CHAPTER 02 · 82 passages
The Western Mountains
西山經
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Range 1
English
The first range of the western mountains, the Huà [華] range, begins at Mount Qiánlái [錢來]. Above grow many pines, below lie many Xǐ [洗] stones. There is a beast like a goat, but with a horse's tail, called the Qiān Yáng [羬]. Its fat can treat dryness of the skin.
Translator’s note
Xǐ [洗] stone: An ancient stone-name whose exact identification is uncertain.
English
45 li west stands Mount Sōngguǒ [松果]. The Huò [濩] River rises here and flows north into the Wèi [渭] River, with much Tóng in its waters. There is a bird called Wū Qú [䳋渠], resembling a pheasant, with a black body and red feet. It can treat cracked skin.
English
A further 60 li west stands Mount Tàihuà [太華], square as though hewn, 5,000 ren high and ten li across. Neither birds nor beasts dwell there. There is a Shé called Féi Wèi [肥𧔥], with six legs and four wings. When it appears, a great drought falls upon all beneath heaven.
Translator’s note
Ren is an ancient unit of height; no modern conversion is imposed.
English
A further 80 li west stands Mount Xiǎohuá [小華]. Its trees are chiefly chaste trees and wolfberries; its beasts chiefly Zuó Niú [㸲]. Its northern slope has many musical stones, its southern slope much Tūfú [㻬琈] jade. Among its birds are many Chì Bì [鷩], which ward off fire. There is a plant called Bì Lì [萆荔], resembling Wūjiǔ [烏韭]; it grows on stone and also climbs trees. Eating it relieves pain in the heart.
Translator’s note
Wūjiǔ [烏韭]: An old name commonly associated with a fern, especially maidenhair fern; the comparison should not be read as ordinary chives. Zuó [㸲] is a named kind of wild bovine, and Bì [鷩] a pheasant-like bird. “Heart pain” is the ancient symptom term, not a modern diagnosis.
English
A further 80 li west stands Mount Fúyú [符禺]. Its southern slope has much Tóng, its northern slope much iron. There grows a tree named Wén Jīng [文莖], with fruit like jujubes, which can cure deafness. There are many Unnamed Crimson Flower Shoot, like mallow, with red blossoms and yellow fruit resembling an infant's tongue. Eating them prevents bewilderment. The Fúyú [符禺] River rises here and flows north into the Wèi [渭] River. Among its beasts are many Cōng Lóng [蔥聾], like goat with red manes; among its birds, many Mín [鴖], like kingfishers with red beaks, which ward off fire.
English
A further 60 li west stands Mount Shícuì [石脆]. Its trees are chiefly palms and nanmu. There are many Unnamed White Flower Shoot, resembling garlic chives, with white blossoms and black fruit; eating them cures scabies. Its southern slope has much Tūfú [㻬琈] jade, its northern slope much Tóng. The Guàn Waters rises here and flows north into the yù [禺] River. In it is flowing red ochre; cattle and horses coated with it remain free from illness.
English
A further 70 li west stands Mount Yīng [英]. Above grow many Niǔ [杻] and Jiāng [橿] trees. Its northern slope has much iron, its southern slope much red metal. The yù [禺] River rises here and flows north into the Zhāo [招] River. In it are many Lǐ Yú [䰷], like soft-shelled turtles, with voices like goat. The southern slope has much arrow bamboo and Mèi [䉋] bamboo. Its beasts include many Zuó Niú [㸲] and Qiān Yáng [羬]. There is a bird like a quail, with a yellow body and red beak, called Féi Yí [肥遺]. Eating it cures pestilential illness and kills parasites.
English
A further 52 li west stands Mount Zhú [竹]. Above grow many tall trees, and the northern slope has much iron. There is a plant called Huáng Guàn [黃雚], resembling a tree of heaven, with hemp-like leaves, white blossoms, and red fruit of an ochre-like appearance. Bathing with it cures scabies and swelling. The Zhú [竹] River rises here and flows north into the Wèi [渭] River. The southern slope has much arrow bamboo and dark-green jade. The Dān [丹] River also rises here and flows southeast into the Luò [洛] River, with many River Dān Crystals and Rén Yú [人魚] in its waters. There is a beast like a pig, with white hairs as thick as hairpins and black at the tips. Its name is Háo Zhì [毫彘].
Translator’s note
Rén Yú [人魚]: An ancient aquatic creature-name, often associated in traditional accounts with salamanders; it does not necessarily denote a human-shaped mermaid.
