2010: Year of Metal Tiger 庚寅金虎2010年

The Chinese New Year celebration – known also as the Spring Festival – begins this year on February 14 (New Year’s Day) and culminates on February 28 (the 15th day of the first lunar month) with the Lantern Festival. According to Chinese astrology, this year is the year of the Metal Tiger. There are twelve animals in the Chinese zodiac and five elements, which means that the last Metal Tiger year was sixty years ago, in 1950.

There are therefore two important concepts associated with the Chinese calendar – the animals in the Chinese zodiac, the metal in the five elements (wuxing).

The Tiger is one of the most beautiful creatures on the planet, and is feared and revered in equal measure. It features in many Asian cultures as a manifestation of courage, power, passion and royalty. The Tiger is therefore a natural born leader and symbolizes power, passion and daring. Words associated with tiger are, among others, courageous, active, self-assured, optimistic, passionate, independent, rebellious, dynamic, and unpredictable, quick tempered but considerate, affectionate but careless.

Tigers are fond of competitions. They simply cannot pass up a challenge. They may appear cool and are unpredictable, and it would be unwise to underestimate their reactions.

The qualities associated with Metal are unyieldingness, rigidity, persistence, strength and determination. The Metal person is controlling, ambitious, forceful and set in their ways as metal is very strong; and they are self-reliant and prefer to handle their problems alone. The Metal person is also materialistic, business oriented and good at organization and stability. However the Metal person can also appreciate luxury and enjoy the good things in life. Just as metal can conduct electricity, the Metal person has strong impulses and generative powers and can bring about changes and transformations for those who come into contact with them. Metal is believed to govern the lungs, nose and skin. The negative emotion associated with Metal is grief, while the positive emotion is courage.

People who are born in the year of Tiger with the element of Metal are very quiet people. However, their innermost beings are the opposite. This makes them quite complicated but interesting in the meanwhile. Metal Tiger people hates naggers, they like to think things alone and calmly. However they are passionate about life. Metal Tiger people draws clear lines between work and private life. They never "bring works home". They can be very considerate to their partners. A Metal Tiger person enjoys power, but they know they have to work hard for it. Therefore, most of the people born in the Metal Tiger years can be successful in the later years.

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今年华人新年，或称春节，由2月14日（年初一）至庆祝高潮于2月28日（农历一月十五）的灯节。根据华人天文学，今年是金虎年。华人生肖中有十二动物，与五行；就是说，上一次的金虎年是在60年前，也就是1950年。
这里有两个重要的华人日历概念，华人生肖中的动物及五行。
老虎是世界上最美丽的生物，被人畏惧与敬重。在亚洲文化中，被认为是勇气、权力、热情及忠诚的象征。所以老虎是天生的领袖，象征权力、热情与果敢。与老虎相连的字词包括：勇敢、活跃、有把握、乐观、热情、独立、叛逆、活力、不可预测，暴躁而体贴，深情而粗心。
老虎喜爱竞争。他们就是不能放过挑战。它们看起来冷静与不可预测，所以不能低估它们的反应。
金元素的属性是倔强、僵直、坚持、有体力与决心。属金的人犹如金属般坚强，好控制、雄心勃勃与强而有力，同时墨守成规。他们自立，喜欢单独处理事务。但是，属金的人也很享受奢侈与人生中美好的东西。犹如金可传电，属金的人有冲力与感染力，可改变与他们有接触的人。一般相信金统管肺、鼻与皮肤。在精神上，属金的负面是多愁善感，它的正面情绪是有勇气。

出生于金虎年的人城府很深。但是，他们的内心却是相反的。这就令他们显得相当复杂与有趣。属金虎的人讨厌别人喋喋不休，喜欢单独冷静的思考。但是，他们对人生充满热情。他们从不把工作带回家。他们对他们的伙伴相当体贴。属金的人很享受权力，但是他们知道他们要很努力去争取权力。因此，出生于金虎年的人在他们的人生的后期会很成功。

Not Feeling Cold in Snowing Days 雨雪而不寒

During the Warring States (475-221 BC), Yanzi was an outstanding prime minister of the state of Qi. The following story is recorded in ‘The Stories of Yanzi’.

