Chapter 17 of the Classic of Mountains and Seas (Classic of the Great Wilderness: North)

The Classic of the Great Northern Wilderness (大荒北經 Dàhuāng běijīng) is the seventeenth book of the Classic of Mountains and Seas and the last of the "Classics of the Great Wilderness" (大荒經). It gathers some of the most powerful myths of the collection: the death of Kuafu chasing the sun, the great war of the Yellow Emperor against Chiyou with the Winged Dragon and the drought goddess Ba, the monster Xiangyao killed by Yu, and the great cosmic figure of the Torch Dragon (Zhulong). The Chinese text is presented with its pinyin transcription, followed by the French translation and notes.

大荒北經 — The Great Northern Wilderness

東dōng北běi海hǎi之zhī外wài, 大dà荒huāng之zhī中zhōng, 河hé水shuǐ之zhī間jiān, 附fù禺yú之zhī山shān, 帝dì顓zhuān頊xū與yǔ九jiǔ嬪pín葬zàng焉yān。爰yuán有yǒu𩿨chī久jiǔ, 文wén貝bèi, 離lí俞yú, 鸞luán鳥niǎo, 凰huáng鳥niǎo, 大dà物wù, 小xiǎo物wù。有yǒu青qīng鳥niǎo, 琅láng鳥niǎo, 玄xuán鳥niǎo, 黃huáng鳥niǎo, 虎hǔ, 豹bào, 熊xióng, 羆pí, 黃huáng蛇shé, 視shì肉ròu, 璿xuán, 瑰guī, 瑤yáo, 碧bì, 皆jiē出chū衛wèi於yú山shān。丘qiū方fāng圓yuán三sān百bǎi里lǐ, 丘qiū南nán帝dì俊jùn竹zhú林lín在zài焉yān, 大dà可kě為wèi舟zhōu。竹zhú南nán有yǒu赤chì澤zé水shuǐ, 名míng曰yuē封fēng淵yuān。有yǒu三sān桑sāng無wú枝zhī。丘qiū西xī有yǒu沉chén淵yuān, 顓zhuān頊xū所suǒ浴yù。

Beyond the northeastern sea, in the heart of the Great Wilderness, between the arms of the River, rises Mount Fuyu (附禺之山): Emperor Zhuanxu (顓頊) and his nine concubines are buried there. One finds the Jiujiu (𩿨久), veined shells, the Liyu bird (離俞), the luan bird (鸞), the huang bird (凰), great and small creatures. There are blue birds, Lang birds (琅), black birds, yellow birds, tigers, leopards, bears, brown bears, yellow snakes, the Shirou (視肉), and the jades Xuan (璿), Gui (瑰), Yao (瑤), and Bi (碧), all hailing from the guarded mountain (衛). The hill is three hundred li in circumference; to its south lies the bamboo grove of Emperor Jun (帝俊竹林), large enough to make boats. South of the bamboo is the Red Marsh (赤澤水), called the Abyss of Feng (封淵). There are three mulberry trees without branches. To the west of the hill is the Deep Abyss (沉淵), where Zhuanxu bathed.

有yǒu胡hú不bù與yǔ之zhī國guó, 烈liè姓xìng, 黍shǔ食shí。

There is the country of Hubuyu (胡不與之國), of the Lie clan (烈), which eats millet.

大dà荒huāng之zhī中zhōng, 有yǒu山shān名míng曰yuē不bù咸xián。有yǒu肅sù慎shèn氏shì之zhī國guó。有yǒu悲bēi蛭zhì, 四sì翼yì。有yǒu蟲chóng, 獸shòu首shǒu蛇shé身shēn, 名míng曰yuē琴qín蟲chóng。

In the heart of the Great Wilderness rises a mountain named Buxian (不咸). There is the country of the Sushen (肅慎氏之國). There is the four-winged leech Beizhi (悲蛭). There is an insect with a beast's head and a serpent's body, named the Qin insect (琴蟲).

有yǒu人rén名míng曰yuē大dà人rén。有yǒu大dà人rén之zhī國guó, 釐lí姓xìng, 黍shǔ食shí。有yǒu大dà青qīng蛇shé, 黃huáng頭tóu, 食shí麈zhǔ。

There is a being named Daren (大人, the Giant). There is the country of the Giants (大人之國), of the Li clan (釐), which eats millet. There is a large green-blue serpent with a yellow head that devours deer (麈).

有yǒu榆yú山shān。有yǒu鯀gǔn攻gōng程chéng州zhōu之zhī山shān。

There is Mount Yu (榆山). There is the mountain where Gun attacked Chengzhou (鯀攻程州之山).

大dà荒huāng之zhī中zhōng, 有yǒu山shān名míng曰yuē衡héng天tiān。有yǒu先xiān民mín之zhī山shān。有yǒu槃pán木mù千qiān里lǐ。

In the heart of the Great Wilderness rises a mountain named Hengtian (衡天). There is the mountain of the First Men (先民之山). There is the Pan tree (槃木), a thousand li long.

有yǒu叔shū歜chù國guó。顓zhuān頊xū之zhī子zi, 黍shǔ食shí, 使shǐ四sì鳥niǎo: 虎hǔ, 豹bào, 熊xióng, 羆pí。有yǒu黑hēi蟲chóng, 如rú熊xióng狀zhuàng, 名míng曰yuē猎liè猎liè。

There is the country of Shuchu (叔歜國), (peopled by) a son of Zhuanxu, where millet is eaten and one is served by four beasts: the tiger, the leopard, the bear, and the brown bear. There is a black insect resembling a bear, named Lielie (猎猎).

有yǒu北běi齊qí之zhī國guó, 姜jiāng姓xìng, 使shǐ虎hǔ, 豹bào, 熊xióng, 羆pí。

There is the country of Beiqi (北齊之國), of the Jiang clan (姜), who are served by the tiger, the leopard, the bear, and the brown bear.

大dà荒huāng之zhī中zhōng, 有yǒu山shān名míng曰yuē先xiān檻kǎn大dà逢féng之zhī山shān, 河hé, 濟jì所suǒ入rù, 海hǎi北běi注zhù焉yān。其qí西xī有yǒu山shān, 名míng曰yuē禹yǔ所suǒ積jī石shí。

In the heart of the Great Wilderness rises a mountain named Xianjian-Dafeng (先檻大逢之山), where the River (河) and the Ji (濟) flow into it, and where the northern sea flows. To the west is a mountain named Jishi-que-Yu-entassa (禹所積石).

有yǒu陽yáng山shān者zhě。有yǒu順shùn山shān者zhě, 順shùn水shuǐ出chū焉yān。有yǒu始shǐ州zhōu之zhī國guó, 有yǒu丹dān山shān。

There is Mount Yang (陽山). There is Mount Shun (順山), from which the Shun River (順水) flows. There is the country of Shizhou (始州之國), and the Cinnabar Mountain (丹山).

有yǒu大dà澤zé方fāng千qiān里lì, 群qún鳥niǎo所suǒ解jiě。

There is a Great Marsh (大澤) a thousand li on each side, where flocks of birds come to molt.

有yǒu毛máo民mín之zhī國guó, 依yī姓xìng, 食shí黍shǔ, 使shǐ四sì鳥niǎo. 禹yǔ生shēng均jūn國guó, 均jūn國guó生shēng役yì采cǎi, 役yì采cǎi生shēng脩xiū鞈gé, 脩xiū鞈gé殺shā綽chuò人rén. 帝dì念niàn之zhī, 潛qián為wèi之zh