English
A further 120 li west stands Mount Fú [浮]. There are many Pàn Mù [盼], whose leaves resemble those of trifoliate orange, but which have no thorns; wood-boring creatures live in them. There is a plant called Xūn Cǎo [薰草], with hemp-like leaves, a square stem, red blossoms, and black fruit. Its scent resembles Míwú [蘼蕪]; wearing it cures pestilential illness.
Translator’s note
Míwú [蘼蕪]: A fragrant herb traditionally associated with the foliage of lovage-like medicinal plants. Its exact ancient botanical scope is uncertain.
English
A further 70 li west stands Mount Yúcì [羭次]. The Qī [漆] River rises here and flows north into the Wèi [渭] River. Above grow many Yù [棫] and Jiāng [橿] trees, below much arrow bamboo. The northern slope has much red Tóng, the southern slope much Yīngyuán [嬰垣] jade. There is a beast like a yù [禺], with long arms, skilled at throwing; its name is Xiāo [嚻]. There is a bird like an Xiāo, with a human face and one leg, called Tuó Féi [橐𩇯]. It appears in winter and lies dormant in summer. Wearing it removes fear of thunder.
Translator’s note
yù [禺]: Traditionally understood as a monkey-like animal, larger than a macaque, with red eyes and a long tail. The description comes from Guō Pú's commentary.
English
A further 150 li west stands Mount Shí [時], without plants or trees. The Zhú [逐] River rises here and flows north into the Wèi [渭] River, with many rock crystals in its waters.
English
A further 170 li west stands Mt. Nán [南], with much Cinnabar above. The Dān [丹] River rises here and flows north into the Wèi [渭] River. Its beasts include many Měng Bào [猛豹], and its birds many Shī Jiū.
Translator’s note
Měng Bào [猛豹]: A traditional beast-name whose identity is disputed; it is not silently equated here with the modern Bào.
English
A further 408 li west stands Mount Dàshí [大時]. Above grow many paper mulberries and oaks, below many Niǔ [杻] and Jiāng [橿] trees. Its northern slope has much silver, its southern slope much white jade. The Cén [涔] River rises here and flows north into the Wèi [渭]; the Qīng [清] River also rises here and flows south into the Hàn [漢] River.
English
A further 320 li west stands Mount Bōzhǒng [嶓塚]. The Hàn [漢] River rises here and flows southeast into the Miǎn [沔]; the Xiāo [嚻] River also rises here and flows north into the Tāng [湯] River. Above grow much Táozhī [桃枝] and Gōuduān [鉤端] bamboo. Its beasts include Xī, Sì [兕], Xióng, and Pí; its birds include Bái Hàn [翰] and Chì Bì [鷩]. There is a plant with leaves like Huì [蕙] and a root like a balloon flower, bearing black blossoms but no fruit. Its name is Gū Róng [蓇蓉]; whoever eats it has no children.
Translator’s note
Huì [蕙]: An ancient fragrant plant-name, often rendered as an orchid but not securely restricted to a modern orchid species. Sì [兕] is traditionally a large, one-horned bovine- or rhinoceros-like animal. 翰 and 鷩 are names of pheasant-like birds.
English
A further 350 li west stands Mount Tiāndì [天帝]. Above grow many palms and nanmu, below much cogon grass and Huì [蕙]. There is a beast like a dog, called Xī Biān [谿邊]; whoever uses its hide as a mat is unharmed by venomous sorcery. There is a bird like a quail, with black markings and a red neck, called Lì [櫟]; eating it cures haemorrhoids. There is a plant like mallow, smelling of Míwú [蘼蕪], called Dù Héng [杜衡]. It can make horses run swiftly, and eating it cures goitre.
Translator’s note
Míwú [蘼蕪]: A fragrant herb traditionally associated with lovage-like plants. Dù Héng [杜衡] has an established later use for wild ginger, but the ancient plant's claimed powers are retained as part of the narrative.
English
380 li southwest stands Mount Tútú [塗途]. The Qiáng [薔] River rises here and flows west into the Zhūzī [諸資]; the Tú [涂] River also rises here and flows south into the Jíhuò [集獲]. Its southern slope has much Cinnabar, its northern slope much silver and gold, and above grow many cassia trees. There is a white stone called Yù [礜], which can poison rats. There is a plant like Gǎobá [稾茇], with mallow-like leaves that are red beneath; its name is , and it too can poison rats. There is a beast like a Lù, with a white tail, horse's feet, human hands, and four horns, called Rú [𤣎如]. There is a bird like an owl, with human feet, called Shù Sī [數斯]; eating it cures goitre.