Once during the reign of King Jing (?-490 BC) in the State of Qi, it had been snowing for three days without break. The King, dressed in a white fox fur cape, was sitting in a porch on one side of the palace.

Yan Zi (? – 500 BC), the Prime Minister, came to see the King. After he stood before the King for a while, the King spoke to him, ‘Strange, it has been snowing for three days without break, but still I don’t feel cold.’ Yan Zi asked, ‘Is it actually not cold?’

The King smiled. Yanzi spoke out again, ‘I have heard that the ancient kings of virtue knew that the people were hungry while they themselves were full, that the people were cold while they were warm and that the people were exhausted by hard work while they were in comfort and at leisure. How could Your Majesty know nothing of these?’

The King said, ‘Well said and I appreciate it.’ So he ordered that clothing and food be provided to the hungry and cold, regardless of their nationality and family background. There was also no need to write down their names. All government officials were given two month food supply and the sick two year food supply.

On hearing the case, Confucius said, ‘Yanzi knows what he wants and King Jing does what he does best.’

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晏子为战国时期（公元前475-221)齐国宰相。以下故事来自《晏子春秋》。

景公之时，雨雪三日而不霁，公被狐白之裘，坐堂侧陛。

晏子入见，立有间，公曰：“怪哉！雨雪三日而不寒。”晏子对曰：“天不寒乎？”

公笑。晏子曰：“婴闻之，古之贤君，饱而知人之饥，温而知人之寒，逸而知人之劳，今君不知也。”

公曰：“善！寡人闻命矣。”乃令出裘发粟与饥寒者。今所睹于途者，无问其乡；所睹于里者，无问其家；循国计数，无言其名。士既事者兼月，疾者兼岁。

孔子闻之曰：“晏子能明其所欲，景公能行其所善也。”

Resist the Aggression in the Banquet 折冲樽俎

The Warring States Period in the Chinese history covers the period from 476 BC to the unification of China by the Qin Dynasty in 221 BC. It is considered to be the second part of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, following the Spring and Autumn Period. The Warring States period was a period when regional warlords annexed smaller states around them and consolidated their rule. The warlords had earlier called themselves dukes of the Zhou dynasty king; but now they began to call themselves kings, meaning they were equal to the Zhou king.

Here is a story happened during the Warring Period.

King Ping of Jin wanted to attack the state of Qi. He dispatched an officer Fan Zhao to observe the political situation in Qi.

King Jing of Qi treated Fan Zhao to a drink of wine. When they were happy to drink, Fan said to King Jing, ‘I wish to drink with your cup.’ King Jing said, ‘Pour for our guest with my cup, please.’ After Fan finished drinking the wine from his own cup, Prime Minister Yan Zi instructed the waiter, ‘Withdraw the cup of King Jing and poured the wine with the Fan's cup for him still’.

Fan pretended to be drunk and dance grouchily, and then said to the Viceroy: ‘Can you performance the music of the Son of Heaven Zhou for me? I will dance with the music!’ The Viceroy answered: ‘I have not learnt that.’

Fan left the banquet. Duke Jing questioned Yan Zi, ‘Jin is a big state! They dispatched their officer to observe us. How do we do if we peeved their envoy?’ Yan Zi replied, ‘Fan Zhao is not someone who does not know ceremonial rites. He put down our state purposely to test us, so I would not pour for him with your cup.’ King Jing then asked the Viceroy, ‘Why didn’t you play for him the music of the Son of Heaven Zhou?’ The Viceroy said: ‘The music of the Son of Heaven Zhou can only be enjoyed by the Son of Heaven and only kings can dance with the music. Fan Zhao only a minister and yet he wanted to dance with the music of the Son of Heaven, so I cannot perform for him."

After Fan returned Jin, he told King Ping of Jin, ‘We cannot attack the state of Qi. Yan Zi knew I wanted to put down their king and the Viceroy knew I wanted to put down their ceremonial rites.’

