The Sixth Month
The poem "Sixth Month" extols King Xuan of Zhou’s northern campaign against the Xianyun. When "Deer Cry" is discarded, harmony and joy are lacking; when "Four Steeds" is discarded, the rites between ruler and minister are lacking; when "Brilliant Blossoms" is discarded, loyalty and trust are lacking; when "Cherry Tree" is discarded, brotherly affection is lacking; when "Felling Trees" is discarded, friendship among associates is lacking; when "Heavenly Protection" is discarded, blessings and emoluments are lacking; when "Picking Thorn Ferns" is discarded, military expeditions are lacking; when "Chariot Dispatch" is discarded, merits and achievements are lacking; when "Pear Tree" is discarded, army morale is lacking; when "Fish in Shoals" is discarded, legal standards are lacking; when "Southern Ridge" is discarded, filial piety and fraternal love are lacking; when "White Blossoms" is discarded, integrity and shame are lacking; when "Millet Grain" is discarded, reserves and stores are lacking; when "By the Ridge" is discarded, the balance of yin and yang loses its order; when "Fine Fish in the South" is discarded, the worthy are unsettled, and the people find no proper place; when "Lofty Mound" is discarded, all things fail to flourish; when "Mountain Terrace" is discarded, the state’s foundation is ruined; when "By the Path" is discarded, all things lose their proper pattern; when "Artemisia Shrubs" is discarded, favor and grace become disordered; when "Heavy Dew" is discarded, the various states become estranged; when "Red Bows" is discarded, the central states decline; when "Lush Rat-Tail Grass" is discarded, ritual propriety ceases to exist; when the "Lesser Odes" are all discarded, the four barbarian tribes invade from all sides, and the central states fall into decay.
In the sixth month, all is bustle,
War chariots are made ready.
Four stallions, strong and stout,
Carry our daily uniforms.
The Xianyun’s fury is fierce,
Thus we act with urgency.
The Zhou king orders the campaign,
To restore our king’s domain.
Four black horses are chosen,
Trained to meet the standard.
In this very sixth month,
Our uniforms are completed.
Our uniforms are made,
Marching thirty li each day.
The Zhou king orders the campaign,
To aid the Son of Heaven.
Four stallions, tall and long,
Their frames are truly majestic.
We campaign against the Xianyun,
To establish great achievements.
Both dignified and reverent,
Together we undertake the task.
Together we undertake the task,
To secure the Zhou king’s domain.
The Xianyun, recklessly bold,
Have occupied the land of Jiaohu.
They invade Hao and Fang,
Reaching as far as Jingyang.
Our banners bear bird patterns,
White flags flutter brightly.
Large chariots, ten in number,
Lead the way forward.
The war chariots are steady,
Their frames balanced high and low.
Four stallions are now strong,
Both strong and well-trained.
We campaign against the Xianyun,
Pressing on to Taiyuan.
Yin Jifu, both civil and martial,
Is a model for all states.
Yin Jifu holds a feast,
Having received many blessings.
He returns from Hao,
Our march has been lengthy.
He feasts his many friends,
With roasted turtle and sliced carp.
Who are seated there?
Zhang Zhong, filial and fraternal.
"Sixth Month" has six stanzas, each with eight lines.