Chapter I: Front Matter

THE SHI-KING

Introduction 143

_Part I. Lessons from the States._

BOOK I. THE ODES OF CHOW AND THE SOUTH.
Celebrating the Virtue of King Wan's Bride 145
Celebrating the Industry of King Wan's Queen 146
In Praise of a Bride 146
Celebrating T[']ae-Sze's Freedom from Jealousy 147
The Fruitfulness of the Locust 147
Lamenting the Absence of a Cherished Friend 148
Celebrating the Goodness of the Descendants of King Wan 149
The Virtuous Manners of the Young Women 149
Praise of a Rabbit-Catcher 150
The Song of the Plantain-Gatherers 151
The Affection of the Wives on the Joo 151

BOOK II. THE ODES OF SHAOU AND THE SOUTH.
The Marriage of a Princess 152
The Industry and Reverence of a Prince's Wife 152
The Wife of Some Great Officer Bewails his Absence 153
The Diligence of the Young Wife of an Officer 154
The Love of the People for the Duke of Shaou 154
The Easy Dignity of the Officers at Some Court 155
Anxiety of a Young Lady to Get Married 155

BOOK III. THE ODES OF P[']EI.
An Officer Bewails the Neglect with which He is Treated 157
A Wife Deplores the Absence of Her Husband 158
The Plaint of a Rejected Wife 159
Soldiers of Wei Bewail Separation from their Families 161
An Officer Tells of His Mean Employment 161
An Officer Sets Forth His Hard Lot 162
The Complaint of a Neglected Wife 163
In Praise of a Maiden 164
Discontent 164
Chwang Keang Bemoans Her Husband's Cruelty 165

[_Books IV, V, and VI are omitted_]

BOOK VII. THE ODES OF CH[']ING.
The People's Admiration for Duke Woo 167
A Wife Consoled by Her Husband's Arrival 168
In Praise of Some Lady 168
A Man's Praise of His Wife 169
An Entreaty 169
A Woman Scorning Her Lover 169
A Lady Mourns the Absence of Her Student Lover 170

BOOK VIII. THE ODES OF TS[']E.
A Wife Urging Her Husband to Action 171
The Folly of Useless Effort 172
The Prince of Loo 172

BOOK IX. THE ODES OF WEI.
On the Misgovernment of the State 174
The Mean Husband 175
A Young Soldier on Service 175

BOOK X. THE ODES OF T[']ANG.
The King Goes to War 177
Lament of a Bereaved Person 178
The Drawbacks of Poverty 179
A Wife Mourns for Her Husband 179

BOOK XI. THE ODES OF TS[']IN.
Celebrating the Opulence of the Lords of Ts[']in 181
A Complaint 182
A Wife's Grief Because of Her Husband's Absence 182
Lament for Three Brothers 183
In Praise of a Ruler of Ts[']in 184
The Generous Nephew 185

BOOK XII. THE ODES OF CH[']IN.
The Contentment of a Poor Recluse 186
The Disappointed Lover 186
A Love-Song 187
The Lament of a Lover 187

BOOK XIII. THE ODES OF KWEI.
The Wish of an Unhappy Man 189

BOOK XIV. THE ODES OF TS[']AOU.
Against Frivolous Pursuits 190

BOOK XV. THE ODES OF PIN.
The Duke of Chow Tells of His Soldiers 191
There is a Proper Way for Doing Everything 192

_Part II. Minor Odes of the Kingdom._

BOOK I. DECADE OF LUH MING.
A Festal Ode 194
A Festal Ode Complimenting an Officer 195
The Value of Friendship 196
The Response to a Festal Ode 198
An Ode of Congratulation 199
An Ode on the Return of the Troops 200

BOOK II. THE DECADE OF PIH HWA.
An Ode Appropriate to a Festivity 203

BOOK III. THE DECADE OF T[']UNG KUNG.
Celebrating a Hunting Expedition 204
The King's Anxiety for His Morning Levee 205
Moral Lessons from Natural Facts 206

BOOK IV. THE DECADE OF K[']E-FOO.
On the Completion of a Royal Palace 207
The Condition of King Seuen's Flocks 208

BOOK V. THE DECADE OF SEAOU MIN.
A Eunuch Complains of His Fate 210
An Officer Deplores the Misery of the Time 212
On the Alienation of a Friend 213

BOOK VI. THE DECADE OF PIH SHAN.
A Picture of Husbandry 215
The Complaint of an Officer 216

BOOK VII. DECADE OF SANG HOO.
The Rejoicings of a Bridegroom 219
Against Listening to Slanderers 220
BOOK VIII. THE DECADE OF TOO JIN SZE.
In Praise of By-gone Simplicity 221
A Wife Bemoans Her Husband's Absence 222
The Earl of Shaou's Work 223
The Plaint of King Yew's Forsaken Wife 224
Hospitality 226
On the Misery of Soldiers 226

_Part III. Greater Odes of the Kingdom._

BOOK I. DECADE OF KING WAN.
Celebrating King Wan 228

[_Book II is omitted_]

BOOK III. DECADE OF TANG.
King Seuen on the Occasion of a Great Drought 231

_Part IV. Odes of the Temple and Altar._

BOOK I. SACRIFICIAL ODES OF CHOW.
Appropriate to a Sacrifice to King Wan 235
On Sacrificing to the Kings Woo, Ching, and K[']ang 236

THE WISDOM
OF CONFUCIUS

[_Translated into English by William Jennings_]

PRONUNCIATION OF PROPER NAMES

_j_, as in French.

_ng_, commencing a word, like the same letters terminating one.

_ai_ or _ei_, as in _aisle_ or _eider_.

_au_, as in German, or like _ow_ in _cow_.

_e_, as in _fete_.

_i_ (not followed by a consonant), as _ee_ in _see_.

_u_ (followed by a consonant), as in _bull_.

_iu_, as _ew_ in _new_.

_ui_, as _ooi_ in _cooing_.

_h_ at the end of a name makes the preceding vowel short.

['] in the middle of a word denotes an aspirate (h), as _K[']ung_
= _Khung_.