北冥有鱼，其名为鲲。鲲之大，不知其几千里也；化而为鸟，其名为鹏。鹏之背，不知其几千里也；怒而飞，其翼若垂天之云。是鸟也，海运则将徙于南冥。南冥者，天池也。
Běimíng yǒu yú ，qí míng wèi kūn 。kūn zhī dà ，bùzhī qí jǐ qiān lǐ yě ；huà ér wèi niǎo ，qí míng wèi péng 。péng zhī bèi ，bùzhī qí jǐ qiān lǐ yě ；nù ér fēi ，qí yì ruò chuítiān zhī yún 。shì niǎo yě ，hǎi yùn zé jiāng xǐ yú Nánmíng 。Nánmíng zhě ，tiānchí yě 。
In the Northern Ocean there is a fish, the name of which is Kun - I do not know how many li in size. It changes into a bird with the name of Peng, the back of which is (also) - I do not know how many li in extent. When this bird rouses itself and flies, its wings are like clouds all round the sky. When the sea is moved (so as to bear it along), it prepares to remove to the Southern Ocean. The Southern Ocean is the Pool of Heaven.