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序
Preface
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昔在庖犧，觀象察法，以通神明之德，以類天地之情，可以藏往知來，開物成務。 故《易》曰：「天垂象，見吉凶，聖人象之。」 此則觀乎天文以示變者也。 《尚書》曰：「天聰明自我民聰明。」 此則觀乎人文以成化者也。 是故政教兆-{於}-人理，祥變應乎天文，得失雖微，罔不昭著。 然則三皇邁德，七曜順軌，日月無薄蝕之變，星辰靡錯亂之妖。 黃帝創受《河圖》，始明休咎，故其《星傳》尚有存焉。 降在髙陽，乃命南正重司天，北正黎司地。 爰洎帝嚳，亦式序三辰。 唐虞則羲和繼軌，有夏則昆吾紹德。 年代綿邈，文籍靡傳。 至-{於}-殷之巫-{咸}-，周之史佚，格言遺記，-{於}-今不朽。 其諸侯之史，則魯有梓愼，晉有-{卜}-偃，鄭有裨竈，宋有子韋，齊有甘德，楚有唐昧，趙有尹皋，魏有石申夫，皆掌著天文，各論圖驗。 其巫-{咸}-、甘、石之説，-{後}-代所宗。 暴秦燔書，六經殘滅，天官星占，存而不毀。 及漢景武之際，司馬談父子繼爲史官，著《天官書》，以明天人之道。 其-{後}-中壘校尉劉向，廣《洪-{範}-》災條，作《皇極論》，以參往之行事。 及班固敘漢史，馬續述《天文》，而蔡邕、譙周各有撰録，司馬彪采之，以繼前-{志}-。 今詳衆説，以著-{於}-篇。
Long ago Fu Xi read the patterns above and the constants below, that he might grasp the virtue that shines through the spirits and give form to the temper of Heaven and Earth—so the past could be kept in view and the future divined, the tools of life set in order, and the business of the age carried through. Hence the Zhou yi: “Heaven displays its signs, revealing good or ill fortune, and the sage patterns himself on them.” That is what it means to read the lights of the sky as emblems of transformation. The Shang shu puts it this way: “Heaven hears and sees as the people hear and see.” That is what it means to take human affairs as the mirror in which civilization is perfected. Policy and moral teaching send their first signals through the order of mankind; wonders in the sky answer them from above. However fine the line between success and failure, nothing is hidden from view. Under the earliest sage-kings, virtue was all in all: the seven governors of the sky kept their courses, sun and moon knew neither eclipse nor flaw, and the constellations gave no sign of havoc. The Yellow Emperor was the first to receive the River Chart and to read blessing and bane from it; fragments of his star lore still survive. Later, under Zhuanxu, he appointed Chong of the south as Rectifier of Heaven and Li of the north as Rectifier of Earth. By the time of Emperor Ku the three lights—sun, moon, and stars—were again set in proper sequence. In the age of Yao and Shun, Xi and He maintained the calendar; under the Xia, Kunwu carried the tradition forward. The centuries between are lost in mist, and little was written down that has reached us. In Shang we hear of the shaman Xian; in Zhou, of Grand Scribe Yi—gnomic lines and memoranda that still live in quotation today. Among the regional courts, Lu claimed Zishen, Jin Boyan, Zheng Bicheng, Song Ziwei, Qi Gan De, Chu Tang Mei, Zhao Yin Gao, and Wei Shi Shenfu—each a house astronomer with his own star charts and proofs. Later ages chiefly rely on the systems handed down from Xian, Gan De, and Shi Shen. When the Qin tyrant burned the libraries, the classics were shattered, but calendrical offices and star lore escaped the flames. Under Emperors Jing and Wu of Han, Sima Tan and Sima Qian served in turn as grand scribes and wrote the “Heavenly Offices” treatise, mapping the bond between the sky and human rule. Afterward Liu Xiang, as colonel of the inner bastion, enlarged the omen lists of the Hong fan and framed his “August Ultimate” essay, checking each type against history. Ban Gu’s Han shu gave the narrative, Ma Xu supplied the astronomical monograph, and Cai Yong and Qiao Zhou added materials that Sima Biao later wove into the standard “Treatise on the Heavens.” Here I sift the competing accounts and set out what is worth keeping.
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天體
The form of the heavens
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古言天者有三家，一曰蓋天，二曰宣夜，三曰渾天。 漢靈帝時，蔡邕-{于}-朔方上書，言「宣夜之學，絶無師法。 《周髀》-{術}-數具存，考驗天狀，多所違失。 惟渾天近得其情，今史官候-{台}-所用銅儀則其法也。 立八尺圓體而具天地之形，以正黃道，占察-{發}-斂，以行日月，以歩五緯，精微深妙，百代不易之道也。 官有其器而無本書，前-{志}-亦闕」。
Ancient writers on the sky fall into three camps: the canopy model, the “midnight” void theory, and the armillary-sphere cosmology. Under Emperor Ling of Han, Cai Yong wrote from Shuofang that the Xuanye school had no living line of teachers or texts. The Zhou bi arithmetic is still there, but when you hold it against observation it fails in many places. Only the Huntian scheme comes close to the facts; the bronze armillary in the observatory today is built on that design. An eight-foot globe models both spheres, fixes the ecliptic, tracks the seasons, carries sun and moon, and steps the five wanderers—a fine, durable system that has not gone out of date. Yet the bureau owns the hardware without the old manuals, and earlier histories left gaps as well.”
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蔡邕所謂《周髀》者，即蓋天之説也。 其本庖犧氏立周天暦度，其所傳則周公受-{于}-殷商，周人-{志}-之，故曰《周髀》。 髀，股也； 股者，表也。 其言天似蓋笠，地法覆槃，天地各中髙外下。 北極之下爲天地之中，其地最髙，而滂沲四隤，三光隱映，以爲晝夜。 天中髙-{於}-外衡冬至日之所在六萬-{里}-，北極下地髙-{於}-外衡下地亦六萬-{里}-，外衡髙-{於}-北極下地二萬-{里}-。 天地隆髙相從，日去地恆八萬-{里}-。 日麗天而平轉，分冬夏之間日所行道爲七衡六間。 毎衡周徑-{里}-數，各依算-{術}-，用句股重差推晷影極-{遊}-，以爲遠近之數，皆得-{於}-表股者也。 故曰《周髀》。
Cai Yong’s “Zhou bi” is simply another name for the canopy-heaven school. Tradition traces it to Fu Xi’s measurement of the circular sky; the Duke of Zhou is said to have received the method from Shang, and the Zhou scribes wrote it into the Zhou bi. Bi here means the thigh. In this usage it is the vertical rod—the gnomon. The model pictures heaven as a sun-hat and earth as an upside-down bowl, each domed toward the middle. Under the pole lies the pivot of the world, the highest ground; the terrain falls away on every side while sun, moon, and stars wheel overhead to make light and dark. Their geometry puts the zenith sixty thousand li above the winter-solstice circle, the pole the same height above the horizon there, and the outer winter track twenty thousand li above the polar plain. Heaven and earth stay in proportion, and the sun keeps a fixed eighty-thousand-li standoff from the ground. The sun rides the turning sky; its annual track is marked out as seven “balances” and the six gaps between them. Each ring’s size is derived by right-triangle math and double differencing of solstice shadows—hence the work’s name, “Zhou bi,” the Zhou gnomon. That is why the treatise bears the title Zhou bi.
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又《周髀》家-{云}-：「天圓如張蓋，地方如棋局。 天旁轉如推磨而左行，日月右行，隨天左轉，故日月實東行，而天牽之以西沒。 譬之-{於}-蟻行磨石之上，磨左旋而蟻右去，磨疾而蟻遲，故不得不隨磨以左回焉。 天形南髙而北下，日出髙，故見； 日入下，故不見。 天之居如倚蓋，故極在人北，是其證也。 極在天之中，而今在人北，所以知天之形如倚蓋也。 日朝出陽中，暮入陰中，陰氣暗冥，故沒不見也。 夏時陽氣多，陰氣少，陽氣光明，與日同輝，故日出即見，無蔽之者，故夏日長也。 冬天陰氣多，陽氣少，陰氣暗冥，掩日之光，雖出猶隱不見，故冬日短也。」
The school also says: “The sky is a round umbrella, the land a flat chessboard. The dome spins counterclockwise like a mill; the luminaries slip clockwise along it, so they actually crawl eastward yet seem dragged westward into night. Think of an ant on a turning quern: the stone whirls one way, the insect treads the other, yet the net motion follows the wheel. Because the canopy tilts, the south lifts the sun into view; while the lowered north lets it slip from sight. The axis stands north of us like the pole of a tilted parasol—proof of the model. The celestial pivot should be dead overhead, yet we see it in the north; only a sloping sky explains that. Dawn lifts the sun into the bright yang quarter; dusk drops it into murky yin, where light dies away. Summer air is mostly yang, clear as the disk itself, so sunrise brings instant daylight and the hours stretch. Winter is thick with yin haze that masks the orb; even at noon the sun seems shy, and the daylight hours shrink.”
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宣夜之書亡，惟漢秘書郎郗萌記先師相傳-{云}-：「天了無質，仰而瞻之，髙遠無極，眼瞀精絶，故蒼蒼然也。 譬之旁望遠道之黃山而皆靑，俯察千仞之深-{谷}-而窈黑，夫靑非眞色，而黑非有體也。 日月衆星，自然浮生虚空之中，其行其止皆須氣焉。 是以七曜或逝或住，或順或逆，伏見無常，進退不同，由乎無所根-{系}-，故各異也。 故辰極常居其所，而北-{斗}-不與衆星西沒也。 攝提、塡星皆東行，日行一度，月行十三度，遲疾任情，其無所-{系}-著可知矣。 若綴附天體，不得爾也。
Xuanye’s texts are gone; Xi Meng of the Han secretariat preserved a teacher’s dictum: the sky is not a solid shell—stare upward and it goes on forever until the eye fails, leaving only a wash of blue. It is like misty peaks turning blue in distance or a gorge reading as black—color borrowed from air, not pigment. Sun, moon, and stars drift in the void, their motion and rest wholly governed by the pneuma that fills space. Hence the seven governors race, idle, advance, retreat, hide, and shine on no fixed schedule: nothing ties them to a single track. The pole stays put while the Dipper does not share the common westward set of the constellations. Jupiter’s station, Saturn, and the rest drift east at their own rates—one degree a day for the sun, thirteen for the moon—showing plainly that nothing pegs them to a rigid wheel. Were they nailed to a turning sphere, they could not behave like this.
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成帝-{咸}-康中，會稽虞喜因宣夜之説作《安天論》，以爲「天髙窮-{於}-無窮，地深測-{於}-不測。 天確乎在上，有常安之形； 地塊焉在下，有居靜之體。 當相覆冒，方則倶方，圓則倶圓，無方圓不同之義也。 其光曜布列，各自運行，猶江海之有潮汐，萬品之有行藏也」。 葛洪聞而譏之曰：「苟辰宿不麗-{於}-天，天爲無用，便可言無，何必-{復}--{雲}-有之而不動乎？」 由此而談，稚川可謂知言之選也。
Under Jin Chengdi’s Xianning era (335–342), Yu Xi of Kuaiji reworked Xuanye into an “Anchored Sky” essay: height without limit above, depth without floor below. Heaven stays aloft in changeless calm; earth rests below as a settled clod. If one is square the other must be square; if round, both round—no mismatch of shapes. Lights in the firmament move as freely as tides or creatures showing and hiding at will.” Ge Hong mocked him: “If constellations do not ride the sky, the sky is otiose—you might as well call it nothing. Why insist on a heaven that neither moves nor matters?” On this score Zhichuan shows a critic’s ear.
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虞喜族祖河間相聳又立穹天論-{云}-：「天形穹隆如鷄子，幕其際，周接四海之表，浮-{於}-元氣之上。 譬如覆奩以抑水，而不沒者，氣充其中故也。 日繞辰極，沒西而還東，不出入地中。 天之有極，猶蓋之有-{斗}-也。 天北下-{於}-地三十度，極之傾在地卯酉之北亦三十度，人在卯酉之南十-{餘}-萬-{里}-，故-{斗}-極之下不爲地中，當對天地卯酉之位耳。 日行黃道繞極，極北去黃道百一十五度，南去黃道六十七度，二至之所-{舍}-以爲長短也。」
Yu Song, Yu Xi’s kinsman and chancellor of Hejian, proposed a “Domed Sky”: the firmament is an eggshell meeting the ocean at the rim, buoyed on primordial vapor. Like a cup pressed mouth-down on a pond yet held up by the air locked inside. The sun wheels about the pole, vanishing in the west and reappearing in the east, never tunneling underfoot. A pivot for the sky matches the hub that holds a parasol. He tilts the axis thirty degrees north of the east–west belt while mankind sits more than a hundred thousand li south of that belt, so the subpolar point is not the world’s middle but the spot where heaven’s and earth’s east–west lines cross. The ecliptic girdles the pole, which lies 115° north of the ring at one limit and 67° south at the other; where summer and winter pause sets the scale of long and short days.”
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呉太常姚信造昕天論-{云}-：「人爲靈-{蟲}-，形最似天。 今人頤前侈臨胸，而項不能覆背。 近取諸身，故知天之體南低入地，北則偏髙。 又冬至極低，而天運近南，故日去人遠，而-{斗}-去人近，北天氣至，故冰寒也。 夏至極起，而天運近北，故-{斗}-去人遠，日去人近，南天氣至，故蒸熱也。 極之立時，日行地中淺，故夜短； 天去地髙，故晝長也。 極之低時，日行地中深，故夜長； 天去地下，故晝短也。」
Yao Xin, Wu’s minister for the imperial clan, wrote the “Heaven at Sunrise” piece: humanity is the wise creature whose body best mirrors the sky. Our faces lean south over the breast while the neck cannot hood the back—an anatomy lesson. By that likeness we infer a southern rim plunging toward the ground and a northern canopy lifted high. At winter solstice the axis dips, the machinery hugs the south, the sun stands far off while the Dipper crowds overhead, and northern cold pours in. At summer solstice the pole lifts, motion hugs the north, the Dipper recedes, the sun draws close, and southern heat swamps us. When the pole rides high, the sun’s underworld path is shallow, so nights are brief; the sky arches far above, so days are long. When the pole hangs low, the sun dives deep, stretching night; the canopy presses near, shortening daylight.”
