Chapter 7 of the Classic of Mountains and Seas (Classic of the Great Wilderness: West)

The Classic of the Regions Beyond the Western Seas (海外西經 Hǎiwài xījīng) is the seventh book of the Classic of Mountains and Seas and the second of the “Classics of the Regions Beyond the Seas” (海外經). Travelling along the western rim, from the south-western corner to the north-western corner, it recounts prodigious peoples and some of the most famous Chinese myths: the dance of Qi of the Xia, the beheaded hero Xingtian, the corpse of Nüchou burned to death by the ten suns, and the land of Xuanyuan. The Chinese text is presented with its pinyin transcription, followed by the English translation and notes.

海外西經 — Regions Beyond the Western Seas

海hǎi外wài自zì西xī南nán陬zōu至zhì西xī北běi陬zōu者zhě。

The regions beyond the seas extend from the south-western corner to the north-western corner.

滅miè蒙méng鳥niǎo在zài結jié匈xiōng國guó北běi，為wèi鳥niǎo青qīng，赤chì尾wěi。

The Miemeng bird (滅蒙鳥) lies to the north of the Land of the Knotted-Chests (結匈國); it is a blue-green bird with a red tail.

大dà運yùn山shān高gāo三sān百bǎi仞rèn，在zài滅miè蒙méng鳥niǎo北běi。

Mount Dayun (大運山), three hundred ren high, is to the north of the Miemeng bird.

大dà樂lè之zhī野yě，夏xià后hòu啟qǐ於yú此cǐ儛wǔ九jiǔ代dài；乘chéng兩liǎng龍lóng，雲yún蓋gài三sān層céng。左zuǒ手shǒu操cāo翳yì，右yòu手shǒu操cāo環huán，佩pèi玉yù璜huáng。在zài大dà運yùn山shān北běi。一yī曰yuē大dà遺yí之zhī野yě。

On the plain of Dale (大樂), Qi, sovereign of the Xia (夏后啟), here danced the dance of the “Nine Generations” (九代); he rode two dragons, beneath a canopy of clouds three tiers high. In his left hand he held a feather parasol, in his right hand a ring, and he wore a pendant of huang jade (璜). This is to the north of Mount Dayun. Another version calls it the plain of Dayi (大遺).

身shēn國guó在zài夏xià后hòu啟qǐ北běi，一yī首shǒu而ér三sān身shēn。

The Land of the Bodies (身國) is to the north of Qi of the Xia; its inhabitants have a single head and three bodies.

臂bì國guó在zài其qí北běi，一yī臂bì一yī目mù一yī鼻bí孔kǒng。有yǒu黃huáng馬mǎ虎hǔ文wén，一yī目mù而ér一yī手shǒu。

The Land of the Arms (臂國, “one arm”) is to the north; its inhabitants have a single arm, a single eye and a single nostril. There are yellow horses with tiger stripes, each having a single eye and a single foreleg.

奇qí肱gōng之zhī國guó在zài其qí北běi，其qí人rén一yī臂bì三sān目mù，有yǒu陰yīn有yǒu陽yáng，乘chéng文wén馬mǎ。有yǒu鳥niǎo焉yān，兩liǎng頭tóu，赤chì黃huáng色sè，在zài其qí旁páng。

The Land of Qigong (奇肱國, “singular arm”) is to the north; its inhabitants have a single arm and three eyes, being both male and female (yin and yang), and they ride piebald horses. There is a two-headed bird, red and yellow in colour, which stays at their side.

形xíng天tiān與yǔ帝dì至zhì此cǐ爭zhēng神shén，帝dì斷duàn其qí首shǒu，葬zàng之zhī常cháng羊yáng之zhī山shān，乃nǎi以yǐ乳rǔ為wèi目mù，以yǐ臍qí為wèi口kǒu，操cāo干gàn戚qī以yǐ舞wǔ。

Xingtian (形天) came here to contend for divine power with the Sovereign (帝); the Sovereign cut off his head and buried it at Mount Changyang (常羊). Then Xingtian made eyes of his nipples and a mouth of his navel, and, brandishing the shield (干) and the axe (戚), he began to dance.

女nǚ祭jì、女nǚ戚qī在zài其qí北běi，居jū兩liǎng水shuǐ間jiān，戚qī操cāo魚yú䱉shàn，祭jì操cāo俎zǔ。

Nüji (女祭) and Nüqi (女戚) are to the north; they dwell between two watercourses. Qi holds a fish harpoon (魚䱉), Ji holds an offering table (俎).

