The Three Sovereigns and the Five Emperors下三皇者問誰歟

風姓, 水德. 都陳, 號太昊. 母華胥. 元年辛巳. 上古人, 知其母, 不知父, 至此, 正夫婦. 又畵八卦, 造書契, 立屋, 造琴, 服牛乘馬. 其妹女媧氏繼之, 鍊石補天. 下至無懷氏, 凡十六代, 合一千二百六十年.

His surname was Feng and his power was water. He had his capital at Chen and was called Taihao. His mother was Huaxu. His first year was a sinsa year. In high antiquity people knew their mothers and did not know their fathers, and at this time husband and wife were set right. He also drew the eight trigrams, made the written contract, built houses, made the zither, harnessed oxen, and rode horses. His younger sister Nüwa followed him and smelted stones to mend the sky. Down to Wuhuai there were sixteen generations in all, one thousand two hundred and sixty years.

姜姓, 火德. 都魯, 號炎帝. 母任己. 元年辛巳. 始爲斤斧耒耜, 種五穀. 下至楡門, 凡八代, 合四百二十六年.

His surname was Jiang and his power was fire. He had his capital at Lu and was called the Flame Emperor. His mother was Rensi. His first year was a sinsa year. He first made the axe and the plough and the ploughshare, and he sowed the five grains. Down to Yumen there were eight generations in all, four hundred and twenty-six years.

姓公孫, 土德, 都涿鹿, 遷無常處. 名軒轅, 號有熊氏, 元年丁亥. 小典之子, 母附寶. 令蒼頡, 造文字, 受天符, 置將帥·隊伍·旌節, 制戈矛·鎧甲·弓·矢, 以滅蚩尤. 後改姓爲姬, 在位一百年.

His surname was Gongsun and his power was earth. He had his capital at Zhuolu and then moved it with no fixed place. His name was Xuanyuan and he was called Youxiong. His first year was a jeonghae year. He was the son of Shaodian, and his mother was Fubao. He had Cangjie make the written characters. He received the token of Heaven, set up commanders and ranks and banners of office (旌節), made halberds and armor and bows and arrows, and destroyed Chiyou. Later he changed his surname to Ji (姬). He was on the throne one hundred years.

姬姓, 金德. 都曲阜. 名摯, 字靑陽, 號金天氏. 元年丁卯. 黃帝之子, 母女節, 在位人十四年.

His surname was Ji and his power was metal. He had his capital at Qufu. His name was Zhi (摯), his courtesy name Qingyang, and he was called Jintian. His first year was a jeongmyo year. He was a son of the Yellow Emperor, and his mother was Nüjie. He was on the throne eighty-four years.

姬姓, 木德. 都衛, 遷高陽. 號高陽氏. 元年辛卯. 黃帝之孫, 昌意之子, 母握裒. 作重·黎, 以司天地. 效八風, 作音樂. 有才子八人, 號八凱, 在位七十八年.

His surname was Ji and his power was wood. He had his capital at Wei and moved it to Gaoyang. He was called Gaoyang. His first year was a sinmyo year. He was a grandson of the Yellow Emperor and the son of Changyi, and his mother was Wobou. He set up Zhong (重) and Li (黎) to take charge of the affairs of heaven and of earth, and he modeled music on the eight winds. He had eight gifted sons, who were called the Eight Kai (八凱). He was on the throne seventy-eight years.

姬姓, 水德, 都亳. 號高辛氏, 元年己酉. 黃帝曾孫, □極之子, 母. 以句芒爲木正, 祝融爲火正, 蓐收爲金正, 亥爲水正, 后土爲土正. 有才子八人, 號八元. 在位七年, 崩而子帝摯嗣, 荒淫無道, 不善崩故, 不登五運, 方年, 己未, 在位九年.

His surname was Ji and his power was water, and he had his capital at Bo (亳). He was called Gaoxin, and his first year was a giyu year. He was a great-grandson of the Yellow Emperor and the son of □ji. His mother's name is missing. He made Goumang the Wood Regulator, Zhurong the Fire Regulator, Rushou the Metal Regulator, Xuanming the Water Regulator, and Houtu the Earth Regulator. He had eight gifted sons, who were called the Eight Yuan (八元). He was on the throne seventy years, and when he died his son Emperor Zhi (帝摯) followed him; he was wild and dissolute and without the way, and he came to no good end, so he was not entered in the order of the five powers. His first year was a gimi year, and he was on the throne nine years.

姓伊祈, 火德. 都平陽. 名放勛, 諡高, 號陶唐氏. 元年戊辰. 帝嚳之子, 母慶都. 以唐侯升爲天子, 故稱唐. 在位一百年, 國號及諡, 始於此.

His surname was Yiqi (伊祈) and his power was fire. He had his capital at Pingyang. His name was Fangxun and his posthumous title Gao (高) — Yao (堯) was written Gao to avoid the name of King Jeongjong of Goryeo — and he was called Taotang. His first year was a mujin year. He was the son of Emperor Ku, and his mother was Qingdu. He rose from Marquis of Tang to Son of Heaven, and so he is called Tang. He was on the throne one hundred years. Dynastic names and posthumous titles begin here.

姓姚, 土德. 都蒲坂. 名重華, 諡舜, 號有虞氏. 受禪卽位, 元年戊申. 高陽氏七世孫, 父瞽叟, 母握. 登位五十年, 居於嬀汭, 或云姓嬀.

His surname was Yao (姚) and his power was earth. He had his capital at Puban. His name was Chonghua, his posthumous title Shun, and he was called Youyu. He received the abdication and ascended the throne, and his first year was a musin year. He was a descendant of Gaoyang in the seventh generation; his father was Gusou and his mother Edeng. He was on the throne fifty years. He lived by the waters of Gui, and so his surname is also given as Gui (嬀).