After hearing the story, Confucius said: "Resist the aggression of the faraway enemy in the banquet. He is Yan Zi."

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在中国历史里，战国时期，由公元前476年到公元前221年秦统一中国为止。它属于后周（东周），在春秋之后。战国时期各诸侯并吞临近小国来巩固自己政权。之前，诸侯自称为周朝之‘公’，现在却开始称王，意思是与周王平等。

以下是发生在战国时期的一个故事。

晋平公欲伐齐，使范昭往观焉。

景公赐之酒，酣，范昭曰：“愿诣君之樽酌。”公曰： “酌寡人之樽，进之于客。”范昭已饮，晏子曰：“彻樽更之，樽觯具矣。”

范昭佯醉，不悦而起舞，请太师曰：“能为我调成周之乐乎？吾为子舞之。”太师曰：“冥臣不习。”

范昭趋而出。 景公谓晏子曰：“晋大国也，使人来，将观吾政也。今子怒大国之使者，将奈何？”晏子曰：“夫范昭之为人，非陋而不识礼也，且欲试吾君臣，故绝之也。”景公谓太师曰： “子何不为客调成周之乐乎？”太师对曰：“夫成周之乐，天子之乐也，若调之，必人主舞之。今范昭人臣也，而欲舞天子之乐，臣故不为也。”

范昭归以告平公曰：“齐未可伐也。臣欲试其君，而晏子识之；臣欲犯其礼，而太师知之。”

仲尼闻之曰：“夫不出于樽俎之间，而知千里之外,其晏子之谓也，可谓折衝矣。”

Aping the Beauty's Frown 丑女效颦

The most famous unlovely woman in China is a fabled one -- Dong Shi.

It was told by Zhuangzi – a Daoist philosopher who lived around 400 BC. He challenged Confucius' concepts of feudal laws and proprieties and contended that Confucius abided by laws and proprieties of the former Zhou dynasty that were unsuited to the current time and rule. He believed that conventions should be adapted to their times, as failure to do so would be as ridiculous as boating on land or dressing a monkey.

The story of Dong Shi is an example Zhuangzi gave to back up his argument, demonstrating that what made Dong Shi grotesque was not primarily her visage but her crude imitation. As time passed, the philosopher's reasoning on rule of state fell into oblivion, but his story of Dong Shi evolved into the household fable, a warning to people not to ape others.

Mencius is quoted as saying more than 2,000 years ago: ‘A rich and splendid spirit is beautiful.’ This opinion coincides with modern aesthetics. Real beauty exudes from the inner rather than the superficial self, and can stand the test of time.

Below is the fable told by Zhuangzi.

Xi Shi, a famous beauty, had a pain in her bosom, so she had a frown on her face when she went out.

An ugly girl who lived nearby saw her and thought she looked very beautiful. Therefore when she went home, she also put her hands on her bosom and had a frown on her face.

When a rich man in the neighbourhood saw her, he shut his doors tightly and did not go out. When a poor man saw her, he took his wife and children and gave her a wide berth.

The ugly lady only knew Xi Shi's frown looked beautiful but she did not know the reason for its beauty.

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最不令人喜爱的一个中国女人是一个寓言中的人物东施。

这是一个大约生活于公元前四世纪的道家哲学家庄子所说的寓言。庄子挑战孔子的封建法律与礼仪的概念，而认为孔子所尊赞的前朝周代的法律与礼仪并不适用于当时的时代与执政。他相信习俗应随时代而改变，不然，就好像路上行舟或为猴子穿衣那样荒谬。

以东施为例来支持他的论点，显示使东施丑怪的并不是她的容貌，而是肤浅的模仿。随着时间的过去，哲学家有关治理国家的理论已被遗忘，可是他的故事却成为家户喻晓的寓言，警劝人们不要一味模仿他人。

