Shi Jing – The Book of Odes

They flit about, the green-beaks,
With their variegated wings.
To be rejoiced in are these princes !
May they receive the blessing of Heaven !

They flit about, the green-beaks,
With their glancing necks.
To be rejoiced in are these princes !
They are screens to all the States.

These screens, these buttresses, –
All the chiefs will take them as a pattern.
Are they not self-restrained ? Are they not careful ?
Will they not receive much happiness ?

How long is that cup of rhinoceros ' horn !
Good are the spirits in it and soft.
While it passes round, they show no pride ;
All blessing must come to seek them.

Legge 215

The Yellow ducks fly about,
And are taken with hand-nets and spread-nets.
May our sovereign live for ten thousand years,
Enjoying the happiness and wealth which are his due !

The Yellow ducks are on the dam,
With their left wings gathered up.
May our sovereign live for ten thousand years,
Enjoying the happiness and wealth which are his due !

The teams of steeds are in the stable,
Fed with forage and grain.
May our sovereign live for ten thousand years,
Sustained in his happiness and wealth !

The teams of steeds are in the stable,
Fed with grain and forage.
May our sovereign live for ten thousand years,
In the comfort of his happiness and wealth !

Legge 216

Those in the leather caps, –
Who are they ?
Since your spirits are [so]good,
And your viands are [so] fine,
How can they be strangers ?
They are your brethren, and no others.
[They are like] the mistletoe and the dodder.
Growing over the pine and the cypress.
While they do not see you, O king,
Their sorrowful hearts are all-unsettled.
When they do see you,
They begin to be happy and glad.

Those in the leather caps, –
Who are they ?
Since your spirits are [so]good,
And your viands are all of the season.
How can they be strangers ?
They are your brethren, all assembled.
[They are like] the mistletoe and the dodder.
Growing over the pine.
While they do not see you, O king,
Their hearts are full of sorrow.
When they do see you,
They begin to feel that things are right.

There are those in the leather caps,
Which they wear on their heads.
Since your spirits are [so] good,
And your viands are [so] abundant,
How can they be strangers ?
They are your brethren, and your relatives by affinity.
When there is going to be a fall of snow,
There is first the descent of sleet.
Death and ruin may come any day,
It is not long that you will see one another.
Rejoice over your spirits for the present evening ;
O king, enjoy the feast.

Legge 217

Jian-guan went the axle ends of my carriage,
As I thought of the young beauty, and went [to fetch her].
It was not that I was hungry or thirsty,
But [I longed] for one of such virtuous fame to come and be with me.
Although no good friends be with us,
We will feast and be glad.

Dense is that forest in the plain,
And there sit the long-tailed pheasants.
In her proper season that well-grown lady,
With her admirable virtue, is come to instruct me.
We will feast, and I will praise her.
' I love you, and will never be weary of you. '

Although I have no good spirits,
We will drink [what I have], and perhaps [be satisfied].
Although I have no good viands,
We will eat [what I have], and perhaps [be satisfied].
Although I have no virtue to impart to you,
We will sing and dance.

I ascend that lofty ridge,
And split the branches of the oaks for firewood.
I split the branches of the oaks for firewood,
Amid the luxuriance of their leaves.
I see you whose match is seldom to be seen,
And my whole heart is satisfied.

The high hill is looked up to ;
The great road is easy to be travelled on.
My four steeds advanced without stopping ;
The six reins [made music] in my hands like lute-[strings].
I see you my bride,
To the comfort of my heart.

Legge 218

A grands coups j'ai fixé les essieux de mon char :
je vais chercher la belle jeune fille de mes rêves !
Qu'importe la faim ! Qu'importe la soif !
Avec son prestige elle s'en vient vers moi !
Bien que je n'aie pas de bons amis,
Or ça ! banquetons et faisons fête !

Dans cette épaisse forêt de la plaine,
Voilà que les faisans se réunissent !
A l'époque voulue, cette noble fille
Avec sa grande Vertu vient m'aider !
Or ça ! banquetons, chantons ses louanges !
Je t'aimerai sans me lasser !

Bien que je n'aie pas de liqueurs exquises,
Or ça ! buvons, je t'y invite !
Bien que je n'aie pas de mets délectables,
Or ça ! mangeons, je t'y invite !
Bien qu'en Vertu je ne te vaille pas,
Or ça ! chantons et puis dansons !

Je suis monté sur la haute colline
Et j'y ai coupé des fagots de chêne !
Et j'y ai coupé des fagots de chêne !
Comme le feuillage en est verdoyant !
Quel bonheur pour moi ! Je m'unis à toi !
Ah ! comme mon cœur en est soulagé !

On peut admirer les hautes montagnes !
On peut cheminer sur les grands chemins !
Mes quatre chevaux, oh ! qu'ils sont dociles !
A voir leurs six rênes on dirait un luth !
Je m'unis à toi, nouvelle épousée,
Et je mets ainsi la paix dans mon cœur !

Granet LX.

They buzz about, the blue flies,
Lighting on the fences.
O happy and courteous sovereign,
Do not believe slanderous speeches.

They buzz about, the blue flies,
Lighting on the jujube trees.
The slanderous observe no limits,
And throw the whole kingdom into confusion.

They buzz about, the blue flies,
Lighting on the hazel trees.
The slanderous observe no limits,
And set us two at variance.

