Fu Xi, Shen Nong, and Huang Di, the Three Sovereigns, ruled in the ancient world.
Shao Hao, Zhuan Xu, and Gao Xin, with Yao and Shun, the Five Emperors held sway.
Xia, Shang, and Zhou are called the Three Dynasties; their kings were Yu, Tang, Wen, and Wu.
Yao and Shun passed on office; Yu passed on his house—Heaven and man's will, not private gifts.
Xia Yu passed it to Qi, who was worthy; Shao Kang revived Xia and destroyed the rebel.
Seventeen reigns later came King Jie; Tang Cheng overthrew Jie, and Xia's line fell.
Yin Tang responded to Heaven and obeyed men, rising as king from a land of seventy li.
Tai Jia, Tai Wu, and Wu Ding—these three ancestors made Shang's glory unique.
Zu Yi and Pan Geng were also worthy lords; thirty reigns later, Zhou ended Shang's rites.
Zhou's rise was built up by Hou Ji, Gong Liu, Tai Wang, and Wang Ji.
King Wen laid great deeds, King Wu completed them; at Muye they swore the oath to attack Zhou.
King Cheng succeeded while still young; the Duke of Zhou assisted, and all under heaven was ruled.
Under Cheng and Kang, punishments were set aside for forty years; the Zhou tripod nearly moved with You and Li.
King Yi descended the hall, the royal house grew low; King Ping moved east, and the Spring and Autumn began.
It ended with King Weilie; two hundred forty-two years in all.
Lu, Wei, Jin, Zheng, Cai, Yan, Cao—all of Ji's surname were brothers.
Of different surnames: Qi, Chu, Qin, Song, Chen—twelve marquises of the Spring and Autumn states.
Among them, the Five Hegemons rose in turn: Duke Huan of Qi, Xiao Bai, and Chong'er of Jin.
Duke Xiang of Song, Duke Mu of Qin, and King Zhuang of Chu—all in name honored the king, feigning benevolence.
Of the Seven Warring States, none matched Qin; Han, Zhao, Wei, Yan, Qi, and Chu arose.
Qin destroyed six states, swallowed the two Zhous; Zhou's mandate ended with King Nan.
Heaven's Son passed through thirty-seven reigns; over eight hundred years belonged to Zhou's record.
Qin's First Emperor was too cruel and tyrannical; the throne passed only to the second generation.
The Han house rose like a dragon, destroyed Qin and Xiang; Gaozu Liu Bang was the Red Emperor's son.
In his last years, the state's foundation nearly shook; the Four Graybeards emerged and restored Emperor Hui.
Empress Lü held court, the various Lü rebelled; thanks to Chen Ping and Zhou Bo, the red banner was planted.
The reigns of Wen and Jing matched Cheng and Kang; Emperor Wu loved grandeur and delighted in campaigns.
Huo Guang upheld Zhao and set up Xuan; Jiang Chong falsely accused, and the Crown Prince met violence.
Afterward, maternal relatives often seized power; Emperor Ping, the Xin house, Wang Mang usurped the throne.
Guangwu executed Mang and restored the middle rise; Han became Eastern Han, its fiery fortune ablaze.
Emperors Ming and Zhang were praised by the age; by the time of Ling and Xian, Han's mandate was replaced.
Western Han: Gao, Wen, Wu, Xuan; Eastern Han: Guangwu, Ming, Zhang—seven reigns.
The two Hans passed down twenty-four reigns; Cao Pi usurped the sacred vessel, ceding to Wei.
Divided into three kingdoms: Wei, Shu, Wu; like snipe and clam locked in struggle, a true tripod stand.
Wei had Cao Pi, Wu had Sun Quan; Shu had the First Ruler, Liu Bei.
Wei's Cao received Han, lasting just four reigns; the world's power returned to the Sima clan.
The Jin house began with Sima Yan; three kings posthumously titled Zhao, Si, and Yi.
Within two or three reigns, reaching Huai and Min; all the Hu swarmed like a boiling cauldron.
Five Liangs: Former, Later, Northern, Southern, Western; Four Yans: Former, Later, Northern, Southern, distinct.
Qin: Former, Later, Western; Zhao: Former, Later; Later Shu, Great Xia, devouring each other.
Eastern Jin's Yuan Emperor made Jiankang his capital; the world divided north and south in form and power.
South: Jin, Song, Qi, Liang, Chen; North: Yuan Wei, Eastern Wei, Western Wei.
Northern Qi, Later Zhou were still a corner; Sui Wen unified, north and south reaching.
Sui Yang Jian pacified Chen, received Zhou's abdication; why, after three reigns, did Sui's line perish?
Li Tang followed, seizing the grand plan; Gaozu and Taizong achieved success easily.
Wu Hou changed Tang to Zhou; Di Renjie's one word turned the wise mind.
Xuanzong in late years drowned in Consort Yang; An Lushan rebelled, murdered by his son.
Suzong marched east, recovered the two capitals; Xianzong was murdered by Chen Hongzhi.
Wenzong had talent, executed Liu Ke; Dezong was suspicious, trusted Lu Qi.
Taizong, Xuanzong, and Xianzong—called the Three Ancestors, comparable to Shang.
In the end, hard to control the powerful fanzhen; eunuchs installed emperors, all private schemes.
After Tang, arose successively the Five Dynasties: Liang, Tang, Jin, Han, Zhou.
The Five Dynasties, fifty-three years; afterward, ten states, all false claims.
Qi, Chu, Wu, Yan, Han, Jin, Tang; Zhou, Shu, Wu, Yue, like swarming hedgehogs.
Song received Zhou's abdication, grasped Heaven's tally; sweeping away false claims, all fell like wind.
Taizu, surname Zhao, made Bianjing capital; on snowy nights, he often visited Zhao Pu's house.
Taizong, Zhenzong, Renzong, Yingzong, Shenzong, Zhezong—generations of peace, well succeeding.
By the time of Huizong and Qinzong, the Jin invaders came; traitorous ministers Jing and Hui misled the state.
Gaozong crossed south, Song revived; made capital at Qiantang, land of song and dance.
Xiaozong, Guangzong, Ningzong held a corner; after Han Tuozhou was killed, came the various Shi.
On the throne over forty years; before Renzong, after Lizong.
By the time of Duzong, Song's fortune waned; all because Jia Sidao, the Grand Preceptor, was abandoned.
From Jianlong to Deyou, sixteen reigns; the Great Yuan unified, rising in Yan and Ji.