capital. Both she and king Kî Were entirely virtuous. (Then) Thâi-zăn became pregnant, And gave birth to our king Wăn.
This king Wăn, Watchfully and reverently, With entire intelligence served God, And so secured the great blessing. His virtue was without deflection; And in consequence he received (the allegiance of) the states from all quarters.
Heaven surveyed this lower world; And its appointment lighted (on king Wăn). In his early years, It made for him a mate[1];—On the north of the Hsiâ, On the banks of the Wei. When king Wăn would marry, There was the lady in a large state[2].
In a large state was the lady, Like a fair denizen of heaven. The ceremonies determined the auspiciousness (of the union)[3], And in person he met her on the Wei. Over it he made a bridge of boats; The glory (of the occasion) was illustrious.
The favouring appointment was from Heaven, Giving the throne to our king Wăn, In the capital of Kâu. The lady-successor was from Hsin, Its eldest daughter, who came to marry him. She was blessed to give birth to king Wû, Who was preserved, and helped, and received (also) the appoint-
- ↑ Heaven is here represented as arranging for the fulfilment of its purposes beforehand.
- ↑ The name of the state was Hsin, and it must have been near the Hsiâ and the Wei, somewhere in the south-east of the present Shen-hsî.
- ↑ 'The ceremonies' would be various; first of all, divination by means of the tortoise-shell.
