文王之什·文王 235

文王在上，於昭于天，周雖舊邦，其命維新。
有周不顯，帝命不時。文王陟降，在帝左右。
亹亹文王，令聞不已。陳錫哉周，侯文王孫子。
文王孫子，本支百世。凡周之士，不顯亦世。
世之不顯，厥猶翼翼。思皇多士，生此王國。
王國克生，維周之楨。濟濟多士，文王以寧。
穆穆文王，於緝熙敬止。假哉天命，有商孫子。
商之孫子，其麗不億。上帝既命，侯于周服。
侯服于周，天命靡常。殷士膚敏，祼將于京。
厥作祼將，常服黼冔。王之藎臣，無念爾祖。
無念爾祖，聿修厥德。永言配命，自求多福。
殷之未喪師，克配上帝。宜鑒于殷，駿命不易。
命之不易，無遏爾躬。宣昭義問，有虞殷自天。
上天之載，無聲無臭。儀刑文王，萬邦作孚。 

    King Wen is on high ;
    Oh ! bright is he in heaven .
    Although Zhou was an old country ,
    The [favouring] appointment lighted on it recently .
    Illustrious was the House of Zhou ,
    And the appointment of God came at the proper season .
    King Wen ascends and descends ,
    On the left and the right of God .

    Full of earnest activity was king Wen ,
    And his fame is without end .
    The gifts [of God] to Zhou ,
    Extend to the descendants of king Wen ; --
    To the descendants of king Wen ,
    In the direct line and the collateral branches for a hundred generations .
    All the officers of Zhou ,
    Shall [also] be illustrious from age to age .

    They shall be illustrious from age to age ,
    Zealously and reverently pursuing their plans .
    Admirable are the many officers ,
    Born in this royal kingdom .
    The royal kingdom is able to produce them , --
    The suppporters of [the House of] Zhou .
    Numerous is the array of officers ,
    And by them king Wen enjoys his repose .

    Profound was king Wen ;
    Oh ! continuous and bright was his feeling of reverence .
    Great is the appointment of Heaven !
    There were the descendants of [the sovereigns] of Shang ; --
    The descendants of the sovereigns of Shang ,
    Were in number more than hundreds of thousands ;
    But when God gave the command ,
    They became subject to Zhou .

    They became subject to Zhou .
    The appointment of Heaven is not constant .
    The officers of Yin , admirable and alert ,
    Assist at the libations in [our] capital ; --
    They assist at those libations ,
    Always wearing the hatchets on their lower garment and their peculiar cap .
    O ye loyal ministers of the king ,
    Ever think of your ancestor !

    Ever think of your ancestor ,
    Cultivating your virtue ,
    Always striving to accord with the will [of Heaven] .
    So shall you be seeking for much happiness .
    Before Yin lost the multitudes ,
    [Its kings] were the assessors fo God .
    Look to Yin as a beacon ;
    The great appointment is not easily [preserved] .

    The appointment is not easily [preserved] ,
    Do not cause your own extinction .
    Display and make bright your righteousness and name ,
    And look at [the fate of] Yin in the light of Heaven .
    The doings of High Heaven ,
    Have neither sound nor smell .
    Take your pattern from king Wen ,
    And the myriad regions will repose confidence in you .