Chapter 8 of the Classic of Mountains and Seas (Classic of Mountains and Seas: Classic of the Great Wilderness: North)

The Classic of Regions Beyond the Northern Seas (海外北經 Hǎiwài běijīng) is the eighth book of the Classic of Mountains and Seas and the third of the "Classics of Regions Beyond the Seas" (海外經). It traverses the northern perimeter, from the northeast corner to the northwest corner, gathering some of the greatest Chinese myths: the god Zhuyin whose eyes create day and night, the nine-headed monster Xiangliu slain by Yu, and the tale of Kuafu chasing the sun. The Chinese text is presented with its pinyin transcription, followed by a French translation and notes.

海外北經 — Regions Beyond the Northern Seas

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

The regions beyond the seas extend from the northeast corner to the northwest corner.

無wú𦜹qǐ之zhī國guó在zài長cháng股gǔ東dōng，為wèi人rén無wú𦜹qǏ。

The land of the No-Calves (無𦜹國) is east of the Long-Legs; its people have no calves.

鍾zhōng山shān之zhī神shén，名míng曰yuē燭zhú陰yīn，視shì為wèi晝zhòu，暝míng為wèi夜yè，吹chuī為wèi冬dōng，呼hū為wèi夏xià，不bù飲yǐn，不bù食shí，不bù息xī，息xī為wèi風fēng，身shēn長cháng千qiān里lǐ。在zài無wú𦜹qǐ之zhī東dōng。其qí為wèi物wù，人rén面miàn蛇shé身shēn，赤chì色sè，居jū鍾zhōng山shān下xià。

The god of Zhong Mountain (鍾山) is named Zhuyin (燭陰, "Darkness-Beacon"): when he opens his eyes, it is day; when he closes them, it is night; when he blows, it is winter; when he exhales, it is summer. He does not drink, eat, or breathe—yet when he breathes, it becomes wind. His body is a thousand li long. He is east of the No-Calves. This creature has a human face and a serpent’s body, is red in color, and dwells at the foot of Zhong Mountain.

目mù國guó在zài其qí東dōng，一yī目mù中zhōng其qí面miàn而ér居jū。一yī曰yuē有yǒu手shǒu足zú。

The land of the One-Eyed (目國) is to the east; its people have a single eye in the center of their faces. Another account says they have hands and feet.

柔róu利lì國guó在zài一yī目mù東dōng，為wèi人rén一yī手shǒu一yī足zú，反fǎn膝xī，曲qū足zú居jū上shàng。一yī云yún留liú利lì之zhī國guó，人rén足zú反fǎn折zhé。

The land of Rouli (柔利國) is east of the One-Eyed; its people have one hand and one foot, with knees bent backward and feet curled upward. Another version calls it the land of Liuli (留利), where the people have feet bent the wrong way.

共gòng工gōng之zhī臣chén曰yuē相xiāng柳liǔ氏shì，九jiǔ首shǒu，以yǐ食shí于yú九jiù山shān。相xiāng柳liǔ之zhī所suǒ抵dǐ，厥jué為wèi澤zé谿xī。禹yǔ殺shā相xiāng柳liǔ，其qí血xuè腥xīng，不bù可kě以yǐ樹shù五wǔ穀gǔ種zhǒng。禹yǔ厥jué之zhī，三sān仞rèn三sān沮jǔ，乃nǎi以yǐ為wèi眾zhòng帝dì之zhī臺tái。在zài崑kūn崙lún之zhī北běi，柔róu利lì之zhī東dōng。相xiāng柳liǔ者zhě，九jiǔ首shǒu人rén面miàn，蛇shé身shēn而ér青qīng。不bù敢gǎn北běi射shè，畏wèi共gòng工gōng之zhī臺tái。臺tái在zài其qí東dōng，臺tái四sì方fāng，隅yú有yǒu一yī蛇shé，虎hǔ色sè，首shǒu衝chōng南nán方fāng。

Gonggong’s minister was named Xiangliu (相柳氏); he had nine heads and fed upon nine mountains at once. Wherever Xiangliu struck the ground, marshes and ravines formed. Yu slew him, but his blood was so foul that no five grains could grow there. Yu filled the pit; three times it collapsed, three times it sank—he made it into a terrace for the sovereigns. It is north of Kunlun, east of Rouli. Xiangliu had nine human faces, a serpent’s body, and was greenish-blue. No one dares shoot arrows northward, for fear of Gonggong’s terrace. The terrace is to the east; it is square, and at each corner stands a serpent with a tiger’s hide and its head turned southward.

