"The Golden Sun of  Ancient People in Shu State - Reminiscence of Sun and Immortal Bird Gold Foil Unearthed in Jinsha Village" (Excerpt)

Author: Wang Renxiang

Profile: Research Fellow, historian and archaeologist at Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, engaged in the study of Jinsha and ancient Shu civilizations for more than 20 years.

Out of the mud and sand emerged the gold foil,

revealing its charming exterior in the sunlight.

The genuine gold is as dazzling as new,

its fair pattern is symmetrical with neat formations.

It’s round like a rotating wheel, and thin as a cicada wing;

real but seemingly invisible, silent but a good sight.

This is a holy spirit,

that we could only worship piously in the royal court;

This is a delicate flower of the mind,

Rarely allowing you to tell even in conjectures and illusions what is right.

What a spirit, so ingenious,

full of changes, and magical as light!

Oh! People say it must be a sun,

a golden sun appearing full-on in the world!

Behold, the sun rises from the untouchable place,

whose flame of light stays forever in our sight.

The morning sun glorifies the sky, and the setting sun magnifies the land.

It’s ferocious as the flames, and red as the blazes in the black.

The sun’s radiance is long, and shinning on the world with no end.

It brings warmth to nature's core, and bestows grandeur on the breath of every living thing.

Yes, it must be a golden sun,

the supreme God of the ancient Shu people.

The Immortal Birds are huge, carrying the sun on their back,

exiting the Yanggu Valley, bathing in the Xianchi Lake, and ascending the Fusang Tree at dawn, bringing to the world the morning sunlight.

The Immortal Birds are many, carrying the sun on their back,

visiting Huiquan spring,  stopping at the land of Sangye, and flying over Kunwu Mountain, shedding its blaze and noon sunlight.

The Immortal Birds are grand, carrying the sun on their back,

arriving at Beigu Valley, resting at Niaoci Mountain, turning around at the land of Nyuji, and ready for the sunset.

The Immortal Birds are high, carrying the sun on their back,

passing Quanyu, stopping at Lianshi for a rest, approaching Yuquan spring at nightfall, bringing to the sky rosy clouds before night.

The Immortal Birds are magnificent, carrying the sun on their back,

descending at Menggu Mountain, entering Yanzi Mountain, passing the land of Xiliu, and resting at Yuquan Lake at night.

The celestial gnosis brings out magnificent scenes in the name of the Sun.

The immortal power harnesses the rotating wheel following the impressive manner of the sun in daylight.

The gold sun rotates along,

and the Immortal Birds fly in daylight,

It’s a cycle repeating itself every day and night

with sunrise and sunset.

You once flew into the royal court of the ancient Shu people,

and flew across the heavens of the ancient Shu state under the light.

Three thousand years have passed in a hurry,

and you fly into the hearts of the Chinese descendants like sunlight.

Your radiance is still as brilliant as it was;

and your shine over the world will bring more blessings to the Chinese people under the light.