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自虞喜、虞聳、姚信皆好奇徇異之説，非極數談天者也。 至-{於}-渾天理妙，學者多疑。 漢王仲任據蓋天之説，以駁渾儀-{云}-：「舊説天轉從地下過。 今掘地一丈輒有水，天何得從水中行乎？ 甚不然也。 日隨天而轉，非入地。 夫有目所望，不過十-{里}-，天地合矣； 實非合也，遠使然耳。 今視日入，非入也，亦遠耳。 當日入西方之時，其下之人亦將謂之爲中也。 四方之人，各以其所近者爲出，遠者爲入矣。 何以明之？ 今試使一人把大炬火，夜行-{於}-平地，去人十-{里}-，火光滅矣； 非滅也。 遠使然耳。 今日西轉不-{復}-見，是火滅之類也。 日月不員也，望視之所從員者，去人遠也。 夫日，火之精也； 月，水之精也。 水火在地下員，在天何故員？」 故丹陽葛洪釋之曰：《渾天儀注》-{云}-：「天如鷄子，地如鷄中黃，孤居-{於}-天内，天大而地小。 天表-{裏}-有水，天地各乘氣而立，載水而行。 周天三百六十五度四分度之一，又中分之，則半覆地上，半繞地下，故二十八宿半見半隱，天轉如車轂之運也。」 諸論天者雖多，然精-{於}-陰陽者少。 張平子、陸公紀之徒，-{咸}-以爲推歩七曜之道，以度暦象昏明之證候，校以四八之氣，考以漏刻之分，占晷景之往來，求形驗-{于}-事情，莫密-{於}-渾象者也。
Yu Xi, Yu Song, and Yao Xin traded in clever paradox, not in the patient reckoning true astronomy demands. The armillary-sphere doctrine is subtle, and most scholars hesitate before it. Wang Chong of Han, a canopy partisan, attacked the sphere: “The old tale says the sky wheels beneath us. Dig a few feet and you strike water—how does the firmament swim through a global ocean? That cannot be right. The sun rides the turning sky; it never bores into the soil. Sight fails within ten li, so horizon and sky seem to meet; they do not truly touch; distance tricks the eye. So too sunset: not immersion, only remoteness. To watchers westward, that sinking orb stands at their zenith. Each quarter calls its own horizon “rise” and the far rim “set.” How show it? Send a man with a blazing brand across a plain: ten li off the flame disappears from view; the torch still burns. Distance merely hides it. So with the westering sun—extinction is only appearance. They need not be perfect spheres; distance rounds every disk. The sun is fire refined; the moon, water refined. Fire and water on earth make rounded pools of flame and dew—why insist the sky’s copies must be geometric globes?” Ge Hong of Danyang answered with the Huntian gloss: heaven is the shell, earth the yolk adrift within—vast sky, tiny globe. Water lines the inner and outer shell; both spheres ride vapor and sail that dark sea. The celestial circle runs 365¼ degrees; half rides above us and half below, which is why the twenty-eight mansions are half visible and half hidden as the sky wheels like a chariot nave.” Many have theories of the sky; few truly master yin and yang. Zhang Heng, Lu Ji, and their school argued that to track the seven governors, time dusk and dawn against the ephemeris, test the solstices and nodes, read the water-clock, and match shadows to facts, nothing beats a bronze armillary.
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張平子既作銅渾天儀，-{於}-密室中以漏水轉之，令伺之者閉戸而唱之。 其伺之者以告靈-{台}-之觀天者曰：「璿璣所加，某星始見，某星已中，某星今沒」，皆如合符也。 崔子玉爲其碑銘曰：「數-{術}-窮天地，-{製}-作侔造化，髙-{才}-偉藝，與神合契。」 蓋由-{於}-平子渾儀及地動儀之有驗故也。
Zhang Heng set his bronze universe in a dark room, driven by a clepsydra, while an attendant behind closed doors called out each transit. His cry matched the bureau’s log: “At this pivot angle, that star rises, this one culminates, that one sets”—every call checked like a tally split in two. Cui Yin’s stele text runs: “His numbers span heaven and earth; his engines rival nature’s own—genius and art sealed with the divine.” Small wonder, after the armillary and the earthquake instrument proved themselves in use.
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若天果如渾者，則天之出入行-{于}-水中，爲的然矣。 故黃帝書曰，「天在地外，水在天外」，水浮天而載地者也。 又《易》曰：「時乘六龍。」 夫陽爻稱龍，龍者居水之物，以喩天。 天，陽物也，又出入水中，與龍相似，故以比龍也。 聖人仰觀俯察，審其如此，故《晉》卦《坤》下《離》上，以證日出-{於}-地也。 又《明夷》之卦《離》下《坤》上，以證日入-{於}-地也。 《需》卦《-{乾}-》下《坎》上，此亦天入水中之象也。 天爲金，金水相生之物也。 天出入水中，當有何損，而謂爲不可乎？ 故桓君山曰：「春分日出卯入酉，此乃人之卯酉。 天之卯酉，常値-{斗}-極爲天中。 今視之乃在北，不正在人上。 而春秋分時，日出入乃在-{斗}-極之南。 若如磨右轉，則北方道遠而南方道近，晝夜漏刻之數不應等也。」 -{後}-奏事待報，坐西廊廡下，以寒故暴背。 有頃，日光出去，不-{復}-暴背。 君山乃告信蓋天者曰：「天若如推磨右轉而日西行者，其可知矣。」 然則天出入水中，無-{復}-疑矣。
If the egg-shell cosmos is right, the sky really does pass through the waters—plainly so. A Yellow Emperor text says heaven wraps earth and water wraps heaven—the ocean buoys the firmament and carries the globe. The Zhou yi adds: “He mounts the six dragons in season.” Yang lines are named “dragon,” and dragons live in water—hence the image for heaven. Heaven is yang; like a dragon it slips into and out of the deep—so the classic pairs them. The sages read heaven and earth and set the Jin hexagram—earth below, fire above—to show the sun climbing from under the horizon. Ming yi reverses the stack—fire under earth—to picture sunset swallowed by the ground. The Xu hexagram pairs heaven above surging water—another emblem of the sky wading through the flood. Heaven belongs to metal in the cycle, and metal begets water. What injury is there if heaven dips through the sea? Why call it impossible? Huan Tan observed: “At spring equinox the sun rises in east mao and sets in west you—for us, that is our east–west line. For the sky itself, east and west pivot on the celestial pole. Yet we see that pivot in the north, not overhead. At the equinoxes the sun still rises and sets south of the pole. Were the canopy a millstone spun clockwise, the northern arc would be longer than the southern and day and night would not balance at equinox.” Later, waiting on business in the western cloister, he sunned his back against the chill. Presently the beam slid off and the warmth failed. He turned to a canopy partisan: “If the sky were a millwheel and the sun walked west, we could reason it out.” In that case heaven’s passage through water would be certain—but watch what the sunbeam did.”
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又今視諸星出-{於}-東者，初但去地小許耳。 漸而西行，先經人上，從遂西轉而下焉，不旁旋也。 其先在西之星，亦稍下而沒，無北轉者。 日之出入亦然。 若謂天磨右轉者，日之出入亦然，衆日月宜隨夫而回，初在-{於}-東，次經-{于}-南，次到-{於}-西，次及-{於}-北，而-{復}-還-{於}-東，不應橫過去也。 今日出-{於}-東，冉冉轉上，及其入西，亦-{復}-漸漸稍下，都不繞邊北去。 了了如此，王生必固謂爲不然者，疎矣。
Watch eastern stars at first lift: they hug the horizon. They climb overhead, then sink straight west—never skirting the northern rim in a loop. Western stars likewise slip down to set without a northern detour. The sun behaves the same way. If the sky were a clockwise mill, the luminaries should orbit east–south–west–north in order; they should not slice straight across. Instead the sun eases up from the east and eases down in the west, never hugging the northern edge. The facts are plain; for Wang Chong to dig in his heels is simply perverse.
15
今日徑千-{里}-，圍周三千-{里}-，中足以當小星之數十也。 若日以轉遠之故，但當光曜不能-{復}-來照及人耳，宜猶望見其體，不應都失其所在也。 日光既盛，其體又大-{於}-星多矣。 今見極北之小星，而不見日之在北者，明其不北行也。 若日以轉還之故，不-{復}-可見，其北入之間，應當稍小，而日方入之時乃更大，此非轉遠之-{-{徴}-}-也。 王生以火炬喩日，吾亦將借子之矛以刺子之楯焉。 把火之人去人轉遠，其光轉微，而日月自出至入，不漸小也。 王生以火喩之，謬矣。
The sun spans a thousand li across and three thousand around—room inside for dozens of lesser stars. If distance alone dimmed it, we should still see the disk; it should not vanish without trace. The sun outshines and outsizes any star many times over. We can spot faint polar stars but never a northern sun—proof it does not wheel north. If recession hid it, the disk should shrink as it dipped north; at sunset it swells instead—hardly a sign of retreat. Wang took a torch for his parable; I will meet spear with shield of his own choosing. A brand recedes and shrinks; the sun does not dwindle from dawn to dusk. His fire analogy misses the mark.
16
又日之入西方，視之稍稍去，初尚有半，如橫破鏡之狀，須臾淪沒矣。 若如王生之言，日轉北去有半者，其北都沒之頃，宜先如豎破鏡之狀，不應如橫破鏡也。 如此言之，日入西方，不亦孤-{於}-乎？ 又月之光微，不及日遠矣。 月盛之時，雖有重-{雲}-敝之，不見月體，而夕猶朗然，是光猶從-{雲}-中而照外也。 日若繞西及北者，其光故應如月在-{雲}-中之狀，不得夜便大暗也。 又日入則星月出焉。 明知天以日月分主晝夜，相代而照也。 若日常出者，不應日亦入而星月亦出也。
At western set the sun narrows to a half-disk like a mirror snapped crosswise, then slips under in an instant. On Wang’s mill theory a half-phase should stand upright like a mirror split lengthwise, not lie flat as we see. Argued thus, his picture of a western sunset strains credulity. Moonlight is pale beside daylight. Even on a hazy full moon night the sky stays bright—glow leaks through the veil. If the sun circled north through cloud, nights should look like a veiled moon, not pitch black. When the sun sets, moon and stars step forth. Heaven allots day to the sun and night to the moon, each lighting its watch. If the sun never truly set, we would not see stars and moon rise with its fall.
17
又案《河》、《洛》之文，皆-{云}-水火者，陰陽之-{餘}-氣也。 夫言-{餘}-氣，則不能生日月可知也，顧當言日精生火者可耳。 若水火是日月所生，則亦何得盡如日月之員乎？ 今火出-{於}-陽燧，陽燧員而火不員也； 水出-{於}-方諸，方諸方而水不方也。 又陽燧可以取火-{於}-日，而無取日-{於}-火之理，此則日精之生火明矣，方諸可以取水-{於}-月，而無取月-{于}-水之道，此則月精之生水了矣。 王生又-{云}-遠故視之員。 若審然者，月初生之時及既虧之-{後}-，何以視之不員乎？ 而日食或上或下，從側而起，或如鉤至盡。 若遠視見員，不宜見其殘缺左右所起也。 此則渾天之理，信而有-{-{徴}-}-矣。
The Hetu and Luoshu treat fire and water as leftover breath of yin and yang. “Surplus” means they cannot parent the luminaries; one should say solar essence begets fire. If fire and water were born of the two lights, they should be as round as their parents—and they are not. Fire struck from a brass burning-mirror is jagged though the mirror is round; dew coaxed on a square jade is not square though the stone is. You can kindle from the sun, not distill the sun from flame; you can bead water from the moon, not squeeze the moon from a puddle—essence flows one way. Wang Chong also claims distance rounds them. Then a waxing sliver or waning crescent should look round from afar—and they do not. Eclipses bite from top or bottom, from the flank, or gnaw like a hook—never a simple shrink. If distance alone rounded it, we would not map the notch’s geometry. Here the armillary-sphere account wins clear proof.
18
儀象
Armillary instruments
19
《虞書》曰：「在旋璣玉衡，以齊七政。」 《考靈曜》-{云}-：「分寸之咎，代天氣生，以-{制}-方員。 方員以成，參以規矩。 昏明主時，乃命中星觀玉儀之-{遊}-。」 鄭玄謂以玉爲渾儀也。 《春秋文曜鉤》-{云}-：「唐堯既位，羲和立渾儀。」 此則儀象之設，其來遠矣。 綿代相傳，史官禁密，學者不睹，故宣、蓋沸騰。
The Shang shu speaks of the pearl-spangled armillary and jade sight-tube to tune the seven governors.” The apocryphal Kaolingyao says: “Minute faults stand in for heaven’s breath, shaping the round and square. Once round and square are fixed, compass and square set the scale. Dawn and dusk mark the hours; then he reads the culminating stars and tracks the jade armillary’s swing.” Zheng Xuan glosses this as a jade armillary sphere. The Chunqiu wenyao gou adds: “Once Yao sat the throne, Xi and He raised the armillary.” So calibrated models are an ancient office. Kept close in the astrologers’ bureaus, the tools stayed hidden, which is why wild canopy and void theories flourished among outsiders.
20
暨漢太初，落下閎、鮮-{于}-妄人、耿壽昌等造員儀以考暦度。 -{後}-至和帝時，賈逵-{繫}-作，又加黃道。 至順帝時，張衡又-{制}-渾象，具内外規、南北極、黃赤道，列二十四氣、二十八宿中外星官及日月五緯，以漏水轉之-{於}-殿上室内，星中出沒與天相應。 因其關戾，又轉瑞輪蓂莢-{於}-階下，隨月虚盈，依暦開落。
At Han’s Grand Inception reform, Luoxia Hong, Xianyu Wangren, and Geng Shouchang cast spherical instruments to test the calendar. Under Emperor He, Jia Kui rebuilt the gear and added the ecliptic ring. Under Emperor Shun, Zhang Heng cast a full armillary—polar axis, ecliptic and equator, twenty-four seasons, twenty-eight mansions, inner and outer constellations, sun, moon, and five wanderers—driven by clepsydra in the palace until model sky matched real sky. He linked the works to a ritual mimosa wheel on the steps that opened its leaves with the lunar month.
21
其-{後}-陸績亦造渾象。 至呉時，中常侍廬江王蕃善數-{術}-，傳劉洪《-{乾}-象暦》，依其法而-{制}-渾儀，立論考度曰：
Lu Ji later built another sphere. In Wu, the eunuch Wang Fan of Lujiang, versed in numbers and Liu Hong’s Qianxiang li, cast an armillary to that pattern and prefaced it with a technical essay:
22
前儒舊説天地之體，狀如鳥卵，天包地外，猶殼之果黃也； 周旋無端，其形渾渾然，故曰渾天也。 周天三百六十五度五百八十九分度之百四十五，半覆地上，半在地下。 其二端謂之南極、北極。 北極出地三十六度，南極入地三十六度，兩極相去一百八十二度半強。 繞北極徑七十二度，常見不隱，謂之上規。 繞南極七十二度，常隱不見，謂之下規。 赤道帶天之紘，去兩極各九十一度少強。
The old masters said heaven and earth nest like an egg—sky as shell, land as yolk; turning endlessly in one blurred sphere—hence the name “armillary heaven.” The full circle is 365 145/589 degrees, half above the horizon and half below. Its axis ends are south and north poles. The north pole stands 36° above our plane, the south pole 36° below, the two separated by 182° and a trace. The 72° circle about the north pole never sets—the upper circumpolar zone. The matching southern 72° never rises—the lower circumpolar void. The equator girdles the sky some ninety-odd degrees from either pole.
