Book of Songs Mao 209
 
Thick grows the star-thistle;
We must clear away its prickly clumps.
From of old what have we been doing?
We grow wine-millet and cooking-millet,
Our wine-millet, a heavy crop;
Our cooking-millet doing well.
Our granaries are all full,
for our stacks were in their millions,
To make wine and food,
To make offering, to make prayer-offering,
That we may have peace, that we may have ease,
That every blessing may be vouchsafed
 
In due order, treading cautiously,
We purify your oxen and sheep.
We carry out the rice-offering, the harvest offering,
Now baking, now boiling,
Now setting out an arranging,
Praying and sacrificing at the gate.
Very hallowed was this service of offering;
Very mighty the forefathers.
The Spirit and Protectors have accepted;
The pious descendent shall have happiness,
They will reward him with great blessings,
With span of years unending.
 
We mind the furnaces, treading softly;
Attend to the food-stands so tall,
For roast meat, for broiled meat.
Our lord's lady hard at work
Sees to the dishes, so many,
Needed for guests, for strangers.
Healths and pledges go round,
Every custom and rite is observed,
Every smile, every word is in place.
The Spirits and Protectors will surely come
And requite us with great blessings,
Countless years of life as our reward.
 
Very hard have we striven
That the rites might be without mistake.
The skillful recitant conveys the message,
Goes and gives it to the pious son:
Fragrant were your pious offerings,
The Spirits enjoyed their drink and food.
The assign to you a hundred blessings.
According to their hopes, to their rules,
All was orderly and swift,
All was straight and sure.
For ever they will bestow upon you good store;
Myriads and tens of myriads.
 
The rites have all been accomplished,
The bells and drums are ready.
The pious son goes to his seat
And the skillful recitant conveys the message:
'The Spirits are all drunk.'
The august Dead One then rises
And is seen off with drums and bells;
The Spirits and Protectors have gone home.
Then the stewards and our lord's lady
Clear the dishes with all speed,
While the uncles and brothers
All go off to the lay feast.
 
The musicians go in and play,
That after-blessings may be secured.
Your viands are passed round;
No one is discontented, all are happy;
They are drunk, they are sated.
Small and great all bow their heads:
'The Spirits,' they say, 'enjoyed their drink and food
And will give our lord a long life.
He will be very favored and blessed,
And because nothing was left undone,
By son's sons and grandson's grandsons
Shall his line be for ever continued.  


Mao 220
The guests are taking their seats;
To left, to right they range themselves.
The food-baskets and dishes are in their rows,
With dainties and kernels displayed.
The wine is soft and good,
It is drunk very peaceably.
The bells and drums are set,
The brimming pledge-cup is raised.
The great target is put up,
The bows and arrows are matched.
'Present your deeds of archery,
Shoot at that mark
That you may be rewarded with the cup.'
 
Fluting they dance to reed-organ and drum,
All the instruments perform in concert
As an offering to please the glorious ancestors,
That the rites may be complete.
For when all the rites are perfect,
Grandly, royally done,
The ancestors bestow great blessings;
Sons and grandsons may rejoice,
May rejoice and make music:
'Let each of you display his art.'
The guests then receiver the pledge-cup,
The house-men enter anew
And fill that empty cup,
That you may perform your songs.
 
When the guests first take their seats,
How decorous they are, how reverent!
While they are still sober
Their manner is dignified and correct;
But when they are drunk
Their manner is utterly changed.
They leave their seats and roam,
Cut capers, throw themselves about.
While they are still sober
Their manner is dignified and grave;
But when they are drunk
It becomes unseemly and rude;
For when people are drunk
They do not know what misdemeanors the commit.
 
When guests are drunk
They howl and bawl,
Upset my baskets and dishes,
Cut capers, lilt and lurch.
For when people are drunk
They do not know what blunders they commit.
Cap on one side, very insecure,
The cut capers lascivious.
If when they got drunk they went out,
Then they would receive the blessing like the rest
But if they get drunk and stay,
The power of the feast is spoilt.
Drinking wine is very lucky,
Provided it is done with decency.
 
It is always the same when wine is drunk;
Some are tipsy, some are not.
So we appoint a master of ceremonies,
Or choose someone as recorder.
'That drunk man is not behaving nicely;
He is making the sober feel uncomfortable.
Pray do not mention at random
Things that do not belong together, that are quite silly.
What are not real words do not say;
What leads nowhere, do not speak of,
Led on by drunkenness in your talk.
Bringing out "rams" and "hornless" side by side.
After three cups you don't know what you are saying;
What will become of you if you insist on taking more?'