深shēn目mù國guó在zài其qí東dōng，為wèi人rén舉jǔ一yī手shǒu一yī目mù，在zài共gòng工gōng臺tái東dōng。

The land of the Deep-Eyes (深目國) is to the east; its people raise one hand and have sunken eyes, and they dwell east of Gonggong’s terrace.

無wú腸cháng之zhī國guó在zài深shēn目mù東dōng，其qí為wèi人rén長cháng而ér無wú腸cháng。

The land of the No-Guts (無腸國) is east of the Deep-Eyes; its people are tall and have no intestines.

聶niè耳ěr之zhī國guó在zài無wú腸cháng國guó東dōng，使shǐ兩liǎng文wén虎hǔ，為wèi人rén兩liǎng手shǒu聶niè其qí耳ěr。縣xiàn居jū海hǎi水shuǐ中zhōng，及jí水shuǐ所suǒ出chū入rù奇qí物wù。兩liǎng虎hǔ在zài其qí東dōng。

The land of the Eared (聶耳國) is east of the No-Guts; its people are followed by two spotted tigers and hold their (large) ears in both hands. They live on an islet in the midst of the sea, where waters bring in and out strange things. The two tigers stand to the east.

夸kuā父fù與yǔ日rì逐zhú走zǒu，入rù日rì。渴kě，欲yù得dé飲yǐn，飲yǐn於yú河hé渭wèi；河hé渭wèi不bù足zú，北běi飲yǐn大dà澤zé。未wèi至zhì，道dào渴kě而ér死sǐ。棄qì其qí杖zhàng，化huà為wèi鄧dèng林lín。

Kua Fu raced with the Sun and chased it to its setting. Thirsty, he sought to drink and drank from the Yellow River and the Wei—but the Yellow River and Wei were not enough, so he went north to drink from the Great Marsh. Before he reached it, he died of thirst along the way. He cast aside his staff, which turned into the Deng Forest (鄧林).

博bó父fù國guó在zài聶niè耳ěr東dōng，其qí為wèi人rén大dà，右yòu手shǒu操cāo青qīng蛇shé，左zuǒ手shǒu操cāo黃huáng蛇shé。鄧dèng林lín在zài其qí東dōng，二èr樹shù木mù。一yī曰yuē博bó父fù。

The land of Bofu (博父國) is east of the Eared; its people are huge, holding a green serpent in the right hand and a yellow one in the left. The Deng Forest is to the east, made of two trees. Another account calls it Bofu (the "Great Father," another name for Kua Fu).

禹yǔ所suǒ積jī石shí之zhī山shān在zài其qí東dōng，河hé水shuǐ所suǒ入rù。

The mountain where Yu piled stones (積石山) is to the east; there the Yellow River enters.

拘jū纓yīng之zhī國guó在zài其qí東dōng，一yī手shǒu把bǎ纓yīng。一yī曰yuē利lì纓yīng之zhī國guó。

The land of Juying (拘纓國) is to the east; its people hold a collar or tassel in one hand. Another version calls it the land of Liying (利纓).

尋xún木mù長cháng千qiān里lǐ，在zài拘jū纓yīng南nán，生shēng河hé上shàng西xī北běi。

The Xunmu tree (尋木), a thousand li tall, is south of Juying; it grows northwest of the Yellow River.

跂qí踵zhǒng國guó在zài拘jū纓yīng東dōng，其qí為wèi人rén大dà，兩liǎng足zú亦yì大dà，一yī曰yuē大dà踵zhǒng。

The land of Qizhong (跂踵國, "on tiptoes") is east of Juying; its people are large, and so are their feet. Another version calls it Dazhong (大踵, "great heels").

歐ōu絲sī之zhī野yě在zài大dà踵zhǒng東dōng，一yī女nǚ子zi跪guì據jù樹shù歐ōu絲sī。

The plain of Ousi (歐絲, "unwinding silk") is east of Dazhong; a woman kneels against a tree, unwinding silk.

桑sāng無wú枝zhī，在zài歐ōu絲sī東dōng，其qí木mù長cháng百bǎi仞rèn，無wú枝zhī。

The leafless mulberry (桑無枝) is east of Ousi; this tree is a hundred ren tall and has no branches.

范fàn林lín方fāng三sān百bǎi里lǐ，在zài三sān桑sāng東dōng，洲zhōu環huán其qí下xià。

The Fanlin forest (范林), three hundred li on each side, is east of the Three Mulberries (三桑); an islet encircles its base.