23
黃道，日之所行也，半在赤道外，半在赤道内，與赤道東交-{於}-角五少弱，西交-{於}-奎十四少強。 其出赤道外極遠者，去赤道二十四度，-{斗}-二十一度是也。 其入赤道内極遠者，亦二十四度，井二十五度是也。
The ecliptic—half north, half south of the equator—cuts the equator east at Horn (5°−) and west at Bond (14°+). Its greatest northern reach is 24° beyond the equator—winter sun at Dipper 21°. Its deepest southern dip is also 24°—summer sun at Well 25°.
24
日南至在-{斗}-二十一度，去極百一十五度少強。 是也日最南，去極最遠，故景最長。 黃道-{斗}-二十一度，出辰入申，故日亦出辰入申。 日晝行地上百四十六度強，故日短； 夜行地下二百一十九度少弱，故夜長。 自南至之-{後}-，日去極稍近，故景稍短。 日晝行地上度稍多，故日稍長； 夜行地下度稍少，故夜稍短。 日所在度稍北，故日稍北，以至-{於}-夏至，日在井二十五度，去極六十七度少強，是日最北，去極最近，景最短。 黃道井二十五度，出寅入戌，故日亦出寅入戌。 日晝行地上二百一十九度少弱，故日長； 夜行地下百四十六度強，故夜短。 自夏至之-{後}-，日去極稍遠，故景稍長。 日晝行地上度稍少，故日稍短； 夜行地下度稍多，故夜稍長。 日所在度稍南，故日出入稍南，以至-{於}-南至而-{復}-初焉。 -{斗}-二十一，井二十五，南北相應四十八度。
Winter solstice sits at Dipper 21°, about 115° from the pole. That is the sun’s southern limit and longest shadow. There the ecliptic rises in southeast chen and sets in southwest shen—and so does the sun. By day it covers only 146° above us—short daylight; by night it must roll 219° below—long nights. After solstice the sun inches north and shadows shorten. Day arcs lengthen; night arcs shrink. It climbs until summer solstice at Well 25°, a mere 67° from the pole and the year's shortest gnomon reading. Then the ecliptic rises in northeast yin and sets in northwest xu, and the sun follows. Mid-summer daylight spans 219° above—long days; only 146° below—short nights. Past the solstice the sun drifts south again and shadows lengthen. The daylight arc shrinks a notch, so the hours grow a little shorter; while the night leg underfoot lengthens and the dark hours creep out. The solar lodge drifts south, taking sunrise and sunset with it, until the southern limit is reached and the cycle begins anew. From winter lodge at Dipper 21 to summer lodge at Well 25 spans forty-eight degrees of polar symmetry.
25
春分日在奎十四少強，秋分日在角五少弱，此黃赤二道之交中也。 去極倶九十一度少強。 南北處-{斗}-二十一，井二十五之中，故景居二至長短之中。 奎十四，角五，出卯入酉，故日亦出卯入酉。 日晝行地上，夜行地下，倶百八十二度半強，故日見之漏五十刻，不見之漏五十刻，謂之晝夜同。 夫天之晝夜以日出沒爲分，人之晝夜以昏明爲限。 日未出二刻半而明，日入二刻半而昏，故損夜五刻以益晝，是以春秋分漏晝五十五刻。
Spring equinox finds the sun at Bond 14+; autumn equinox at Horn 5−—the two moments when ecliptic and equator cross. Each lies a fraction over ninety-one degrees from the celestial pole. Equinox sits halfway between the solstice lodges, so the gnomon shadow splits the gap between longest winter shade and shortest summer shade. Those points rise in east mao and set in west you, and the sun follows suit on the equinoxes. Each half of the circuit is a little over 182°, so raw day and night clepsydra counts balance at fifty marks apiece. Astronomy cuts the day at true rise and set; civil time stretches daylight with dawn and dusk. Twilight borrows two and a half marks before sunrise and after sunset, shifting five marks from night to day, so the equinox “day” runs fifty-five clepsydra divisions.
26
三光之行，不必有常，-{術}-家以算求之，各有同異，故諸家暦法參差不齊。 《洛書甄曜度》、《春秋考異郵》皆-{云}-：「周天一百七萬一千-{里}-，一度爲二千九百三十二-{里}-七十一歩二尺七寸四分四百八十七分分之三百六十二。」 陸績-{云}-：「天東西南北徑三十五萬七千-{里}-。」 此言周三徑一也。 考之徑一不啻周三，率周百四十二而徑四十五，則天徑三十二萬九千四百一-{里}-一百二十二歩二尺二寸一分七十一分分之十。
Sun, moon, and stars keep no single fixed pace; each school computes them differently, which is why calendars disagree. Apocryphal texts peg the sky’s rim at 1,071,000 li and each degree at roughly 2,932 li with an elaborate fractional remainder.” Lu Ji rounds the celestial diameter to 357,000 li.” That is the old π ≈ 3 shortcut. Closer ratio 142:45 yields a celestial diameter of about 329,401 li with a long fractional tail.
27
《周禮》：「日至之景尺有五寸，謂之地中。」 鄭衆説：「土圭之長尺有五寸，以夏至之日立八尺之表，其景與土圭等，謂之地中，今潁川陽城地也。」 鄭玄-{云}-：「凡日景-{於}-地，千-{里}-而差一寸，景尺有五寸者，南戴日下萬五千-{里}-也。」 以此推之，日當去其下地八萬-{里}-矣。 日邪射陽城，則天徑之半也。 天體員如彈丸，地處天之半，而陽城爲中，則日春秋冬夏，昏明晝夜，去陽城皆等，無盈縮矣。 故知從日邪射陽城，爲天徑之半也。
The Zhou li says a summer solstice shadow of one foot five inches marks “earth’s middle.” Zheng Zhong explains: match a 1.5-foot template to an eight-foot pole at summer solstice and you have the central meridian—today’s Yangcheng in Henan. Zheng Xuan adds the rule of one cun per thousand li, so a 1.5-foot shadow implies the subsolar point lies 15,000 li due south. From that geometry the sun stands about 80,000 li above the ground below. The oblique ray from sun to Yangcheng equals half the sky’s diameter. If heaven is a ball with earth at mid-layer and Yangcheng at the hub, every season’s light and dark should strike Yangcheng evenly—which they do not, unless the slant ray is half the diameter. Hence the sight-line from zenith to Yangcheng really does measure half the celestial span.
28
以句股法言之，旁萬五千-{里}-，句也； 立八萬-{里}-，股也； 從日邪射陽城，絃也。 以句股求絃法入之，得八萬一千三百九十四-{里}-三十歩五尺三寸六分，天徑之半而地上去天之數也。 倍之，得十六萬二千七百八十八-{里}-六十一歩四尺七寸二分，天徑之數也。 以周率乘之，徑率約之，得五十一萬三千六百八十七-{里}-六十八歩一尺八寸二分，周天之數也。 減《甄曜度》、《考異郵》五十五萬七千三百一十七-{里}-有奇。 一度凡千四百六-{里}-百二十四歩六寸四分十萬七千五百六十五分分之萬九千四十九，減舊度千五百二十五-{里}-二百五十六歩三尺三寸二十一萬五千一百三十分分之十六萬七百三十。
In right-triangle terms the 15,000-li horizontal leg is the base; the 80,000-li vertical is the upright; and the sun’s slant to Yangcheng is the hypotenuse. Pythagoras gives roughly 81,394 li from ground to sky along that ray—half the diameter. Double it for a full diameter of about 162,788 li. Scale by π to reach a circumference near 513,687 li. That falls more than 557,000 li short of the apocryphal totals. Each degree shrinks by intricate fractions compared with the older canon.
29
分黃赤二道，相興交錯，其間相去二十四度。 以兩儀推之，二道倶三百六十五度有奇，是以知天體員如彈丸也。 而陸績造渾象，其形如鳥卵，然則黃道應長-{於}-赤道矣。 績-{云}-「天東西南北徑三十五萬七千-{里}-」，然則績亦以天形正員也，而渾象爲鳥卵，則爲自相違背。
Ecliptic and equator tilt twenty-four degrees apart. Both rings run more than 365°—another proof the sky is a sphere. Lu Ji’s ovoid model would make the ecliptic longer than the equator—an awkward mismatch. Lu Ji insists on a perfect 357,000-li sphere yet builds an egg-shaped globe—his premises collide.
30
古舊渾象以二分爲一度，凡周七尺三寸半分。 張衡更-{制}-，以四分爲一度，凡周一丈四尺六寸一分。 蕃以古-{制}-局小，星辰稠穊，衡器傷大，難可轉移，更-{制}-渾象，以三分爲一度，凡周天一丈九寸五分四分分之三也。
Older spheres used two fen per degree for a ring about seven chi around. Zhang Heng doubled the scale to four fen per degree, making a ring over fourteen chi. Wang Fan found the old model crowded and Zhang’s unwieldy, so he split the difference at three fen per degree—about 1.09 zhang to the circle.
31
天文經星
The classical constellations
32
《洪-{範}-傳》曰：「淸而明者，天之體也。 天忽變色，是謂易常。 天裂，陽不足，是謂臣強。 天裂見人，兵起國亡。 天鳴有聲，至尊憂且驚。 皆亂國之所生也。」
The Hong fan tradition says: “Lucid brightness is heaven’s proper form. A sky that suddenly discolors means the norm has shifted. A riven firmament shows weak yang—ministers overpowering their lord. If the rent shows a human shape, war follows and the dynasty falls. Thunder in a clear sky alarms the sovereign. Such omens spring from a realm already out of joint.”
33
馬續-{云}-：「天文在圖籍昭昭可知者，經星常宿中外官凡一百一十八名，積數七百八十三，皆有州國官宮物類之象。」
Ma Xu lists 118 named constellations—783 stars—each mapped to territories, courts, and emblems.
34
張衡-{云}-：「文曜麗乎天，其動者有七，日月五星是也。 日者，陽精之宗； 月者，陰精之宗； 五星，五行之精。 衆星列布，體生-{於}-地，精成-{於}-天，列居錯峙，各有攸屬。 在野象物，在朝象官，在人象神。 其以神差，有五列焉，是爲三十五名。 一居中央，謂之北-{斗}-。 四布-{于}-方各七，爲二十八-{舍}-。 日月運行，暦示吉凶，五緯躔次，用告禍福。 中外之官，常明者百有二十四，可名者三百二十，爲星二千五百，微星之數蓋萬有一千五百二十。 庶物蠢蠢，-{咸}-得-{系}-命。 不然，何得總而理諸？」 -{後}-武帝時，太史令陳卓總甘、石、巫-{咸}-三家所著星圖，大凡二百八十三官，一千四百六十四星，以爲定紀。 今略其昭昭者，以備天官-{云}-。
Zhang Heng writes: “Seven wanderers paint the sky: sun, moon, and the five planets. The sun is lord of yang essence; the moon is lord of yin essence; the five planets embody the five phases. Fixed stars take shape below and shine above, each in its station. In the fields they mirror creatures, in the capital offices, among men the gods. Grouped by celestial rank they form five belts and thirty-five titles. One cluster anchors the pivot—the Northern Dipper. Four wings of seven mansions each make the twenty-eight lunar lodges. Sun and moon mark the calendar’s weal and woe; the five wanderers spell fortune in their order. Bright stars number 124 named groups, 320 titles, 2,500 visible points, and perhaps 11,520 dimmer ones. All creation stirs under threads tied to those lights. Otherwise how could one chart and govern them?” Later, under Emperor Wu, Chen Zhuo merged Gan De, Shi Shen, and Wu Xian into 283 constellations and 1,464 stars—the standard star map. Here I keep the clearest entries for the celestial bureaucracy.
35
中宮
The Central Palace
36
北極五星，鉤陳六星，皆在紫宮中。 北極，北辰最尊者也，其紐星，天之樞也。 天運無窮，三光迭耀，而極星不移，故曰「居其所而衆星共之」。 第一星主月，太子也。 第二星主日，帝王也； 亦太乙之坐，謂最赤明者也。 第三星主五星，庶子也。 中星不明，主不用事； 右星不明，太子憂。 鉤陳，-{後}-宮也，大帝之正妃也，大帝之常居也。 北四星曰女-{御}-宮，八十一-{御}-妻之象也。 鉤陳口中一星曰天皇大帝，其神曰耀魄寶，主-{御}-群靈，執萬神圖。 抱北極四星曰四輔，所以輔佐北極而出度授政也。 大帝上九星曰華蓋，所以覆蔽大帝之坐也。 蓋下九星曰杠，蓋之柄也。 華蓋下五星曰五帝内坐，設敘順帝所居也。 客星犯紫宮中坐，大臣犯主。 華蓋杠旁六星曰六甲，可以分陰陽而配節候，故在帝旁，所以布政教而授農時也。 極東一星曰柱下史，主記過； 左右史，此之象也。 柱史北一星曰女史，婦人之微者，主傳漏，故漢有侍史。 傳-{舍}-九星在華蓋上，近河，賓客之館，主胡人入中國。 客星守之，備-{奸}-使，亦曰胡兵起。 傳-{舍}-南河中五星曰造父，-{御}-官也，一曰司馬，或曰伯樂。 星亡，馬大貴。 其西河中九星如鉤狀，曰鉤星，直則地動。 天一星在紫宮門右星南，天帝之神也，主戰-{鬥}-，知人吉凶者也。 太一星在天一南，相近，亦天帝神也，主使十六神，知風雨水旱、兵革饑謹、疾疫災害所在之國也。
Five polar stars and six Gouchen stars lie inside the Purple Forbidden enclosure. The pole star is chief of the circumpolar set; its pivot is heaven’s axle. While sun, moon, and stars wheel without rest, the pole holds still—hence the classic says it sits unmoved while others orbit. The first governs the moon and the heir apparent. The second governs the sun and the sovereign; it doubles as Taiyi’s throne—the reddest, brightest of the set. The third presides over the five planets and cadet sons. A dim middle star means the ruler leaves business undone; a dim right-hand star alarms the heir. Gouchen is the inner palace—the supreme consort’s quarter and the high god’s dwelling. Four stars northward form the concubines’ hall—emblem of the eighty-one consorts. The star in Gouchen’s gap is the supreme celestial emperor, spirit-name Yaobao, commander of spirits and keeper of the divine roster. Four attendants hug the pole—the “four aids” that help it promulgate degrees and policy. Nine stars above him form the imperial umbrella, sheltering the throne. Nine stars beneath are the canopy’s shaft. Five lower stars mark the inner seats of the five cosmic emperors, arrayed by precedence. A stray star trespassing the purple throne warns that ministers challenge the king. Six stars flanking canopy and pole are the Six Jia, pairing yin-yang to the seasons so the sovereign can publish the farming calendar. East of the pole sits the pillar-scribe who logs misdeeds; emblem of the left and right historians. Northward lies the woman scribe, a low-ranking female office that relayed the water-clock—Han kept such attendants. Nine “relay lodges” under the canopy by the Milky Way mark the guest quarters—omens of frontier peoples entering China. A guest star parked there warns of spies or rising barbarian arms. Five stars south in the river are Zaofu—the chariot bureau, also named Sima or Bole. If they vanish, horse prices soar. Nine hook-shaped stars west in the stream are the “hook stars”; when they straighten, expect earthquakes. Heaven-One sits just inside the purple gate—god of battle and augury of weal and woe. Grand-One hugs Heaven-One, commanding sixteen emissaries to spy out storms, war, famine, and plague in every realm.
