The Classic of Regions within the Seas of the North (海內北經 Hǎinèi běijīng) is the twelfth book of the Classic of Mountains and Seas and the third of the "Classics of Regions within the Seas" (海內經). It features the Queen Mother of the West (Xiwangmu) and her blue birds, man-eating monsters (Taoquan, Qiongqi), the Land of Dogs, the River God Bingyi, as well as real places—Yan, Wo (Japan), Joseon (Korea)—and mythical islands like Penglai. The Chinese text is presented with its pinyin transcription, followed by a French translation and notes.
海內北經 — Regions within the Seas of the North
海內西北陬以東者。
The regions within the seas, extending from the northwest corner eastward.
蛇巫之山, 上有人操杯而東向立. 一曰龜山。
The Mountain of the Serpent Sorcerer (蛇巫之山): At its summit stands a figure holding a cup and facing east. Another version calls it the Turtle Mountain (龜山).
西王母梯几而戴勝杖, 其南有三青鳥, 為西王母取食. 在崑崙虛北。
The Queen Mother of the West (西王母, Xiwangmu) leans on a small table, wears the sheng ornament, and holds a staff; to her south are three blue birds (三青鳥) that bring her food. This is north of the Kunlun mound.
有人曰大行伯, 把戈. 其東有犬封國, 貳負之尸在大行伯東。
There is a figure named Daxingbo (大行伯), holding a halberd. To his east lies the Land of Dogs (犬封國), and the corpse of Erfushen (貳負之尸) is east of Daxingbo.
犬封國曰犬戎國, 狀如犬. 有一女子, 方跪進柸食. 有文馬, 縞身朱鬣, 目若黃金, 名曰吉量, 乘之壽千歲。
The Land of Dogs (犬封國) is also called the Land of Quanrong (犬戎國); its people resemble dogs. There is a woman kneeling to offer them food. They have a patterned horse, white-bodied with a red mane and golden eyes, named Jiliang (吉量); riding it grants a lifespan of a thousand years.
鬼國在貳負之尸北, 為物人面而一目, 一曰貳負神在其東, 為物人面蛇身。
The Land of Ghosts (鬼國) is north of Erfushen’s corpse; its creatures have human faces but only one eye. Another version says the god Erfushen is to the east, a being with a human face and a serpent’s body.
蜪犬如犬, 青, 食人從首始。
The Taoquan dog (蜪犬) resembles a dog, is blue-green, and devours people starting with the head.
窮奇狀如虎, 有翼, 食人從首始, 所食被髮, 在蜪犬北. 一曰從足。
The Qiongqi (窮奇) resembles a tiger with wings; it devours people starting with the head, leaving its victims’ hair disheveled. It is north of the Taoquan. Another version says it starts with the feet.
帝堯臺, 帝嚳臺, 帝丹朱臺, 帝舜臺, 各二臺, 臺四方, 在崑崙東北。
The terraces of Emperor Yao (堯), Emperor Ku (嚳), Emperor Danzhu (丹朱), and Emperor Shun (舜): each has two terraces, square in shape, located northeast of Kunlun.
大𧔧其狀如螽. 朱蛾其狀如蛾。
The Great Yi (𧔧) resembles a locust (螽); the red ant (朱蛾) resembles a moth (蛾).
蟜, 其為人虎文, 脛有𦜹. 在窮奇東. 一曰, 狀如人. 崑崙虛北所有。
The Jiao (蟜) has a human body with tiger stripes and calves (𦜹). It is east of the Qiongqi. Another version says it resembles a human. It is found north of the Kunlun mound.
闒非, 人面而獸身, 青色。
The Tafei (闒非) has a human face and a beast’s body, colored blue-green.
據比之尸, 其為人折頸被髮, 無一手。
The corpse of Jubi (據比之尸): It is a being with a broken neck, disheveled hair, and no hands.
環拘, 其為人獸首人身, 一曰蝟狀如狗, 黃色。
The Huanju (環拘) is a being with a beast’s head and a human body. Another version describes it as resembling a hedgehog (蝟), like a dog in form, and yellow in color.
𥘯, 其為物人身黑首從目。
The Yu (𥘯) is a being with a human body, a black head, and vertical eyes (從目).
戎, 其為人人首三角。
The Rong (戎) is a being with a human head bearing three horns.
