THE SHE KING; OR, THE BOOK OF ANCIENT POETRY
THE SHE KING; OR, THE BOOK OF ANCIENT POETRY THE SHE KING; OR, THE BOOK OF ANCIENT POETRY
300 THE BOOK OP POETEY. III. Wan's capital of Fung was, probably, what had heen the chief city of the State of Ts'ung, mentioned in ode VII. The Fung water lay between Fung and Woo's capital of Haou having the former on the west, and the latter on the east. Haou was a new city, built by Woo, and hence we have the account of his divining about the site and the undertaking, while nothing of the sort is related of Wan in regard to Fung. 1 Oil! the praise of king Wan Shall for ever endure. For the people he sought, How their rest to make sure. And his work he beheld Made complete and secure; And our Wan was a sovereign true ! 2 'Twas the gift of high Heaven That the throne did bestow. What success Wan achieved, When great Ts'ung was laid low ! Fung he called it, and moved There, his grand state to show; And our Wan was a sovereign true ! 3 He repaired its old walls, And the old moat he cleared. As his sires had oft done, So his new seat he reared. Not in haste did he build, And the son more appeared; And our prince was a sovereign true ! 4 Oh ! how brightly those walls Did his merit display ! From all quarters they came, And would not be said nay. For to Fung they repaired, Their true homage to pay ; And our prince was a sovereign true ! 5 East from Fung flowed the stream That the same name did bear. 'Twas the work of great Yu Made the water flow there. I. X.] THE BOOK OP POETRY. I And to Fung the States came, Woo their king to declare j And our king was a sovereign true ! 6 Then to Haou Woo removed, And the pool-circled hall There he built, and received The submission of all. East, west, north, and south, Him their monarch they call; And our king was- a sovereign true! 7 Having thought of the site, By the shell Woo divined. As the shell answer gave, So the site was assigned. Thus king Woo dwelt in Haou, Where his city we find; And our Woo was a sovereign true! 8 Where the Fung water flows, Is the' white millet grown. In the men Woo employed How his merit was shown ! To his sons he would leave Hie wise plans and his throne; And our Woo was a sovereign true ! 301
302 THE BOOK OP POETRY. [PAET III. BOOK II. DECADE OF SHANG MIN. The Shang inln; narrative. THE LEGEND OF HoW-TSElH :—His CONCEPTION ; HIS B1BTH; THE PERILS OF HIS INFANCY ; HIS BOYISH HABITS OF AGRICULTURE ; HIS SUBSEQUENT TEACHING OF AGRICUL TURE, AND HIS FOUNDING OF SACRIFICES; THE HONOURS OF SACRI FICE PAID TO HIM BY THE HOUSE OF CHOW. Evidently this piece was designed to do honour to How-tseih, as the founder to whom the princes of the House of Chow traced their lineage ; —see the note to I. i. I. After they obtained the sovereignty of the kingdom, he was made " the assessor of Heaven " at the border sacrifice, as being the one man by whom the benevolent intention of the Supreme Power for the nourishment of the people by means of the fruits of the earth had been realized ; and of course he had his place at certain times in the seasonal sacrifices. We really know nothing more about Ke'ang Ynen than what we are told in the She. It is assumed that she was a daughter of the House of T'ae ; but who her husband was we cannot say; though as the Chow surname was Ke, he must have been one of the descendants of Hwang-te. What is said about the circumstances of How-tseih's conception—the toe-print of God, &c.,—is merely tlie legend intimating that How-tseih's conception was preternatural. How-tseih's name was K'e, though the two-fold de nomination, which did not belong to him, till he had grown up, and was appointed minister of agriculture and lord of T'ae, is really equivalent to a name, and that by which he is known. Who exposed the child in the manner described in st. 3 we cannot tell, nor for what reasons he was so exposed. T-ae was a principality in the present district of Woo-kung, K'e'en Chow, Shen-se. How-tseih would be invested with it by Yaou, whose minister of agriculture he had become, about 2300 years B.C. 1 'Tis to the famed Keang Yuen we trace The earliest of our favoured race ; And how this happened, let my verse The ancient story now rehearse. With offering pure and sacrifice, And look directed to the skies, She prayed that Heaven would take away BK II. i.] THE BOOK OP POETET. 