China Guide

Ye , brilliant and accomplished princes ,
Have conferred on me this happiness .
Your favours to me are without limit ,
And my descendants will preserve [the fruits of] them .
Be not mercenary nor extravagant in your States ,
And the king will honour you .

Clear , and to be preserved bright ,
Are the statutes of king Wen .
From the first sacrifice [to him] ,
Till now when they have issued in our complete State ,
They have been the happy omen of [the fortunes of] Zhou .

The ordinances of Heaven , --
How deep are they and unintermitting !
And oh ! how illustrious ,
Was the singleness of the virtue of king Wen !
How does he [now] show his kindness ?
We will receive [his favour] ,

Ah ! solemn is the ancestral temple in its pure stillness .
Reverent and harmonious were the distinguished assistants ;
Great was the number of the officers : --
[All] assiduous followers of the virtue of [king] Wen .
In response to him in heaven ,
Grandly they hurried about in the temple .

天降罪罟、蟊賊內訌、昏椓靡共、
潰潰回遹、實靖夷我邦。

皋皋訿訿、曾不知其玷。
兢兢業業、孔填不寧、我位孔貶。

如彼歲早、草不潰茂。
如彼棲苴。
我相此邦、無不潰止。

維昔之富、不如時、維今之疚、不如茲。
彼疏斯粺、胡不自替、職兄斯引。

池之竭矣、不云自頻。

人有土田、女反有之。
人有民人、女覆奪之。
此宜無罪、女反收之。
彼宜有罪、女覆說之。

哲夫成城、哲婦傾城。
懿厥哲婦、為梟為鴟。
婦有長舌、維厲之階。
亂匪降自天、生自婦人。
匪教匪誨、時維婦寺。

鞫人忮忒、譖始竟背。