CHAPTER 04 · 51 passages
The Eastern Mountains
東山經
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Range 1
English
The first eastern range begins at Mount Sùzhū [樕𧑤], overlooking Qiánmèi [乾昧] to the north. The Shí [食] River rises here and flows northeast into the sea. In it are many Yōng Yōng Yú [鱅鱅], like Líniú [梨牛], whose voices resemble grunting pigs.
Translator’s note
Líniú [梨牛]: Traditionally understood as a long-haired bovine, often associated with the yak; an exact modern species is not certain.
English
A further 300 li south stands Mount Lěi [藟]. Above is jade, below metal. The Hú [湖] River rises here and flows east into the Shí [食], with many Huó Shī in its waters.
English
A further 300 li south stands Mount Xúnzhuàng [栒狀]. Above are plentiful metals and jade, below many blue-green stones. There is a beast like a dog, with six legs, called Cóng Cóng [從從]; it cries its own name. There is a bird like a chicken, but with mouse hair, called Cí Shǔ [䖪鼠]; where it appears, the settlement suffers great drought. The Guà [掛] River rises here and flows north into the Hú [湖]. In it are many Zhēn Yú [箴], like Shū Yú [儵], with needle-like snouts; eating them prevents epidemic illness.
Translator’s note
Shū [儵]: In ordinary fish comparisons, generally understood as a small, slender freshwater fish. This need not be the wondrous creature with the same written name elsewhere.
English
A further 300 li south stands Mount Bóqí [勃亝], without plants, trees, or water.
English
A further 300 li south stands Mount Fāntiáo [番條], without plants or trees, but with much sand. The Jiǎn [減] River rises here and flows north into the sea, with many Gǎn Yú in its waters.
English
A further 400 li south stands Mount Gūér [姑兒]. Above grow many lacquer trees, below many mulberries and silkworm thorns. The Gūér [姑兒] River rises here and flows north into the sea, with many Gǎn Yú in its waters.
English
A further 400 li south stands Mount Gāoshì [高氏]. Above is much jade, below many needle-stones. The Zhūshéng [諸繩] River rises here and flows east into a marsh, with plentiful metals and jade in its waters.
Translator’s note
Needle-stones, 箴石, are stones suitable for pointed implements; no particular modern rock type is specified.
English
A further 300 li south stands Mount Yuè [嶽]. Above grow many mulberries, below many trees of heaven. The Luò [濼] River rises here and flows east into a marsh, with plentiful metals and jade in its waters.
English
A further 300 li south stands Mount Chái [犲]. Above are no plants or trees, below much water, containing many Kān Xù Yú [堪㐨]. There is a beast like a Kuāfù [夸父], but with pig bristles and a voice like shouting. When it appears, great floods fall upon all beneath heaven.
Translator’s note
Kuāfù [夸父]: Here traditionally interpreted as a large ape-like animal used for comparison, not necessarily the giant in the sun-chasing story.
English
A further 300 li south stands Mount Dú [獨]. Above are plentiful metals and jade, below many fine stones. The Mòtú [末塗] River rises here and flows east into the Miǎn [沔]. In it are many Tiáo Yóng [𧌁䗤], like Huáng Shé with fish fins; light shines as they enter and emerge. Where they appear, the settlement suffers great drought.
English
A further 300 li south stands Mount Tài [泰]. Above is much jade, below much metal. There is a beast like a piglet, but bearing a pearl, called Tóng Tóng [狪狪]; it cries its own name. The Huán [環] River rises here and flows east into the Jiāng [江], with many rock crystals in its waters.
Translator’s note
江 as a river-name conventionally refers to the river now called the Yangtze. The ancient name and course are retained.
English
A further 300 li south stands Mount Zhú [竹], extending into the Jiāng [江]. It has no plants or trees, but much fine blue-green jade. The Jī [激] River rises here and flows east into the Qǔtán [娶檀], with many Cí Luǒ in its waters.
English
The first eastern range, from Mount Sùzhū [樕𧑤] to Mount Zhú [竹], comprises twelve mountains and extends 3,600 li. Its gods all have human bodies and dragon heads. Their rites require a dog offered in prayer, with fish as an additional offering.
Translator’s note
The ritual term 䎶 is obscure; “additional offering” is a provisional rendering.
Range 2
English
The second eastern range begins at Mount Kōngsāng [空桑]. To the north it overlooks the Shí [食] River; eastward lies Jǔwú [沮吳], southward Shālíng [沙陵], and westward Mǐn [湣] Marsh. There is a beast like an ox, with tiger markings, whose voice resembles Qīn [欽]. Its name is Líng Líng [軨軨], and it cries its own name. When it appears, great floods fall upon all beneath heaven.
Translator’s note
欽 is an unexplained sound comparison in this passage; it is not assigned to a modern animal or instrument.
English
A further 600 li south stands Mount Cáoxī [曹夕], with much grain below but no water, and many birds and beasts.
Translator’s note
穀 may also be read as an old spelling of the paper-mulberry name 榖; this edition retains the ordinary sense “grain” here.
