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Ch'en T'ing-pi (after1414)
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Painting of the giraffe from Bengal. copied from Shen Tu
of praise as follows :
Oh how glorious is the Sacred Emperor who excels both in literary and military virtues,
Who has succeeded to the Precious Throne and has accomplished Perfect Order and imitated the Ancients !
The myriad countries are thoroughly at rest and the Three Luminaries follow their due course.
Rain and heat are seasonable and rice and millet are yearly harvested.
The people in their customs are joyful and there is-no hindrance or rift between them,
Consequently auspicious signs have abundantly descended to the world.
A Tsou-yu has truly appeared, and Savory Springs and Sweet Dew have come forth,
Wonderful Ears are found in plenty and the River has become Clear.
When all the Happinesses gather, truly it betokens Heaven's help,
Truly it betokens Heaven's help, and proclaims Heaven's favor.
Now in the twelfth year of which the cyclical position is chia-wu,
In a corner of the western seas, in the stagnant waters of a great morass,
Truly was produced a K'i-lin whose shape was high 15 feet,
With the body of a deer and the tail of ox, and a fleshy boneless horn,
With luminous spots like a red cloud or a purple mist,
Its hoofs do not tread-on (living) beings and in its wanderings it carefully selects its ground,
It walks in stately fashion; and in its every motion it observes a rhythm,
Its harmonious voice sounds like a bell or a musical tube.
Gentle is this animal that in all antiquity has been seen but once,
The manifestation of its divine spirit rises up to Heaven's abode.
Ministers and people gathering to behold it-vie in being the first to see the joyful spectacle,
As when the Phoenix of Ch'i sang in Chou or the Chart from the River was presented to (the Emperor) Yu.
The hundred myriads this year are united and observe the same rules of conduct.
Your servant on duty in the Forest of Letters, cherishing the presumptuous ambition to record this,
Has intoned this poem in order to present a hymn of praise to the Sacred Ruler.
Composed by Your servant, Shen Tu, Shih-chiang-hsueh-shih, Feng-hsun-ta-fu of the Han-lin-yuan.
The 12th year of Yung-lo, the cyclical date chia-wu, in the autumn, the 9th month, the presentation of tribute by the country of Bengal, also painted by your servant (Shen) Tu.
Copied and written by Ch'en T'ing-pi (whose style is) Yun-fan.