Sacred Texts  Confucianism 
Detail of 15th C.E. scroll by Chou Ch'en (Public Domain Image)
Detail of 15th C.E. scroll by Chou Ch'en (Public Domain Image)

The Book of Poetry

tr. by James Legge

[1876]
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This is the unabridged translation of the Book of Odes (the Shih Ching) by James Legge. Legge translated the Chinese Book of Odes, one of the Five Chinese Classics, in 1876. This edition, scanned from a reprint published in Shanghai in 1931, includes all of the English translations, as well as some of the introductory matter from the 1876 edition. It omits the Chinese text found in the original publications.

Legge also did all of the Chinese translations in the Sacred Books of the East series, including an abridged version of the Shih Ching in SBE 3.

Title Page
Preface
Introduction
Contents

Part I. Lessons from the States

Book I. The Odes of Chou and the South

I. Kuan Chü
II. Ko T‘an
III. Chüan Êrh
IV. Chiu Mu
V. Chung Ssŭ
VI. T‘ao Yao
VII. T‘u Chüeh
VIII. Fou I
IX. Han Kuang
X. Ju Fên
XI. Lin Chih Chih

Book II. The Odes of Shao and the South

I. Ch‘iao Ch‘ao
II. Ts‘ai Fan
III. Ts‘ao Ch‘ung
IV. Ts‘ai Pin
V. Kan T‘ang
VI. Hsing Lu
VII. Kao Yang
VIII. Yin Ch‘i Lei
IX. Piao Yu Mei
X. Hsiao Hsing
XI. Chiang Yu Ssŭ
XII. Yeh Yu Ssŭ Chün
XIII. Ho Pi Nung I
XIV. Tsou Yü

Book III. The Odes of P‘ei

I. Pai Chou
II. Lü I
III. Yen Yen
IV. Jih Yüeh
V. Chung Fêng
VI. Chi Ku
VII. K‘ai Fêng
VIII. Hsiung Chih
IX. P‘ao Yu K‘u Yeh
X. Ku Fêng
XI. Shih Wei
XII. Mao Ch‘iu
XIII. Chien Hsi
XIV. Ch‘üan Shui
XV. Pei Mên
XVI. Pei Fêng
XVII. Ching Nü
XVIII. Hsin T‘ai
XIX. Erh Tsŭ Ch‘êng Chou

Book IV. The Odes of Yung

I. Po Chou
II. Ch‘iang Yu T‘zŭ
III. Chün Tzŭ Chieh Lao
IV. Sang-chung
V. Shun Chih Pên Pên
VI. Ting Chih Fang Chung
VII. Ti Tung
VIII. Hsiang Shu
IX. Kan Mao
X. Tsai Ch‘ih

Book V. The Odes of Wei

I. Ch‘i Ao
II. K‘ao P‘an
III. Shih Jên
IV. Mêng
V. Chu Kan
VI. Huan Lan
VII. Ho Kuang
VIII. Po Hsi
IX. Yu Hu
X. Mu Kua

Book VI. The Odes of the Royal Domain

I. Shu Li
II. Chün Tzŭ Yü Yi
II. Chün Tzŭ Yang Yang
VI. Yang Chih Shui
V. Chung Ku Yu T‘ui
VI. T‘u Yüan
VII. Ko Lei
VIII. Ts‘ai Ko
IX. Ta Ch‘ê
X. Ch‘iu Chung Yu Ma

Book VII. The Odes of Chêng

I. Tzŭ I
II. Chiang Chung Tzŭ
III. Shu Yü T‘ien
IV. Ta Shu Yü T‘ien
V. Ch‘ing Jên
VI. Kao Ch‘iu
VII. Tsun Ta Lu
VIII. Nü Yüeh Chi Ming
IX. Yu Nü T‘ung Ch‘ê
X. Shan Yu Fu Su
XI. T‘o Hsi
XII. Chiao T‘ung
XIII. Ch‘ien Shang
XIV. Fêng
XV. Tung Mên Chih Shan
XVI. Fêng Yü
XVII. Tzŭ Chin
XVIII. Yang Chih Shui
XIX. Ch‘u Ch‘i Tung Mên
XX. Yeh Yu Man Ts‘ao
XXI. Chên Wei

