Disclaimer: This post was originally written in Chinese and translated into English by GPT-5.2.
Origin of the writing:
An assignment for the selected course “Selected Readings of the Shijing and Chuci”.
Additional note:
What follows, “Great and Glorious Ancestors,” is a piece produced by modeling it after the “Tianbao” (Heaven’s Protection) section in “The Shijing • The Decade of Luming • Tianbao.” Tianbao is divided into six stanzas, each stanza with six lines, mostly in four-character lines, with an occasional five-character line, rhyming on the line endings; between stanzas, a different rhyme is chosen and used anew—roughly counting, there are six rhyme groups. Reading through the whole poem, one knows it is a work in which a subordinate minister praises his ruler and admonishes his ruler. As the Maoshi Zhengyi says: “Tianbao is the lower repaying the upper. The ruler can humble himself toward those below, thereby completing his governance; the minister can return the merit (as praise), thereby repaying his superior,”—this is what is meant. To praise the ruler is in order to admonish the ruler and spur him on toward lofty, far-reaching aspirations and to continue the fine governance of the former kings. Because it was composed early, the poem’s seeking of spirits and sacrificial rites so as to obtain divine blessing, bring peace to the hundred surnames, and stabilize All-under-Heaven is indispensable at the outset. The imitator below likewise follows this and does not alter it; perhaps some moral backbone remains therein. Only, the Shijing as collected lies far distant from today; though its characters are certainly not so blurred as to be unrecognizable, still its grammatical patterns, habits of expression, and rules of rhyming are profoundly hard to fully understand in a word or two—let alone to imitate! A blind man feeling an elephant: what he touches is what it is; a child learning to walk likewise only imitates step for step—how can one seek perfection and fault it? Therefore I searched through the Shijing everywhere, excerpting at hand to prepare what was needed; with what was needed, I consulted rhyme readings (such as Wang Li’s Shijing Yundu and Wang Xian’s Shijing Yunpu), using and setting aside as appropriate; verifying against Tianbao, with wording fluent and qi smooth, I finally structured this piece. Perhaps it does not lose the good name of an imitation?
Great and glorious ancestors, following the rule of the Sovereign on High[1].
Seeking the people’s distress[2], saying new, saying change[3].
Seeking where the people are not good[4], thereby drawing near to the virtuous[5]. (Zhi division)
Great and glorious ancestors, beloved by the common people[6].
In majestic bearing there is a rule; each respect your own person[7].
The foundation of state and home[8], protected and aided from Heaven[9]. (Zhen division)
Great and glorious ancestors, building halls lofty and high[10].
Like arrows, thus sharp; like pheasants, thus flying.
Like birds, thus winging[11], the lord’s beneficence does not perish[12]. (Wei division)
Protect and nurture your descendants[13], repeatedly bestow without bound[14].
Come, arrive; come, feast; look upon our winter and autumn sacrifices[15].
The gentleman’s virtue is fragrant; long life and venerable age do not cease[16]. (Yang division)
As for mulberry and catalpa, surely be reverent and respectful[17].
Seeming to continue mother and ancestors, bestowing upon the people blessings.
For sons and sons’ sons, do not abolish but carry it on[18]. (Zhi division)
Like gourds, continuous[19], like the Han River, broad[20].
Like the valley wind’s recurring[21], not days, not months[22].
Like bright stars’ splendor[23], none who see it do not rejoice[24]. (Yue division)
Further thoughts:
“Seeming ordinary, yet most marvelously outstanding; accomplished as if easy, yet truly arduous.” If one has not read a book a hundred times, then when one sets brush to paper and wishes for spirit—can one attain it?
Notes:
[1] Zukao, ancestors. Huang means great, splendid in appearance. “Daya • Decade of Wenwang • Huangyi: ‘Great is the Lord on High! In looking down, how majestic.’” “Great and glorious ancestors” borrows its sentence pattern and inverts it, implicitly pointing to the ancestors as the Lord on High, and it is not without a private intent of ancestor worship. Ze means rule/standard; it is also seen in Huangyi.
[2] Qiu, to seek/explore. Mo is interchangeable with “瘼,” referring to the people’s suffering and afflictions. The wording appears in “Daya • Decade of Wenwang • Huangyi: ‘Surveying and observing the four quarters, seeking the people’s distress.’”
[3] Yan is a modal particle. Xin, ge mean change.
[4] Gu means goodness, blessing and emolument. Bu gu is where the people are not good, not virtuous.