English
A further 400 li southwest stands Mount Yìgāo [嶧皋]. Above are plentiful metals and jade, below much white clay. The Yìgāo [嶧皋] River rises here and flows east into the Jīnǚ [激女], with many Shèn Yáo in its waters.
English
Travelling a further 500 li south by water and 300 li through shifting sand, one reaches the end of Mount Gé [葛], without plants or trees, but with many whetstones.
English
A further 380 li south one reaches the beginning of Mount Gé [葛], without plants or trees. The Lǐ [澧] River rises here and flows east into Yú [余] Marsh. In it are many Zhū Biē Yú [珠蟞], shaped like dried meat but with eyes, six legs, and pearls. Their taste is sour and sweet; eating them prevents pestilential illness.
Translator’s note
The unusual comparison 胏 is rendered in its lexical sense of dried meat; the description is not reshaped into a familiar animal.
English
A further 380 li south stands Mount Yúé [餘峩]. Above grow many catalpas and nanmu, below many chaste trees and Qǐ [𦬊]. The Záyú [雜余] River rises here and flows east into the Huáng [黃]. There is a beast like a hare, with a bird's beak, owl eyes, and a snake's tail; when it sees a person, it closes its eyes. Its name is Qiú Yú [犰狳], and it cries its own name. When it appears, locusts and grasshoppers bring destruction.
Translator’s note
犰狳 is the modern Chinese word for an armadillo, but that identification is not imposed on this ancient composite creature.
English
A further 300 li south stands Mount Dùfù [杜父], without plants or trees, but with much water.
English
A further 300 li south stands Mount Gěng [耿], without plants or trees, but with much water-borne blue-green jade and many Dà Shé. There is a beast like a fox, with fish fins, called Zhū Nòu [朱獳]. It cries its own name; when it appears, fear comes upon the country.
English
A further 300 li south stands Mount Lúqí [盧其], without plants or trees, but with much sand and stone. The Shā [沙] River rises here and flows south into the Cén [涔]. In it are many Lí Hú [鵹鶘], like mandarin ducks with human feet. They cry their own name; when they appear, the country undertakes many earthworks.
English
A further 380 li south stands Mount Gūyè [姑射], without plants or trees, but with much water.
English
Travelling a further 300 li south by water and a hundred li through shifting sand, one reaches northern Mount Gūyè [姑射], without plants or trees, but with much stone.
English
A further 300 li south stands southern Mount Gūyè [姑射], without plants or trees, but with much water.
English
A further 300 li south stands Mount Bì [碧], without plants or trees, but with many Dà Shé, much blue-green jade, and many rock crystals.
English
A further 500 li south stands Mount Gōushì [緱氏], without plants or trees, but rich in metals and jade. The Yuán [原] River rises here and flows east into Shā [沙] Marsh.
English
A further 300 li south stands Mount Gūféng [姑逢], without plants or trees, but rich in metals and jade. There is a beast like a fox, with wings and a voice like wild geese, called Bì Bì [獙獙]. When it appears, a great drought falls upon all beneath heaven.
English
A further 500 li south stands Mount Fúlì [鳧麗]. Above are plentiful metals and jade, below many needle-stones. There is a beast like a fox, with nine tails, nine heads, and tiger claws, called Lóng Zhí [蠪姪]. Its voice resembles an infant's, and it eats people.
English
A further 500 li south stands Mount Zhēn [䃌], overlooking the Zhēn [䃌] River to the south and Hú [湖] Marsh to the east. There is a beast like a horse, with goat eyes, four horns, and an ox's tail, whose voice resembles a barking dog. Its name is Yōu Yōu [峳峳]; when it appears, the country has many treacherous visitors. There is a bird like a duck, with a rat's tail, skilled at climbing trees, called Xié Gōu [絜鉤]. When it appears, the country suffers many epidemics.
English
The second eastern range, from Mount Kōngsāng [空桑] to Mount Zhēn [䃌], comprises seventeen mountains and extends 6,640 li. Its gods all have beast bodies, human faces, and branching horns. Their rites require a chicken offered in prayer and a jade disk hung as an offering and then buried.
Range 3
English
The third eastern range begins at Mount Shīhú [尸胡], looking north toward Mount Xiáng [𦍲]. Above are plentiful metals and jade, below many thorny jujube bushes. There is a beast like an Mí, with fish eyes, called Yuàn Hú [妴胡]; it cries its own name.
English
Travelling a further 800 li south by water, one reaches Mount Qí [岐]. Its trees are chiefly peaches and plums, its beasts chiefly Hǔ.
English
Travelling a further 700 li south by water, one reaches Mount Zhūgōu [諸鉤], without plants or trees, but with much sand and stone. It extends a hundred li around and has many Mèi Yú [寐].
English
Travelling a further 700 li south by water, one reaches Mount Zhōngfù [中父], without plants or trees, but with much sand.
English
Travelling a further thousand li east by water, one reaches Mount Húshè [胡射], without plants or trees, but with much sand and stone.
