Shigu, Chapter 1 (Explaining Old Words)

卣，中尊也。

You (卣) is a wine vessel of middle size.

宮謂之重，商謂之敏，角謂之經，徵謂之迭，羽謂之柳。

The gong note is called zhong (重), the shang note is called min (敏), the jue note is called jing (经), the zhi note is called die (迭), and the yu note is called liu (柳).

大瑟謂之灑，大琴謂之離。

A large se zither is called sa (洒), and a large qin zither is called li (离).

大鼓謂之鼖，小者謂之應。

A large drum is called fen (鼖), and a small one is called ying (应).

大磬謂之毊。

A large chime stone is called xiao (毊).

大笙謂之巢，小者謂之和。

A large sheng mouth organ is called chao (巢), and a small one is called he (和).

大篪謂之沂，大壎謂之嘂。

A large chi flute is called yi (沂), and a large xun ocarina is called jiao (嘂).

大鐘謂之鏞，其中謂之剽，小者謂之棧。

A large bell is called yong (镛), a middle-sized one is called piao (剽), and a small one is called zhan (栈).

大簫謂之言，小者謂之筊。

A large xiao pipe is called yan (言), and a small one is called jiao (筊).

大管謂之簥，其中謂之篞，小者謂之篎。

A large guan pipe is called jiao (簥), a middle-sized one is called nian (篞), and a small one is called miao (篎).

大籥謂之產，其中謂之仲，小者謂之箹。

A large yue flute is called chan (产), a middle-sized one is called zhong (仲), and a small one is called yue (箹).

徒鼓瑟謂之步，徒吹謂之和，徒歌謂之謠，徒擊鼓謂之咢，徒鼓鍾謂之修，

Plucking only the se is called bu (步), only blowing is called he (和), singing without accompaniment is called yao (谣), only beating a drum is called e (咢), only striking a bell is called xiu (修),

徒鼓磬謂之寋。

and only striking a chime stone is called jian (寋).

所以鼓柷謂之止，所以鼓敔謂之籈。

What is used to strike the zhu (柷) is called zhi (止), and what is used to scrape the yu (敔) is called zhen (籈).

大鼗謂之麻，小者謂之料。

A large hand drum is called ma (麻), and a small one is called liao (料).

和樂謂之節。

What regulates the tempo of a piece is called jie (节).

穹、蒼蒼，天也。

Qiong (穹) and cangcang (苍苍) both mean "heaven."

春為蒼天，夏為昊天，秋為旻天，冬為上天。──四時。

Heaven in spring is called cangtian (苍天), in summer haotian (昊天), in autumn mintian (旻天), and in winter shangtian (上天). The above concerns the four seasons.

春為青陽，夏為朱明，秋為白藏，冬為玄英。

Spring is called qingyang (青阳), summer is called zhuming (朱明), autumn is called baicang (白藏), and winter is called xuanying (玄英).

四氣和，謂之玉燭。

When the qi of the four seasons is in harmony, it is called yuzhu (玉烛), the jade candle.

春為發生，夏為長嬴，秋為收成，冬為安寧。

Spring is called fasheng (发生), summer is called changying (长嬴), autumn is called shoucheng (收成), and winter is called anning (安宁).

四時和為通正，謂之景風。

When the four seasons are harmonious, free-flowing and correct, it is called jingfeng (景风), the auspicious wind.

甘雨時降，萬物以嘉，謂之醴泉。──祥。

When sweet rain falls in due season and all things are thereby made good, it is called liquan (醴泉), the sweet spring. The above concerns auspicious signs.

谷不熟為飢，蔬不熟為饉，果不熟為荒，仍飢為薦。──災。

A failed grain harvest is called ji (饥), a failed vegetable harvest is called jin (馑), a failed fruit harvest is called huang (荒), and famine in successive years is called jian (荐). The above concerns disasters.

大歲在甲曰閼逢，在乙曰旃蒙，在丙曰柔兆，在丁曰強圉，在戊曰著雍，在

When Taisui (the Great Year; the source text writes it as Dasui) is in jia it is called yanfeng (阏逢), in yi zhanmeng (旃蒙), in bing rouzhao (柔兆), in ding qiangyu (强圉), in wu zhuoyong (著雍), in

己曰屠維，在庚曰上章，在辛曰重光，在壬曰玄黓，在癸曰昭陽。──歲陽。

ji tuwei (屠维), in geng shangzhang (上章), in xin chongguang (重光), in ren xuanyi (玄黓), and in gui zhaoyang (昭阳). The above are the names of the year-stems.

大歲在寅曰攝提格，在卯曰單閼，在辰曰執徐，在巳曰大荒落，在午曰敦牂，

When Taisui is in yin it is called shetige (摄提格), in mao shane (单阏), in chen zhixu (执徐), in si dahuangluo (大荒落), in wu dunzang (敦牂),

在未曰協洽，在申曰涒灘，在酉曰作噩，在戌曰閹茂，在亥曰大淵獻，在子曰困

in wei xieqia (协洽), in shen tuntan (涒滩), in you zuoe (作噩), in xu yanmao (阉茂), in hai dayuanxian (大渊献), in zi kun

敦，在醜曰赤奮若。

dun (困敦), and in chou chifenruo (赤奋若).

載，歲也。夏曰歲，商曰祀，周曰年，唐虞曰載。──歲名。

Zai (载) means a year. In the Xia dynasty it was called sui (岁), in the Shang dynasty si (祀), in the Zhou dynasty nian (年), and in the age of Tang and Yu zai (载). The above are the names of the year.

