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all photos by Public Domain
A Ming
Dynasty-era
depiction of
King Wen
of Zhou
(周文王).
The Union of King Wen and Queen Tai Si
A Qing
Dynasty-era
depiction of
Queen Tai Si
(太姒).
The Mandate of Heaven, an
Auspicious Marriage, and
China’s Longest Dynasty
By Leo Timm | Epoch Times Staff
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T
he “Classic of Poetry” contains the earliest known examples of Chinese literature. While its 300-odd poems, odes,
and songs were compiled by the sage
Confucius, the lyrics themselves come from different regions and social strata that made up the
early Zhou Dynasty (1046 B.C.–771 B.C.). Depicted are the lives of men and women, lovers
and workers, peasants and rulers.
Confucius (孔子) (551 B.C.–479 B.C.), who
greatly admired the beliefs and customs of the
Zhou people and kingdom, collected the works
in order to record the ways of the ancients and to
guide the scholars and leaders of his own generation toward a path of righteousness.
Though by now less well-known as compared
to the later work of the Tang and Song Dynasty
poets, the “Classic” holds key
value if we are to understand
the world in which the great
classical philosophers and
teachers of ancient China
lived.
The first poem in the “Classic of Poetry”, the “Cry of the
Ospreys”, is a romantic work
that describes the marriage of
the founding Zhou Dynasty
monarch, King Wen(周文王),
to the princess Tai Si(太姒).
According to some scholars,
this virtuous, auspicious
union laid the foundation for
800 years of Zhou rule— the
Even with the
sensual and
romantic element
of the poem, it
becomes clear that
there are other
considerations at
work.
38 November 6–19, 2015
longest reign in Chinese history.
All poems cited in this article are translated
from “Book of Poetry”, by 19th-century Scottish
sinologist James Legge, and posted on the Chinese Text Project website.
‘Cry of the Ospreys’
Guan-guan go the ospreys,
On the islet in the river.
The modest, retiring, virtuous, young lady:
For our prince a good mate she.
Here long, there short, is the duckweed,
To the left, to the right, borne about by the current.
The modest, retiring, virtuous, young lady:
Waking and sleeping, he sought her.
He sought her and found her not,
And waking and sleeping he thought about
her.
Long he thought; oh! long and anxiously;
On his side, on his back, he turned, and back
again.
Here long, there short, is the duckweed;
On the left, on the right, we gather it.
The modest, retiring, virtuous, young lady:
With lutes, small and large, let us give her
friendly welcome.
Here long, there short, is the duckweed;
On the left, on the right, we cook and present
it.
The modest, retiring, virtuous, young lady:
With bells and drums let us show our delight
in her.
One prominent traditional commentary about “Cry
of the Ospreys” can be found in a Han Dynasty literary collection called the “Mao Shi”, which contains
notes to works in the “Classic of Poetry”. According
to this commentary, the romantic poem, which refers
to Tai Si and King Wen’s falling in love and marriage,
is meant to expound “virtues of the queen”.
Even with the sensual and romantic element of the
poem, it becomes clear that there are other considerations at work.
The duckweed is a sacred plant that traditionally
symbolised virtue and was used in ancient Chinese
religious rites. The “modest, retiring, virtuous, young
lady” refers to a woman of great virtue and refinement
in addition to physical beauty.
The various instruments featured in the verses reflect the majestic nature of the union, as the drum
and bell were, in those times, only considered fit for
ceremonial use by nobles.
As for the ospreys, they were said to take only one
mate, and the Chinese looked up to them as a symbol
of marital fidelity.
Marital Life and the Virtue of Propriety
As the family is traditionally considered the cornerstone of Chinese society, proper marital relations
were taken very seriously. Legend holds that in mythical times, the emperor Fu Xi created the sacred rites
of marriage, offering humanity the stability of civilised life.
According to Confucius, upright governance rested
upon a foundation of upright conduct between men
and women. This ties into the sage’s teachings on the
cardinal virtue of propriety (礼 lǐ), which includes
the observance of established customs and rites.
To maintain propriety, Confucius believed that
one should not give in to one’s primitive wants and
desires. He once described the myriad works in his
“Classic of Poetry” in one line: “not lustful in joy, nor
self-destructive in sorrow”.
In other words, maintaining moderation was key,
and propriety served as a necessary buffer between
baser human emotional desires. Propriety was the
enlightened reason that could bring stability and harmony.
How did the auspicious union of
King Wen of Zhou and Queen Tai
Si bring good fortune to the Zhou
Dynasty? To find out, visit the link
below for the rest of the article!
http://goo.gl/hnsxeb