it did not 
do so in the time of duke Lew, or B.c. 1796. We are thus brought to 
one of two conclusions :—that the piece does not describe life in Pin 
about 700 years before the duke of Chow's time ; or that he supposed the 
place of the sun in the heavens, in the time of duke Lew, to have been 
the same as it was in his own days. I think we must adopt the latter 
conclusion, nor need we be surprised at the lack of astronomical know 
ledge in the great statesman. 

I adhere to the ordinary view of the ode, mainly because of the second 
line in the stanzas already referred to,—that clothes were given ont in the 
ninth month, 'n anticipation of the approaching winter. This must 
evidently be in the ninth month of He'a, and not of Chow. Were the 
author telling of what was done in his own time, we cannot conceive of 
his thus expressing himself. Why then should we not translate the piece 

in the past tense, as being a record of the past ? I was inclined to do so. 
The 9th and 10th lines of the first stanza determined me otherwise. The 
speaker there must be an old farmer or yeoman of Pin, and the whole 
must be conceived of as coming from him. 

At the same time, it will be noted that there are two styles in the indi 
cation of the months. We have " the seventh month," " the eighth 
month," &c., and we have " the first month's days," " the second month's 
days," &c. The critics say that the dates in the former style are to be 
referred to the Hëa calendar, and those in the latter, to that of Chow. 
They are probably correct. At any rate, I have in the latter case 
adhered literally to the text, or put in the pronoun " our." 

This long note may be excused, because of the interest attaching to 
the picture of life and manners in so distant an age. 

1 The seventh month sees the Ho go down the sky, 
And in the ninth, the stores warm clothes supply. 
Our first month's days, the wind blows cold and shrill; 
Our second's days, winds hushed, the air is chill. 
But for those clothes, and garments made of hair, 
At the year's end, how badly all would fare ! 
Our third month's days, their ploughs in hand they take, 
And all the fourth the fields their home they make. 
I with my wife and children take my way, 
And to the southern acres food convey 
For those who toil. Appears th' Inspector then, 
Surveys the fields, and cheers the working men. 

2 The seventh month sees the Ho go down the sky, 
And in the ninth, the stores warm clothes supply. 
The warmth begins when come the days of spring, 
And then their notes we hear the orioles sing. 
See the young women, with their baskets high, 
About the mulberry trees their labours ply ! 
The softest leaves, along the paths, they seek, 
To feed their silk-worms, newly hatched and weak. 
For such, as longer grow the days of spring, 
In crowds they haste white southernwood to bring. 
'Mongst them are some who grieve with wounded 

heart ;— 
To wed young lords, from parents soon they part ! 

3 The seventh month sees the Ho down westward go ; 
The eighth, the reeds and sedges thickly grow. 
The months the silk-worms' eggs are hatched, they break 
The mulberry branches, thus their leaves to take ; 

 182 

THE BOOK OF POETET. 

[PAKT I. 

And where those branches stretch out far and high, 

Hatchets and axes on them boldly ply, 

While younger trees only their leaves supply. 

In the seventh month, the shrike's notes shrilly sound, 

And on the eighth, twisting the hemp they're found. 

Their woven fabrics, dark or yellow dyed, 

Are valued highly o'er a circle wide. 

Our brilliant red, the triumph of our art, 

For young lords' lower robes is set apart. 

4 In the fourth month, the snake-root bursts the ear ; 
The shrill cicadas in the fifth we hear. 
When comes the eighth, the ripened grain they crop, 
And in the tenth the leaves begin to drop. 
In our first month for badgers quest they make ; 
The wild-cat also and the fox they take :— 
These last the furs for young lords to supply. 
Our second month, there comes the hunting high, 
When great and small attend our ruler's car, 
And practise all the exercise of war. 
The hunters get the younger boars they find ; 
Those three years old are to the prince assigned. 

5 The locust in the fifth mouth beats its thighs ; 
And in the sixth, its wings the spinner plies. 
The next, we find the crickets in the field ; 
Under our eaves, the eighth, they lie concealed ; 
The ninth, they como and near our door-ways keep ; 
The tenth, beneath our beds they slily creep. 
The rats we smoke out ; chinks we fill up tight ;— 
And close each opening on the north for light, 
And plaster wicker doors ; then each one says, 
" 0 wife and children, this year's toiling days 
Are o'er, and soon another year will come ; 
Enter and dwell in this our cosy home." 

6 For food, the sixth month, plums and vines they spoil ; 
The seventh, the beans and sunflower seeds they boil ; 
The eighth, they strike the jujube dates all down ; 
The tenth, they reap the paddy fully grown, 
And with the grain make spirits 'gainst the spring, 
Which to the bushy eyebrows comfort bring. 
In the seventh month, their food the melons make ; 

BE XV. II.] THE BOOK OP POETKT. 183 

And in the eighth, the bottle gourds they take. 
The ninth, in soups hempseed they largely use, 
Nor sonchus leaves do they for these refuse. 
Th' ailantkus foul, for other use not good, 
They fell, and then for fuel burn the wood :— 
'Tis thus the labourer is supplied with food. 

7 In the ninth month, the yards, now stript and bare, 
They for the produce of the fields prepare. 
The tenth month sees the carrying all complete,— 
Of early millets and the late, the wheat, 
The hemp, the pulse,—whatever grain we eat. 
This labour done, the husbandmen all say, 
" Our harvest here is well secured. Away 
To town, and see what for our houses there 
We need to do, to put them in repair ! 
The reeds we'll gather while we have the light, 
And firmly twist them into ropes at night. 
Up on the roofs we'll haste with these in hand :— 
8oon will the fields our time again demand." 

8 Our second month, they, with harmonious blows, 
Hew out the ice,—housed ere our third month close. 
The following month, and in the early dawn, 
They ope the doors;—forth now may ice be drawn; 
A lamb being offered, after rites of old, 
With seallions flanked, to him who rules the cold. 
In the ninth month, the cold begins, with frost ; 
The tenth their cornyards swept and clean they boast. 
Good spirits, in two vessels kept, they take, 
To help their joy, and this proposal make :— 
" We'll kill both lambs and sheep," they joyous say, 
" And to the ruler's quickly take our way. 
We'll mount his hall ; the massive cup we'll raise, 
Made of rhinoceros' horn, and as we praise, 
Wish him long life, the life of endless days." 

II. 

The Cli'e-hëaon ; metaphorical. THE DUKE or CHOW, IN THE PER 
SON OF A BIRD, WHOSE YOUNG ONES HAVE BEEN DESTROYED BY AN 
OWL, VINDICATES THE DECISIVE COURSE HE HAD TAKEN WITH KE- 
BELL1ON. 

 184 

THE BOOK OF POETEY. 

[PAKT I. 

We have an account of the composition of this piece in the Book of 
History, V. vi. 15. Two of the duke of Chow's brothers, who had been 
associated with Woo-käng, the son of the dethroned king of Shang, in 
the charge of the territory which had been left to him by king Woo, 
joined him in rebellion, having first spread a rumour impeaching the 
fidelity of the duke to his nephew, the young king Ch'ing. He took the 
field against them, put to death Woo-käng and one of his own brothers, 
dealing also with" the other according to the measure of his guilt. It is 
supposed that some suspicions of him still remained in the mind of the 
king, and he therefore made this ode to show how he had loved his 
brothers, notwithstanding he had punished them, and that his course was 
in consequence of his solicitude for the consolidation of the dynasty of 
his family. 

1 Owl, 0 Owl, hear my request, 
And do not, owl, destroy my nest. 

You nave taken my young, 

Though I over them hung, 
With the nursing of love and of care. 
Pity me, pity me ! Hear my prayer. 

2 Ere the clouds the sky had obscured, 
The mulberry roots I secured. 

Door and window around, 

Them so firmly I bound, 
That I said, casting downward my eyes, 
" Dare any of you my house despise ? " 

3 I tugged with my claws and I tore, 
And my mouth and my clawa were sore. 
So the rushes I sought, 
And all other things brought ; 
For to perfect the house I was bent, 
And I grudged no toil with this intent. 

4 My wings are deplorably torn, 

And my tail is much injured and worn. 

Tossed about by the wind, 

While the rain beats unkind, 
Oh ! my house is in peril of harm, 
And this note I scream out in alarm. 

III. 

The Tung shan ; narrative. THE DUKE OF CHOW TELLS OP THE 

TOILS OP HIS SOLDIERS IN THEIE EXPEDITION TO THE EAST AND OÏ1 
THEIE RETURN, AND THEIE JOY AT THE LAST. 

XV. III.] THE BOOK OF POETEY. 

185 

The piece nowhere says that it was made by the duke of Chow ; but, 
\vith Choo and the critics generally, I think it likely that it was made 
by him,—in compliment to his men. 

1 To the hills of the east we went, 

And long had we there to remain. 
When the word of recall was sent, 

Thick and fast came the drizzling rain. 
When told our return we should take, 

Our hearts in the west were and sore ; 
But there did they clothes for us make :— 

They knew our hard service was o'er. 
On the mulberry grounds in oar sight 

The large caterpillars were creeping ; 
Lonely and still we passed the night, 

All under our carriages sleeping. 

2 To the hills of the east we went, 

And long had we there to remain. 
When the word of recall was sent, 

Thick and fast came the drizzling rain. 
The heavenly gourds rise to the eye, 

With their fruit hanging under the eave. 
In our chambers the sowbug we spy ; 

Their webs on our doors spiders weave. 
Our paddocks seem crowded with deer, 

With the glow-worm's light all about. 
Such thoughts, while they filled us with fear, 

We tried, but in vain, to keep out. 

3 To the hills of the east we went, 

And long had we there to remain. 
When the word of recall was sent. 

Thick and fast came the drizzling rain. 
On ant-hills screamed cranes with delight ; 

In their rooms were our wives sighing sore. 
Our homes they had swept and made tight :— 

All at once we arrived at the door. 
The bitter gourds hanging are seen, 

From branches of chestnut trees high. 
Three years of toil away we had been, 

Since such a sight greeted the eye. 

 186 

THE BOOK OF POETET. 

[PAKT I. 

4 To the hills of the east we went, 

And long had we there to remain. 
When the word of recall was sent, 

Thick and fast came tho drizzling rain. 
With its wings now here, and now there, 

Is the oriole sporting in flight. 
Those brides to their husbands repair, 

Their steeds red and bay, flecked with white. 
Each mother has fitted each sash ; 

Their equipments are full and complete ; 
But fresh unions, whatever their dash, 

Can ne'er with reunions compete. 

IV. 
The ΡΌ fan; narrative. KESPONSIVE TO THE LAST ODE. His SOL- 

DIBES PKA1SE THE DUKE OF CHOW FOE HIS MAGNANIMITY AND 
SYMPATHY WITH THE PEOPLE. 

1 We splintered our axes, and brought 

Our hatchets all to the same plight. 
But the duke of Chow meant, when eastward he went, 
What was wrong in those four States to right. 
Oh ! the pity was great 
Which he felt for their state ! 

2 Our axes aiid chisels we broke 

To pieces, and splintered aud rent. 
But the duke of Chow meant, when eastward he went, 
The four States all reformed to present. 
Oh ! the pity was good 
That on them he bestowed ! 

3 Our axes we broke, and our clubs 

To fragments were splintered and split. 
But the duke of Chow meant, when eastward he went, 
The four States in close union to knit. 
Oh ! the pity was rare 
That he showed for them there ! 

V. 

The Fail Jto ; metaphorical. WHILE THEKE is A PEOPEB AND 

NECESSARY WAY FOE EVERYTHING, MEN NKED NOT GO FAB TO FIND 
WHAT IT IS. 

XV. VI.] THE BOOK OF POETET. 

187 

Confucius quotes the first two lines of the second stanza in " the Doc 
trine of the Mean," xiii. 2, to illustrate the principle that the rule for 
man's way of life is in himself. Both the old interpreters and the new 
say that the piece is in praise of the duke of Chow, while they differ in 
the ways which they take to make out the point. 1 am myself unable to 
follow either school. 

1 In hewing an axe-shaft, how must you act ? 
Another axe take, or you'll never succeed. 
In taking a wife, be sure 'tis a fact, 

That with no go-between you never can speed. 

2 In hewing an axe-shaft, hewing a shaft, 

For a copy you have the axe in your hand. 
In choosing a wife, you follow the craft, 

And forthwith on the mats the feast-vessels stand. 

VI. 
The Kern yih; allusive aud narrative. THE PEOPLE OF THE EAST 

EXPKESS THEIR ADMIJÍATION OF THE DUKE OF CHOW, AND SOEKOW AT 
HIS RETURNING TO THE WEST. 

I have never seen a net with "nine enclosures," or "nine bags," as 
I have rendered the original terms in my larger work, nor come across a 
description of it in any Chinese book. Very probably, the net in question 
was woven or constructed—say of bamboo, with nine compartments ; or 
nine " nets for small fish " may have been placed in the water near one 
another. 

The "dragon robe," or "robe with dragons," was worn by the king, 
with the blazonry of the " nine figures " on it. The " court dukes," of 
whom the duke of Chow was one, were also entitled to wear it, with a 
slight difference in the blazonry. The royal robe showed two dragons 
on it, " one ascending and one descending ; " the ducal, a single dragon 
descending. 

1 The nine enclosures of the net 

The-rud and bream keep tight. 
Our prince in dragon robe we see, 
And skirt with figures bright. 

2 The geese brief time fly round the isles ; 

Home bends the duke his way. 
'Twas only for two passing nights 
He deigned with us to stay. 

 I 

188 

TUE BOOK OP POETET. 

[PAKT L 

3 Back to the land now fly the geese ; 

The duke comes not again. 
'Twas only for two passing nights 
He could with us remain. 

4 Short time the single dragon robe 

Among us we have had. 
Our duke 0 take not to the west, 
Nor bid our hearts be sad ! 

VIL 

The Lang poh; allusive. THE PRAISE OF THE DUKE OF CHOW, 

MORE DISTINGUISHED THROUGH HIS TRIALS. 

The wolf in this piece is supposed to be an old one, in which the dew 
lap and tail have grown to a very large size. He is further supposed to 
be making frantic efforts to escape ;—all in vain, for his own dewlap and 
tail are in his way. 

1 Dewlap o'ergrown and heavy tail 

Th* impatient wolf impede or trip. 
But see the duke, humble while tried ! 
Along his red shoes quiet slip. 

2 Tail heavy and dew-lap o'ergrown, 

Th' impatient wolf trip or impede. 
But see the duke, humble while tried, 
His fame unflawed by hasty deed ! 

THE BOOK OF POETEY. 

PART II. 

MINOE ODES OF THE KINGDOM. 

BOOK I. Decade of Luh Ming. 

TITLE OF THE PART. This in Chinese is Sëaou Ya, which I have ex 
pressed by " Minor odes of the Kingdom." " Odes of the Kingdom " is 
not, indeed, a translation of Ya ; but the phrase approximates to a de 
scription of what the pieces in this and the next Part are more nearly than 
any other I could think of. Ya is explained as meaning—Correct ; and 
Lacharme translates the title by "Panmm Rectum" adding—"guia in itac 
parte mitres descriìnmtur, recti illi guident, qui tarnen ncnnìMl a recto 
deßectunt." But the pieces in this Part, as descriptive of manners, are 
not less correct, or less incorrect, as the case may be, than those in the 
next. The difference between them is—that the pieces in Part III. were 
appropriate to greater occasions, and those of Part II. to lesser. The 
former, as Choo He says, were sung at festal entertainments in the court ; 
the latter, at gatherings of the feudal princes, and at their appearances 
at the royal court. The names "small" and "great," "major" and 
"minor," may have had reference also to the length of the pieces taken 
as a whole, and to the style of the music to which they were sung, which 
is now lost ; but we shall find that in the subject matter of the pieces 
there is a sufficient ground for such a distinction. As the Fling, or the 
compositions in the first Part, were produced in the different feudal States, 
the Ya were produced in the royal territory. The first twenty-two pieces 
of this Part are attributed, indeed, to the duke of Chow himself, and are 
distinguished from those that follow, as the odes of " Chow and the 
South " and of " Shaou and the South " are distinguished from those 
in the other Books of Part I. As there were " the correct Fang " and 
the " fung degenerate," so there are the " correct Ya " and the " degener 
ate Ya; " but as I have observed in the prolegomena, this distinction is of 
no importance. It was proper to sing the Ya only on great and solemn 
occasions at the royal court ; in course of time they were used at the 
feudal courts, and even by ministers of these, as in the services of the Ke 
family in Loo, in the time of Confucius (Ana. III. ii.) ; but this was a 
usurpation, a consequence of the decay into which the House of Chow 
fell. 

 190 

THE BOOK OP POETRY. 

[PART II. 

BK Ι. π.] 

THE BOOK OP POETET. 

191 

TITLE OF THE BOOK.—" The decade of Luh Ming." The pieces of 
Tart I. are all arranged under the names of the States to which they be 
longed. In Parts II. and III., however, they are collected in tens, and 
classified under the name of the first piece in each Collection. The only 
exception in respect to the number, is the third Book of Part III.—It will 
not be necessary after this to say anything on the names of the different 
Books. 

I. 

The Lull Ming ; allusive. A FESTAL ODE, SANG AT ENTERTAINMENTS 
TO THE KING'S MINISTERS, AND GUESTS FBOM THE FEUDAL STATES. 

In the piece we read of guests merely, and not of ministers or officers. 
But the ministers and high officers would become the king's guests, when 
feasted as the piece describes. It is referred, though not by Choo, to the 
time of king Wan. 

1 With sounds of happiness the deer 

Browse on the celery of the meads. 
A nobler feast is furnished here, 

With guests renowned for noble deeds. 
The lutes are struck ; the organ, blows. 

Till all its tongues in movement heave. 
Each basket loaded stands, and shows 

The precious gifts the guests receive. 
They love me, and my mind will teach, 
How duty's highest aim to reach. 

2 With sounds of happiness tue deer 

The southernwood crop in the meads. 
What noble guests surround me here, 

Distinguished for their worthy deeds ! 
From them my people learn to fly 

Whatever is mean ; to chiefs they give 
A model and a pattern high ;— 

They show the life they ought to live. 
Then fill their cups with spirits rare, 
Till each the banquet's joy shall share. 

3 With sounds of happiness the deer 

The salsola crop in the fields. 
What noble guests surround me-hcre ! 
Each lute for them its music yields. 
Sound, sound the lutes, or great or small, 
The joy harmonious to prolong ; 

And with my spirits rich crown all 

The cups to cheer the festive throng. 
Let each retire with gladdened heart, 
In his own sphere to play his part. 

II. 

The &e mon· ; narrative and allusive. A FESTAL ODE, COMTLIMENT- 
ARY TO AN OFFICER ON HIS RETURN FROM AN EXPEDITION, CELE 
BRATING THE UNION IN HIM OF LOYAL DUTY AND FILIAL FEELING. 

There is nothing in the ode itself to suggest its being composed for a 
festal occasion, and to compliment the officer who narrates his story in 
it. Both Maou and Choo, however, agree ill the above account of it. 
It was not written, they say, by the officer himself, but was put into his 
mouth, as it were, to express the sympathy of his entertainer with him, and 
the appreciation uf his devotion to duty. There appear strikingly in it 
the union of family affections and loyal duty, which we met with in 
several of the pieces in Part I. ; and the merit of king Wan, to whose 
times it is assigned, shines out in the allowance which he makes for those 
affections. 

1 On dashed my four steeds, without halt, without stay, 
Though toilsome and winding from Chow was the way. 
I wished to return,—but the monarch's command 
Forbade that his business be done with slack hand; 
And my heart was with sadness oppressed. 

2 On dashed my four steeds ; I ne'er slackened the reins. 
They snorted and panted,—all white, with black manes. 
I wished to return, but our sovereign's command 
Forbade that his business be done with slack hand; 
And I dared not to pause or to rest. 

3 Unresting the Filial doves speed tu their flight, 

Ascending, then sweeping swift down from the height, 
Now grouped on the oaks. The king's high command 
Forbade that his business be done with slack hand ;— 
And my father I left, sore distressed. 

4 Unresting the Filial doves speed in their flight, 
Now fanning the air, and anon they alight 
On the medlars thick grouped. But our monarch's 

command 

Forbade that his business be done with slack hand ;— 
Of my mother I thought with sad breast. 

 192 

THE BOOK OF POETRY. 

[PAKT II. 

5 My four steeds I harnessed, all white and black-maned, 
Which straight on their way, fleet and emulous, strained. 
I wished to return ; and now venture in song 
The wish to express, and announce how I long 
For my mother my care to attest. 

III. 

The Hivang-Jiivang cJiay lima ; allusive and narrative. As ODE AP- 
ΓΚΟΡΚΙΑΤΕ TO THE DESPATCJI OF AN ENVOY ; COMPLIMENTARY TO 
HIM, AND SUGGESTING INSTKUCTIONS AS TO THE DISCHARGE OF HIS 
DUTY. 

This piece also is referred to the time of king Wan. 

1 As the flower that blooms bright on the mountain or lea, 
Is the legate, whom charged with high mission we see. 
With his suite, all-alert and aye watchful he hies, 
That his hand may achieve what his heart shall devise. 

2 " Fresh and young are my steeds," so he sang as he 

sped, 
" And the six reins in hand look with ointment o'er- 

spread. 

So hurrah ! my good horses, dash on at your best, 
As now here, and now there, I am pushing my quest. 

3 " Many-spotted my coursers, whose hues finely blend, 
And the six reins in hand, soft as silk, freely bend. 
So hurrah ! my good horses, strain tendons and thews, 
As now here, and now there, I am searching for news. 

4 " With black manes and white coats are the steeds of 

my car, 

And the gleam of the six glossy reins shines afar. 
So hurrah ! my good horses, ply muscle and leg, 
As now here, and now there, for wise counsel I beg. 

5 " Dark, with white interspersed, are the coursers I drive ; 
'Gainst my hands, the reins grasping, in vain would they 

strive. 

So hurrah ! my good horses, speed onwards and fly, 
As now here, and now there, much inquiring I pry." 

I. IV.] THE BOOK OP POETET. 

IV. 

193 

The CJiangte; allusive and narrative. SETTING FORTH THE CLOSE 

RELATION AND AFFECTION THAT OUGHT TO OBTAIN BETWEEN BRO 
THERS. 

The Preface assigns the composition of this piece to the duke of Chow ι 
saddened by the justice which he had been obliged to execute on his 
irotliers, the lords of Kwan and Ts'ae ;—as has been mentioned on I. 
xv. II. The ode thus came into use at entertainments given at the court 
to princes of the same surname as the king. 

1 With mass of gorgeous flowers 

The cherry trees are crowned, 
But none within this world of ours 
Like brothers can be found. 

2 When awful death comes near, 

'Tis brothers sympathize. 
When headlong flight fills plain and height, 
To brother brother flies. 