月在甲曰畢，在乙曰橘，在丙曰修，在丁曰圉，在戊曰厲，在己曰則，在庚

When the moon is in jia it is called bi (毕), in yi ju (橘), in bing xiu (修), in ding yu (圉), in wu li (厉), in ji ze (则), in geng

曰窒，在辛曰塞，在壬曰終，在癸曰極。──月陽。

zhi (窒), in xin sai (塞), in ren zhong (终), and in gui ji (极). The above are the month-stems.

正月為陬，二月為如，三月為，四月為餘，五月為皋，六月為且，七

The first month is called zou (陬), the second month ru (如), the third month (the month name is missing in the source text), the fourth month yu (余), the fifth month gao (皋), the sixth month ju (且), the seventh

月為相，八月為壯，九月為玄，十月為陽，十一月為辜，十二月為塗。──月名。

month xiang (相), the eighth month zhuang (壮), the ninth month xuan (玄), the tenth month yang (阳), the eleventh month gu (辜), and the twelfth month tu (涂). The above are the names of the months.

南風謂之凱風，東風謂之穀風，北風謂之涼風，西風謂之泰風。

The south wind is called kaifeng (凯风), the east wind is called gufeng (谷风), the north wind is called liangfeng (凉风), and the west wind is called taifeng (泰风).

焚輪謂之穨，扶搖謂之猋，風與火為庉，迴風為飄，日出而風為暴，風

A violent wind blowing from above downward is called tui (穨), a whirlwind is called biao (猋), wind together with fire is called tun (庉), a swirling wind is called piao (飘), wind rising at sunrise is called bao (暴), and wind

而雨土為霾，陰而風為曀。

raising dust is called mai (霾), and wind rising on an overcast day is called yi (曀).

天氣下地不應曰{雨矛}，地氣發天不應曰霧。霧謂之晦。

When heaven's qi descends but earth's qi does not respond, it is called meng (霿; the source text writes this character with the rain radical above mao), and when earth's qi rises but heaven's qi does not respond, it is called wu (雾, fog). Wu is also called hui (晦).

螮蝀謂之雩，螮蝀，虹也。蜺為挈貳。

Didong (䗖𬟽) is called yu (雩). Didong means hong (虹), the rainbow. A secondary rainbow is called qiner (挈贰).

弇日為蔽雲。疾雷為霆霓。雨{雨見}為霄雪。

What blocks out the sun is called bi yun (蔽云). A sharp, fierce thunder is called tingni (霆霓). Sleet is called xiaoxue (霄雪; the source text writes xian with the rain radical above jian).

暴雨謂之涷，小雨謂之霢霂，久雨謂之淫，淫謂之霖，濟謂之霽。

A heavy downpour is called dong (涷), a drizzle is called maimu (霡霂), a long rain is called yin (淫), yin is also called lin (霖), and the stopping of rain is called ji (霁).

──風雨。

The above concerns wind and rain.

壽星，角亢也。

Shouxing (寿星) is the lunar mansions Jiao and Kang.

天根，氐也。

Tiangen (天根) is the mansion Di.

天駟，房也。

Tiansi (天驷) is the mansion Fang.

大辰，房心尾也。

Dachen (大辰) is the mansions Fang, Xin and Wei.

大火謂之大辰。析木謂之津，箕斗之間，漢津也。

Dahuo (大火) is called Dachen. Ximu (析木) is called jin (津), the ford, and the region between the mansions Ji and Dou is the Hanjin (汉津), the Ford of the Han.

星紀，鬥牽牛也。

Xingji (星纪) is the mansions Dou and Qianniu.

玄枵，虛也。顓頊之虛，虛也。

Xuanxiao (玄枵) is the mansion Xu. The Zhuanxu zhi Xu (颛顼之虚) is also the mansion Xu.

北陸，虛也。營室謂之定。

Beilu (北陆) is the mansion Xu. Yingshi (营室) is called ding (定).

娵觜之口，營室東壁也。

Juzui zhi kou (娵觜之口) is Yingshi and Dongbi.

降婁，奎婁也。

Jianglou (降娄) is the mansions Kui and Lou.

大梁，昴也。

Daliang (大梁) is the mansion Mao.

西陸，昴也。

Xilu (西陆) is the mansion Mao.

濁謂之畢。

Zhuo (浊) is called the mansion Bi.

咮謂之柳。柳，鶉火也。

Zhou (咮) is called the mansion Liu. Liu is Chunhuo (鹑火).

北極謂之北辰，何鼓謂之牽牛，明星謂之啟明，彗星為欃槍，奔星為彴約。

The North Pole is called Beichen (北辰), Hegu (何鼓) is called Qianniu (牵牛), the bright star is called Qiming (启明), a comet is called Chanqiang (欃枪), and a shooting star is called Zhuoyue (彴约).

──星名。

The above are the names of stars.

春祭曰祠，夏祭曰礿，秋祭曰嘗，冬祭曰蒸。

The spring sacrifice is called ci (祠), the summer sacrifice is called yue (礿), the autumn sacrifice is called chang (尝), and the winter sacrifice is called zheng (蒸).

祭天曰燔柴，祭地曰瘞薶。

Sacrifice to heaven is called fanchai (燔柴), burning wood, and sacrifice to earth is called yimai (瘗埋), burying offerings.