Ode 10. The Wăn Wang Yû Shăng

ODE 10. THE WĂN WANG YÛ SHĂNG.

THE PRAISE OF KINGS WĂN AND WÛ:--HOW THE FORMER DISPLAYED HIS MILITARY PROWESS ONLY TO SECURE THE TRANQUILLITY OF THE PEOPLE; AND HOW THE LATTER, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RESULTS OF DIVINATION, ENTERED IN HIS NEW CAPITAL OF HÂO, INTO THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE KINGDOM WITH THE SINCERE GOOD WILL OF ALL THE PEOPLE.

King Wăn 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 Wăn!

King Wăn received the appointment (from Heaven), And achieved his martial success. Having overthrown Khung ¹. He fixed his (capital) city in Făng ². A sovereign true was king Wăn!

p. 395

He repaired the walls along the (old) moat. His establishing himself in Făng 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 that had come down to him. A sovereign true was the royal prince!

His royal merit was brightly displayed By those walls of Făng. There were collected (the sympathies of the people of) the four quarters, Who regarded the royal prince as their protector. A sovereign true was the royal prince!

The Făng-water flowed on to the east (of the city), Through the meritorious labour of Yü. 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 ¹!'

In the capital of Hâo he built his hall with its circlet of water ². 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 Hâo. The tortoise-shell decided the site ³, And king Wû completed the city. A sovereign true was king Wû!

p. 396

By the Făng-water grows the white millet ¹;--Did not king Wû 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 Wû!

Footnotes

394:1 As related in ode 7.

394:2 Făng had, probably, been the capital of Khung, and Wăn p. 395 removed to it, simply making the necessary repairs and alterations. This explains how we find nothing about the divinations which should have preceded so important a step as the founding of a new capital.

395:1 The writer has passed on to Wû, who did actually become king.

395:2 See on the third of the Praise Odes of Lû in Part IV.

395:3 Hâo was built by Wû, and hence we have the account of his divining About the site and the undertaking.

396:1 'The white millet,' a valuable species, grown near the Făng, suggests to the writer the idea of all the men of ability whom Wû collected around him.