林氏國有珍獸, 大若虎, 五彩畢具, 尾長於身, 名曰騶吾, 乘之日行千里。
The country of Lin (林氏國) possesses a precious beast as large as a tiger, adorned with all five colors, its tail longer than its body. It is named Zouwu (騶吾); riding it allows one to travel a thousand li in a day.
崑崙虛南所, 有氾林方三百里。
South of the Kunlun mound lies the Fanlin Forest (氾林), three hundred li on each side.
從極之淵深三百仞, 維冰夷恒都焉, 冰夷人面, 乘兩龍. 一曰忠極之淵。
The Congji Abyss (從極之淵) is three hundred ren deep; here dwells permanently Bingyi (冰夷, the River God, also called Fengyi). Bingyi has a human face and rides two dragons. Another version calls it the Zhongji Abyss (忠極之淵).
陽汙之山, 河出其中; 凌門之山, 河出其中。
From Mount Yangwu (陽汙之山) flows the River (河); from Mount Lingmen (凌門之山) also flows the River.
王子夜之尸, 兩手, 兩股, 胸, 首, 齒, 皆斷異處。
The corpse of Prince Ye (王子夜之尸): His two hands, two thighs, chest, head, and teeth were all severed and scattered in different places.
舜妻登比氏生宵明, 燭光, 處河大澤, 二女之靈能照此所方百里. 一曰登北氏。
Shun’s wife, Lady Dengbi (登比氏), gave birth to Xiaoming (宵明) and Zhuguang (燭光), who dwell in the Great Marsh of the River; the radiance of these two daughters illuminates the area for a hundred li around. Another version calls her Lady Dengbei (登北氏).
蓋國在鉅燕南, 倭北. 倭屬燕。
The country of Gai (蓋國) is south of Great Yan (鉅燕) and north of Wo (倭, Japan). Wo is under the jurisdiction of Yan.
朝鮮在列陽東, 海北山南. 列陽屬燕。
Joseon (朝鮮, Korea) is east of Lieyang (列陽), north of the sea and south of the mountains. Lieyang is under Yan’s jurisdiction.
列姑射在海河洲中。
Lieguye (列姑射) is located on an islet in the midst of the River Sea.
姑射國在海中, 屬列姑射, 西南, 山環之。
The country of Guye (姑射國) is in the midst of the sea, under Lieguye’s jurisdiction, to the southwest, encircled by mountains.
大蟹在海中。
Great crabs (大蟹) are in the midst of the sea.
陵魚人面, 手足, 魚身, 在海中。
The Lingyu fish (陵魚) has a human face, hands and feet, and a fish’s body; it is in the midst of the sea.
大鯾居海中。
The great bream (大鯾) lives in the midst of the sea.
明組邑居海中。
The city of Mingzu (明組邑) is in the midst of the sea.
蓬萊山在海中。
Mount Penglai (蓬萊山) is in the midst of the sea.
大人之市在海中。
The Market of the Giants (大人之市) is in the midst of the sea.
Notes
Xiwangmu (西王母), the Queen Mother of the West. The text depicts her leaning on a small table, wearing the sheng ornament, and served by three blue birds north of Kunlun: one of the earliest images of this great goddess, who would later become the Taoist sovereign of immortality.
Man-eating monsters. This chapter lists several anthropophagous creatures—the Taoquan dog and especially the Qiongqi, a winged tiger that devours people by the head—later classified among the "Four Fiends" of mythology.
The River God. Bingyi (冰夷, also called Fengyi 馮夷), with a human face and riding two dragons, dwells at the bottom of an abyss: he is the spirit of the Yellow River (Hebo), a major figure in ancient river cults.
A geography that intersects with history. Toward the end, the text names real political entities from antiquity: the Yan kingdom (燕), Wo (倭, insular Japan), and Joseon (朝鮮, Korea). This is one of the earliest Chinese mentions of Japan and Korea, interwoven with the mythical islands of Penglai (蓬萊), home of the immortals.
Uncertain identifications. Many names of beings (闒非, 據比, 環拘, 𥘯…) and beasts (騶吾, 蜪犬…) lack confirmed equivalents; they are transcribed in pinyin with their characters, and French renderings follow traditional glosses (Guo Pu, Hao Yixing).
Chinese text from the Chinese Text Project (ctext.org). Translation and notes: Chine-culture.com.
