|
The red bows unbent, |
|
Were received and deposited. |
|
I have here an admirable quest, |
|
And with all my heart I bestow one on him. |
|
The bells and drums have been arranged in order, |
|
And all morning will I feast him. |
|
The red bows unbent, |
|
Were received and fitted on their frames. |
|
I have here an admirable quest, |
|
And with all my heart I rejoice in him. |
|
The bells and drums have been arranged in order, |
|
And all morning will I honour him. |
|
The red bows unbent, |
|
Were received and placed in their cases. |
|
I have here an admirable quest, |
|
And with all my heart I love him. |
|
The bells and drums have been arranged in order, |
|
And all morning will I pledge him. |
|
Luxuriantly grows the aster-southernwood, |
|
In the midst of that large mound. |
|
Since we see our noble lord, |
|
We rejoice, and he shows us all courtesy. |
|
Luxuriantly grows the aster-southernwood, |
|
In the midst of that islet. |
|
Since we see our noble lord, |
|
Our hearts are full of joy. |
|
Luxuriantly grows the aster-southernwood, |
|
In the midst of that great height. |
|
We see our noble lord, |
|
And he gives us a hundred sets of cowries. |
|
It floats about, -- the willow boat, |
|
Now sinking, now rising again. |
|
Since we see our noble lord, |
|
Our hearts are at rest. |
|
In the sixth month all was bustle and excitement. |
|
The war carriages had been made ready, |
|
With the four steeds [of each], strong and eager; |
|
And the regular accountrements had been placed in the carriages. |
|
The Xian-yun were in blazing force, |
|
And thence was the urgency. |
|
The king had ordered ther expedition, |
|
To deliver the royal kingdom. |
|
Matched in strength were the four black steeds, |
|
Well trained to observe every rule. |
|
On this sixth month, |
|
We completed our accountrements. |
|
Our accountrements were completed, |
|
And we marched thirty Li [every day]. |
|
The king had ordered ther expedition, |
|
To help the son of Heaven. |
|
The four steeds were long, and stout, |
|
And large-headed. |
|
We smote the Xian-yun, |
|
And achieved great merit. |
|
Severely strict and careful [was our leader], |
|
Discharging his military service, -- |
|
Discharging his military service, |
|
And settling thereby the royal kingdom. |
|
Badly reckoned the Xian-yun, |
|
When they confidently occupied Jiao and Huo, |
|
And overran Hao and Fang, |
|
As far as to the north of the Jing. |
|
On our flags was their blazonry of birds, |
|
While their white streamers fluttered brightly. |
|
Ten large war chariots, |
|
Led the way in front. |
|
The war carriages were well made. |
|
Nicely balanced, before and behind. |
|
Their four steeds were strong, |
|
Both strong and well trained. |
|
We smote the Xian-yun, |
|
As far as Tai-yuan. |
|
For peace or for war fit is Ji-fu, |
|
A pattern to all the States. |
|
Ji-fu feasts and is glad; |
|
Great happiness is his. |
|
In returning from Hao, |
|
Distant and long had been our march. |
|
He entertains and feasts his friends, |
|
With roast turtle and minced carp. |
|
And who are there? |
|
There is Zhang Zhong, the filial and brotherly. |
|
They were gathering the white millet, |
|
In those new fields, |
|
And in these acres brought only one year under cultivation, |
|
When Fang Shu came to take the command. |
|
His chariots were three thousand, |
|
With a host of well-disciplined warriors. |
|
Fang Shu led them on, |
|
In his carriage drawn by four piebalds, |
|
Four piebalds orderly moving. |
|
Red shone his grand carriage, |
|
With its chequered bamboo screen, and seal-skin quivers, |
|
With the hooks for the trappings of the breast-bands, and the rein-ends. |
|
They were gathering the white millet, |
|
In those new fields, |
|
And all about these villages, |
|
When Fang Shu came to take the command. |
|
His chariots were three thousand; |
|
His banners, with their blazonry of dragons, and of serpents and tortoises, fluttered gaily. |
|
Fang Shu led them on, |
|
The naves of his wheels bound with leather, and his yoke ornamented. |
|
Tinkle-tinkle went the eight bells at the horses' bits. |
|
He wore the robes conferred [by the king]; |
|
His red knee-covers were resplendent, |
|
And the gems of his girdle-pendant sounding. |
|
Rapid is the flight of the hawk, |
|
Soaring to the heavens, |
|
And again descending and settling in its place. |
|
Fang Shu came to take the command. |
|
His chariots were three thousand, |
|
With a host of well disciplined warriors. |
|
Fang Shu led them on. |
|
With his jinglers and drummers, |
|
He marshalled his hosts and addressed them. |
|
Intelligent and true is Fang Shu, |
|
Deep rolled the sound of his drums; |
|
With a lighter sound he led the troops back. |
|
Foolish were the savage tribes of King, |
|
Presuming to oppose our great region. |
|
Fang Shu is of great age, |
|
But full of vigour were his plans. |
|
He led his army on, |
|
Seized [the chiefs] for the question, and made captives of a crowd [besides]. |
|