Translator’s note
Gǎobá [稾茇]: An old name generally associated with Chinese lovage or related aromatic medicinal plants. Yù [礜] is an ancient mineral name, commonly associated with an arsenical mineral, but no modern chemical identification is imposed.
English
A further 180 li west stands Mount Huáng [黃], without plants or trees, but with much arrow bamboo. The Pàn [盼] River rises here and flows west into the Chì [赤] River, with much jade in its waters. There is a beast like an ox, dark blue-black, with great eyes, called Mǐn [𤛎]. There is a bird like an Xiāo, with green feathers, a red beak, and a human-like tongue; it can speak and is called the Yīng Wǔ.
English
A further 200 li west stands Mount Cuì [翠]. Above grow many palms and nanmu, below much arrow bamboo. Its southern slope has much gold and jade; its northern slope has many Máo Niú, Jūn, and Shè. Among its birds are many Yù [鸓], like magpies, red and black, with two heads and four feet. They ward off fire.
English
A further 250 li west stands Mount Guī [騩], extending into the Xī [西] Sea, without plants or trees but with much jade. The Qī [淒] River rises here and flows west into the sea. Its waters contain many coloured stones, much gold, and much Cinnabar.
English
The first western range, from Mount Qiánlái [錢來] to Mount Guī [騩], comprises nineteen mountains and extends 2,957 li. Mount Huà [華] is its chief; its rites require the full three-animal sacrifice. Mount Yú [羭] is a divine mountain: its rite uses torches, a hundred days of purification, and a hundred sacrificial animals. A hundred pieces of fine jade are buried; a hundred vessels of wine are warmed; and a hundred Guī [珪] tablets and a hundred Bì [璧] disks are hung as offerings. For each of the other seventeen mountains, a goat of unblemished colouring is offered. The torches are made from plants not yet reduced to ash, and white mats are bordered with coloured material.
Translator’s note
The full sacrifice, 太牢, conventionally comprises cattle, goat, and pigs. The concluding ritual wording is difficult, especially 采等純之; the rendering of coloured borders is provisional. 珪 are elongated ceremonial jade tablets, and 璧 are perforated jade disks.
Range 2
English
The second western range begins at Mount Qián [鈐]. Above is much Tóng, below much jade, and its trees are chiefly Niǔ [杻] and Jiāng [橿].
English
200 li west stands Mount Tàimào [㤗冒]. Its southern slope has much jade, its northern slope much iron. The Yù [浴] River rises here and flows east into the Hé [河] River, with much Zǎo [藻] jade and many Bái Shé in its waters.
Translator’s note
河, when used as this river's name, conventionally denotes the river now called the Yellow River. Its ancient name is preserved in the translation.
English
A further 170 li west stands Mount Shùlì [數歷]. Above is much gold, below much silver. Its trees are chiefly Niǔ [杻] and Jiāng [橿], its birds chiefly Yīng Wǔ. The Chǔ [楚] River rises here and flows south into the Wèi [渭] River, with many white pearls in its waters.
English
A further 50 li northwest stands Mount Gāo [高]. Above is much silver, below much blue-green jade and realgar. Its trees are chiefly palms and its plants chiefly bamboo. The Jīng [涇] River rises here and flows east into the Wèi [渭], with musical stones and blue-green jade in its waters.
English
300 li southwest stands Mount Nǚchuáng [女牀]. Its southern slope has much red Tóng, its northern slope much black mineral pigment. Its beasts include Hǔ, Bào, Xī, and Sì [兕]. There is a bird resembling a Dí, patterned in five colours, called the Luán Niǎo [鸞]. When it appears, all beneath heaven is at peace.
Translator’s note
Sì [兕]: Traditionally described as a great, one-horned, ox-like animal, often associated with a rhinoceros. 石涅 is an ancient black mineral or colouring material, frequently identified as graphite; certainty about the specific material is not implied.
English
A further 200 li west stands Mount Lóngshǒu [龍首]. Its southern slope has much gold, and its southern slope much iron. The Tiáo [苕] River rises here and flows southeast into the Jīng [涇], with much fine jade in its waters.
Translator’s note
The source says “southern slope” twice. The repetition has not been silently changed to “northern.”
English
A further 200 li west stands Mount Lùtái [鹿臺]. Above is much white jade, below much silver. Its beasts include Zuó Niú [㸲], Qiān Yáng [羬], and Bái Háo [白豪]. There is a bird like a cock, with a human face, called Fú Xī [鳧徯]. It cries its own name; when it appears, there is war.
English
200 li southwest stands Mount Niǎowēi [鳥危]. Its southern slope has many musical stones, its northern slope many Tán [檀] and paper-mulberry trees; within it is much Nǚchuáng [女牀]. The Niǎowēi [鳥危] River rises here and flows west into the Chì [赤], with much Cinnabar in its waters.