3 See how the wagtail's head 

Quick answers to its tail ! 
When hardships great befall our State, 

Friends are of no avail. 

In times of urgent need, 

We brothers' help receive. 
Then friends, though good, of different blood, 

Long sighs will only heave. 

4 Brothers indoors may fight ; 

But insults from without 
Join them at once, and they unite 

The common foe to rout. 

In cases such as this, 

In vain to friends we turn. 
They may be true, but they'll eschew 

The danger they discern. 

5 Deaths and disorder o'er, 

'Mid peace and rest now cold, 
Some men, alas ! their brothers pass, 
Nor them as friends will hold. 

VOL. 1IL 13 

 194 THE BOOK OF POETET. [PAET H. 

6 With dishes in array, 

The cup may oft go round ; 
But only where brothers are there, 

The feast is truly found. 

'Tis when they all appear, 

And each is in his place, 
That child-like joy, without alloy, 

Crowns harmony with grace. 

7 Children and wife we love ; 

Union with them is sweet 
As lute's soft strain that soothes our pain. 

How joyous do we meet ! 

But brothers, more than they, 

Can satisfy the heart. 
'Tis their accord does peace afford, 

And lasting joy impart. 

8 For ordering of your homes, 
For joy with child and wife, 
Consider well the truth I tell ;— 
This is the charm of life ! 

v. 

The Fah muh¡ allusive. A FESTAL ODE, SITNG AT THE ENTERTAIN 
MENT OF FRIENDS ; INTENDED TO CELEBRATE THE DUTY AND VALUE 
OF FRIENDSHIP, EVEN TO THOSE OF THE HIGHEST BANK. 

1 The woodmen's blows responsive ring, 

As on the trees they fall ; 
And when the birds their sweet notes sing, 

They to each other call. 
From the dark valley comes a bird, 

And seeks the lofty tree. 
Ying goes its voice, and thus it cries, 

" Companion, come to me." 
The bird, although a creature small, 

Upon its mates depends ; 
And shall we men, who rank o'er all, 

Not seek to have our friends ? 

BK I. v.] 

THE BOOK OF POETET. 

195 

All Spirits love the friendly man, 

And hearken to his prayer. 
What harmony and peace they can 

Bestow, his lot shall share. 

2 Hoo-hoo the woodmen all unite 

To shout, as trees they fell. 
Tlwy do their work with all their might ;- 

What I have done I'll tell. 
I've strained and made my spirits clear, 

The fatted lambs I've killed. 
With friends who my own surname bear, 

My hall I've largely filled. 
Some may be absent, casually, 

And leave a broken line ; 
But better this than absence by 

An oversight of mine. 
My court I've sprinkled and swept clean, 

Viands in order set. 
Eight dishes loaded stand with grain; 

There's store of fatted meat. 
My mother's kith and kin I wis 

I've widely called by name. 
That some be hindered better is 

Than I give cause for blame. 

3 On the hill-side the trees they fell, 

All working with good will. 
I labour too, with equal zeal, 

And the host's part fulfil. 
Spirits I've set in order meet, 

The dishes stand in rows. 
The guests are here ; no vacant seat 

A brother absent shows. 
The loss of kindly feeling oft 

From slightest things shall grow, 
Where all the fare is dry and spare, 

Resentments fierce may glow. 
My store of spirits is well strained. 

If short prove the supply, 
My messengers I straightway send, 

And what is needed buy. 
13* 

 I 

196 

THE BOOK OF POETRY. 

[PAET II. 

I beat the drums, and in the dance 

Lead joyously the train. 
Oh ! good it is, when falls the chance, 

The sparkling cup to drain. 

VI. 
The Teen paou; narrative. AN ODE RESPONSIVE TO ANT or THE 

FIVE PEECEDING. HIS OFFICERS AND GUESTS, FEASTED BY THE KING, 
CELEBRATE HIS PBAISES, AND DESIRE FOR HIM THE BLESSING OF 
HEAVEN AND OF HIS ANCESTORS. 

1 Heaven shields and sets thee fast. 
It round thee fair has cast 

Thy virtue pure. 
Thus richest joy is thine ;— 
Increase of corn and wine, 
And every gift divine, 

Abundant, sure. 

2 Heaven shields and sets thee fast. 
From it thou goodness hast ; 

Bight are thy ways. 
Its choicest gifts 'twill pour, 
That last for evermore, 
ISlor time exhaust the store 

Through endless days. 

3 Heaven shields and sets thee fast, 
Makes thine endeavour last, 

And prosper well. 
Like hills and mountains high, 
Whose masses touch the sky; 
Like stream aye surging by ; 

Thine increase swell ! 

4 With rite and auspice fair, 
Thino offerings thou dost bear, 

And son-like give, 
The seasons round from spring, 
To olden duke and king, 
Whose words to thee we bring :— 

" For ever live." 

BE I. vii.] 

THE BOOK OF POETRY. 

197 

5 The Spirits of thy dead 
Pour blessings on thy head, 

Unnumbered, sweet. 
Thy subjects, simple, good, 
Enjoy their drink and food. 
Our tribes of every blood 

Follow thy feet. 

6 Like moons that wax in light ; 
Or suns that scale the height ; 

Or ageless hill; 

Nor change, nor autumn know ; 
As pine and cypress grow ; 
The sons that from thee flow 

Be lasting still ! 

VIL 

The Ts'ae me ; allusive and narrative. AN ODE ON THE DESPATCH 

OF TROOPS TO GUARÍ) THE FRONTIERS ON THE NORTH AGAINST THE 
WILD TRIBES OF THE HEEN-YUN. 

This and the next two pieces form a triad, having reference to the same 
expedition ; this being appropriate to its commencement, those to its 
conclusion. Haou says the expedition was undertaken in the time of 
king Wan, when he was still only duke of Chow, in charge of all the 
regions of the west, and discharging his duty to the king of Shang. Choo 
denies that the pieces are of so early an origin, and says that " the son of 
Heaven" in the 8th ode must be one of the kings of Chow. I agree 
•with him in this, but the date of the composition cannot be determined 
more particularly. 

Though intended to encourage the departing troops, this piece is writ 
ten as if it were their own composition, giving their feelings on setting 
out, and in the progress of the expedition, down to its close. So far, the 
Btructure may be compared with that of the second ode of this Book. 

It is difficult to say who the Hëen-yun, against whom the expedition 
was directed, really were. Choo simply says that they were " wild tribes 
Of the north." Ch'ing K'ang-shing (about the end of our second cen 
tury) says that they were the same tribe that in his days went by the name 
of Hëung-noo. I suppose that both the names are imperfect phonetic 
expressions Of the same sound, which we also have adopted in Huns. 
Wang Taou, who assisted me in the preparation of my larger Work, holds 
that the Hëen-yun of Yin and Chow, the Hëung-noo of Ts'in and Han, 
and the Tnh-keueh of Suy and T'ung, all refer to the same tribes. Sze- 
ma Ts'ëen, in his Record of the House of Chow, and of the Hëung-noo, says 
that in the time of king E (B.C. 933— 909), those northern tribes became 
very troublesome, and refers to this ode as a composition of that time. 

 198 

THE BOOK OF POETEY. 

[PART II. 

1 Come pluck the ferns, the ferns sharp-pointed take ; 
The curling fronds now their appearance make. 
And now we march. O when shall we return ? 
Till late next year we must in exile mourn. 
So long the husband, parted from his wife, 
Shall •'gainst the Heen-yun wage the deadly strife. 
'Mid service hard all rest will be denied ;— 
Northwards we go, to quell the Heen-yun's pride. 

2 Come pluck the ferns, the ferns sharp-pointed pull :; 
Their fronds uncurled, they tender look and cool. 
Onwards \ve march. O when shall we return ? 
Disconsolate, our hearts in sadness mourn. 
Yes, sad our hearts ! In sorrow forth we go, 
To thirst and hunger and each pinching woe. 
While serving thus the frontiers to defend, 
To those at home no message can we send. 

3 Come pluck the ferns, their sharp points disregard ; 
Some time has passed, and now their leaves are hard. 
What is the date for our return assigned ? 
Next year's tenth month.—We keep it well in mind. 
But the king's work no grudging heart requires ; 
Denied our rest, we fan our valour's fires. 
Home thoughts may often cause us weary hours, 
But home we go not, till success is ours. 

4 What gorgeous sight was that which fixed our gaze ? 
The mass of flowers the cherry tree displavs. 
But here a sight we see, as fair and grand ;— 
Our leader's car, given by his sovereign's hand. 
It stands equipt, imposing in our sight, 
With steeds all strong, and eager for the fight. 
And shall not we the inspiration own ? 
One month our arms with victories three shall crown. 

5 Grand are those four steeds, harnessed to the car ! 
Conducted thus, we boldly dare the war. 
With confidence the general takes his seat ; 
The men behind rejoice the foe to meet. 
On move the steeds in step. The quiver made 
Of seal-skin tough is to the view displayed, 
And bow with ivory ends^—the Heen-yun's dread. 

BE I. vin.] THE BOOK OF POETRY. 199 

Daily each other's courage we provoke, 
And hope to end our service by a stroke. 

6 Ah ! vain our efforts to assuage our grief! 
None know our sadness ; nought can give relief. 
Last year, when from our homes the field we took, 
'Twas sweet on willows fresh and green to look. 
When we return, 'twill be the winter stern, 
And hard our path through snow-clouds to discern. 
Alas ! how great the toilsome journey's length, 
With thirst and hunger to exhaust our strength ! 

VIII. 

The Ck'ith Tten ; narrative. As ODE OF CONGRATULATION, ON THE 

KETUBN OF THE TEOOPS FROM THE EXPEDITION AGAINST THE HEEN- 
TDN. 

The commander of the expedition appears here,—Nan Chung, a cadet 
of the Nan family ; but we know nothing of him from any other source. 
The Jung mentioned in stanza five would be another barbarous tribe, 
lying more west than the Heen-yun, 

1 Forth from the city in our cars we drove, 
Until we halted at the pasture ground. 
The general came, and there with ardour strove 
A note of zeal throughout the host to sound. 
" Direct from court I come, by orders bound 
The march to hasten ; "—it was thus he spake. 

Then with the carriage-officers around, 
He strictly charged them quick dispatch to make :— 
" Urgent the king's affairs, forthwith the field we take." 

2 While there we stopt, the second corps appeared, 

And 'twixt us and the city took its place. 
The guiding standard was on high upreared, 
Where twining snakes the tortoises embrace, 
While oxtails, crest-like, did the staff's top grace. 
We watched the sheet unfolding grandly wave ; 

Each flag around showed falcons on its face. 
With anxious care looked on our leader brave ; 
Watchful the carriage-officers appeared and grave. 

 200 

THE BOOK OF POETEY. 

[PAKT II. 

3 Nan Chung, our chief, had heard the royal call 
To go where inroad by Heen-yuns was made, 
And 'cross the frontier build a barrier wall. 
Numerous his chariots, splendidly arrayed ! 
The standards—thiswhere dragons were displayed, 
And that where snakes round tortoises were coiled— 

Terrific flew. " Northward our host," he said, 
" Heaven's son sends forth to tame the Heen-yun 

wild." 
Soon by this awful chief would all their tribes be foiled. 

4 When first we took the field, and northward went, 

The millets were in flower ;—a prospect sweet. 
Now when our weary stops are homeward bent, 
The snow falls fast, the mire impedes our feet. 
Many the hardships we were called to meet, 
Ere the king's orders we had all fulfilled. 

No rest we had ; often our friends to greet 

The longing came ; but vain regrets we stilled ; 

By tablets stern our hearts with fresh resolve were thrilled. 

5 " Incessant chirp the insec.ts in the grass ; 

All round about the nimble hoppers spring. 
From them our thoughts quick to our husbands pass, 
Although those thoughts our hearts with anguish 

wring. 

Oh ! could we see them, what relief 'twould bring ! 
Our hearts, rejoiced, at once would feel at rest." 
Thus did our wives, their case deploring, sing ; 
The while our leader farther on had pressed, 
And smitten with his power the wild Jung of the west. 

6 The spring days now are lengthening out their light ; 
The plants and trees are dressed in living green ; 
The orioles resting sing, or wing their flight ; 
Our wives amid the southernwood are seen, 
Which white they bring, to feed their silkworms 

keen. 

Our host, returned, sweeps onwards to the hall, 
Where chiefs are questioned, shown the captives 

mean 

Nan Chung, majestic, draws the gaze of all, 
Proud o'er the barbarous foe his victories to recall. 

BE I. ix.] 

THE BOOK OF FOETEY 

201 

IX. 

The Te too ; narrative. AN ODE or CONGRATULATION, SPECIALLY 

INTENDED FOE THE TROOPS, ON THE RETURN OP THE EXPEDITION 
AGAINST THE HEEN-YUN. 

The congratulation is given in a description of the anxiety and long 
ing of the soldiers' wives for their return. 1 have supposed that one 
lady speaks throughout. 

1 The russet pear tree stands there all alone ; 
How bright the growth of fruit upon it shown ! 
The king's affairs no stinting hands require, 
And days prolonged still mock our fond desire. 
But time has brought the tenth month of the year ; 
My woman's heart is torn with wound severe. 
Surely my warrior lord might now appear ! 

2 The russet pear tree stands there all alone ; 
How dense the leafy shade all o'er it thrown ! 
The king's affairs require no slackening hand, 
And our sad hearts their feelings can't command. 
The plants and trees in beauty shine ; 'tis spring. 
From off my heart its gloom I fain would fling. 
This season well my warrior home may bring ! 

3 I climbed that northern hill, and medlars sought ; 
The spring nigh o'er, to ripeness they were brought. 
" The king's affairs cannot be slackly done : "— 
'Tis thus our parents mourn their absent son. 
But now his sandal car must broken be ; 
I seem his powerful steeds worn out to see. 
Relief has gone ! He can't be far from me ! 

4 Alas ! they can't have marched ; they don't arrive ! 
More hard it grows with my distress to strive. 
The time is passed, and still he is not here ! 
My sorrows multiply ; great is my fear. 
But lo ! by reeds and shell I have divined. 
That he is near, they both assure my mind ;— 
Soon at my side my warrior I shall find ! 

The same, Latiné. By TV. T. Mercer. 

Sola pyrus rubro fructu se tollit in horto ; 
(Eegis solerti est res facienda modo.) 

 •202 

THE BOOK OÏ POETRY. 

[PAET II. 

BK II. in.] 

THE BOOK OF POETRY. 

203 

Tempora labuntur. Nuuc et sol mense videtur 
In décimo; in décimo mense Diana latet. 

At nobis luctu muliebria corda moveutur. 
Ah, si héros noster posset adiré domum ! 

Sola pyrus multis foliis se tollit in horto : 
(Régis solerti est res facieuda modo.) 

Quid si per terram totam virgulta virescant, 
Et patulis arbor luxuriosa comis, 

Tristis ego ! Ah, utinam vir uoster sauus adesset, 
Abjectis calamis, enseque deposito ! 

Asceusu vici Borealis culmina mentis, 
Mespilus acceptas qua mihi pandit opes. 

(Gnaviter at Régis uostri sunt res facieudas, 
Si doleant matres, tristitiâque gemant.) 

Deficit et curruSj fessi sunt quadrijugesque. 
Nonne miles noster uuuc prope tendit iter ? 

Attameu haud veuiunt ; ánimos spes ludit inanes, 
Sollicite uec meus œgra dolore vacat. 

Tempora labuutur ; luctus augentur in illis : 
Infelix adsum ! noster amicus abest ! 

Ah, nunc testudo cannasque loquuntur, et ille 
Hâc possit forsan uocte redire domum ! 

The Nan 7iae. This is one of the six odes which are commonly spoken 
of as having been lost. Clioo, however, contends that they were only the 
names of tuces, played on the orgau, and never were intended to be sung. 
But he can hardly be correct in this, for we have notices in " the Little 
Preface " of the subjects of all the six. The subject of the Nan kae was : 
—FILIAL SONS ADMONISHING ONE ANOTHER ON THE DUTY OF SUP 
PORTING THEIR PARENTS. 

BOOK Π. 

THE DECADE OF PIH HWA. 

I. 

Text wanting. 
The Plh-hwa. THE UNSULLIED PURITY or FILIAL SONS. 

II, 

Text wanting. 

The Hiva s7too. THE HARMONY OF THE SEASONS, AND THE ABUND 
ANCE OF THE HARVESTS, SEEN ESPECIALLY IN THE LABOE PRODUCE 
OF THE MILLET CEOPS. 

III. 

The Tu le ; allusive and narrative. AN ODE USED AT DISTRICT EN 
TERTAINMENTS, CELEBRATING THE ABUNDANCE OF EVERYTHING, AND 
THE PROSPERITY OF THE TIMES. 

The idea of the prosperity of the times is found by taking both parts 
of the first three stanzas as allusive ;—which, I should have said my 
self, makes them metaphorical. That fish of so many different kinds 
should be taken in a contrivance consisting only of a few bamboos inarti- 
ficially put together, showed how good government produced an abund 
ance of all material resources ; the abundaut supply of good spirits 
was also a proof of the general prosperity. 

The domain of the king was divided into six districts, of which the 
more trusted and able officers were presented every third year to the Idng, 
and feasted, the general superintendents of the districts presiding on the 
occasion. 

1 By means of simplest fish-trap that men make, 
Sand-blowers small and yellow-jaws they take ;— 

Such the result good rule ensures. 
And here our host his spirits forth has set, 
Good and abundant ; proof we now are met, 
When ordered rule large wealth secures. 

( 

 201 

THE BOOK OP POETET. 

[PAKT II. 

2 In simplest fish-traps tnat might useless seem, 
They take abundant store of tench and bream ;— 

Such issue from our good rule springs. 
And here our host his spirits forth has set, 
Abundant, good;—sure proof we now are met, 

When ordered rule great riches brings. 

3 Into the simplest fish-traps largely go 

Mudfish and carp ;—captures that clearly show 

How with good rule the land is crowned. 
And here our host his spirits forth has set, 
Good and most ample ;—proof we here are met, 
When ordered rule makes wealth abound. 

4 The mats in great abundance viands show ; 
And these of rarest quality we know. 

5 The viands excellent are here revealed ; 
Both land and sea their contributions yield. 

6 Viands in ample store the feast displays ; 
And all in season, all beyond our praise. 

IV. 

Text wanting. 

The Yew Miig. ALL THINGS PRODUCED ACCORDING TO THEIR NA 
TURE. 

V. 

The Nan yen këa yiti ; allusive. A FESTAL ODE APPROPRIATE TO 

THE ENTERTAINMENT ΟΓ WORTHY GUESTS, AND CELEBRATING THE 
UENEHOUS SYMPATHY OF THE ENTERTAINER. 

1 The fishers of the south for barbel make 

Sharp search, and many with their baskets take. 
The host his noble guests has gathered here ; 
They drink with him, and joyous share his cheer. 

2 The barbel of the south are largely caught 
In wicker nets, which then to land are brought. 
The host has round him called each noble guest ; 
They drink with him, delighted with the feast. 

BE II. vu.] THE BOOK or POETET. 

205 

3 The southern trees with drooping branches grow, 
Round which the sweet gourds clasp and twine below. 
His noble guests around the host we see ; 
They drink with him, and feast in cheerful glee. 

4 About the Filial doves incessant fly ; 

Flock follows flock, in wheeling circles high. 
The noble guests long at their cups remain ; 
They freely drink, and then they drink again. 

The Sung Jt'ëw. 
HEIGHT AND SIZE. 

VI. 
Text wanting. 

HOW ALL THINGS ATTAINED THEIE GREATEST 

VII. 

The Nan sJian yen t'ac ; allusive. A FESTAL ODE, WHERE THE 

RULER, AS THE HOST, CELEBRATES THE VIRTUES OF HIS MINISTEBS, 
WHO ARE THE GUESTS, AND SUPPLICATES BLESSINGS ON THEM. 

1 The southern hills the tcae plant show, 

The northern yield the lae. 
Your presence here, my noble guests. 

Fills me with rapture high. 

'Tis on your strength that all my States depend ; 
Myriads of years be yours, years without end ! 

2 On southern hills are mulberry trees, 

On northern willows grow. 
Your presence here, my noble guests, 

Makes my joy overflow. 

Your virtue's rays through all my regions shine ; 
Myriads of years be yours in boundless line ! 

3 On southern hills the medlars thrive, 

And plum-trees in the north. 
Your presence here, my noble guests, 

The richest joy calls forth. 
Parental love ye for my people show, 
And may your virtuous fame decay ne'er know ! 

4 The southern hills the k'aou display, 
The northern have the new. 

 ¡( 

206 

THE BOOK OF POETET. 

[PART II. 

BK II. x.] 

THE BOOK OF POETEY. 

207 

Here at our feast, my noble guests, 

My heart rests glad in you. 

The eyebrows of long life your foreheads crown ; 
Still wider be your virtuous fame's renown ! 

5 The honey trees on southern hills, 

The yu on northern rise. 
Your presence here, my noble guests, 

Bare happiness supplies. 

Gray hair and wrinkled face yours yet shall be : 
May future times your sons as prosperous see ! 

VIII. 

Text wanting. 
The Tew e. How ALL THINGS WBEE PRODUCED AND FLOURISHED 

AS WAS NATURAL TO THEM. 

IX. 

The Lull seaou; allusive. A FESTAL ODE, ON OCCASION OF THE 

KING'S ENTERTAINING THE FEUDAL PRINCES WHO HAVE COME TO 
HIS COURT. 

1 Tall grows the fragrant southernwood, 

On which the dew shines bright. 
Now that my noble men I see, 
My anxious heart feels light. 

We feast, while smiles and chat our joy proclaim ; 
Such guests deserve prosperity and fame. 

2 Tall grows the fragrant southernwood, 

On which thick lies the dew. 
The presence of these noble men 

Gives grace and glory too. 
From error's taint is their pure virtue free ; 
Long may they live, and ne'er forgotten be ! 

3 Tall grows the fragrant southernwood, 

With dew all over wet. 
Joyful and unconstrained these guests 

Share the rich feast here set. 
In concord with their brothers may they dwell, 
And happy age their virtue's praises tell ! 

4 Tall grows the fragrant southernwood, 

On which rich lies the dew. 
The rein-ends of these noble men 

At once engaged my view, 

As down they hung, while the bells tinkled sweet 
From bar and bit. All good upon them meet ! 

The Chan loo ; allusive. A FESTAL ODE, APPROPRIATE TO THE CON 
VIVIAL ENTERTAINMENT OF THE FEUDAL PRINCES AT THE ROYAL 
COURT. 

1 The dew lies heavy all around, 

Nor, till the sun shines, leaves the ground. 

Far into night we feasting sit ; 

We drink, and none his place may quit. 

