PRELIMINARY CHAPTER. — ORIGINAL RECORD OF THE THREE SOVEREIGNS

太皡庖犧氏，風姓。代燧人氏，繼天而王。母曰華胥。履大人迹於雷澤，而生庖犧於成紀。蛇身人首。有聖德。

T‘aihao, or P‘aohsi, of the surname Fêng, superseding Suijên, succeeded Heaven as King. His mother, named Huahsü, trod in the footprint of a giant at Thunder lake, and bore P‘aohsi at Ch‘êngchi. He had a serpent's body, a man's head, and the virtue of a sage. 

仰則觀象於天，俯則觀法於地，旁觀鳥獸之文，與地之宜，近取諸身，逺取諸物。始畫八卦，以通神明之德，以類萬物之情。造書契以代結繩之政。於是始制嫁娶，以儷皮為禮。

Looking up he contemplated the forms exhibited in the heavens, and looking down he observed the patterns shown on the earth: he observed also around him the ornamental markings of the birds and beasts, and the different suitabilities of the soil. As to what was near he found things for consideration in his own person, and as to the remote in things in general. He first delineated the eight Trigrams in order to show fully the virtus of the gods, and to classify the qualities of the myriads of things. He worked out a system of recording by tablets in lieu of knotted cords, and marriage rites were then first instituted, a pair of skins being given as wedding presents. 

結網罟以教佃漁，養犧牲以庖厨. 有龍瑞，以龍紀官，號曰龍師。作三十五弦之瑟。

He made nets to teach men how to snare animals and to fish. He kept beasts for sacrificial purposes in his kitchen. There being a dragon omen, he enrolled dragons among his officers, and they were styled dragon leaders. He made the thirty-five-stringed lute. 

都於陳。東封太山，立一十一年崩。其後裔，當春秋時，有任、宿、須、句、顓臾，皆風姓之胤也。

His capital was in Ch‘ên. In the East he built a fêng monument on Mount T‘ai. Having reigned eleven years he died. His posterity in the 'Spring and Autumn' period (721-480 B.C.) were Jên, hsü, Hsü, chü, and Ch‘uanyü, who all, one after the other, bore the surname Fêng.

女媧氏亦風姓，蛇身人首，有神聖之德。代宓犧立，號曰女希氏。無革造，惟作笙簧。

Nükua, also of the surname Fêng, had the body of a serpent, the head of a man, and the virtue of a holy man. He came to the throne in the room of Fuhsi, under the title Nühsi. He made no hand-drums, and only fashioned the reed organ.

當其末年也，諸侯有共工氏，任智刑，以強霸而不王。乃與祝融戰，不勝而怒。乃頭觸不周山，崩。天柱折，地維缺。女媧乃鍊五色石以補天，斷鼇足以立四極，聚蘆灰以止滔水，以濟兾州。於是地平天成，不改舊物。

In his last year one of the princes named Kung kung, whose duty it was to administer the criminal law, became violent and played the tyrant. He did not rule properly. He also fought with Ch‘uyung and was not victorious, when, falling into a rage, he butted with his head against the Incomplete mountain, and brought it down. The pillar of heaven was broken and a corner of the earth was wanting. Nükua then fused five-coloured stones to repair heaven, cut off the feet of a tortoise to establish the four extremities of earth, collected the ashes of burnt reeds to stop the inundation, and so rescued the land of Chichow. After this the earth was at rest, the heaven made whole and the old things were unchanged. 

女媧氏沒，神農氏作。炎帝神農氏，姜姓，母曰女登，有媧氏之女，為少典妃。感神龍而生炎帝，人身牛首，長於姜水，因以為姓。

Nükua died, and Shênnung began his reign. The blazing god, Shênnung, was of the Chiang family. His mother, named Nütêng, was Yukua's daughter and Shaotien's wife. Influenced by a sacred dragon, she brought forth the blazing god with a man's body and an ox's head. He grew up on the banks of the Chiang river, whence he derived his surname. 

以火名官。斲木為耜，揉木為耒，耒耨之用，以教萬人。始教耕，故號神農氏。

He named his officers by the help of fire. He cut down trees to make agricultural implements, bending timber into the shape of plough handles and spades, and taught the people the art of husbandry. As he was the first to give lessons in agriculture he was styled 'divine husbandman.' 

於是作蜡祭，以赭鞭鞭草木。始嘗百草，始有醫藥。又作五弦之瑟。教人日中為市，交易而退，各得其所。遂重八卦為六十四爻。

Then sacrifices were offered at the close of the year, and red thongs used for garlanding plants and trees. He was the first to taste the different herbs, and the first to make use of them for medicinal purposes. He also made the five-stringed lute. He taught people how to hold mid-day markets, when they bartered their wares and retired, everyone having got what he wanted. He reduplicated the eight Trigrams, and thus obtained sixty-four symbols. 

初都陳，後居曲阜。立一百二十年崩，葬長沙。神農本起烈山，亦曰厲山氏。

He first of all had his capital at Ch‘en, and then dwelt at Ch‘üfou. After reigning 120 years he died, and was buried at Ch‘angsha. Shênnung originally came from Liehshan (burning mountain), and also Lishan. 

神農納奔水氏之女，曰聽詙，為妃。生帝哀，哀生帝克，克生帝榆罔。凡八代，五百三十年。而軒轅氏興焉。

Shênnung took for his consort the daughter of Peng Shui 'Rushing water,' named T‘ingpa, who bore a son, the Emperor Ai (alas), who had a son, Emperor K‘o (conqueror), who had a son, Emperor Yü-wang (elm net). There were altogether eight generations, lasting 530 years, after which Hsien-yüan arose. 

其後有州、甫、甘、許、戲、露、齊、紀、怡、向、申、呂，皆姜姓之後，並為諸侯，或分掌四岳。當周室，甫侯、申伯，為王賢相。齊、許列為諸侯，霸於中國。盖聖人德澤廣大，故其祚胤繁昌久長云。

His descendants were Chou, Fu, Kan, hsü, Hsi, Lu, Ch‘i, Chi, I, hsiang, Shen, and lu, who were all of the Chiang tribe, and princes, or else one of the presidents of the four mountains. Under the Chou dynasty a great prince, the chief of Shen, was a loyal minister of the king, the state Hsü and Ch‘i were the leaders of the princes of the Middle Kingdom. Now the bounties conferred by the holy men were great and extensive, so their reigns were glorious and long, and their progeny numerous.