Numerous were his war chariots, |
|
Numerous and in grand array, |
|
Like the clap or the roll of thunder their onset. |
|
Intelligent and true is Fang Shu. |
|
He had gone and smitten the Xian-yun, |
|
And the tribes of King came, awed by his majesty. |
|
Our chariots were strong, |
|
Our horses were well matched, |
|
And with four steeds [for each], sleek and large, |
|
We yoked and proceeded to the east. |
|
Our hunting carriages were good, |
|
And their four steeds in fine condition. |
|
Eastwards were the grassy plains of Fu; -- |
|
We yoked and went there to hunt. |
|
Of the officers in charge of the hunt, |
|
The voices resounded as they told off the men. |
|
They set up the banners, with ox-tails displayed, |
|
And we proceeded to pursue the chase in Ao. |
|
With their four-horsed chariots [they came], |
|
Forming a long train, |
|
In their red knee-covers and gold-adorned slippers, |
|
Like the crowd of an occasional or a general audience. |
|
The bowstring thimbles and armlets were fitted on; |
|
The bows and arrows were adjusted to one another; |
|
The archers acted in unison, |
|
Helping us to rear a pile of game. |
|
Of the four yellow horses of each chariot, |
|
The two outsiders inclined not to either side. |
|
No error in driving was committed, |
|
And the arrows went forth like downright blows. |
|
As if at their ease, the horses neighed, |
|
Long and slow moved the line of pennons and banners; |
|
The footmen and charioteers created no alarms; |
|
The great kitchen did not claim its full complement. |
|
So did the officers conduct this expedition, |
|
Without any clamour in the noise of it. |
|
Truly a princely man is [the king]; |
|
Great indeed are his achievements! |
|
A lucky day was wu, |
|
And we sacrificed on it to the Ruler [of horses], and prayed. |
|
Our hunting carriages were good; |
|
The team for each was in fine condition. |
|
We would ascend the greatest heights, |
|
And pursue the herds [of the game]. |
|
A lucky day was geng-wu. |
|
We had selected our horses; |
|
The haunts of the animals, |
|
Where the does and stags lay numerous, |
|
The grounds by the Qi and the Ju, -- |
|
That was the place for the son of Heaven [to hunt]. |
|
We looked to the midst of the plain, |
|
Where the animals were large and abundant, |
|
Now rushing about, now waiting together, |
|
Here in threes, there in twos. |
|
We led on all our attendants, |
|
To give pleasure to the son of Heaven. |
|
We have bent our bows; |
|
We have our arrows on the string. |
|
Here is a small boar transifixed; |
|
There is a large rhinoceros killed. |
|
The spoil will be presented to the visitors and guests, |
|
Along with the cup of sweet wine. |
|
The wild geese are flying about; |
|
Su-su goes the rustle of their wings. |
|
[There were] those officers engaged on the commission. |
|
Pained were we and toiled in the open fields; |
|
All were objects of pity, |
|
But alas for those wifeless and widows! |
|
The wild geese are flying about; |
|
And they settle in the midst of the marsh. |
|
[There were] those officers directing the rearing of the walls; -- |
|
Five thousand cubits of them arose at once. |
|
Though there was pain and toil, |
|
In the end we had rest in our dwellings. |
|
The wild geese are flying about, |
|
And melancholy is their cry of ao-ao. |
|
There were they, wise men, |
|
Who recognized our pain and toil; |
|
If they had been stupid men, |
|
They would have said we were proclaiming our insolence. |
|
In large volume, those flowing waters, |
|
Go to the court of the sea. |
|
Rapid is that flying falcon, |
|
Now soaring, now resting. |
|
Alas! among my brethren, |
|
My countrymen, my friends, |
|
No one is willing to think of the prevailing disorder; |
|
[But] who has not parents [to suffer from it]? |
|
In large volume, those flowing waters, |
|
Roll on their swollen flood. |
|
Rapid is that flying falcon, |
|
Now soaring, now rising higher. |
|
When I think of those lawless men, |
|
Now I rise up, now I walk about. |
|
The sorrow of my heart, |
|
Cannot be repressed nor forgotten. |
|
Rapid is that flying falcon, |
|
Yet he keeps along the middle of the height. |
|
The talk of the people, -- |
|
Is there no means of stopping it? |
|
If my friends would reverently [watch over themselves], |
|
Would slanderous speeches be made? |
|
The crane cries in the ninth pool of the marsh, |
|
And her voice is heard in the [distant] wilds. |
|
The fish lies in the deep, |
|
And now is by the islet. |
|
Pleasant is that garden, |
|
In which are the sandal trees; |
|
But beneath them are only withered leaves. |
|
The stones of those hills, |
|
May be made into grind-stones. |
|
The crane cries in the ninth pool of the marsh, |
|
And her voice is heard in the sky. |
|
The fish is by the islet, |
|
And now it lies hid in the deep. |
|
Pleasant is that garden, |
|
In which are the sandal trees; |
|
But beneath them is the paper-mulberry tree, |
|
The stones of those hills, |
|
May be used to polish gems. |