The Book of Poetry: Book I. Decade of King Wên: X. Wên Wang Yu Shêng
The Book of Poetry, tr. by James Legge, [1876]
2’Twas the gift of high heaven
That the throne did bestow.
What success Wên achieved,
When great Chung was laid low!
Fêng he called it, and moved
There, his grand state to show;
And our Wên was a sovereign true! p. 356
3He 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!
4Oh! how brightly those walls
Did his merit display!
From all quarters they came,
And would not be said nay.
For to Fêng they repaired,
Their true homage to pay;
And our prince was a sovereign true!
5East from Fêng flowed the stream
That the same name did bear.
’Twas the work of Great Yü
Made the water flow there.
And to Fêng the states came,
Wu their king to declare;
And our king was a sovereign true! p. 357
6Then to Hao Wu 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!
7Having thought of the site,
By the shell Wu divined.
As the shell answer gave,
So the site was assigned.
Thus King Wu dwelt in Hao,
Where his city we find;
And our Wu was a sovereign true!
8Where the Fêng water flows,
Is the white millet grown.
In the men Wu employed
How his merit was shown!
To his sons he would leave
His wise plans and his throne;
And our Wu was a sovereign true!