37
紫宮垣十五星，其西番七，東番八，在北-{斗}-北。 一曰紫微，大帝之坐也，天子之常居也，主命主度也。 一曰長垣，一曰天營，一曰旗星，爲番衞，備番臣也。 宮闕兵起，旗星直，天子出，自將宮中兵。 東垣下五星曰天柱，建政教，懸圖法。 門内東南維五星曰尚書，主納言，夙夜諮謀； 龍作納言，此之象也。 尚書西二星曰陰德、陽德，主周急振撫。 宮門左星内二星曰大理，主平刑斷獄也。 門外六星曰天床，主寢-{舍}-，解息燕休。 西南角外二星曰内廚，主六宮之内飲食，主-{后}-妃夫人與太子宴飲。 東北維外六星曰天廚，主盛饌。
The purple wall counts fifteen stars—seven west, eight east—arching north of the Dipper. Called Purple Tenuity, it is the high god’s throne and the emperor’s home, ruling fate and the calendar. Also dubbed Long Rampart, Heavenly Camp, and Banner Stars—the rotating watch of palace guards. If rebellion stirs the palace and the banner stars line up straight, the emperor will ride out at the head of his household army. Five stars under the east wall are the Heavenly Pillars—where edicts and law codes are posted. Five stars in the gate’s southeast pocket are the Masters of Writing, who take memorials and counsel night and day; the model of the dragon minister who “received words” for the throne. Two stars west are Yin De and Yang De, stars of emergency relief. Inside the left gate sit two stars of Grand Rectitude, emblems of fair trials. Six stars outside mark the Heavenly Couch—the celestial bedchamber for rest and banquet. Two stars past the southwest corner are the Inner Kitchen, provisioning the inner palaces and the banquets of empress, ladies, and crown prince. Six stars beyond the northeast corner form the Heavenly Kitchen, the court of grand feasts.
38
北-{斗}-七星在太微北，七政之樞機，陰陽之元本也。 故運乎天中，而臨-{制}-四方，以建四時，而均五行也。 魁四星爲旋璣，杓三星爲玉衡。 又曰，-{斗}-爲人君之象，號令之主也。 又爲帝車，取乎運動之義也。 又魁第一星曰天樞，二曰璿，三曰璣，四曰權，五曰玉衡，六曰開陽，七曰搖光，一至四爲魁，五至七爲杓。 樞爲天，璿爲地，璣爲人，權爲時，玉衡爲音，開陽爲律，搖光爲星。 石氏-{云}-：「第一曰正星，主陽德，天子之象也。 二曰法星，主陰刑，女主之位也。 三曰令星，主中禍。 四曰伐星，主天理，伐無道。 五曰殺星，主中央，助四旁，殺有罪。 六曰危星，主天倉五-{穀}-。 七曰部星，亦曰應星，主兵。」 又-{云}-：「一主天，二主地，三主火，四主水，五主土，六主木，七主金。」 又曰：「一主秦，二主楚，三主梁，四主呉，五主燕，六主趙，七主齊。」
North of the Purple Palace rise the Dipper’s seven stars—the hinge of the seven governors and the wellspring of yin and yang. They wheel at heaven’s hub, commanding the four directions, pacing the seasons, and tuning the five phases. The bowl is the “pearl pivot,” the handle the “jade sight-bar” of classical lore. The Dipper also stands for the ruler, source of all edicts. It is styled the imperial chariot—ever in motion. Their names run Pivot, Xuan, Ji, Quan, Jade Balance, Kaiyang, and Yaoguang—four in the Dipper cup, three in the shaft. Each star maps a cosmic note: heaven, earth, man, season, tone, pitch-standard, and the wandering spark. Shi Shen names the first the Correct Star of yang virtue—the emperor’s star. The second is the Law Star of yin penalties—the empress’s seat. The third is the Command Star of palace misfortune. The fourth is the Punitive Star that executes heaven’s justice on the wicked. The fifth is the Slaughter Star at the hub, aiding the four quarters in killing criminals. The sixth is the Peril Star over heaven’s granaries and the five grains. The seventh is the Department or Response Star, master of war.” Another list ties them to heaven, earth, fire, water, soil, wood, and metal.” Yet another matches them to Qin, Chu, Liang, Wu, Yan, Zhao, and Qi.”
39
魁中四星爲貴人之牢，曰天理也。 輔星傅乎開陽，所以佐-{斗}-成功，丞相之象也。 七政星明，其國昌； 輔星明，則臣強。 杓南三星及魁第一星西三星皆曰三公，主宜德化，調七政，和陰陽之官也。
The cup’s inner four are the nobles’ jail, named Heavenly Pattern. The companion hugging Kaiyang helps the Dipper finish its work—the chancellor’s star. Bright regulator stars mean a thriving realm; a brilliant companion star signals powerful ministers. Three stars south of the handle plus three west of the bowl’s first are the Three Dukes, ministers who tune policy, the seven governors, and yin-yang.
40
文昌六星，在北-{斗}-魁前，天之六府也，主集計天道。 一曰上將，大將軍建威武。 二曰次將，尚書正左右。 三曰貴相，太常理文緒。 四曰司祿、司中，司隸賞功進。 五曰司命、司怪，太史主滅咎。 六曰司寇，大理佐理寶。 所謂一者，起北-{斗}-魁前近内階者也。 明潤，大小齊，天瑞臻。
Six Wenchang stars before the Dipper bowl are heaven’s six bureaus of audit and planning. First is the Supreme General who raises military majesty. Second is the Vice General paired with the Masters of Writing who keep the court in line. Third is the Honored Minister, grand steward of rites and records. Fourth pairs Director of Emoluments and Director of the Center—overseeing rewards and promotions. Fifth joins Director of Fate and Director of Portents—the grand scribe who lifts blame from the throne. Sixth is the Director of Bandits with the grand judge, guarding the royal treasury. The “first” is the star nearest the inner stair before the Dipper bowl. When they shine evenly, heaven sends its felicitous signs.
41
文昌北六星曰内階，天皇之階也。 相一星在北-{斗}-南。 相者，總領百司而掌邦教，以佐帝王安邦國，集衆事也。 其星明，吉。 太陽守一星，在相西，大將大臣之象也，主戒不虞，設武備。 西北四星曰勢。 勢，腐刑人也。 天牢六星，在北-{斗}-魁下，貴人之牢也。
Six stars north of Wenchang are the Inner Steps of the high god. The Minister star stands just south of the Dipper. He is the chief who runs every bureau, teaches the realm, and steadies the throne. A bright Minister star is good omen. Great Yang Guard west of him is the star of marshals and ministers on alert, keeping arms ready. Four northwest stars are Shi. They image the palace eunuch guard. Six Heavenly Prison stars under the Dipper bowl are the nobles’ lockup.
42
太微，天子庭也，五帝之坐也，十二諸侯府也。 其外蕃，九卿也。 一曰太微爲衡。 衡，主平也。 又爲天庭，理法平辭，監升授德，列宿受符，諸神考節，舒情稽疑也。 南蕃中二星間曰端門。 東曰左執法，廷尉之象也。 西曰右執法，-{御}-史大夫之象也。 執法，所以舉刺凶-{奸}-者也。 左執法之東，左掖門也。 右執法之西，右掖門也。 東蕃四星，南第一星曰上相，其北，東太陽門； 第二星曰次相，其北，中華東門也； 第三星曰次將，其北，東太陰門也； 第四星曰上將：所謂四輔也。 西蕃四星，南第一星曰上將，其北，西太陽門也； 第二星曰次將，其北，中華西門也； 第三星曰次相，其北，西太陰門也； 第四曰上相：亦曰四輔也。 東西蕃有芒及動搖者，諸侯謀。 執法移，刑罰尤急。 月、五星入太微，軌道，吉。 其所犯中坐，成刑。
The Supreme Palace Enclosure is the emperor’s court, the five thrones, and the twelve feudatories. Its outer ramparts stand for the nine ministers. It is also called the celestial balance-beam. That beam means equity. It is heaven’s courtroom—where law is weighed, merit raised, tallies issued, spirits check timing, and doubts are tried. The gap between the two southern wall stars is the Straight Gate. East of it is the Left Law Enforcer—the commandant of justice. West is the Right Law Enforcer—the censor-in-chief. Those stars impeach treason and vice. East of the left enforcer lies the left flanking gate. West of the right enforcer is the right flanking gate. The eastern wall’s southernmost is the supreme minister; northward opens the east great-yang gate; the next is the vice minister with the central splendor east gate north of it; the third is the vice general beside the east great-yin gate; the fourth is the supreme general—the eastern “four supports.” The western wall’s southern star is the supreme general with the west great-yang gate; next comes the vice general and central splendor west gate; then the vice minister and west great-yin gate; last is the supreme minister—again the four supports. Comets or tremors on those walls mean the nobles are plotting. If the law stars drift, justice turns harsh. Moon and five wanderers crossing the enclosure on proper paths bring good fortune. Trespass on the central throne completes a sentence of fate.
43
其西南角外三星曰明堂，天子布政之宮。 明堂西三星曰靈-{臺}-，觀-{臺}-也，主觀-{雲}-物，察符瑞，候災變也。 左執法東北一星曰謁者，主贊賓客也。 謁者東北三星曰三公内坐，朝會之所居也。 三公北三星曰九卿内坐，治萬事。 九卿西五星曰内五諸侯，内待天子，不之國也。 -{辟}-雍之禮得，則太微、諸侯明。
Three stars past the southwest corner are the Bright Hall where the emperor publishes policy. West of them stand three Spirit Terrace stars—the observatory that reads clouds, omens, and portents. Northeast of the left enforcer is the Usher who greets envoys. Three stars beyond are the inner seats of the Three Dukes. North of them sit the Nine Ministers’ inner bench, running every department. Five stars westward are the inner marquises who stay at court instead of their fiefs. When the suburban academy rites are correct, the enclosure and feudatory stars shine clear.
44
黃帝坐在太微中，含樞紐之神也。 天子動得天度，止得地意，從容中道，則太微五帝坐明以光。 黃帝坐不明，人主求賢士以輔法，不然則奪勢。 四帝星夾黃帝坐，東方蒼帝，靈威仰之神也； 南方赤帝，赤熛怒之神也； 西方白帝，白招矩之神也； 北方黑帝，-{葉}-光紀之神也。
The Yellow Thearch’s throne lies within—the spirit called Han-shu pivot. If the ruler moves with heaven’s gauge, rests with earth’s mind, and walks the middle way, the five thrones blaze. A dim yellow throne drives the king to seek wise counsel—or lose his mandate. Four thrones ring the yellow seat—east the Green Thearch Ling-weiyang; south the Red Thearch of blazing wrath; west the White Thearch who summons order; north the Black Thearch of leaf-light record.
45
五帝坐北一星曰太子，帝儲也。 太子北一星曰從官，侍臣也。 帝坐東北一星曰幸臣。 屛四星在端門之内，近右執法。 屛，所以雍蔽學帝也。 執法主刺舉； 臣尊敬君上，則星光明潤澤。 郎位十五星在帝坐東北。 一曰依烏郎府也。 周官之元士，漢官之光祿、中散、諫議、議郎、三署郎中，是其職也。 郎，主守衞也。 其星不具，-{后}-妃死，幸臣誅。 星明大及客星入之，大臣爲亂。 郎將在郎位北，主閲具，所以爲武備也。 武賁一星，在太微西蕃北，下-{臺}-南，靜室旄頭之騎官也。 常陳七星，如畢狀，在帝坐北，天子宿衞武賁之士，以設強-{禦}-也。 星搖動，天子自出，明則武兵用，微則兵弱。
North of the five thrones shines the Heir Apparent. North again is the Attendant courtier. Northeast of the throne sits the Favorite Minister. Four Screen stars inside the Straight Gate hug the right enforcer. They veil the private audience with the sovereign. The law stars handle denunciation; when ministers honor the throne, those stars burn clear and mild. Fifteen Gentlemen of the Palace stars cluster northeast of the throne. They are also called the crow-roost cadet corps. They match Zhou cadets and Han gentlemen of the palace, remonstrance, and deliberation bureaus. Those stars mean palace watch. If the constellation breaks, expect death of the empress and execution of favorites. Sudden brilliance or a guest star there signals ministerial revolt. The captain of gentlemen north of them inspects readiness for war. Martial Splendor rides north of the western wall, south of the lower terrace—the plume-helmet guard. Seven Ever-array stars like a net north of the throne are the night guard of martial gentlemen. Their tremor means the emperor leads his host; brightness means war; dimness means a feeble army.
46
三-{台}-六星，兩兩而居，起文昌，列抵太微。 一曰天住，三公之位也。 在人曰三公，在天曰三-{台}-，主開德宜符也。 西近文昌二星曰上-{台}-，爲司命，主壽。 次二星曰中-{台}-，爲司中，主宗室。 東二星曰下-{台}-，爲司祿，主兵，所以昭德塞違也。 又曰三-{台}-爲天階，太一躡以上下。 一曰泰階。 上階，上星爲天子，下星爲女主； 中階，上星爲諸侯三公，下星爲卿大夫； 下階，上星爲士，下星爲庶人：所以和陰陽而理萬物也。 君臣和集，如其常度，有變則占其人。
Six Three-Terrace stars in three pairs run from Wenchang toward the Supreme Palace. They are called the Celestial Lodging of the three dukes. On earth they are the three dukes; in the sky the three steps that align virtue with heaven’s signs. The pair nearest Wenchang is the Upper Terrace—Director of Fate and length of life. The next pair is the Middle Terrace—Director of the Center over the royal house. The easternmost pair is the Lower Terrace—Director of Emoluments and war, sealing virtue and blocking fault. They are also called heaven’s staircase, which Taiyi mounts and descends. Another name is the Great Steps. On the upper step the upper lamp is the emperor, the lower the empress; on the middle step the upper is the nobles and three dukes, the lower the ministers; on the lower step the upper is the gentry, the lower the common folk—together they tune yin and yang and order the world. When court and throne hold their usual brightness, any flicker tells which rank is at fault.
47
南四星曰内平，近職執法平罪之官也。 中-{台}-之北一星曰太尊，貴戚也。
Four southern stars are the Inner Tribunal—judges who balance punishments beside the throne. North of the middle pair shines Grand Esteem—the imperial in-laws.
