The meaning of the inscription, as given in Jonathan Spence's marvellous book on the Taiping rebellion, God's Chinese Son, is as follows (Hong was the Taiping emperor, Guifu was his son):

(Of) God the Father, the Heavenly Elder Brother Christ, The heavenly King Hong, the sun, ruler of the bountiful earth, (and) the saviour and young Monarch, the true king, Guifu, Exalted for a myriad years, eternally granting Heaven's favour, eternally maintaining heaven and earth in gracious harmony and convivial peace.