conversation to bring out fully its meaning. They spoke of the duties between father and son, ruler and minister, elders and juniors. This union (of the conversation) with the highest description of virtue in the piece constituted the greatest feature of the ceremony.
21. Below (in the court-yard), the flute-players played the tune of the Hsiang[1], while the Tâ-wû was danced, all uniting in the grand concert according to their parts, giving full development to the spirit (of the music), and stimulating the sense of virtue. The positions of ruler and minister, and the gradations of noble and mean were correctly exhibited, and the respective duties of high and low took their proper course.
22. The officers having announced that the music was over, the king then charged the dukes, marquises, earls, counts, and barons, with all the officers, saying, "Return, and nourish the aged and the young[2] in your eastern schools." Thus did he end (the ceremony) with (the manifestation of) benevolence.
23. The above statements show how the sage (sovereign) bore in mind the various steps (of this ceremony)[3]. He anxiously thought of it as its
greatness deserved; his love for the aged was blended
- ↑ "Hsiang" was the name of a piece of music played to the dance Tâ-wû, in memory of the kings Wǎn and Wû. It is hardly possible to give any more detailed description either of the piece or of the dance.
- ↑ "The young" is supposed to be an interpolation.
- ↑ This sentence is difficult. Callery translates it:—"En vue de tout cela l'empereur vertueux repasse dans sa mémoire ce que (les anciens) ont fait (pour honorer la vieillesse, afin de les imiter)."
