CHAPTER 15 · 33 passages
The Great Wilderness: South
大荒南經
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English
Beyond the southern sea, west of the Chì [赤] River and east of Liúshā [流沙], is a beast with a head on either side, named Chù Tī [䟣踢]. Three blue-green beasts stand together; they are named Shuāng Shuāng [雙雙].
English
There is a Mount Ā [阿]. In the southern sea stands Mount Sìtiān [汜天], where the Chì [赤] River comes to its end.
English
East of the Chì [赤] River lies Cāng Wú Wilderness, where Shùn [舜] and Shū Jūn [叔均] are buried. Here are Wén Bèi, Líyú [離俞], Chī Jiǔ [𩿨久], Yīng, Jiǎ [賈], Wěi Wéi [委維], Xióng, Pí, Xiàng, Hǔ, Bào, Láng, and Shì Ròu [視肉].
Translator’s note
Several names in this catalogue have uncertain identifications. 視肉 is described in traditional commentary as a wondrous, regenerating mass of flesh.
English
There is a Mount Wū [巫], west of which is a Huáng Niǎo. The emperor's medicines are there, with eight places of purification. The Huáng Niǎo on Mount Wū [巫] watches over this Xuán Shé.
Translator’s note
帝藥，八齋 is an obscure, abbreviated phrase. The translation does not specify an emperor or a ritual absent from the source.
English
In the Great Wilderness stands Mount Bùtíng [不庭], where the Róng [榮] River comes to its end. There are people with three bodies. Éhuáng [娥皇], wife of Dìjùn [帝俊], gave birth to this country of Sān Shēn [三身]. They bear the surname Yáo [姚], eat millet, and command four birds. There is a square pool, open at all four corners, joining the Hēi [黑] River to the north and the Great Wilderness to the south. Its northern part is named the Shǎohé [少和] Pool, and its southern part the Cōng [從] Pool. This is where Shùn [舜] bathed.
English
There is also Mount Chéng [成], where the Gān [甘] River comes to its end. There is a country of Jì Yú [季禺], descended from a son of Zhuānxū [顓頊]; its people eat millet. There is a country of Yǔ Mín [羽民], whose people all grow feathers. There is a country of Luǎn Mín [卵民], whose people all produce eggs.
English
In the Great Wilderness stands Mount Bùjiāng [不姜], where the Hēi [黑] River comes to its end. There is also Mount Jiǎ [賈], where the Qì [汔] River rises; also Mount Yán [言], Mount Dēngbèi [登備], and Mount Jiájiá [恝恝]. There is also Mount Pú [蒲], where the Lǐ [澧] River rises. There is also Mount Kuí [隗], with cinnabar to its west and jade to its east. Farther south is a mountain where the Piāo [漂] River rises. There are Mount Wěi [尾] and Mount Cuì [翠].
English
There is a country of Yíng Mín [盈民]. Its people bear the surname Yú [於] and eat millet. There is also a person eating tree leaves.
English
English
In the Great Wilderness stands a mountain named Qùchì [去痓]. At the southern extremity it bears fruit; in the north it does not ripen; Qùchì [去痓] bears fruit.
Translator’s note
The received wording is fragmentary and repetitive. The subject of “bears fruit” is not securely identified.
English
Among the islets of the southern sea is a deity with a human face. He wears two blue-green Shé through his ears and treads upon two red Shé. He is called Bù Tíng Hú Yú [不廷胡余].
English
There is a deity named Yīnyīnhū [因因乎]; in the south he is called Yīn Hū [因乎], and the wind that comes is called Hūmín [乎民]. He dwells at the southern extremity and brings the wind forth and in.
English
There is a Mount Xiāng [襄], and also a Mount Zhòngyīn [重陰]. There are people who eat beasts, called Jì Lí [季釐]. Dìjùn [帝俊] begot Jì Lí [季釐]; hence it is called the country of Jì Lí [季釐]. There is a Mín [緡] Pool. Shàohào [少昊] begot Bèifá [倍伐], and Bèifá [倍伐] descended to dwell at the Mín [緡] Pool. There is a square body of water named Jùntán [俊壇].
English
There is a country of Wū Zhí [臷民]. Emperor Shùn [舜] begot Wúyín [無淫], who descended to dwell in Zhì [臷]; these are called the people of Wū Zhí [巫臷]. The people of Wū Zhí [巫臷] bear the surname Pàn [盼] and eat grain. Without spinning or setting up a warp, they are clothed; without sowing or reaping, they are fed. Here are birds that sing and dance: the Luán Niǎo [鸞] sings of itself, and the Fèng Niǎo [鳳] dances of itself. Here all the beasts gather in herds to dwell, and all the grains are brought together.