務wù隅yú之zhī山shān，帝dì顓zhuān頊xū葬zàng于yú陽yáng，九jiǔ嬪pín葬zàng于yú陰yīn。一yī曰yuē爰yuán有yǒu熊xióng、羆pí、文wén虎hǔ、離lí朱zhū、𩿨chī久jiǔ、視shì肉ròu。

At Wuyu Mountain (務隅山), Emperor Zhuanxu (顓頊) was buried on the sunny slope, and his nine consorts on the shady slope. Another account says there are bears, brown bears, spotted tigers, the Lizhu bird (離朱), the Jiujiu (𩿨久), and the Shirou (視肉).

平píng丘qiū在zài三sān桑sāng東dōng，爰yuán有yǒu遺yí玉yù、青qīng鳥niǎo、視shì肉ròu、楊yáng柳liǔ、甘gān柤zhā、甘gān華huá，百bǎi果guǒ所suǒ生shēng，在zài兩liǎng山shān夾jiā上shàng谷gǔ，二èr大dà丘qiū居jū中zhōng，名míng曰yuē平píng丘qiū。

The plain of Pingqiu (平丘) is east of the Three Mulberries; there one finds the jade Yiyu (遺玉), the blue bird, the Shirou, willows, the sweet jujube (甘柤), and the "sweet-flourishing" (甘華); a hundred kinds of fruit grow there. It lies between two mountains that enclose a high valley, with two great mounds in the middle—hence its name, Pingqiu (the "level mound").

北běi海hǎi內nèi有yǒu獸shòu，其qí狀zhuàng如rú馬mǎ，名míng曰yuē騊táo駼tú。有yǒu獸shòu焉yān，其qí名míng曰yuē駮bó，狀zhuàng如rú白bái馬mǎ，鋸jù牙yá，食shí虎hǔ豹bào。有yǒu素sù獸shòu焉yān，狀zhuàng如rú馬mǎ，名míng曰yuē蛩qióng蛩qióng。有yǒu青qīng獸shòu焉yān，狀zhuàng如rú虎hǔ，名míng曰yuē羅luó羅luó。

In the Northern Sea lives a beast like a horse, named Taotu (騊駼). There is also a beast named Bo (駮), resembling a white horse with saw-like teeth that devours tigers and leopards. There is a white beast like a horse, named Qiongqiong (蛩蛩). And a greenish beast like a tiger, named Luoluo (羅羅).

北běi方fāng禺yú彊qiáng，人rén面miàn鳥niǎo身shēn，珥ěr兩liǎng青qīng蛇shé，踐jiàn兩liǎng青qīng蛇shé。

In the north rules Yuqiang (禺彊): he has a human face and a bird’s body, wears two green serpents as earrings, and treads upon two green serpents.

Notes

Reading the book. Like the other "Classics Beyond the Seas," this text is read in a cardinal direction—here from the northeast (東北陬) to the northwest (西北陬)—each region being situated relative to the previous one. The phrase "一曰" ("one account says") signals variants from ancient recensions.

Zhuyin / Zhulong (燭陰). The god of Zhong Mountain, "Darkness-Beacon" (also called 燭龍, the Flame-Beacon Dragon), is a cosmogony in himself: the opening and closing of his eyes alternate day and night, his breath governs the seasons and wind. A figure of the polar solar dragon, he sets the rhythm of the world’s time.

Xiangliu (相柳) and Gonggong (共工). The nine-headed serpent Xiangliu, minister of the water god Gonggong, poisons the earth with his blood; Yu the Great, the flood-taming hero, slays him and must transform the cursed site into a sacred terrace. The tale extends the grand cycle of water control.

Kua Fu (夸父) chasing the sun. The giant who races the Sun, drinks the Yellow River and the Wei, then dies of thirst—his abandoned staff becomes the Deng Forest (鄧林). A famous myth of human excess, often read as an etiology of fishing and groves.

Yuqiang (禺彊). The chapter closes with the northern god, human-faced and bird-bodied, adorned with and treading upon green serpents—a deity of wind and the northern sea.

Uncertain identifications. Many names of peoples, animals (騊駼, 蛩蛩, 羅羅, 𩿨久…), and places have no secure equivalents; they are transcribed in pinyin with the characters, and the French renderings follow traditional glosses (Guo Pu, Hao Yixing).

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