黄帝问于伯高曰：夫邪气之客人也，或令人目不瞑、不卧出者，何气使然？The Yellow Emperor asked Bo Gao, "When pathogenic factors invade the human body, some people may suffer from insomnia or the inability to fall asleep. What kind of qi causes this?"
伯高曰：“五谷入于胃也，其糟粕津液宗气，分为三隧：故宗气积于胸中，出于喉咙，以贯心脉（别本作肺），而行呼吸焉；Bo Gao said, "When the five grains enter the stomach, their dregs, body fluids, and pectoral qi are divided into three paths. Therefore, the pectoral qi accumulates in the chest, ascends through the throat, penetrates the heart vessels (in some versions, it's 'lungs'), and is involved in the process of breathing.
营气者，泌其津液，注之于脉，化以为血，以荣四末，内注五脏六腑，以应刻数焉；The nutrient qi secretes body fluids, pours them into the vessels, transforms them into blood to nourish the four extremities, and internally perfuses the five zang - organs and six fu - organs to correspond to the time - keeping units.
卫气者，出其悍气之慓疾，而先行于四末分肉皮肤之间，而不休者也，昼日行于阳，夜行于阴。常从足少阴之分间，行于五脏六腑。The defensive qi sends out its swift and violent part first and travels between the four extremities, the intermuscular spaces, and the skin without rest. It travels through the yang parts during the day and through the yin parts at night. It often travels through the parts of the Kidney Meridian of Foot - Shaoyin and circulates among the five zang - organs and six fu - organs.
今厥气客于五脏六腑，则卫气独卫其外，行于阳，不得入于阴。Now, if the reversed qi invades the five zang - organs and six fu - organs, the defensive qi only defends the exterior and travels through the yang parts and cannot enter the yin parts.
行于阳则阳气盛，阳气盛则阳蹻陷（别本作满），不得入于阴，阴虚，故目不瞑。”When it travels through the yang parts, the yang qi becomes excessive. When the yang qi is excessive, the Yang Qiao Meridian becomes full (in some versions, it's 'depressed'), and it cannot enter the yin parts. As a result, yin deficiency occurs, and thus, a person cannot fall asleep."
黄帝曰：善。治之奈何？The Yellow Emperor said, "Good. How should it be treated?"
伯高曰：补其不足，泻其有余，调其虚实，以通其道，而去其邪。饮以半夏汤一剂，阴阳已通，其卧立至。Bo Gao said, "Supplement what is insufficient, purge what is excessive, regulate deficiency and excess to unblock the passages and expel the pathogenic factors. Let the patient take a dose of Pinellia Decoction. Once yin and yang are in communication, sleep will come immediately."
黄帝曰：善。此所谓决渎壅塞，经络大通，阴阳和得者也。愿闻其方。The Yellow Emperor said, "Good. This is what is called dredging the blocked canals so that the meridians are unobstructed and yin and yang are in harmony. I would like to hear the formula."
伯高曰：“其汤方以流水千里以外者八升，扬之万遍，取其清五升，煮之，炊以苇薪火。Bo Gao said, "The formula for the decoction is as follows: Take eight sheng of running water from a place over a thousand li away, pour it back and forth ten thousand times, and then take five sheng of the clear water, boil it over a fire made of reed stalks.
沸置秫米一升，治半夏五合，徐炊，令竭为一升半。When it boils, add one sheng of glutinous rice and five ge of processed Pinellia. Cook it slowly until the liquid is reduced to one and a half sheng.
去其滓，饮汁一小杯，日三，稍益，以知为度。Strain out the dregs and drink a small cup of the juice three times a day. Increase the dosage slightly according to the patient's condition until a noticeable effect is achieved.
故其病新发者，复杯则卧，汗出则已矣；久者，三饮而已也。”For those who have just developed this illness, they will be able to fall asleep immediately after drinking the decoction and the illness will be cured after sweating; for those with a chronic condition, it will be cured after drinking it three times."
