Tianwen Xun (Treatise on Celestial Patterns)

凡用太陰，左前刑，右背德，擊鉤陳之沖辰，以戰必勝，以攻必剋。

In all uses of Taiyin, the left front is punishment and the right rear is virtue; attacking the position opposite Gouchen, one is sure to win in battle and sure to conquer in assault.

欲知天道，以日為主，六月當心，左周而行，分而為十二月，與日相當，天地重襲，後必無殃。

If you wish to know the Way of Heaven, take the sun as chief; in the sixth month it faces the Xin lodge, goes around to the left, divides into twelve months, matches the sun, Heaven and Earth overlap each other, and afterward there will surely be no calamity.

星正月建營室，二月建奎、婁，三月建胃，四月建畢，五月建東井，六月建張，七月建翼，八月建亢，九月建房，十月建尾，十一月建牽牛，十二月建虛。

Stars: in the first month, establish at Yingshi; in the second month, at Kui and Lou; in the third month, at Wei; in the fourth month, at Bi; in the fifth month, at Dongjing; in the sixth month, at Zhang; in the seventh month, at Yi; in the eighth month, at Kang; in the ninth month, at Fang; in the tenth month, at Wei; in the eleventh month, at Qianniu; in the twelfth month, at Xu.

星分度：

The degrees of the stars:

角十二，亢九，氐十五，房五，心五，尾十八，箕十一四分一，鬥二十六，牽牛八，須女十二，虛十，危十七，營室十六，東壁九，奎十六，婁十二，胃十四，昴十一，畢十六，觜雟二，參九，東井三十，輿鬼四，柳十五，，張、翼各十八，軫十七，凡二十八宿也。

Jiao has twelve degrees, Kang nine, Di fifteen, Fang five, Xin five, Wei eighteen, Ji eleven and a quarter, Dou twenty-six, Qianniu eight, Xunu twelve, Xu ten, Wei seventeen, Yingshi sixteen, Dongbi nine, Kui sixteen, Lou twelve, Wei fourteen, Mao eleven, Bi sixteen, Zixi two, Shen nine, Dongjing thirty, Yugui four, Liu fifteen, (the base text probably has an omission here; older editions often have something like 'Qixing seven'), Zhang and Yi eighteen each, and Zhen seventeen. In all these make the twenty-eight lunar lodges.

星部地名：

The regions corresponding to the lunar lodges:

角、亢，鄭；氐、房、心宋；尾、箕，燕；鬥、牽牛，越；須女，吳；虛、危，齊；營室、東壁，衛；奎、婁，魯；胃、昴、畢，魏；觜雟、參，趙；東井、輿鬼，秦；柳、七星、張，周；翼、軫，楚。

Jiao and Kang correspond to Zheng; Di, Fang and Xin to Song; Wei and Ji to Yan; Dou and Qianniu to Yue; Xunu to Wu; Xu and Wei to Qi; Yingshi and Dongbi to Wei; Kui and Lou to Lu; Wei, Mao and Bi to Wei (Wei of the Wei state); Zixi and Shen to Zhao; Dongjing and Yugui to Qin; Liu, Qixing and Zhang to Zhou; Yi and Zhen to Chu.

歲星之所居，五榖豐昌，其對為沖，歲乃有殃。當居而不居，越而之他處，主死國亡。

Where Jupiter resides, the five grains flourish; the place opposite to it suffers calamity that year. If it should be in a place and is not, and passes over into another, the ruler dies and the state is destroyed.

太陰治春則欲行柔惠溫涼，太陰治夏則欲佈施宣明，太陰治秋則欲脩備繕兵，太陰治冬則欲猛毅剛彊。三歲而改節，六歲而易常，故三歲而一饑，六歲而一衰，十二歲一康。

When Taiyin governs spring, it wishes to carry out gentleness, kindness, warmth and coolness; when Taiyin governs summer, it wishes to spread and proclaim; when Taiyin governs autumn, it wishes to repair and prepare, and mend weapons; when Taiyin governs winter, it wishes to be fierce, resolute and firm. Every three years the season changes and every six years the norm changes; therefore there is one famine in three years, one decline in six years, and one time of well-being in twelve years.