孟子就被引用在两千年前说过，‘充实谓之美’。这个说法与现代美学观点相符合。真正的美来自内心而不是表面的我，它能经历得起时间的考验。

下面是庄子所说的寓言。

西施病心而颦。

其里之丑人，见而美之，归亦捧心而颦。

其里之富人见之，坚闭门而不出；贫人见之，挈妻子而去之走。

彼知颦美，而不知颦之所以美。

Kua Fu Chasing the Sun 夸父追日

As conventionally used, ‘myth’ means one of two things: (1) stories of the gods or the creation of the world, things lying wholly in the supernatural domain, or (2) exaggerated or invented stories of humans or human events. Chinese myths are mostly of the second type. China does not, for example, see law as the gift of some deity, but as instituted by some culture heroes, men or women who triumph over obstacles.

Heroes are not all-powerful and immortal beings. Instead they represent the best of what it means to be human, demonstrating great strength, courage, wisdom, cleverness, or devotion.

One of those heroes in Chinese mythology is Kua Fu. The story of Kua Fu chasing the Sun has become the trope of man's determination and volition against nature. However, in modern day Chinese usage, the story of Kua Fu chasing the sun is used to describe a person who fails to obtain his goal because he greatly overestimates himself.

The story is Kua Fu is recorded in the ‘Classic of Mountains and Seas (Shan Hai Jing)’.

Kua Fu had a race with the Sun. He chased and got very close to the Sun, when he was too thirsty and hot to continue.

He drank all the water from the Yellow River and Wei River, but he still felt thirsty and hot. So, he marched northward for the lakes in the north of China. Unfortunately, he fell down and died halfway because of thirst.

He dropped his walking stick which turned into a stretch of peach, green and lush.

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一般上，神话用来表述两种事件：1。超自然的东西，如世界的创造、神的故事，或2。夸张的或创作出的有关人类或人类事件的故事。中国神话大多是第二类的故事。华人不认为规律是神鬼赠送的礼物，而认为是那些战胜自然障碍的英雄所制定的。

英雄并不是战无不胜、长生不老的生物。相反的，他们代表了人类意义中最完美的，先是强大的力量、勇气、智慧、智力与献身精神。

夸父就是中国神话中的一个英雄。‘夸父追日’的故事代表了人类要战胜自然的决心与意志。但是，现代华文用法却把《夸父追日》用来形容一个人由于自视过高而不能达到目的。

这个故事出自《山海经》。

夸父与日逐走，入日；渴，欲得饮，饮于河、渭；河、渭不足，北饮大泽。未至，道渴而死。弃其杖，化为邓林。

Mark the Boat to Find the Lost Sword 刻舟求剑

The Chinese proverb ‘Mark the Boat to Find the Lost Boat’ is always used to describe a person does not change his strategy even when the circumstances change. The term is used to mock those who are sticklers for adhering to old models. It comes from the following story which dates back to the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC).

“Once upon a time, a man from Chu state, who was crossing the river by boat, dropped his sword to the river. He marked the boat where the sword dropped, and he said, ‘This is where I drop my sword.’

When the boat stopped at the opposite bank, the man undressed himself immediately and dove into the water for his sword from the very place where he had made the mark.

The boat had moved a great distance since he made the mark, and the dropped sword did not move an inch. Isn’t foolish to find the dropped sword by making a mark on a moving boat?”

The central lesson behind this saying is the need to understand what is relevant to the situation, and then do it at the right place and at the right time. If one does not understand the situation, then one may not take action even if it is needed. Alternatively, we may take the wrong action. Sometimes, like the man in the story, we may see the situation correctly at that point, but delay in doing the right thing to tackle the challenge thinking that we can always do it later. But with a change of timing, a right action may become utterly useless.

