自从盘古破鸿蒙，开辟从兹清浊辨。
Once Pan Gu destroyed the Enormous Vagueness, The separation of clear and impure began.
覆载群生仰至仁，发明万物皆成善。
Living things have always tended towards humanity; From their creation all beings improve.
欲知造化会元功，须看《西游释厄传》。
If you want to know about Creation and Time, Read Difficulties Resolved on the Journey to the West.
盖闻天地之数，有十二万九千六百岁为一元。
In the arithmetic of the universe, 129,600 years make one cycle.
将一元分为十二会，乃子、丑、寅、卯、辰、巳、午、未、申、酉、戌、亥之十二支也。
Each cycle can be divided into twelve phases: I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI and XII, the twelve branches.
且就一日而论：子时得阳气，而丑则鸡鸣；寅不通光，而卯则日出；辰时食后，而巳则挨排；日午天中，而未则西蹉；申时晡而日落酉；戌黄昏而人定亥。
Now within a single day, the positive begins at the time I; at II the cock crows; at III it is not quite light; at IV the sun rises; V is after breakfast; and at VI one does business.
VII is when the sun reaches noon; at VIII it is slipping towards the West; IX is late afternoon; the sun sets at X; XI is dusk; and at XII people settle down for the night.
譬于大数，若到戌会之终，则天地昏蒙而万物否矣。
If you compare this with the big numbers, then at the end of Phase XI Heaven and Earth were still one, and no beings had appeared.
再去五千四百岁，交亥会之初，则当黑暗，而两间人物俱无矣，故曰混沌。
5,400 years later came the beginning of Phase XII, when all was darkness and there were still no people or other creatures; for this reason it was called Chaos.
又五千四百岁，亥会将终，贞下起元，近子之会，而复逐渐开明。
Another 5,400 years later Phase XII was drawing to a close and a new cycle was about to begin.
As Phase I of the new era approached, gradually there was light.
邵康节曰：“冬至子之半，天心无改移。
As Shao Yong said, “When winter reaches the mid-point of Phase I The heart of Heaven does not move.
一阳初动处，万物未生时。”
Where the Positive first appears Nothing has yet come to life.”
再五千四百岁，正当子会，轻清上腾，有日，有月，有星，有辰。
5,400 years later, in the middle of Phase I, the light and pure rose upwards, and sun, moon, stars, and constellations were created.
日、月、星、辰，谓之四象。
These were called the Four Images.
故曰，天开于子。
Hence the saying that heaven began in I.
又经五千四百岁，子会将终，近丑之会，而逐渐坚实。
Another 5,400 years later, when Phase I was nearing its end and Phase II was imminent, things gradually solidified.
易曰：“大哉乾元！
As the Book of Changes says, “Great is the Positive;
至哉坤元！
far-reaching is the Negative!
至此，地始凝结。
This was when the earth began to congeal.
再五千四百岁，正当丑会，重浊下凝，有水，有火，有山，有石，有土。
After 5,400 more years came the height of Phase II, when the heavy and impure solidified, and water, fire, mountains, stone, and Earth came into being.
水、火、山、石、土谓之五形。
These five were called the Five Movers.
故曰，地辟于丑。
Therefore it is said that the Earth was created in Phase II.
盖自开辟以来，每受天真地秀，日精月华，感之既久，遂有灵通之意。
Ever since Creation began it had been receiving the truth of Heaven, the beauty of Earth, the essence of the Sun and the splendour of the Moon; and as it had been influenced by them for so long it had miraculous powers.
内育仙胞，一日迸裂，产一石卵，似圆球样大。
It developed a magic womb, which burst open one day to produce a stone egg about the size of a ball.
因见风，化作一个石猴，五官俱备，四肢皆全。
When the wind blew on this egg it turned into a stone monkey, complete with the five senses and four limbs.