Translator’s note
Nǚchuáng [女牀]: Here a plant or other natural product, rather than the mountain named earlier; its identification is uncertain.
English
A further 400 li west stands Mount Xiǎocì [小次]. Above is much white jade, below much red Tóng. There is a beast like an Yuán, with a white head and red feet, called Zhū Yàn [朱厭]. When it appears, there is great warfare.
English
A further 300 li west stands Mount Dàcì [大次]. Its southern slope has much white clay, its northern slope much blue-green jade. Its beasts include Zuó Niú [㸲] and Líng.
English
A further 400 li west stands Mount Xūnwú [薰吳], without plants or trees, but rich in metals and jade.
English
A further 400 li west stands Mount Dǐyáng [厎陽]. Its trees include many Jì [㮨], nanmu, and camphor trees. Its beasts include Xī, Sì [兕], Hǔ, Zhuó [犳], and Zuó Niú [㸲].
English
A further 250 li west stands Mount Zhòngshòu [眾獸]. Above is much Tūfú [㻬琈] jade, below many Tán [檀] and paper-mulberry trees and much gold. Its beasts include many Xī and Sì [兕].
Translator’s note
Sì [兕]: A large horned animal in ancient accounts, often identified as rhinoceros-like; its exact species is uncertain.
English
A further 500 li west stands Mount Huángrén [皇人]. Above are plentiful metals and jade, below much blue-green realgar. The Huáng [皇] River rises here and flows west into the Chì [赤], with much Cinnabar in its waters.
Translator’s note
青雄黃, literally “blue-green realgar,” is the received ancient mineral term; it is not a precise modern chemical classification.
English
A further 300 li west stands Mount Zhōnghuáng [中皇]. Above is much gold, below many Huì [蕙] plants and crabapple trees.
English
A further 350 li west stands Mount Xīhuáng [西皇]. Its southern slope has much gold, its northern slope much iron. Its beasts include many Mí, Lù, and Zuó Niú [㸲].
English
A further 350 li west stands Mount Lái [萊]. Its trees are chiefly Tán [檀] and paper mulberry; its birds include many Luó Luó [羅羅], which eat people.
English
The second western range, from Mount Qián [鈐] to Mount Lái [萊], comprises seventeen mountains and extends 4,140 li. Ten of its gods have human faces and horse bodies. Seven have human faces and ox bodies, four feet and one arm, and walk carrying staffs: these are the gods of flying beasts. Their rites require the lesser animal sacrifice, with white cogon grass as a mat. For the ten other gods, the offering is a cock; it is buried, and no sacrificial grain is used. The animal is coloured.
Translator’s note
The lesser sacrifice, 少牢, conventionally comprises a goat and a pig. The final wording, especially 鈐 and 毛采, is uncertain; burial and a coloured offering are provisional readings.
Range 3
English
The third western range begins at Mount Chóngwú [崇吾], south of the Hé [河] River. To the north one sees Zhǒngsuì [冢遂]; south, Yóu [䍃] Marsh; west, the High God's hill for wrestling with beasts; east, Yán [䗡] Pool. There grows a tree with round leaves and white calyxes, red blossoms and black grain. Its fruit resembles trifoliate orange; eating it benefits one's descendants. There is a beast like a yù [禺], with patterned arms, described with Bào and Hǔ features, and skilled at throwing. Its name is Jǔ Fù [舉父]. There is a bird like a duck, with one wing and one eye; only when paired can it fly. Its name is Mán Mán [蠻蠻]; when it appears, great floods fall upon all beneath heaven.
Translator’s note
yù [禺]: Traditionally a large monkey-like animal. The received phrase 豹虎, “leopard-tiger,” is problematic; some versions have 豹尾, “leopard tail.” The body text does not silently substitute that variant.
English
300 li northwest stands Mount Chángshā [長沙]. The Cǐ [泚] River rises here and flows north into the Yōu [泑]. There are no plants or trees, but much blue-green realgar.
English
A further 370 li northwest stands Mount Bùzhōu [不周]. To the north one sees Mount Zhūpí [諸毗], overlooking Mount Yuèchóng [嶽崇]; to the east lies Yōu [泑] Marsh, where the Hé [河] River runs underground. Its springs swirl and bubble. There are Jiā Guǒ, resembling peaches, on trees with jujube-like leaves, yellow blossoms, and red calyxes. Whoever eats them feels no weariness.