2 The dew lies heavy, and its gems 
Stud the luxuriant, grassy stems. 
The happy night with wassail rings ; 
So feasted here the former kings. 

3 The jujube and the willow tree 
All fretted with the dew we see. 
Eacn guest's a prince of noble line, 
In whom the virtues all combine. 

4 The t'uìig and e their fruits display, 
Pendent from every graceful spray. 
My guests are joyous and serene, 
No haggard eye, no ruffled mien. 

 208 

THE BOOK OF POETET. 

[PAET II. 

BK III. in.] THE BOOK OF POETET. 

209 

BOOK III. 

THE DECADE OF T£UNG KUNG. 

'THE Puny kuny ; narrative. A FESTAL ODE, ON OCCASION or A 

FEAST GIVEN BY THE KING TO SOME PRINCE FOB, THE MERIT HE HAD 
ACHIEVED. AND THE CONFERRING ON HIM OF A RED BOW. 

In the Book of History, V. xxviii. 4, we have an instance of the con 
ferring by king P'ing on a marquis of Tsin of a red bow, and other gifts 
which generally accompanied such a token of merit and of the royal fa 
vour. Eed was the colour of rank and merit with the dynasty of Chow ; 
a red bow was its highest testimonial of merit, and gave to the prince 
who received it great prerogatives within the sphere of his jurisdiction. 

1 The red bows unbent were received, and are kept 
In store,—to reward service done for our land. 
Lo ! here is a prince whose great merit we own ; 

To him one I give from my heart with glad hand. 
The bells and the drums all in order are placed ;— 
I'll feast the whole morning with this noble guest. 

2 The red bows unbent were received, and are fixed 

On frames,—to await service done for our States. 
Lo ! liere is a prince who well merits the prize ; 

With joy my whole heart in his presence dilates. 
The bells and the drums in good order all stand ;— 
And this morning his place shall be on my right hand. 

3 The red bows unbent were received, and are placed 

In cases,—to show how we merit revere. 
Lo ! here is a prince such reward who deserves ; 
For him in my heart's core the love is sincere. 
With our bells and our drums the court shall resound, 
While for him all the morning the pledge-cup goes 
round. 

II. 

The Ts'ing-ts'ing chay ngo ; allusive and metaphorical. AN ODE, 
CELEBRATING THE ATTENTION PAID BY THE EAEXY KINGS OF C/HOW 
TO THE EDUCATION OF TALENT. 

This is the account of the piece given in the Preface and by all the 
school of Maou. Choo He at one time adopted it, but he afterwards changed 
his mind ; and in his Work on the She he says that it is a festal ode about 
the royal entertainment of guests. The K'ang-he editors express them 
selves rather in favour of the old view.—There is nothing, indeed, in the 
piece to help us clearly to determine the subject of it ; but the absence 
of any mention of guests and their entertainment may be accepted against 
Choo's interpretation. 

1 Bright grows the aster-southernwood, 
Luxuriant on that spacious mound. 
Our lord, renowned for courtesy, 
Wakes in our hearts a joy profound. 

2 The aster, clothing yonder isle, 

Its colour throws o'er all the stream. 
When we our noble lord behold, 

Our hearts reflect his gladdening beam. 

3 The aster on that lofty height 

In beauteous state luxuriant grows. 
An hundred sets of cowries bright 
Our noble lord on us bestows. 

4 Our youth were like the willow boat, 

Sinking and rising on the tide. 
Our noble lord now for them cares ;— 
In him our resting hearts confide. 

III. 

The Luh. yueli ; narrative. CELEBRATING A SUCCESSFUL EXPEDITION 

AGAINST THE UEEN-YUN, AND ESPECIALLY THE CHAEACTER AND CON 
DUCT OF KEIH-FOO WHO COMMANDED IN IT. 

With this piece commence what are called " the Ya odes of a changed 
character." The twenty-two pieces which precede are all, we saw, referred 
to the earlier and more prosperous times of the Chow dynasty. This and 
the thirteen which follow are referred, by the critics of tbe old school, to 
the time of king Seuen, a monarch of great merit, B.c. 826—781, in whose 
first year the expedition here commemorated took place. Choo Bays :—· 
VOL. III. 14 

 210 

THE BOOK OF FOETEY. 

[PAET II. 

" After kings Ching and K'ang, the House of Chow fell into decay. Le, 
the eighth king from K'ang, was so oppressive, that the people drove him 
from his capital, when he took up his residence in Che (in Hoh Chow, 
department P'ing-yang, Shan-se). The He'en-yun took advantage of the 
internal disorder, and invaded and ravaged the country, till on the king's 
death, his son Tsing, known as king Seueu, succeeded to the throne, and 
despatched against them Yin Keih-foo, whose successful operations were 
sung by the writer of this piece." 

The general Keih-foo appears in Part III., as the author of two of the 
pieces in Book iii., which may be accepted as an illustration of what is 
said in st. 5, that he was as great in peace as in war. He must have been 
viscount of Yin, a territory in the royal domain,—in the present depart 
ment of Ho-nan, Ho-nan. Of the Chang Chung mentioned in the last 
stanza nothing is kuown, though he must have been distinguished by his 
character. 

The Haou in st. 4 is probably the name of the capital. Tsëaou, 
Hwoh, and Fang can hardly be said to be identified ; but it is evident 
that the Hëen-yun had penetrated to the heart of the royal domain. The 
name of T'ae-yuen in st. 5 remains in the department of Shan-se which 
is still so called. 

The sixth month is mentioned in st. 1, to show the urgency of the oc 
casion, it being contrary to rule and custom to undertake any military 
expedition till the labours of the husbandman were over. 

1 When the sixth month had come, the turmoil of war 
Burst suddenly forth, and each quick-harnessed car 
Stood ready to move, with its steeds keen and strong, 
While heavier cars bore the baggage along. 
Fierce blazing, the Heen-yun had mustered their men ; 
No recreant there, all was urgency then. 
The king gave the word ; we were mustered and gone, 
To rescue from foemen the kingdom and throne. 

2 Well matched in their strength were the horses, and 

black, 

And trained to the reins, as they tighten or slack. 
Ere the sixth month was ojer, the field we could take ; 
No more preparation we needed to make. 
With all our accoutrements fully complete, 
Each day thirty le went our hurrying feet. 
The king gave the word ; we were mustered and gone, 
With courage all ardent to help Heaven's son. 

3 Long and stout were the steeds, attached to each car, 
With broad heads that scented the battle afar. 
We smote the Heen-yun, and great merit obtained, 
Nor flagged in Our efforts till triumph was gained. 

BK III. iv.] THE BOOK OF POETET. 211 

The eye of our leader was careful and stern, 
Discharging his service, bright glory to earn; 
Determined the war to such issue to bring, 
As would firmly establish the throne of the king. 

4 For themselves badly judging, the Heen-yun go, 
Bold to occupy Tseaou, and seize upon Hwoh. 
Haou and Fang they o'erran, still issuing forth, 
Till, crossing the King, they pressed on to the north. 
Our flags showed the falcons in blazonry bright, 
And gaily their streamers all fluttered in white. 
Ten chariots of war, all imposing and strong, 
Led proudly the van of our conquering throng. 

o The workmen had laboured to perfect each car, 
Well balanced, before and behind, for the war. 
Its four steeds were mighty, unmatched in their strain, 
And yielding at once to each touch of the rein. 
We smote the Heen-yun ; ay, we conquered, and then 
We pursued them in flight to the far T'ae-yuen. 
As in peace, so in war, our Keih-foo is great, 
Affording a pattern to all in each State. 

6 And now at the banquet, forgotten all care, 
He feasts with his friends, feeling happiness rare. 
The tedious marches are all over now,— 
The marches we travelled, returning from Haou. 
To his friends the bright spirits his welcome convey ; 
Minced carp and roast turtle the mats all display. 
And who are the guests ? There above every other 
Sits Chang Chung, renowned as a son and a brother. " 

IV. 

The Ts'ae Tt'e ; .allusive and narrative. CELEBRATING FANG SHUH, 

AND HIS SUCCESSFUL CONDUCT OP A GKAND EXPEDITION AGAINST 
THE TEIBES OP THE SOUTH. 

Chinese chrouologers assign this expedition to B.C. 825, the year fol 
lowing that against the Heen-yun, celebrated in the last piece. Of Fang 
Shuh no farther account can be given. He may have been chief of the 
territory of Fang, mentioned in III. 4 ; and from the concluding stanza 
it is inferred that he had served against the Heen-yun, under Keih-foo. 

The first three lines of the piece give us a note of time, and are sup 
posed to indicate the prosperity of Seuen's government, under which the 
14* 

 212 

THE BOOK OF POETET. 

[PART II. 

BK: III. 

THE BOOK OF POETET. 

213 

, I 

people were bringing the land into cultivation. If the 3000 chariots in 
the first stanza be not a poetical exaggeration, the whole force must, have 
amounted to 300,000 men. Each war-chariot carried three mailed 
warriors, and had attached to it seventy-two footmen, with twenty-five 
men to look after the baggage-waggons, cooking, &c.;—altogether a 
hundred men. 

The wild tribes of the south went under the general name of Man. 
Eing is the name by which the great and barbarous state of Ts'oo firit 
appears in Chinese history. See on IV. iii. V. 

1 In those new fields, till tlie last year untilled, 
And acres which this year the grain first filled, 
White millet there they reaped with eager hand, 
When Fang Shuh came, the army to command. 
Three thousand chariots for his orders wait, 
Surrounded by a host, well trained, elate. 
He led them on. His car four piebalds drew, 
That moved like one great steed to human view. 
A royal gift, it shone in glittering red, 
With bamboo chequered screen, and quiver made 
Of seal-skin strong. The gilt hooks we could tell 
On each steed's breast ; the rein-ends graceful fell. 

2 Where toil last year had opened harvests new, 
And where about the villages it grew, 
White millet there they reaped with eager hand, 
When Fang Shuh came, the army to command. 
His cars three thousand ; on his banners shone 
Snake, tortoise, dragon, as he led them on. 
Gay was his yoke ; his naves were lacquered red ; 
Two tinkling bells hung from each horse's head. 
He wore the robes the king's gift had bestowed ; 
Beneath, the red knee-covers brightly glowed. 
Rare gems upon his girdle-pendant hung, 
Flashed as they moved, and sounded as they swung. 

3 Swift as the soaring falcon cleaves the sky, 
And wheels about in airy circles high, 
Descending then, and lighting where it rose ; 
So Fang Shuh led his troops against their foes. 
Round the war chariots, full three thousand strong, 
Close marched the men, a well-trained warrior throng. 
The bells and drums his orders clear expressed, 
And then the marshalled forces lie addressed, 

And wise arrangements made. The battle raged, 
While the drums rolled, inspiring all engaged. 
Victory once gained, a lighter sound they gave, 
The while he Ordered back the victors brave. 

4 The savage hordes of King, made blind by fate, 
Had madly dared to oppose our larger state. 
Although Fang Shuh was ripe with growing years, 
Yet in his plans a vigorous force appears. 
Leading his troops, the hostile chiefs he bound 
For question, with a captive crowd around. 
How numerous were his chariots in the fray, 
Numerous, and all arrayed in grand array, 
Like rattling thunder in assaulting speed ! 
Oh ! grand in wisdom was he as in deed ! 
The Heen-yun he had smitten to the ground ; 
The awe-struck tribes of King his prowess owned. 

V. 

The Keii knng ; narrative. CELEBRATING A GREAT HUNTING, FEE- 
SIDED OVEE BY KINO SEUEN, ON OCCASION OP HIS GIVING AUDIENCE 
TO THE FEUDAL PEINCES AT THE EASTERN CAPITAL OP LOH. 

One of the great undertakings of the famous duke of Chow was the 
building of Lob, a few miles from the present city of Loh-yang. King 
Woo had intended to fix there the capital of his kingdom, but his imme 
diate successors did not carry out his idea. So long as the dynasty was 
vigorous, however, the kings made progresses to Loh. and there gave 
audiences to the lords of the States. This practice, which was fallen into 
disuse, was revived by Seuen, the more emboldened to do so through the 
renown and strength acquired by the victories over the Heen-yun and the 
Man. He met the lords at Loh, and took the opportunity to have with 
them a great hunting in that part of the country. 

Foo, in st. 2, was one of the eleven meres of the kingdom,—in the pre 
sent district of Chung-mow ; and Gaou, in st 3, was a hill in the district 
of Yung-yang :-—both in the department of K'ae-fung. 

1 Our chariots were well built and firm, 

Well matched our steeds, and fleet and strong. 
Four, sleek and large, each chariot drew, 
And eastward thus we drove along. 

2 Our hunting cars were light and good, 
Each with its team of noble steeds. 

 214 

THE BOOK OP POETEY. 

[PAET II. 

BE III. TH.] THE BOOK OP POETET. 

215 

Still further east we took the way 

To Foo-mere's grassy plains that leads. 

3 Loud-voiced, the masters of the chase 

Arranged the huntsmen, high and low. 
While banners streamed, and ox-tails flew, 
We sought the prey on distant Gaou. 

4 Each with fall team, the princes came, 
A lengthened train in bright array. 

In gold-wrought slippers, knee-caps red, 
They looked as on an audience day. 

5 Each right thumb wore the metal guard ; 

On the left arm its shield was bound. 
In unison the arrows flew ; 

The game lay piled upon the ground. 

6 The leaders of the tawny teams 

Sped on their course, direct and true. 
The drivers perfect skill displayed ; 
Like blow well aimed each arrow flew. 

7 Neighing and pleased, the steeds returned ; 

The bannered lines back slowly came. 
No jostling rude disgraced the crowd ; 
The king declined large share of game. 

8 So did this famous hunt proceed ! 

So free it was from clamorous sound ! 
Well does our king become his place, 
And high the deeds his reign have crowned ! 

VI. 
The Ecih jih ; narrative. CELEBBATING A HUNTING EXPEDITION 

ΒΓ KING SEUEÎÏ ON Δ SMALLER SCALE, ATTENDED BY THE OFFICERS 
OF THE COÜ11T, AND WITHIN THE ROYAL DOMÁIS. 

The mention of the Ts'eih and the Ts'eu shows that the hunting was 
conducted not far from the western capital. The former stream rises in 
the district of T'ung-ngan, department Se-gan, and is joined by the Ts'eu, 
which has come from Luh-chow. The united stream flows into the Wei, 
in the district of Lin-t'ung. 

1 The day Moiv-sMn was lucky found ; 

Then to the Sire of steeds we prayed. 
Our cars and teams and gear were good ;— 

We scour the heights where wild game strayed. 

2 And Kang-woo also lucky proved ; 

We picked our steeds, and chose our ground,— 
Where stags and does by Ts'eih and Ts'eu 

Made sport for him whom Heaven had crowned. 

3 We viewed the plain where teeming game 

Now shivering stand, now frantic run ; 
Here two, there three. We charged along, 
Pleasure to yield to Heaven's great Son. 

4 We bend our bows ; our shafts we grasp ; 

There lies the huge behemoth low, 
And boars are pierced :—spoil for the guests, 
At court, when wine-cups overflow. 

VIL 

The Hung-yen; allusive. THE PEOPLE, EEOATHEEED INTO COM 
MUNITIES UNDER KING SEUEN, PBAISE THE OfTICEBS BY WHOM THIS 
HAD BEEN ACCOMPLISHED. 

1 With rustling wings the wild geese fly, 

Round fields long strange to hand of toil. 

Called by the officers in charge, 
We labour on the desert soil. 

Sad is our state, but sadder still 

The hearts no wedded love can fill. 

*2 The wild geese fly about, and light 

Amid the marsh, where grain once shone. 

We rear the walls as we are told ;— 
Five thousand feet are quickly done. 

Great is the toil, and sore the pain, 

But peaceful homes will rise again. 

3 The wild geese fly with plaintive note, 

That sadly suits our weary sighs. 
But those whose orders we obey,— 

They see our pain ; and they are wise. 
If they had not been men of sense, 
They had rebuked our insolence. 

 216 

THE BOOK OF POETET. 

VIII. 

[PART II. 

The T'lng-leaffu ; narrative. DESCRIBING THE ANXIETY or SOME 
KIHG—— SUPPOSED TO BE KING SEUEN—— NOT TO BE LATE AT HIS 
MORNING LEVEE. 

Each stanza is to be taken as a soliloquy of the king, waking, now 
and again, in his anxiety not to be late. A large torch was kept burning 
all night (inside the entrance gate, leading to the hall of audience), 
made of links or faggots bound together. That in the courtyard of the 
king's palace was composed of 100 faggots. The princes and nobles re 
paired to the hall of audience at early dawn, when the king would be 
ready to receive them. He here judges of the time from what was, or 
what he fancied must be, the state of the great torch. 

1 How goes the night ? For heavy morning sleep 
ΠΙ suits the king who men would loyal keep. 
The courtyard, ruddy with the torch's light, 
Proclaims unspent the deepest hour of night. 
Already near the gate my lords appear ; 
Their tinkling bells salute my wakeful ear. 

2 How goes the night ? I may not slumber on. 
Although not yet the night is wholly gone, 
The paling torch-light in the court below 
Gives token that the hours swift-footed go. 
Already at the gate my lords appear ; 
Their tinkling bells with measured sound draw near. 

3 How goes the night ? I may not slumber now. 
The darkness smiles with morning on its brow. 
The courtyard torch no more gives forth its ray, 
But heralds with its smoke the coming day. 
My princes pass the gate, and gather there ; 
I see their banners floating in the air. 

IX. 

The Jileen shwuy ; allusive. BEWAILING THE DISORDER OF THE 

TIMES AND THE GENERAL INDIFFERENCE TO IT, AND TRACING IT TO 
THE SLANDEBERS ENCOURAGED BY MEN ßf AUTHORITY. 

1 The waters flow with volume vast, 

Straight to the ocean's mighty court ; 
Swift fly the soaring falcons past, 
And to their resting-place resort. 

Εκ III. x.] 

THE BOOK OF POETET. 

217 

But through the land disorder wends, 
And with it none will dare to cope. 

Ye kinsmen near, ye honoured friends, 
Ye people, why abandou hope ? 

Alas that you the struggle shun, 

And leave your parents all undone ! 

2 Their bed the mighty waters leave, 

And ruin spread the country o'er. 
The sky on wing the falcons cleave ;— 

High and yet higher still they soar. 
So is it with the lawless crew, 

Whose evil courses know no bound. 
I think of them, and start to do. 

Alas ! I go but round and round. 
Still in my heart fast dwells its grief; 
I vainly strive to find relief. 

3 With volume vast the waters flow, 

But still within their channel run. 
And swiftly as the falcons go, 

The vault that copes the hill they shun. 
And can we then no method find 

To check the talk that fills the land ? 
No means devise to curb or bind 

The idle tongue and wanton hand ? 
Watch, friends, yourselves ; watch reverently, 
And slanderous tongues will silent be ! 

X. 

The HoJi ming ; metaphorical. 

NATURAL FACTS 

CEBTAIN MOKAL LESSONS FROM 

The Chinese original does not give the moral lessons, and there is not 
an agreement among the critics as to what they are. The version gives 
them very much according to the views of Choo He. 

1 All true words fly, as from yon reedy marsh 
The crane rings o'er the wild its screaming harsh. 
Vainly you try reason in chains to keep ;— 
Freely it moves as fish sweeps through the deep. 

 218 

THE BOOK OF POETEY. 

[PART II. 

Hate follows love, as 'neath those sandal trees 
The withered leaves the eager searcher sees. 
The hurtful ne'er without some good was born ;— 
The stones that mar the hill will grind the corn. 

2 All true words spread, as from the marsh's eye 
The crane's sonorous note ascends the sky. 
Goodness throughout the widest sphere abides, 
As fish round isle and through the ocean glides. 
And lesser good near greater you shall see, 
As grows the paper shrub 'neath sandal tree. 
And good emerges from what man condemns ;— 
Those stones that mar the hill will polish gems. 

BK TV. i.] 

THE BOOK OF POETET. 

219 

BOOK IV. 

THE DECADE OF KfE-FOO. 

I. 

THE K'e-foo ; narrative. THE SOLDIERS OF THE EOTAL GUARD 
COMPLAIN OF THE SEEVICE IMPOSED ON THEM BY THE MIMSIEE OF 
WAK. 

This piece is to be referred to the concluding years of Seuen's reign, 
when both his character and administration had deteriorated. In his 
39th year, B.c. 788, his army had sustained a great defeat from some of 
the northern tribes, which he made preparations to avenge in the follow 
ing year. The regular levies for such a service being insufficient, he or 
dered his Own guards, it is supposed, to join the force for the north ; and 
we have in the piece their complaint at being called to a duty which did 
not belong to them ;—directed nominally against the minister of War, 
but really against the king. 

1 Hear, minister of War, the charge we bring ! 
We are the teeth and talons of the king ; 

Close to his person is our place. 
Why have you sent us to this homeless life, 
Where far froni court we roam, 'mid miseries rife ? 
Why are we doomed to this disgrace ? 

2 Hear, minister of War, the accusing word ! 
We are the taloned soldiers of our lord, 

And near his person should have rest. 
But you from court have sent us far away, 
Where ceaselessly we toil from day to day, 

By constant misery oppressed. 

3 Hear, minister of War, whose erring deed 
Has paid our valour with a sorry meed, 

When we should near the court reside. 
Why have you sent us far to suffer grief, 
And leave our mothers longing for relief, 
With all their cooking labours tried ? 

 220 

THE BOOK OF POETRY. [PART II. 

IV. IV.] THE BOOK OF POETET. 

221 

III. 

rr. 

The PiJi Iten ; narrative. THE WRITER EXPRESSES HIS EEGEET AT 

THE ABANDONMENT OF PUBLIC LIFE BY AN OFFICER WHOM HE 
ADMIRED. 

1 Free let the brilliant white colt eat 

The tenderest produce in my yard. 
Secure it by the neck and feet ;— 

And this morn's pleasure safely guard. 
Its owner, cherished in my heart, 

Shall then with me at ease abide. 
Alas that he should e'er depart. 

And hermit-like his merit hide ! 

2 Free let the brilliant white colt eat 

The bean-sprouts growing in my yard. 
Secure it by the neck and feet, 

This evening's joy thus safely guard. 
Its owner, cherished in my heart, 

Shall then be here, a guest admired. 
0 could I wile him from the part 

He wants to play, from men retired ! 

3 0 leave thy colt of brilliant white ! 

If thou to me would'st blithely come, 
As duke or marquis, honours bright 

Thou should'st obtain, and in thy home 
Find endless joy. Try to restrain, 

With strictest curb, thy roaming mind ; 
And from the hermit-life refrain, 

To which thou art so much inclined. 

4 JTis vain. The brilliant white colt view, 

Deep in that empty valloy stand. 
Before it placed a bundle new 

Of grass plucked by its master's hand. 
That master as a gem I hold. 

