Sacred Books of the East/Volume 3/The Shih/The Minor Odes of the Kingdom/Decade 5/Ode 4

 

Ode 4, Stanza 1. The Khiâo Yen.

 

Some one, suffering from the king through slander, appeals to Heaven, and goes on to dwell on the nature and evil of slander.

This piece has been referred to the time of king Li, B.C. 878 to 828.

O vast and distant Heaven,
Who art called our parent,
That, without crime or offence,
I should suffer from disorders thus great!
The terrors of great Heaven are excessive,
But indeed I have committed no crime.
(The terrors of) great Heaven are very excessive,
But indeed I have committed no offence.