Di Tian Sui on Jia Wood
甲木参天，脱胎要火。春不容金，秋不容土。火炽乘龙，水宕骑虎。地润天和，植立千古。
Jia Wood attends to Heaven, to emerge from the womb needs fire. In spring it does not tolerate metal, in autumn it does not tolerate earth. Fire ablaze, it rides on dragon, water dissipates, it rides on tiger. Earth is moistened (smoothened) and Heaven is in harmony, the plant stands for thousands of centuries.
++ I like this paragraph, it’s so poetic.
原注：纯阳之木，参天雄壮。火者木之子也，旺木得火而愈敷荣。
Wood of pure Yang, attends heaven (grows tall) masculine and tough.
生于春则欺金，而不能容金也；生于秋则助金，而不能容土也。
Fire is the offspring of Wood, it’s glorious for prosperous Wood to obtain fire. When born in Spring, it bullies Metal and does not tolerate metal; when born in autumn it assists metal and does not tolerate Earth.
寅午戌，丙丁多见而坐辰，则能归 ；申子辰，壬癸多见而坐寅，则能纳。
Yin, Wu and Xu, Bing Ding is abundant and sit on Chen, is able to return, Shen Zi and Chen, Ren Gui is abundant and sit on Yin, is able to accept.
使土气不干，水气不消，则能长生矣。
It makes Earth Qi not to dry, water Qi not to disappear, can be in ChangSheng.
任氏曰：甲为纯阳之木，体本坚固，参天之势，又极雄壮。
Jia is the wood of pure Yang, its core is tough and obstinate, its influence attends to heaven, is extremely masculine and strong.
生于春初，木嫩气寒，得火而发荣；生于仲春，旺极之势，宜泄其菁英。
When it’s born in early spring, wood is soft and Qi is cold, is gloried with fire; when it’s born in middle of spring, its extremely strong influence should be exhausted.
所谓强木得火，方化其 顽。
It’s said that only when strong wood obtains fire, it can transform away its stubbornness.
克之者金，然金属休囚，以衰金而克旺木，木坚金缺，势所必然，故春不容金也。
The one that counters is Metal, but when Metal is resting or trapped, waned Metal to counter prosperous Wood, Strong wood would make metal lack, thus in spring wood does not tolerate Metal.
生于秋，失时就衰，但枝叶虽凋落渐稀，根气却收敛下达，受克者土。
When born in autumn, it’s a waning period for wood, even though its twigs and leaves has fallen, its roots is still unyielding, the one that is countered is Earth.
秋土生金泄气，最为虚薄。
Autumn Earth gives birth to Metal and exhausts its own Qi, has the weakest Qi.
以虚气之土，遇下攻之木，不能培木之根，必反遭其倾陷，故秋不容土也。
The earth with very weak Qi, when it is attacked by wood, cannot nurture the roots of wood, instead it falls into danger, thus in autumn, wood does not tolerate Earth.
柱中寅午戌全，又透丙丁，不惟泄气太过，而木且被焚，宜坐辰，辰 为水库，其土湿，湿土能生木泄火，所谓火炽乘龙也。
When Yin Wu and Xu are complete in the pillars, with Bing and Ding protrudes, not only wood is over exhausted, it is burnt, sitting on Chen is beneficial, Chen as the storage of water, is wet earth, wet Earth can nurture wood and exhaust fire, it is called “Fire ablaze sits on Dragon”.
申子辰全又透壬癸，水泛木浮，宜坐寅，寅乃火土生地，木之禄旺，能纳水气，不致浮泛，所谓水宕骑虎也。
With Shen Zi and Chen, and protrude Ren and Gui, overwhelming water makes wood to float, it is beneficial to sit on Yin, Yin is the birth place of Fire and Earth, it’s the prosperous stage of wood, it can contain water Qi, stops it from overflowing and prevent wood from floating, it is called “Water dissipates sits on Tiger”
如果金不锐，土不燥，火不烈，水不狂，非植立千古而得长生者哉！
If metal is not sharp, earth is not parched, fire is not intense, water is not fierce, the woods would not stand for thousands of centuries and obtain ChangSheng!