0 that, relenting, he may send 
What Fll prize more than gems or gold,— 

News that he still remains nay friend ! 

The Hieang nëaou ; metaphorical. SOME OFFICER, WHO HAD WITH 
DRAWN TO ANOTHER STATE, FINDS HIS EXPECTATIONS OF THE PEOPLE 
THERE DISAPPOINTED, AND PROPOSES TO RETURN TO THE BOYAL DO 
MAIN. 

1 Thou yellow-plumaged bird, 0 spare 

The paper-shrubs and fields of grain ! 
For me these people show no care ;— 

I long for kin and home again. 
That we judged ill, when we came here, 
Does from their cold neglect appear. 

2 The mulberry trees and fields of maize, 
Thou yellow-plumaged bird, eschew ! 
These people are a dullard race ;— 

I long my brethren's face to view. 
That we judged ill, when we came here, 
Does from their cold neglect appear. 

3 Thou yellow-plumaged bird, 0 fly 

Those oak-trees, nor the millet eat ! 
From this bad land I back must hie ;— 

I long my father's kin to greet. 
That we judged ill, when we came here, 
Does from their cold neglect appear. 

IT. 

The Wo 7ant/ l¡'e yay ; narrative. AN OFFICER, WHO HAD LEFT THE 

EOYAL DOMAIN, AND SOUGHT FOR PROTECTION IN A STATE WHERE 
HE HAD AFFINITIES BY MARRIAGE, BELATES HIS DISAPPOINTMENT, 
AND THE UNWORTHY CAUSE OF IT. 

1 All through the fields I travelled sad, 

Th' ailanthus foul my only shade. 
Through our relationship I came, 

Shelter to find with you and aid. 
But me you show no wish to entertain ;— 
Back to my State and clan I go again ! 

2 All through the fields I travelled sad, 

And for my food the sheep's-foot cooked. 

 222 

THE BOOK OF POETET. 

[PAKT IL 

Through our relationship, to you 

For lodging for a time I looked. 
But me you show no wish to entertain ;— 
Back to my kindred now I go again ! 

3 All through the fields I went and tried 

Hunger with pokeweed to appease. 
I came to you ; your love is cold ; 

And your new mate you seek to please. 
Grant that your heart her riches have not won, 
Her charms are new ; my relative's are gone ! 

V. 

The S:c kan ; narrative. ON TUE COMPLETION OF A KOYAl· PALACE ; 

DESCRIPTION OF IT, AND GOOD WISHES ΓΟΒ THE BUILDEB, AND HIS 
POSTERITY. 

The old interpreters all say that the builder of the palace here was 
king Seuen. The view is not unlikely, and we must refer the time of 
the composition to the early part of his reign. The piece was probably 
made for a festival on the completion of the palace. 

The two last stanzas set forth graphically the different estimates taken 
in China of the value of sons and daughters in a family. As it was in 
the days of king Seuen 2600 years ago, so it is now. 

1 On yonder banks a palace, lo ! upshoots, 
The tender blue of southern hill behind ; 

Firm-founded, like the bamboo's clamping roots ; 
Its roof made pine-like, to a point defined. 

Fraternal love here bear its precious fruits, 
And unfraternal schemes be ne'er designed ! 

2 Ancestral sway is his. The walls they rear, 

Five thousand cubits long ; and south and west 
The doors are placed. Here will the king appear, 
Here laugh, here talk, here sit him down and rest. 

3 To mould the walls, the frames they firmly tie ; 
The toiling builders beat the earth and lime. 
The walls shall vermin, storm, and bird defy ;— 
Fit dwelling is it for his lordly prime. 

4 Grand is the hall the noble lord ascends ;— 

In height, like human form most reverent, grand ; 
And straight, as flies the shaft when bow unbends ; 
Its tints, like hues when pheasant's wings expand. 

BE IV. vi.] THE BOOK OF POETET. 223 

5 High pillars rise the level court around ; 

The pleasant light the open chamber steeps ; 
And deep recesses, wide alcoves, are found, 
Where our good king in perfect quiet sleeps. 

6 Laid is the bamboo mat on rush mat square ;— 

Here shall he sleep, and, waking, say, " Divine 
" What dreams are good ? For bear and grisly bear, 
And snakes and cobras, haunt this couch of mine." 

7 Then shall the chief diviner glad reply, 

" The bears foreshow that Heaven will send you sons. 
The snakes and cobras daughters prophesy. 
These auguries are all auspicious ones." 

8 Sons shall be his,—on couches lulled to rest. 

The little ones, enrobed, with sceptres play ; 
Their infant cries are loud as stern behest ; i 

Their knees the vermeil covers shall display. 
As king hereafter one shall be addressed ; 

The rest, our princes, all the States shall sway. 

9 And daughters also to him shall be born. 

They shall be placed upon the ground to sleep ; 
Their playthings tiles, their dress the simplest worn ; 

Their part alike from good and ill to keep, 
And ne'er their parents' hearts to cause to mourn ; 

To cook the food, and spirit-malt to steep. 

VI. 

The Woo yang ; narrative. SUPPOSED TO CELEIÍTÍATE THE LAKGE- 

Î.ESS AND CONDITION OF KING SETJEN'S FLOCKS AND HEBDS ; WITH 
AN AUSPICE OF THE PROSPERITY OF THE KINGDOM. 

1 Who dares to say your sheep are few ? 

The flocks are all three hundred strong. 
Who dares despise your cattle too ? 

Tliere ninety, black-lipped, press along. 
Though horned the sheep, yet peaceful each appears ; 
The cattle come, with moist and flapping ears. 

2 These climb the heights, those drink the pool ; 
Some lie at rest, while others roam. 

 224 

THE BOOK OF POETET. 

[PAKT II. 

With rain-coats, and thin splint hats cool, 
And bearing food, your herdsmen come. 
In thirties, ranged by hues, the creatures stand ; 
Fit victims they will yield at your command. 

3 Your herdsmen twigs and faggots bring, 
With prey of birds and beasts for food. 
Your sheep, untouched by evil thing, 

Approach, their health and vigour good. 
The herdsman's waving hand they all behold, 
And docile come, and pass into the fold. 

4 Your herdsmen dream ;—fish take the place 

Of men ; on banners falcons fly, 
Displacing snakes aud tortoises. 

The augur tells his prophecy :— 
" The first betoken plenteous years; the change 
Of banners shows of homes a widening range." 

VII. 

The Tsëeh nan sJian ; allusive and narrative. A LAMENTATION OVER 

THE MISERABLE STATE OP THE KINGDOM. DENOUNCING THE INJUSTICE 
AND CARELESSNESS OF THE GRAND-MASTER YlN AS THE CAUSE OF 
IT, AND THE CONDUCT OF THE KING. 

This piece, and all that follow to the end of the Part, are assigned by 
the old interpreters to the reign of king Yew (B.c. 780—770), though the 
evidence for assigning to them such a date is only sufficient in the case 
of a few of them. Yew was son to king tìeuen, but was worse than the 
father in the days of his decline, and resembled him in none of the 
higher qualities which ennobled the earlier period of his reign. His 
comparatively short reign ended in his violent death, and immediately 
after there took place the removal of the royal residence to the eastern 
capital,—the great event in the history of the Chow dynasty. 

Keih-foo, the hero of the third ode of the third Book, was a Yin, and 
the minister against whom this piece is directed was, probably, his son 
or grandson. He is styled " Grand-master," and was thus one of " the 
three Kling," the highest ministers at the court of Chow ;—see the Book 
of History, V. xx. 3. We must believe, indeed, that he was the chief of 
the three, the principal administrator of the government. 

A Kea-foo is twice mentioned in the Ch'un Ts'ëw, in the time' of duke 
Hwan of Loo, as coming on messages from the royal court to Loo. He 
would be a son or grandson of the writer of this piece. 

1 That southern hill, sublime, uprears its craggy height ; 
Such thou, Grand-master Yin, before the nation's sight! 

IY. VII.] THE BOOK ΟΓ POETET. 

225 

Burning with inward grief, none name thee even in jest ; 
Ruin impends, but thou delay'st the needed quest. 

2 Sublime that southern hill, with vegetation grand ! 
More awful thou, great Yin, whom as unjust we brand. 
With pestilence and death, Heaven aids disorder's sway; 
A silent nation frowns ;—thou changest not thy way ! 

8 On Yin our Chow depends. By justice he should bind 
Our many States in one, with no disloyal mind, 
And guide the people right, thus helpful to the king. 
0 cruel Heaven, that he such woes on all should bring ! 

4 In him, himself inert, the people put no trust. 

He, treacherous, from place and council keeps the just. 
Mean men, unfairly screened, the common weal destroy, 
And his vile relatives the highest posts enjoy. 

δ Great Heaven, unjust, the land exhausts with all these 

pains. 
Great Heaven, unkind, these woes upon it ceaseless 

rains. 
Oh ! were the good in power, men's hearts would be at 

peace ! 
And 'neath impartial rule, our wranglings soon would 

cease. 

6 0 great unpitying Heaven, our troubles have no close ! 
With every month they grow ; men's minds know no 

repose. 
My heart with grief is drank. What weak hand holds 

the reins ? 
'Tis Yin's supineness that augments the people's pains. 

7 I yoke my steeds long-necked, and through the land I 

hie. 

From the distress on every side vain the attempt to 
fly! 

8 Here evil rampant bares the spear;—they fight with 

rage, 
Then pacified and friends, in revel they engage. 

9 This is from Heaven unjust. Our king has no repose. 
Infatuate Yin rejects all counsellors as foes. 

VOL. III. 15 

 226 

THE BOOK OF POETET. 

[PAKT II. 

10 This song by me, Kea-foo, the king's sad case relates. 
Would he but change his heart, and nurse the myriad 
States ! 

VIII. 

The Clung yueii ; narrative, allusive and metaphorical. A LAMENTA 
TION OVER THE MISERIES OF THE KINGDOM, AND THE EUIN COMING 
ON IT, ALL THEOUGH THE KING'S EMPLOYMENT OF WOETHLES9 
CHEATUKES, AND HIS INDULGENCE OF HIS FAVOUBITE PAOU SZE. 

The mention of Paou Sze in stanza 8th determines the date of this 
composition as belonging to the reign of king Yew. This lady Sze of 
Paou was Yew's favourite concubine, raised in the end to be his wife. 
For her sake he degraded his proper queen ; and his besotted attachment 
to her was the cause of his own death, and of the greatest miseries to the 
kingdom. 

1 On the brow of the summer the hoar-frost abounds ; 

Sorrow's wound rankles deep in my heart, 
And calumnies base, that the people perplex, 

Daily waxing, inflict sharper smart. 
All alone I am placed, none by me to stand ; 

Griefs intense more and more fill my breast. 
Cares increase and disturb my sorrowful mind ; 

Both in body and soul I'm distressed. 

2 0 father and mother who bore me, your son, 

Was it only to suffer such woe ? 
Why was I not born ere these evils arrived ? 

Or why came they ere I am laid low ? 
I hear their good words, which are but from the lip, 

And their bad words have no deeper seat. 
So shallow those men ! And the more that I grieve, 

With their fiercer contempt do I meet. 

3 With the pang of great misery wringing my heart, 

Dwell I thus on this comfortless time ; 
For the multitudes all will with me be brought 

To base servitude, guiltless of crime. 
And alas for us all in positions more high ! 

From what lord shall I now get support ? 
No more can I tell than,—see yonder a crow ! 

Can I tell to whose house 'twill resort. 

BE IV. VIII.] THE BOOK OF POETET. 

227 

4 Where the forest once grew, we look, and behold ! 

Faggots only and twiglets are left. 
To Heaven 'midst their perils, the people all look, 

And lo ! Heaven seems of reason bereft. 
But is Heaven so dark ? When its purpose is fixed, 

To its will opposition is vain. 
And good is the Ruler supreme, the great God ! 

He hates none of the children of men. 

5 'Tis only fools say that the mountains are low ;— 

'Gainst such words each high ridge would protest. 
And as baseless the talk that is uttered by men, 

But the king lets it fly unrepressed. 
To ministers old and diviners of dreams 

For advice he repairs, but they say, 
" We are wise; but of crows which is female, which male, 

To pronounce who can tell you. the way ? " 

6 That the heavens are lofty who is there but knows ? 

Yet beneath them I bow my head low, 
And that thick is the earth who is there but feels ? 

Yet with dainty steps on it I go. 
For thus speaking and acting good reason I have, 

In the conduct of many around, 
Who originate all those calumnies base, 

Like the cobra or eft fatal found. 

7 Where the fields are rugged and stony, the grain 

Yet luxuriantly rises and grows. 
Heaven fights against me as if I were its match, 

Moves and shakes me, and then overthrows. 
As if I were hidden, they sought me at first, 

At the court for a pattern to shine. 
'Tis with hatred intense they scowl now on me, 

And my services curtly decline. 

8 With its sorrow my heart is deeply oppressed ; 

'Tis as if with tight string it were bound. 
Now-a-days those who rule no kindness display; 

Fierce oppression prevails all around. 
Blazing flames that spread wide, and terror inspire, 

May perhaps still be quenched at their height. 
But our city august, where Chow holds its state, 
. Through this vile Sze of Paou sinks to night. 

15* 

 228 

THE BOOK OP POETEY. 

[PAET II. 

9 That such issue will come is ever my thought ; 

And moreover, 0 king, let me say, 
Like a waggoner you, and fast falls the rain ! 

Heavy load suits but ill miry clay. 
Wheel-aids you may have, but if these you neglect, 

And the hands that would help you are spurned, 
You soon will be crying, " 0 sir, give me aid," 

When the car of the State is o'erturned. 

10 If your wheel-aids you keep, and get them well plied, 

That their help they shall give to each spoke, 
And keep on the driver a vigilant eye, 

Then your carriage will travel unbroke. 
Your load will be safe, and your journey will come, 

Though most rugged and hard, to its end ; 
But these things seem trifles, as looked upon now ; 

To the peril you will not attend. 

11 Shallow ponds on the fish small pleasure bestow; 

To the bottom they dive, and there lie. 
But the fisherman sharp them clearly perceives, 

And a prey to his cunning they die. 
And so, men of worth, in this kingdom oppressed, 

Little pleasure can ever possess ; 
For hatred pursues them, where'er they may hide. 

How such things fill my heart with distress ! 

12 Clear sparkle the spirits, set forth at their feasts, 

And the mats with fine viands are crowned. 
Neighbours there and their kindred in numbers appear, 

And the halls with their praises resound. 
So is it with those, the unworthy and base ; 

Such reward by their flattery they gain ; 
While here I am left, and in solitude pine, 

Struggling hard with my grief and my pain. 

13 Though mean, they are gifted with houses and lands; 

Abjects vile, they their salaries draw ; 
But the people endure a hard, famished lot, 

And are dealt with by Heaven's sternest law. 
Eich men may succeed in a time so severe ; 

With their wealth and their stores they can live. 
But alas for the poor, alone, without help ! 

Should the king not deliverance give ? 

IV. IX.] THE BOOK OP POBTET. 

229 

IX. 

The Skill yueli die Jiëaau ; narrative. LAMENTATION OF AN OFFICER 
OVER PRODIGIES, CELESTIAL AND TEERESTRIAL, BETOKENING THE KUIN 
OF CHOW. HE EXPOUNDS THE TRUE CAUSES OF THESE AND THE 
ABOUNDING MISERY ; NAMES THE CHIEF CULPRITS, AND DECLARES 
HIS OWN DETERMINATION TO REMAIN AT HIS POST OF DUrY. 

The first three lines of this piece give us a certain date for its compo 
sition, and determine it as belonging to the Cth year of Yew. The eclipse 
spoken of is verified by calculation, as having occurred on August 29, 
B.c. 775, or 77fi, if A.D. be itself counted 1, the very day and month 
assigned to it in the text, according to the calendar of Chow.—We have 
here the earliest date in Chinese history about which there can be no 
dispute. 

Of the various ministers and officers in stanza 4, no details can be 
given. The wife was the Paou Sze spoken of in the note to the last piece. 

1 The sun and moon met in the upper sphere, 
The day Sln-maou, the tenth month of the year. 
The moon was new, as she should re-appear, 
And then the sun, eclipsed, showed evils near. 
The moon eclipsed before, and now the sun ! 
Alas ! we men below shall be undone. 

2 These bodies, erring, what is bad make known ;— 
Good men neglected ; order all o'erthrown. 
The moon eclipsed was what full oft takes place ; 
The sun's eclipse portends a sadder case. 

3 And flashing levin shows the want of rest, 

With troubled streams, and tumbling mountain's crest. 
Large heights subside to vales ; deep vales grow hills. 
Alas ! how does the king not stop these ills ? 

4 Among the ministers great Hwang presides ; 
In all their duties Fan the people guides ; 
Këa-pih administers ; Chung-yun is cook ; 
The king's decrees Tsow enters in his book; 
E/wei regulates the stud ; the guards Yu's sphere ; 
The wife, in beauty blazing, has no fear. 

5 Great Hwang, determined, his own course pursues, 
• Demands our service, nor enquires our views; 

Unroofs our homes ; our fields makes moor or marsh ; 

And "'Tis the law," he says, "I am not harsh." 

 230 

THE BOOK ΟΓ POETET. 

[PART II. 

6 Far-seeing Hwang has built himself a town. 
Three ministers are there of wealth o'ergrown. 
No single chief he left to guard our king, 
While all its streets with hoof and chariot ring. 

7 I dare not my own services report ; 

But slanderous tongues my blameless life distort. 
Our ills come not from Heaven, but fawning words 
And hidden hate, which schemers wield like swords. 

8 Par off my village, great my lack of peace, 
And elsewhere I might go to seek for ease. 
Others retire, but I shall not be driven 
From this my post, though dark the way of Heaven. 

X. 

The Tu moo cJiing ; narrative. A GROOM OF THE CHAMBEES MOURNS 

OVEE THE MISERABLE STATE OF THE KINGDOM, THE INCORRIGIBLE 
COIIESE OP THE KING, AND THE BETIREMENT FEOM OFFICE AND 
RESPONSIBILITY OF MANY, WHILE HE ALONE HOLDS TO HIS POST. 

1 O vast and mighty Heaven, why shrinks thy love ? 
Thy kindness, erst so great, no more we prove. 
Sent from above by thine afflicting hand, 
Famine and death now stalk throughout the land. 
O pitying Heaven, in terrors now arrayed, 
No care, no forethought, in thy course displayed, 
Of criminals I do not think ;—they bear 
The suffering which their deeds of guilt prepare. 
But there are many, innocent of crime, 
O'erwhelmed by ruin in this evil time ! 

2 The honoured name of Chow fades in the past, 
And, still augmenting, these sore troubles last. 
Their posts the Heads of offices all leave, 
While I toil on, none knowing how I grieve ! 
The three great chiefs, and those whom they direct, 
At dawn and dusk, their businesses neglect. 
Nor morn beholds at court, nor evening late, 
The absent lord of each neglected State. 
If thou would'st turn to good, and banish ill,— 
But, hapless king, thou sinkest lower still. 

BE IV. x.] 

THE BOOK ΟΓ POETET. 

231 

3 0 glorious Heaven, thy gift the listening ear, 
Why justest words will not our monarch hear ? 
Like traveller, from the riglit path gone astray, 
He knows not whither leads his devious way. 
Ye officers, this should your zeal inspire, 
And fan of duty the expiring fire. 
Of one another you should stand in awe.— 
Alas ! you heed not Heaven's o'er-ruling law ! 

4 Deaf to Avar's lessons, bad he still remains ; 
To famine blind, from good he still refrains. 
Groom of the Chambers I, and nothing more, 
Our sad estate I cease not to deplore. 
Ye officers, coward-like, your duty shun, 
And to the king the truth will not make known. 
Whene'er he questions, you give brief reply ; 
When touched by slander, from the court you fly. 

5 Bad is the time ! Eight words awaken hate. 
Who with his tongue what's in his heart will state 
Is sure to suffer, while pernicious lies 
Are gladly heard, and fulsome flatteries. 
The artful speech flows freely like a stream ; 
At ease the speakers bask 'neath fortune's beam. 

6 And difficult the time ! Risks manifold 
Surround the man who office dares to hold. 
Speak what the king impossible shall deem, 
And straight his countenance shows angry gleam. 
Speak what he likes and fain would carry out, 
And straight your friends look on with scorn and doubt. 

7 / say, " Ye officers, come back to court." 
" We have no houses there," is your retort. 
My heart is pierced ; ensanguined are my tears ; 
My words but rouse the wrath of him who hears. 
But let me ask, " When homes elsewhere you reared, 
Who then gave help against the ills you feared ? " 

 232 THE BOOK OF POETET. [PART II 

BOOK V. 

THE DECADE ΟΓ SEAOU MET. 

I. 

The Sëaou min ; narrative. A LAMENTATION OVER THE EECKLESS- 

NESS AND INCAPACITY OF THE KING'S PLANS AND OF HIS COUNSEI,- 
LOBS. 

The Preface refers the piece to the time of king Yew ; and the refer 
ence is very likely. 

1 Oh ! pitying Heaven grows black with frown, 
That darkens far this lower sphere, 

For crooked schemes mislead the crown ; 
Nor halts the king in his career ! 

All counsels good and wise he spurns ; 

To counsels bad he eager turns. 

I mark his ways with paiu and fear, 

2 His creatures, impotent and vain, 

Now chime, now chafe, iu rival mood. 

The case deserves our saddest strain ! 
If one proposes aught that's good, 

Against it all are firmly bound ; 

If bad, then all will rally round. 

Where will it end ?—I sadly brood. 

3 Our wearied oracles are dumb, 

And silence keep when we consult. 
Our counsellors still thronging come, 

With counsels barren of result. 
Though full the court, none dares to do; 
We plan the way we iie'er pursue, 

And halting, helpless still we halt. 

4 Ah me ! the men who lead the State, 

Forsake the wisdom of the past. 
Unruled by maxims wise and great, 
They veer with every fitful blast. 

BE V. n.] 

THE BOOK ΟΓ POETKY. 

233 

They cannot on themselves rely. 
Builders, they ask each passer-by, 
And leave their work undone at last. 

5 Unsettled though the land we see, 

The many foolish, some are wise ; 
And scanty though the people be, 

Yet some can see, and some devise. 
Some gravely think, and some have tact ; 
Yet borne upon the cataract, 
We sink in ruin, ne'er to rise. 

6 Who dares unarmed the tiger face ? 

Who boatless dares to tempt the Ho ? 
E'en their small wits see such a case, 
But nothing greater do they know. 
With fear and caution should we tread, 
Like men above some torrent's bed, 
Or those upon thin ice who go. 

Π. 