48
攝提六星，直-{斗}-杓之南，主建時節，伺禨祥。 攝提爲楯，以夾擁帝座也，主九卿。 明大，三公恣。 客星入之，聖人受-{制}-。 西三星曰周鼎，主流亡。 大角在攝提間。 大角者，天王座也。 又爲天棟，正經紀也。 北三星曰帝席，主宴獻酬酢。 北三星曰梗河，天矛也。 一曰天鋒，主胡兵。 又爲喪，故其變動應以兵喪也。 星亡，其國有兵謀。 其北一星曰招搖，一曰矛楯，其北一星曰玄戈，皆主胡兵，占與梗河略相類也。 招搖與北-{斗}-杓間曰天庫。 星去其所，則有庫開之祥也。 招搖欲與棟星、梗河、北-{斗}-相應，則胡兵當來受命-{於}-中國。 玄戈又主北夷，客星守之，胡大敗。 天槍三星，在北-{斗}-杓東，一曰天鉞，天之武備也。 故在紫宮之左，所以-{禦}-難也。 女床三星，在紀星北，-{後}-宮-{御}-也，主女事。 天棓五星，在女床北，天子先驅也，主分爭與刑罰，藏兵亦所以-{禦}-難也。 槍、棓，皆以備非常也； 一星不具，其國兵起。 東七星曰扶筐，盛桑之器，主勸蠶也。 七公七星，在招搖東，天之相也，三公之象也，主七政。 貫索九星在其前，賤人之牢也。 一曰連索，一曰連營，一曰天牢，主法律，禁暴強也。 牢口一星爲門，欲其開也。 九星皆明，天下獄煩； 七星見，小赦； 六星、五星，大赦。 動則斧鑕用，中空則更元。 《漢-{志}-》-{云}-十五星。 天紀九星，在貫索東，九卿也，主萬事之紀，理怨訟也。 明則天下多辭訟； 亡則政理壞，國紀亂； 散絶則地震山崩。 織女三星，在天紀東端，天女也，主果蓏絲帛珍寶也。 王者至孝，神祗-{咸}-喜，則織女星倶明，天下和平。 大星怒角，布帛貴。 東足四星曰漸-{臺}-，臨水之-{臺}-也，主晷漏律呂之事。 西足五星曰輦道，王者得嬉-{遊}-之道也，漢輦道通南北宮，其象也。
Six Sheti stars guard the handle’s south, fixing the seasons and reading portents. They form a buckler bracketing the throne and stand for the nine ministers. If they blaze large, the three dukes grow overbearing. A guest star there means the sovereign falls under another’s power. Three western stars are the Zhou cauldrons—omens of exile and drift. Arcturus rides between the Sheti hooks. That lamp is the throne of the celestial king. It is heaven’s roof-beam, setting the cosmic grid. Three stars north are the emperor’s banquet mat for pledging cups. Three more north are Geng River—the sky’s spear. Also called the heaven-spear, it tracks northern armies. It also spells mourning, so its shifts pair war with death. If it vanishes, a realm is plotting war. North stand Yaoguang and Dark Lance—more Hu-war omens, read like Geng River. Between Yaoguang and the Dipper handle lies the celestial granary. A star straying from place means the granary gates swing open—relief or peril. When Yaoguang aligns with the ridge star, Geng River, and Dipper, northern hosts will submit to China. Dark Lance also rules northern tribes; a guest star parked on it foretells their rout. Three “Heaven’s Lance” stars east of the handle—heaven’s battle-axe. They stand left of the purple court as shields against disaster. Three Woman’s Couch stars north of Cord govern the inner palace. Five Heaven’s Club stars north of the couch are the sovereign’s outriders—strife, sentence, and stored arms against sudden peril. Lance and club both brace for the unexpected; if any star is missing, armies rise in the matching region. Seven eastern Basket stars are mulberry baskets—stars that urge sericulture. Seven Lords east of Yaoguang image the chief minister and the seven regulators. Nine Coiled Rope stars ahead are the commoners’ jail. Called linked rope, linked camp, or heaven’s prison—law that curbs the violent. The mouth star is the gate—astrologers wish it open for mercy. When all nine blaze, dungeons crowd the realm; when only seven show, a small amnesty; six or five visible, a great pardon. Motion means executions; a hollow center means the dynasty turns. The Han monograph counted fifteen stars here. Nine Heaven’s Record stars east of the rope are the nine ministers who archive affairs and hear grievances. Brightness means litigation floods the land; extinction means broken government and tangled statutes; scattered breakup means quakes and falling peaks. Three Weaving Maid stars at the record’s east end govern fruit, silk, and treasure. Perfect filial piety lights all three stars and brings peace. When the chief star bristles, cloth grows costly. Four stars on the eastern foot are Gradual Terraces by the water—timekeeping and pitch. Five western stars are the Palanquin Way—the emperor’s pleasure road, like the Han gallery that joined the two palaces.
49
左右角間二星曰平道之官。 平道西一星曰進賢，主卿相舉逸-{才}-。 亢、東-{咸}-、西-{咸}-各四星，在房心北，日月五星之道也。 房之戸，所以防淫佚也。 星明則吉； 月、五星犯守之，有陰謀。 鍵閉一星，在房東北，近鉤鈐，主關籥。
Two stars between the horns are the Level Road judges. West of them Advancing Worthies marks recommendations of hidden talent. Kang and the east and west barriers—four stars each north of Room and Heart—are the ecliptic gateway. They are the bolt on Room’s door against excess. Bright barrier stars are good; moon or planets lingering there hint at conspiracy. Key-and-Lock northeast of Room, by Hook-Hasp, rules bolts and keys.
50
天市垣二十二星，在房心東北，主權衡，主聚衆。 一曰天旗庭，主斬戮之事也。 市中星衆潤澤，則歳實。 熒惑守之，戮不忠之臣。 彗星除之，爲徙市易都。 客星入之，兵大起； 出之，有貴喪。
Twenty-two stars of the Celestial Market northeast of Room and Heart mean trade and crowds. Also called the banner court of executions. A thick bright throng in the market means a full harvest. Mars stationed there beheads faithless ministers. A comet sweeping it means markets move and capitals shift. A guest star entering sparks great war; its exit, mourning among the great.
51
帝坐一星，在天市中候星西，天庭也。 光而潤則天子吉，威令行。 候一星，在帝坐東北，主伺陰陽也。 明大，輔臣強，四夷開； 候細微，則國安； 亡則主失位； 移則不安。 宦者四星，在帝坐西南，侍主刑-{餘}-之人也。 星微，吉； 非其常，宦者有憂。 宗正二星，在帝坐東南，宗大夫也。 彗星守之，若失色，宗正有事； 客星守之，更號令也。 宗人四星，在宗正東，主録親疎享祀。 族人有序，則如綺文而明正。 動則天子親屬有變； 客星守之，貴人死。 宗星二，在候星東，宗室之象，帝輔血脈之臣也。 客星守之，宗支不和。
The lone Imperial Seat west of the market’s guard star is heaven’s market throne. A soft bright glow means the sovereign thrives and commands bite. Guard northeast of the throne watches yin and yang. Large brightness means strong aides and open frontiers; a faint steady Guard means peace; if it vanishes, the ruler loses his seat; if it drifts, the throne is uneasy. Four eunuch stars southwest serve the mutilated attendants of the throne. Faint eunuch stars are good; unusual brilliance alarms the inner servants. Two Director of Clan stars southeast manage the royal house. A comet or dimming means trouble for the clan director; a guest star there changes the court’s edicts. Four Clan Men east of him record kin and sacrifices. When kin ranks are orderly, the stars read like clear brocade. Motion means shock among the imperial clan; a guest star there kills a noble. Two Clan Stars east of Guard image kinsmen ministers. A guest star parked there splits the royal kindred.
52
天江四星，在尾北，主太陰。 江星不具，天下津河關道不通。 明若動搖，大水出，大兵起； 參差則馬貴。 熒惑守之，有立主。 客星入之，河津絶。
Four Celestial River stars north of Tail govern the great yin of floods. Broken river stars block roads and fords. Bright trembling means deluge and mobilization; uneven ranks make horses dear. Mars guarding it can mean a rival sovereign. A guest star entering snaps river crossings.
53
天籥八星在南-{斗}-柄西，主關閉。 建星六星在南-{斗}-北，亦曰天旗，天之都關也。 爲謀事，爲天鼓，爲天馬。 南二星，天庫也。 中央二星，市也，鈇鑕也。 上二星，旗跗也。 -{斗}-建之間，三光道也。 星動則衆勞。 月暈之，蛟龍見，牛馬疫。 月、五星犯之，大臣相譖有謀，亦爲關梁不通，有大水。 東南四星曰狗國，主鮮卑、鳥丸、沃且。 熒惑守之，外夷爲變。 狗國北二星曰天鷄，主候時。 天弁九星，在建星北，市官之長也，以知市珍也。 星欲明，吉。 彗星犯守之，糴貴，囚徒起兵。
Eight Heaven’s Key stars west of the handle bolt the passes. Six Establishment stars north of the Dipper are the celestial banner and capital gate. They mean counsel, the sky-drum, and the sky-horse. The southern pair is the celestial granary. The middle pair is the market and headsman’s block. The northern pair is the flag’s heel. Between Dipper and Establishment runs the ecliptic road. Their motion burdens the people. A lunar halo there brings dragons in portent and plague among beasts. Moon or five planets trespassing mean ministerial intrigue, blocked roads, and great floods. Four southeast stars are Dog Country—Xianbei, Wuhuan, and Woju tribes. Mars stationed there stirs the border peoples. Two stars north are the Sky Cock that crows the watches. Nine Sky Cap stars north of Establishment head the market inspectors. They should burn bright—then trade thrives. A comet on them raises grain prices and jailbreak revolts.
54
河鼓三星，旗九星，在牽牛北，天鼓也，主軍鼓，主鈇鉞。 一曰三武，主天子三將軍； 中央大星爲大將軍，左星爲左將軍，右星爲右將軍。 左星，南星也，所以備關梁而距難也，設守陰險，知謀徽也。 旗即天鼓之旗，所以爲旌表也。 左旗九星，在鼓左旁。 鼓欲正直而明，色黃光澤，將吉； 不正，爲兵憂也。 星怒，馬貴。 動則兵起，-{曲}-則將失計奪勢。 旗星差戾，亂相陵。 旗端四星南北列，曰天桴，鼓桴也。 星不明，漏刻失時。 前近河鼓，若桴鼓相直，皆爲桴鼓用。
Three River Drum stars and nine banner stars north of Altair are heaven’s war drum and regalia. Called the Three Martial stars—the three field marshals; the bright center is the commander-in-chief, flanked by left and right generals. The left star guards the southern passes, blocks defiles, and reads stratagem. The banner is the drum corps’ standard. Nine left-banner stars flank the drum. The drum should stand straight, yellow, and glossy—then generals prosper; crooked, expect military trouble. Angry stars make horses costly. Motion means war; a bent drum means generals lose their grip. A skewed banner means factions claw one another. Four stars at the banner tip are the drumsticks. Dim beaters throw the water-clock off. Stars aligned with drum and stick mean the signal corps is active.
55
離珠五星，在須女北，須女之藏府，女子之星也。 天津九星，橫河中，一曰天漢，一曰天江，主四瀆津梁，所以度神通四方也。 一星不備，津關道不通。
Five Pearls Apart north of Maid are the woman’s treasury stars. Nine Celestial Ford stars span the Milky Way—the great crossing of spirits and trade. A missing star blocks the fords.
56
騰蛇二十二星，在營室北，天蛇也，主水-{蟲}-。 王良五星，在奎北，居河中，天子奉車-{御}-官也。 其四星曰天駟，旁一星曰王良，亦曰天馬。 其星動，爲策馬，車騎滿野。 亦曰梁，爲天橋，主-{禦}-風雨水道，故或占車騎，或占津梁。 客星守之，橋不通道。 前一星曰策星，王良之-{御}-策也，主天子之-{僕}-，在王良旁。 若移在馬-{後}-，是謂策馬，則車騎滿野。 閣道六星，在王良前，飛道也。 從紫宮至河，神所乘也，一曰，閣道星，天子-{遊}-別宮之道也。 傅路一星，在閣道南，旁別道也。 東壁北十星曰天廄，主馬之官，若今驛亭也，主傳令置驛，逐漏馳騖，謂其行急疾，興晷漏競馳也。
Twenty-two Soaring Serpent stars north of House are the celestial snake of water beasts. Five Wang Liang stars north of Legs in the stream are the royal charioteer. Four are the heavenly team; the side star is Wang Liang, also the sky-horse. When they twitch, chariots stampede across the fields. Also called the sky bridge—wind and rain on waterways—read for cavalry or crossings alike. A guest star there snaps the bridge. The lead star is the whip beside Wang Liang—the sovereign’s outriders. If it slips behind the team, the whip is raised and hosts ride. Six Gallery Road stars before Wang Liang are the flying causeway. They run from purple court to river—the spirit road, or the emperor’s gallery to detached palaces. One Relay Road star south is a bypass lane. Ten north of eastern Wall are Heaven’s Stables—relay posts that race the clock.
57
天將軍十二星，在婁北，主武兵。 中央大星，天之大將也。 南一星曰軍南門，主誰何出入。 太陵八星在胃北，亦曰積京，主大喪也。 積京中星衆，則諸侯有喪，民多疾，兵起。 太陵中一星曰積尸，明則死人如山。 北九星曰天船，一曰舟星，所以濟不通也。 中一星曰積水，候水災。 昴西二星曰天街，三光之道，主伺候關梁中外之境。 -{卷}-舌六星，在昴北，主口語，以知侫讒也。 -{曲}-，吉； 直而動，天下有口舌之害。 中一星曰天讒，主巫醫。
Twelve Heaven’s General stars north of Bond command armies. The bright center is the supreme commander. The south star is the army gate sergeant who challenges all comers. Eight Great Tomb stars north of Stomach are stacked capital—great funerals. A crowded tomb means lords die, plagues spread, and armies stir. The Stacked Corpses star blazing means corpses pile like hills. Nine northern Boat stars ferry blocked roads. The central Stacked Water star forecasts floods. Two Celestial Street stars west of Hairy Head mark the ecliptic frontier patrol. Six Rolled Tongue stars north of Hairy Head govern rumor and slander. A curled tongue is safe; straight and twitching, slander poisons the realm. The center is Heaven’s Slander over witch doctors.