Di Tian Sui on Yi Wood
乙木虽柔，割羊解牛。怀丁抱丙，跨凤乘猴。虚湿之地，骑马亦忧。藤萝系甲，可春可秋。
Yi wood even though is gentle; it cuts goats and frees cows. It contains Ding and wraps Bing, rides on phoenixes and monkeys. On wet and unreal places, riding on Horse is worrisome. Vines that wraps around trees, can be spring and be autumn.
原注：乙木者，生于春如桃李，夏如禾稼，秋如桐桂，冬如奇葩。
Yi wood, born in spring is like peaches and plums, in summer is like cereals and grains, in summer is like spurges and laurels, in autumn is like QiPa (a rarely seen exotic flower)
坐丑未能制柔土，如割宰羊、解割牛然，只要有一丙丁，则虽生申酉之月，亦不胃之；生于子月，而又壬癸发透者，则虽坐午，亦难发生。
Sits on Chou and Wei can counter Earth, is like slaughtering goats and cows, if there’s one Bing or Ding, even if born in the month of Shen or You, it’s not said to be like that; if born in Zi month, with Ren or Gui protrude, even though it sits on Wu, it can hardly happen.
故益知坐丑未月之为美。
Thus it's good to know that sitting on Chou and Wei month is good (beautiful)
甲与寅字多见，弟从兄义，譬之藤萝附乔木，不畏斫伐也。
Jia and Yin are many, good relationship with brothers, it’s like vines growing on big trees, it’s not afraid of being cut down.
任氏曰：乙木者，甲之质，而承甲之生气也。
Yi wood, has the substance of Jia, bears (continues/receives) the birth Qi of Jia.
春如桃李，金克则凋；
In spring is like Peaches and Plums, Metal counters and it withers
夏如禾家，水滋得生；
In summer is like grains, it lives when water nourishes.
秋如桐桂，金旺火制；
In autumn is like spurges and laurels, metal is prosperous fire controls.
冬如奇葩，火湿土培。
In winter is like QiPa, fire, wet earth to cultivate.
生于春宜火者，喜其发荣也；
Born in spring, fire is beneficial, fond of it and becomes glorious
生于夏宜水者，润地之燥也；
Born in summer, water is beneficial, moisten the parched earth.
生于秋宜火者，使其克金也；
Born in autumn, fire is beneficial, to use it to counter metal.
生于冬宜火者，解天之冻也。
Born in winter, fire is beneficial, to melt the freeze of heaven.
割羊解牛者，生于丑未月，或乙未乙丑日，未乃木库，得以蟠根， 丑乃湿土，可以受气也。
Slaughtering goats and cows, is born in Chou or Wei Month or on Yi Wei / Yi Chou day, Wei is the storage of Wood, to obtain Wei denotes deep roots, Chou is wet earth, can receive its Qi.
怀丁抱丙，跨凤乘猴者，生于申酉月，或乙酉日，得丙丁透出天干，有水不相争克，制化得宜，不畏金强。
Contain Ding / embrace Bing, rides on phoenix and monkey, is born in the month of Shen or You, or Yi You day, to have Bing or Ding protrude in heaven, with water they don’t dispute and counter， control and transformation become beneficial, is not afraid of strong metal.
虚湿之地，骑马亦忧者，生于亥 子月，四柱无丙丁，又无戌未燥土，即使年支有午，亦难发生也。天干甲透，地支寅藏，此谓鸢萝系松柏，春固得助，秋亦合扶，故可春可秋，言四季皆可也。
The place of void and wetness, the one that is riding horse is worried, is born in the month of Hai and Zi, In the four pillars there’s no Bing nor Ding, also without Xu and Wei (dry earth), even though there’s a Wu in the year pillar, it is hard to take place. Jia protrudes as HS, hides in Yin HS, this is called 鸢萝系松柏 (the vine of iris entangles the conifers), in spring it’s stubborn and it gains assistance, in autumn it’s also being supported, thus it is said to be ‘can be in spring, can be in autumn’, it can be in all 4 seasons.
甲木参天，脱胎要火。春不容金，秋不容土。火炽乘龙，水宕骑虎。地润天和，植立千古。
Jia Wood attends to Heaven, to emerge from the womb needs fire. In spring it does not tolerate metal, in autumn it does not tolerate earth. Fire ablaze, it rides on dragon, water dissipates, it rides on tiger. Earth is moistened (smoothened) and Heaven is in harmony, the plant stands for thousands of centuries.