The Sëaou yuen ; narrative and allusive. SOME OFFICER, IN A TIME 

OF DISORDER AND MISGOVERNMENT, URGES ON HIS BROTHERS THE 
DUTY OF MAINTAFNING THEIR OWN VIRTUE, AND OF OBSERVING THE 
GREATEST CAUTION. 

This piece is referred also to the time of king Yew. 

In the 3rd stanza, there is au allusion to a vulgar notion, that the 
young of a small green insect, found frequently on tlie mulberry tree, 
were earned off by the sphcx or solitary wasp, and cared fur by it in its 
own hole, where they were changed into wasps. The greenbeak in st. 5 
is probably one of the (luntirostres. It is also called " the grease-thief." 
from its fondness for all fatty matters. The bill is slightly hooked. In 
secte and flesh are said to be its natural food, but it is here represented 
as picking up the grain ;—with reference to the struggle for life in conse 
quence of the prevailing inisguverurnent. The last two lines in the same 
stanza refer to a custom on which we have not much information,—that 
of spreading some finely ground rice On the ground, as a sort of thank- 
offering, and in connexion with prayer. 

1 The dove coos gently in the bush, 

Then wings to heaven its flight. 
My heart that broods o'er sorrow's wound, 

Thinks of our fathers bright. 
When early davrn unseals my eyes, 
Before my mind our parents rise. 

 234 THE BOOK OF POETEY. [PART II. 

2 Men grave and wise a cup may take, 

And reason hold her sway. 
But men benighted taste, and grow 

More set on drink each day. 
Let all deportment good maintain ; 
Heaven's gift once lost we ne'er regain. 

3 All o'er the plain they gather beans, 

Which they will sow again. 
The grubs hatched on the mulberry tree 

The sphex bears off to train. 
Teach carefully your sons at home, 
And good as you they will become. 

4 Look at the wagtails ! Quick they leap, 

And twitter as they fly. 
Let us as active be, for days 

And months go swiftly by. 
Eise early, and go late to sleep ; 
The name you bear in honour keep. 

5 The greenbeaks, driven by pinching want, 

Frequent the yards for grain. 
Alas for poor and lonely folks, 
Whom prison walls restrain ! 
I sprinkle rice around my door, 
And to be good, Heaven's aid implore. 

6 We must be meek, and cautious move, 

As we were perched on trees. 
We must be anxious, and take care, 

As near a precipice. 
We must put down our feet as nice, 
As if we trod on thinnest ice. 

Ill 
The Kënou pman; allusive and narrative. THE ELDEST SON AND 

HEIR-APPARENT OF KING YEW BEWAILS HIS DEGRADATION, AND THE 
EASE WITH WHICH THE KING WAS LED AWAY BY SLANUEBERS. 

The queen of king Yew was a princess of the State of Shin, and their 
eldest son, E-k'ew, had been declared heir to the throne. When Yew 
became enamoured of Paou Sze, the queen was degraded, and E-k'ew 
banished to Shin, while it was announced that a child by the favourite 

BK V. in. 

THE BOOK ΟΓ POETRY. 

235 

would be the king's successor ; and in reference to these events it is sup 
posed that E-k'ew made this piece. See the remarks of Meccius on its 
character in his "Works, VI. ii. Ill 

1 To the trees that are their home, 
Flying slow, the crows all come. 
Other men can happy be ; 
Ne'er am I from misery free. 
Have I Heaven offended sore ? 
Surely guilt lies at my door. 
Homeless thus, oppressed with grief, 
Nowhere can I find relief. 

2 Once the road was clear to Chow, 
O'er it the rank grass grows now. 
On my heart is sorrow's blight ; 
Ache my limbs as after fight. 
Through the night, still dressed, I sigh ; 
Ere its time, old age comes nigh. 
Homeless thus, I find no rest, 
Head and heart alike distressed. 

3 Men with reverence always view 

Trees that round their homesteads grew. 

On their fathers all depend, 

In their mothers have a friend. 

From my father's loins I sprung, 

On my mother's breast I hung ; 

Yet did Heaven my being give, 

'Neath a baleful star to live. 

4 Where cicadas' voices ring, 
Willow trees luxuriant spring. 
Deep the waters of that pool, 
Fringed with reeds and rushes cool ! 
But like boat adrift I'm borne, 
Aimless, tossed about, forlorn. 
Sad my heart ! I try in vain 
Briefest rest from thought to gain. 

5 Mark the stag's reluctant feet 
Slowly from the herd retreat. 
Crows the pheasant at the dawn, 
And his mate is to him drawn. 

 236 THE BOOK OF POETEY. [PAKT II. 

Stript of branch, and leaf, that tree 
Is the image true of me. 
Sad my heart ! I'm left alone, 
Unbefriended and unknown. 

6 See the hare for mercy crave ! 
One steps in its life to save. 
When a corpse unburied lies, 
Some one straight a grave supplies. 
Callous monarch, all our woes 
Ne'er wake thy compunction's throes. 
Sad my heart beneath thy frown, 
And my tears fall ceaseless down ! 

7 Slanders vile the king believes ; 
Then as pledge-cup he receives. 
Truthful judgment he denies, 
And to stifle kindness tries. 
Trees are felled where helps the strain, 
Faggots cleft along the grain. 
Leaves our king the guilty free, 
While he guilt imputes to me. 

8 Men will climb the greatest height ; 
Deepest springs their search invite. 
O'er his words the king should watch ; 
Ears are set each word to catch. 
Leave my dam, ye slanderers base ; ** 
Move not basket from its place. 
Vainly thus, despised, I moan ; 
Dark my future, though unknown ! 

IV. 

The Kêaou yen ; narrative, and allusive, with the metaphorical elempnt 
perhaps here and there. SOME ONE, SUFFERING FKOM THE KING 

THBOUGH SLANDER, APPEALS TO HEAVEN, DWELLS ON THE NATURE 
AND EVIL OF SLANDER, AND EXPRESSES HIS DETESTATION OF ANP 
COSTEJIPT FOR THE SLANDERERS. 

" Covenants (st. 3) " were very common in the period of Chinese his 
tory to which all these odes refer. Great men in the same State, and of 
different States, made covenants together, for the sake of peace anil 
friendship, and the pursuit of common objecta. Here we have the king 
covenanting, as if he were not more powerful than his princes. 

BE V. IT.] 

THE BOOK OF POETEY. 

237 

From the last stanza it would appear that the writer had some par 
ticular persons, living probably near the Ho, in view ; unless 11. 1—i be 
taken metaphorically. 

1 O vast and distant Heaven, whom we 
Father and mother call, on thee 
I cry. Say why these ills on me 

Excessive fall. 

Oppressive, vast, my misery, 
Though guiltless all ! 

2 The first small lie contains the rest. 
When slanders fill onr monarch's breast, 
Ills grow, and never are redressed. 

Would he but trust 

The good, wrongs soon must be redressed. 
I know they must. 

3 His frequent covenants show him weak. 

Wrongs grow from cozening words they speak. 
He trusts the rogues that lie and sneak, 

And make things worse. 
Their duties shirked, their words so meek 

Prove but a curse. 

4 With the great work of some great mind ;— 
A temple by true king designed, 
Or plans by sagest men outlined, 

Pm in a fog. 
Round common schemes my way I wind, 

Like hare and dog. 

5 As timber soft in carver's hand 

Assumes the shape he may command, 
So common speech to understand, 

I well may claim. 
Those talkers, flowing, artful, grand, 

Are sons of shame. 

6 And who are they ? On yonder stream 

They dwell ; and void of strength they seem. 
From men so bloated who would dream 

Of martial force ? 
Both they and theirs may madly scheme, 

And fare the worse ! 

 238 

THE BOOK OF POETEY. 

[PAET II. 

BK V. vi.] 

THE BOOK OF POETEY. 

239 

v. 

The Hojin szc ; narrative. SOME NOBLE SUFFERING ΪΈΟΗ BLANDEE, 

AND SUSPECTING THAT THE SLANDERER WAS AN OLD FRIEND, IN 
TIMATES THE GROUNDS OF HIS SUSPICION, AND LAMENTS HIS CASE, 
WHILE HE WOULD WELCOME THE RESTOEATION OF THEIR FOBMEll 
RELATIONS. 

The Preface assigns this piece to a duke of Soo, who had been slan 
dered by a duke of Paou. There can be no doubt there was a State of 
Soo within the royal domain, corresponding to the present district of 
Wun, department Hwae-k'ing, Ho-nan, the lords of which, viscounts, 
were often in the highest positions at court, with the title of £img, or 
duke ; and there was probably also a State of Paou. The character 
which we read Paou here, however, is different from that which is the 
name of the State from which Sze, king Yew's favourite lady, came. 

1 I ask what man came here. 

With treacherous schemes his mind o'erflows. 
Why to my dam came lie so close. 
Nor to the gate drew near ? 
Whom 'does he follow as his lord ? 
It must be Paou, I'll pledge my word. 

2 Companions close are they. 
Which was it caused me my disgrace ? 
Why shunned he at the dam my face, 

Nor kindly word would say ? 
Once were we bound with friendship's ties, 
While now to stand aloof he tries. 

3 I ask what man is he. 
Inside my gate, before my hall, 
He stood. I heard his footstep's fall, 

Though him I could not see. 
Unblushingly he breaks man's law, 
Nor yet of Heaven stands he in awe. 

4 What man behaved so ill ? 
Wild as a hurricane his ways ! 
Or north, or south, he comes as sways 

The impulse of his will. 
Why to my dam approached he so, 
My mind in such distress to throw ? 

5 " Too slow ! " is your appeal. 

" Too slow,"—and yet you conld not stop ! 
" In haste," you say.—I saw you drop 

The reins, and grease your wheel. 
If you would come to me but once ! 
Why keep me waiting, eyes askance ? 

6 Then upon your return 

You came not. If you had done so, 
My strong desire would no more glow; 

My heart would cease to burn. 
O come but once ! Vain your excuse ! 
Why to relieve me thus refuse ? 

7 Beads on one string we hung. 
If you the earthen whistle blew, 
I played the flute of pierced bamboo. 
If still you doubt my tongue, 
Here are the creatures three, whose blood 
Shall seal the oath I take as good ! 

8 Were you an imp of air, 
Or water, you'd be out of reach. 
But face to face we stand, and each 

Is to the other bare. 
In this good song I've freely told 
Your changeful ways, now hot, now cold. 

VI. 

The Heatiff piJi ; metaphorical, narrative, and allusive. A EUNUCH, 

BUFFERING FROM SLANDEH, COMPLAINS OP HIS FATE, AND WARNS 
AND DENOUNCES HIS ENEMIES. 

1 A few fine lines, at random drawn, 
Like the shell-pattern wrought in lawn 

To hasty glance will seem. 
My trivial faults base slander's slime 
Distorted into foulest crime, 

And men me worthless deem. 

2 A few small points, pricked down on wood, 
May be made out a picture good 
Of the bright southern Sieve. 

H 

 240 

THE BOOK OF POETET. 

[PAKT II. 

Who planned, and helped those slanderers vile, 
My name with base lies to defile ? 
Unpitied, here I grieve. 

3 With babbling tongues you go about, 
And only scheme how to make out 

The lies you scatter round. 
Hear me. — Be careful what you say ; 
People ere long your words will weigh, 

And liars you'll be found. 

4 Clever you are, with changeful schemes ! 
How else could all your evil dreams 
And slanders work their way ? 
Men now believe you ; by and by, 
The truth found out, each vicious lie 
.Will ill for ill repay. 

5 The proud rejoice ; the sufferer weeps. 
0 azure Heaven, from out thy deeps 

Why look in silence down ? 
Behold those proud men and rebuke ; 
With pity on the sufferers look, 

And on the evil frown. 

6 Those slanderers I would gladly take, 
With all who help their schemes to make, 

And to the tigers throw. 
If wolves and tigers such should spare, 
Pd hurl them 'midst the freezing air, 

Where the keen north winds blow. 
And should the north compassion feel 
I'd fling them to great Heaven, to deal 

On them its direst woe. 

7 A-s on the acred heights you dwell, 
My place is in the willow dell, 

One is the other near. 
Before you, officers, I spread 
These lines by me, poor eunuch, made. 

Think not Mang-tsze severe. 

BE V. vin.] THE BOOK OP POETET. 

241 

VII. 

The Kuli fimg ; allusive. ' SOME ONE COMPLAINS OP THE ALIENA 
TION FROM HIM OF AN OLD FRIEND, PRODUCED BY THE CHANGE FOR 
THE BETTER IS THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE LATTER. 

1 Gently and soft the east wind blows, 

And then there falls the pelting rain. 
When anxious fears pressed round you close, 

Then linked together were we twain. 
Now happy, and your mind at rest, 
You turn and cast me from your breast. 

2 Gently and soft the east wind blows, 

And then there comes the whirlwind wild. 

When anxious fears pressed round you close, 
Your bosom held me as a child. 

Now happy, and in peaceful state, 

You throw me off and quite forget. 

3 Gently and soft the east wind blows, 

Then round the rocky height it storms. 
Each plant its leaves all dying shows ; 

The trees display their withered forms. 
My virtues great forgotten all, 
You keep in mind my faults, though small. 

VIII. 
The Luh ngo ; metapnorical, narrative, and allusive. A SON DEPLORES 

HIS HARD PATE IN BEING PEEVENTED PROM RENDERING THE LAST 
SERVICES TO HIS PARENTS, AND ENLARGES ON THE PARENTAL CLAIM. 

It is clear from the piece that the parents of the writer were dead, and 
that he had been prevented from paying to them the last duties of af 
fection by the exigencies of the public service. The ngo, the liaou, and 
the liiei are all species of southernwood,—easily enough distinguished 
ordinarily ; but the writer represents himself as so blinded by his grief 
that he could not tell the one from the other. 

I Long and large the ngo plants grow. 
Haou plants surely I should know ! 
How can I confound them so ? 

VOL. III. 16 

 v 

I 

1 

Ί 

¡i 

Ί 

ï 

; 
ί 

I 

, 

' | 

' 

ι 

242 THE BOOK OF POETKY. [PART II. 

Grief has robbed my eyes of sight, 
Almost plunging me in night. 
Others' hands laid in the grave, 
Those whose pain my being gave ! 

2 Long and large the ngo plants grow. 
Wei plants surely I should know ! 
How can I confound them so ? 
Grief has robbed my eyes of sight, 
Almost plunging me in night. 
Others' hands laid in the earth, 
Those whose suffering gave me birth. 

3 Pitcher should be filled from vase ; 
Where this fails, 'tis reckoned base. 
Than to live as orphan left, 
Better be of life bereft ! 
Father dead, on whom depend ? 
Mother dead, where find a friend ? 
I, abroad, this sad case know, 
And, at home, can nowhere go. 

4 Father, from whose loins I sprung, 
Mother, on whose breast I hung, 
Tender were ye, and ye fed, 
Now upheld, no\v gently led. 
Eyes untiring watched my way ; 
Often in your arms I lay. 
How could I repay your love, 
Vast as arch of heaven above ? 

5 Cold and bleak that southern hill ! 
Tempests fierce with terror thrill. 
All around is dark, but more 
Dark the lot which I deplore ! 
Others all can happy be ;— 
Why from grief am I not free ? 

6 Hill so steep what foot can brave ? 
Blustering winds around it rave. 
Fierce the winds ! As fierce the fate, 
Which pursues me desolate ! 
Happy all save me alone, 
Thinking aye of dues undone ! 

V. IX.] THE BOOK OF POETET. 213 

IX. 

The Ta tuny ; allusive. AN OFFICER, OP ONE or ΤΠΕ STATES or 

THE EAST, DEPLOBES ΤΠΕ EXACTIONS MADE FROM THEM BY THE 
GOVEBNMENT ; COMPLAINS OF THE F AVOUE SHOWN TO THE WEST ; 
CONTRASTS THE MISEKY OF THE PRESENT WITH THE HAPPINESS OF 
THE PAST ; AXD APPEALS TO THE STARS OF HEAVEN IDLY BEHOLDING 
THEIE CONDITION. 

" The Weaving Sisters " are three stars in Lyra, in the form of a tri 
angle. The stars seem to go round the circumference Of the heavens in a 
day and night. They would accomplish six of those in a whole day, but as 
their motion is in advance of that of the sun, they have entered the 
seventh space by the time he is up with them again. " The Draught 
Oxen " is the name of some stars in the neck of Aquila. The writer 
evidently took Lucifer and Hesperus to be two different stars. " The 
Rabbit Net " is a name for the Hyades. The " tíieve " has occurred before 
in VI. 2. It is the name of one of the 28 constellations of the Zodiac,— 
part of the sign Sagittarius. It consists of four stars, two of which 
are called " the Heels," close together, and two more widely apart, called 
" the Mouth." " The Ladle " is also in Sagittarius, supposed to resemble 
a ladle taking spirits from a jar. 

1 With millet filled, the dishes stood displayed ; 

The spoons lay long and curved, of thornwood made. 

Smooth as a whetstone was the road to Chow, 

And straight as shaft well fitted for the bow. 

This road the common people gladly viewed ; 

The officers on it their way pursued. 

Thus back to former times my thoughts will go, 

And down my cheeks the tears in streamlets flow. 

Now in the east, in States both large and small, 
Shuttles unplied, the looms are empty all. 
Thin cloth of dolichos supplies the shoes, 
Which shivering travellers on the hoar frost use. 
Young nobles, cultured, but too thin and spare, 
Hurry along the road, all full of care. 
They go, they come ; weary they are and worn. 
My heart aches for them, and I feel forlorn. 

3 This firewood, cut and hewn with earnest toil, 
I fear the waters from that spring will spoil. 
Fit then as emblems they would be of those 
Whose stern exactions grant us no repose. 
16* 

 244 

THE BOOK OF POETET. 

[PAET II. 

The firewood cut must homeward be conveyed ;— 
Toil after toil is on the people laid. 
O that we could the needful rest but take ! 
Tired out we sleep, and sigh when we awake. 

4 The east its noblest sons to service hard 

Sees promptly called ; but they get no reward. 
There in the west sons of each noble line 
Live idle, and in splendid dresses shine. 
There also boatmen's sons DOW proudly wear 
The glossy furs of which men spoil the bear. 
Sons of the poorest families, elate, 
In public offices display their state. 

5 Our choicest spirits humbly we present. 

" How can such stuff," they say, " our taste content ?" 

Long girdle-pendants, well supplied with gems, 

We give, and each the gift as short contemns. 

Up to the Milky Way I turn my gaze ;— 

Looks it not down to mark their evil ways ? 

There too the Weaving Sisters' triple beam, 

While they move on, might shed an angry gleam. 

6 Nightly those Sisters through seven stages go, 
But no bright work do they to ease our woe. 
The stars we call Draught Oxen also shine, 
But they no cart for us to draw combine. 
The Morning star appears in the dim east, 
The Evening star oft twinkles in the west, 
And long and curved the Rabbit Net is there :—· 
Each fills its place, but heeds not our despair. 

7 Four stars to be the Southern Sieve have claim, 
But nothing do they to make good the name. 
Northwards the Ladle sparkles in the sky,· 
But ladles nothing that may drink supply. 
O Southern Sieve, thy mouth is idly shown, 
For good come from it we have never known. 
And thou, O Ladle, shining in the north, 
Thy handle eastward vainly streichest forth ! 

X. 

The Sze yueJi ; allusive and narrative. AN OFFICER B1TTEBLY DE- 
PLOKES THE OPPRESSION AND MISEBY OP THE TIME. 

BK V. x.] 

THE BOOK OF ΓΟΕΤΕΥ. 

245 

1 In the fourth month summer shines ; 
In the sixth the heat declines. 
Nature thus grants men relief ; 
Tyranny gives only grief. 
Were not my forefathers men ? 
Can my suffering 'scape their ken ? 

2 In the cold of autumn days, 
Each plant shrivels and decays. 
Nature then is hard and stern ; 
Living things sad lessons learn. 
Friends dispersed, all order gone, 
Place of refuge have I none. 

3 Winter days are wild and fierce j 
Rapid gusts each crevice pierce. 
Such is my unhappy lot, 
Unbefriended and forgot ! 
Others all can happy be ; 
I from misery ne'er am free. 

4 On the mountains are fine trees ; 
Chestnuts, plum trees, there one sees. 
All the year their forms they show ; 
Stately more and more they grow. 
Noble turned to ravening thief ! 
What the cause ? This stirs my grief. 

5 Waters from that spring appear 
Sometimes foul, and sometimes clear, 
Changing oft, as falls the rain, 
Or the sky grows bright again. 
New misfortunes every day 
Still befall me, misery's prey. 

6 Aid from mighty streams obtained, 
Southern States are shaped and drained. 
Thus the Keang and Han are thanked, 
And as benefactors ranked. 
Weary toil my vigour drains ; 
All unnoticed it remains ! 

7 Hawks and eagles mount the sky j 
Sturgeons in deep waters lie. 

 246 THE BOOK OP POETET. 

Out of reach, they safety get, 
Arrow fear not, nor the net. 
Hiding-place for me there's none ; 
Here I stay, and make my moan. 

8 Ferns upon the hills abound ; 
Ke and e in marshy ground. 
Each can boast its proper place, 
Where it grows for use or grace. 
I can only sing the woe, 
Which, ill-starred, I undergo. 

[PAKT IL 

Βκ VI. ι.] 

THE BOOK OP POETET. 

247 

BOOK VI. 

THE DECADE OP PIH SHAN. 

I. 

THE Pili sitan ; narrative. AN OFFICER COMPLAINS OF THE ARDU 
OUS AND CONTINUAL DUTIES UNEQUALLY IMPOSED UPON HIM, AND 
KEEPING HIM AWAY FKOM HIS PAEENTS, WHILE OTHERS WEEE LEFT 
TO EîfJOY THE1E EASE. 

See the remarks of Mencius on the second stanza of this piece in his 
Works, V. Ft i. IV. 2. 

1 I climb that bill upon the north, 

And gather medlars on its side. 
Active and vigorous, I go forth, 

And morn and night I walk or ride. 
I serve the king with eager will ; 
But great the grief my parents feel ! 

2 Where'er their arch the heavens expand, 

The king can claim the land below. 
Within the sea-bounds of the land, 

All at his summons come or go. 
His ministers unfairly act ; 
They praise me, but with toils distract. 

3 Four ceaseless steeds my care engage; 

The king's affairs no rest allow. 
They say I bear no trace of age, 

While few, they think, such vigour show. 
While my backbone remains unbent, 
In work my life must still be spent. 

4 Some rest in careless ease, supine ; 

Some for the State themselves wear out. 
On softest couches some recline ; 
Others, unhalting, march about., 

 248 

THE BOOK OP POETEY. 

[PAET II. 

5 Some never hear a clamorous sound ; 
Others toil on 'midst rude alarms. 
Some idle on their backs are found ; 

And some bear loads with head and arms. 