黄帝问于伯高曰：愿闻人之肢节，以应天地奈何？The Yellow Emperor asked Bo Gao, "I would like to hear about how the limbs and joints of a person correspond to heaven and earth."
伯高答曰：“天圆地方，人头圆足方以应之。Bo Gao replied, "Heaven is round and the earth is square. The human head is round and the feet are square to correspond to them.
天有日月，人有两目。地有九州岛，人有九窍。Heaven has the sun and the moon, and a person has two eyes. The earth has the Nine Provinces, and a person has nine orifices.
天有风雨，人有喜怒。天有雷电，人有音声。Heaven has wind and rain, and a person has joy and anger. Heaven has thunder and lightning, and a person has voice and sound.
天有四时，人有四肢。天有五音，人有五脏。Heaven has the four seasons, and a person has four limbs. Heaven has the five tones, and a person has the five zang-organs.
天有六律，人有六腑。天有冬夏，人有寒热。天有十日，人有手十指。Heaven has the six musical scales, and a person has the six fu-organs. Heaven has winter and summer, and a person has cold and heat. Heaven has the ten Heavenly Stems, and a person has ten fingers on the hands.
辰有十二，人有足十趾、茎、垂以应之，女子不足二节，以抱人形。There are twelve Earthly Branches, and a person has ten toes on the feet, as well as the penis and testicles to correspond to them. Women lack two of these sections as they are used to carry a fetus.
天有阴阳，人有夫妻。岁有三百六十五日，人有三百六十五节。地有高山，人有肩膝。Heaven has yin and yang, and a person has husband and wife. A year has 365 days, and a person has 365 joints. The earth has high mountains, and a person has shoulders and knees.
地有深谷，人有腋腘。地有十二经水，人有十二经脉。The earth has deep valleys, and a person has armpits and popliteal fossae. The earth has twelve regular rivers, and a person has twelve meridians."
地有泉脉，人有卫气。地有草蓂，人有毫毛。天有昼夜，人有卧起。The earth has underground water veins, and humans have defensive qi. The earth has various grasses, and humans have fine hairs. The sky has day and night, and humans have periods of lying down and getting up.
天有列星，人有牙齿。地有小山，人有小节。地有山石，人有高骨。The sky has numerous stars, and humans have teeth. The earth has small hills, and humans have small joints. The earth has rocks and stones, and humans have prominent bones.
地有林木，人有募筋。地有聚邑，人有䐃肉。岁有十二月，人有十二节。The earth has forests and trees, and humans have tendons around the umbilical region. The earth has populated settlements, and humans have fleshy prominences. There are twelve months in a year, and humans have twelve joints.
地有四时不生草，人有无子。此人与天地相应者也。”There are places on the earth where grass does not grow in the four seasons, and there are humans who are unable to have children. These are the ways in which humans correspond to heaven and earth."
黄帝问于岐伯曰：“余愿闻持针之数，内针之理，纵舍之意，扞皮开腠理，奈何？The Yellow Emperor asked Qi Bo, saying, "I would like to hear about the techniques of holding the needle, the principles of inserting the needle, the meanings of advancing and withdrawing, and how to prick the skin to open the interstices between the skin and muscles.
脉之屈折，出入之处，焉至而出，焉至而止，焉至而徐，焉至而疾，焉至而入？Regarding the bends and turns of the vessels, the places where they enter and exit, where should one insert the needle until it emerges, where should it stop, where should it move slowly, where should it move quickly, and where should it enter?
六腑之输于身者，余愿尽闻少（别本作其）叙。I would like to hear in full about the order (in some versions it is 'their' order) of the points on the six fu-organs that are transmitted to the body.
别离之处，离而入阴，别而入阳，此何道而从行？余愿尽闻其方。”The places where they separate, some separate and enter the yin aspect, some separate and enter the yang aspect. By what pathway do they follow? I would like to hear in full about the methods."
岐伯曰：帝之所问，针道毕矣。Qi Bo said: What the Emperor has asked encompasses all the principles of acupuncture.
黄帝曰：愿卒闻之。The Yellow Emperor said: I would like to hear it all in detail.