++ I like this paragraph, it’s so poetic.
原注：纯阳之木，参天雄壮。火者木之子也，旺木得火而愈敷荣。
Wood of pure Yang, attends heaven (grows tall) masculine and tough.
生于春则欺金，而不能容金也；生于秋则助金，而不能容土也。
Fire is the offspring of Wood, it’s glorious for prosperous Wood to obtain fire. When born in Spring, it bullies Metal and does not tolerate metal; when born in autumn it assists metal and does not tolerate Earth.
寅午戌，丙丁多见而坐辰，则能归 ；申子辰，壬癸多见而坐寅，则能纳。
Yin, Wu and Xu, Bing Ding is abundant and sit on Chen, is able to return, Shen Zi and Chen, Ren Gui is abundant and sit on Yin, is able to accept.
使土气不干，水气不消，则能长生矣。
It makes Earth Qi not to dry, water Qi not to disappear, can be in ChangSheng.
任氏曰：甲为纯阳之木，体本坚固，参天之势，又极雄壮。
Jia is the wood of pure Yang, its core is tough and obstinate, its influence attends to heaven, is extremely masculine and strong.
生于春初，木嫩气寒，得火而发荣；生于仲春，旺极之势，宜泄其菁英。
When it’s born in early spring, wood is soft and Qi is cold, is gloried with fire; when it’s born in middle of spring, its extremely strong influence should be exhausted.
所谓强木得火，方化其 顽。
It’s said that only when strong wood obtains fire, it can transform away its stubbornness.
克之者金，然金属休囚，以衰金而克旺木，木坚金缺，势所必然，故春不容金也。
The one that counters is Metal, but when Metal is resting or trapped, waned Metal to counter prosperous Wood, Strong wood would make metal lack, thus in spring wood does not tolerate Metal.
生于秋，失时就衰，但枝叶虽凋落渐稀，根气却收敛下达，受克者土。
When born in autumn, it’s a waning period for wood, even though its twigs and leaves has fallen, its roots is still unyielding, the one that is countered is Earth.
秋土生金泄气，最为虚薄。
Autumn Earth gives birth to Metal and exhausts its own Qi, has the weakest Qi.
以虚气之土，遇下攻之木，不能培木之根，必反遭其倾陷，故秋不容土也。
The earth with very weak Qi, when it is attacked by wood, cannot nurture the roots of wood, instead it falls into danger, thus in autumn, wood does not tolerate Earth.
柱中寅午戌全，又透丙丁，不惟泄气太过，而木且被焚，宜坐辰，辰 为水库，其土湿，湿土能生木泄火，所谓火炽乘龙也。
When Yin Wu and Xu are complete in the pillars, with Bing and Ding protrudes, not only wood is over exhausted, it is burnt, sitting on Chen is beneficial, Chen as the storage of water, is wet earth, wet Earth can nurture wood and exhaust fire, it is called “Fire ablaze sits on Dragon”.
申子辰全又透壬癸，水泛木浮，宜坐寅，寅乃火土生地，木之禄旺，能纳水气，不致浮泛，所谓水宕骑虎也。
With Shen Zi and Chen, and protrude Ren and Gui, overwhelming water makes wood to float, it is beneficial to sit on Yin, Yin is the birth place of Fire and Earth, it’s the prosperous stage of wood, it can contain water Qi, stops it from overflowing and prevent wood from floating, it is called “Water dissipates sits on Tiger”
如果金不锐，土不燥，火不烈，水不狂，非植立千古而得长生者哉！
If metal is not sharp, earth is not parched, fire is not intense, water is not fierce, the woods would not stand for thousands of centuries and obtain ChangSheng!
Di Tian Sui on Yi Wood
乙木虽柔，割羊解牛。怀丁抱丙，跨凤乘猴。虚湿之地，骑马亦忧。藤萝系甲，可春可秋。
Yi wood even though is gentle; it cuts goats and frees cows. It contains Ding and wraps Bing, rides on phoenixes and monkeys. On wet and unreal places, riding on Horse is worrisome. Vines that wraps around trees, can be spring and be autumn.
