Spring leads the cycle of the year,
The sovereign's virtue mirrors cosmic law.
His palace is the Great Ultimate Hall,
Stars circle the Purple Forbidden Wall.
A thousand ages' fortune now aligns,
From distant lands, tribute like rivers shines.
All realms receive the calendar's decree,
One mighty rule unites land and sea.
Plans were laid in the wild with humble rites,
Yet cleansing the source eludes our sights.
Statutes return to the emperor's sole will,
Assemblies honor him, solemn and still.
Rites and music match sage Shun's old way,
Confucian masters scorn the crude display.
The Music House trains in proper art,
Law officers silence the unruly heart.
Old histories are searched with utmost care,
No classic text but is summoned there.
Far borders now converge like spokes to nave,
Ancient tracks return, the path they save.
High steps see yellow banners rise,
Straight canopies where clustered flagstaff lies.
Maps unfold, embracing seas and lands,
Court torches blaze through night in fiery bands.
Positions mark the worthy and the kin,
Bronze clepsydra marks when day shall begin.
Immortal plate holds heaven's dewy breath,
Palace waterclock drips, defying death.
Cocks crow at dawn, the call is spread,
Tigers guard the streets where feet have tread.
Six armies clad in brocade bright,
Eight steeds with jade bits, a splendid sight.
Sash colors tell the official's rank,
Crown beams by grade, in order frank.
State grandeur shows in royal procession's might,
Martial affairs set quiver and bow aright.
Drums and pipes follow the palace frame,
Road gates swing wide, announcing fame.
Pole beasts are carved with fierce birds' might,
Roads adorned with coiling patterns bright.
Ivory tablets bear stern words inside,
Pearl-strung banners where processions bide.
The golden couch holds tally and seal,
Local tributes mix with jade, for real.
All lords check names against their deeds,
Each prince secures the realm he heeds.
By steps, grand counselors take their stand,
Reporting duties from each distant land.
Offices rise from ruin, restored anew,
Talents chosen with care, tried and true.
In rows they stand, like phoenix and egret,
The guard's turn startles whale and sturgeon set.
Jade tablets change Tang's ritual style,
Silk robes keep Han's cut, mile by mile.
Scabbards clink, dragon fans unite,
Rolled blinds reveal beast-shaped incense light.
Ascending, descending, heaven's awe profound,
Reverent gaze meets jade-like warmth around.
Great peace—how can its image be drawn?
Creation's work—what words can it spawn?
Joy reigns, as yin and yang now thrive,
Profound, the cosmos seems to come alive.
Rivers pay homage to the Bohai Sea,
Mountains gaze toward Kunlun, high and free.
Memorials bring tortoise-unicorn sign,
Reports first tell of harvests, rich and fine.
Up steps, ministers let pendants sway,
Envoys proclaim decrees without delay.
Advance to offer cups in celebration,
No need to unbind swords in this station.
South Mountain ode, like Zhou's elegant air,
North Star salutes Yao's winecup fair.
Gathered, Chinese and barbarians cheer,
Harmonious, faith and justice sincere.
Songs rise, shaped like auspicious things,
Court dances differ from theater's springs.
Green phoenix hears the flute and draws near,
Red bears crouch by tables, without fear.
Four pure tones fill bells and chimes,
Two pitches sound from gourd and clay in rhymes.
Grace bestowed like needed clouds' sweet rain,
All moistened by dew's enduring gain.
Bowing, we chant three summer's rite,
Nine cauldrons of feast, a glorious sight.
Receive the cup filled with mellow wine,
Add dishes of well-cooked trotters fine.
Diligently offered, goose and pheasant,
Humble yet pure, with duckweed present.
Governance spreads from crimson tower,
Benevolence moves even Lu Hun's power.
Auspicious light soars in the hall's broad space,
Warm breath envelops roots, a gentle grace.
Peng Isle knows winds that ever blow,
Fusang's sun warms with morning's glow.
Before pillars, magic mushrooms grow,
In high pavilion, young phoenixes show.
State and people share fortune's grace,
Royal rule and teaching find their place.
Yearly court gatherings, vast and grand,
Strengthen the heartland's mighty stand.