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Grandly and clearly, |
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The king gave charge to his minister, |
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A descendant of Nan Zhong, |
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The Grand-master Huang-fu: -- |
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'Put my six armies in order, |
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And get ready all my apparatus of war. |
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Be reverent, be cautious, |
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That we may give comfort to the States of the south. ' |
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The king said to the Head of the Yin clan, |
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'Give a charge to Xiu-fu, earl of Cheng, |
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To undertake the arrangement of the ranks, |
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And to warn all my troops. |
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Along the bank of the Huai, |
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[We go] to see the land of Xu, |
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Not delaying [our march], not occupying [the territory], |
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That the threefold labours [of husbandry ] may proceed in order. ' |
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Full of grandeur and strength, |
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The Son of Heaven looked majestic. |
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Leisurely and calmly the king advanced, |
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Not with his troops in masses, nor in broken lines. |
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The region of Xu from stage to stage was moved; |
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It shook and was terrified, -- the region of Xu. |
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As by the roll of thunder or its sudden crash, |
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The region of Xu shook and was terrified. |
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The king aroused his warlike energy, |
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As if he were moved with anger. |
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He advanced his tiger-like officers. |
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Looking fierce like raging tigers. |
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He displayed his masses along the bank of the Huai, |
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And forthwith seized a crowd of captives. |
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Securely kept was the country about the bank of the Huai, |
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Occupied by the royal armies. |
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The royal legions were numerous; |
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[Swift] as if they flew on wings, |
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[Imposing] as the current of the Jiang and the Han; |
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Firm as a mountain; |
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Rolling on like a stream; |
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Continuous and orderly; |
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Inscrutable, invincible; |
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Grandly proceeding to set in order the States of Xu. |
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The king's plans were directed in truth and sincerity, |
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And the region of Xu came [at once to terms]; |
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Its [chiefs] were all collected together; -- |
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Through the merit of the Son of Heaven. |
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The country was all reduced to order; |
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Its [chiefs] appeared before the king. |
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They would not again change their minds, |
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And the kings said, ' Let us return. ' |
Published
by The Institute for Advanced Technology in the Humanities, © Copyright 2003
by Anne Kinney and the University of Virginia