| | 五帝本紀: |
高辛生而神靈，自言其名。普施利物，不於其身。聰以知遠，明以察微。順天之義，知民之急。仁而威，惠而信，修身而天下服。取地之財而節用之，撫教萬民而利誨之，歷日月而迎送之，明鬼神而敬事之。其色郁郁，其德嶷嶷。其動也時，其服也士。帝嚳溉執中而遍天下，日月所照，風雨所至，莫不從服。 |
| Annals of the Five...: |
Being born a genius Gaoxin spoke from babyhood. He distributed his benefits everywhere, regardless of self. Intelligent enough to understand things far off, and clever enough to search into minutiae, he followed Heaven's laws, and knew the people's needs. Humane yet dignified, kind yet truthful; he practised self-culture and all men submitted to him. He secured the revenue of the land, and spent it economically. He governed and instructed all his subjects, and they profited by the instruction. He made a calendar of the days and months past as well as future. He knew all about spirits, and worshipped them respectfully. His appearance was elegant, and his virtue eminent. His movements were well-timed, and his dress gentlemanly. Emperor Ku was thoroughly impartial all over his empire. There was no one on whom the sun and moon shone, or on whom the rain and wind blew, who was not devoted to him. |
| | 五帝本紀: |
乃命羲、和，敬順昊天，數法日月星辰，敬授民時。分命羲仲，居郁夷，曰暘谷。敬道日出，便程東作。日中，星鳥，以殷中春。其民析，鳥獸字微。申命羲叔，居南交。便程南為，敬致。日永，星火，以正中夏。其民因，鳥獸希革。申命和仲，居西土，曰昧谷。敬道日入，便程西成。夜中，星虛，以正中秋。其民夷易，鳥獸毛毨。申命和叔；居北方，曰幽都。便在伏物。日短，星昴，以正中冬。其民燠，鳥獸氄毛。歲三百六十六日，以閏月正四時。信飭百官，眾功皆興。 |
| Annals of the Five...: |
He then commanded Xi and He in reverent accordance with their observations of the wide heavens to record in a calendar the laws affecting the sun, moon, stars, and zodiacal spaces, and respectfully to communicate to the people the seasons (adapted for labour). He also commanded Xi's younger brother to reside at Yuyi, called the bright valley, so as to hail with respect the rising sun, and arrange the labours of the spring; and the day being of medium length, and the culminating star (the central one of the) 'Bird' quarter of the heavens, he was to determine midspring, when the people begin to disperse, and birds and beasts to breed and copulate. He further commanded Xi's third brother to reside at the southern frontier to arrange the transformations of summer, and respectfully observe the extreme limit (of the shadow), and the day being at its longest, and the star in the zenith that called 'Fire,' he was to fix the exact period of midsummer, when the people are most widely dispersed, birds moult, and beasts change their coats. He further commanded He's younger brother to reside in the west at a place called Dark Valley to respectfully convoy the setting sun, and arrange the completing labours of the autumn, and the night being of medium length, and the culminating star Xu (β in Aquarius) to determine mid-autumn, when people begin to feel comfortable, and birds and beasts look smooth and glossy. He further commanded He's third brother to reside in the northern region in what was called the sombre capital, to examine the hidden things, and the day being at its shortest, and the culminating star Mao (ε in Pleiades) to determine midwinter, when people get into cosy corners, and the coats of birds and beasts are downy and thick. The year consisted of 366 days, an intercalary month being added to adjust the four seasons. Authentic directions were given to the various officers, and their several labours commenced. |
| | 五帝本紀: |
虞舜者，名曰重華。重華父曰瞽叟，瞽叟父曰橋牛，橋牛父曰句望，句望父曰敬康，敬康父曰窮蟬，窮蟬父曰帝顓頊，顓頊父曰昌意：以至舜七世矣。自從窮蟬以至帝舜，皆微為庶人。 |
| Annals of the Five...: |
Shun of Yu was named Chonghua (double splendour); Chonghua's father was Gusou; Gusou's father was Qiaoniu (bridge cow); Qiaoniu's father was Juwang; Juwang's father was Jingkang; Jingkang's father was Qiongchan; Qiongchan's father was Emperor Zhuanxu; Zhuanxu's father was Changyi. From him to Shun we have seven generations. From Qiongchan to Emperor Shun they were all insignificant common people. |
