海內東經 — Regions within the Eastern Seas
海內東北陬以南者。
The regions within the seas, from the northeast corner toward the south.
鉅燕在東北陬。
The great Yan (鉅燕) is at the northeast corner.
國在流沙中者埻端、璽㬇，在崑崙墟東南。一曰海內之郡，不為郡縣，在流沙中。
The countries situated in the middle of the Shifting Sands (流沙) are Zhuduan (埻端) and Xixuan (璽㬇), southeast of the Kunlun mound. Another version says: it is a commandery within the seas, not divided into districts, and located in the middle of the Shifting Sands.
國在流沙外者，大夏、豎沙、居繇、月支之國。
The countries situated beyond the Shifting Sands are Daxia (大夏, Bactria), Shusha (豎沙), Juyao (居繇), and Yuezhi (月支).
西胡白玉山，在大夏東，蒼梧在白玉山西南，皆在流沙西，崑崙墟東南。崑崙山在西胡西，皆在西北。
The White Jade Mountain of the Western Hu (西胡白玉山) is east of Daxia; Cangwu (蒼梧) is southwest of the White Jade Mountain, both west of the Shifting Sands and southeast of the Kunlun mound. Mount Kunlun is west of the Western Hu, all in the northwest.
雷澤中有雷神，龍身而人頭，鼓其腹。在吳西。
In the middle of the Lei Marsh (雷澤) dwells the Thunder god (雷神): he has a dragon's body and a human head, and he beats his own belly (like a drum). It is west of Wu (吳).
都州在海中。一曰郁州。
The island of Duzhou (都州) is in the middle of the sea. Another version calls it Yuzhou (郁州).
琅瑘臺在渤海間，琅瑘之東。其北有山。一曰在海間。
The Terrace of Langye (琅瑘臺) is in the Bo Sea (渤海), east of Langye. To the north rises a mountain. Another version places it in the middle of the sea.
韓鴈在海中，都州南。
The Hanyan goose (韓鴈) is in the middle of the sea, south of the island of Duzhou.
始鳩在海中，轅厲南。
The Shijiu bird (始鳩) is in the middle of the sea, south of Yuanli (轅厲).
會稽山在大楚南。
Mount Kuaiji (會稽山) is south of the great Chu (大楚).
岷三江：首…大江出汶山，北江出曼山，南江出高山。高山在城都西。入海，在長州南。浙江出三天子都，在其東。在閩西北，入海，餘暨南。廬江出三天子都，入江，彭澤西。一曰天子鄣。淮水出餘山，餘山在朝陽東，義鄉西，入海，淮浦北。湘水出舜葬東南陬，西環之。入洞庭下。一曰東南西澤。漢水出鮒魚之山，帝顓頊葬于陽，九嬪葬于陰，四蛇衛之。濛水出漢陽西，入江，聶陽西。溫水出崆峒，崆峒山在臨汾南，入河，華陽北。潁水出少室，少室山在雍氏南，入淮西鄢北。一曰緱氏。汝水出天息山，在梁勉鄉西南，入淮極西北。一曰淮在期思北。涇水出長城北山，山在郁郅長垣北，北入渭，戲北。渭水出鳥鼠同穴山，東注河，入華陰北。白水出蜀，而東南注江，入江州城下。沅水山出象郡鐔城西，入東注江，入下雋西，合洞庭中。贛水出聶都東山，東北注江，入彭澤西。泗水出吳東北而南，西南過湖陵西，而東南注東海，入淮陰北。鬱水出象郡，而西南注南海，入須陵東南。肄水出臨晉西南，而東南注海，入番禺西。潢水出桂陽西北山，東南注肄水，入敦浦西。洛水出洛西山，東北注河，入成皋之西。汾水出上窳北，而西南注河，入皮氏南。沁水出井陘山東，東南注河，入懷東南。濟水出共山南東丘，絕鉅鹿澤，注渤海，入齊琅槐東北。潦水出衛皋東，東南注渤海，入潦陽。虖沱水出晉陽城南，而西至陽曲北，而東注渤海，入越章武北。漳水出山陽東，東注渤海，入章武南。
The three rivers of Min (岷三江); at their source… The Great River (大江, the Yangzi) flows from Mount Wen (汶山); the North River (北江) flows from Mount Man (曼山); the South River (南江) flows from Mount Gao (高山). Mount Gao is west of Chengdu (城都). They flow into the sea, south of Changzhou (長州). — The Zhejiang (浙江) flows from the Three Terraces of the Son of Heaven (三天子都), to their east; it is northwest of Min (閩) and flows into the sea, south of Yuji (餘暨). — The Lujiang (廬江) flows from the Three Terraces of the Son of Heaven and flows into the River, west of Pengze Lake (彭澤); one version says Tianzizhang (天子鄣). — The Huai River (淮水) flows from Mount Yu (餘山); Mount Yu is east of Chaoyang (朝陽) and west of Yixiang (義鄉); it flows into the sea, north of Huaipu (淮浦). — The Xiang River (湘水) flows from the southeast of Shun's tomb and surrounds it from the west; it empties downstream into Dongting Lake (洞庭). One version says: southeast, the West Marsh. — The Han River (漢水) flows from Mount Fuyu (鮒魚之山), where Emperor Zhuanxu (顓頊) was buried on the south slope and his nine consorts on the north slope, guarded by four serpents. — The Meng River (濛水) flows west of Hanyang (漢陽) and flows into the River, west of Nieyang (聶陽). — The Wen River (溫水) flows from Kongtong (崆峒); Mount Kongtong is south of Linfen (臨汾); it flows into the River (河), north of Huayang (華陽). — The Ying River (潁水) flows from Mount Shaoshi (少室); Mount Shaoshi is south of Yongshi (雍氏); it flows into the Huai, west and north of Yan (鄢). One version says Houshi (緱氏). — The Ru River (汝水) flows from Mount Tianxi (天息山), southwest of Liang-Mianxiang (梁勉鄉); it flows into the Huai at the extreme northwest. One version says: the Huai is north of Qisi (期思). — The Jing River (涇水) flows from the North Mountain of the Great Wall (長城北山); the