Hymn in Praise of the Holy Sovereign's (聖皇) Morning Offering (朝享) at the Grand Shrine (大廟) — with a preface聖皇朝享大廟頌幷序
1Preface
臣伏覩聖上陛下某月某日朝享大廟。某日御儀鳳樓大赦。於是內外白衣諸生。序立闕庭。各進謠頌。仰歌聖德。臣以右拾遺扈從。親覩盛禮。臣本諸生。擬諸生所進。謹成聖皇朝享大廟頌一篇。但慙赧惶恐。不能自獻。庶有以達于天聽者。臣無任戰懼隕越之至云云。其詞曰。
Your servant humbly observed that His Majesty the Holy Sovereign made the morning offering at the Grand Shrine on such a day of such a month, and on such a day went up to the Uibong Tower (儀鳳樓) and granted a great amnesty. Thereupon the students in white robes, from within the capital and from without, stood in their order in the palace courtyard and each offered up a song or a hymn, singing up to the virtue of the Sovereign. Your servant, as Right Rectifier of Omissions (右拾遺), attended the progress and saw the splendid rite with his own eyes. Your servant was himself a student at the outset, and so, matching what those students offered up, he has humbly made one piece, 「A Hymn on the Holy Sovereign's Morning Offering at the Grand Shrine」. Only, being abashed and afraid, he cannot present it himself, and hopes there may be someone to bring it to the royal ear. Your servant cannot contain his trembling and his dread. And so forth. Its words are these.
Interlinear notes 1
乙亥年
This was the Eulhae year.
2Hymn
於穆聖皇。允文允虎。荷天眷命。受內禪于寧考。繼明炤臨。如日之煦。億兆蒼生。歌詠抃舞。咸曰我聖皇之代。何物不得所。我耕我田。有黍有稌。有繭斯繰。有麻斯漚。寒焉是衣。飢焉是哺。我與爺孃。及我童孺。伏臘作脯。宰豚烹羖。何以樂之。瓦缶是鼓。寧有橫征。俾予窮窶。寧有軍興。俾我赴募。帝謂元臣。自朕卽祚。凡今三年。猶未謁宗廟之主。爾速董事。克辨乃奏。元臣聽命。唯唯傴僂。爰督有司。講譯典故。靈臺汰日。始駕玉輅。八鑾和鳴。六駿齊驟。格止淸廟。齋寢祕宇。黎明薦享。六瑚八簠。何謂一元大虎。曰角握之牡。嘉玉量幣。罔不畢具。龍衮升階。繩繩雲步。百辟卿士。冕玉縷縷。昭穆布位。右孫尤祖。登歌始作。吹擊搏拊。萬舞堂下。執翿執羽。祖考醉止。介以繁祜。其祜維何。嗣孫萬壽。已事而跋。禮無違矩。駕還大內。頌聲載路。迺御端門。德音是布。挺解囹囚。蠲除戶賦。無重無輕。洗雪廢錮。民咸曰。我聖皇是民之父母。孝祀祖宗。惟百福是受。燕及生民。德洋恩普。嗟我父老。咸喜及覯。願億載萬年。永有九土。臣聞諸師。又考于古。王者受命。鳳麟何補。惟得民讙。瑞莫與偶。臣以拾遺。聖駕是扈。釐事之煕。洗目親覩。作爲雅詞。庶補樂府。噫乎韙哉。千載一遇。
Ah, how fair is the Holy Sovereign, truly in letters (文) and truly in arms (武). He has received the mandate of Heaven's regard, handed down to him within the palace by the late king who dwelt at ease. His carrying on of the brightness and shining down upon us is like the warmth of the sun. The teeming people, a hundred million, sing and clap their hands and dance. All say that in the age of our Holy Sovereign what thing has not found its place? We plough our own fields, and there is millet and there is glutinous rice. When there are cocoons we reel the thread, when there is hemp we steep it in water. When it is cold we clothe ourselves with this, when we hunger we feed ourselves with this. I and my father and mother and our children too, on the dog days and at the year's end cut strips of dried meat, slaughter the pig and boil the goat. With what do we make merry? We beat upon the earthenware drum. How should there be any levying at will to bring us to want? How should there be any raising of troops to send us off to the muster? The king said to his elder minister: 「Since I came to the throne three years have now gone by in all, and I have not yet paid my respects to the tablets of the ancestral shrine. Do you quickly take charge of the matter and be able to report it fully prepared.」 The elder minister heard the command and, bowing low, said Yes, yes. Thereupon he urged on the officials in charge, and they studied out and expounded the old precedents. At the Spirit Terrace (靈臺) a day was chosen, and at last he mounted the jade carriage. The eight bells rang out in harmony, and the six fine horses galloped abreast. Arriving at the pure shrine, he entered the chamber of purification, that hidden house. At daybreak the offering was made: six hu (瑚) and eight bo (簠) vessels. What is it that is called the one great ox? A bull, they say, whose horn is a handful. Fine jade and the measured gifts of silk — of these there was nothing not fully provided. The dragon robe went up the steps, and in a line they walked as if upon clouds. Of the hundred officers and the ministers (卿士) the beads of the ceremonial caps hung thick. The places were set out in the somok order (昭穆), grandsons on the right and grandfathers on the left. The ascending song (登歌) first sounded, and they blew and struck and beat. The Manmu dance (萬舞) below the hall held the feathered canopies and held the plumes. The grandfathers and the fathers were made drunk and helped us with abundant blessing. And what is that blessing? Ten thousand years of life for the grandson who succeeds. When the business was finished and they withdrew, the rite had nowhere broken the measure. As the carriage returned to the palace, the sound of praise filled the roads. Thereupon he went up to the Danmun Gate (端門) and spread abroad his gracious words. Those shut up in prison were set free, the taxes of the households were lightened, and without regard to heavy or light those barred from office (廢錮) were washed clean. The people all say: 「Our Holy Sovereign is the father and mother of the people. Sacrificing to his ancestors in filial duty, he shall receive none but the hundred blessings. His feasting reaches even to the common people, his virtue overflows and his bounty is everywhere.」 Ah, we old men, all of us glad to have lived to see it, wish that for a hundred million years he may long hold all the land. Your servant heard it from his teacher, and has looked besides into the matters of old: when one who rules as king receives the mandate, what help are the phoenix and the qilin (麟)? It is only the winning of the people's gladness, and no portent can be matched with this. Your servant, as Rectifier of Omissions, attended upon the royal carriage, and the splendour of the rite's completion he washed his eyes and saw for himself. He has made a seemly piece of writing and hopes it may be added to the music office. Ah, how admirable it is — a thing met with once in a thousand years.