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成语‘刻舟求剑’一般用来形容一个人死守旧策略不变，虽然情况已经改变，用来嘲笑那些墨守陈规的人。故事发生于春秋时代（公元前770年至476年）（战国•吕不韦《吕氏春秋•察今》）：

“楚人有涉江者，其剑自舟中坠于水，遽契其舟曰：‘是吾剑之所从坠。’

舟止，从其所契者入水求之。

舟已行矣，而剑不行，求剑若此，不亦惑乎？”

这句话的要点是我们应该认清适当情况，在适当时机作适当的事。如果一个人不认清情况，在需要时就可能不会行动。相反地，我们还可能作出错误的行动。正如这个故事里人，有时候我们所做的在某个时刻可能是对的，可是把所要处理的挑战的时机给耽误了，以为可以延后处理，随着时间的改变，一个本来正确的行动可能会变成完全无用。

Liu Ling: The Alcoholic 刘伶病酒

Liu Ling was an ancient Chinese Daoist poet notorious for his love of alcohol, who, according to legend, asked that he be buried with a gourd of wine after his death.

He is known as one of The Seven Sages of Bamboo Grove.

The following story comes from ‘A New Account of Tales of the World’ (Shi Shuo Xin Yu).

Liu Ling was ill after drinking too much wine, but he still wanted to drink some more, so he asked his wife for it.

After pouring out all the wine and smashing the vessels, his wife pleaded with tears in her eyes, “You're drinking far too much. It's not the way to preserve your life. You'll have to stop drinking."

Ling said, "Fine. But I find it very hard to stop by myself. It can only be done if I pray to the ghosts and spirits and take an oath that I'll stop it. So you may get ready the wine and meat for the sacrifice."

His wife said, "As you said," and setting out wine and meat before the spirits, requested Ling to pray and take his oath.

Ling knelt down and prayed, "Heaven produced Liu Ling, and took 'wine' for his name. At one gulp he will down a gallon - five dipperfuls to ease the hangover. As for this woman's complaint, be careful not to listen."

He then finished off the wine and meat, and soon he was drunk again.

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刘伶是中国古代以爱喝酒而闻名的道家诗人。传说他要求死后以酒陪葬。

他是有名的竹林七贤之一。以下故事来自《世说新语》。

刘伶病酒，渴甚，从妇求酒。

妇捐酒毁器，涕泣谏曰：“君饮太甚，非摄生之道，必宜断之！”

伶曰：“甚善。我不能自禁，唯当祝鬼神自誓断之耳。便可具酒肉。”

妇曰：“敬闻命。”供酒肉于神前，请伶祝誓。

伶跪而祝曰：“天生刘伶，以酒为名，一饮一斛，五斗解酲。妇人之言，慎不可听！”

便引酒进肉，隗然已醉矣。

The Lovelorn Spirit 巨鹿石氏女

The following story is from the book Random Notes on the Living and Nether Worlds by Liu Yiqing (403-444). Liu was famous for his another book entitled ‘A New Account of Tales of the World’ (Shi Shuo Xin Yu).

Pang Ah of Julu was a very handsome man. A daughter of the Shi family in that district saw Pang in her family hall and fell in love with him at the first sight. When later she was seen calling on Pang, his wife became extremely jealous. One day, hearing the girl coming, Pang’s wife instructed the maids tie her up and take her home; but on the way the young lady vanished like smoke. The maids reported this to the girl’s family.

The girl’s father was astounded. ‘My daughter has not left the house,’ he said. ‘How dare you slander us like this?’

But Pang’s father watched his son carefully, and discovered the girl in his study one night. He seized her himself and went to the Shi family.

When the girl’s father saw her, he was surprised. ‘I have just come from a inner room,’ he said. ‘I saw my daughter there working with her mother. How can she be here?’

Ho told his servant to call his daughter out, and the moment the girl appeared the other vanished. The puzzled father told his wife to investigate, and the girl explained, ‘Last year when Pang came to visit at our family hall, I had a chance to peep at him. I have dreamed ever since of going to his home, and had been caught by his wife when I went in.’

‘Well, I have never seen such strange happenings!’ exclaimed her father. When a spirit is deeply involved, it can assume any form it chooses. So what vanished was her spirit after all.

Since then the girl resolved not to marry anyone else. A year later, however, Pang’s wife contracted a strange disease which proved incurable. Then Pang sent gifts to the Shi family and married their daughter.

