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Fat and large are the stallions, |
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On the plains of the far-distant borders. |
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Of those stallions, fat and large, |
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Some are black and white-breeched; some light yellow; |
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Some, pure black; some, bay; |
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[All], splendid carriage horses. |
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His thoughts are without limit; -- |
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He thinks of his horses, and they are thus good. |
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Fat and large are the stallions, |
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On the plains of the far-distant borders. |
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Of those stallions, fat and large, |
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Some are piebald, green and white; others, yellow and white; |
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Some, yellowish red; some, dapple grey; |
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[All], strong carriage horses. |
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His thoughts are without end; -- |
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He thinks of his horses, and they are thus strong. |
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Fat and large are the stallions, |
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On the plains of the far-distant borders. |
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Of those stallions, fat and large, |
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Some are flecked as with scales; some, white and black-maned; |
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Some, red and black-maned; some, black and white-maned; |
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[All], docile in the carriage, |
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His thoughts never weary; -- |
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He thinks of his horses, and such they become. |
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Fat and large are the stallions, |
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On the plains of the far-distant borders. |
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Of those stallions, fat and large, |
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Some are cream-coloured; some, red and white; |
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Some, with white hairy legs; some, with fishes' eyes; |
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[All], stout carriage horses. |
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His thoughts are without depravity; --; |
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He thinks of his horses, and thus serviceable are they. |
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Fat and strong, fat and strong, |
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Fat and strong, are the chestnut teams. |
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Early and late are the [officers] in the court, |
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In the court, discriminating and intelligent. |
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[They are as] a flock of egrets on the wing, |
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Of egrets anon lighting on the ground. |
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The drums emit their deep sound; |
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They drink to the full and then dance; -- |
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Thus rejoicing together. |
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Fat and strong, fat and strong, |
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Fat and strong are the teams of stallions. |
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Early and late are the [officers] with the prince, |
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With the prince drinking. |
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[They are as] a flock of egrets on the wing, |
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Of egrets flying about. |
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The drums emit their deep sound; |
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They drink to the full and then return home; -- |
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Thus rejoicing together. |
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Fat and strong, fat and strong, |
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Fat and strong are the teams of iron-greys. |
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Early and late are the [officers] with the prince, |
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With the prince feasting. |
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'From this time forth, |
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May the years be abundant. |
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May our prince maintain his goodness, |
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And transmit it to his descendants! ' -- |
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Thus they rejoice together. |
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Pleasant is the semi-circular water, |
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And we will gather the cress about it. |
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The marquis of Lu is coming to it, |
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And we see his dragon-figured banner. |
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His banner waves in the wind, |
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And the bells of his horses tinkle harmoniously. |
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Small and great, |
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All follow the prince in his progress to it. |
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Pleasant is the semi-circular water, |
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And we will gather the pondweed in it. |
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The marquis of Lu has come to it, |
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With his horses looking so grand. |
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His horses are grand. |
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His fame is brilliant. |
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Blandly he looks and smiles; |
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Without any impatience he delivers his instructions. |
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Pleasant is the semi-circular water, |
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And we will gather the mallows about it. |
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The marquis of Lu has come to it, |
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And in the college he is drinking. |
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He is drinking the good spirits; |
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And may there be given him the old age that is seldom enjoyed! |
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May he accord with the grand ways, |
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So subduing to himself all the people! |
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Very admirable is the marquis of Lu, |
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Reverently displaying his virtue, |
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And reverently watching over his deportment, |
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The pattern of the people. |
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With great qualities truly civil and martial, |
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Brilliantly he affects his meritorious ancestors. |
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In everything entirely filial, |
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He seeks the blessing for himself. |
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Very intelligent is the marquis of Lu, |
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Making his virtue illustrious. |
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He has made this college with its semicircle of water, |
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And the tribes of the Huai will submit in consequence. |
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His martial-looking, tiger leaders, |
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Will here present the left ears [of their foes]. |
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His examiners, wise as Gao-tao, |
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Will here present their prisoners. |
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His numerous officers, |
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Men who have enlarged their virtuous minds, |
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With martial energy conducting their expedition, |
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Will drive far away those tribes of the east and south. |
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Vigorous and grand, |
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Without noise or display, |
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Without having appealed to the judges, |
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They will here present [the proofs of] their merit. |
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How they draw their bows adorned with bone! |
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How their arrows whizz forth! |
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Their war chariots are very large! |
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Their footmen and charioteers never weary! |
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They have subdued the tribes of the Huai, |
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And brought them to an unrebellious submission! |
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Only lay your plans securely, |
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And all the tribes of the Huai will be got! |
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They come flying on the wing, those owls, |
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And settle on the trees about the college; |
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They eat the fruit of our mulberry trees, |
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And salute us with fine notes. |
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So awakened shall be those tribes of the Huai; |
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They will come presenting their precious things, |
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Their large tortoises and their elephants' teeth, |