原注：乙木者，生于春如桃李，夏如禾稼，秋如桐桂，冬如奇葩。
Yi wood, born in spring is like peaches and plums, in summer is like cereals and grains, in summer is like spurges and laurels, in autumn is like QiPa (a rarely seen exotic flower)
坐丑未能制柔土，如割宰羊、解割牛然，只要有一丙丁，则虽生申酉之月，亦不胃之；生于子月，而又壬癸发透者，则虽坐午，亦难发生。
Sits on Chou and Wei can counter Earth, is like slaughtering goats and cows, if there’s one Bing or Ding, even if born in the month of Shen or You, it’s not said to be like that; if born in Zi month, with Ren or Gui protrude, even though it sits on Wu, it can hardly happen.
故益知坐丑未月之为美。
Thus it's good to know that sitting on Chou and Wei month is good (beautiful)
甲与寅字多见，弟从兄义，譬之藤萝附乔木，不畏斫伐也。
Jia and Yin are many, good relationship with brothers, it’s like vines growing on big trees, it’s not afraid of being cut down.
任氏曰：乙木者，甲之质，而承甲之生气也。
Yi wood, has the substance of Jia, bears (continues/receives) the birth Qi of Jia.
春如桃李，金克则凋；
In spring is like Peaches and Plums, Metal counters and it withers
夏如禾家，水滋得生；
In summer is like grains, it lives when water nourishes.
秋如桐桂，金旺火制；
In autumn is like spurges and laurels, metal is prosperous fire controls.
冬如奇葩，火湿土培。
In winter is like QiPa, fire, wet earth to cultivate.
生于春宜火者，喜其发荣也；
Born in spring, fire is beneficial, fond of it and becomes glorious
生于夏宜水者，润地之燥也；
Born in summer, water is beneficial, moisten the parched earth.
生于秋宜火者，使其克金也；
Born in autumn, fire is beneficial, to use it to counter metal.
生于冬宜火者，解天之冻也。
Born in winter, fire is beneficial, to melt the freeze of heaven.
割羊解牛者，生于丑未月，或乙未乙丑日，未乃木库，得以蟠根， 丑乃湿土，可以受气也。
Slaughtering goats and cows, is born in Chou or Wei Month or on Yi Wei / Yi Chou day, Wei is the storage of Wood, to obtain Wei denotes deep roots, Chou is wet earth, can receive its Qi.
怀丁抱丙，跨凤乘猴者，生于申酉月，或乙酉日，得丙丁透出天干，有水不相争克，制化得宜，不畏金强。
Contain Ding / embrace Bing, rides on phoenix and monkey, is born in the month of Shen or You, or Yi You day, to have Bing or Ding protrude in heaven, with water they don’t dispute and counter， control and transformation become beneficial, is not afraid of strong metal.
虚湿之地，骑马亦忧者，生于亥 子月，四柱无丙丁，又无戌未燥土，即使年支有午，亦难发生也。天干甲透，地支寅藏，此谓鸢萝系松柏，春固得助，秋亦合扶，故可春可秋，言四季皆可也。
The place of void and wetness, the one that is riding horse is worried, is born in the month of Hai and Zi, In the four pillars there’s no Bing nor Ding, also without Xu and Wei (dry earth), even though there’s a Wu in the year pillar, it is hard to take place. Jia protrudes as HS, hides in Yin HS, this is called 鸢萝系松柏 (the vine of iris entangles the conifers), in spring it’s stubborn and it gains assistance, in autumn it’s also being supported, thus it is said to be ‘can be in spring, can be in autumn’, it can be in all 4 seasons.
如果金不锐，土不燥，火不烈，水不狂，非植立千古而得长生者哉！
ReplyDeleteIf metal is not sharp, earth is not parched, fire is not intense, water is not fierce, the woods would not stand for thousands of centuries and obtain ChangSheng!
I suppose too much negation here. Could it be correctly the following?
Therefore if and only if metal is not sharp, earth is not parched, fire is not intense, water is not fierce, do the woods stand for thousands of ages and obtain ChangSheng (longevity)!
Hi Simon,
ReplyDeleteThis verse is difficult to translate. I think your translation is more comprehensible. IMO, Master Ren wanted to imply that ia and other elements have to be strong in order for Jia to obtain longevity.