甲齊，乙東夷，丙楚，丁南夷，戊魏，己韓，庚秦，辛西夷，壬衛，癸越，子周，醜翟，寅楚，卯鄭，辰晉，巳衛，午秦，未宋，申齊，酉魯，戌趙，亥燕。

Jia is Qi, Yi is the Eastern Yi, Bing is Chu, Ding is the Southern Yi, Wu is Wei, Ji is Han, Geng is Qin, Xin is the Western Yi, Ren is Wei (Wei of the Wei state), Gui is Yue, Zi is Zhou, Chou is Di, Yin is Chu, Mao is Zheng, Chen is Jin, Si is Wei, Wu is Qin, Wei is Song, Shen is Qi, You is Lu, Xu is Zhao, and Hai is Yan.

甲乙寅卯，木也；丙丁巳午，火也；戊己四季，土也；庚辛申酉，金也；壬癸亥子，水也。

Jia, Yi, Yin and Mao are wood; Bing, Ding, Si and Wu are fire; Wu, Ji and the four seasonal ends are earth; Geng, Xin, Shen and You are metal; Ren, Gui, Hai and Zi are water.

水生木，木生火，火生土，土生金，金生水。

Water generates wood, wood generates fire, fire generates earth, earth generates metal, and metal generates water.

子生母曰義，母生子曰保，子母相得曰專，母勝子曰制，子勝母曰困。

When child generates mother it is called righteousness; when mother generates child it is called protection; when child and mother are in accord it is called concentration; when mother overcomes child it is called restraint; when child overcomes mother it is called distress.

以勝擊殺，勝而無報。以專從事，專而有功。以義行理，名立而不墯。以保畜養，萬物蕃昌。以困舉事，破滅死亡。

If one uses overcoming to attack and kill, one wins but has no retribution. If one uses concentration to handle affairs, one is single-minded and successful. If one uses righteousness to carry out principle, one's name is established and does not fall. If one uses protection to nurture, the myriad things flourish. If one uses distress to undertake affairs, one is destroyed and dies.

北斗之神有雌雄，十一月始建於子，月從一辰，雄左行，雌右行，五月合午謀刑，十一月合子謀德。

The spirit of the Northern Dipper has a female and a male. In the eleventh month it begins to stand at Zi, and each month follows one position; the male goes to the left and the female goes to the right. In the fifth month they meet at Wu and plan punishment; in the eleventh month they meet at Zi and plan virtue.

太陰所居辰為猒日，猒日不可以舉百事。堪輿徐行，雄以音知雌，故為奇辰。數從甲子始，子母相求，所合之處為合。十日十二辰，週六十日，凡八合。合於歲前則死亡，合於歲後則無殃。

The position where Taiyin resides is a day of suppression, and on a day of suppression a hundred matters cannot be undertaken. Kanyu walks slowly, and the male knows the female by sound, so it is a strange position. The count begins from Jiazi, and the child and mother seek each other; where they meet is a conjunction. Ten days and twelve positions make a cycle of sixty days, with eight conjunctions in all. A conjunction before the year's position means death; a conjunction after the year's position means no calamity.

甲戌，燕也；乙酉，齊也；丙午，越也；丁巳，楚也；庚申，秦也；辛卯，戎也；壬子，代也；癸亥，胡也；戊戌、己亥，韓也；己酉、己卯，魏也；戊午、戊子，八合天下也。

Jiaxu is Yan, Yiyou is Qi, Bingwu is Yue, Dingsi is Chu, Gengshen is Qin, Xinmao is the Rong, Renzi is Dai, Guihai is the Hu, Wuxu and Jihai are Han, Jiyou and Jimao are Wei, and Wuwu and Wuzi, these are the eight conjunctions in the world.

太陰、小歲、星、日、辰五神皆合，其日有雲氣風雨，國君當之。

When Taiyin, the Minor Year, the star, the sun and the hour, these five spirits all come together, on that day there are clouds, wind and rain, and the ruler of the state bears it.

天神之貴者，莫貴於青龍，或曰天一，或曰太陰。太陰所居，不可背而可鄉。北斗所擊，不可與敵。

Among the heavenly spirits, the most noble is none other than the Azure Dragon, which is also called Tianyi or Taiyin. The place where Taiyin resides may be faced but not turned the back on. What the Northern Dipper strikes cannot be made an enemy.

