明明在下。 The illustration of illustrious [virtue] is required below,
赫赫在上。 And the dread majesty is on high.
天難忱斯。 Heaven is not readily to be relied on;
不易維王。 It is not easy to be king.
天位殷適。 Yin’s rightful heir to the heavenly seat,
使不挾四方。 Was not permitted to possess the kingdom.
摯仲氏任。 Ren, the second of the princesses of Zhi,
自彼殷商。 From [the domain of] Yin-shang,
來嫁于周。 Came to be married to the prince of Zhou,
曰嬪于京。 And because his wife in his capital,
乃及王季。 Both she and king Ji,
維德之行。 Were entirely virtuous.
大任有身。 [Then] Da-ren became pregnant,
生此文王。 And gave birth to our king Wen.
維此文王。 This king Wen,
小心翼翼。 Watchfully and reverently,
昭事上帝。 With entire intelligence served God,
聿懷多福。 And so secured the great blessing.
厥德不回。 His virtue was without deflection;
以受方國。 And in consequence he received [the allegiance of] the States from all quarters.
天監在下。 Heaven surveyed this lower world;
有命既集。 And its appointment lighted [on king Wen].
文王初載。 In his early years,
天作之合。 It made for him a mate; --
在洽之陽。 On the north of the Qia;
在渭之涘。 On the banks of the Wei.
文王嘉止。 When king Wen would wive,
大邦有子。 There was the lady in a large State.
大邦有子。 In a large State was the lady,
俔天之妹。 Like a fair denizen of Heaven.
文定厥祥。 The ceremonies determined the auspiciousness [of the union].
親迎于渭。 And in person he met her on the Wei.
造舟為梁。 Over it he made a bridge of boats; --
不顧其光。 The glory [of the occasion] was illustrious.
有命自天。 The favouring appointment was from Heaven,
命此文王。 Giving the throne to our king Wen,
于周于京。 In the capital of Zhou.
纘女維莘。 The lady-successor was from Xin,
長子維行。 Its eldest daughter, who came to marry him.
篤生武王。 She was blessed to give birth to king Wu,
保右命爾。 Who was preserved, and helped, and received also the appointment,
燮伐大商。 And in accordance with it smote the great Shang.
殷商之旅。 The troops of Yin-shang,
其會如林。 Were collected like a forest,
矢于牧野。 And marshalled in the wilderness of Mu.
維予侯興。 We rose [to the crisis]; --
上帝臨女。 ‘God is with you, ‘ [said Shang-fu to the king],
無貳爾心。 ‘Have no doubts in your heart. ‘
牧野洋洋。 The wilderness of Mu spread out extensive;
檀車煌煌。 Bright shone the chariots of sandal;
駟騵彭彭。 The teams of bays, black-maned and white-bellied, galloped along;
維師尚父。 The grand-master Shang-fu,
時維鷹揚。 Was like an eagle on the wing,
涼彼武王。 Assisting king Wu,
肆伐大商。 Who at one onset smote the great Shang.
會朝清明。 That morning’s encounter was followed by a clear bright [day].