6 Some feast, and fearless seek new joys ; 

Some live in constant dread of blame. 
Some the harsh critic's work employs ; 
Others their numerous duties claim. 

IL 

The Woo tsë'ang ta Iteii ; narrative. SOME OFFICER. OVER-LOADED 

IN THE KING'S SEEVICE. THINKS IT BETTER TO TKY AND DISMISS HIS 
TROUBLES FROM HIS MIND. 

The Preface says that the writer here expresses his regret for having 
recommended unworthy persons—"littlemen"—to public employments;— 
regret which is in vain. This view is found in Seun K'ing and in Han 
Ying. Such a fact may have given its origin to the piece ; but it is 
better to take the homely lines in their most general reference. 

1 Push not the cart you stand behind ;— 

You'll only raise the dust. Nor dwell 
On your anxieties of mind ;— 
You'll Only make yourself unwell. 

2 Push not the cart you stand behind ;— 

The dust will only blind your view. 
Dwell not on things that vex your mind ;— 
You never thus can see them true. 

3 Push not the cart you stand behind ;— 
The dust will but becloud your eyes. 
Heed not the troubles of your mind ;— 
'Twill weight you as you seek to rise. 

III. 

The Seaoit ming ; narrative. As OFFICER, KEPT LONG ABROAD ON 

DISTANT SERVICE, DEPLORES THE HARDSHIPS OF HIS LOT, AND TEN 
DERS GOOD ADVICE TO HIS MORE FORTUNATE FRIENDS AT COURT. 

We must suppose that the speaker here was an officer of high rank in 
command of the expedition to which he refers, and that the expedition 
Λ\ as towards the north. This latter point we infer from the mentiou 

BE VI. ΙΠ.] THE BOOK OF POETRY. 

249 

made of winter, for we do not know where the wild country of K'ëw, 
that appears in st. 1, was. The last line of the same stanza speaks of 
the " net of crime,"—an expression for justice strictly administered. The 
same conception occurs in the Vedic hymns, e. g., that to Varuna, in the 
Atharnaveda (IV. 16), ends :—" May all thy fatal nooses, which stand 
spread out seven by seven and threefold, catch the man who tells a lie ; 
may they pass by him who tells the truth." See Max Müíler's Lecture 
on the Vedas. 

1 0 Heaven above, before whose light 
Eevealed is every deed and thought, 

To thee I cry. 

Hither on toilsome service brought, 
In this wild K'ew I watch time's flight, 

And sadly sigh. 

The second month had just begun, 
When from the east we took our way. 

Through summer hot 
We passed, and many a wintry day. 
Summer again its course has run. 

0 bitter lot ! 

There are my compeers, gay at court, 
While here the tears my face begrime. 

I'd fain return. 

But there is that dread net for crime ! 
The fear of it the wish cuts short. 

In vain I burn ! 

2 Ere we the royal city left, 

The sun and moon renewed the year. 

We marched in hope. 
Now to its close this year is near. 
Return deferred, of hope bereft, 

All mourn and mope. 
My lonesome state haunts aye my breast, 
While duties grow, and cares increase, 

Too hard to bear. 
Toils that oppress me never cease ; 
Not for a moment dare I rest, 

Nigh to despair. 

I think with fond regard of those, 
Who in their posts at court remain, 

My friends of old. 

 ί 

250 

THE BOOK OF FOETEY. 

[PART II. 

Fain would I be witli them again, 
But fierce reproof return would cause. 
This post I hold. 

3 When for the west I left my home, 
The sun and moon both mildly shone, 

Our hearts to cheer. 
We'd soon be back, our service done ! 
Alas ! affairs more urgent come, 

And fix us here. 
The year is hastening to expire. 
We gather now the southernwood, 

The beans we reap ;— 
That for its fragrance, these for food. 
Such things that constant care require 

Me anxious keep. 

Thinking of friends still at their posts, 
I rise and pass the night outside, 

So vexed my mind. 
But soon what changes may betide ? 
I here will stay, whate'er it costs, 

And be resigned. 

4 My honoured friends, 0 do not deem 
Your rest which seems secure from ill 

Will ever last ! 
Your duties quietly fulfil, 
And hold the upright in esteem, 

With friendship fast. 
So shall the Spirits hear your cry, 
You virtuous make, and good supply, 

In measure vast. 

5 My honoured friends, 0 do not deem 
Eepose that seems secure from ill 

Will lasting prove. 
Your duties quietly fulfil, 
And hold the upright in esteem, 

With earnest love. 

So shall the Spirits hear your prayer, 
And on you happiness confer, 

Your hopes above. 

VI. IV.] THE BOOK OP POETEY. 

251 

IV. 
The Koo cJiung ; narrative. SUPPOSED TO EEFEE TO AND DEPLORE 

SOME EXPEDITION OF KING YEW TO THE COUNTRY ABOUT THE H\VAE, 
WHERE HE ABANDONED HIMSELF TO THE DELIttHTS OF MUSIC. 

There is no account anywhere of Yew's having undertaken an expedi 
tion to the country about the Hwae. But it is quite conceivable that a 
sovereign of his character should have proceeded to the Hwae to punish 
the wild tribes Of the region, and have amused himself as it is supposed 
in this piece that he did. Such an expedition would be a historical 
parallel to Caligula's against Britain. The Hwae has been a famous 
river of China since the earliest times. It rises in the district of T'ung- 
pih, department Nan-yang, Ho-nan, and after flowing through the pro 
vinces of Ngau-hwuy and Këang-soo, reaches the sea, having had a 
course of about 600 miles. 

1 How peal the royal bells, 

As the Hwae sweeps along to the main ! 
A tale their music tells, 

Waking thoughts in my mind full of pain. 
Before me back it sadly brings 
The memory of our virtuous kings ; 

And they live in my fancy again ! 

2 Loud roll the royal drums, 

As the Hwae rushes on to the deep. 
A vanished memory comes 

In their sound which compels me to weep,— 
The memory of our kings of old, 
Whose virtue flawless still we hold, 

Though the kings in their sepulchres sleep. 

3 Bells peal and drums resound, 

As the Hwae its three islands displays. 
They stir a grief profound 

In my heart that no revel allays. 

The virtue of our kings of yore 
A stamp of truth and beauty bore, 

Such as never we see now-a-days. 

4 K'in-tfm the bells peal on, 
And the lutes in the concert we hear. 
Deep breathes the organ tone ; 
Sounding stones join their notes, rich and clear. 

 'IM 

252 

THE BOOK OP POETRY. 

[PART II. 

BE VI. v.] 

THE BOOK OF POETKY. 

253 

The while through the vessel there ring 
The Ta and the Nan which they sing, 
And the dancers with flutes now appear. 

V. 

The Ts'oo ts'ze ; narrative, SACRIFICIAL AND FESTAL SERVICES IN 

TUB ANCESTItAL TBMPLB ; AND THEIR CONNEXION WITH ATTENTION 
TO HUSBANDBY. 

This and the other pieces to the end of the Book are all ascribed to the 
time of king Yew, and said to have been directed against him ;—very 
absurdly, so far as I can judge. They are out of place among the mass 
of others belonging to a degenerate time, and deserve to be ranked with 
the first eighteen pieces of this Part, which are ascribed to the duke of 
Chow. 

Choo thinks this piece celebrates the services in the ancestral temple 
of some noble landed proprietor. I incline rather to the view that they 
are those of the king's ancestral temple. The " we " of the stanzas is 
simply the poet's identification of himself with the parties of whom he 
sings. 

See what I have said on the services of the ancestral temple in the 
last chapter of the prolegomena ;—particularly on the representation of 
the deceased fathers sacrificed to by individuals chosen from among their 
descendants. The "priest" introduced here and there was merely "an 
officer of prayer." The proper sacrifieer was the king, the noble, or the 
chief of the Clan. 

1 Here grew the tribulus around, 

Till of its thorns they cleared the ground ;— 

Of old this work was wrought. 
Our fathers laboured for our good, 
That millet we might plant for food, 
And millet used in sacrifice, 
Both yielding to us large supplies ;— 

So for us took they thought. 
Now when our barns are filled with grain, 
And myriad stacks in field remain, 
Spirits and viands we prepare, 
To use on grand occasions rare, 

In sacrificial rite. 

The dead cannot in form be there, 
But there are those their part who bear. 
We lead tliem to the highest seat, 
Aud beg that they will drink and eat. 
So shall our sires our service own, 

And deign our happiness to crown, 
With blessings still more bright. 

2 With reverent air, in dress correct, 
With sheep and oxen pure, select, 
When autumn comes, and winter cold, 
Our temple services we hold, 

And offer sacrifice. 
The victims slain some haste to flay ; 
Some boil the flesh ; on stands some lay 
The pieces boiled, which some dispose 
In order due, exact and close, 

According to their size. 
The while, the priest, inside the gate, 
Lest elsewhere welcome be too late, 

Our sires asks to descend. 
Complete and brilliant are our rites ; 
They grandly come, as he invites. 
Though hid from us in shadowy veil, 
Our offerings with delight they hail, 

And to our prayers attend. 
Their filial son, our honoured lord, 
Great blessing gets. They will reward 
With myriad years his duty shown, 
And sure maintain upon the throne 

His sons till time shall end. 

3 Before the fires some reverent stand ; 
Some take the mighty trays in hand; 
These with the roasted flesh they fill, 
Those with the livers broiled. Then still 
And reverent, the queen presides, 
And every smaller dish provides, 

The pious feast to grace. 
The guests and visitors draw near. 
Divined for, now they all appear, 

And take an honoured place. 
'Tween those who personate our sires, 
Our lord, and them, as rule requires, 
Once and again the cup goes round. 
Each word and smile just that is found, 

Which word and smile should be. 

 254 

THE BOOK OF POETET. 

[PAET II. 

The Spirits come in quiet state, 
And answer give with, blessings great. 
Myriads of years—his due reward— 
Shall show how they our lord regard, 
And keep from evil free. 

4 Exhausted now we feel, but see 
Our every rite from error free. 
The able priest has learned the will 
Of the great Spirits. To fulfil 
His part he hastes, and to our lord, 
Standing before him, with grave word, 

His message thus conveys :— 
" Your sacrifice has filled the air 
With fragrance. Both your spirits rare 
And viands rich your sires enjoy. 
Blessings not few, without alloy, 
They give ;—each all that you could hope, 
Each sure as law's unerring scope. 
Exact in form, without delay, 
Due reverence you have striven to pay. 
From error free, discharged with care, 
Your ceremonies all declare 
Your filial heart. Your sires henceforth 
Will favours grant of greatest worth, 
For myriad years, and myriads more, 
Nor time exhaust the boundless store." 
•"Tis this the wise priest says. 

5 The rites thus all performed exact, 
The drums and bells announce the fact. 
Our lord withdraws, and takes his way 
Where parting guests their homage pay. 

Then comes the wise priest's voice :— 
" The Spirits all are satisfied." 
No longer in their seats abide 
Their representatives, but slow, 
'Mid warning bells and drums, withdraw ;— 

So ends the sacrifice. 
The Spirits tranquilly ascend. 
The queen and who the queen attend, 
And all the servants, haste to clear 

BE VI. vi.] THE BOOK OF POETET. 255 

The hall, that nothing may appear 

Left from the sacred rites. 
Those who are of the royal kin, 
The old and young, abide within. 
The surname of the king they bear, 
And to the special feast repair, 

To which his grace invites. 

6 All the musicians follow fast, 
Their special aid at this repast 

The feasters shall not fail. 
The mats the viands rich display ; 
No face looks sad, but all are gay. 
They drink, they eat, with fullest zest ; 
Dish after dish, well pleased they taste ; 

Great love and joy prevail. 
At last they rise, and to their lord 
First bow their heads with one accord ; 

Then him they thus address :— 
" Eich viands and your spirits rare, 
All testified your pious care. 
The spirits of our sires partook ; 
On you benignantly they look. 
Your term of life they will extend, 
And favours give that ne'er shall end. 
As through the year the seasons move, 
Your pious feelings equal prove 
Fully each sacrifice to pay. 
So may it be in future day, 
And sons and grandsons of your line, 
Observant of these rites divine, 

The ceremony bless ! " 

VI. 

The Siti nan shan ; narrative. HUSBANDRY TRACED TO ITS FIRST 

AUTHOR ; DETAILS ABOUT IT, GOING ON TO THE SUBJECT OP SACRI 
FICES TO ANCESTORS. 

There is a close connexion between this piece and the last. Both pro 
bably proceeded, as the critics suppose, from the same writer, this being 
fuller on the subject of husbandry, and more concise on that of sacrifice. 

In st. l there is the first of the few references in the She to the great 
Yu, the real founder of the kingdom of China, extending the territory 
of former elective chiefs, and opening up the country. 

L 

 256 

THE BOOK OF POETEY. 

[PAKT II. 

1 Yes, all about that southern hill, 

Great Yu pursued his wondrous toil. 
He drained the plain, the marsh he dried ; 

Our lord in fields laid out the soil. 
Their boundaries we now define, 
As south, or east, the fields incline. 

2 The wintry heavens, one arch of clouds, 
Send down the flakes that fill the sky. 

Then come the drizzling rains of spring, 
That moisture, with the snow, supply, 

To soak and fit the ground for use, 

And in its season grain produce. 

3 The plots, arranged in order fit, 

The millets in abundance bear. 
So shall our lord the harvest view ; 

While food and spirits we prepare, 
For those in whom our sires descend, 
And guests who at the feast attend. 

4 The central plot the huts contains, 

While gourds each path and boundary line. 
Their fruits preserved, aside we put, 

Till •'mong the offerings they shall shine. 
So through his sires our lord shall gain 
Long life, and gifts from Heaven obtain. 

5 The fragrant spirits first are poured ; 

Then near the gate the bull is led j— 
So we invite our sires to come. 

To show the victim pure and red, 
The knife with bells slides through the hair. 
Its blood and fat away we bear. 

6 Then all our offerings we present, 

Diffusing round a fragrance great. 
How brilliant is the sacrifice ! 

Our ancestors in kingly state 
Are there, unseen ; but they shall send 
Blessing and life,—years without end ! 

VI. VII.] THE BOOK OF POETET. 

257 

VII. 

The POo fi'en; narrative. PICTURES OP HUSBANDRY AND SACRI 
FICES CONNECTED WITH IT. HAPPY UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE 
PEOPLE AND THEIR SUPEEIOBS. 

The general rule in feudal China was that the sons Of husbandmen 
should continue husbandmen ; but their superior might select those 
among them in whom he saw promising abilities, and facilitate their ad 
vancement to the higher grade of officers. The concluding lines of Et. l 
refer to this. 

The thanksgiving service in st. 2 probably was addressed to the Spirits 
presiding over the productive energies of the land, and over the four 
quarters of the sky, ruling all atmospherical influences. " The father of 
husbandry " is the mythical emperor Shin-nung. 

1 Bright shine my wide-spread fields before the eye, 
That yearly to the king a tithe supply. 
From olden times the crops have plenteous been ; 
Each year has left to feed my husbandmen 
Sufficient store. Now to the ground I go, 
Where their rich soil the southern acres show. 
Some weed ; some gather earth around the roots ; 
Each millet plant luxuriantly up shoots. 
There I call round me in a spacious place 
The brightest youths, with cheering words to grace. 

2 Heaped in the vessels, bright the millet shone ; 
Pure were the victim-rams. Last harvest done, 
We tha.nked the Spirits of the land and air, 
From whom the joyous husbandmen declare 
The copious produce of the year had come. 
Now with" our lutes and the resounding drum, 
To him who taught men tillage first we cry, 
And ask for rain to help our husbandry. 
So shall our millets grow. Each field now thrives, 
To bless our labourers, and bless their wives. 

3 Our lord of long descent now comes this way, 
Just as their wives and children food convey 
To those who on the southern acres toil. 
The Inspector of the fields appears meanwhile 
Glad he looks on, and of the simple food 
The dishes tastes, to see if it be good. 

VOL. III. 17 

 258 

THE BOOK OF POETET. 

[PAET II. 

The hand of skill appears in every field ; 
'Tis sure ere long luxuriant crop to yield. 
Our lord complacent looks, and in his view 
The toilers feel their zeal inspired anew. 

4 The reapers soon the crops will take in hand, 

Which curving down, and thick as thatch, shall stand. 
Lo ! numerous stacks are built all o'er the grounds, 
Rising like islands, seen from far like mounds. 
Thousands of granaries must our lord prepare, 
And carts in myriads home their loads shall bear. 
With radiant joy each husbandman surveys 
The millets stored, the rice crop and the maize. 
Then all shall pray for blessing on our lord, 
For myriad years.—Such shall be his reward ! 

VIII. 

The Ta t'ëen ; narrative. FURTHER PICTURES OP HUSBANDRY AND 

SACRIFICES CONNECTED WITH IT. 

1 Various the toils which fields so large demand ! 
We choose the seed ; we take our tools in hand. 
In winter for our work we thus prepare ; 
Then in the spring, bearing the sharpened share, 
We to the acres go that south incline, 
And to the earth the different seeds consign. 
Soon, straight and large, upward each plant aspires ;— 
All happens as our noble lord desires. 

2 The plants will ear ; within their sheath confined, 
The grains will harden, and be good in kind. 
Nor darnel these, nor wolf's-tail grass infests ; 
From core and leaf we pick the insect pests, 
And pick we those that eat the joints and roots :— 
So do we guard from harm the growing fruits. 
May the great Spirit, whom each farmer names, 
Those insects take, and cast them to the flames ! 

3 The clouds o'erspread the sky in masses dense, 
And gentle rain down to the earth dispense. 
First may the public fields the blessing get, 
And then with it our private fields we wet ! 

BE VI. ix.] THE BOOK OF POETET. 259 

Patches of unripe grain the reaper leaves ; 
And here and there, ungathered are the sheaves. 
Handfuls besides we drop upon the ground, 
And ears untouched in numbers lie around ;— 
These by the poor and widows shall be found. 

4 When wives and children to the toilers come, 
Bringing provisions from each separate home, 
Our lord of long descent shall oft appear ; 
The Inspector also, glad the men to cheer. 
They too shall thank the Spirits of the air, 
With sacrifices pure for all their care ; 
Now red, now black, the victims that they slay, 
As south or north the sacrifice they pay ; 
While millet bright the altars always show ;— 
And we shall thus still greater blessings know. 

IX. 

The Chen pe LoTi e ; narrative. THE FEUDAL PRINCES, MET AT 

SOME GATHERING IN THE EASTERN CAPITAL, PRAISE THE KING AS HE 
APPEARS AMONG THEM. 

See on the 4th ode of Book iv. 

1 Fitness for war, 'mid peace, we here acquire, 
Around the Loh, whose waters, broad and deep, 
Flow swiftly on. Eastward our king has come, 
Of happiness and dignities the fount. 
His red knee-covers, madder-dyed, shine bright;— 
So his six hosts to battle he would lead. 

2 Fitness for war, 'mid peace, we here acquire, 
Around the Loh, whose waters, broad and deep, 
Flow swiftly on. Eastward our king has come, 
With gems far gleaming round his scabbard's mouth. 
Long may he live ;—for myriads of years, 
And still maintain the fortunes of his House ! 

3 Fitness for war, 'mid peace, we here acquire, 
Around the Loh, whose waters, broad and deep 
Flow swiftly on. Eastward our king has come, 
Happy, and of all dignities possessed. 
Long may he live ;—for myriads of years, 
Preserving safe his many Clans and States ! 
17* 

 260 

THE BOOK OF POETET. 

X. 

[PAET II. 

•The SJianff-shang chay hma ; allusive and narrative. BESPONSIVE TO 

THE FOEMEE ;—THE KING CELEBRATES THE PEAIBES OF THE PEINCES. 

1 Like the flowers which splendid shine, 
Amidst the leaves that cluster dense, 
Are these noble lords of mine, 
On whom I look with joy intense. 

All that my heart desires in them is met ; 

Praise and good fortune they deserve to get. 

2 Like the flowers that splendid shine, 

Displaying yellow's deepest hue, 
Are these noble lords of mine, 

In whom such elegance I view. 
In all their words and manners is no flaw ;— 
So to themselves all blessing shall they draw. 

3 Like the flowers that splendid shine, 

Some yellow, some of purest white, 
Are these noble lords of mine, 

Urging their steeds to rapid flight. 
White are the steeds they drive, but black their manes, 
And soft and glossy in their hands the reins ! 

4 Left or right they wheel and move. 

Each order given they straight obey. 
Instant their skill and power they prove 

Equal, as needed, to display. 
Boundless resources in themselves there dwell ; 
'Tis right their outward movements should excel ! 

BE VII. I.] THE BOOK OF FOETBY 

261 

BOOK ΥΠ. 

DECADE OF SANG 000. 

I. 

THE Sang-hoo ; allusive and narrative. THE KING, ENTERTAINING 

THE CHIEF AMONG THE FEUDAL PHINCES, EXPRESSES HIS ADMIRATION 
OF THEM, AND GOOD WISHES FOE THEM. 

1 Flitting round the greenbeaks see, 
With their wings of brilliancy ! 
Birds they are that men admire ; 
More those lords my soul inspire 
With admiring joy and love. 
Heaven will bless them from above ! 

2 Here and there the greenbeaks light, 
Showing necks with feathers bright. 
W~ho but must the creatures prize ? 
But it more delights my eyes, 
\Vhen these noble lords are seen, 
Who my States from danger screen. 

3 Screens they are, and bulwarks strong; 
All the chiefs around them throng, 
And on them as patterns gaze. 
Self-restraint each hero lays 
On himself,—from folly free ;— 
Great their happiness must be ! 

4 See the mighty cup of horn, 
Round their ranks in order borne ! 
Full of spirits soft and good, 
It excites no conduct rude. 
Surely blessings haste to greet 
Lords of virtue so complete ! 

 262 

THE BOOK OF POETEY. 

[PAKT II. 

IL 

The Yucn-yang ; allusive. RESPONSIVE TO THE LAST ODE ;—THE 

PRINCES EXPRESS THEIR PRAYERS AND WISHES FOR THE KING. 

This piece is one of the most remarkable cases in which it is difficult 
to see the metaphorical connexion between the allusive lines and those 
that follow. This the critics freely admit. "The Yellow duck " is the 
name by which the Anas galerlctilata, vvhicb we call " the Mandarin 
duck," is ordinarily called* by the Chinese,—from the prevailing colour 
of its variegated plumage, and the creature is perhaps the most beautiful 
of all the duck tribe. Another name for it is—" the Faithful bird," as 
it is said to be a monogamist ; and if either of a pair die, the other does 
not long survive. The male and female do show an extraordinary at 
tachment, which is with the Chinese an emblem of conjugal fidelity. 
They are said to sit or roost together, as the second stanza says, with their 
heads turned in opposite directions, while their left wings are folded up 
so that they can lean on each other, while the right wings are )eft at 
liberty to guard against any danger that may approach. 

