183. 唐有虞

T'ang2 yu3 yu3

T'ang yu yu

T'ang and Yu-yu 

T'ang is composed of 口 k'ou mouth as radical, with 庚 keng to change as phonetic. It originally meant big words; hence, to boast. It here stands for tbe famous Emperor, better known from his canonisation as 堯 Yao, who reigned B.C. 2357 — 2258 and had previously been Marquis of T'ang. 

Yu see line 14. 

Yu is composed of 虍 hu tiger as radical, with 吳 wu (line 223) as phonetic, and originally meant a fabulous animal. It now means to reckon, to be anxious, etc., and here stands, with yu = occupier, for the place of birth of the famous Emperor, better known from his canonisation as 舜 Shun, who reigned B.C. 2255—2205. [Eitel translates, "Next comes Tang having Yu to follow him." Pere Zottoli says in a note "Yeou yu vero dicitur Choen 舜 imperator, item a feudi nomine," which would appear to be incorrect.] 

184. 號二帝

are called the Two Emperors. 

Hao4 erh4 ti4

Name two ruler 

Hao see line 137. 

Erh see title. 

Ti see line 180. 

185. 相揖遜

Hsiang1 i1 hsun4 

 

Mutual yield withdraw 

They abdicated, one after the other, 

Hsiang see line 3. It is quite wrong here to squeeze out the usual sense of reciprocity. There was in fact no reciprocity in the case. Yao abdicated in favour of Shun, and Shun put the Great Yu (line 187) on the throne. 

I is composed of 手 shou hand as radical, with a phonetic composed of 口 k'ou mouth and 耳 erh ear, to whisper. It is now commonly used in the sense of to salute with the folded hands. 

Hsun is composed of 孫 sun grandchild (line 92) as phonetic, with the walking radical. 

186. 稱盛世

Ch'eng1 sheng4 shih4 

Entitle prosperous age 

and theirs was called the Golden Age. 

Ch'eng is composed of 禾 ho grain and a phonetic which seems to have meant to pick up with the 爪 chao claws, fingers. It originally signified to weigh, hence to estimate, to entitle. Read ch'eng4 it is a weighing-machine. 

Sheng is composed of 成 cheng (line 26) as phonetic, and an obsolete radical 皿, min dishes. Read ch'eng 2 it means to hold, to contain. 

Shih see line 177. [Pere Zottoli seems to have pressed the hsiang too closely, "mutuique honoris observantia, nuncupatur florentissima aetas." Eitel misses the meaning of both lines, "who in mutual deference successively resigned, Though they were by reputation most prosperous rulers." He has evidently read 治 for 世 with "Chan Yo-han."]