商shāng颂sòng

30-1

猗yī与yǔ那nà与yǔ，置zhì我wǒ鞉táo鼓gǔ。奏zòu鼓gú简jián简jiǎn，衎kàn我wǒ烈liè祖zǔ。汤tāng孙sūn奏zòu假jiǎ，绥suī我wǒ思sī成chéng。鞉táo鼓gǔ渊yuān渊yuān，嘒huì嘒huì管guǎn声shēng，既jì和hé且qiě平píng，依yī我wǒ磬qìng声shēng。于yú赫hè汤tāng孙sūn，穆mù穆mù厥jué声shēng，庸yōng鼓gú有yǒu斁yì，万wàn舞wú有yǒu奕yì。我wó有yǒu嘉jiā客kè，亦yì不bù夷yí怿yì。自zì古gǔ在zài昔xī，先xiān民mín有yǒu作zuò。温wēn恭gōng朝zhāo夕xī，执zhí事shì有yǒu恪kè。顾gù予yǔ烝zhēng尝cháng，汤tāng孙sūn之zhī将jiāng。

How admirable! how complete! Here are set our hand-drums and drums. The drums resound harmonious and loud, To delight our meritorious ancestor. The descendant of Thang invites him with this music, That he may soothe us with the realization of our thoughts. Deep is the sound of our hand-drums and drums; Shrilly sound the flutes; All harmonious and blending together, According to the notes of the sonorous gem. Oh! majestic is the descendant of Thang; Very admirable is his music. The large bells and drums fill the ear; The various dances are grandly performed. We have the admirable visitors, Who are pleased and delighted. From of old, before our time, The former men set us the example;— How to be mild and humble from morning to night, And to be reverent in discharging the service. May he regard our sacrifices of winter and autumn, (Thus) offered by the descendant of Thang!

Legge · 1879 · public domain

30-2

猗yī嗟jiē嗟jiē烈liè祖zǔ，有yǒu秩zhì斯sī祜hù。申shēn锡xī无wú疆jiāng，及jí尔ěr斯sī所suǒ。既jì载zài清qīng酤gū，赉lài我wǒ思sī成chéng。亦yì有yǒu和hé羹gēng，既jì戒jiè既jì平píng。鬷zōng假jiǎ无wú言yán，时shí靡mí有yǒu争zhēng。绥suī我wǒ眉méi寿shòu，黄huáng耇gǒu无wú疆jiāng。约yuē𬨂qí错cuò衡héng，八bā鸾luán鸧cāng鸧cāng。以yí假jiá以yí享xiǎng，我wǒ受shòu命mìng溥pǔ将jiāng。自zì天tiān降jiàng康kāng，丰fēng年nián穰ráng穰ráng。来lái假jiǎ来lái飨xiǎng，降jiàng福fú无wú疆jiāng。顾gù予yǔ烝zhēng尝cháng，汤tāng孙sūn之zhī将jiāng。

Ah! ah! our meritorious ancestor! Permanent are the blessings coming from him, Repeatedly conferred without end;— They have come to you in this place. The clear spirits are in our vessels, And there is granted to us the realization of our thoughts. There are also the well-tempered soups, Prepared beforehand, with the ingredients rightly proportioned. By these offerings we invite his presence, without a word, Without (unseemly) contention (among the worshippers). He will bless us with the eyebrows of longevity, With the grey hair and wrinkled face in unlimited degree. With the naves of their wheels bound with leather, and their ornamented yokes, With the eight bells at their horses' bits all tinkling, (The princes) come to assist at the offerings. We have received the appointment in all its greatness, And from Heaven is our prosperity sent down, Fruitful years of great abundance. (Our ancestor) will come and enjoy (our offerings), And confer on us happiness without limit. May he regard our sacrifices of winter and autumn, (Thus) offered by the descendant of Thang!