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一下故事来自刘义庆（403-444）的《幽明录•巨鹿石氏女》。刘义庆以写《世说新语》而出名。

“巨鹿有庞阿者，美容仪。同郡石氏有女，曾内睹阿，心悦之。未几，阿见此女来诣阿，阿妻极妒，闻之，使婢缚之，送还石家，中路遂化为烟气而灭。婢乃直诣石家，说此事。

石氏之父大惊，曰：‘我女都不出门，岂可毁谤如此？’

阿父自是常加意伺察之。居一夜，方值女在斋中，乃自拘执以诣石氏。

石氏父见之，愕眙曰：‘我适从内来，见女与母共作，何得在此？’

即令婢仆于内唤女出，向所缚者，奄然灭焉。父疑有异，故遣其母诘之。女曰：‘昔年庞阿来厅中，曾窃视之。自尔彷佛即梦诣阿，及入户，即为妻所缚。’

石曰：‘天下遂有如此奇事！’夫精神所感，灵神为之冥著。灭者，盖其魂神也。

既而女誓心不嫁。经年，阿妻忽得邪病，医药无征，阿乃授币石氏女为妻。”

Zhang Liang: A Teachable Young Man 张良：孺子可教

Zhang Liang was a distinguished statesman of the early Western Han (207BC -25) period. Zhang was the descendant of a noble family of State of Han during the Warring States Period - his father, grandfather and great-grandfather (a total of five generations) were all royal officials of the state of Han. He later joined Liu Bang in 208 BC to rebel against the rule of Qin and helped him establish the Han Dynasty, after which he soon retired and became a practitioner of Daoism.

Zhang Liang was considered one of the Three Pillars of Liu Bang's victory, along with the Han Xin, the grand-general of Han forces and Xiao He, the first Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty.

Here is a story about him recorded in the ‘Records of the Grant Historian’

One day when he was leisurely walking along a river near a bridge at Xia Pi, an elderly man in homespun approached, suddenly took off his shoe and dropped it under the bridge. He turned to Zhang and said, ‘Young man, go down and fetch it for me.’

Zhang was astonished, thinking of hitting the old man. However, he controlled himself on account of the other’s old age and went down to fetch the shoe. The old man then said, ‘Put it on for me.’ Since Zhang already fetched the shoe, When Zhang complied, the old man proceeded to lee knelt down to put it on. The old man just stretched out his foot for it and then going away with a laugh. Zhang looked at him in amazement.

After going some distance, the old man turned back and said, ‘You can be taught, young man! Meet me here five days from now at dawn.’ Zhang’s curiosity was aroused, and he knelt down and answered, ‘I will.’

Five days later Zhang Liang went back to the place at dawn. However, the old man was there before him. The old man said angrily, ‘Why are coming late for appointment with an old man? Come earlier five days from now.’ With that he left.

This time Zhang Liang got up early, but still the old man beat him to the clock. The old man was angry again, ‘Late again. Why? Come earlier five days from now.’ With that again he left.

This time, Zhang got up in midnight and went to wait at the bridge. The old man came shortly. He said approvingly, ‘That’s right.’ He took out a book and said, ‘Read this book and you will become the teachers of kings. Ten years from now you will make it big. Thirteen years from now you will see me again as the yellow rock at the foot of Mount Gucheng, north of the River Ji.’ Without another word he left and did not appear again.

When the day broke, Zhang examined the book and found that it was The Grand Duke’s Art of War. Prizing the book, he read it again and again.

