Zhuangzi 1-1 Kun and Peng

Zhuangzi 1-1 Kun and Peng

 

北冥有魚，其名為鯤。鯤之大，不知其幾千里也。化而為鳥，其名為鵬。鵬之背，不知其幾千里也；怒而飛，其翼若垂天之雲。是鳥也，海運則將徙於南冥。南冥者，天池也。齊諧者，志怪者也。諧之言曰：「鵬之徙於南冥也，水擊三千里，摶扶搖而上者九萬里，去以六月息者也。」野馬也，塵埃也，生物之以息相吹也。天之蒼蒼，其正色邪？其遠而無所至極邪？其視下也亦若是，則已矣。且夫水之積也不厚，則負大舟也無力。覆杯水於坳堂之上，則芥為之舟，置杯焉則膠，水淺而舟大也。風之積也不厚，則其負大翼也無力。故九萬里則風斯在下矣，而後乃今培風；背負青天而莫之夭閼者，而後乃今將圖南。蜩與學鳩笑之曰：「我決起而飛，槍1榆、枋，時則不至而控於地而已矣，奚以之九萬里而南為？」適莽蒼者三湌而反，腹猶果然；適百里者宿舂糧；適千里者三月聚糧。之二蟲又何知！小知不及大知，小年不及大年。奚以知其然也？朝菌不知晦朔，蟪蛄不知春秋，此小年也。楚之南有冥靈者，以五百歲為春，五百歲為秋；上古有大椿者，以八千歲為春，八千歲為秋。而彭祖乃今以久特聞，眾人匹之，不亦悲乎！

In the northern darkness there is a fish, it is named Kun.
The greatness of Kun, it is not known how many thousands of li.
Changing and then becoming a bird, it is named Peng.
The breadth of Peng, it is not known how many thousands of li.
Flourishing and rising aloft, its wings like clouds suspended in the sky.
This bird, soon following the moving seas, moves to the southern darkness.
This southern darkness, (it) is the pool of Heaven.

 In the Qi Xie (Uniform/Blended Harmony), a recording of marvels. The words of Xie (Harmony/Humor) say: "Peng moves to the southern darkness, striking the water for 3000 li, rising in spiraling ascent for 90000 li, going six months before rest."

Like wild country horses, like ashes and dust, the birth of things by means of mutually blowing breath.
The azure of the sky - it is truly the color (of the sky)? (Or) is it the distant and illimitable extreme? [1]
If looking down (from above) it would again be like this - and nothing more.

 Moreover, if the accumulation of water is not deep, then it lacks the ability for holding great vessels. Tip over a cup of water above a small hollow, a tiny mustard petal can become a ship. Place the cup (in the hollow) and it sticks like glue. If the accumulation of the wind is not vast, then it lacks the ability to bear great wings. Therefore (rising to) 90,000 li with the wind underneath, and after only now (with) this embankment of wind; shouldering the blue sky and with no obstructions [2], only now charting a course to the south. The cicada and the fledgling turtledove laugh and say: we decide to rise up and fly, scurrying up the elm and sandalwood trees, and when we don't make it, we fall back to the ground - why take 90,000 to make to the south? One who goes to the open country, yet returns (for the) third meal, their stomach is just the same (as when they left); one who goes 100 li stops for the night to grind their food; one who goes 1000 li gathers three months of provisions.

These two small creatures, what can they understand? Small understanding cannot reach great understanding. A short life cannot reach great age. How do we understand it so? The morning mushroom does not understand (the time) from dusk to dawn. The short-lived cicada does not understand spring and fall. These are the short-lived. The south of Chu has one (called) "Dark Spirit," (who) takes 500 years as spring, and 500 years as fall; "high antiquity" has one (called) "Great Father," who takes 8000 years as spring and 8000 years as fall. But now Peng Zu alone renown for longevity, if the common people equal this, is it not a sorrow?

[1]其 as introducing a hypothetical (supposing).
[2] Note the inverting of the relationship - carrying the sky on its shoulders, reversing the sky carrying the bird.