Book VIII. The Odes of Ch‘i

I. Chi Ming
II. Hsüan
III. Chu
IV. Tung Fang Chih Jih
V. Tung Fang Wei Ming
VI. Nan Shan
VII. Fu T‘ien
VIII. Lu Ling
IX. Pi Kou
X. Tsai Ch‘ü
XI. I Chieh

Book IX. The Odes of Wei

I. Ko Chü
II. Fên Chü Ju
III. Yüan Yu T‘ao
IV. Chih Hu
V. Shih Mou Chih Chien
VI. Fa T‘an
VII. Shih Shu

Book X. The Odes of T‘ang

I. Hsi So
II. Shan Yu Ch‘u
III. Yang Chih Shui
IV. Chiao Liao
V. Ch‘ou Mou
VI. Ti Tu
VII. Kao Ch‘iu
VIII. Pao Yü
IX. Wu I
X. Yu Ti Chih Tu
XI. Ko Shêng
XII. Ts‘ai Ling

Book XI. The Odes of Ch‘in

I. Ch‘ê Lin
II. Ssŭ T‘ieh
III. Hsiao Jung
IV. Chien Chia
V. Chung Nan
VI. Huang Niao
VII. Ch‘ên Fêng
VIII. Wu I
IX. Wei Yang
X. Ch‘üan Yü

Book XII. The Odes of Ch‘ên

I. Yüan Ch‘iu
II. Tung Mên Chih Fên
III. Hêng Mên
IV. Tung Mên Chih Ch‘ih
V. Tung Mên Chih Yang
VI. Mu Mên
VII. Fang Yu Ch‘iao Ch‘ao
VIII. Yüeh Ch‘u
IX. Chu Lin
X. Tsê P‘o

Book XIII. The Odes of Kuei

I. Kao Ch‘iu
II. Su Kuan
III. Shih Yu Ch‘ang Ts‘oo
IV. Fei Fêng

Book XIV. The Odes of Ts‘ao

I. Fou Yu
II. Hou Jên
III. Shih Chiu
IV. Hsia Ch‘üan

Book XV. The Odes of Pin

I. Ch‘i Yüeh
II. Ch‘ih Hsiao
III. Tung Shan
IV. P‘o Fu
V. Fa Ko
VI. Chiu Yü
VII. Lang Po

Part II. Minor Odes of the Kingdom

Book I. Decade of Lu Ming

I. Lu Ming
II. Ssŭ Mu
III. Huang Huang Chê Hua
IV. Chang Ti
V. Fa Mu
VI. T‘ien Pao
VII. Ts‘ai Wei
VIII. Ch‘u Ch‘ê
IX. Ti Tu
X. Nan Kai (lost)

Book II. The Decade of Pai Hua

I. Pai Hua (lost)
II. Hua Shu (lost)
III. Yü Li
IV. Yu Kêng (lost)
V. Nan Yu Chia Yü
VI. Ch‘ung Ch‘iu (lost)
VII. Nan Shan Yu T‘ai
VIII. Yu I (lost)
IX. Liao Hsiao
X. Chan Lu

Book III. The Decade of T‘ung Kung

I. T‘ung Kung
II. Ching Ching Chê O
III. Lu Yüeh
IV. Ts‘ai Ch‘i
V. Ch‘ê Kung
VI. Chi Jih
VII. Hung Yen
VIII. T‘ing Liao
IX. Mien Shui
X. Ho Ming

Book IV. The Decade of Ch‘i Fu

I. Ch‘i Fu
II. Pai Chü
III. Huang Niao
IV. Wo Hsing Ch‘i Yeh
V. Ssŭ Kan
VI. Wu Yang
VII. Chieh Nan Shan
VIII. Chêng Yüeh
IX. Shih Yüeh Chih Chiao
X. Yü Wu Chêng

