University of Virginia Library

God has reversed [His usual course of procedure] ,
And the lower people are full of distress .
The words which you utter are not right ;
The plans which you form are not far-reaching .
As there are not sages , you think you have no guidance ;
You have no reality in your sincerity .
[Thus] your plans do not reach far ,
And I therefore strongly admonish you .

Heaven is now sending down calamities ;—
Do not be so complacent .
Heaven is now producing such movements ;—
Do not be so indifferent .
If your words were harmonious ,
The people would become untied .
If your words were gentle and kind ,
The people would be settled .

Though my duties are different from yours ,
I am your fellow-servant .
I come to advise with you ,
And you hear me with contemptuous indifference .
My words are about the [present urgent] affairs ;—
Do not think them matter for laughter .
The ancients had a saying :—
'Consult the grass and firewood-gatherers . '

Heaven is now exercising oppression ;—
Do not in such a way make a mock of things .
An old man , [I speak] with entire sincerity ;
But you , my juniors , are full of pride .
It is not that my words are those of age ,
But you make a joke of what is sad .
But the troubles will multiply like flames ,
Till they are beyond help or remedy .

Heaven is now displaying its anger ;—
Do not be either boastful or flattering ,.
Utterly departing from all propriety of demeanour ,
Till good men are reduced to personators of the dead .
The people now sigh and groan ,
And we dare not examine [into the causes of their trouble] .
The ruin and disorder are exhausting all their means of living ,
And we show no kindness to our multitudes .

Heaven enlightens the people ,
As the bamboo flute responds to the porcelain whistle ;
As two half maces form a whole one ;
As you take a thing , and bring it away in your hand ,
Bringing it away without any more ado .
The enlightenment of the people is very easy .
They have [now] many perversities ;—
Do not you set up your perversity [before them] .

Good men are a fence ;
The multitudes of the people are a wall ;
Great States are screens ;
Great Families are buttresses ;
The cherishing of virtue secures repose ;
The circle of [the king's] Relatives is a fortified wall .
We must not let the fortified wall get destroyed ;
We must not let him solitary be consumed with terrors .

Revere the anger of Heaven ,
And presume not to make sport or be idle .
Revere the changing moods of Heaven ,
And presume not to drive about [at your pleasure] .
Great Heaven is intelligent ,
And is with you in all your goings .
Great Heaven is clear-seeing ,
And is with you in your wandering and indulgences .