1 The Yellow ducks, full grown, take wing and fly ; 
For them the men both hand and spread-nets ply ;— 

So greatly they their beanty prize. 
May the king's life ten thousand years extend, 
While wealth and happiness that know no end 

Heaven, as deserved, to him supplies ! 

2 The Yellow ducks upon the darn oft rest, 

Each with its left wing 'gainst its neighbour's pressed;— 

Their mutual fondness thus they show. 
Heaven to the king ten thousand years assign ! 
And blessings lasting in unbroken line 

Upon his merit great bestow ! 

3 The stables large the teams of steeds contain ;— 
In peace with forage, and in war with grain, 

Abundantly they are supplied. 
May the king's life extend ten thousand years, 
While all that lengthened time no sign appears 

Of wealth or happiness denied ! 

4 The stables large contain the numerous teams ;— 
Forage they get in peace ; in war there gleams 

In every manger store of grain. 
Ten thousand years may our great sovereign live, 
And Heaven the wealth and blessing ever give, 

Which shall his comforting maintain ! 

B K VII. IV.] THE BOOK OF POETBY. 

263 

III. 

The Kivci peen ; narrative, with allusive and metaphorical portions in 
all the stanzas. CELEBRATING A FEAST GIVEN BY THE KING, AT 

WHICH HE IS PRESENT HIMSELF, TO HIS EELATIVES BOTH BY CON 
SANGUINITY AND AFFINITY. 

1 In their bonnets of deerskin, who are they that haste ? 
Who the spirits so good, and such viands may taste ? 
Not a stranger among them, but all of thy kin,— 
Certes none but thy brethren such honour could win. 
As the mosses and mistletoe cling to the tree, 
So their hearts, O our sovereign, cling closely to thee. 
While they see not thy face, they are restless and sad, 
But a smile from thy Eps makes them happy and glad. 

2 In their bonnets of deerskin, who are they that haste ? 
Who such viands in season and spirits may taste ? 
Not a stranger among them, thy brethren are here; 
Only they at such banquet with thee could appear. 
As the mosses and mistletoe grow on the pine, 
So their hearts, O our sovereign, around thee entwine. 
While they see not thy face, all is dark and forlorn, 
But a glance from thine eyes is to them as the morn. 

3 In their bonnets of deerskin, adorning each head, 
Now they quaff the clear spirits, and lordly are fed. 
With thy brothers are kinsmen of every degree ; 
Near or distant, they share the banquet with thee. 
When the sleet first descends, weatherwise, we well 

know, 

Winter soon will be here with its garments of snow. 
Death and mourning may come in our moments of glee; 
'Tis not long, O ye guests, that each other you'll see. 
O'er your cups now be glad, when the day-light has 

ceased, 
And do thou, O our sovereign, rejoice in the feast. 

rv. 

The Keu Tteah ; narrative and allusive. THE REJOICING OF A BRIDE 
GROOM OVER HIS YOUNG, BEAUTIFUL, AND VIETUOUS BEIDE. 

If we are to believe the Preface and the critics who follow it, we have 
in these verses an officer, not rejoicing over the bride whom he had got for 

 264 

THE BOOK OF POETET. 

[ΡΔΕΤ II. 

himself, but drawing the picture of a lady whom he would rejoice to see 
as the bride of king Yew instead of the odious Paou Sze ! With reason 
does Chow discard the authority of the Preface. The piece is a love 
Bong, Bomewhat stately, but admirable in its way. 

1 With axle creaking, all on fire I went, 
To fetch my young and lovely bride. 
No thirst or hunger pangs my bosom rent,— 

I only longed to have lier by my side. 
I feast with her, whose virtue fame had told, 
Nor need we friends our rapture to behold. 

2 The long-tailed pheasants surest covert find, 

Amid the forest on the plain. 
Here from my virtuous bride, of noble mind, 

And person tall, I wisdom gain. 
1 praise her while we feast, and to her say, 
" The love I bear you ne'er will know decay. 

3 " Poor we may be ; spirits and viands fine 

My humble means will not afford. 
But what we have, we'll taste and not repine ; 

From us will come no grumbling word. 
And though to you no virtue I can add, 
Yet we will sing and dance, in spirit glad. 

4 " I oft ascend that lofty ridge with toil, 

And hew large branches from the oaks ; 
Then of their leafy glory them I spoil, 

And faggots form with vigorous strokes. 
Returning tired, your matchless grace I see, 
And my whole soul dissolves in ecstasy. 

5 " To the high hills I looked, and urged each steed ; 

The great road next was smooth and plain. 
Up hill, o'er dale, I never slackened speed ; 

Like lute-string sounded every rein. 
I knew, my journey ended, I should come 
To you, sweet bride, the comfort of my home." 

V. 

The Ts'ing ying ; metaphorical and allusive. 

TO SLANDEHEKS. 

AGAINST LISTENING 

VII. VI.] THE BOOK OP POETET. 

1 Like the blue flies buzzing round, 

And on the fences lighting, 
Are the sons of slander found, 

Who never cease their biting. 
0 thou happy, courteous king, 
To the winds their slanders fling. 

2 Buzzing round the blue flies hear, 

About the jujubes flocking ! 
So the slanderers appear, 

Whose calumnies are shocking. 
By no law or order bound, 
All the kingdom they confound. 

3 How they buzz, those odious flies, 

Upon the hazels clust'ring ! 
And as odious are the lies 

Of those slanderers blast ring. 
Hatred stirred between us two 
Shows the evil they can do. 

265 

VI. 

The Pin che tsoo yen ; narrative. AGAINST DRUNKENNESS. DKINK- 

ING ACCORDING TO EULE, AND DRINKING TO EXCESS. A LIVELY 
PICTURE OF THE LICENSE OF THE TIMES. 

All the critics agree in thinking that the writer of the piece was duke 
Woo of Wei ;—whose praises are sung in I. v. I. Han Ying adds that 
Woo made it, when repenting that he himself had fallen into the vice 
which he so graphically describes and strongly condemns. 

The general plan of the piece is plain enough. In stanzas 1 and 2 ive 
have two instances of the temperate use of spirits, and in 3—5 we have 
the abuse of them on festive occasions. St. 1 is occupied with the 
moderate use of them at trials of archery before the king, when no li 
cense was indulged in ; st. 2 shows the same thing on occasions of sacri 
fice. The riotous feast in st. 3—δ was, probably, the entertainment given 
by the king to the princes of the same surname with himself at the con 
clusion of the seasonal sacrifices. We can conceive of such a scene taking 
place in the time of king Yew. 

There were various trials of skill in archery, of which the principal 
was that here referred to, before the king, and called "the great 
archer}'." It was preceded not by a heavy feast, but by a slight enter 
tainment. The shooting took place in the open court, beneath the hall 
where the entertainment took place. Three pairs were selected by the 
officers who had the direction of the trial. The others matched them- 

 2G6 

THE BOOK OF POETET. 

[PAKT II. 

selves. The defeated competitors had to drink a cup of spirits as a 
penalty. 

In st. 2, the writer evidently had in view the seasonal sacrifices to an 
cestors. What he describes took place, I suppose, as the proper business 
of the sacrifice was being completed. 

1 When to the mats the guests draw near, 

Good order they observe. 
Some moving to the left appear, 

While to the right some swerve. 
In rows the dishes stand arrayed ;— 
Of wood and bamboo featly made. 
Sauces and kernels in them shine ; 
And tempered well the spirits fine :— 

The guests with reverence taste. 
Now are the drums and bells set up ; 
And round the circle goes the cup, 

Without unseemly jest. 
The royal target then they rear, 
And bows and arrows soon appear, 

Made ready for the game. 
On different sides the archers stand; 
And one, his weapons in his hand, 

Calls out another's name. 

" Now shoot," he says, " and show your skill." 
The other answers, " Shoot I will, 
And hit the mark ;—and when you miss, 
Give you the penal cup to kiss.·" 

2 The drums loud sound, the organ swells ; 

Their flutes the dancers wave. 
The other instruments and bells 
' Join in the concert grave. 

Thus with our music blends the dance, 
The solemn service to enhance, 

Which to our sires is paid. 
When rites, the greatest and the least, 
Have been performed to grace the feast, 

Then to our king 'tis said, 
" Blessings on you your sires bestow." 
With joy his sons and grandsons glow ; 
They feel inspired to show their care, 
And reverently themselves to bear. 

B K VII. VI.] THE BOOK OF POETET. 

The guests then come, in order led 
-By him. who is their chief and head. 
With those who represent the dead 

They drink in reverent style. 
Attendants wait their cups to fill, 
But order rules 'midst their good will. 
Our cups are only drunk to cheer ; 
Our temple services are clear 

From all excesses vile. 

3 When to the mats the guests approach, 

Mild harmony holds rule. 
These dare not upon those encroach, 

And no one plays the fool. 
So long as in due bounds they keep, 

Discreetly they behave ; 
But when those bounds they overleap, 

Then where are they,—so grave ? 
They leave the mats, and prance about ; 

They caper round and round. 
Their caution all is put to rout ; 

Their wits fall to the ground. 
Anon as still more drunk they grow., 

On rudeness they are set. 
The cups their reason overthrow, 

And they themselves forget. 

4 Yes, when the guests have drunk too much, 

They shout aloud and brawl. 
The dishes get no gentle touch ; 

Disorder fills the hall. 
They dance about, now fast, now slow, 

Can hardly keep their feet. 
What fools they are they do not know ; 

No one resumes his seat. 
Each cap, awry, will hardly stay 

Upon the giddy head ; 
But they keep on in madness' way, 

And no exposure dread. 
If, when their wits began to reel, 

They left the room at once, 
Both host and guests would happier feel, 

Nor know the sad mischance. 

267 

 268 

THE BOOK OP POETET. 

[PAKT Π. 

But holding on, themselves they harm. 

The drinking feast is good 
Only when guests their wills can arm 

Against misconduct rude. 

5 Whene'er a drinking feast is set, 

Some sober keep, some drunk will get. 
One is appointed to preside, 
With an assistant by his side, 
Record to make, as they decide, 

Who praise deserve, who blame. 
But sots there are, in vice quite sunk, 
Who, seeing some will not get drunk, 

Say, " We for you feel shame." 
These, if they could get in a word, 
Might counsel to the rest afford. 
To fright them from their wild excess, 
Sternly they might them thus address :·— 
" From such improper speech refrain ; 
Not called to speak, your tongues restrain. 
You're drunk ; if but a word you say, 
We'll send you out this very day, 
To find a thing which nature scorns,— 
A ram full grown, yet wanting horns. 
Drink but three cups, your memory's gone ; 
How can you drinking still go on ? " 

VII. 

The Yu ts'aon ; allusive. PRAISE OF THE KING BY THE PRINCES AT 
SOME FEAST:—HIS QUIET HAPPINÎSS IN HAOU. 

Haou was the capital of king Woo ;—30 le south of the present dis 
trict of Ch'ang-gan, department Se-gan, Shen-se. 

1 Fishes there among the pondweed lie ; 

From the bank their large heads we espy ;— 

Fishes could not happier be. 
Here in Haou resides our lord, the king ; 
To him joy his festive pleasures bring. 
Happy and at ease is he. 

2 Fishes there among the pondweed glide ; 
From the bank their long tails are descried ; — 
Fishes could not happier be. 

BE VIT. vin.] THE BOOK OP FOETBY. 269 

Here in Haou resides the king, our lord ; 
Festive pleasures joy to him afford. 
Happy and at ease is he. 

3 Fishes there among the pondweed live, 
Shelter to them where the rushes give ;— 

Fishes could not happier be. 
Here in Haou the king, our lord, resides ; 
Safe and tranquil ever here he bides. 

Happy and at ease is he. 

VIH. 

The Ts'ae siaiJi ; allusive and narrative. RESPONSIVE TO THE FORMER; 

——CELEBRATING THE APPEARANCE OF THE FEUDAL PRINCEB AT THE 
COURT, THE SPLENDOUR OF THEIR ARRAY, THE PROPRIETY OF THEIR 
DEMEANOUR, AND THE FAVOUR CONFERRED ON THEM BY THE KING. 

1 They pull the beans all o'er the ground, 
To place in baskets square, and round. 
So reap they what the fields produce, 
For present and for future use. 
When now themselves the princes show, 
No stores have I gifts to bestow, 

Befitting their great worth. 
Yet a state-carriage and its team 
Will well a feudal prince beseem ;— 

Let such be all brought forth. 
And from the chambers let them bring 

The robes that princes wear. 
From duke to baron, I, the king, 

On them will these confer. 

2 The water bubbles from the spring, 

And round it grows the cress. 
So when the princes see the king, 

Their coming they express 
In various ways. Now here 1 see 
Their flags, with dragon blazonry, 

All waving in the wind. 
The gentle tinkling of their bells 
Comes to my ear, and surely tells 

 270 

THE BOOK OF POETEY. 

[PART II. 

They in their chariots, grandly drawn 
By the four steeds of mighty brawn, 
Cannot be far behind. 

3 The king soon gets a nearer view. 

The covers red he sees 
Upon their knees, of brilliant hue, 

And buskins 'neath the knees. 
A grave demeanour all display ; 

The Son of Heaven approves. 
What to such princes can he say, 

Whose presence rapture moves ? 
In admiration and delight, 

No grace can he withhold. 
To some he grants new honours bright, 

To some confirms the old. 

4 The oaks their branches wide extend, 

With leaves thick covered o'er, 
Which thus the roots and trunk defend, 

And make them thrive the more. 
So do these princes service do, 
Throughout the land, while they pursue 

The charges to them given. 
The various regions well they guard, 
Nor think they any labour hard, 

To aid the Son of Heaven. 
All blessings on their heads collect. 

And now to court they've brought 
Their ministers who nought neglect, 

Strong both in act and thought. 

5 The boat is by the rope held fast, 

Lest it should float away ; 
So round the princes there is cast 

The king's protective stay. 
He looks on them with joy intense ; 
He scans their merits to dispense 

His favours and rewards. 
He makes their happiness his charge ; 
Their territories to enlarge, 

As duty he regards. 

BE VIL ix.] THE BOOK or POETET. 

To them it is a pleasure rare, 

A happy, joyous time, 
When from their States they here repair, 

To see his court sublime. 

271 

IX. 

The KeeTi iamg ; allusive, narrative, and metaphorical. AGAINST THE 
KING'S COLD TREATMENT OF HIS RELATIVES BY CONSANGUINITY AND 
AFFINITY ; THE EXTENSIVE AND BANEFUL INFLUENCE OF HIS EX 
AMPLE ; THE ENCOURAGEMENT GIVEN BY HIM TO CALUMNIATORS. 

• 

1 Whene'er we strongly bend a bow, 

Both string and ends we near us bring ; 
And when we let the tension go, 

From us with quick recoil they spring. 
So when we show affection deep, 

Our kith and kin to us we draw ; 
But when from them aloof we keep, 

They shrink from us by nature's law. 

2 When you, 0 king, to kin are cold, 

Such coldness rules throughout the land. 
You for their teacher all men hold ; 

To learn your ways needs no command. 

3 Brethren whose virtue stands the test, 

By bad example still unchanged, 
Their generous feelings manifest, 

Nor grow among themselves estranged. 
But if their virtue weakly fails 

The evil influence to withstand, 
Then selfishness o'er love prevails, 

And troubles rise on every hand. 

4 When men in disputations fine 

To hear their consciences refuse, 
Then 'gainst each other they repine, 

And each maintains his special views. 
If one a place of rank obtain, 

And scorn humility to show, 
The others view him with disdain, 

And, wrangling, all to ruin go. 

 ι ι 

272 THE BOOK OF POETRY. [PART II. 

5 A colt the old horse deems himself, 

And vainly hastens to the race ; 
So thinks the mean man, bent on pelf, 

Himself fit for the highest place. 
Stuffed to the full, he still shall feed, 

Nor own that he has had enough. 
He drinks, and with insatiate greed, 

Knows not the time for leaving off. 

6 The monkeys by their nature know 

The way to climb a tree, untaught. 
We need no mud on him to throw, ' 

Whom lying in the mud we've caught. 
The nature of all meaner men 

Leads them to follow and obey. 
Nor right, nor wrong the millions ken, 

But imitate the sovereign's way. 

7 The snow falls fast, and all the ground 

Hides with its masses, white and clear ; 
But when the sunbeams play around, 

It soon will melt and disappear. 
This fact, 0 king, you don't perceive ; 

Those men who calumnies diffuse, 
Not heeding, to themselves you leave, 

And your indulgence they abuse. 

8 Yes, though the snow lie drifted deep, 

Away before the heat 'twill flow. 
I for the king's neglect must weep ;— 
Like Man or Maou those men will grow. 

X. 

I' I 

• The Yuh lew ; metaphorical and allusive. SOME NOBLE TELLS HOW 

IMPOSSIBLE IT WAS TO APPROACH OE DO ANYTHING FOE THE KING, 
AND WABNS THE OTHERS AGAINST DOING SO. 

1 The willow trees luxuriant grow. 
Who is not glad himself to throw 
Beneath their shade to rest ? 

VII. X.] THE BOOK OF POETKY. 

And so to our great sovereign's court 
The feudal lords should oft resort, 

And feel supremely blessed. 
But he whom we all deemed a god 
Is so uncertain in his nod, 

That they his presence shun. 
Near him alone I dare not go. 
Were I at court myself to show, 
And of his troubles take the charge, 
His calls on me would be so large, 

That I should be undone. 

2 Luxuriant grow the willow trees ; 
Beneath their shade one often sees 

Large crowds at ease reclined. 
So should the king his grace extend, 
And to his court the princes bend 

Their steps with willing mind. 
But he, whom as a god we viewed, 
Is so uncertain in his mood, 

That they dare not appear. 
For me I should but court distress, 
If I alone were to address 
Myself to take his cares in hand ; 
He would so much of me demand, 

I'd live in constant fear. 

3 The birds now on the trees alight, 

Then spread their wings in sudden flight, 

And soar aloft to heaven ; 
So does the king his purpose change, 
From one thing to another range, 

As by his fancies driven. 
His heart we cannot fathom well, 
Nor can we any moment tell 

To what he will proceed. 
The task why should I undertake, 
And vainly the endeavour make, 
His grievous troubles to redress ? 
'Twould only cause me sore distress, 

And to my misery lead. 

273 

VOL. 1Π. 

18 

Ί 

 274 

THE BOOK OF POETRY. 

[PAKT II. 

BOOK 

THE DECADE OF TOO JEST SZE. 

I. 

THE Toojinsze; narrative. PKAISE OF ΤΠΕ LADIES AND GENTLE 

MEN OP A FORMEE, TIME FOE, THE SIMPLICITY OF THEIR DRESS, THE 
CORRECTNESS OF THEIR DEPORTMENT, AND THE ELEGANCE OF THEIB 

MANNERS. 

The Preface does not assign any time for the composition of this piece, 
but Choo says it was made '· after the confusion and dispersion." I think 
it should be referred to the period soon after the removal of the capital 
to Loh, when things were all in disorder at the new seat of government. 
It may lie said that the officers and ladies of Haou, in Yew's reign, did 
not deserve to be spoken of as the writer speaks ; but we need not sup 
pose that they are before his eye in anything deeper than their outward 
seeming. If this be not thought to satisfy the demands of the piece, we 
need only assume that the writer goes back to an earlier time than that 
of Yew. Yin and Keili were clan names of great families in the royal 
domain, the ladies of which would be the leaders of fashion in the capital. 

1 In the old capital they stood, 

With yellow fox-furs plain, 
Their manners all correct and good, 

Speech free from vulgar etain. 
Could we go back to Chow's old days, 
All would look up to them with praise. 

2 In the old capital they wore 

T'ae hats and black caps small ; 
And ladies, who famed surnames bore, 

Their own thick hair let fall. 
Such simple ways are seen no more, 
And the changed manners I deplore. 

3 Ear-stoppers, made of sezv-stones fine', 

In the old days were worn. 
Each lady of a noble line 
A Yin or Keih seemed born. 

BE VIII. n.] THE BOOK OF POETRY. 

Such officers and ladies now 

I see not, and my Borrows grow. 

4 With graceful Bweep their girdles fell, 

Then in the days of old. 
The ladies' side-hair, with a swell, 

Like scorpion's tail, rose bold. 
Such, if I saw them in these days, 
I'd follow with admiring gaze. 

5 So hung their girdles, not for show ;— 

To their own length 'twas due. 
'Twas not by art the hair curled so ; — 

By nature so it grew. 
I seek such manners now in vain, 
And pine for them with longing pain. 

275 

II. 

The Ts'ae lull; narrative. A WIFE TELLS HER SORROW AND INCA 
PABILITY OF ATTENDING TO ANYTHING, IN THE PROLONGED ABSENCE 
OF HER HTJBBAND, TO WHOM SHE WAS FONDLY ATTACHED. 

1 So full am I of anxious thought, 

Though all the morn king-grass I've sought, 

To fill my arms I fail. 
Like wisp all-tangled is my hair ! 
To wash it let me home repair. 

My lord soon may I hail ! 

2 Though 'mong the indigo I've wrought 
The morning long, through anxious thought, 

My skirt's filled bat in part. 
Within five days he was to appear. 
The sixth has come, and he's not here. 

Oh \ how this racks my heart ! 

3 When here we dwelt in union sweet. 
If the hunt called his eager feet, 

His bow I cased for him. 
Or if to fish he went away, 
And would be absent all the day, 
His line I put in trim. 
18* 

 276 

THE BOOK OF POETET. 

[PART II. 

4 What in his angling did he catch ? 
Well worth the time it was to watch 

How bream and tench he took. 
Men thronged upon the banks and gazed ; 
At bream and tench they looked amazed, 

The triumphs of his hook. 

III. 

The SJioo meant ; allusive and narrative. CELEBRATING THE SEE- 
VICE OF THE EABL OP ÖHAOÜ IN BUILDING THE CITY OF SEAY, AND 
THE CHEEKFUL ALACRITY OF HIS SOLDIERS UNDER HIS MANAGEMENT. 

This piece and the fifth of Part III., Book iii., should be read together. 
King Seuen (B.c. 82(!—781) established the marquisate of Shin, in the 
present department of Nan-yang, Ho-nan, as a bulwark against the en 
croachments Of the tribes on the west and south, appointing its capital 
at Sëay, in the present Tang Chow of the same department. This piece 
celebrates the expedition to whicli was entrusted the building of the city, 
and the inauguration of tho State. The name of the earl of Shaou, who 
was entrusted with its command, was Hoo, known as duke Muh of Shaou. 

1 As the young millet, by the genial rain 

Enriched, shoots up luxuriant and tall, 
So, when we southward marched with toil and pain, 
The earl of Shaou cheered and inspired us all. 

