THE SHE KING; OR, THE BOOK OF ANCIENT POETRY

208 THE BOOK OF POETET. [PAET II. BK III. III.] THE BOOK OF POETET. 209
BOOK III.
THE DECADE OF T £UNG KUNG.
'THE Fwng Uung; narrative. A FESTAL ODE, ON OCCASION or A
FEAST GIVEN BY THE KING TO SOME PRINCE FOB, THE MERIT HE HAD
ACHIEVED. AND THE CONFESSING ON HIM OF A RED BOW.
Tn the Book of History, V. xxviii. 4, we have an instance of the con
ferring by king P'ing on a marquis of Tsin of a red bow, and other gifts
which generally accompanied such a token of merit and of the royal fa
vour. Eed was the colour of rank and merit with the dynasty of Chow ;
a red bow was its highest testimonial of merit, and gave to the prince
who received it great prerogatives within the sphere of his jurisdiction.
1 The red bows unbent were received, and are kept
In store,—to reward service done for our land.
Lo ! here is a prince whose great merit we own;
To him one I give from my heart with glad hand.
The bells and the drums all in order are placed;—
I'll feast the whole morning with this noble guest.
2 The red bows unbent were received, and are fixed
On frames,—to await service done for our States.
Lo ! liere is a prince who well merits the prize;
With joy my whole heart in his presence dilates.
The bells and the drums in good order all stand;—
And this morning his place shall be on my right hand.
3 The red bows unbent were received, and are placed
In cases,—to show how we merit revere.
Lo ! here is a prince such reward who deserves;
For him in my heart's core the love is sincere.
With our bells and our drums the court shall resound,
While for him all the morning the pledge-cup goes
round.
II.
The Ts'ing-ts'ing chay ngo; allusive and metaphorical. AN ODE,
CELEBRATING THE ATTENTION PAID BY THE EAELY KINGS OF CHOW
TO THE EDUCATION OF TALENT.
This is the account of the piece given in the Preface and by all the
school of Maou. Choo He at one time adopted it, but he afterwards changed
his mind ; and in his Work on the She he Bays that it is a festal ode about
the royal entertainment of guests. The K'ang-he editors express them
selves rather in favour of the old view.—There is nothing, indeed, in the
piece to help us clearly to determine the subject of it; but the absence
of any mention of guests and their entertainment may be accepted against
Choo's interpretation.
1 Bright grows the aster-southernwood,
Luxuriant on that spacious mound.
Our lord, renowned for courtesy,
Wakes in our hearts a joy profound.
2 The aster, clothing yonder isle,
Its colour throws o'er all the stream.
When we our noble lord behold,
Our hearts reflect his gladdening beam.
3 The aster on that lofty height
In beauteous state luxuriant grows.
An hundred sets of cowries bright
Our noble lord on us bestows.
4 Our youth were like the willow boat,
Sinking and rising on the tide.
Our noble lord now for them cares;—
In him our resting hearts confide.
III.
The Lull ytieh ; narrative. CELEBRATING A SUCCESSFUL EXPEDITION
AGAINST THE HEEN-YUN, AND ESPECIALLY THE CHAEACTER AND CON
DUCT OF KEIH-FOO WHO COMMANDED IN IT.
With this piece commence what are called " the Ya odes of a changed
character." The twenty-two pieces which precede are all, we saw, referred
to the earlier and more prosperous times of the Chow dynasty. This and
the thirteen which follow are referred, by the critics of tbe old school, to
the time of king Seuen, a monarch of great merit, B.C. 826—781, in whose
first year the expedition here commemorated took place. Choo says :—•
VOL. in. 14