THE SHE KING; OR, THE BOOK OF ANCIENT POETRY

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224 THE BOOK OF POETET. [PAET II.
With rain-coats, and thin splint hats cool,
And bearing food, your herdsmen come.
In thirties, ranged by hues, the creatures stand ;
Fit victims they will yield at your command.
3 Your herdsmen twigs and faggots bring,
With prey of birds and beasts for food.
Your sheep, untouched by evil thing,
Approach, their health and vigour good.
The herdsman's waving hand they all behold,
And docile come, and pass into the fold.
4 Your herdsmen dream ;—fish take the place
Of men ; on banners falcons fly,
Displacing snakes aud tortoises.
The augur tells his prophecy :—
" The first betoken plenteous years; the change
Of banners shows of homes a widening range."
VII.
The Tseeh nan sJian ; allusive and narrative. A LAMENTATION OVER
THE MISERABLE STATE OP THE KINGDOM. DENOUNCING THE INJUSTICE
AND CARELESSNESS OF THE GRAND-MASTER YlN AS THE CAUSE OF
IT, AND THE CONDUCT OF THE KING.
This piece, and all that follow to the end of the Part, are assigned by
the old interpreters to the reign of king Yew (B.C. 780—770), though the
evidence for assigning to them such a date is only sufficient in the case
of a few of them. Yi-vv was son to king rieuen, but was worse than the
father in the days of his decline, and resembled him in none of the
higher qualities which ennobled the earlier period of his reign. His
comparatively short reign ended in his violent death, and immediately
after there took place the removal of the royal residence to the eastern
capital,—the great event in the history of the Chow dynasty.
Keih-foo, the hero of the third ode of the third Book, was a Yin, and
the minister against whom this piece is directed was, probably, his son
or grandson. He is styled " Grand-master," and was thus one of " the
three Kiing," the highest ministers at the court of Chow ;—see the Book
of History, V. xx. 3. We must believe, indeed, that he was the chief of
the three, the principal administrator of the government.
A Kea-foo is twice mentioned in the Ch'un Ts'e'w, in the time' of duke
Hwan of Loo, as coming on messages from the royal court to Loo. He
would be a son or grandson of the writer of this piece.
1 That southern hill, sublime, uprears its craggy height;
Such thou, Grand-master Yin, before the nation's sight!
IY. VII.] THE BOOK OF POETET. 225
Burning with inward grief, none name thee even in jest;
Ruin impends, but thou delay'st the needed quest.
2 Sublime that southern hill, with vegetation grand !
More awful thou, great Yin, whom as unjust we brand.
With pestilence and death, Heaven aids disorder's sway;
A silent nation frowns;—thou changest not thy way !
8 On Yin our Chow depends. By justice he should bind
Our many States in one, with no disloyal mind,
And guide the people right, thus helpful to the king.
0 cruel Heaven, that he such woes on all should bring!
4 In him, himself inert, the people put no trust.
He, treacherous, from place and council keeps the just.
Mean men, unfairly screened, the common weal destroy,
And his vile relatives the highest posts enjoy.
5 Great Heaven, unjust, the land exhausts with all these
pains.
Great Heaven, unkind, these woes upon it ceaseless
rains.
Oh ! were the good in power, men's hearts would be at
peace!
And 'neath impartial rule, our wranglings soon would
cease.
6 0 great unpitying Heaven, our troubles have no close !
With every month they grow; men's minds know no
repose.
My heart with grief is drank. What weak hand holds
the reins ?
'Tis Yin's supineness that augments the people's pains.
7 I yoke my steeds long-necked, and through the land I
hie.
From the distress on every side vain the attempt to
fly!
8 Here evil rampant bares the spear;—they fight with
rage,
Then pacified and friends, in revel they engage.
9 This is from Heaven unjust. Our king has no repose.
Infatuate Yin rejects all counsellors as foes.
VOL. III. 15
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