Introduction

This song, together with one version of the Ya-ya story, begins with the activities of companies of cosmic smiths. In the latter story, however, they did not arrive until after the sky and earth were established, and, though the ringing of their hammers told that they were very busy, it is not explained precisely what they were doing. In this song they were engaged in fashioning the great copper dome which is the sky, and from iron and copper shaping the mountains and valleys on earth. In particular they created the physical features of the ancient Miao homeland whence the winding River Shi, the River Gi-bang flowed away through the gorges in the Gi-njio mountains to empty its waters into the Nine Lakes of Gi-nzyu.

In the second half of the song the long days and short nights of Summer are explained by the sun and moon pursuing, respectively, longer and shorter daily journeys during that season, and vice versa for the Winter months. The change over when their "paths divide" falls in Snake-month or Horse-month (the first or second month of the lunar calendar) that is at the Spring equinox, and in Ox-month or Rat-month (the ninth or eighth month) that is, the Autumn equinox. The closing section of the song explains the changing phases of the moon in contrast with the unchanging motion of the sun.

Translation
Literal Transcription
Notes

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Word97 Introduction
Word97 Translation
Word97 Transcription
Word97 Notes

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