Ode 6, Stanzas 1 and 2. The Ting <I>K</I>ih Fang <I>K</I>ûng

ODE 6, STANZAS 1 AND 2. THE TING KIH FANG KÛNG.

CELEBRATING THE PRAISE OF DUKE WĂN;--HIS DILIGENCE, FORESIGHT, USE OF DIVINATION, AND OTHER QUALITIES.

The state of Wei was reduced to extremity by an irruption of some northern hordes in B.C. 660, and had nearly disappeared from among the states of Kâu. Under the marquis Wei, known in history as duke Wăn, its fortunes revived, and he became a sort of second founder of the state.

When Ting culminated (at night-fall) ³ He began to build the palace at Khû ⁴, Determining}

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its aspects by means of the sun. He built the palace at Khû. He planted about it hazel and chesnut trees, The Î, the Thung, the Ȝze, and the varnish tree. Which, when cut down, might afford materials for lutes.

He ascended those old walls, And thence surveyed (the site of) Khû. He surveyed Khû and Thang ¹, With the lofty hills and high elevations about. He descended and examined the mulberry trees. He then divined by the tortoise-shell, and got a favourable response ²; And thus the issue has been truly good.

Footnotes

436:3 Ting is the name of a small space in the heavens, embracing α Markab and another star of Pegasus. Its culminating at night-fall was the signal that the labours of husbandry were over for the year, and that building operations should be taken in hand. Great as was the urgency for the building of his new capital, duke Wăn would not take it in hand till the proper time for such a labour was arrived.

436:4 Khû, or Khû-khiû, was the new capital of Wei, in the present district of Khăng-wû, department Ȝhâo-kâu, Shan-tung.

437:1 Thang was the name of a town, evidently not far from Khû.

437:2 We have seen before how divination was resorted to on occasion of new undertakings, especially in proceeding to rear a city.