卓振英  译：

Inquiries into the Universe

曰：遂古之初，谁传道之？

上下未形，何由考之？

Whoever has convey’d to us

Stories of the remotest past?

Who can verify the shapeless

Beginning time has overcast?

冥昭瞢闇，谁能极之？

冯翼惟像，何以识之？

Who can confirm the world had been

A mass without darkness and light?

If th’ universe was but chaos,

What evidence is there in sight?

明明闇闇，惟时何为？

阴阳三合，何本何化？

And then, how was it arranged

That there came to be Night and Day?

’Mongst th’ yin, th’ yang and th’ ether that make

Things, th’ vital role which one does play?

圜则九重，孰营度之？

惟兹何功，孰初作之？

If the heaven did have nine domes,

Who’d done th’ survey of such a scale?

Could the construction of th’ project

Turn out to be merely a tale?

斡维焉系，天极焉加？

八柱何当，东南何亏？

What ties up the handle of th’ Plough?

Th’ rest for Cosmos what can provide?

What sustains th’ eight pillars of th’ vault?

Why does th’ earth in th’ southeast subside?

九天之际，安放安属？

隅隈多有，谁知其数？

What constitutes the basements for

Th’ edges of the nine vaults of skies?

The number of th’ turns and twists of

Th’ circumferences who supplies?

天何所沓？十二焉分？

日月安属？列星安陈？

Where do the heavens meet the earth?

Why should twelve hours make up a day?

How can the sun and th’ moon hang high?

How do the stars themselves array?

。。。。。。