天地以設，分而為陰陽，陽生於陰，陰生於陽，陰陽相錯，四維乃通，或死或生，萬物乃成。蚑行喙息，莫貴於人。孔竅肢體，皆通於天。

After Heaven and Earth were established, they separated into yin and yang; yang is born from yin and yin is born from yang; when yin and yang interlace, the four corners are open, and some die and some live, and then the myriad things are completed. Among creatures that crawl and breathe, none is nobler than man. His orifices and limbs all connect with Heaven.

天九重，人亦有九竅。天有四時，以制十二月；人亦有四肢，以使十二節。天有十二月，以制三百六十日；人亦有十二肢，以使三百六十節。故舉事而不順天者，逆其生者也。

Heaven has nine layers, and man too has nine orifices. Heaven has four seasons, which govern the twelve months; man too has four limbs, which command the twelve joints. Heaven has twelve months, which govern the three hundred and sixty days; man too has twelve limbs, which command the three hundred and sixty joints. Therefore one who does things without following Heaven goes against his own life.

以日冬至數來歲正月朔日，五十日者，民食足；不滿五十日，日減一；有餘日，日益一升。有其歲司也。

From the winter solstice counting to the first day of the first month of the next year, if it is full fifty days, the people's food is sufficient; if it is less than fifty days, subtract one for each day; if there are extra days, add one sheng for each day. Each has its own charge for that year.

攝提格之歲：歲早水晚旱，稻疾，蠶不登，菽、麥昌，民食四升，寅。在甲曰閼蓬

In a Sheti-ge year: the year's harvest has early flood and late drought, rice has blight, silkworms do not yield, beans and wheat flourish, and the people's food is four sheng. It corresponds to Yin. In terms of the stems, it is called E Feng for Jia.

單閼之歲：歲和，稻、菽、麥、蠶昌，民食五升，卯。在乙曰旃蒙。

In a Danyan year: the harvest is harmonious, and rice, beans, wheat and silkworms all flourish; the people's food is five sheng. It corresponds to Mao. In terms of the stems, it is called Zhan Meng for Yi.

執徐之歲：歲早旱晚水，小饑，蠶閉，麥熟，民食三升，辰。在丙曰柔兆。

In a Zhixu year: the harvest has early drought and late flood, a small famine, silkworms stay hidden, wheat ripens, and the people's food is three sheng. It corresponds to Chen. In terms of the stems, it is called Rou Zhao for Bing.

大荒落之歲：歲有小兵，蠶小登，麥昌，菽疾，民食二升，巳。在丁曰強圉。

In a Dahuangluo year: there are small wars, silkworms yield a little, wheat flourishes, beans have blight, and the people's food is two sheng. It corresponds to Si. In terms of the stems, it is called Qiang Yu for Ding.

敦之歲：歲大旱，蠶登，稻疾，菽、麥昌，禾不為，民食二升，午。在戊曰著雝。

In a Dunzang year (the base text omits one character): a great drought, silkworms yield, rice has blight, beans and wheat flourish, grain does not mature, and the people's food is two sheng. It corresponds to Wu. In terms of the stems, it is called Zhu Yong for Wu.

協洽之歲：歲有小兵，蠶登，稻昌，菽、麥不為，民食三升，未。在己曰屠維。

In a Xieqia year: there are small wars, silkworms yield, rice flourishes, beans and wheat do not mature, and the people's food is three sheng. It corresponds to Wei. In terms of the stems, it is called Tu Wei for Ji.

涒灘之歲：歲和，小雨行，蠶登，菽、麥昌，民食三升，申。在庚曰上章。

In a Tuntan year: the harvest is harmonious, small rains are widespread, silkworms yield, beans and wheat flourish, and the people's food is three sheng. It corresponds to Shen. In terms of the stems, it is called Shang Zhang for Geng.

作鄂之歲：歲有大兵，民疾，蠶不登，菽、麥不為，禾蟲，民食五升，酉。在辛曰重光。

In a Zuoe year: there are great wars, the people suffer illness, silkworms do not yield, beans and wheat do not mature, grain breeds insects, and the people's food is five sheng. It corresponds to You. In terms of the stems, it is called Zhong Guang for Xin.