An extraordinary historiograpical work in Chinese literature is the Secret History of the Mongols Menggu mishi 蒙古秘史 (also read Menggu bishi), also called "Secret History of the Yuan Dynasty" Yuanchao Mishi 元朝秘史, or - with its Mongol title - Moŋğolun Niuča Tobčaan (Chinese pronunciation: Manghuolun Niucha Tuobuchaan). The origin of this name does not only derive from the fact that the book was locked up in a treasury for forbidden books at the begin of the Ming Dynasty, but also derives from the fact that the biography of Chinggis Qaghan, the unifier of the Mongol tribes, was written in Mongol language but written in Chinese characters. The Chinese characters were only taken in their phonetical value, not with the actual meaning of this ideographic script. For modern historians or people who do not understand old Mongolian, a word-by-word translation in Chinese characters is written alongside of the Mongol main text (pangyi 旁譯), and a prose translation is added as an appendix (zongyi 總譯). The Secret History was written by a courtier of Chinggis' grandson Ögedei Qaghan named "Daorun Tibu" 道潤梯步 in the thirties of the 13th century. The text below shall give an example of the appearance of a page of the Secret History. The bold characters are the Mongol main text in Chinese characters, the small characters on top is the word-by-word translation into Chinese; the small characters below are pronunciation signs, namely 中 "middle" for a guttural [q] (written "kh") instead of [h] or [x]; and 舌 "(tip of the) tongue" for the rolling [r] instead of [l].	Chapters of the Menggu mishi
	Exemplarious translation: Compound text of the Secret History: １． 成吉思（名）－合〈中〉罕（皇帝）－訥（的）　忽札兀兒（根源）： 迭額列〈舌〉（上）　騰格理〈舌〉（天）－額扯（處）　札牙阿禿（命有的）　脫列〈舌〉克先（生了的）　勃兒帖（蒼色）－赤那（狼）　阿主兀（有）．　格兒該（妻）　亦訥（他的）　豁〈中〉埃（慘白色）－馬闌〈舌〉勒（鹿）　阿只埃（有來）．　騰汲思（水名）　客禿勒周（渡著）　亦列〈舌〉罷（來了）．　斡難（河名）　沐漣〈舌〉－訥（河的）　帖里〈舌〉兀捏（源行）　不峏罕〈中〉－合〈中〉勒敦（山名）－納（行）　嫩禿（營盤）　黑剌周（做著）　脫列〈舌〉克先（生了的）　巴塔赤－罕〈中〉（人名）　阿主兀（有來）． Main text (only Mongolian): 成吉思－合〈中〉罕－訥　忽札兀兒： 迭額列〈舌〉　騰格理〈舌〉－額扯　札牙阿禿　脫列〈舌〉克先　勃兒帖－赤那　阿主兀．　格兒該　亦訥　豁〈中〉埃－馬闌〈舌〉勒　阿只埃．　騰汲思　客禿勒周　亦列〈舌〉罷．　斡難　沐漣〈舌〉－訥　帖里〈舌〉兀捏　不峏罕〈中〉－合〈中〉勒敦－納　嫩禿　黑剌周　脫列〈舌〉克先　巴塔赤－罕〈中〉　阿主兀． Transcription in modern pinyin (how a Chinese would read the text): Chéngjísī-Khéhăn-nè hūzháwūér: Diéériè ténggérĭ-échĕ zháyáātū tuōrièkèxiān Bóértiē-Chìnà āzhŭwū. Géérgaī yìnè Khuōaī-Măránlè āzhĭaī. Téngjīsī kètūlèzhoū yìrièbà. Wònán-mùrián-nè tiērĭwūniē Bùĕrkhăn khélèdūn-nà nèntū heīlàzhoū tuōrièkèxiān Bātáchì-Khăn āzhŭwū. Transcription in old Mongolian pronunciation: Čiŋķis-Qağan-no huĵaur: Deere Teŋķeri-eče ĵayaatu toreksen Borte-Čino aĵuu. ķerķai ino Qoai-Maral aĵiai. Teŋķis ķetulĵu ireba. Onan-muren-no teriune Burqan-qaldun-na nuntuqlaĵu, toreksen Bata-Čiqan aĵuu. Side text, word-by word translation of the main text into Chinese: 成吉思皇帝的根源： 上天處命有的生了的蒼色狼有．妻他的慘白色鹿有來．騰汲思水渡著來了．斡難河的源行，不峏罕合勒敦山行，營盤做著生了的巴塔赤罕有來． Translation: The Heritage and Youth of Chingis Khan There came into the wold a blue-green wolf whose destiny was Heaven's will. His wife was a fallow deer. They travelled together across the inland sea (the commentary says, "tengjis" is the name of a river) and when they were camped near the source of the Onan River in sight of Mount Burkhan Khaldun their first son was born, named Batachikhan. Translated by Paul Kahn.