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烈祖

嗟嗟烈祖。
有秩斯祜。
申錫無疆。
及爾思所。
既載清酤。
賚我思成。
亦有和羹。
既戒既平。
鬷假無言。
時靡有爭。
綏我眉壽。
黃耇無疆。
約軧錯衡。
八鸞鶬鶬。
以假以享。
我受命溥將。
自天降康。
豐年穰穰。
來假來饗。
降福無疆。
顧予烝嘗。
湯孫之將。

LIE ZU

Ah! ah! our meritorious ancestor!
Permanent are the blessings coming from him,
Repeatedly conferred without end: --
They have come to you in this place.
The clear spirits are in our vessels,
And there is granted to us the realization of our thoughts.
There are also the well-tempered soups,
Prepared beforehand, the ingredients rightly proportioned.
By these offerings we invite his presence, without a word,
Nor is there now any contention [in any part of the service].
He will bless us with the eyebrows of longevity,
With the grey hair and wrinkled face, in unlimited degree.
With the naves of their wheels bound with leather, and their ornamented yokes,
With the eight bells at their horses' bits all tinkling,
[The princess] come and assist at the offerings.
We have received the appointment in all its greatness,
And from Heaven is our prosperity sent down,
Fruitful years of great abundance.
[Our ancestor] will come and enjoy [our offerings],
And confer [on us] happiness without limit.
May he regard our sacrifices in summer and winter,
[Thus] offered by the descendant of Tang!
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IATHPublished by The Institute for Advanced Technology in the Humanities, © Copyright 2003 by Anne Kinney and the University of Virginia