English
Travelling a further 500 li south by water, one reaches the Liúshā [流沙]. After another 500 li stands Mount Qízhǒng [跂踵], extending 200 li around, without plants or trees, but with Dà Shé and much jade above. There is a body of water, forty li around, all welling up, called Shēn [深] Marsh. In it are many Dà Guī. There is a fish like a carp, with six legs and a bird's tail, called Gé Gé Yú [鮯鮯]; it cries its own name.
English
Travelling a further 900 li south by water, one reaches Mount Mǔyú [踇隅]. Above are many plants and trees, plentiful metals and jade, and much red ochre. There is a beast like an ox, with a horse's tail, called Jīng Jīng [精精]; it cries its own name.
English
Travelling a further 500 li south by water and 300 li through shifting sand, one reaches Mount Wúgāo [無皋]. Southward lies the Yòu [幼] Sea, eastward the Fú [榑] tree. There are no plants or trees, but much wind. The mountain extends a hundred li around.
Translator’s note
榑木 is a named mythic tree, associated in traditional accounts with the great tree of the rising sun; the text's spelling is retained.
English
The third eastern range, from Mount Shīhú [尸胡] to Mount Wúgāo [無皋], comprises nine mountains and extends 6,900 li. Its gods all have human bodies and goat horns. Their rites require a ram, with millet as the sacrificial grain. When these gods appear, wind, rain, and flood bring destruction.
Range 4
English
The fourth eastern range begins at Mount Běihào [北號], overlooking the northern sea. There grows a tree like a poplar, with red blossoms and fruit like jujubes but without stones, sour and sweet to the taste. Eating it prevents recurring fever. The Shí [食] River rises here and flows northeast into the sea. There is a beast like a wolf, with a red head, mouse eyes, and a voice like a piglet's, called Gé Dàn [猲狙]; it eats people. There is a bird like a chicken, with a white head, mouse feet, and tiger claws, called Qí Yù [鬿雀]; it too eats people.
English
A further 300 li south stands Mount Máo [旄], without plants or trees. The Cāngtǐ [蒼體] River rises here and flows west into the Zhǎn [展]. In it are many Xiū Yú [鱃], like carp with large heads; eating them prevents warts.
English
A further 320 li south stands Mount Dōngshǐ [東始], with much dark-green jade above. There is a tree like a poplar, with red grain and sap like blood, which bears no fruit. Its name is Qǐ [𦬊]; it can tame horses. The Cǐ [泚] River rises here and flows northeast into the sea. In it are many fine shells and Cí Yú [茈], like crucian carp, with one head and ten bodies. Their smell resembles Méiwú [蘪蕪]; eating them prevents flatulence.
Translator’s note
Méiwú [蘪蕪], also written 蘼蕪, is a fragrant herb traditionally associated with lovage-like medicinal plants. The ancient term 䊧 is understood here as passing intestinal wind.
English
A further 300 li southeast stands Mount Nǚzhēng [女烝], without plants or trees above. The Shígāo [石膏] River rises here and flows west into the Gé [鬲]. In it are many Báo Yú [薄], like with one eye, whose voices resemble retching. When they appear, a great drought falls upon all beneath heaven.
English
A further 200 li southeast stands Mount Qīn [欽], rich in metals and jade, but without ordinary stone. The Shī [師] River rises here and flows north into Gāo [皋] Marsh, with many Xiū Yú [鱃] and Wén Bèi in its waters. There is a beast like a piglet, but with tusks, called Dāng Kāng [當康]. It cries its own name; when it appears, all beneath heaven enjoys abundant harvests.
English
A further 200 li southeast stands Mount Zǐtóng [子桐]. The Zǐtóng [子桐] River rises here and flows west into Yúrú [餘如] Marsh. In it are many Huá Yú [䱻], with fish bodies and bird wings, shining as they enter and emerge. Their voices resemble mandarin ducks; when they appear, a great drought falls upon all beneath heaven.
English
A further 200 li northeast stands Mount Shàn [剡], rich in metals and jade. There is a beast like a pig, with a human face, yellow body, and red tail, called Hé Yǔ [合窳]. Its voice resembles an infant's. It eats people, and also insects and Shé. When it appears, great floods fall upon all beneath heaven.
English
A further 200 li northeast stands Mount Tài [太]. Above are plentiful metals and jade, and many Zhēn [楨] trees. There is a beast like an ox, with a white head, one eye, and a snake's tail, called Fēi [蜚]. Where it walks through water, the water dries; where it walks through grass, the grass dies. When it appears, a great epidemic falls upon all beneath heaven. The Gōu [鉤] River rises here and flows north into the Láo [勞], with Xiū Yú [鱃] in its waters.
Translator’s note
The source's final phrase contains 的 where the usual formula would have 多, “many.” The presence of the fish is translated without silently supplying that quantity.
English
The fourth eastern range, from Mount Běihào [北號] to Mount Tài [太], comprises eight mountains and extends 1,720 li.
English
The foregoing record of the eastern mountains comprises forty-six mountains and extends 18,860 li.