The Road to Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions

南海之帝为倏，

nán hǎi zhī dì  wéi  shū

北海之帝为忽

běi hǎi zhī dì wéi  hū
中央之帝为混沌。
zhōng yāng zhī dì wéi hún dùn

倏与忽时相与遇于混沌之地，

shū yǔ hū shí xiāng yǔ yù yú hún dùn zhī dì

混沌待之甚善。

hún dùn dài zhī shèn shàn

倏与忽谋报混沌之德，

shū yǔ hū móu bào hún dùn zhī dé，

曰：人皆有七窍，以视、听、食、息，

yuē：rén jiē yòu qī qiào yǐ shì tīng shí xī，

此独无有，尝试凿之。

cǐ dú wú yòu， cháng shì záo zhī

日凿一窍，七日而混沌死。 

rì záo yī qiào， qī rì 'ér hún dùn sǐ

 

 

南海之帝 - The Emperor of the Southern Sea

为倏 - was Shu (Sudden)

北海之帝 - The Emperor of the Northern Sea

为忽 - was Hu (Swift)

中央之帝 - The Emperor of the Centre

为混沌 - was Hun Dun (Primordial Chaos)

倏与忽时相与遇 - Shu and Hu occasionally met each other

于混沌之地 - at the territory of Hun Dun

混沌待之 - Hun Dun treated

甚善 - very well

倏与忽 - Shu and Hu

谋报 - planned to repay

混沌之德 - the virtue of Hun Dun

曰 - said

人皆有 - all men have

七窍 - seven apertures

以 - for

视 - sight

听 - hearing

食 - eating

息 - breathing

此独无有 - only this one (Hun Dun) does not

尝试 - try to

凿之 - drill

日凿一窍 - every day drill one aperture

七日而 - seven days and

混沌死 - Hun Dun died

 

 

The Emperor of the Southern Sea was "Sudden". The Emperor of the  Northern Sea was "Swift". The Emperor of the Centre was "Chaos". Sudden and Swift often met on the territory of Chaos, who was an excellent host. Wanting to repay the kindness of Chaos, Sudden and Swift said: "All men have seven apertures to see, hear, eat and breathe. However, Chaos doesn't have any. Shall we try to drill some for him? For a week, they operated on Chaos, drilling one aperture a day. On the seventh day, Chaos died.
- The Book of Zhuang Zi, "The Normal Course for Rulers and Kings"