東皇太一

Dōng huáng tàiyī

The Nine Odes [the supreme God]

吉日兮辰良，穆將愉兮上皇。
jírì xī chén liáng, mù jiāng yú xī shànghuáng.

Great moment, fortunate day , to please you genuinely, we come with grace

撫長劍兮玉珥，璆鏘鳴兮琳琅。
Fǔ zhǎng jiàn xī yù ěr, qiú qiāng míng xī línláng.

Clattering the accessory jade, the sword strikes so bright.

瑤席兮玉瑱，盍將把兮瓊芳。
Yáo xí xī yù zhèn, hé jiāng bǎ xī qióng fāng

Jade mattresses we're on, placing blossoms in fragrance front.

蕙肴蒸兮蘭藉，奠桂酒兮椒漿。
Huì yáo zhēng xī lán jí, diàn guì jiǔ xī jiāo jiāng.

Meat with orchid which we lay, with wine and meal in osmanthus spice.

揚枹兮拊鼓，疏緩節兮安歌，陳竽瑟兮浩倡。
Yáng bāo xī fǔ gǔ, shū huǎn jié xī ān gē, chén yú sè xī hào chàng.

Level the drumstick and sing loud songs, the rhythm’s yet leisure, slow and
sound. Yu and Se[ two traditional Chinese instruments] are melodious;

靈偃蹇兮姣服，芳菲菲兮滿堂。
Líng yǎn jiǎn xī jiāo fú, fāng fēifēi xī mǎntáng.

and how beautiful are the dancers[refer to the dancers of the ceremony only] in
those dons, the aroma fills fully up the space,

五音紛兮繁會，君欣欣兮樂康。
Wǔyīn fēn xī fán huì, jūn xīnxīn xī lè kāng.

Five notes[the five notes: an Ancient Chinese way of scaling pitch] played
altogether, sincerely, to your health and gay