䳐cì鳥niǎo、𪆻dǎn鳥niǎo，其qí色sè青qīng黃huáng，所suǒ經jīng國guó亡wáng。在zài女nǚ祭jì北běi。䳐cì鳥niǎo人rén面miàn，居jū山shān上shàng。一yī曰yuē維wéi鳥niǎo、青qīng鳥niǎo、黃huáng鳥niǎo所suǒ集jí。

The Shu bird (䳐鳥) and the Hui bird (𪆻鳥) are blue-green and yellow in colour; every country they pass through perishes. This is to the north of Nüji. The Shu bird has a human face and dwells upon the mountains. Another version speaks of the place where the Wei bird (維鳥), the blue bird (青鳥) and the yellow bird (黃鳥) gather.

丈zhàng夫fū國guó在zài維wéi鳥niǎo北běi，其qí為wèi人rén衣yī冠guān帶dài劍jiàn。

The Land of the Men (丈夫國) is to the north of the Wei bird; its inhabitants wear robes, cap, belt and sword.

女nǚ丑chǒu之zhī尸shī，生shēng而ér十shí日rì炙zhì殺shā之zhī。在zài丈zhàng夫fū北běi，以yǐ右yòu手shǒu鄣zhāng其qí面miàn，十shí日rì居jū上shàng，女nǚ丑chǒu居jū山shān之zhī上shàng。

The corpse of Nüchou (女丑): she was alive, but ten suns burned her to death. This is to the north of the Land of the Men; with her right hand she covers her face, the ten suns standing above her, and Nüchou lies on the summit of a mountain.

巫wū咸xián國guó在zài女nǚ丑chǒu北běi，右yòu手shǒu操cāo青qīng蛇shé，左zuǒ手shǒu操cāo赤chì蛇shé，在zài登dēng葆bǎo山shān，群qún巫wū所suǒ從cóng上shàng下xià也yě。

The Land of the Xian Sorcerers (巫咸國) is to the north of Nüchou; its people hold a green snake in the right hand and a red snake in the left hand; they are at Mount Dengbao (登葆山), by which the host of sorcerers ascends and descends (between heaven and earth).

并bìng封fēng在zài巫wū咸xián東dōng，其qí狀zhuàng如rú彘zhì，前qián後hòu皆jiē有yǒu首shǒu，黑hēi。

Bingfeng (并封) is to the east of the Xian Sorcerers; in appearance it resembles a pig, with a head at the front and one at the back, and it is black.

女nǚ子zi國guó在zài巫wū咸xián北běi，兩liǎng女nǚ子zi居jū，水shuǐ周zhōu之zhī。一yī曰yuē居jū一yī門mén中zhōng。

The Land of the Women (女子國) is to the north of the Xian Sorcerers; two women dwell there, surrounded by water. Another version says that they reside behind a single gate.

軒xuān轅yuán之zhī國guó在zài此cǐ窮qióng山shān之zhī際jì，其qí不bù壽shòu者zhě八bā百bǎi歲suì。在zài女nǚ子zi國guó北běi，人rén面miàn蛇shé身shēn，尾wěi交jiāo首shǒu上shàng。

The Land of Xuanyuan (軒轅國) lies at the edge of this Mount Qiong (窮山); those who die young there still live eight hundred years. This is to the north of the Land of the Women; its inhabitants have a human face and the body of a snake, the tail coiled up over the head.

窮qióng山shān在zài其qí北běi，不bù敢gǎn西xī射shè，畏wèi軒xuān轅yuán之zhī丘qiū。在zài軒xuān轅yuán國guó北běi，其qí丘qiū方fāng，四sì蛇shé相xiāng繞rào。

Mount Qiong (窮山) is to the north; one dares not shoot arrows westward there, for fear of the mound of Xuanyuan (軒轅之丘). This is to the north of the Land of Xuanyuan; its mound is square, encircled by four intertwined snakes.