58
五車五星，三柱九星，在畢北。 五車者，五帝車-{舍}-也，五帝坐也，主天子五兵，一曰主五-{穀}--{豐}-耗。 西北大星曰天庫，主太白，主秦。 次東北星曰獄，主辰星，主燕趙。 次東星曰天倉，主歳星，主魯衞。 次東南星曰司空，主塡星，主楚。 次西南星曰卿星，主熒惑，主魏。 五星有變，皆以其所主占之。 三柱一曰三泉。 天子得靈-{臺}-之禮，則五車、三柱均明有常。 其中五星曰天潢。 天潢南三星曰-{咸}-池，魚囿也。 月、五星入天潢，兵起，道不通，天下亂。 五車南六星曰諸王，察諸侯存亡。 其西八星曰八-{穀}-，主候歳。 八-{穀}-一星亡，一-{穀}-不登。 天關一星，在五車南，亦曰天門，日月之所行也，主邊事，主關閉。 芒角，有兵。 五星守之，貴人多死。
Five chariot stars and nine pillar stars sit north of Net. The Five Chariots are the five emperors’ garages—arms and grain in one emblem. The northwest bright star is the vault of Venus and Qin. Northeast next is Prison of Mercury over Yan and Zhao. The eastern granary holds Jupiter over Lu and Wei. Southeast is Minister of Works and Saturn over Chu. Southwest is Minister Star and Mars over Wei. Each chariot star is read for its planet and region. The three pillars are also called Three Springs. Proper Spirit Terrace rites keep chariots and pillars steadily bright. Five inner stars form the Celestial Ford cluster. Three south of the ford are Xian Pool—the royal fishpond. Moon or planets in the ford mean war, blocked roads, and chaos. Six Many Princes stars south watch the fiefs live or die. Eight western Eight Grains stars forecast the crop. Each lost star is a failed crop. Celestial Pass south of the chariots is the sun-moon gate of frontier open-shut. Comet hair on it means arms. Five planets lingering slay many grandees.
59
東井鉞前四星曰司怪，主候天地日月星辰變異及鳥獸草木之妖，明主聞災，修德保福也。 司怪西北九星曰坐旗，君臣設位之表也。 坐旗西四星曰天髙，-{臺}-謝之髙，主遠望氣象。 天髙西一星曰天河，主察山林妖變。 南河、北河各三星，夾東井。 一曰天髙，天之關門也，主關梁。 南河曰南戍，一曰南宮，一曰陽門，一曰越門，一曰權星，主火。 北河曰北戍，一曰北宮，一曰陰門，一曰胡門，一曰衡星，主水。 兩河戍間，日月五星之常道也。 河戍動搖，中國兵起。 南河南三星曰闕丘，主宮門外象魏也。 五諸侯五星，在東井北，主刺舉，戒不虞。 又曰理陰陽，察得失。 亦曰主帝心。 一曰帝師，二曰帝友，三曰三公，四曰博士，五曰太史，此五者常爲帝定疑議。 星明大潤澤，則天下大治； 芒角，則禍在中。 五諸侯南三星曰天樽，主盛饘粥以給貧餒。 積水一星，在北河西北，水河也，所以供酒食之正也。 積薪一星在積水東北，供庖廚之正也。 水位四星，在積薪東，主水衡。 客星若水火守犯之，百川流溢。
Four Director of Prodigies east of the well-axe watch omens so the king may mend his virtue. Nine Seated Banner stars northwest mark the court lineup. Four Celestial Height stars west are the high watchtower for vapors. One Celestial River west scans woodland portents. South and North Rivers—three stars each—bracket the Well. Also called heaven’s barrier of fords. South River is the south guard, south palace, yang gate, Yue gate, power star—fire. North River is the north guard, north palace, yin gate, Hu gate, balance star—water. Between them runs the planets’ highway. Shaking river guards mobilize China. Three south of South River are Gate Tower Mound—the gate drum platform. Five Feudatories north of the Well impeach treason and watch surprise. They also balance yin-yang and weigh fault. They image the emperor’s inner council. Five roles—teacher, friend, three dukes, erudite, scribe—settle the ruler’s doubts. Bright moist stars mean great order; comet hair means disaster at court. Three Celestial Goblet stars south ladle gruel for the hungry. Stacked Water northwest of North River is the wine stream of banquets. Stacked Firewood northeast fuels the kitchen. Four Water Level stars east manage hydraulics. Guest stars of water or fire there flood every river.
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軒轅十七星，在七星北。 軒轅，黃帝之神，黃龍之體也； -{后}-妃之主，士職也。 一曰東陵，一曰權星，主雷雨之神。 南大星，女主也。 次北一星，夫人也，屛也，上將也。 次北一星，妃也，次將也。 其次諸星，皆次妃之屬也。 女主南小星，女-{御}-也。 左一星少民，-{后}-宗也。 右一星大民，太-{后}-宗也。 欲其色黃小而明也。 軒轅右角南三星曰酒旗，酒官之旗也，主宴饗飲食。 五星守酒旗，天下大酺，有酒肉財物，賜若爵宗室。 酒旗南三星曰天相，丞相之象也。 軒轅西四星曰爟，爟者，烽火之爟也，邊亭之警候。
Seventeen Xuanyuan stars ride north of the Sieve. Xuanyuan is the Yellow Thearch as a yellow dragon; mistress of harem and template of ministers. Also Eastern Mound or Power Star—lord of storms. The bright southern star is the empress. Next north is consort, screen, and supreme general. Then concubine and vice general. The rest are lesser consorts. A small star south of her is the bedchamber maid. The left star is Lesser People—empress kin. The right is Greater People—dowager kin. They should glow small, yellow, and clear. Three Wine Banner stars south of the right horn mark the brewer’s standard and royal table. Five planets on the Wine Banner mean empire-wide feasts and largesse to the kin. Three Celestial Minister stars south image the prime minister. Four Signal stars west of Xuanyuan are frontier beacons.
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爟北四星曰内平，平罪之官，明刑罰。 少微四星在太微西，士大夫之位也。 一名處士，亦天子副主，或曰博士官，一曰主衞掖門。 南第一星處士，第二星議士，第三星博士，第四星大夫。 明大而黃，則賢士舉也。 月、五星犯守之，處士、女主憂，宰相易。 南四星曰長垣，主界域及胡夷。 熒惑入之，胡入中國； 太白入之，九卿謀。
Four Inner Level stars north are the penal board that clarifies sentence. Four Junior Subtlety stars west of the purple court mark scholar-officials. They are the recluses, vice-regents, erudites, or wardens of the side gates. South to north: recluse, adviser, doctor, grandee. A large yellow glow means talent is promoted. Moon or planets there alarm hermits and empress and swap the chancellor. Four Long Wall stars south mark borders and barbarian lands. Mars inside means barbarians push into China; Venus inside sets the nine ministers plotting.
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二十八-{舍}-
The twenty-eight lunar lodges
63
東方。 角二星爲天關，其間天門也，其内天庭也。 故黃道經其中，七曜之所行也。 左角爲天田，爲理，主刑； 其南爲太陽道。 右角爲將，主兵； 其北爲太陰道。 蓋天之三門，猶房之四表。 其星明大，王道太平，賢者在朝； 動搖移徙，王者行。
The eastern quarter Horn’s pair is the celestial gate; the gap is the portal, the interior the sky-court. The ecliptic threads that notch where the seven governors pass. The left horn is the celestial field and judge of penalties; south of it runs the great yang road. The right horn is the general of arms; north of it the great yin road. They are heaven’s triple gate like the four pillars of Room. Bright horns mean peaceful rule and wise men at court; trembling horns mean the king takes the road.
64
亢四星，天子之内朝也，總攝天下奏事，-{聽}-訟理獄録功者也。 一曰疎廟，主疾疫。 星明大，輔納忠，天下-{寧}-。
Four Neck stars are the inner court that hears petitions, trials, and merit. Also called Sparse Temple—omen of plague. Bright Neck stars bring loyal aides and calm to the realm.
65
氐四星，王者之宿宮，-{后}-妃之府，休解之房。 前二星，-{適}-也，-{後}-二星，妾也。 -{後}-二星大，則臣奉度。
Four Base stars are the royal bedchamber and harem’s hall of ease. The forward pair is the queen, the rear pair her rivals. Large rear stars mean ministers keep discipline.
66
房四星，爲明堂，天子布政之宮也，亦四輔也。 下第一星，上將也； 次，次將也； 次，次相也； 上星，上相也。 南二星君位，北二星夫人位。 又爲四表，中間爲天衢，爲天關，黃道之所經也。 南間曰陽環，其南曰太陽； 北間曰陰間，其北曰太陰。 七曜由乎天衢，則天下平和； 由陽道則旱喪； 由陰道則水兵。 亦曰天駟，爲天馬，主車駕。 南星曰左驂，次左服，次右服； 次右驂。 亦曰天廄，又主開閉，爲畜藏之所由也。 房星明，則王者明； 驂星大，則兵起； 星離，民流。 又北二小星曰鉤鈐，房之鈐鍵，天之管籥，主閉鍵天心也。 明而近房，天下同心。 鉤鈐間有星及疎坼，則地動河淸。
Four Room stars are the Bright Hall of policy—also the four assistants. The lowest is the supreme general; next up, the vice general; then the vice minister; the top star, supreme minister. The southern pair marks ruler and consort north pair. They are four posts flanking the celestial highway where the ecliptic runs. The south gap is the Yang ring beyond which lies great yang; the north gap is yin interval leading to great yin. Planets on the central road mean balance; on the yang detour, drought and mourning; on the yin detour, floods and war. Also called the celestial team—chariot stars. South to north: left outrigger, left shaft horse, right shaft horse; then the right outrigger. Also Heaven’s Stable—gates for herds and granaries. Bright Room means a bright king; large outriggers mean mobilization; scattered stars drive the people to flight. Two little Hook-and-Hasp stars north are heaven’s lock on the royal heart. Bright hasps snug to Room unite the realm. A stranger between them or a gap means quakes and drained rivers.
67
心三星，天王正位也。 中星曰明堂，天子位，爲大辰，主天下之賞罰。 天下變動，心星見祥。 星明大，天下同。 前星爲太子，-{後}-星爲庶子。 心星直，則王失勢。
Three Heart stars are the king’s seat. The center is Bright Hall—the throne that wields reward and blame. National upheaval writes itself on the Heart. A bright Heart means the realm stands together. The front star is the heir, the rear cadet sons. A straightened Heart strips the king of leverage.
68
尾九星，後宮之塲，妃-{后}-之府。 上第一星，-{后}-也； 次三星，夫人； 次星，嬪妾。 第三星傍一星名曰神宮，解衣之内室。 尾亦爲九子，星色欲均明，大小相承，則-{後}-宮有敘，多子孫。
Nine Tail stars are the harem’s ground. The tip star is the queen; the next three, noble consorts; the rest, concubines. Beside the third sits Spirit Palace—the inner boudoir. Tail is also nine sons: even bright ranks mean an orderly harem and many heirs.
69
箕四星，亦-{後}-宮妃-{后}-之府。 亦曰天津，一曰天鷄，主八風。 凡日月宿在箕、東壁、翼、軫者風起。 又主口舌，主客蠻夷胡貉； 故蠻胡將動，先表箕焉。
Four Basket stars likewise image the inner palace. Also Celestial Ford or Sky Cock—master of the eight winds. Sun or moon in Basket, Wall, Wings, or Chariot always raises wind. They rule speech, envoys, and frontier tribes; so barbarian stirrings first flicker in the Basket.
70
北方。 南-{斗}-六星，天廟也，丞相太宰之位，主褒賢進士，稟授爵祿。 又主兵，一曰天機。 南二星魁，天梁也。 中央二星，天相也。 北二星，天府庭也，亦爲壽命之期也。 將有天子之事，占-{於}--{斗}-。 -{斗}-星盛明，王道平和，爵祿行。
The northern quarter Six Southern Dipper stars are the celestial temple of chancellor—raising talent and paying ranks. They also command war—called Heaven’s Pivot. The southern pair is the bowl, heaven’s roof-beam. The middle pair is the celestial minister. The northern pair is the court yard and span of life. Royal crises are read from this Dipper. A blazing Dipper means smooth rule and flowing honors.
71
牽牛六星，天之關梁，主犧牲事。 其北二星，一曰即路，一曰聚火。 又曰，上一星主道路，次二星主關梁，次三星主南越。 搖動變色則占之。 星明大，王道昌，關梁通。
Six Herd-Boy stars are the sky’s toll bridge and sacrificial herd. The northern pair is Immediate Road and Gathered Fire. Another count: top star roads, next pair fords, last three for Yue. Shifts in hue demand divination. Bright Herd-Boy means open roads and thriving rule.
72
須女四星，天少府也。 須，賤妾之稱，婦職之卑者也，主布帛裁-{制}-嫁娶。
Four Maid stars are the lesser treasury of heaven. “Maid” names the low consort’s work—cloth, tailoring, and weddings.
73
虚二星，塚宰之官也，主北方邑居廟堂祭祀祝禱事，又主死喪哭泣。
Two Emptiness stars are the grand tutor’s seat—rites, prayer, death, and keening.
74
危三星，主天府天市架屋； -{餘}-同虚占。 墳墓四星，屬危之下，主死喪哭泣，爲墳墓也。
Three Rooftop stars roof heaven’s vault and market; the rest read like Emptiness. Four Tomb stars under Rooftop mean burials and grief.
75
營室二星，天子之宮也。 一曰玄宮，一曰淸廟，又爲軍糧之府及土功事。 星明，國昌； 小不明，祠祀鬼神不享。 離宮六星，天子之別宮，主隱藏休息之所。
Two Encampment stars are the royal palace. Called Dark Palace or Pure Temple—also army granary and public works. Bright Encampment means a thriving state; dim stars mean the spirits refuse sacrifice. Six Detached Palace stars are the emperor’s lodges for hidden rest.
76
東壁二星，主文章，天下圖書之秘府也。 星明，王者興，道-{術}-行，國多君子； 星失色，大小不同，王者好武，經士不用，圖書隱； 星動，則有土功。
Two eastern Wall stars are the archive of learning. Brightness brings culture and many gentlemen; mismatched dim stars mean martial kings and hidden libraries; motion means great construction.
77
西方。 奎十六星，天之武庫也。 一曰天豕，亦曰封豕。 主以兵禁暴，又主溝瀆。 西南大星，所謂天豕目，亦曰大將，欲其明。
The western quarter Sixteen Legs stars are heaven’s armory. Also called the Celestial Boar or the “sealed pig.” It stands for military law and for irrigation channels. The bright southwest star is the boar’s eye and the great general—it should shine clear.
78
婁三星，爲天獄，主苑牧犧牲，供給郊祀。
Three Bond stars are the celestial jail of park herds for suburban altars.
79
胃三星，天之廚藏，主食廩，五-{穀}-府也，明則和平。
Three Stomach stars are heaven’s granary—peace when they glow.
80
昴七星，天之耳目也，主西方，主獄事。 又爲旄頭，胡星也。 昴、畢間爲天街，天子出，旄頭罕畢以前驅，此其義也。 黃道之所經也。 昴明，則天下牢獄平。 昴六星皆明，與大星等，大水。 七星皆黃，兵大起。 一星亡，爲兵喪； 搖動，有大臣下獄，及有白衣之會。 大而數盡動若跳躍者，胡兵大起。
Seven Hairy Head stars are heaven’s eyes on the west and on prisons. They are the plume-helmet stars of the northern tribes. The gap to Net is the celestial avenue where the king’s plume escort rides before the car. The ecliptic runs through that lane. Bright Hairy Head means fair prisons. If six match the chief in brilliance, expect deluge. All seven turning yellow means full mobilization. One lost star is war and mourning; tremors jail high ministers and summon white-clad councils. Leaping brilliance means northern hosts surge.