[5] The wording appears in “Daya • Decade of Shengmin • Minlao: ‘Be reverent and cautious in your majestic bearing, thereby drawing near to the virtuous.’”
[6] Mei, to be loved and upheld. Shuren, the common people. The wording appears in “Daya • Decade of Shengmin • Juan’a: ‘Gentle, gentle, the king has many auspicious men; it is by the gentleman’s mandate, beloved by the common people.’”
[7] The wording appears in “Xiaoya • Decade of Jienanshan • Yu Wuzheng: ‘All you gentlemen, each respect your own person.’” Here “each respect your own person” is triggered by being influenced by “majestic bearing,” akin to the previous stanza’s “thereby drawing near to the virtuous.”
[8] Bangjia, a state where home and country are one. Ji, root/foundation. The wording appears in “Xiaoya • Decade of Nanyou Jiayu • Nanshan Youtai: ‘Joyful is the gentleman, the foundation of state and home.’”
[9] You is interchangeable with “佑,” meaning to protect. From “Daya • Decade of Shengmin • Jiale: ‘Protect and aid, command it; from Heaven reaffirm it.’”
[10] Zhushi, to build a commemorative hall for the ancestors so as to receive their blessing and beneficence. See “Xiaoya • Decade of Hongyan • Sigan: ‘Seeming to continue mother and ancestors, building halls of a hundred walls.’” Cuiwei stands in for mountains. See “Xiaoya • Decade of Gufeng • Gufeng: ‘Softly, softly the valley wind; the mountains are lofty and high.’”
[11] Ji is like the ridges/edges of an arrow. Hui, pheasant. Ge is interchangeable with “翮,” meaning a bird flapping its wings to fly. The wording comes from “Xiaoya • Decade of Hongyan • Sigan: ‘Like standing on tiptoe, thus winged; like arrows, thus sharp; like birds, thus winging; like pheasants, thus flying—where the gentleman ascends.’”
[12] Cui, to perish. Bu cui means the ancestral blessing endures through the ages and is not cut off. The wording comes from “Daya • Decade of Dang • Yunhan: ‘Why do you not fear one another? The former ancestors will perish!’”
[13] Ai, to nourish. The wording appears in “Xiaoya • Decade of Nanyou Jiayu • Nanshan Youtai: ‘Joyful is the gentleman, protect and nurture your descendants.’”
[14] Shen, again/repeatedly. Xi, to bestow. Shen xi means repeated bestowal. The wording appears in “Song • Shang Song • Liezhu: ‘Repeatedly bestow without bound, reaching to where you dwell.’”
[15] Jia, to arrive. Zheng, winter sacrifice. Chang, autumn sacrifice. From “Song • Shang Song • Liezhu: ‘Come, arrive; come, feast; descending blessings without bound. Look upon our winter and autumn sacrifices; Tang’s grandson will carry them.’”
[16] Wang is interchangeable with “亡,” meaning to cease/end. The wording appears in “Feng • Qinfeng • Zhongnan: ‘Jade pendants tinkling, long life and venerable age do not cease.’”
[17] Mulberry and catalpa are those planted by one’s parents; when descendants see them, it is as if seeing their forebears, and they must be reverent and respectful. Yet “mulberry and catalpa” also is not without a metaphorical reference to the ancestors’ political legacy and moral style. These two lines appear in “Xiaoya • Decade of Jienanshan • Xiaobian.”
[18] Ti, to abolish/stop. Yin, to continue. Wu ti yin zhi means do not abolish it but continue it. These two lines appear in “Xiaoya • Decade of Gufeng • Chuci.”
[19] From “Daya • Decade of Wenwang • Mian: ‘Continuous, continuous are the gourd-vines; the people’s first birth.’” A metaphor for the long duration of the ancestors’ merits.
[20] From “Feng • Zhounan • Hanguang: ‘Broad is the Han; it cannot be swum across.’” A metaphor for the breadth of the ancestors’ merits. To match the rhyme, “broad” was changed to “wide.”
[21] “Valley wind” can be seen in “Feng • Beifeng • Gufeng” and “Xiaoya • Decade of Gufeng • Gufeng,” but here it only refers to the unceasing wind in mountain valleys.
[22] From “Feng • Wangfeng • Junzi Yuyi: ‘The gentleman is on campaign, not days, not months.’” Here its meaning is shifted and used.
[23] From “Feng • Zhengfeng • Nü Yue Jiming: ‘You rise and look at the night; bright stars have splendor.’”
[24] Shuo is interchangeable with “悦,” meaning a pleased/rejoicing appearance.
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