玄符 · 含德之厚比于赤子

Xuán Fú

Classical Chinese Text

含德之厚，比于赤子。毒虫不螫，猛兽不据,攫鸟不搏。骨弱筋柔而握固。未知牝牡之合而朘作，精之至也。终日号而不嗄，和之至也。
知和曰"常"，知常曰"明"，益生曰祥，心使气曰强。物壮则老，谓之不道，不道早已。

Translation & Meaning

内在蓄养淳德深厚的人，就好比初生的婴儿一样。 毒虫不去蜇他，猛兽不去扑伤他，凶禽不去搏击他。婴儿骨骼柔弱、筋脉软和，小拳头却握得异常牢固；尚不懂男女交合之事而生殖生机自然勃发，这是因为先天元精充沛到了极点；整日啼哭而嗓音却不嘶哑，这是因为气息淳和达到了极致。 领悟阴阳冲和之理叫做“常”，洞悉恒常法则叫做“明”；人为纵欲助长生机反成灾殃（祥），以妄心强行驱使血气叫做逞强（强）。 凡事物逞强过盛便立即转向衰老枯败，这叫做背离大道；背离大道的必定早早消亡。

Commentary

青禾散人评注：婴儿终日哭而不哑，因其哭时不夹杂怨恨纠结，纯任自然和气；成人说几句话便心力交瘁，皆因“心使气”——妄念紧绷耗散元气。

Linguistic & Character Analysis

  • 含 (hán): classical character (hán)
  • 德 (dé): Intrinsic Virtue / inner power
  • 之 (zhī): particle: of / possessive / it
  • 厚 (hòu): classical character (hòu)
  • 比 (bǐ): classical character (bǐ)
  • 于 (yú): to / at / in
  • 赤 (chì): classical character (chì)
  • 子 (zǐ): child / progeny
  • 毒 (dú): classical character (dú)
  • 虫 (chóng): classical character (chóng)
  • 不 (bù): not / un- / without
  • 螫 (shì): classical character (shì)
  • 猛 (měng): classical character (měng)
  • 兽 (shòu): classical character (shòu)
  • 据 (jù): classical character (jù)
  • 攫 (jué): classical character (jué)
  • 鸟 (niǎo): classical character (niǎo)
  • 搏 (bó): classical character (bó)
  • 骨 (gǔ): bones / structural vitality
  • 弱 (ruò): weaken / soften / yield
  • 筋 (jīn): classical character (jīn)
  • 柔 (róu): classical character (róu)
  • 而 (ér): yet / and / but
  • 握 (wò): classical character (wò)
  • 固 (gù): classical character (gù)
  • 未 (wèi): classical character (wèi)
  • 知 (zhī): know / distinguish / recognize
  • 牝 (pìn): classical character (pìn)
  • 牡 (mǔ): classical character (mǔ)
  • 合 (hé): classical character (hé)
  • 朘 (juān): classical character (juān)
  • 作 (zuò): move / arise / operate
  • 精 (jīng): classical character (jīng)
  • 至 (zhì): classical character (zhì)
  • 也 (yě): [modal particle of assertion]
  • 终 (zhōng): classical character (zhōng)
  • 日 (rì): classical character (rì)
  • 号 (hào): classical character (hào)
  • 嗄 (á): classical character (á)
  • 和 (hé): accord / harmonize
  • 曰 (yuē): classical character (yuē)
  • 常 (cháng): constant / dynamic invariable
  • 明 (míng): classical character (míng)
  • 益 (yì): classical character (yì)
  • 生 (shēng): give birth to / arise
  • 祥 (xiáng): classical character (xiáng)
  • 心 (xīn): heart-mind / awareness
  • 使 (shǐ): cause / make / command
  • 气 (qì): classical character (qì)
  • 强 (qiáng): strengthen / firm / robust
  • 物 (wù): things / phenomena / forms
  • 壮 (zhuàng): classical character (zhuàng)
  • 则 (zé): classical character (zé)
  • 老 (lǎo): classical character (lǎo)
  • 谓 (wèi): called / named / designated
  • 道 (dào): The Way / Logos / to speak
  • 早 (zǎo): classical character (zǎo)
  • 已 (yǐ): arises / already / cessation