岐伯曰：“手太阴之脉，出于大指之端；内屈，循白肉际，至本节之后太渊，留以澹；Qi Bo said: "The vessel of the Hand-Taiyin starts from the tip of the thumb; it then bends inward, follows the border between the red and white flesh, reaches Taiyuan behind the metacarpophalangeal joint of the thumb, and stays there briefly.
外屈，上于本节下；内屈，与阴诸络会于鱼际，数脉并注，其气滑利，伏行壅骨之下；It then bends outward, ascends below this joint; bends inward again, and meets with various yin collaterals at Yuji. Several vessels converge here, and the qi flows smoothly. It then travels hiddenly beneath the prominent bone.
外屈，出于寸口而行，上至于肘内廉，入于大筋之下；It bends outward again, emerges at the Cunkou (the radial artery at the wrist) and travels upward until it reaches the medial aspect of the elbow, and enters beneath the large tendon.
内屈，上行臑阴，入腋下；内屈，走肺。此顺行逆数之屈折也。It bends inward again, ascends along the medial aspect of the upper arm, enters the axilla; bends inward once more and travels to the lungs. These are the bends and turns when tracing it in the normal and reverse directions.
心主之脉，出于中指之端；内屈，循中指内廉以上，留于掌中，伏行两骨之间；The vessel of the Heart Master starts from the tip of the middle finger; it bends inward, follows the medial aspect of the middle finger upward, stays in the palm, and travels hiddenly between the two bones.
外屈，出两筋之间，骨肉之际，其气滑利；It bends outward, emerges between the two tendons, at the border between the bone and the flesh, and the qi here flows smoothly.
上（行）二（别本作三）寸，外屈，出行两筋之间，上至肘内廉，入于小筋之下，留两骨之会，上入于胸中，内络于心脉。”It ascends (travels) two (in some versions it is three) cun, bends outward, emerges between the two tendons, ascends to the medial aspect of the elbow, enters beneath the small tendon, stays at the junction of the two bones, ascends into the chest, and internally connects with the heart vessel."
黄帝曰：手太阴之脉独无俞，何也？The Yellow Emperor asked: Why does the vessel of the Hand-Taiyin alone have no acupoints?
岐伯曰：“少阴，心脉也。心者，五脏六腑之大主也，精神之所舍也，其脏坚固，邪弗能容也。Qi Bo said: "The Shaoyin is the vessel of the heart. The heart is the major controller of the five zang-organs and six fu-organs, and the abode of the spirit. Its organ is solid and firm, and no pathogenic factor can lodge in it.
容之则心伤，心伤则神去，神去则死矣。If a pathogenic factor lodges in it, the heart will be injured. Once the heart is injured, the spirit will depart, and when the spirit departs, death will ensue.
故诸邪之在于心者，皆在于心之包络。包络者，心主之脉也，故独无俞焉。”Therefore, all pathogenic factors that affect the heart are actually located in the pericardium. The pericardium is the vessel of the Heart Master, so it alone has no acupoints."
黄帝曰：少阴独无俞者，不病乎？The Yellow Emperor asked: Since the Shaoyin alone has no acupoints, does it not get sick?
岐伯曰：“其外经病而脏不病，故独取其经于掌后锐骨之端。Qi Bo said: "When its external channel is diseased, the organ itself is not diseased. So we only need to select the acupoints on its channel at the tip of the prominent bone behind the palm.
其余脉出入屈折，其行之徐疾，皆如手少（别本作太）阴、心主之脉行也。The entry and exit, bends and turns, and the speed of the other vessels' movement are all the same as those of the Hand-Shaoyin and Heart Master vessels.
故本俞者，皆因其气之虚实疾徐以取之，是谓因冲而泻，因衰而补。Therefore, when selecting the original acupoints, we should do it according to the excess or deficiency, speed or slowness of the qi. This is called reducing when the qi is surging and supplementing when the qi is waning.
如是者，邪气得去，真气坚固，是谓因天之序。”In this way, pathogenic factors can be eliminated, and the genuine qi can be strengthened. This is called following the order of nature."