English
A further 420 li northwest stands Mount Mì [峚]. Above grow many Unnamed Danwood Tree with Red Fruit, with round leaves, red stems, yellow blossoms, and red fruit. Their taste resembles malt sugar; whoever eats them knows no hunger. The Dān [丹] River rises here and flows west into Jì [稷] Marsh, with much white jade in its waters. There is Yù Gāo whose springs boil and surge; Huáng Dì [黃帝] eats it and receives it as an offering. From it dark jade is born. Where the Yù Gāo flows, it waters the Unnamed Danwood Tree with Red Fruit. After five years their five colours grow clear and their five flavours fragrant. Huáng Dì [黃帝] takes the jade blossoms of Mount Mì [峚] and casts them upon the southern slope of Mount Zhōng [鍾]. Jīn & Yú is the finest: hard, finely grained and dense, richly lustrous and shining. Its five colours unfold, harmonising softness and hardness. Heaven, earth, spirits, and gods feed upon it and receive it as an offering; noble people wear it to ward off ill fortune. From Mount Mì [峚] to Mount Zhōng [鍾] is 460 li, all marshland, filled with Qí Niǎo, Guài Shòu, and Qí Yú, every one a wondrous creature.
English
A further 420 li northwest stands Mount Zhōng [鍾]. Its son is called Gǔ [皷], with a human face and dragon body. Together with Qīn [欽䲹], he killed Bǎojiāng [葆江] on the southern slope of Kūnlún [昆侖]; the High God put them to death at Yáo [𡺯] Cliff, east of Mount Zhōng [鍾]. Qīn [欽䲹] became a great osprey, like an eagle, with black markings, a white head, a red beak, and tiger claws. Its voice was like a swan calling at dawn; when it appeared, there was great war. Gǔ [鼓] also became a Gǔ Huà Jùn Niǎo, like an owl, with red feet, a straight beak, yellow markings, and a white head. Its voice was like a swan's; where it appeared, the settlement suffered great drought.
English
A further 180 li west stands Mount Tàiqì [泰器]. The Guān [觀] River rises here and flows west into the Liúshā [流沙]. There are many Wén Yáo Yú [文鰩], resembling carp, with fish bodies and bird wings, dark-green markings, white heads, and red beaks. They often travel from the Xī [西] Sea to the Dōng [東] Sea, flying by night. Their voices resemble Luánjī [鸞雞], and their taste is sour and sweet. Eating them cures madness; when they appear, all beneath heaven enjoys abundant harvests.
Translator’s note
Luánjī [鸞雞]: A traditional bird-name used here as a comparison for the call; its precise identity is uncertain.
English
A further 320 li west stands Mount Huáijiāng [槐江]. The Qiūshí [丘時] River rises here and flows north into the Yōu [泑]; in it are many Luǒmǔ [蠃母]. Above are metal and blue-green realgar, with rich stores of Lánggān [琅玕], gold, and jade. Its southern slope has much Cinnabar, its northern slope many coloured minerals, gold, and silver. This is the High God's level garden, governed by Yīng Zhāo [英招], who has a horse's body, a human face, tiger markings, and bird wings. He ranges through the four seas, and his voice resembles Liú [橊]. Southward lies Kūnlún [昆侖], its light blazing and its vapours billowing. Westward lies a great marsh, where Hòujì [后稷] remains concealed; it contains much jade, and on its northern side are many Yáo [榣] trees and Ruò [若] trees. Northward lies Zhūpí [諸毗], home of the locust-tree spirit Huái Guǐ Lí Lún [離侖], and a dwelling of hawks and falcons. Eastward stands Mt. Héng [恒], rising in four tiers, where the Qióng Guǐ dwell, each upon a height. Here is the Yín [滛] River, clear and bright. There is a heavenly god like an ox, with eight legs, two heads, and a horse's tail. Its voice resembles Bóhuáng [勃皇]; where it appears, there is war.
Translator’s note
Luǒmǔ [蠃母] is traditionally associated with a kind of shellfish. The sound comparisons 橊 and 勃皇 are obscure and are retained as named comparisons. The phrases 榣木之有若 and 各在一搏 have difficult readings; the translation is provisional at those points.