Legge · 1879 · public domain

30-3

天tiān命mìng玄xuán鸟niǎo，降jiàng而ér生shēng商shāng，宅zhái殷yīn土tǔ芒máng芒máng。古gǔ帝dì命mìng武wǔ汤tāng，正zhèng域yù彼bǐ四sì方fāng。方fāng命mìng厥jué后hòu，奄yán有yóu九jiú有yǒu。商shāng之zhī先xiān后hòu，受shòu命mìng不bú殆dài，在zài武wǔ丁dīng孙sūn子zi。武wǔ丁dīng孙sūn子zi，武wǔ王wáng靡mí不bú胜shèng。龙lóng旗qí十shí乘chéng，大dà糦xī是shì承chéng。邦bāng畿jī千qiān里lǐ，维wéi民mín所suó止zhǐ，肇zhào域yù彼bǐ四sì海hǎi。四sì海hǎi来lái假jiǎ，来lái假jiǎ祁qí祁qí。景jǐng员yuán维wéi河hé，殷yīn受shòu命mìng咸xián宜yí，百bǎi禄lù是shì何hé。

Heaven commissioned the swallow, To descend and give birth to (the father of our) Shang. (His descendants) dwelt in the land of Yin, and became great. (Then) long ago God appointed the martial Thang, To regulate the boundaries throughout the four quarters (of the kingdom). (In those) quarters he appointed the princes, And grandly possessed the nine regions. The first sovereign of Shang Received the appointment without any element of instability in it, And it is (now) held by the descendant of Wû-ting. The descendant of Wû-ting Is a martial sovereign, equal to every emergency. Ten princes, (who came) with their dragon-emblazoned banners, Bear the large dishes of millet. The royal domain of a thousand lî Is where the people rest; But the boundaries that reach to the four seas commence there. From the four seas they come (to our sacrifices); They come in multitudes. King has the Ho for its outer border. That Yin should have received the appointment (of Heaven) was entirely right;— (Its sovereign) sustains all its dignities.

Legge · 1879 · public domain

30-4

濬jùn哲zhé维wéi商shāng，长zhǎng发fā其qí祥xiáng，洪hóng水shuǐ芒máng芒máng，禹yǔ敷fū下xià土tǔ方fāng。外wài大dà国guó是shì疆jiāng，幅fú陨yǔn既jì长zhǎng。有yǒu娀sōng方fāng将jiāng，帝dì立lì子zi生shēng商shāng。玄xuán王wáng桓huán拨bō，受shòu小xiǎo国guó是shì达dá，受shòu大dà国guó是shì达dá。率lǜ履lǚ不bú越yuè，遂suì视shì既jì发fā。相xiāng土tǔ烈liè烈liè，海hǎi外wài有yǒu截jié。帝dì命mìng不bù违wéi，至zhì于yú汤tāng齐qí。汤tāng降jiàng不bù遟chí，圣shèng敬jìng日rì跻jī。昭zhāo假jiǎ遟chí遟chí，上shàng帝dì是shì祗zhī，帝dì命mìng式shì于yú九jiǔ围wéi。受shòu小xiǎo球qiú大dà球qiú，为wèi下xià国guó缀zhuì旒liú，何hé天tiān之zhī休xiū？不bú竞jìng不bù絿qiú，不bù刚gāng不bù柔róu，敷fū政zhèng优yōu优yōu，百bǎi禄lù是shì遒qiú。受shòu小xiǎo共gòng大dà共gòng，为wèi下xià国guó骏jùn厖páng，何hé天tiān之zhī龙lóng？敷fū奏zòu其qí勇yǒng，不bú震zhèn不bú动dòng，不bù戁nǎn不bù竦sǒng，百bǎi禄lù是shì总zǒng。武wǔ王wáng载zài旆pèi，有yǒu虔qián秉bǐng钺yuè。如rú火huǒ烈liè烈liè，则zé莫mò我wó敢gǎn曷hé。苞bāo有yǒu三sān蘖niè，莫mò遂suì莫mò达dá，九jiú有yóu有yǒu截jié。韦wéi顾gù既jì伐fá，昆kūn吾wú夏xià桀jié。昔xī在zài中zhōng叶yè，有yǒu震zhèn且qiě业yè。允yún也yě天tiān子zi，降jiàng予yǔ卿qīng士shì。实shí维wéi阿ā衡héng，实shí左zuǒ右yòu商shāng王wáng。

