Book of Mountains and Seas: Scene I. The Legend of Pangu

Chapter I. The Legend of Pangu

《盘古开天地》

天地浑沌如鸡子，盘古生其中。

Tiāndì hún dùn rú jīzi, pángǔ shēng qízhōng.

The heaven and the earth were, at first, one blurred entity like an egg. Pangu was born into it.

万八千岁，天地开辟，阳清为天，阴浊为地。

Wàn bāqiān suì, tiāndì kāipì, yáng qīng wéi tiān, yīn zhuó wèi di.

After 18,000 years, the heaven and the earth are separated, the Yang, which was light and pure, rose to become the heaven, and the Yin,

which was heavy and murky, sank to form the earth.

盘古在其中，一日九变，神于天，圣于地。

Pángǔ zài qízhōng, yī rì jiǔ biàn, shén yú tiān, shèng yú di.

Pangu lived between them, and went through many changes every day, his wisdom greater than that of the heaven,

and his ability greater than that of the earth.

天日高一丈，地日厚一丈，盘古日长一丈，如此万八千岁。

Tiān rì gāo yī zhàng, de rì hòu yī zhàng, pángǔ rì zhǎng yī zhàng, rúcǐ wàn bāqiān suì.

Every day the sky rose ten feet higher, the earth became ten feet thicker, and Pangu grew ten feet taller, another 18,000 years passed.

天数极高，地数极深，盘古极长，后乃有三皇。

Tiānshù jí gāo, de shù jí shēn, pángǔ jí zhǎng, hòu nǎi yǒusān huáng.

The sky was extremely high, the earth was extremely thick, Pangu was extremely tall, only after then, the lords of heaven, earth, and mankind are created.

数起于一，立于三，成于五，盛于七，处于九，故天去地九万里。

Shù qǐ yú yī, lì yú sān, chéng yú wǔ, shèng yú qī, chǔyú jiǔ, gù tiān qù de jiǔ wàn lǐ.

Numbers started from one, built on three, established at five, flourished at seven, ceased at nine. Therefore the distance between the heaven

to the earth is nine million miles.

首生盘古。垂死化身，

Shǒu shēng pángǔ. Chuísǐ huàshēn,

Pangu was born first, and then by the time when he was dying, he transformed:

气成风云，声为雷霆，

qì chéng fēngyún, shēng wèi léitíng,

His breath became wind and clouds; his sounds became thunder;

左眼为日，右眼为月，

zuǒ yǎn wèi rì, yòu yǎn wèi yuè,

his left eye became the sun; his right eye became the moon;

四肢五体为四极五岳，

sìzhī wǔtǐ wèi sì jí wǔyuè,

his four limbs and five body-parts became four pillars to support the heaven and five mountain peaks;

血液为江河，筋脉为地里，肌肉为田土，

xiěyè wèi jiānghé, jīn mài wèi dì li, jīròu wèi tiántǔ,

his blood became rivers; his nerves and veins became mountain ranges, canyons, and paths; his muscles and flesh became fields and soils;

发为星辰，皮肤为草木，

fā wèi xīngchén, pífū wèi cǎomù,

his hair became stars; his skin became grass, bushes, and trees;

齿骨为金石，精髓为珠玉，汗流为雨泽，

chǐ gǔ wèi jīnshí, jīngsuǐ wèi zhūyù, hàn liú wèi yǔ zé,

his teeth and bones became gold and stones; his semen and marrow became pearls and jades; his sweat became rain and lakes;

身之诸虫，因风所感，化为黎甿.

shēn zhī zhū chóng, yīn fēng suǒgǎn, huà wèi lí méng.

all kinds of insects on and in his body, weathered by the wind, became humans.