Legge 219

When the guests first approach the mats,
They take their places on the left and the right in an orderly manner.
The dishes of bamboo and wood are arranged in rows,
With the sauces and kernels displayed in them.
The spirits are mild and good,
And they drink, all equally reverent.
The bells and drums are properly arranged ;
And they raise their pledge-cups with order and ease.
[Then] the great target is set up ;
The bows and arrows are made ready for the shooting ;
The archers are matched in classes.
' Show your skill in shooting, ' [it is said].
' I shall hit that mark, ' [it is responded],
'And pray you to drink the cup. '

The dancers move with their flutes to the notes of the organ and drum,
While all the instruments perform in harmony.
All this is done to please the meritorious ancestors,
Along with the observance of all ceremonies.
When all the ceremonies have been performed,
Grandly and fully,
'We confer on you great blessings, ' [says the representative of the dead],
'And may your descendants [also] be happy ! '
They are happy and delighted,
And each of them exerts his ability.
A guest draws the spirits,
An attendant enters again, with a cup,
And fills it, – the cup of rest.
Thus are performed your seasonal ceremonies.

When the guests first approach the mats,
All harmonies are they and reverent.
Before they have drunk too much,
Their deportment is carefully observant of propriety ;
But when they have drunk too much,
Their deportment becomes light and frivolous : –
They leave their seats, and go elsewhere,
They keep dancing and capering.
Before they have drunk too much,
Their deportment is cautious and grave : –
But when they have drunk too much,
Their deportment becomes indecent and rude : –
Thus when they have too mcuh,
They lose all sense of orderliness.

When the guests have drunk too much,
They shout out and brawl.
They disorder the dishes ;
They keep dancing in a fantastic manner.
Thus when they have drunk too much,
They become insensible of their errors.
With their caps on one side, and like to fall off,
They keep dancing the will not stop.
If, when they have drunk too much, they went out,
Both they [and their host] would be happy ;
But remaining after they are drunk,
Is what is called doing injury to virtue.
Drinking is a good institution,
Only when there is good deportment in it.

On every occasion of drinking,
Some get drunk, and some do not.
An inspector is appointed,
With a recorder to assist him.
But those drunkards, in their vileness,
Are shamed of those who do not get drunk.
These have no opportunity to speak,
And prevent the others from proceeding to such great abandonment.
[They might say], ' Do not speak what you ought not to speak ;
Do not say what you have no occasion to say,
If you speak, drunk as you are,
We will make you produce a ram without horns.
With three cups you lose your memories ; –
How dare you go on to more ? '

Legge 220

The fishes are there, there among the pondweed,
Showing their large heads.
The king is here, here in Hao,
At ease and happy, while he drinks.

The fishes are there, there among the pondweed,
Showing their long tails.
The king is here, here in Hao,
Drinking, happy and at ease.

The fishes are there, there among the pondweed,
Sheltered by the rushes.
The king is here, here in Hao,
Dwelling in tranquillity.

Legge 221

They gather the beans, they gather the beans,
In their baskets, square and round.
The princes are coming to court,
And what gifts have I to give them ?
Although I have none to give them,
There are the state carriages and their teams.
What more have I to give them ?
The dark-coloured [upper] robes with the dragon,
And the [lower garments with the] hatchet.

Right up bubbles the water from the spring,
And they gather the cress [about it].
The princes are coming to court,
And I see their dragon flags ; –
Their dragon flags moving [in the wind],
While the sound of their bells comes hui-hui.
There are the two outside horses, there are the whole teams, –
Proofs that the princes are come.

Their red covers on their knees,
And their buskins below,
There is no remissness in their demeanour ; –
Of such should the son of Heaven approve.
To be rejoiced in are the princes,
And the son of Heaven gives them the badges of his favour.
To be rejoiced in are the princes,
And their happiness and dignities are renewed and extended.

On the branches of the oaks,
How abundant are the leaves !
To be rejoiced in are the princes,
Guardians of the regions of the son of Heaven.
To be rejoiced in are the princes,
Around whom all the blessings collect.
Discriminating and able are their attendants,
Who also have followed them hither.

It floats about, the boat of willow wood,
Fastened by the band of the rope.
To be rejoiced in are the princes,
And the son of Heaven scans [their merits].
To be rejoiced in are the princes,
And their happiness and dignities are enlarged.
How joyous, how happy,
Is their coming here !

Legge 222

Well fashioned is the bow adorned with horn,
And swift is its recoil.
Brothers and relatives by affinity,
Should not be treated distantly.

When you keep yours at a distance,
The people all do the same with theirs.
What you teach,
The people all imitate.

Those brothers who are good,
Continue to display much generous feeling ;
But between brothers who are not good,
Their intercourse is marked by troubles.

People who have no conscience,
Repine against each other, each one holding his own point of view ;
One gets a place, and shows no humility –
Till they all come to ruin.

An old horse, notwithstanding, thinks himself a colt,
And has no regard to the future.
It is like craving a superabundance of food,
And an excess of drink.

Do not teach a monkey to climb trees ; –
[You act] like adding mud to one in the mud.
If the sovereign have good ways,
The small people will accord with them.

The snow may have fallen abundantly,
But when it feels the sun's heat, it dissolves.
You are not willing to discountenance [those parties],
And so they become [more] troublesome and arrogant.

The snow may have fallen largely,
But when it feels the sun's heat, it flows away.
They become like the Man or the Mao ; –
This is what make me sad.

Legge 223

There is a luxuriant willow tree ; –
Who would not wish to rest [under it] ?
[But this] god is very changeable ; –
Do not approach him.
If I were to [try and] order his affairs,
His demands afterwards would be extreme.

There is a luxuriant willow tree ; –
Who would not wish to take shelter [under it] ?
[But this] god is very changeable,
Do not get yourself into trouble with him.
If I were to [try and] order his affairs,
His demands on me afterwards would be beyond measure.

There is a bird flying high,
Even up to heaven.
The heart of that man, –
To what will it proceed ?
Why should I [try to] order his affairs ?
I should only find myself in pitiable misery.

Legge 224