English
400 li southwest stands Kūnlún [昆侖] Hill, the High God's lower capital, governed by Lù Wú [陸吾]. This god has a tiger's body, nine tails, a human face, and tiger claws. He governs the nine divisions of heaven and the seasons of the High God's gardens. There is a beast like a goat, with four horns, called Tǔ Lóu [土螻]; it eats people. There is a bird like a bee, as large as a mandarin duck, called Qīn Yuán [欽原]. Birds and beasts it stings die; trees it stings wither. There is also the Chún Niǎo [鶉], which oversees all the High God's garments. There is a tree like a crabapple, with yellow blossoms and red fruit, tasting like plums but without stones. Its name is Shā Táng [沙棠]; it wards off water, and whoever eats it cannot drown. There is a plant called Pín Cǎo [薲], like mallow and tasting like onion; eating it dispels weariness. The Hé [河] River rises here and flows south into Wúdá [無逹]; the Chì [赤] River rises here and flows southeast into the Fàntiān [氾天]; the Yáng [洋] River rises here and flows southwest into the Chǒutú [醜塗]; the Hēi [黑] River rises here and flows west to Dàyú [大杅]. There are many strange birds and beasts.
Translator’s note
河 is the ancient name conventionally associated with the Yellow River. Its course here belongs to the geography of the text, not to a modern map.
English
A further 370 li west stands Mount Lèyóu [樂遊]. The Táo [桃] River rises here and flows west into Jì [稷] Marsh, rich in white jade. Its waters contain many Huá Yú [䱻], like Shé with four legs; they eat fish.
English
Travelling 400 li west by water, one reaches the Liúshā [流沙]; a further 200 li brings one to Mount Luǒmǔ [蠃母], governed by the god Cháng Chéng [長乘], who embodies heaven's nine virtues. He is human in form, but has a leopard's tail. Above is much jade, below many blue-green stones, but no water.
English
A further 350 li west stands Mount Yù [玉], where Xī Wáng Mǔ [西王母] dwells. She is human in form, with a leopard's tail and tiger's teeth, and is skilled at whistling. Her hair is unbound, and she wears a Shèng [勝] headdress. She governs heaven's calamities and the five destructive powers. There is a beast like a dog, with leopard markings and ox-like horns, called Jiǎo [狡]. It barks like a dog; when it appears, the country has abundant harvests. There is a bird like a Dí, but red, called Shèng Yù [胜遇]. It eats fish, and its voice resembles Lù [錄]; when it appears, the country suffers great floods.
Translator’s note
勝 is an ancient headdress or hair ornament. 錄 is an obscure sound comparison. The “five destructive powers” translates 五殘 without imposing a later cosmological scheme.
English
A further 480 li west stands Xuānyuán [軒轅] Hill, without plants or trees. The Xún [洵] River rises here and flows south into the Hēi [黑], with much Cinnabar and blue-green realgar in its waters.
English
A further 300 li west stands Mount Jīshí [積石]. At its foot is a stone gateway, over which the Hé [河] River passes and flows west. On this mountain there is nothing that does not exist.
English
A further 200 li west stands Mount Chángliú [長留], where the god Bái Dì Shào Hào [白帝少昊] dwells. All its beasts have patterned tails, and all its birds patterned heads. There are many patterned jades and stones. This is the palace of the god Wěishì [磈氏], who governs the returning light.
Translator’s note
The source calls him 員神磈氏. 員神 and “returning light” are difficult expressions, traditionally connected with the setting sun; this is an interpretation rather than a geographical identification.
English
A further 280 li west stands Mt. Zhāng É [章莪], without plants or trees, but rich in fine blue-green jade. Its forms are exceedingly strange. There is a beast like a red Bào, with five tails and one horn, whose voice resembles striking stone. Its name is Zhēng [猙]. There is a bird like a crane, with one leg, a blue-green body, red markings, and a white beak. Its name is Bì Fāng [畢方], and it cries its own name. Where it appears, there is an uncanny fire.
English
A further 300 li west stands Mount Yīn [陰]. The Zhuóyù [濁浴] River rises here and flows south into Fān [蕃] Marsh, with many Wén Bèi in its waters. There is a beast like a wildcat, with a white head, called Tiān Gǒu [天狗]. Its voice is like “Liúliú [榴榴]”; it wards off misfortune.
Translator’s note
榴榴 is preserved as the sound-word given by the source, not identified with a particular known animal's call.
English
A further 200 li west stands Mount Fúdàng [符愓]. Above grow many palms and nanmu, below lie plentiful metals and jade. The god Jiāng Yí [江疑] dwells here. The mountain has many strange rains, and winds and clouds issue from it.
English
A further 220 li west stands Mount Sānwēi [三危], where the Sān Qīng Niǎo dwell. The mountain extends a hundred li around. There is a beast like an ox, with a white body and four horns, its long hair hanging like a straw rain cape. Its name is Ào Yīn [𢕟𢓨]; it eats people. There is a bird with one head and three bodies, resembling a Luò [𪇱], called Chī [鴟].