| | 殷本紀: |
契卒，子昭明立。昭明卒，子相土立。相土卒，子昌若立。昌若卒，子曹圉立。曹圉卒，子冥立。冥卒，子振立。振卒，子微立。微卒，子報丁立。報丁卒，子報乙立。報乙卒，子報丙立。報丙卒，子主壬立。主壬卒，子主癸立。主癸卒，子天乙立，是為成湯。 |
| Annals of Yin: |
Qi (documents) died, and his son Zhaoming (luminous) succeeded him. Zhaoming died, and his son Xiangtu (view land) succeeded him. Xiangtu died, and his son Chang Ruo (bright-like) succeeded him. Chang Ruo died, and his son Cao Yu (cattle-pens) succeeded him. Zao Yu died, and his son Ming (obscure) succeeded him. Ming died, and his son Zhen (shake) succeeded him. Zhen died, and his son Wei (diminutive) succeeded him. Wei died, and his son Baoding (report D) succeeded him. Baoding died, and his son Baoyi (report B) succeeded him. Baoyi died, and his son Baobing (report C) succeeded him. Baobing died, and his son Zhuren (lord I) succeeded him. Zhuren died, and his son Zhu gui (lord J) succeeded him. Zhu Gui died, and his son Tian Yi (Heaven B) or Tang the Completer succeeded him. |
| | 殷本紀: |
帝乙長子曰微子啟，啟母賤，不得嗣。少子辛，辛母正后，辛為嗣。帝乙崩，子辛立，是為帝辛，天下謂之紂。 |
| Annals of Yin: |
Emperor Yi's (B) eldest son was Qi, viscount of Wei. Qi's mother being of low caste, he could not be heir to the throne. His younger son was Xin (X), whose mother was the principal consort, and so he became the heir-apparent. Emperor Yi died, and his son Xin sat on the throne. Emperor Xin was called by everybody in the empire Zhou (the tyrant). |
| | 殷本紀: |
紂愈淫亂不止。微子數諫不聽，乃與大師、少師謀，遂去。比干曰：「為人臣者，不得不以死爭。」乃彊諫紂。紂怒曰：「吾聞聖人心有七竅。」剖比干，觀其心。箕子懼，乃詳狂為奴，紂又囚之。殷之大師、少師乃持其祭樂器奔周。周武王於是遂率諸侯伐紂。紂亦發兵距之牧野。甲子日，紂兵敗。紂走入，登鹿臺，衣其寶玉衣，赴火而死。周武王遂斬紂頭，縣之［大］白旗。殺妲己。釋箕子之囚，封比干之墓，表商容之閭。封紂子武庚、祿父，以續殷祀，令修行盤庚之政。殷民大說。於是周武王為天子。其後世貶帝號，號為王。而封殷後為諸侯，屬周。 |
| Annals of Yin: |
The tyrant abandoned himself all the more to lust and dissipation, and the viscount of Wei remonstrated with him several times, but he would not heed, so having consulted with the senior and junior tutors the viscount of Wei withdrew from court. Bigan said, 'A minister cannot but argue to the death'; he accordingly remonstrated vehemently with the tyrant, who in a rage said, 'I have heard that the heart of a holy man has seven apertures,' and cut Bigan open to look at his heart. The viscount of Ji, in terror, then feigned himself mad, and became a slave, and the tyrant again imprisoned him. The senior and junior tutors of Yin, accordingly, taking the sacrificial and musical implements, hastened to the Zhou State, and King Wu of Zhou upon this marched at the head of the princes to attack the tyrant, who also sent out an army to withstand him in the plain of Mu. On the day Jiazi the tyrant's troops were beaten, and he himself fled to the Stag tower, which he ascended, and, putting on his gorgeous robes and jewels, burnt himself to death. King Wu of Zhou then cut off the tyrant's head and exhibited it on a pole; he also slew Daji, released the viscount of Ji from prison, raised a tumulus over the grave of Bigan, and made a eulogy to the memory of Shangrong. His sons, Wugeng and Lufu, were appointed to continue the sacrifices to the Yins. He restored Pangeng's mode of administration, and the people of Yin were greatly rejoiced. Whereupon King Wu of Zhou became Son of Heaven (emperor). His descendants abolished the title of Di (divine emperor), and called themselves kings (Wang); and the descendants of the Yins were made princes subordinate to the house of Zhou. |
| | 殷本紀: |
周武王崩，武庚與管叔、蔡叔作亂，成王命周公誅之，而立微子於宋，以續殷後焉。 |
| Annals of Yin: |
After the death of King Wu of Zhou, Wugeng, Guanshu, and Caishu rebelled. King Cheng ordered the duke of Zhou to execute them, and the viscount of Wei was established in the Song State to continue (the ancestral worship as) a descendant of the Yins. |
