A Solar Eclipse Versified in the Shijing

A solar eclipse versified in an ode called `At the conjunction in the 10th month' in the Shijing **** has been analyzed under the light of the present astronomy. We have shown that the solar eclipse on 735 BC November 30 is a unique candidate of the eclipse in 801-720 BC satisfying the following three requirements: (1) the sexagenary cyclic day of the eclipse was xin-mao, (2) the sun became faint in the capital, and (3) the moon was eclipsed not long before the solar eclipse. The eclipse was at least very close to annular in Hao **** (the Capital of Western Zhou). The maximum magnitude of every eclipse between 794 BC and 764 BC was too small to say `the sun became faint' like in the ode. These results strongly support the dating of the eclipse by Hirayama and Ogura (1915, Tokyo Sugaku-Buturigakkwai Kizi, Ser.2, 8, 2) and reject any dating in 794-764 BC.