Ye, brilliant and accomplished princes, Have conferred on me this
happiness. Your favours to me are without limit, And my descendants will
preserve (the fruits of) them.

Be not mercenary nor extravagant in your states, And the king will
honour you. Thinking of this service, He will enlarge the dignity of
your successors.

What is most powerful is the being the man:--Its influence will be felt
throughout your states. What is most distinguished is the being
virtuous:--It will secure the imitation of all the princes. Ah! the
former kings cannot be forgotten!


ODE 5. THE THIEN ZO.


APPROPRIATE TO A SACRIFICE TO KING THAI.

We cannot tell what the sacrifice was; and the Preface, indeed, says
that the piece was used in the seasonal sacrifices to all the former
king., s and dukes of the House of Kau. King Thai was the grandfather of
king Wan, and, before he received that title, was known as 'the ancient
duke Than-fu.' In B.C. 1327, he moved with his followers from Pin, an
earlier seat of his House, and settled in the plain of Khi, about fifty
li to the north-east of the present district city of Khi-shan, in Shen-hsi.

Heaven made the lofty hill[1], And king Thai brought (the country about)
it under cultivation. He made the commencement with it, And king Wan