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Shen Du (1414)
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Shen Du (沈度, 1357-1434) was a calligrapher of the Ming Dynasty. He was from today’s Shanghai.  Emperor Yongle (明成祖朱棣) enjoyed his calligraphy so much that he entrusted him with transcription of the most important official documents. Here we have many copies of his poem on giraffes with accompanying paintings.

Taken from: When China ruled the Seas.
                   Duyvendak; T'oung Pao 1938
Also called Shen Tu (5)

 He was a famous calligrapher of the Ming dynasty who painted the giraffe given to the Chinese Emperor.
The painting was discovered by Duyvendak. By now many copies are known.

First line from the right: 瑞應麒麟颂并序 (the title) Auspicious Omen Qi-lin (1) ode and preface.

Second line from the right: 钦惟 (qin wei) Translation: Admire only.

The third line from the right reads: 皇帝陛下嗣承

Translation: Emperor your majesty succeeds to (This is the beginning of the poem by Shen Du)

The pictures of the Giraffe of the Philadelphia Museum of Art: given by John T. Dorrance.

This picture is thought to be the original made by Shen Du; (the painting as well as the inscription are from him)
He depicts this giraffe complete with the fish scales of the Qilin the Chinese mythical animal.

 

The following poem by Shen Du is found on the copy found by Duyvendak. 
Shen Du's Hymn
Respectfully I consider that your Majesty succeeded to the Emperor T'ai-tsu's (2) Grand Heritage and that Your
transforming Virtue spreads everywhere and harmoniously unites the myriad countries and causes the Three
Luminaries (9) to follow their regular course and all living souls to perform their duties. Consequently a Tsou-yu (3)
has appeared, Wonderful Ears (10) are produced, Sweet Dew (11) has descended, the Yellow River (14) has been clear
and Savory Springs have gushed forth. All the creatures that spell good fortune arrive. In the 9th month of the
year chia-wu (12) of the Yung-lo (13) period (1414) a ch'i-lin (1) came from the country of Bengal and was formally presented
as tribute to the Court. The ministers and the people all gathered to gaze at it and their joy knows no end.
I your servant, have heard that : When a sage possesses the virtue of the utmost benevolence so that he
illuminates the darkest places, a unicorn appears. This shows that Your Majesty's virtue equals that of heaven:
its merciful blessings have far and wide affected plants and trees. This year all beings that fly or dive, that move
or stand erect have acquired life. Thereupon so that the harmonious vapors have emanated a unicorn as a
proof of Perfect Peace to the state for a myriad myriad years. I Your servant, Shen Tu (5) joining the throng, beheld
respectfully this omen of good fortune and kneeling down a hundred times and knocking my head on the ground
I present a hymn 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 (9) 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,
the Spirits and all living beings each have their appropriate place,
Harmonious Vapors have emanated and have overflowed in the world,
thus auspicious signs have descended and blessings have affected all that have scales or feathers.
The River has become clear, and a Tsou-yu (3) has truly appeared.
and Savory Springs and Sweet Dew (11) have come forth,
Wonderful Ears are found in plenty and the River has become Clear.
When all the happiness gather, truly it betokens Heaven's favor.
Now in the 12th year (15) of which the cyclical position is chia-wu (12)  
In a corner of the western seas, in the stagnant waters of a Great sea ,
Truly was produced a qilin (1), whose shape was so high as fifteen feet,
With the body of a deer and the hoofs of a horse, and a fleshy boneless horn,
With luminous spots like a red cloud or  purple mist.
Its hoofs do not tread on (living) beings and in its wanderings it carefully selects the 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, but in all antiquity has been seen but once,
The manifestation of its divine spirit rises up to heaven's abode.
All the courtiers rejoice and congratulate vie in being first to see the joyful spectacle,
As when the Phoenix of Ch'i (4) sang in Chou or the Chart from the River was presented to Yu.
The hundred myriads this year are united and observe the same rules of conduct.
A great portent has been brought about, a Sacred Emperor is on the Throne.
A Sacred Emperor is on the Throne, who rises above the Three (founders of classical dynasties)
and surpasses the Five (mythical Emperors).
May Heaven bestow on the Sacred Emperor everlasting precious blessings.   
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 (5), Shih-chiang-hsueh-shih (6), Feng-hsun-ta-fu (7) of the Han-lin-yuan (8).
 
(The text on the left side of the Giraffe:)
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 Tu.

(1) ch'i-lin; Qi-lin: or Kirin; giraffe

(2) Emperor T'ai-tsu's: (1328-1398) who founded the Ming dynasty.

(3) Tsou-yu: (vegetarian tiger)

(4) Phoenix of Ch'i: the name of the mountain where the descendants of Hou Chi, the ancestor of the Chou dynasty, lived.

(5) Shen Tu: Name of the writer.

(6) Shih-chiang-hsueh-shih: title of the official meaning Reader of the Academy or Classical Lecturers,

(7) Feng-hsun-ta-fu: an official rank.

(8) the Han-lin-yuan: or Imperial Academy, China's highest academic institution (in Beijing).

(9) Three Luminaries: they are the sun, the moon and the stars.

(10) An ear is the grain-bearing tip part of the stem of a cereal plant, such as wheat or maize (corn).

(11) “Sweet dew” (ganlu is a highly symbolic object in Chinese culture. The Liji (Records of Rites) states: If a monarch acts in accord with and not against (the laws of nature), heaven will send down sweet dew.

(12) year chia-wu: the Chinese did not count in periods of 100 years but in periods of 60 years. Then it starts over. Every year has its own name; so every 60 year that name is repeated. They do not start in (0 AD) but the 45th cycle starts in (4 AD).

The cyclical year chia-wu is the 31 sign. So it will start in 4+30 = 34 AD and will come back every 60 years: 34-94-154-214-274 etc. They do not mention the amount of cycles that have past. Instead they add the name of the Emperor in that year and how many years he had already reigned.

This system of dating is found in: Oriental ceramic art by William Thompson Walters p54-55.

https://archive.org/details/ost-art-orientalceramica00walt/page/n73/mode/2up

(13) Yung-lo: : The Yongle Emperor — personal name Zhu Di, or Chu Ti— was the third Emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1402 to 1424.

(14) As the Yellow River had always been muddy, a clear River came to be regarded as the token for a wise ruler and a peaceful society. The idiom “calm sea and clear Yellow River” became another way of expressing a time of peace and prosperity. Such accounts as “clear Yellow River” at a certain place or on a certain date can be found from time to time in the official history of various dynasties.

Other descriptions were only auspicious signs fabricated by the rulers to deceive themselves.  

(15) the 12th year of the Yung-lo period starting in 1403 + 12 = 1414-1415