黄帝曰：持针纵舍奈何？The Yellow Emperor asked: How should one hold the needle and perform the advancing and withdrawing?
岐伯曰：“必先明知十二经脉之本末，皮肤之寒热，脉之盛衰滑涩。Qi Bo said: "One must first clearly know the origin and termination of the twelve regular meridians, the coldness or heat of the skin, and the exuberance, deficiency, smoothness, or roughness of the vessels.
其脉滑而盛者，病日进；虚而细者，久以持；大以涩者，为痛痹；If the vessel is smooth and exuberant, the disease will progress daily; if it is deficient and fine, the disease will persist for a long time; if it is large and rough, it is pain and numbness due to obstruction;
阴阳如一者，病难治；其本末尚热者，病尚在；其热以衰者，其病亦去矣。If yin and yang are in the same state, the disease is difficult to treat; if the origin and termination are still hot, the disease is still present; if the heat has waned, the disease has also disappeared.
持其尺，察其肉之坚脆、大小、滑涩、寒温、燥湿。Hold the forearm and examine the firmness or fragility, size, smoothness or roughness, coldness or warmth, dryness or dampness of the flesh.
因视目之五色，以知五脏，而决死生。Then look at the five colors of the eyes to know the five zang-organs and determine life and death.
视其血脉，察其色，以知其寒热痛痹。”Examine the blood vessels, observe their colors to know the coldness or heat, pain and numbness."
黄帝曰：持针纵舍，余未得其意也。The Yellow Emperor said: I still don't quite understand the meaning of holding the needle and performing the advancing and withdrawing.
岐伯曰：“持针之道，欲端以正，安以静。先知虚实而行疾徐。Qi Bo said: "The way of holding the needle should be with a straight and upright posture, calm and composed. First, one must know the excess and deficiency before deciding on the speed of needling.
左手执骨，右手循之，无与肉果。Hold the bone with the left hand and feel along it with the right hand, without touching the flesh too much.
泻欲端以正，补必闭肤。辅针导气，邪得淫泆，真气得居。”When reducing, the needling should be straight and upright. When supplementing, the skin must be closed. Assist the needling to guide the qi so that pathogenic qi can be dispersed and genuine qi can be retained."
黄帝曰：扞皮开腠理奈何？The Yellow Emperor asked: How to prick the skin to open the interstices between the skin and muscles?
岐伯曰：因其分肉，左（别本作在）别其肤，微内而徐端之，适神不散，邪气得去。Qi Bo said: According to the division of the muscles, separate the skin on the left side (in some versions it is 'at'), insert the needle slightly and slowly in a straight manner, so that the spirit is not dispersed and pathogenic qi can be removed.
黄帝问于岐伯曰：人有八虚，各何以候？The Yellow Emperor asked Qi Bo, saying: There are eight weak areas in the human body. How can each of them be used for diagnosis?
岐伯答曰：以候五脏。Qi Bo replied: They are used to diagnose the five zang-organs.
黄帝曰：候之奈何？The Yellow Emperor asked: How to do the diagnosis?
岐伯曰：“肺心有邪，其气留于两肘。肝有邪，其气流于两腋。Qi Bo said: "When there are pathogenic factors in the lungs and heart, their qi will stay in the two elbows. When there are pathogenic factors in the liver, its qi will flow into the two axillae.
脾有邪，其气留于两髀。肾有邪，其气留于两腘。When there are pathogenic factors in the spleen, its qi will stay in the two hips. When there are pathogenic factors in the kidney, its qi will stay in the two popliteal fossae.
凡此八虚者，皆机关之室，真气之所过，血络之所游。All these eight weak areas are the joints where genuine qi passes through and blood collaterals travel.
邪气恶血，固不得住留。住留则伤筋络，骨节机关不得屈伸，故痀挛也。”Pathogenic qi and stagnant blood should not stay there. If they do stay, it will damage the tendons and collaterals, and the joints will not be able to flex or extend, resulting in contracture."