Book V. The Decade of Hsiao Min

I. Hsiao Min
II. Hsiao Yüan
III. Hsiao Pien
IV. Ch‘iao Yen
V. Ho Jên Ssŭ
VI. Hsiang Pai
VII. Ku Fêng
VIII. Liao O
IX. Ta Tung
X. Ssŭ Yüeh

Book VI. The Decade of Pei Shan

I. Pei Shan
II. Wu Chiang Ta Ch‘ê
III. Hsiao Ming
IV. Ku Chung
V. Ch‘u Tz‘ŭ
VI. Hsin Nan Shan
VII. Fu T‘ien
VIII. Ta Tien
IX. Chan Pi Lo I
X. Shang Shang Chê Hua

Book VII. Decade of Sang Hu

I. Sang Hu
II. Yüan Yang
III. Kuei Pien
IV. Ch‘ê Hsia
V. Ch‘ing Ying
VI. Pin Chih Ch‘u Yen
VII. Yü Tsao
VIII. Ts’ai Shu
IV. Chio Kung
X. Yü Liu

Book VIII. The Decade of Tu Jên Shih

I. Tu Jên Shih
II. Ts‘ai Lu
III. Chu Miao
IV. Hsi Sang
V. Pai Hua
VI. Mien Man
VII. Hu Yeh
VIII. Chien Chien Chih Shih
IX. T‘iao Chih Hua
X. Ho Ts‘ao Pu Huang

Part III. Greater Odes of the Kingdom

Book I. Decade of King Wên

I. Wên Wang
II. Ta Ming
III. Mien
IV. Yü Po
V. Han Lu
VI. Ssŭ Ch‘i
VII. Huang I
VIII. Ling T‘ai
IX. Hsia Wu
X. Wên Wang Yu Shêng

Book II. Decade of Shêng Min

I. Shêng Min
II. Hsing Wei
III. Chi Tsui
IV. Fu I
V. Chia Lo
VI. Kung Liu
VII. Chiung Cho
VIII. Chüan O
IX. Min Lao
X. Pan

Book III. Decade of Tang

I. Tang
II. I
III. Sang Jou
IV. Yün Han
V. Sung Kao
VI. Chêng Min
VII. Han Yi
VIII. Chiang Han
IX. Chang Wu
X. Chan Ang
XI. Chao Min

Part IV. Odes of the Temple and the Altar

Book I. Sacrificial Odes of Chou

Section I. Decade of Ch‘ing Miao

I. Ch‘ing Miao
II. Wei T‘ien Chih Ming
III. Wei Ch‘ing
IV. Lieh Wên
T‘ien Tso
VI. Hao T‘ien Yu Ch‘êng Ming
VII. Wo Chiang
VIII. Shih Mai
IX. Chih Ching
X. Ssŭ Wên

Section II. The Decade of Ch‘ên Kung

I. Ch‘ên Kung
II. I Hsi
III. Chên Lu
IV. Fêng Nien
V. Yu Ku
VI. Ch‘ien
VII. Yung
VIII. Tsai Chien
IX. Yu K‘o
X. Wu

Section III. The Decade of Min Yü Hsiao Tzŭ

I. Min Yü Hsiao Tzŭ
II. Fang Lo
III. Ching Chih
IV. Hsiao Pi
V. Tsai Shan
VI. Liang Ssŭ
VII. Ssŭ I
VIII. Cho
IX. Huan
X. Lai
XI. Pan

Book II. The Praise Odes of Lu

I. Kung
II. Yu Pi
III. P‘an Shui
IV. Pi Kung

Book III. The Sacrificial Odes of Shang

I. Na
II. Lieh Tsu
III. Hsüan Niao
IV. Ch‘ang Fa
V. Yin Wu