mountain is north of Yuzhi-Changyuan (郁郅長垣); to the north it flows into the Wei (渭), north of Xi (戲). — The Wei River (渭水) flows from Mount Niaoshu-Tongxue (鳥鼠同穴山); it flows eastward into the River, north of Huayin (華陰). — The Bai River (白水) flows from Shu (蜀) and flows southeast into the River, at the foot of Jiangzhou (江州). — The Yuan River (沅水) flows west of Tancheng (鐔城), in the commandery of Xiang (象郡); it flows east into the River, west of Xiajun (下雋), and joins Dongting Lake. — The Gan River (贛水) flows from the eastern mountain of Niedu (聶都東山); it flows northeast into the River, west of Pengze Lake. — The Si River (泗水) flows northeast of Wu (吳) then south, passing southwest of Huling (湖陵) to the west, and flows southeast into the East Sea, north of Huaiyin (淮陰). — The Yu River (鬱水) flows from the Xiang commandery and flows southwest into the South Sea, southeast of Xuling (須陵). — The Yi River (肄水) flows southwest of Linjin (臨晉) and flows southeast into the sea, west of Panyu (番禺). — The Huang River (潢水) flows from the northwest mountain of Guiyang (桂陽) and flows southeast into the Yi River, west of Dunpu (敦浦). — The Luo River (洛水) flows from the western mountain of Luo (洛西山) and flows northeast into the River, west of Chenggao (成皋). — The Fen River (汾水) flows north of Shangyu (上窳) and flows southwest into the River, south of Pishi (皮氏). — The Qin River (沁水) flows east of Mount Jingxing (井陘山) and flows southeast into the River, southeast of Huai (懷). — The Ji River (濟水) flows from the eastern hill south of Mount Gong (共山), crosses the Julu Marsh (鉅鹿澤), and flows into the Bo Sea, northeast of Qi-Langhuai (齊琅槐). — The Liao River (潦水) flows east of Weigao (衛皋) and flows southeast into the Bo Sea, at Liaoyang (潦陽). — The Hutuo River (虖沱水) flows south of the city of Jinyang (晉陽城), goes west to the north of Yangqu (陽曲), then flows east into the Bo Sea, north of Yue-Zhangwu (越章武). — The Zhang River (漳水) flows east of Shanyang (山陽) and flows east into the Bo Sea, south of Zhangwu (章武).
建平元年四月丙戌，待詔太常屬臣望校治，侍中光祿勳臣龔、侍中奉車都尉光祿大夫臣秀領主省。
The fourth month of the first year of Jianping (建平, 6 BCE), on the day bingxu, the subject Wang, an attendant of the Taichang awaiting an audience, collated this text; the subject Gong, Palace Attendant and Guanglu-xun, and the subject Xiu, Palace Attendant, Prefect of the Imperial Chariots, and Grandee of the Guanglu, oversaw the final revision.
Notes
A composite book. The *Classic of Regions within the Eastern Seas* juxtaposes two very different layers: first, brief mythical accounts (lands of the Shifting Sands, the Thunder god, islands of the Eastern Sea), then a vast geographical catalog of rivers. Philologists consider this river catalog as a Han interpolation, administrative in spirit, foreign to the mythological core of the book.
The Thunder god (雷神). In the Lei Marsh lives a god with a dragon’s body and a human head, who makes thunder by beating his belly like a drum: one of the oldest representations of thunder in Chinese mythology.
Lands of the Shifting Sands. The text names Daxia (大夏, Bactria) and Yuezhi (月支), Central Asian peoples known to the Han after Zhang Qian’s travels—a sign that the "mythical" geography here opens onto the real world of the Silk Roads.
The river catalog. The long final section describes, for each major watercourse, its source (出…) and its mouth (入…): Yangzi (大江), Yellow River (河), Huai (淮), Wei (渭), Xiang (湘), Ji (濟), Zhang (漳)… It is a valuable document on Han-dynasty hydrography, coupled with a nomenclature of places and commanderies.
The Han colophon. Like Book IX, the chapter ends with an imperial collation note dated 6 BCE (Jianping era), attesting to the revision led by Liu Xiang and Liu Xin (Xiu).
Uncertain identifications. Many ancient place names (鐔城, 郁郅, 聶都…) no longer correspond to assured locations; they are transcribed in pinyin with their characters.
Chinese text from the Chinese Text Project (ctext.org). Translation and notes: Chine-culture.com.