此cǐ諸zhū夭yāo之zhī野yě，鸞luán鳥niǎo自zì歌gē，鳳fèng鳥niǎo自zì舞wǔ；鳳fèng皇huáng卵luǎn，民mín食shí之zhī；甘gān露lù，民mín飲yǐn之zhī，所suǒ欲yù自zì從cóng也yě。百bǎi獸shòu相xiāng與yǔ群qún居jū。在zài四sì蛇shé北běi，其qí人rén兩liǎng手shǒu操cāo卵luǎn食shí之zhī，兩liǎng鳥niǎo居jū前qián導dǎo之zhī。

Here is the plain of Zhuyao (諸夭): the luan bird (鸞) sings there of itself, the phoenix (鳳) dances there of itself; the people feed on phoenix eggs and drink the sweet dew, and everything they desire comes of itself. The hundred kinds of beasts live there together in herds. This is to the north of the four snakes; its inhabitants hold eggs in both hands to eat them, and two birds stand before them to guide them.

龍lóng魚yú陵líng居jū在zài其qí北běi，狀zhuàng如rú狸lí。一yī曰yuē鰕xiā。即jí有yǒu神shén聖shèng乘chéng此cǐ以yǐ行xíng九jiǔ野yě。一yī曰yuē鱉biē魚yú在zài夭yāo野yě北běi，其qí為wèi魚yú也yě如rú鯉lǐ。

The dragon-fish Longyu (龍魚), which lives on the heights, is to the north; it has the form of a wildcat. Another version says: a shrimp (鰕). It is upon it that the divine and holy beings ride to travel across the Nine Regions. Another version speaks of the Bie fish (鱉魚), to the north of the plain of Yao, which, as a fish, resembles a carp.

白bái民mín之zhī國guó在zài龍lóng魚yú北běi，白bái身shēn被bèi髮fà。有yǒu乘chéng黃huáng，其qí狀zhuàng如rú狐hú，其qí背bèi上shàng有yǒu角jiǎo，乘chéng之zhī壽shòu二èr千qiān歲suì。

The Land of the White Men (白民國) is to the north of Longyu; its inhabitants have white bodies and dishevelled hair. There is found the Chenghuang (乘黃), which resembles a fox, with horns on its back; riding it grants a life of two thousand years.

肅sù慎shèn之zhī國guó在zài白bái民mín北běi，有yǒu樹shù名míng曰yuē雄xióng常cháng，先xiān入rù代dài帝dì，於yú此cǐ取qǔ之zhī。

The Land of Sushen (肅慎國) is to the north of the White Men; there grows a tree called Xiongchang (雄常): when a new sovereign succeeded (the old one), it was there that they gathered (its bark to clothe themselves).

長cháng股gǔ之zhī國guó在zài雄xióng常cháng北běi，被bèi髮fà。一yī曰yuē長cháng腳jiǎo。

The Land of the Long-Thighs (長股國) is to the north of the Xiongchang; its inhabitants have dishevelled hair. Another version calls it the Land of the Long-Legs (長腳).

西xī方fāng蓐rù收shōu，左zuǒ耳ěr有yǒu蛇shé，乘chéng兩liǎng龍lóng。

In the west reigns Rushou (蓐收): he has a snake at his left ear and rides two dragons.

Notes

Reading the book. Like the other “Classics Beyond the Seas”, the text is followed in a cardinal direction — here from the south-west (西南陬) to the north-west (西北陬) — each region being located in relation to the previous one (“to the north of…”). The formula “一曰” (“one version says”) marks the variants of name or location handed down by the ancient recensions.

Great myths of the book. The 海外西經 condenses several foundational tales: Qi (啟), son of Yu the Great and first hereditary king of the Xia, dancing the celestial dance of the “Nine Generations”; Xingtian (形天), beheaded by the Celestial Sovereign yet continuing to dance, his nipples for eyes and his navel for a mouth, a figure of indomitable revolt; Nüchou (女丑), burned by the ten suns; the Land of Xuanyuan (軒轅, the name of the Yellow Emperor), peopled by snake-men of prodigious longevity.

“Deformed” peoples. Many countries bear the name of a bodily peculiarity: 一臂 (a single arm), 奇肱 (singular arm), 三身 (three bodies), 丈夫 (the Men), 女子 (the Women), 長股 (long thighs). These traits belong to a symbolic geography of the margins of the world.

Rushou (蓐收). The chapter closes, as does each “Classic Beyond the Seas”, with the directional god: Rushou, deity of the West and of autumn, a snake at his ear, mounted on two dragons.

Uncertain identifications. Many names of birds (䳐, 𪆻…), of animals and of places have no assured equivalent; they are transcribed in pinyin with the characters, the English renderings following the traditional glosses (Guo Pu, Hao Yixing).

Chinese text after the Chinese Text Project (ctext.org). Translation and notes: Chine-culture.com.