Translator’s note
Luò [𪇱]: A rare bird-name used as a comparison; Guō Pú describes it as eagle-like, with black markings and a red neck. 鴟 is retained as this creature's given name, rather than translated as the ordinary bird word “owl.”
English
A further 190 li west stands Mount Guī [騩]. Above is much jade but no ordinary stone. The god Qí Tóng [耆童] dwells here, his voice always like bells and musical stones. Below are many gathered Shé.
English
A further 350 li west stands Mount Tiān [天], rich in metals and jade and blue-green realgar. The Yīng [英] River rises here and flows southwest into Tāng [湯] Valley. There is a god shaped like a yellow sack, red as cinnabar fire, with six legs and four wings, rounded and without face or eyes. He understands song and dance; this is Dì Jiāng [帝江].
English
A further 290 li west stands Mount Yōu [泑], where the god Rù Shōu [蓐收] dwells. Above is much Yīngyuán [嬰垣] jade; the southern slope has much Jǐnyú [瑾瑜] jade, the northern slope much blue-green realgar. From this mountain one looks west to where the sun enters. Its vapours are round; the god Hóng Guāng [紅光] governs it.
English
Travelling a hundred li west by water, one reaches Mount Yìwàng [翼望], without plants or trees, but rich in metals and jade. There is a beast like a wildcat, with one eye and three tails, called Huān [讙]. Its voice overwhelms a hundred sounds. It wards off misfortune, and wearing it cures heat illness. There is a bird like a crow, with three heads and six tails, skilled at laughing. Its name is Qí Tú [鵸鵌]; wearing it prevents nightmares and wards off misfortune.
Translator’s note
The illnesses here are ancient symptom categories; they are not equated with specific modern diagnoses.
English
The third western range, from Mount Chóngwú [崇吾] to Mount Yìwàng [翼望], comprises twenty-three mountains and extends 6,744 li. Its gods all have goat bodies and human faces. Their rites require the burial of one fine jade, with millet as the sacrificial grain.
Range 4
English
The fourth western range begins at Mount Yīn [陰]. Above grow many paper mulberries, but there is no stone. Its plants include many Mǎofán [𦮉蕃]. The Yīn [陰] River rises here and flows west into the Luò [洛].
Translator’s note
The received text has 穀, commonly “grain,” here understood in the traditional tree-name sense corresponding to 榖, paper mulberry.
English
50 li north stands Mount Láo [勞], with much purple gromwell. The Ruò [弱] River rises here and flows west into the Luò [洛].
English
50 li west stands Mount Bàfù [罷父]. The Ěr [洱] River rises here and flows west into the Luò [洛], with much purple material and blue-green jade in its waters.
Translator’s note
茈 is written without a following noun; whether it denotes a plant or coloured mineral here is uncertain.
English
70 li north stands Mount Shēn [申]. Above grow many paper mulberries and oaks, below many Niǔ [杻] and Jiāng [橿] trees. Its southern slope is rich in metals and jade. The Qū [區] River rises here and flows into the Hé [河].
Translator’s note
The source writes 江流 in its directional clause. No definite compass direction has been supplied for this doubtful wording.
English
Northward stands Mount Niǎo [鳥], with many mulberries above and paper mulberries below. Its northern slope has much iron, its southern slope much jade. The Rǔ [辱] River rises here and flows east into the Hé [河].
Translator’s note
The distance is corrupt in the source: 百二百里, literally “a hundred, two hundred li.” It has not been converted into a definite number.
English
A further twenty li north stands Mount Shàngshēn [上申]. Above are no plants or trees, but many large stones; below grow many hazels and Hù [楛]. Its beasts include many Bái Lù. Its birds include many Dāng Hù [當扈], resembling pheasants, which fly by means of their beards. Eating them prevents dimness of sight. The Tāng [湯] River rises here and flows east into the Hé [河].
English
A further 80 li north stands Mount Zhūcì [諸次]. The Zhūcì [諸次] River rises here and flows east into the Hé [河]. The mountain has many trees but no grass. Neither birds nor beasts dwell here; there are many Shé.
English
A further 180 li north stands Mount Hào [號]. Its trees include lacquer trees and palms; its plants include Yào [葯], Xiāo [虈], and lovage. There are many Gàn [汵] stones. The Duān [端] River rises here and flows east into the Hé [河].
English
A further 220 li north stands Mount Yú [盂]. Its northern slope has much iron, its southern slope much Tóng. Its beasts include white wolves and white tigers, its birds Bái Zhì and Bái Zhái. The Shēng [生] River rises here and flows east into the Hé [河].