81
畢八星，主邊兵，主弋獵。 其大星曰天髙，一曰邊將，主四夷之尉也。 星明大，則遠夷來貢，天下安； 失色，則邊兵亂。 附耳一星，在畢下，主-{聽}-得失，伺愆邪，察不祥。 星盛，則中國微，有盜賊，邊候驚，外國反； 移動，佞讒行。 月入畢，多雨。
Eight Net stars command frontier hunts and armies. The chief star is the border sentinel over the four outer peoples. Bright Net brings tribute and calm; faded color means border mutiny. Attached Ear under Net listens for treason and ill omens. A strong Attached Ear weakens China, stirs bandits, alarms the passes, and turns allies; motion spreads slander. The moon in Net brings rain.
82
觜觿三星，爲三軍之候，行軍之藏府，主葆旅，收斂萬物。 明則軍儲盈，將得勢。
Three Beak stars are the army’s quartermaster depot. Brightness fills the magazines and empowers generals.
83
參十星，一曰參伐，一曰大辰，一曰天市，一曰鈇鋮，主斬刈。 又爲天獄，主殺伐。 又主權衡。 所以平理也。 又主邊城，爲九譯，故不欲其動也。 參，白獸之體。 其中三星橫列，三將也。 東北曰左肩，主左將； 西北曰右肩，主右將； 東南曰左足，主-{後}-將軍； 西南曰右足，主偏將軍。 故《黃帝占》參應七將。 中央三小星曰伐，天之都尉也，主胡、鮮卑、戎、狄之國，故不欲明。 七將皆明大，天下兵精也。 王道缺則芒角張。 伐星明與參等，大臣皆謀，兵起。 參星失色，軍散敗。 參芒角動搖，邊候有急，兵起，有斬伐之事。 參星移，客伐主。 參左足入玉井中，兵大起，秦大水，若有喪，山石爲怪。 參星差戾，王臣貳。
Ten Triaster stars—Punishment, Great Chronogram, celestial market, headsman’s axe. They are also heaven’s execution ground. They weigh justice like a balance. Thus they set the scales straight. They guard frontier towns and translators—best when steady. Triaster forms the white tiger’s frame. The central row of three is the three generals. Northeast shoulder is the left general; northwest shoulder the right general; southeast foot the rear general; southwest foot the flank general. The Yellow Thearch’s omen text maps seven commands on Triaster. The three Punishment stars are the capital colonel over barbarians—better dim. All seven blazing means elite armies. A flawed kingly way bristles the stars. Punishment matching Triaster lights ministerial plots and war. Faded Triaster means routed hosts. Trembling horns mean border alarms and executions. Shifted Triaster means subjects chastise the ruler. Left foot in the Jade Well means war, Qin flood, mourning, and stony portents. Skewed Triaster marks treacherous ministers.
84
南方。 東井八星，天之南門，黃道所經，天之亭候，主水衡事，法令所取平也。 王者用法平，則井星明而端列。 鉞一星，附井之前，主伺淫奢而斬之。 故不欲其明，明與井齊，則用鉞-{于}-大臣。 月宿井，有風雨。
The southern quarter Eight Well stars are the southern gate where law and ecliptic meet. Even justice lines the Well stars bright. The axe before the Well strikes down excess. It should stay dim—if it rivals the Well, ministers die. The moon in the Well brings wind and rain.
85
輿鬼五星，天目也，主視，明察-{奸}-謀。 東北星主積馬，東南星主積兵，西南星主積布帛，西北星主積金玉，隨變占之。 中央星爲積尸，主死喪祠祀。 一曰鈇鑕，主誅斬。 鬼星明，大-{谷}-成； 不明，百姓散。 鑕欲其忽忽不明，明則兵起，大臣誅。
Five Ghost stars are heaven’s eye for conspiracy. Each corner star hoards horses, arms, cloth, or gold—read by shift. The center is Stacked Corpses—death rites. Also the headsman’s block. Bright Ghosts mean a full granary; dim stars scatter the people. The block should stay dull—brightness means war and ministerial execution.
86
柳八星，天之廚宰也，主尚食，和滋味，又主雷雨。
Eight Willow stars are the celestial chef and storm herald.
87
七星七星，一名天都，主衣裳文繡，又主急兵盜賊。 故星明王道昌； 暗則賢良不處，天下空。
Seven Sieve stars—Heaven’s Capital—rule silks and sudden raids. Bright stars mean flourishing rule; darkness drives worthies away and empties the realm.
88
張六星，主珍寶、宗廟所用及衣服，又主天廚飲食賞齎之事。 星明則王者行五禮，得天之中。
Six Extended Net stars hold temple treasures, wardrobe, and royal largesse. Brightness means the five rites are kept and heaven is pleased.
89
翼二十二星，天之樂府俳倡，又主夷狄遠客、負海之賓。 星明大，禮樂興，四夷寶。 動則蠻夷使來，離徙則天子舉兵。
Twenty-two Wings stars are the celestial music office and far embassies. Bright Wings lift music and bring tribute. Motion summons southern envoys; scatter means the emperor marches.
90
軫四星，主冥宰，輔臣也； 主車騎，主載任。 有軍出入，皆占-{於}-軫。 又主風，主死喪。 軫星明，則車駕備； 動則車駕用。 轄星傅軫兩傍，主王侯，左轄爲王者同姓，右轄爲異姓，星明，兵大起。 遠軫，凶。 轄舉，南蠻侵。 長沙一星，在軫之中，主壽命。 明則主壽長，子孫昌。 又曰，車無轄，國有憂； 軫就聚，兵大起。
Four Axle-Tree stars are the chancellor of shades—aiding ministers; they rule chariotry and freight. All campaigns are read from Axle-Tree. They also govern wind and funerals. Bright Axle-Tree means the train is ready; motion puts the carriages on the road. The axle-cap stars flanking mark kin and alien lords—bright caps mean war. Caps drifting far from Axle-Tree bode ill. Raised caps mean southern tribes push north. Long Sands within Axle-Tree measures longevity. A bright Long Sands lengthens the king’s years and heirs. Missing caps mean the state frets; crowded Axle-Tree means great armies.
91
二十八宿外星
Stars beyond the twenty-eight lodges
92
庫樓十星，六大星爲庫，南四星爲樓，在角南。 一曰天庫，兵車之府也。 旁十五星三三而聚者，柱也。 中央四小星，衡也，主陳兵。 東北二星曰陽門，主守隘塞也。 南門二星，在庫樓南，天之外門也，主守兵。 平星二星，在庫樓北，平天下之法獄事，廷尉之象也。 天門二星，在平星北。
Ten stars south of Horn—six for the armory, four for the watchtower. Called the celestial magazine of chariots. Fifteen pillars cluster in threes beside it. Four small center stars are the crossbeam for battle lines. Two northeast Yang Gate stars guard defiles. Two South Gate stars are the outer portal’s garrison. Two Level stars north are the celestial commandant. Heaven Gate lies north of Level Star.
93
亢南七星曰折威，主斬殺。 頓頑二星，在折威東南，主考囚情狀，察詐偽也。
Seven Broken Awe stars south of Neck are executioners. Two Dun-wan stars examine prisoners for fraud.
94
騎官二十七星，在氐南，若天子武賁，主宿衞。 東端一星騎陣將軍，騎將也。 南三星車騎，車騎之將也。 陣車三星，在騎官東北，革車也。
Twenty-seven Riding Officials south of Base are the night guard. The east end is the cavalry commander. Three southern stars are chariot generals. Three Arrayed Chariots northeast are war wagons.
95
積卒十二星，在房心南，主爲衞也。 他星守之，近臣誅。 從官二星，在積卒西北。
Twelve Piled Guards south of Room and Heart are the inner watch. Alien stars there execute inner courtiers. Two Attendant stars lie northwest of the guards.
96
龜五星，在尾南，主-{卜}-以占吉凶。 傅説一星，在尾-{後}-。 傅説主章祝，巫官也。 魚一星，在尾-{後}-河中，主陰事，知-{雲}-雨之期也。
Five Turtle stars south of Tail govern shell divination. Fu Yue hangs just past the Scorpion’s tail. It presides over liturgy and the shamans who voice it. The lone Fish in the stream governs hidden matters and the season of storms.
97
杵三星，在箕南，杵給庖舂。 客星入杵臼，天下有急。 穅星在箕舌前杵西北。
Three Pestle stars south of the Basket are the celestial mortar staff. A stray star in mortar or pestle foretells sudden crisis. The Chaff Star sits northwest of the pestle, ahead of the basket’s lip.
98
鱉十四星，在南-{斗}-南。 鱉爲水-{蟲}-，歸太陰。 有星守之，白衣會，主有水令。 農丈人一星，在南-{斗}-西南，老農主穡也。 狗二星，在南-{斗}-魁前，主吠守。
Fourteen Turtle stars curve south of the Dipper. The turtle belongs to the watery yin quarter of the sky. A guarding star summons white-robed councils and flood edicts. The Old Farmer southwest of the Dipper watches the year’s crop. Two Dog stars before the bowl are the watch that never sleeps.
99
天田九星，在牛南。 羅堰九星，在牽牛東，岠馬也，以壅蓄水潦，灌溉溝渠也。 九坎九星，在牽牛南。 坎，溝渠也，所以導達泉源，疎盈瀉溢，通溝洫也。 九坎間十星曰天池。 一曰三池，一曰天海，主灌溉田疇事。
Nine Heaven’s Field stars lie south of the Ox. Nine Luo Weir stars east of Herd-Boy are dikes that pond water for the canals. Nine Pit stars mark the southern sluices. “Pits” are the channels that drain floods and feed the fields. Ten Heavenly Pool stars span the pits. Also called the Triple Pools or Sea of Heaven—the celestial reservoir.
100
虚南二星曰哭，哭東二星曰泣，泣、哭皆近墳墓。 泣南十三星曰天壘城，如貫索狀，主北夷-{于}-丁零、匈奴。 南二星曰蓋屋，治宮室之官也。 其南四星曰虚梁，園陵寢廟之所也。
South of Emptiness lie Weeping and Sobbing—stars that flank the grave stars. Thirteen Rampart stars coil like a noose over the northern tribes. Two Roof Cover stars are the architects of palace roofs. Four Empty Bridge stars south mark mausoleum parks.
101
羽林四十五星，在營室南，一曰天軍，主軍騎，又主翼王也。 壘壁陣十二星，在羽林北，羽林之垣壘也，主軍衞爲營壅也。 五星有在天軍中者，皆爲兵起，熒惑、太白、辰星尤甚。 北落師門一星，在羽林西南。 北者，宿在北方也； 落，天之籓落也； 師，衆也； 師門，猶軍門也。 長安城北門曰北落門，以象此也。 主非常以候兵。 有星守之，虜入塞中，兵起。 其西北有十星，曰天錢。 北落西南一星曰天綱，主武帳。 北落東南九星曰八魁，主張禽獸。
Forty-five Feather Forest stars are the imperial guard encamped south of the House. Twelve Rampart stars north ring the guard camp like palisades. Any planet inside the Heavenly Army raises hosts—Mars, Venus, and Mercury worst of all. North Gate of the Army shines southwest of Feather Forest. “North” marks its quarter of the sky; “Luo” is the celestial palisade; “Shi” is the host of stars; “Army gate” is the camp portal. Chang’an’s north gate took its name from this star. It watches for surprise mobilizations. A star parked there means invaders through the passes. Ten Heavenly Coins glitter to its northwest. Heavenly Net southwest is the marshal’s pavilion. Nine Eight-Chief stars southeast are the celestial hunting chiefs.
102
天倉六星，在婁南，倉-{穀}-所藏也。 南四星曰天庾，積廚粟之所也。
Six Heavenly Granary stars south of Bond are the sky’s bins. Four southern stacks hold the court’s kitchen grain.
103
天囷十三星，在胃南。 囷，倉廩之屬也，主給-{御}-糧也。
Thirteen round granaries stand south of Stomach. They are the round silos that feed the throne.
104
天廩四星在昴南，一曰天廥，主蓄黍稷以供饗祀； 《春秋》所謂-{御}-廩，此之象也。 天苑十六星，在昴畢南，天子之苑囿，養獸之所也。 苑南十三星曰天園，植果菜之所也。
Four Heavenly Bin stars south of Hairy Head store millet for the altars; the “imperial granary” of the classics points here. Sixteen Heavenly Park stars are the celestial hunting ground. Thirteen Garden stars south grow the sky’s orchards.
105
畢附耳南八星曰天節，主使臣之所持者也。 天節下九星曰九州殊口，曉方俗之官，通重譯者也。
Eight Heavenly Tally stars are the tokens envoys bear. Nine “Different Mouths” below are the interpreters of nine provinces.
106
參旗九星在參西，一曰天旗，一曰天弓，主司弓弩之張，候變-{禦}-難。 玉井四星，在參左足下，主水漿以給廚。 西南九星曰九-{游}-，天子之旗也。 玉井東南四星曰軍井，行軍之井也。 軍井未達，將不言渇，名取此也。 軍市十三星在參東南，天軍貿易之市，使有無通也。 野鷄一星，主變怪，在軍市中。 軍市西南二星曰丈人，丈人東二星曰子，子東二星曰孫。
Nine banner stars west of Triaster are the sky bow bent for peril. The Jade Well under the hunter’s foot supplies the field kitchen. Nine southwest stars are the emperor’s nine banners. Four Army Well stars southeast are the marchers’ well. Hence the rule: until the army well is struck, the general does not speak of thirst. Thirteen Army Market stars are the camp bazaar under Orion. The Wild Pheasant in the market foretells uncanny signs. Elder, Sons, and Grandsons line the market’s edge—three generations of stars.
107
東井西南四星曰水府，主水之官也。 東井南垣之東四星曰四瀆，江、河、淮、濟之精也。 狼一星，在東井東南。 狼爲野將，主侵掠。 色有常，不欲動也。 北七星曰天狗，主守財。 弧九星在狼東南，天弓也，主備盜賊，常向-{於}-狼。 弧矢動移不如常者，多盜賊，胡兵大起。 狼弧張，害及胡，天下乖亂。 又曰，天弓張，天下盡兵。 弧南六星爲天社，昔共工氏之子句龍，能平水土，故祀以配社，其精爲星。 老人一星，在弧南，一曰南極，常以秋分之旦見-{於}-丙，春分之夕而沒-{于}-丁。 見則治平，主壽昌，常以秋分候之南郊。
Four Water Office stars southwest of the Well manage hydraulics. Four Channels east of the Well wall embody the four great streams. Wolf blazes southeast of the Well. Wolf is the raider star of plunder. Its hue should stay steady—motion spells raid. Seven Heavenly Dog stars north guard hoarded wealth. The Bow southeast of Wolf is always drawn on the thief. A twitching bow means banditry and northern invasion. Bow and Wolf strung together unhinge the frontier. They say a taut sky-bow arms the whole world. Six stars south are Heaven’s Altar to Goulong, tamer of floods, now fixed in the sky. The Old Man south of the Bow is the south polar star—dawn at autumn equinox in southeast bing, dusk vanishing at spring equinox in ding. His appearance promises peace and long life—court astronomers watch for him at the southern altar each autumn equinox.
