詩經 商頌 玄鳥
天命玄鸟,降而生商,宅殷土芒芒。古帝命武汤,正域彼四方。
方命厥后,奄有九有。商之先后,受命不殆,在武丁孙子。武丁孙子,武王靡不胜。
龙旂十乘,大糦是承。邦畿千里,维民所止,肇域彼四海。
四海来假,来假祁祁。景员维河。殷受命咸宜,百禄是何。
Heaven chose the Divine Black Bird
To descend and have the Shang sired.
A vast land of Yin the Shang did gird,
God bade Wu Tang, whom all admired,
To conquer the world forever.
Hence commanded, each liege dear
Of Nine Realms did endeavour
To maintain their lineage clear
To receive their mandate, sans fail,
For generations within the Wu Ding’s clan.
O passing down this regal grail
To Wu Ding’s grandson - a great man
Who was invincible in his glorified gain –
Ten dragon-bannered chariots in a row
With the foreign tribute of grain,
Over myriad miles the kingdom did grow,
In which people resided and were blest.
Their territory expanded to the four seas,
From which pilgrims swarmed to their ritual fest.
Multitudes proceeded with pleasing ease
In the yellow-river-girt immense land.
O for the Yin to be coronated,
‘Twas the right time so grand.
Myriad blessings were mandated!
Tr. Ziyuzile
(To be revised)
The dark divine bird from heaven's height,
Descended to birth Shang's royal might,
In the vast lands of Yin so bright.
Ancient emperor called Martial Tang,
To rule and set the realms aright.
Bestowing mandates to his kin,
He unified the lands within.
The Shang's forebears, with fate aligned,
Down to Wu Ding's grandson's line.
Wu Ding's grandson, Martial King,
None could defeat, his reign did shine.
With dragon banners, ten chariots grand,
Great feasts were held across the land.
A thousand miles the borders spread,
Where all the people made their bed.
Expanding realms to ocean's span,
The four seas tribute brought in hand.
From four seas, they came to pay,
Tributes in a grand array.
Around the Yellow River's flow,
The Shang's mandate made fortunes grow.
All blessings, fortunes, they did reap,
In harmony, their reign did keep.