English
In the Great Wilderness stands a mountain named Róngtiān [融天], into which the waters of the sea enter from the south.
English
There was a person called Záo Chǐ [鑿齒], whom Yì [羿] killed.
English
There is a Mount Yù [蜮], and a country of Yù Mín [蜮民]. Its people bear the surname Sāng [桑] and eat millet. They shoot Yù [蜮] and eat them. There is a person drawing a Bow to shoot a Huáng Shé, named a Yù People.
Translator’s note
蜮 is traditionally described as a harmful aquatic creature, sometimes said to attack by projecting sand. That explanation belongs to commentary, not this passage's narrative.
English
There is a Mount Sòng [宋], with red Shé named Yù Shé [育]. A tree grows upon the mountain, named the maple. The maple was the fetters cast off by Chī Yóu [蚩尤]; these became the maple.
English
There is a person with square teeth and a tiger's tail, named Zǔ Zhuàng Zhī Shī.
English
There are small people, whose country is named Jiāo Jiǎo [焦僥]. They bear the surname Jǐ [幾] and eat fine grain.
English
In the Great Wilderness stands Mount Xiǔtú [㱙塗], where the Qīng [青] River comes to its end. There is a Mount Yúnyǔ [雲雨], with a tree named Luán [欒].
English
Yǔ [禹] attacked Yúnyǔ [雲雨]. There are red stones there upon which Luán [欒] grows, with a yellow trunk, red branches, and blue-green leaves. The emperors gather medicines there.
Translator’s note
欒 is an established tree-name, often applied to the goldenrain tree, but the extraordinary tree described here cannot confidently be identified with a modern species.
English
There is a country called Bófú [伯服]. Zhuānxū [顓頊] begot Bófú [伯服]; its people eat millet. There is a country with the surname Jú [鼬]. There are Mount Tiáo [苕], Mount Zōng [宗], Mount Xìng [姓], Mount Hè [壑], Mount Chénzhōu [陳州], Mount Dōngzhōu [東州], and Mount Báishuǐ [白水]. The Bái [白] River rises there and forms the Bái [白] Pool, where the army of Kūnwú [昆吾] bathed.
English
There is a person named Zhāng Hóng [張弘], fishing upon the sea. In the sea is a country of Zhāng Hóng [張弘]; its people eat fish and command four birds.
English
There is a person with a bird's beak and wings, fishing in the sea.
English
In the Great Wilderness is a person named Huān Tóu [驩頭]. Gǔn [鯀] married Shìjìng [士敬]; Shìjìng [士敬]'s son was called Yánróng [炎融], who begot Huān Tóu [驩頭]. Huān Tóu [驩頭] has a human face, a bird's beak, and wings. He eats fish from the sea and leans upon his wings to walk. His land is suited to white millet and black millet; he eats Lù [穋] grain and poplar. There is a country of Huān Tóu [驩頭].
Translator’s note
Guō Pú reads 芑 and 苣 here as grain-names, the latter as 秬, black millet. 穋 is another grain variety; a precise modern cereal is not assigned. The plant-list is compressed and its syntax uncertain.
English
Emperor Yáo [堯], Emperor Kù [嚳], and Emperor Shùn [舜] are buried on Mount Yuè [岳]. Here are Wén Bèi, Líyú [離俞], Chī Jiǔ [𩿨久], Yīng, Jiǎ [賈], Yán Wéi [延維], Shì Ròu [視肉], Xióng, Pí, Hǔ, and Bào. There are scarlet trees with red branches, blue-green flowers, and black fruits. There is a Mount Shēn [申].
English
In the Great Wilderness stands a mountain named Tiāntái [天臺], into which the waters of the sea enter from the south.
English
Beyond the southeastern sea, among the waters of the Gān [甘], is the country of Xīhé [羲和]. A woman named Xī Hé [羲和] is bathing the suns in the Gān [甘] Pool. Xī Hé [羲和], wife of Dìjùn [帝俊], gave birth to ten suns.
English
There is a Mount Gàiyóu [蓋猶]. Upon it grows Gānzhā [甘柤], whose branches and trunk are all red, with yellow leaves, white flowers, and black fruits. To the east is also Gānhuá [甘華], whose branches and trunk are all red, with yellow leaves. There are Qīng Mǎ and red horses, named the Sān Zhuī [騅]. There is Shì Ròu [視肉].
English
There are small people named Jūn People [菌人].
English
There is a Mount Nánlèi [南類]. Here are Yí Yù [遺玉], Qīng Mǎ, Sān Zhuī, Shì Ròu [視肉], and Gānhuá [甘華]; all the grains are found here.