<Previous Section>
<Next Section>

天保

天保定爾。
亦孔之固。
俾爾單厚。
何福不除。
俾爾多益。
以莫不庶。
天保定爾。
俾爾戩穀。
罄無不宜。
受天百祿。
降爾遐福。
維日不足。
天保定爾。
以莫不興。
如山如阜。
如岡如陵。
如川之方至。
以莫不增。
吉蠲為饎。
是用孝享。
禴祠烝嘗。
于公先王。
君曰卜爾。
萬壽無疆。
神之弔矣。
詒爾多福。
民之質矣。
日用飲食。
群黍百姓。
邊為爾德。
如月之�。
如日之升。
如南山之壽。
不騫不崩。
如松伯之茂。
無不爾或承。

TIAN BAO

Heaven protects and establishes thee,
With the greatest securtiy;
Makes thee entirely virtuous,
That thou mayest enjoy every happiness;
Grants thee much increase,
So that thou hast all in abundance.
Heaven protects and establishes thee,
It grants thee all excellence,
So that thine every matter is right,
And thou receivest every heavenly favour.
It sends down to thee long-during happiness,
Which the days are not sufficient to enjoy.
Heaven protects and establishes thee,
So that in every thing thou dost prosper,
Like the high hills, and the mountain masses,
Like the topmost ridges, and the greatest bulks;
That, as the stream ever coming on,
Such is thine increase.
With happy auspices and purifications, thou bringest the offerings,
And dost filially present them;
In spring, summer, autumn, and winter,
To the dukes and former kings,
Who says, ' We give to thee,
Myriad of years of duration unlimited. '
The spirits come,
And confer on thee many blessings.
The people are simple and honest,
Daily enjoying their meat and drink.
All the black-haired race, in all their surnames,
Universally practise your virtue.
Like the moon advancing to the full,
Like the sun ascending the heavens,
Like the age of the southern hills,
Never waning, never falling,
Like the luxuriance of the fir and the cypress; --
May such be thy succeeding line!
<Previous Section>
<Next Section>
IATHPublished by The Institute for Advanced Technology in the Humanities, © Copyright 2003 by Anne Kinney and the University of Virginia