108
柳南六星曰外廚。 廚南一星曰天紀，主禽獸之齒。
Six Outer Kitchen stars south of Willow feed the court. Heaven’s Record south of the kitchen tallies game taken in the hunt.
109
稷五星，在七星南。 稷，農正也，取乎百-{穀}-之長以爲號也。
Five Millet stars south of the Sieve mark the grain officer. “Millet” names the overseer of every staple crop.
110
張南十四星曰天廟，天子之祖廟也。 客星守之，祠官有憂。
Fourteen Heavenly Temple stars south of Extended Net are the royal shrines. A guest star there alarms the temple stewards.
111
翼南五星曰東區，蠻夷星也。
Five Eastern District stars south of Wings mark the southern tribes.
112
軫南三十二星曰器府，樂器之府也。 靑丘七星，在軫東南，蠻夷之國號也。 靑丘西四星曰土司空，主界域，亦曰司徒。 土司空北二星曰軍門，主營候彪尾威旗。
Thirty-two Utensil House stars are heaven’s instrument vault. Seven Green Mound stars southeast name a barbarian realm. Four Earth Minister stars west mark borders—also read as the Minister of Education. Two Army Gate stars north watch the camp and tiger banners.
113
天漢起沒
The Milky Way’s course
114
天漢起東方，經尾箕之間，謂之漢津。 乃分爲二道，其南經傅説、魚、天籥、天弁、河鼓，其北經龜，貫箕下，次絡南-{斗}-魁、左旗，至天津下而合南道。 乃西南行，又分夾匏瓜，絡人星、杵、造父、騰蛇、王良、傅路、閣道北端、太陵、天船、-{卷}-舌而南行，絡五車，經北河之南，入東井水位而東南行，絡南河、闕丘、天狗、天紀、天稷，在七星南而沒。
The River of Heaven lifts in the east between Tail and Basket at the Han Ford. It forks: the south branch threads Fu Yue, Fish, Key, and Cap past the River Drum; the north hugs the Turtle, slips under the Basket, ropes the Dipper bowl and left banner, and meets the south branch below the Celestial Ford. The merged stream then sweeps southwest, loops gourds and charioteers, threads tombs and boats, brushes the Rolled Tongue, crosses Five Chariots south of the north river, dives into the Well and Water Level, then southeast past south river, gate towers, dog, record, and millet, and sinks south of the Sieve.
115
十二次度數
The twelve celestial lodges and their degrees
116
十二次。 班固取《三統暦》十二次配十二野，其言最詳。 又有費直説《周易》、蔡邕《月令章句》，所言頗有先-{後}-。 魏太史令陳卓更言郡國所入宿度，今附而次之。
The twelve lodges Ban Gu matched the Triple Concordance lodges to the twelve regions in fullest detail. Fei Zhi’s Zhou yi gloss and Cai Yong’s monthly ordinances disagree on where each lodge begins. Chen Zhuo of Wei added county-level ingress degrees, which I append in order.
117
自軫十二度至氐四度爲壽星，-{于}-辰在辰，鄭之分野，屬兗州。 費直《周易分野》，壽星起軫七度。 蔡邕《月令章句》，壽星起軫六度。
Shouxing runs from 12° in Axle-Tree to 4° in Base—earthly chen—Zheng in Yanzhou. Fei Zhi starts Shouxing at Axle-Tree 7°. Cai Yong starts it one degree earlier.
118
自氐五度至尾九度爲大火，-{於}-辰在卯，宋之分野，屬豫州。 費直，起氐十一度。 蔡邕，起亢八度。
Great Fire spans Base 5° to Tail 9°—mao—Song in Yuzhou. Fei Zhi begins at Base 11°. Cai Yong begins at Neck 8°.
119
自尾十度至南-{斗}-十一度爲析木，-{於}-辰在寅，燕之分野，屬幽州。 費直，起尾九度。 蔡邕，起尾四度。
Splintered Wood runs Tail 10° to Dipper 11°—yin—Yan in Youzhou. Fei Zhi starts at Tail 9°. Cai Yong starts at Tail 4°.
120
自南-{斗}-十二度至須女七度爲星紀，-{於}-辰在-{醜}-，呉越之分野，屬揚州。 費直，起-{斗}-十度。 蔡邕，起-{斗}-六度。
Star Chronicle runs Dipper 12° to Maid 7°—chou—Wu-Yue in Yangzhou. Fei Zhi begins at Dipper 10°. Cai Yong begins at Dipper 6°.
121
自須女八度至危十五度爲玄枵，-{於}-辰在子，齊之分野，屬靑州。 費直，起女六度。 蔡邕，起女十度。
Dark Emblem runs Maid 8° to Rooftop 15°—zi—Qi in Qingzhou. Fei Zhi begins at Maid 6°. Cai Yong begins Dark Emblem at Maid 10°.
122
自危十六度至奎四度爲諏訾，-{於}-辰在亥，衞之分野，屬并州。 費直，起危十四度。 蔡邕，起危十度。
Zouzi spans Rooftop 16° to Legs 4°—earthly hai—Wei in Bingzhou. Fei Zhi starts at Rooftop 14°. Cai Yong starts at Rooftop 10°.
123
自奎五度至胃六度爲降婁，-{於}-辰在戌，魯之分野，屬徐州。 費直，起奎二度。 蔡邕，起奎八度。
Jianglou runs Legs 5° to Stomach 6°—xu—Lu in Xuzhou. Fei Zhi begins at Legs 2°. Cai Yong begins at Legs 8°.
124
自胃七度至畢十一度爲大梁，-{於}-辰在酉，趙之分野，屬冀州。 費直，起婁十度。 蔡邕，起胃一度。
Daliang spans Stomach 7° to Net 11°—you—Zhao in Jizhou. Fei Zhi starts at Bond 10°. Cai Yong starts at Stomach 1°.
125
自畢十二度至東井十五度爲實沈，-{于}-辰在申，魏之分野，屬益州。 費直，起畢九度。 蔡邕，起畢六度。
Shichen runs Net 12° to Eastern Well 15°—shen—Wei in Yizhou. Fei Zhi starts at Net 9°. Cai Yong starts at Net 6°.
126
自東井十六度至柳八度爲鶉首，-{於}-辰在未，秦之分野，屬雍州。 費直，起井十二度。 蔡邕，起井十度。
Chunshou spans Well 16° to Willow 8°—wei—Qin in Yongzhou. Fei Zhi starts at Well 12°. Cai Yong starts at Well 10°.
127
自柳九度至張十六度爲鶉火，-{於}-辰在午，周之分野，屬三河。 費直，起柳五度。 蔡邕，起柳三度。
Chunhuo runs Willow 9° to Extended Net 16°—wu—Zhou in the triple capital region. Fei Zhi starts at Willow 5°. Cai Yong starts at Willow 3°.
128
自張十七度至軫十一度爲鶉尾，-{於}-辰在已，楚之分野，屬荊州。 費直，起張十三度。 蔡邕，起張十二度。
Chunwei spans Extended Net 17° to Axle-Tree 11°—si—Chu in Jingzhou. Fei Zhi starts at Extended Net 13°. Cai Yong starts at Extended Net 12°.
129
州郡躔次
Commandery ingress by lodge degree
130
陳卓、-{范}-蠡、鬼-{谷}-先生、張良、諸葛亮、譙周、京房、張衡-{並}--{云}-：
Chen Zhuo, Fan Li, Guigu Zi, Zhang Liang, Zhuge Liang, Qiao Zhou, Jing Fang, and Zhang Heng all record:
131
角、亢、氐，鄭，兗州：
Horn, Neck, Base — Zheng (Yanzhou):
132
:東郡，入角一度； 東平、任城、山陽，入角六度:泰山，入角十二度； 濟北、陳留，入亢五度:濟陰，入氐二度； 東平，入氐七度
Dong commandery: ingress at Horn 1°; Dongping, Rencheng, Shanyang: Horn 6°; Taishan: Horn 12°; Jibei and Chenliu: Neck 5°; Jiyin: Base 2°; Dongping (second listing): Base 7°.
133
房、心，宋，豫州：
Room and Heart — Song (Yuzhou):
134
:潁川，入房一度； 汝南，入房二度:沛郡，入房四度； 梁國，入房五度:淮陽，入心一度； 魯國，入心三度，:楚國，入房四度。
Yingchuan: Room 1°; Runan: Room 2°; Pei: Room 4°; Liang: Room 5°; Huaiyang: Heart 1°; Lu: Heart 3°; Chu: Room 4°.
135
尾、箕，燕，幽州：
Tail and Basket — Yan (Youzhou):
136
:涼州，入箕中十度，上-{谷}-，入尾一度:漁陽，入尾三度； 右北平，入尾七度:西河、上郡、北地、遼西，東入尾十度； 涿郡，入尾十六度:渤海，入箕一度； 樂浪，入箕三度:玄菟，入箕六度； 廣陽，入箕九度。
Liangzhou: mid-Basket 10°; Shanggu: Tail 1°; Yuyang: Tail 3°; Youbeiping: Tail 7°; Xihe, Shang, Beidi, Liaoxi (east): Tail 10°; Zhuo: Tail 16°; Bohai: Basket 1°; Lelang: Basket 3°; Xuantu: Basket 6°; Guangyang: Basket 9°.
137
-{斗}-、牽牛、須女，呉、越，揚州：
Dipper, Herd-Boy, Maid — Wu-Yue (Yangzhou):
138
:九江，入-{斗}-一度； 廬江，入-{斗}-六度。 :豫章，入-{斗}-十度； 丹陽，入-{斗}-十六度。 :會稽，入牛一度； 臨淮，入牛四度。 :廣陵，入牛八度； 泗水，入女一度。 :六安，入女六度。
Jiujiang: Dipper 1°; Lujiang: Dipper 6°. Yuzhang: Dipper 10°; Danyang: Dipper 16°. Kuaiji: Herd-Boy 1°; Linhuai: Herd-Boy 4°. Guangling: Herd-Boy 8°; Sishui: Maid 1°. Lu'an: Maid 6°.
139
虚、危，齊，靑州：
Emptiness and Rooftop — Qi (Qingzhou):
140
:齊國，入虚六度； 北海，入虚九度。 :濟南，入危一度； 樂安，入危四度。 :東萊，入危九度； 平原，入危十一度。 :菑川，入危十四度。
Qi: Emptiness 6°; Beihai: Emptiness 9°. Jinan: Rooftop 1°; Le'an: Rooftop 4°. Donglai: Rooftop 9°; Pingyuan: Rooftop 11°. Zichuan: Rooftop 14°.
141
營室、東壁，衞，并州：
Encampment and eastern Wall — Wei (Bingzhou):
142
:安定，入營室一度； 天水，入營室八度。 :隴西，入營室四度； 酒泉，入營室十一度。 :張掖，入營室十二度； 武都，入東壁一度。 :金城，入東壁四度； 武威，入東壁六度。 :敦煌，入東壁八度。
Anding: Encampment 1°; Tianshui: Encampment 8°. Longxi: Encampment 4°; Jiuquan: Encampment 11°. Zhangye: Encampment 12°; Wudu: eastern Wall 1°. Jincheng: eastern Wall 4°; Wuwei: eastern Wall 6°. Dunhuang: eastern Wall 8°.
143
奎、婁、胃，魯，徐州：
Legs, Bond, Stomach — Lu (Xuzhou):
144
:東海，入奎一度； 琅邪，入奎六度。 :髙密，入婁一度； 城陽，入婁九度。 :膠東，入胃一度。
Donghai: Legs 1°; Langye: Legs 6°. Gaomi: Bond 1°; Chengyang: Bond 9°. Jiaodong: Stomach 1°.
145
昴、畢，趙、冀州：
Hairy Head and Net — Zhao (Jizhou):
146
:魏郡，入昴一度； 鉅鹿，入昴三度。 :常山，入昴五度； 廣平，入昴七度。 :中山，入昴一度； 淸河，入昴九度。 :信都，入畢三度； 趙郡，入畢八度。 :安平，入畢四度； 河間，入畢十度。 :眞定，入畢十三度。
Wei commandery: Hairy Head 1°; Julu: Hairy Head 3°. Changshan: Hairy Head 5°; Guangping: Hairy Head 7°. Zhongshan: Hairy Head 1°; Qinghe: Hairy Head 9°. Xindu: Net 3°; Zhao commandery: Net 8°. Anping: Net 4°; Hejian: Net 10°. Zhending: Net 13°.
147
觜、參，魏，益州：
Beak and Triaster — Wei (Yizhou):
148
:廣漢，入觜一度； 越巂，入觜三度。 :蜀郡，入參一度； 犍爲，入參三度。 :牂柯，入參五度； 巴郡，入參八度。 :漢中，入參九度； 益州，入參七度。
Guanghan: Beak 1°; Yuexi: Beak 3°. Shu: Triaster 1°; Qianwei: Triaster 3°. Zangke: Triaster 5°; Ba: Triaster 8°. Hanzhong: Triaster 9°; Yizhou: Triaster 7°.
149
東井、輿鬼，秦，雍州：
Eastern Well and Ghost — Qin (Yongzhou):
150
:-{雲}-中，入東井一度； 定襄，入東井八度。 :鴈門，入東井十六度； 代郡，入東井二十八度。 :太原，入東井二十九度； 上黨，入輿鬼二度。
Yunzhong: Eastern Well 1°; Dingxiang: Eastern Well 8°. Yanmen: Eastern Well 16°; Dai: Eastern Well 28°. Taiyuan: Eastern Well 29°; Shangdang: Ghost 2°.
151
柳、七星、張，周，三輔：
Willow, Sieve, Extended Net — Zhou (Sanfu):
152
:弘農，入柳一度； 河南，入七星三度。 :河東，入張一度； 河内，入張九度。
Hongnong: Willow 1°; Henan (Luoyang): Sieve 3°. Hedong: Extended Net 1°; Henei: Extended Net 9°.
153
翼、軫，楚。 荊州：
Wings and Axle-Tree — Chu. Jingzhou:
154
:南陽，入翼六度； 南郡，入翼十度。 :江夏，入翼十二度； 零陵，入軫十一度。 :桂陽，入軫六度； 武陵，入軫十度。 :長沙，入軫十六度。
Nanyang: Wings 6°; Nan commandery: Wings 10°. Jiangxia: Wings 12°; Lingling: Axle-Tree 11°. Guilin: Axle-Tree 6°; Wuling: Axle-Tree 10°. Changsha: Axle-Tree 16°.