2 We pushed our barrows, and our burdens bore ; 

We drove our waggons, and our oxen led. 
" The work once done, our labour there is o'er, 
And home we travel," to ourselves we said. 

3 Close kept our footmen round the chariot track ; 

Our eager host in close battalions sped. 
" When once our work is done, then we go back, 
Our labour over," to themselves they said. 

4 Hard was the work we had at Seay to do, 

But Shaou's great earl the city soon upreared. 
The host its service gave with ardour true ;— 
Such power in all the earl's commands appeared ! 

Εκ VIII. iv.] THE BOOK OF POETET. 277 

5 We did on plains and low lands what was meet ; 

We cleared the springs and streams, the land to 

drain. 

The earl of Shaou announced his work complete, 
And the king's heart reposed, at rest again. 

IV. 

The Sili sang ; allusive and narrative. THE WRITER TELLS His AD 
MIRATION AND LOVE FOR SOME MEN OF NOBLE CHARACTER. 

There seems to be nothing in this piece to justify our regarding it as 
satirical ; but the Preface and its supporters manage to find in it Yew's 
keeping good men in obscurity, and the desire of the writer to see them 
in office. Choo is of opinion that both this piece and the preceding are 
out of their proper place, through some mistake, at an early time, in the 
arrangement of the pieces in this Part. 

1 Where lies the ground both wet and low, 
The mulberry trees in beauty grow ;— 
'Tis sweet to see their clust'ring leaves. 
Such pleasure in my bosom heaves, 
When I the princely men descry ;— 
To tell the joy 'twere vain to try. 

2 Where lies the ground both wet and low, 
The mulberry trees in beauty grow ;— 
•"Tis sweet to see their glossy leaves. 
Such pleasure in my bosom heaves, 
When I the princely men behold ;— 
Then does my heart its joy unfold. 

3 Where lies the ground both wet and low, 
The mulberry trees in beauty grow ;— 
'Tis sweet to see their dark green leaves. 
Such pleasure in my bosom heaves, 
When lights upon those men my eye ;— 
At their grand fame my heart throbs high. 

4 I cherish those men in my heart.— 
Might not my words my love impart ? 
No ;—if the words were once but spoken, 
The charm of love might then be broken. 
The men shall dwell within my heart, 
Nor thence with lapse of time depart. 

 278 

THE BOOS OF POETEY. 

[PAKT II. 

The Ρίίι hwa ; metaphorical. THE WIFE or KING YEW COMPLAINS 

ΟΓ BEING DEGRADED AND FORSAKEN. 

There is nothing in the piece itself to suggest this special reference of 
it to the queen of king Yew ; but from the Han dynasty downwards all 
the critics Lave concurred in this view of it. 

1 The fibres of the white-flowered rush 

Are with the white grass bound. 
So do the two together go, 

In closest union found. 
And thus should man and wife abide, 

The twain combined in one ; 
But this bad man sends me away, 

And bids me dwell alone. 

2 Both rush and grass from the bright clouds 

The genial dew partake. 
Kind and impartial, nature's laws 

No odious difference make. 
But providence appears unkind ; 

Events are often hard. 
This man, to principle untrue, 

Denies me his regard. 

3 Northward the pools their waters send, 

To flood each paddy field ; 
So get the fields the sap they need, 

Their store of rice to yield. 
But that great man no deed of grace 

Deigns to bestow on me. 
My songs are sighs. At thought of him 

My heart aches wearily. 

4 The mulberry branches they collect, 

And use their food to cook. 
But I must use a furnace small, 

That pot nor pan will brook. 
So me that great man badly treats, 

Nor uses as his wife, 
Degrades me from my proper place, 

And fills with grief my life. 

BE VIII. vi.] THE BOOK OF POETET. 279 

5 The bells and drums inside the court 

Men stand without and hear ; 
So should the feelings in my breast, 

To him distinct appear. 
All-sorrowful, I think of him, 

Longing to move his love ; 
But he vouchsafes no kind response ; 

His thoughts far from me rove. 

6 The marabow stands on the dam, 

And to repletion feeds ; 
The crane deep in the forest cries, 

Nor finds the food it needs. 
So in my room the concubine 

By the great man is placed ; 
While I with cruel banishment 

Am cast out and disgraced. 

7 The Yellow ducks sit on the dam, 

With left wing gathered low ; 
So on each other do they lean, 

And their attachment show. 
And love should thus the man and wife 

In closest concord bind ; 
But that man turns away from me, 

And shows a fickle mind. 

8 When one stands on a slab of stone, 

No higher than the ground, 
Nothing is added to his height ;— 

Low with the stone he's found. 
So does the favourite's mean estate 

Render that great man mean, 
While I by him, to distance sent, 

Am pierced with sorrow keen. 

VI. 

The Meen man ; allusive. SOME INFERIOR COMPLAINS OF HIS TOIL 

IN AN EXPEDITION, AND OF THE NEGLECT WITH WHICH HE WAS 
TREATED BY HIS SUPERIORS. 

Choo regards the piece as all metaphorical. " The whole case," says a 
critic, " is put into the mouth of an oriole, and the lines flow naturally 

ι 
I I 

 '280 

THE BOOK OF POETKY. 

[PART II. 

and easily ;—metaphorically, without the appearance of metaphor, ex 
pressing the object of the writer. We must not think that in the last 
four lines we have a man longing for some one in whom he could trust 
for help ;—they are the thoughts of the bird to that effect." But if the 
writer chose to put the expression of his sentiments into the mouth of a 
bird, he would have made it talk like a bird ;—as in I. xv. II. Choo'a 
better judgment here deserted him. 

See the use Confucius makes of a couple of the lines in " the Great 
Learning," Commeutary, iii. 2. 

1 Twitters fast the oriole, 

Where yonder bends the mound. 
The happy little creature 

Its resting place has found. 
So have not I. The journey's length 
And weary toil o'ertask my strength. 
Give me to eat ; give me to drink ; 
And teach my mind the way to think. 
Then bid a baggage cart prepare 
Along the route myself to bear. 

2 Twitters fast the oriole, 

Where shows its edge the mound : 
The happy little creature 
Its resting place has found. 

So have not I. I dare not shrink 

From the long way, but trembling think, 

Unable to hold on, I'll sink. 

Give me to drink ; and give me food ; 

And teach my mind the thing that's good. 

Then bid a baggage cart prepare 

Along the route myself to bear. 

3 Twitters fast the oriole, 

Where spreads its side the mound. 
The happy little creature 

Its resting place has found. 
So have not I. I dare not shrink 
From the long way, but trembling think, 
Before we reach the end, I'll sink. 
Give me to drink ; to food invite ; 
And tell my mind the thing that's right. 
Then bid a baggage cart prepare 
Along the route myself to bear. 

VIII. VIII.] THE BOOK OF POETET. 

281 

VIL 

The Hoo yeli ; narrative. WHERE THE PROVISIONS ARE MOST FEU- 
GAL, ALL THE RULES OF POLITE INTERCOURSE MAY YET BE PRESERVED. 

Over the frugal meal described, the parties in the writer's eye would be 
as ceremonious as at a grand feast. First, the host pours out a cup of 
his spirits, and tastes them to be assured they are good. Then he Îlls a 
cup, and presents it to the guests. The guests drink, and have a cup 
filled, which the host drinks. Lastly, the host has the cups of the guests 
filled, and they cause his to be filled, and they all drink to one another. 

1 A few gourd leaves that waved about 

Cut down and boiled;—the feast how spare ! 
But the good host his spirits takes, 

Pours out a cup, and proves them rare. 

2 A single rabbit on the mat, 

Or baked, or roast :—how small the feast ! 
But the good host his spirits takes, 
And fills the cup of every guest. 

3 A single rabbit on the mat, 

Roasted or broiled :—how poor the meal ! 
But the guests from the spirit vase 

Fill their host's cup, and drink his weal. 

4 A single rabbit on the mat, 

Boasted or baked :—no feast we think ! 
But from the spirit vase they take, 

Both host and guests, and joyous drink. 

VIIL 

The Tsëen-isëcn che sìaiìi ; narrative. COMMEMORATING THE HARD 
SHIPS OF A LONG AND DIFFICULT EXPEDITION TO THE EAST, AGGRA 
VATED BY GREAT BADÍS. 

1 How high those frowning rocks arise ! 

With awe they fill the mind. 
Our way through streams, o'er mountains lies ; 

Toilsome the march we find. 
Eastward our expedition goes, 
Nor has our chief one hour's repose 

 282 

THE BOOK OF POETEY. 

[PART II. 

2 Those frowning rocks the heights surmount, 

And fill the mind with dread. 
O'er hills, through streams, our steps we count ;- 

When shall our march be sped ? 
Our warrior hastens on the track, 
Nor thinks he of our drawing back. 

3 Look at the swine, with legs all white, 

Washed by the pools from stain ! 
The moon wades through the Hyads bright, 

Foretelling heavier rain. 
He at whose word we eastward fare 
No leisure has for other care. 

IX. . 

The T'eaou eke hwa ; metaphorical. THE WRITER LAMENTS HIS 

SIISEBY AMIDST AND IN CONSEQUENCE OF THE GENERAL DECAY OF 
THE KINGDOM. 

1 Deep yellow are turned 
The bignonia flowers ; 
And my wounded heart 
Its sorrow outpours. 

2 The flowers are all gone ; 

But green leaves are seen. 
Than this fate have known, 
Better not to have been ! 

3 In fish traps but stars ! 

Ewes thin, with large head ! 
While some may have food, 
Most languish, ill fed. 

X. 

The So ts'aoupuh limang ; allusive and narrative. THE MISERY AND 

MURMURING OF SOLDIERS CONSTANTLY EMPLOYED ON EXPEDITIONARY 
SEEVICES, AND TREATED WITHOUT ANY CONSIDERATION. 

1 Yellow now is all the grass ; 
All the days in marching pass. 
On the move is every man ; 
Hard work, far and near, they plan. 

BK VIII. X.] THE BOOK OF POETET. 

2 Black is every plant become ; 
Every man is torn from home. 
Kept on foot, our state is sad;— 
As if we no feelings had ! 

3 Not rhinoceroses we ! 
Tigers do we care to be ? 
Fields like these so desolate 
Are to us a hateful fate. 

4 Long-tailed foxes pleased may hide 
'Mong the grass, where they abide. 
We, in box-carts slowly borne, 
On the great roads plod and mourn. 

283 

 THE BOOK OF POETEY. 

PART III. 

GEEATEE ODES OF THE KINGDOM. 

BOOK I. Decade of King Wan. 

TITLE OF THE PAKT. Little needs to be added here to what I have 
said on the title of Part IL The term "greater " is given to the pieces 
because of their greater length, and the themes of several of them being 
of a more exalted kind,—the history and virtues of the ancestors of the 
House of Chow, and of the founders of the dynasty. The first eighteen 
pieces are "the correct Ya," and are attributed to the duke of Chow. 

TITLE OF THE BOOK. As in the last Part, the odes should be arranged 
in tens ; and each Decade takes its name from that of the first ode in it. 
In this Book Wan is mainly the subject of the first eight pieces, and 
king Woo is more prominent in the other two. 

I. 

The Wan rcang ; narrative. CELEBRATING KING WAN, DEAD AND 

ALIVE, AS THE FOUNDER OF THE DYNASTY OF CHOW, SHOWING HOW 
HIS VIRTUES DEEW TO HIM THE FAVOURING REGARD OF HEAVEN, 
AXI) MADE HIM A BRIGHT PATTERN TO HIS DESCENDANTS AND THEIR 

MINISTEES. 

It is to'be borne in mind that in this and other pieces Wan is spoken 
of as " king Wan," as having been kinged by the duke of Chow after 
the subjugation of tile Yin or Shang dynasty, when Woo, Wän's son, in 
his old age received the appointment to the throne ;—see " The Doctrine 
of the Mean," XVIII. 3. Wan never assumed the title of king himself. 
The appointment of Heaven lighted on him, but it took effect only when 
his son Fah—king Woo—became the sovereign of China. 

The dynasty which Chow superseded is called indifferently Yin or 
Shang, and sometimes Yin-shang, by a, combination of these names. 
The descendants of its kings, appearing at the court of Chow, assisted at 
the sacrifices of the king in his ancestral temple, and continued to wear 
the insignia of rank belonging to them as of the royal House of Yin. 

Εκ Ι. ι.] 

THE BOOK OF POETEY. 

285 

1 The royal Wan now rests on high, 
Enshrined in brightness of the sky. 
Chow as a state had long been known, 
And Heaven's decree at last was shown. 
Its lords had borne a glorious name ; 
God kinged them when the season came. 
King Wan ruled well when earth he trod ; 
Now moves his spirit near to God. 

2 A strong-willed, earnest king was Wan, 
And still his fame rolls widening on. 
The gifts that God bestowed on Chow 
Belong to Wan's descendants now. 
Heaven blesses still with gifts divine 
The hundred scions of his line ; 
And all the officers of Chow 
From age to age more lustrous grow. 

3 More Instrous still from age to age, 
All reverent plans their zeal engage ; 
And brilliant statesmen owe their birth 
To this much-favoured spot of earth. 
They spring like products of the land,— 
The men by whom the realm doth stand. 
Such aid their numerous bands supply, 
That Wan rests tranquilly on high. 

4 Deep were Wan's thoughts, sustained his ways ; 
His reverence lit its trembling rays. 
Resistless came great Heaven's decree; 
The sons of Shang must bend the knee ;— 
The sons of Shang, each one a king, 
In numbers beyond numbering. 
Yet as God spoke, so must it be :— 
The sons of Shang all bent the knee. 

5 Now each to Chow his homage pays,— 
So dark and changing are Heaven's ways. 
When we pour our libations here, 
The offieers of Sbang appear, 
Quick and alert to give their aid;— 
Such is the service by them paid, 

 286 

THE BOOK OP POETET. 

[PAET III. 

While still, they do not cast aside 
The cap and broidered axe,—their pride. 
Ye servants of our line of kings, 
Hemember him from whom it springs. 

6 Remember him from whom it springs ;— 
Let this give to your virtue wings. 
Seek harmony with Heaven's great mind ;- 
So shall you surest blessing find. 
Ere Shang had lost the nation's heart, 
Its monarchs all with God had part 
In sacrifice. From them you see 
•"Tis hard to keep high Heaven's decree. 

7 'Tis hard to keep high Heaven's decree ! 
O sin not, or you cease to be. 
To add true lustre to your name, 
See Shang expire in Heaven's dread flame. 
For Heaven's hjgh dealings are profound, 
And far transcend all sense and sound. 
From Wan your pattern you must draw, 
And all the States will own your law. 

II. 

The Ta ming ; narrative. How THE APPOINTMENT OP HEAVEN 

BESTED ON KING WAN, AND DESCENDED TO HIS SON, KINO WOO, WHO 
OVERTHREW THE DYNASTY OF YlN OK SHANG ;——CELEBRATING ALSO 
THE MOTHER AND THE WIPE OP WAN. 

Of Wän's father I shall speak particularly On ode VII. He married, 
as st. 2 here tells us, a Jiu, the second daughter of the prince of Che, a 
principality somewhere in the royal domain of Tin. Chinese writers 
celebrate her—T'ae-jin—in the highest tenns, saying that her instruction 
of Wan commenced white he was yet in her womb. " Her eyes looked 
on no improper sijrht ; her ears listened to no licentious sound ; and her 
lips uttered no word of pride." 

Wän's own wife was the famous T'ae-sze, of the State of Sin, north 
of the river Hëah. in the present district of Hoh-yang, in T'ung Chow, 
Shen-se. The principal city must have been near the Wei. 

The wild or plain of Muh, where the deciding battle between Chow 
and Shang was fought, was iu the present Ho-nau, not far from the capi 
tal of Shaug. Of Shang-foo, who appears to have been \Ybo's principal 
officer and supporter on the occasion, I have spoken in the introductory 
note to the Odes of Ts'e, Part I. 

Βκ Ι. n.] 

THE BOOK OF POETET. 

287 

1 Majestic Heaven from kings below, 
That they illustrious virtue show, 

With strictest law requires. 
They must not on its grace rely, 
Nor think that they can change defy. 
The House of Yin long ruled the land, 
Called to the throne by Heaven's command. 
But its last monarch, from it driven, 
Lost by supreme decree of Heaven 

The kingdom of his sires. 

2 What time in Chow ruled our king Ke, 
Among the princesses of Che, 

In the domain of Yin, 
The second daughter of her name 
Had through the land a noble fame. 
Her from her parents Ke had sought, 
And to his capital he brought, 

And wedded her, T'ae-jin. 
They both could perfect virtue claim, 

No duty left undone. 
A mother soon the wife became ; 

The child was our king Wan. 

3 This our king Wan in all his way 
Did watchful reverence display, 
With clearest wisdom serving God, 
Who, pleased to see the course he trod, 

Him with great favour crowned. 
His virtue no deflection knew, 
But always to the right was true. 
The States beheld, and all approved ; 
With loyal ardour stirred and moved, 

Wan as their Head they owned. 

4 Throughout the land Heaven sent its glance ; 
Whom should it to the throne advance ? 

To Wan came the decree. 
While he was still in early years, 
By Heaven's arranging there appears 

She who his bride should be. 

 288 

THE BOOK OF POETET. 

[PAKT ΙΠ. 

Εκ Ι. πι.] 

THE BOOK OF POETET. 

289 

I» 

North of the Heah, on Wei, she shone, 

The child of a great House. 
Then Wan, to years of manhood grown, 

Tendered to her his vows. 

5 Like a fair denizen of Heaven 

Was she to whom those vows were given. 
The gifts he sent were deemed complete, 
And to the Wei, his bride to meet, 

Our Wan in person went. 
A bridge of boats across the stream 
He made, as did her state beseem. 
She crossed ; to Chow they held their way. 
Great was the glory of the day, 

And^lorious the event ! 

6 Heaven thus its grand appointment made, 
And Wan to all the land displayed, 

While still he ruled in Fung. 
Sin's eldest daughter was the wife, 
Whom HeavOn prepared to bless his life, 
And take his virtuous mother's place. 
And Heaven soon gave them further grace ; 

'Twas from them king Woo sprung. 
Heaven kept and helped the child, until 

Its summons to him came. 
Then Woo marched forth to do its will, 

Smote Yin, and won his fame. 

7 Countless as forest leaves, Yin's hosts, 
Collected from its utmost coasts, 
Were marshalled in Muh's famous plain, 
To meet king Woo ;—but all in vain. 

Chow to the crisis rose. 
Woo viewed their multitudes with fear, 
But Shang-foo's words soon gave him cheer : 
" With you is God ; your doubts dispel. 
With Him as helper, we shall quell 

The pride of all our foes." 

8 Vast was the plain. Each sandal car, 
That brightly shone amidst the war, 
Dashed rapidly along. 

Each team of steeds, black-maned and bay, 
Against all obstacles made way. 
Like mighty eagle on the wing, 
Shang-foo was ever near the king, 

Whose heart was thus made strong. 
At the first charge Yin's troops gave way, 

And took to shameful flight. 
That morn a long and brilliant day 

Displaced the previous night. ^ 

in. 

The Meen ; metaphorical and narrative. THE SMALL BEGINNINGS 

AND SUBSEQUENT GROWTH OF THE HOUSE OP CHOW. ITS REMOVAL 
FEOM PIN UNDER T'AN-POO, AND SETTLEMENT IN CHOW, DOWN TO 
THE TIME OP KINtì WAN. 

The gradual rise of the House of Chow has been adverted to in the notes 
on the title of Part I. T'an-foo, it is there stated, removed with his tribe 
from Pin to the plain of Chow in B.C. 1325 ; and we have here an eloquent 
account of his labours in founding the new settlement. . Duke Lew, 
to whom is ascribed the previous settlement of the tribe in Pin, in B.C. 
1796, is celebrated in the second Book of this Part ; but what we read 
of T'an-foo, in the first stanza of this piece, is not reconcileable with the 
accounts of his distant predecessor, nor with the sketch of life in Pin in 
I. xv. I. 

Of the circumstances in which T'an-foo moved from Pin, see a graphic 
account in Mencius, I. ii. XV. His wife was a Këang. She is called 
T'ae-këang, and also Chow këang. Mount K'e, called also " Pillar of the 
Sky," is 10 le north-east from the district city of K'e-shan. department 
Fung-ts'ëang. 

Stanzas 5 to 7 describe the processes and progress in erecting the 
buildings of the new settlement,—under the direction of a Superintendent 
of Works, and a Minister of Instruction. Out of these two appointments, 
no doubt, grew the ministers whose functions are described in the Book of 
History and the Ritual of Chow. It is interesting to observe that the 
first public building taken in hand was the ancestral temple. The chief 
•would make a home for the Spirits of his fathers before he made a palace 
for himself. 

Stanza 8 brings us to king Wan. The story of the chiefs of Joo and 
Juy, two States on the east of the Ho, is this :—They had a quarrel about 
some territory to which each of them laid claim. They went to lay the 
matter before the lord of Chow ; and as soon as they entered his State, 
they saw the ploughers readily yielding the furrow, and travellers yielding 
the path, to one another, while men and women avoided one another on 
the road, and none of the old people had burdens to carry. When they 
got to his court, they bebeld the officers of each inferior grade giving place 
to those above them. All this made them ashamed of their own quarrel. 
VOL. III. 19 

 290 

THE BOOK OF POETET. 

[PAET III. 

They agreed to let the disputed ground be an open territory, and they 
withdrew, without presuming to appear before Wan. When this affair 
was noised abroad, it is said that more than forty States tendered their 
submission to Chow. 

1 As grow the gourds, with ever1 length'ning stem, 
From elder sires sprang ours, as we from them. 
Wlien first by Ts'eu and Ts'eih our people grew, 
And o'er them ruled the ancient duke T'an-foo, 
There kiln-like huts and caves for them he made, 
Ere any house its walls and roof displayed. 

2 The ancient duke T'an-foo came with the morn, 
In car along the western rivers borne, 
Nor stayed his steeds, until he reached mount Kfe. 
The lady Keang came in his company. 
With eager eyes they travelled o'er the ground, 
To find a site on which a town to found. 

3 The plain of Chow, with violets o'erspread 
And sonchus plants found s\veet on such a bed, 
Lay wide and rich. He asked his men their mind, 
And by the scorched tortoise-shell divined. 
Both answer gave :—" Now is the time and here ! " 
His followers straight their homes began to rear. 

4 He cheered them on, and placed them on the land, 
On left and right their different sites he planned. 
Divisions, large and small, soon marked the plain, 
And channels, or to irrigate or drain. 
From east to west the acres he defined ; 
Nought that was needed 'scaped his active mind. 

5 He named two officers who should preside 
O'er all these labours, and the people guide. 
These to direct the building work he calls ; 
True to the plummet rise the many walls. 
They bind the frame-boards, till they stand aright, 
And rear th' ancestral temple in its might.