Qin and King Xiang秦王昭襄據郩函
1King Zhaoxiang of Qin watches Zhou
○秦王 昭襄據郩函, 周之失序常窺伺, 名於挾輔因滅之, 都彼咸陽年乙巳.
King Zhaoxiang of Qin held Xiao and Hangu fast and always watched for the broken order of Zhou; under the name of upholding it he destroyed it at last and made his capital at that Xianyang; it was an eulsa year.
Interlinear notes 2
姓嬴, 名稷.
His surname was Ying (嬴) and his name was Ji (稷).
以丙午爲元年, 水德. 下至子嬰, 凡六主, 合四十九年. 傳之大漢.
He took a byeongo year as his first year, and his power was water. Down to Ziying there were six rulers in all, forty-nine years, and it passed to the great Han.
2The First Emperor swallows the six states
漸强漸大至始皇, 終幷六國無疑畏.
Growing stronger and greater by degrees, it came to the First Emperor, who at last joined the six states together with neither doubt nor fear.
Interlinear notes 1
莊襄王之子, 名政, 字祖龍.
He was the son of King Zhuangxiang; his name was Zheng (政) and his courtesy name Zulong.
3Li Si and Zhao Gao
斯高爲柄夫何爲.
Li Si and Zhao Gao took the handle of power — and what did they do with it?
4Burning the books and burying the scholars
投棄俎豆陳鞭捶, 焚書坑儒煎生靈, 九土嗷嗷瘡入髓.
The sacrificial vessels were thrown away and whips and rods were set out in rows; the books were burned and the scholars buried, and living souls were seared, until the whole land cried out and the sore went into the marrow.
5The wall of ten thousand li
莫築防胡萬里城, 秦家歲月曾無幾.
He should never have built the wall of ten thousand li to keep out the barbarians; the years of the house of Qin were never many.
6Chen Sheng and Wu Guang
陳勝吳廣叫函關, 群雄蜂起爭攘臂.
When Chen Sheng and Wu Guang raised their cry at the Hangu Pass, the many heroes rose like bees and bared their arms in the struggle.
7King Xiang's shout
龍馳虎走皆欲王, ○項王 叱吒俱風靡.
Dragons ran and tigers raced, and every one of them wished to be king, but King Xiang gave a single shout and they all bent like grass in the wind.
Interlinear notes 1
名籍, 字羽, 胡亥元年, 起兵.
His name was Ji (籍) and his courtesy name Yu (羽). He raised troops in the first year of Huhai.
8Strength to uproot mountains
拔山蓋世氣力豪, 顧視鴻溝誰敢爾.
His strength could uproot mountains and cover the age, and it was heroic; as he looked back at the Hong Canal, who would dare face him?
9He splits the realm with Han
與漢中分天下立, 强弱不同成敗易.
He stood with Han, each holding half the realm, but their strength was not the same, and victory and defeat changed places.
10He casts off Fan Zeng
然王剜印棄范增, 取威定霸眞疏矣.
Yet the king fingered the seal until its corners wore away and never handed it over, and he cast off Fan Zeng as well; in winning authority and settling his hegemony he was truly careless.
Interlinear notes 1
王剜印 — the base text writes 「剜」, but it is read here by the 「刓印」 story of the Shiji. It may also be read as the base text stands: he had the seal carved and still did not hand it over. ― translator
11Tears by the Wu River
虞兮飮泣楚歌多, 霸業虛棄烏江涘.
O Yu, he swallowed his tears while the songs of Chu filled every side; he threw his hegemony away for nothing by the bank of the Wu River.