生民生民如何，剋禋剋祀，以弗無子。
履帝武敏歆，攸介攸止。
載震載夙，載生載育，時維後稷。
誕彌厥月，先生如達。
不坼不副，無菑無害。
以赫厥靈，上帝不寧。
不康禋祀，居然生子。
誕寘之隘巷，牛羊腓字之。
誕寘之平林，會伐平林。
誕寘之寒冰，鳥覆翼之。
鳥乃去矣，後稷呱矣。
實覃實訏，厥聲載路。
誕實匍匐，剋岐剋嶷，以就口食。
蓺之荏菽，荏菽旆旆。
禾役穟穟，麻麥幪幪，瓜瓞唪唪。
誕後稷之穡，有相之道。
茀厥豐草，種之黃茂。
實方實苞，實種實褎，實發實秀，實堅實好，實穎實粟。
即有邰傢室。
誕降嘉種，維秬維秠，維糜維芑。
恆之秬秠，是獲是畝。
恆之糜芑，是任是負。
以歸肇祀。
誕我祀如何，或舂或揄，或簸或蹂。
釋之叟叟，烝之浮浮。
載謀載惟，取蕭祭脂，取羝以軷。
載燔載烈，以興嗣歲。
卬盛於豆，於豆於登。
其香始升，上帝居歆。
鬍臭亶時，後稷肇祀。
庶無罪悔，以迄於今。
Was from Jiang Yuan.
How did she give birth to [our] people?
She had presented a pure offering and sacrificed,
That her childlessness might be taken away.
She then trod on a toe-print made by God, and was moved,
In the large place where she rested.
She became pregnant; she dwelt retired;
She gave birth to, and nourished [a son],
Who was Hou-ji.
When she had fulfilled her months,
Her first-born son [came forth] like a lamb.
There was no bursting, nor rending,
No injury, no hurt; --
Showing how wonderful he would be.
Did not God give her the comfort?
Had He not accepted her pure offering and sacrifice,
So that thus easily she brought forth her son?
He was placed in a narrow lane,
But the sheep and oxen protected him with loving care.
He was placed in a wide forest,
Where he was met with by the wood-cutters.
He was placed on the cold ice,
And a bird screened and supported him with its wings.
When the bird went away,
Hou-ji began to wail.
His cry was long and loud,
So that his voice filled the whole way.
When he was able to crawl,
He looked majestic and intelligent.
When he was able to feed himself,
He fell to planting large beans.
The beans grew luxuriantly;
His rows of paddy shot up beautifully;
His hemp and wheat grew strong and close;
His gourds yielded abundantly.
The husbandry of Hou-ji,
Proceeded on the plan of helping [the growth].
Having cleared away the thick grass,
He sowed the ground with the yellow cereals.
He managed the living grain, till it was ready to burst;
Then he used it as seed, and it sprang up;
It grew and came into ear;
It became strong and good;
It hung down, every grain complete; --
And thus he was appointed lord of Tai.
He gave his people the beautiful grains: --
The black millet, and the double-kernelled;
The tall red, and the white.
They planted extensively the black and the double-kernelled,
Which were reaped and stacked on the ground.
They planted extensively the tall red and the white,
Which were carried on their shoulders and backs,
Home for the sacrifices which he founded.
And how as to our sacrifices [to him]?
Some hull [the grain]; some take it from the mortar;
Some sift it; some tread it.
It is rattling in the dishes;
It is distilled, and the steam floats about.
We consult; we observe the rites of purification;
We take southernwood and offer it with the fat;
We sacrifice a ram to the Spirit of the path;
We offer roast flesh and broiled: --
And thus introduce the coming year.
We load the stands with the offerings,
The stands both of wood and of earthenware.
As soon as the fragrance ascends,
God, well pleased, smells the sweet savour.
Fragrant is it, and in its due season!
Hou-ji founded the sacrifice,
And no one, we presume, has given occasion for blame or regret in regret to it,
Down to the present day.
【注釋】 【譯文】
是誰生下第一代周人，姜嫄就是那位母親。且說周人怎樣降生？有一天姜嫄行禋祭，因為無兒求上帝。她踩着上帝的腳拇指印，心裏歡喜。就在那裏停下來休息。她懷孕了，不敢大意。後來生了孩子，那就是後稷。
姜嫄懷足了十月胎，頭生子像衹小羊滑下來。不破也不裂，無災又無害。這些事情顯得多奇怪。莫非上帝不愉快，我的祭祀他不愛。教我有兒不敢養，白白生下來。
把他扔在鬍同裏，牛羊一起來喂乳；把他扔在樹林裏，恰巧有人來砍樹；把他扔在寒冰裏上，鳥兒展翅將他護。鳥兒飛去了，後稷哇哇哭。哭聲又長又洪亮，大路上聽得蠻清楚。
後稷纔會爬，就顯出智慧，能把食物找到嘴。他去種大豆，大豆棵棵肥。滿田𠔌穗個個美，麻和麥子蓋田野。大瓜小瓜都成堆。
後稷種莊稼，有他的好方法，先把亂草除，後把好種下。苗兒齊整又旺盛，長高又長大。慢慢發育出穗子，結結實實誰不誇。無數的𠔌穗沉沉挂，後稷到邰地成了傢。
天降好種真出奇：兩種黑黍叫做秬和秠，又有赤苗的穈和白苗的芑。黑黍遍地仗，收割按畝來算計；抱起背起送傢裏；回傢開始把神祭。
要問祭神怎麽祭？有人忙舂米，有人忙舀米，有人舂二道，有人簸糠皮，響叟叟是淘米，氣騰騰是蒸米。然後商量好主意，采些香蒿和油脂，公羊先把道神祭。燒起來，烤起來，祈求來年豐産如人意。
祭品盛在木碗裏，木碗瓦罐都盛些。香氣開始升上天，上帝安然來受祭，這香氣為何真正合時宜？自從後稷創祭禮，無災又無難，直到今日裏。