303 The deep reproach that on her lay Of childless womb ; and then she trod Upon a toe-print made by God. Straight, as she rested, she was moved, And, pregnant now, retirement loved. A son, How-tseih, ere long appeared, Whom with a mother's care she reared. 2 Lo ! when her carrying time was done, Came like a lamb this first-born son. No pains of labour suffered she,— • No hurt, no strain, no injury. With omen of his future part Did God thus cheer the mother's heart. He had accepted in the skies Her offering and her sacrifice;— And thus it was she bore her son, And of birth-pangs had suffered none. 3 Once in a narrow lane exposed, The sheep and oxen round him closed, And sheltered with their loving care. Again the woodman found him, where In a wide forest he was placed, And bore him from the darksome waste. On the cold ice exposed once more, A bird, beneath the child and o'er, Stretched its great wings. When it took flight, How-tseih began to wail in fright; And loud and long his cries resound, Filling the airy region round. 4 When he could only creep, his face With glance of wisdom beamed, and grace. When he could feed himself, then fain Was he to sow large beans and grain. His beans with fine luxuriance grow; His rows of rice rare beauty show ; His hemp and wheat adorn the field; His gourds abundant produce yield. 5 In husbandry this was his course :— Wisely to aid kind nature's force.
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300 <strong>THE</strong> <strong>BOOK</strong> OP POETEY. III.<br />
Wan's capital of Fung was, probably, what had heen the chief city of<br />
the State of Ts'ung, mentioned in ode VII. The Fung water lay between<br />
Fung and Woo's capital of Haou having the former on the west, and<br />
the latter on the east. Haou was a new city, built by Woo, and hence we<br />
have the account of his divining about the site and the undertaking,<br />
while nothing of the sort is related of Wan in regard to Fung.<br />
1 Oil! the praise of king Wan<br />
Shall for ever endure.<br />
For the people he sought,<br />
How their rest to make sure.<br />
And his work he beheld<br />
Made complete and secure;<br />
And our Wan was a sovereign true !<br />
2 'Twas the gift of high Heaven<br />
That the throne did bestow.<br />
What success Wan achieved,<br />
When great Ts'ung was laid low !<br />
Fung he called it, and moved<br />
There, his grand state to show;<br />
And our Wan was a sovereign true !<br />
3 He repaired its old walls,<br />
And the old moat he cleared.<br />
As his sires had oft done,<br />
So his new seat he reared.<br />
Not in haste did he build,<br />
And the son more appeared;<br />
And our prince was a sovereign true !<br />
4 Oh ! how brightly those walls<br />
Did his merit display !<br />
From all quarters they came,<br />
And would not be said nay.<br />
For to Fung they repaired,<br />
Their true homage to pay ;<br />
And our prince was a sovereign true !<br />
5 East from Fung flowed the stream<br />
That the same name did bear.<br />
'Twas the work of great Yu<br />
Made the water flow there.<br />
I. X.] <strong>THE</strong> <strong>BOOK</strong> OP <strong>POETRY</strong>.<br />
I<br />
And to Fung the States came,<br />
Woo their king to declare j<br />
And our king was a sovereign true !<br />
6 Then to Haou Woo removed,<br />
And the pool-circled hall<br />
There he built, and received<br />
The submission of all.<br />
East, west, north, and south,<br />
Him their monarch they call;<br />
And our king was- a sovereign true!<br />
7 Having thought of the site,<br />
By the shell Woo divined.<br />
As the shell answer gave,<br />
So the site was assigned.<br />
Thus king Woo dwelt in Haou,<br />
Where his city we find;<br />
And our Woo was a sovereign true!<br />
8 Where the Fung water flows,<br />
Is the' white millet grown.<br />
In the men Woo employed<br />
How his merit was shown !<br />
To his sons he would leave<br />
Hie wise plans and his throne;<br />
And our Woo was a sovereign true !<br />
301