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张良是西汉（公元前207年到公元25年）名臣。张良是战国时期韩国的贵族后代。他的父亲、祖父及曾祖五代都是韩国朝廷重臣。他后来加入刘邦的队伍，帮他成立汉朝。事成后退休，成为一个道学者。

张良是刘邦成事的‘汉家三杰’之一。另两名是汉军的大将军韩信与汉朝开国宰相萧何。

以下是《史记》记载有关张良的一个故事。

良尝从容步游于下邳圯上，有一老父，衣褐，至良所，直堕其履圯下，顾谓良曰：“孺子，下取履！”

良愕然，欲欧之，为其老，强忍，下取履。父曰：“履我！”良业为取履，因长跪履之。父以足受，笑而去。良殊大惊，随目之。

父去里所，复还，曰：“孺子可教矣。后五日平明，与我会此。”良因怪之，跪曰：“诺。”

五日平明，良往。父已先在，怒曰：“与老人期，后，何也？”去，曰：“后五日早会。”五日鸡鸣，良往。父又先在，复怒曰：“后，何也？” 去，曰：“后五日复早来。”

五日，良夜未半往。有顷，父亦来，喜曰：“当如是。”出一编书，曰：“读此则为王者师矣。后十年兴，十三年孺子见我济北，谷城山下黄石即我矣。”遂去，无他言，不复见。

旦日视其书，乃《太公兵法》也。良因异之，常习诵读之。

Shang People: Offspring of a Black Bird 殷商人的祖先：玄鸟

The Shang Dynasty was, according to traditional sources, the second Chinese dynasty, after the Xia Dynasty.

The decline of the Xia Empire led to the rise of Shang as the leading state in the Empire. The clan totem of Shang was the bird. In the Yen Ben Zhi chapter of The Records of the Grant Historian (Shiji), it is written that the mother of Xie, the founder of Shang was impregnated by a Black Bird:

"Three ladies including Jian Di went to take a bath. They saw that a black bird dropped an egg. Jian Di took and devoured it, became impregnated and gave birth to Xie. Xie grew up, assisted Yu in his work to control the flood with success."

The use of the "black bird", as the father of Xie, relates to the "black bird" as a popular totem of ethnic groups in China. This passage indicates that the founders of Shang were of mixed origin.

The Book of Poems also praised that the sacred bird was sent down from Heaven, and gave birth to the first Shang King. The King thereby justified his authority by proclaiming that he had divine right to rule over his people.

Heaven commissioned the Black Bird,

To descend and give birth to [the father of our] Shang.

[His descendants] dwelt in the land of Yin, and became great.

[Then] long ago God appointed the martial Tang,

To regulate the boundaries throughout the four quarters.

[In those] quarters he appointed the princes,

And grandly possessed the nine regions [of the kingdom].

The first sovereign of Shang,

Received the appointment without any element of instability in it,

And it is [now] held by the descendant of Wu-ding.

The descendant of Wu-ding,

Is a martial king, equal to every emergency.

Ten princes, [who came] with their dragon-emblazoned banners,

Bear the large dishes of millet.

The royal domain of a thousand li,

Is where the people rest;

But there commence the boundaries that reach to the four seas.

From the four seas they come [to out sacrifices];

They come in multitudes; -

Jing has the He for its outer border.

That Yin should have received the appointment [of Heaven] was entirely right;

[Its sovereign] sustains all its dignities.

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据传统资料，商朝是夏朝后的中国的第二个朝代。

夏朝的衰落导致商成为强大的国家。商的族群图腾是鸟。据《史记•殷本纪》记载，商的始祖契的母亲简狄是被玄鸟受孕所生。

“三人行浴，见玄鸟堕其卵，简狄取吞之， 因孕生契。契長而佐禹治水有功。”

以玄鸟为契父，与中国古代族群普遍用玄鸟为图腾有关。上面的记载显示商朝始祖来源混杂。

《诗经•商颂•玄鸟篇》亦赞颂上天把玄鸟送来并生下商王。商王以此来表明上天给他统治的权利。

《诗经•商颂•玄鸟篇》

天命玄鸟，降而生商，宅殷土芒芒。

古帝命武汤，正域彼四方。

方命厥后，奄有九有。

商之先后，受命不殆，在武丁孙子。

武丁孙子，武王靡不胜。

龙旗十乘，大糦是承。

邦畿千里，维民所止，肇域彼四海。

四海来假，来假祁祁。

景员维河，殷受命咸宜，百禄是何。