Profoundly wise were (the lords of) Shang, And long had there appeared the omens (of their dignity). When the waters of the deluge spread vast abroad, Yü arranged and divided the regions of the land, And assigned to the exterior great states their boundaries, With their borders extending all over (the kingdom). (Even) then the chief of Sung was beginning to be great, And God raised up the son (of his daughter), and founded (the line of) Shang. The dark king exercised an effective sway. Charged with a small state, he commanded success; Charged with a large state, he commanded success. He followed his rules of conduct without error; Wherever he inspected (the people), they responded (to his instructions). (Then came) Hsiang-thû all ardent, And all within the four seas, beyond (the middle regions), acknowledged his restraints. The favour of God did not leave (Shang), And in Thang was found the fit object for its display. Thang was not born too late, And his wisdom and reverence daily advanced:— Brilliant was the influence of his character (on Heaven) for long. God he revered, And God appointed him to be the model for the nine regions. He received the rank-tokens of the states, small and large, Which depended on him like the pendants of a banner:— So did he receive the blessing of Heaven. He was neither violent nor remiss, Neither hard nor soft. Gently he spread his instructions abroad, And all dignities and riches were concentrated in him. He received the tribute of the states, small and large, And he supported them as a strong steed (does its burden):— So did he receive the favour of Heaven. He displayed everywhere his valour, Unshaken, unmoved, Unterrified, unscared:— All dignities were united in him. The martial king displayed his banner, And with reverence grasped his axe. It was like (the case of) a blazing fire which no one can repress. The root, with its three shoots, Could make no progress, no growth. The nine regions were effectually secured by Thang. Having smitten (the princes of) Wei and Kû, He dealt with (him of) Kün-wû and with Kieh of Hsiâ. Formerly, in the middle of the period (before Thang), There was a time of shaking and peril. But truly did Heaven (then) deal with him as a son, And sent him down a high minister, Namely, Â-hăng, Who gave his assistance to the king of Shang.

Legge · 1879 · public domain

30-5

挞tà彼bǐ殷yīn武wǔ，奋fèn伐fá荆jīng楚chǔ，冞mí入rù其qí阻zǔ，裒póu荆jīng之zhī旅lǚ。有yǒu截jié其qí所suǒ，汤tāng孙sūn之zhī绪xù。维wéi女nǚ荆jīng楚chǔ，居jū国guó南nán乡xiāng，昔xī有yǒu成chéng汤tāng，自zì彼bǐ氐dī羌qiāng。莫mò敢gǎn不bù来lái享xiǎng，莫mò敢gǎn不bù来lái王wáng，曰yuē商shāng是shì常cháng。天tiān命mìng多duō辟pì，设shè都dōu于yú禹yǔ之zhī绩jī。岁suì事shì来lái辟pì，勿wù予yǔ祸huò适shì，稼jià穑sè匪féi解jiě。天tiān命mìng降jiàng监jiān，下xià民mín有yǒu严yán，不bú僭jiàn不bú滥làn，不bù敢gǎn怠dài遑huáng。命mìng于yú下xià国guó，封fēng建jiàn厥jué福fú。商shāng邑yì翼yì翼yì，四sì方fāng之zhī极jí，赫hè赫hè厥jué声shēng，濯zhuó濯zhuó厥jué灵líng。寿shòu考káo且qiě宁níng，以yí保báo我wǒ后hòu生shēng。陟zhì彼bí景jǐng山shān，松sōng柏bǎi丸wán丸wán，是shì断duàn是shì迁qiān，方fāng斵zhuó是shì虔qián。松sōng桷jué有yǒu梴chān，旅lǚ楹yíng有yǒu闲xián，寝qǐn成chéng孔kǒng安ān。

Rapid was the warlike energy of (our king of) Yin, And vigorously did he attack King-Khû. Boldly he entered its dangerous passes, And brought the multitudes of King together, Till the country was reduced under complete restraint:— Such was the fitting achievement of the descendant of Thang! 'Ye people,' (he said), 'of King-Khû, Dwell in the southern part of my kingdom. Formerly, in the time of Thang the Successful, Even from the Kiang of Tî, They dared not but come with their offerings; (Their chiefs) dared not but come to seek acknowledgment:— Such is the regular rule of Shang.' Heaven had given their appointments (to the princes), But where their capitals had been assigned within the sphere of the labours of Yü, For the business of every year they appeared before our king, (Saying), 'Do not punish nor reprove us; We have not been remiss in our husbandry.' When Heaven by its will is inspecting (the kingdom), The lower people are to be feared. (Our king) showed no partiality (in rewarding), no excess (in punishing); He dared not to allow himself in indolence:— So was his appointment (established) over the states, And he made his happiness grandly secure. The capital of Shang was full of order, The model for all parts of the kingdom. Glorious was (the king's) fame; Brilliant his energy. Long lived he and enjoyed tranquillity, And so he preserves us, his descendants. We ascended the hill of King, Where the pines and cypresses grew symmetrical. We cut them down and conveyed them here; We reverently hewed them square. Long are the projecting beams of pine; Large are the many pillars. The temple was completed,—the tranquil abode (of the martial king of Yin).

Legge · 1879 · public domain