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And great contributions of the southern metals. |
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How pure and still are the solemn temples, |
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In their strong solidity and minute completeness! |
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Highly distinguished was Jiang Yuan, |
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Of virtue undeflected. |
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God regarded her with favour; |
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And without injury or hurt, |
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Immediately, when her months were fulfilled, |
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She gave birth to Hou-ji. |
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On him were conferred all blessings, -- |
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[To know] how the millet ripened early, and the sacrificial millet late, |
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How first to sow pulse, and then wheat. |
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Anon he was invested with an inferior State, |
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And taught the people how to sow and to reap, |
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The millet and the sacrificial millet, |
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Rice and the black millet; |
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Ere long all over the whole country; -- |
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[Thus] continuing the work of Yu. |
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Among the descendants of Hou-ji, |
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There was king Da, |
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Dwelling on the south of [mount] Qi, |
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Where the clipping of Shang began. |
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In process of time Wen and Wu, |
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Continued the work of king Da, |
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And [the purpose of] Heaven was carried out in its time, |
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In the plain of Mu. |
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'Have no doubts, no anxieties, ' [it was said]; |
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'God is with you. ' |
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[Wu] disposed of the troops of Shang; |
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He and his men shared equally in the achievement. |
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[Then] king [Qing] said, ' My uncle, |
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I will set up your eldest son, |
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And make him marquis of Lu. |
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I will greatly enlarge your territory there, |
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To be a help and support to the House of Zhou. ' |
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Accordingly he appointed [our first] duke of Lu, |
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And make him marquis in the east, |
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Giving him the hills and rivers, |
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The lands and fields, and the attached States. |
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The [present] descendant of the duke of Zhou, |
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The son of duke Zhuang, |
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With dragon-emblazoned banner attends the sacrifices, |
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His six reins soft and pliant. |
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In spring and autumn he does not neglect [the sacrifices]; |
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His offerings are all without error. |
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To the great and sovereign God, |
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And to his great ancestor Hou-ji, |
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He offers the victims, red and pure. |
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Then enjoy, they approve, |
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And bestow blessings in large number. |
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The duke of Zhou, and [your other] great ancestors, |
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Also bless you. |
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In autumn comes the sacrifices of the season, |
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But in summer the bulls for it have had their horns capped. |
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They are the white bull and the red one; |
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[There are] the bull-figured goblet in its dignity; |
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Roast pig, minced meat, and soups; |
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The dishes of bamboo and wood, and the large stand; |
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And the dancers all-complete. |
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The filial descendant will be blessed. |
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[Your ancestors]will make you gloriously prosperous! |
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They will make you long-lived and good, -- |
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To preserve this eastern region, |
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Long possessing the State of Lu, |
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Unwaning, unfallen, |
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Unshaken, undisturbed! |
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They will make your friendship with your three aged [ministers], |
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Like the hills, like the mountains! |
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Our prince's chariots are a thousand, |
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[And in each] are the vermilion tassels and the green bands of the two spears and two bows. |
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His footmen are thirty thousand, |
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With shells no vermillion-strings adorning their helmets. |
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So numerous are his ardent followers, |
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To deal with the tribes of the west and north, |
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And to punish [those of] King and Shu, |
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So that none of them will dare to withstand us. |
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May [the Spirits] make you grandly prosperous! |
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May they make you long-lived and wealthy! |
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May the hoary hair and wrinkled back, |
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Marking the aged men, be always in your employment! |
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May they make you prosperous and great! |
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May they grant you old age, ever vigorous, |
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For myriads and thousands of years, |
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With the eyebrows of longevity, and ever unharmed! |
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The mountain of Da is lofty, |
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Looked up to by the State of Lu. |
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We grandly possess also Gui and Mong; |
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And we shall extend to the limits of the east, |
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Even the States along the sea. |
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The tribes of the Huai will seek our alliance; -- |
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All will proffer their allegiance: -- |
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Such shall be the achievements of the marquis of Lu. |
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He shall maintain the possession of Hu and Yi, |
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And extend his sway to the regions of Xu, |
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Even to the States along the sea. |
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The tribes of the Huai, the Man, and the Mi, |
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And those tribes [still more] to the south, |
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All will proffer their allegiance: -- |
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Not one will dare not to answer to his call, |
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Thus showing their obedience to the marquis of Lu. |
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Heaven will give great blessing to our prince, |
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So that with the eyebrows of longevity he shall maintain Lu. |
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He shall possess Chang and Xu, |
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And recover all the territory of the duke of Zhou. |
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Then shall the marquis of Lu feast and be glad, |
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With his admirable wife and aged mother; |
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With his excellent ministers and all his [other] officers. |
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Our region and State shall be hold, |
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Thus receiving many blessings, |
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To hoary hair, with a child's teeth. |
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The pines of Cu-lei, |
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And the cypresses of Xin-fu, |
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Were cut down and measured, |
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With the cubit line and the eight cubits line. |
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The projecting beams of pine were large; |
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The large inner apartments rose vast. |
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Splendid look the new temples, |
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The work of Xi-si, |
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Very wide and large, |
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Answering to the expectations of all the people. |