English
250 li west stands Mount Báiyú [白於]. Above grow many pines and cypresses, below many oaks and Tán [檀] trees. Its beasts include Zuó Niú [㸲] and Qiān Yáng [羬], its birds many Xiāo. The Luò [洛] River rises on its southern slope and flows east into the Wèi [渭]; the Jiā [夾] River rises on its northern slope and flows east into the Shēng [生] River.
English
300 li northwest stands Mount Shēnshǒu [申首], without plants or trees, with snow in winter and summer. The Shēn [申] River rises above and sinks beneath the mountain. There is much white jade.
English
A further 55 li west stands Mount Jīnggǔ [涇谷]. The Jīng [涇] River rises here and flows southeast into the Wèi [渭]. There is much white metal and white jade.
English
A further 120 li west stands Mount Gāng [剛], with many lacquer trees and much Tūfú [㻬琈] jade. The Gāng [剛] River rises here and flows north into the Wèi [渭]. There are many divine Shén Huī [𩳁], with human faces and beast bodies, one leg and one hand, whose voices resemble Qīn [欽].
Translator’s note
Qīn [欽]: An obscure sound comparison. The source does not identify an ordinary animal or instrument to which it can securely be equated.
English
A further 200 li west one reaches the end of Mount Gāng [剛]. The Luò [洛] River rises here and flows north into the Hé [河]. In it are many Mán Mán [蠻蠻], with rat bodies and soft-shelled turtle heads, whose voices resemble barking dogs.
English
A further 350 li west stands Mt. Yīng Dī [英鞮]. Above grow many lacquer trees, below lie plentiful metals and jade. All its birds and beasts are white. The Wò [涴] River rises here and flows north into Língyáng [陵羊] Marsh. In it are many Rǎn Yí Yú [冉遺], with fish bodies, snake heads, six legs, and eyes like horse ears. Eating them prevents nightmares and wards off misfortune.
English
A further 300 li west stands Mount Zhōngqū [中曲]. Its southern slope has much jade, its northern slope much realgar, white jade, and metal. There is a beast like a horse, with a white body, black tail, one horn, and tiger teeth and claws. Its voice resembles a drum. Its name is Bó [駮]; it eats Hǔ and Bào and wards off warfare. There grows a tree like a crabapple, with round leaves and red fruit as large as a quince. Its name is Bēi Mù [櫰]; eating it gives great strength.
English
A further 260 li west stands Mount Guī [邽]. There is a beast like an ox, with hedgehog bristles, called Qióng Qí [窮奇]. Its voice resembles a barking dog, and it eats people. The Méng [濛] River rises here and flows south into the Yáng [洋], with many Huáng Bèi in its waters. There are also Luǒ Yú [蠃], with fish bodies and bird wings, whose voices resemble mandarin ducks. Where they appear, great floods come upon the settlement.
English
A further 220 li west stands Mount Niǎoshǔtóngxué [鳥鼠同穴]. Above are many white tigers and much white jade. The Wèi [渭] River rises here and flows east into the Hé [河]. Its waters contain many Sāo Yú [鰠], resembling ; when they stir, great war comes upon the settlement. The Làn [濫] River rises on the western side and flows west into the Hàn [漢]. In it are many Rú Pí Yú [𩶯魮], shaped like an upturned cooking pot, with bird heads and fish fins and tails. Their voices resemble musical stones, and they produce pearls and jade.
English
360 li southwest stands Mount Yānzī [崦嵫]. Above grow many Unnamed Danwood Tree with Black Veins, with leaves like paper mulberry and fruit as large as melons, red on the outside with black markings. Eating them cures heat illness and wards off fire. Its southern slope has many Guī, its northern slope much jade. The Tiáo [苕] River rises here and flows west into the sea, with many whetstones in its waters. There is a beast with a horse's body, bird wings, a human face, and a snake's tail. It delights in lifting people; its name is Shú Hú [孰湖]. There is a bird like an owl, with a human face, a Wèi [蜼] body, and a dog's tail. Its cry gives its name; where it appears, great drought comes upon the settlement.
Translator’s note
Wèi [蜼]: Traditionally described as a long-tailed monkey-like animal; no exact modern species is certain. 穀 in the tree comparison is understood as 榖, paper mulberry. The last bird's name is not otherwise supplied by the source.
English
The fourth western range, from Mount Yīn [陰] to Mount Yānzī [崦嵫], comprises nineteen mountains and extends 3,680 li. The rites for its gods each require a white chicken offered in prayer, rice as the sacrificial grain, and white cogon grass as a mat.
English
The foregoing western mountains number seventy-seven and extend 17,517 li.