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WEN WANG YOU SHENG

King Wen is famous;
Yea, he is very famous.
What he sought was the repose [of the people];
What he saw was the completion [of his work].
A sovereign true was king Wen!
King Wen received the appointment [of Heaven],
And achieved his martial success.
Having overthrown Chong,
He fixed his [capital] city in Feng.
A sovereign true was king Wen!
He repaired the walls along the [old] moat:
His establishing himself in Feng was according to [the pattern of his forefathers],
It was not that he was in haste to gratify his wishes; --
It was to show the filial duty which had come down to him.
A sovereign true was [our] royal prince!
His royal merit was brightly displayed,
By those walls of Feng.
There were collected [the sympathies of the people of] the four quarters,
Who regarded the royal prince as their protector.
A sovereign true was [our] royal prince!
The Feng-water flowed on to the east [of the city],
Through the meritorious labour of Yu.
There were collected [the sympathies of the people of ] the four quarters,
Who would have the great king as their ruler.
A sovereign true was the great king!
In the capital of Hao he built his hall with its circlet of water;
From the west to the east,
From the south to the north,
There was not a thought but did him homage.
A sovereign true was the great king!
He examined and divined, did the king,
About settling in the capital of Hao.
The tortoise-shell decided the site,
And king Wu completed the city.
A sovereign true was king Wu!
By the Feng-water grows the white millet; --
Did not king Wu show wisdom in his employment of officers?
He would leave his plans to his descendants,
And secure comfort and support to his son.
A sovereign true was king Wu!
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IATHPublished by The Institute for Advanced Technology in the Humanities, © Copyright 2003 by Anne Kinney and the University of Virginia