灵枢·五色 Miraculous Pivot · Five Colors
雷公问于黄帝曰：五色独决于明堂乎？小子未知其所谓也。Leigong asked the Yellow Emperor, "Is the diagnosis of the five colors solely determined by the Mingtang (the area between the eyebrows and the tip of the nose)? I don't quite understand what it means."
黄帝曰：“明堂者，鼻也；阙者，眉间也；庭者，颜也；蕃者，颊侧也；蔽者，耳门也。The Yellow Emperor replied, "The Mingtang refers to the nose; the Que refers to the area between the eyebrows; the Ting refers to the forehead; the Fan refers to the sides of the cheeks; the Bi refers to the area in front of the ear.
其间欲方大，去之十步，皆见于外，如是者寿，必中百岁。”If this area is square and large, and can be clearly seen even from ten steps away, then the person will enjoy a long life, surely reaching a hundred years of age."
雷公曰：五言（别本作官）之辨，奈何？Leigong asked, "How can we distinguish the five aspects (in some versions, it is 'officials')?"
黄帝曰：“明堂骨高以起，平以直，五脏次于中央，六腑挟其两侧，首面上于阙庭，王宫在于下极，The Yellow Emperor said, "If the bone of the Mingtang is prominent and straight, with the five zang-organs located in the center and the six fu-organs on both sides, the head and face are reflected in the Que and Ting areas, the 'palace' is at the lower extreme,
五脏安于胸中，真色以致，病色不见，明堂润泽以清，五官恶得无辨乎？”the five zang-organs are in a stable state in the chest, the true color is manifested and the diseased color is not visible, and the Mingtang is moist and clear, how could the five aspects not be distinguishable?"
雷公曰：其不辨者，可得闻乎？Leigong asked, "Could you please tell me about those that are not distinguishable?"
黄帝曰：五色之见也，各出其色部。部骨陷者，必不免于病矣。其色部乘袭者，虽病甚，不死矣。The Yellow Emperor said, "When the five colors are observed, each appears in its corresponding color area. If the bone in the color area is sunken, the person will inevitably fall ill. If the colors in the areas overlap, even if the illness is severe, the person will not die."
雷公曰：官五色奈何？Leigong asked, "How do we distinguish the five colors in relation to the official functions?"
黄帝曰：青黑为痛，黄赤为热，白为寒，是谓五官。The Yellow Emperor said, "Bluish-black indicates pain, yellowish-red indicates heat, and white indicates cold. These are what we call the five aspects related to colors."
雷公曰：病之益甚，与其方衰，如何？Leigong asked, "How can we tell when an illness is getting worse or starting to subside?"
黄帝曰：“外内皆在焉。切其脉口，滑小紧以沉者，病益甚，在中；人迎气大紧以浮者，其病益甚，在外。The Yellow Emperor said, "Both internal and external conditions are involved. When feeling the pulse at the Cunkou (radial artery), if it is slippery, small, tight and sunken, the illness is getting worse and is internal. If the pulse at the Renying (carotid artery) is large, tight and floating, the illness is getting worse and is external.
其脉口浮滑者，病日进；人迎沉而滑者，病日损。If the pulse at the Cunkou is floating and slippery, the illness progresses day by day. If the pulse at the Renying is sunken and slippery, the illness subsides day by day.
其脉口滑以沉者，病日进，在内；其人迎脉滑盛以浮者，其病日进，在外。If the pulse at the Cunkou is slippery and sunken, the illness progresses day by day and is internal. If the pulse at the Renying is slippery and full and floating, the illness progresses day by day and is external.
脉之浮沉及人迎与寸口气小大等者，病难已。病之在脏，沉而大者，易已；小为逆。When the floating and sinking of the pulse and the size of the pulses at the Renying and Cunkou are equal, the illness is difficult to cure. If the illness is in the zang-organs and the pulse is sunken and large, it is easy to cure; if it is small, it is an unfavorable sign.
病之在腑，浮而大者，其病易已。人迎盛坚者，伤于寒；气口盛坚者，伤于食。If the illness is in the fu-organs and the pulse is floating and large, the illness is easy to cure. If the Renying pulse is full and firm, it indicates being affected by cold; if the Qikou (Cunkou) pulse is full and firm, it indicates being affected by improper diet."
雷公曰：以色言食之间甚，奈何？Leigong asked, "How can we tell the severity of an illness in relation to colors and diet?"
黄帝曰：“其色麤以明，沉夭者为甚。The Yellow Emperor said, "If the color is coarse and bright, but then becomes dull and lifeless, it indicates a severe illness.
其色上行者，病益甚；其色下行，如云彻散者，病方已。五色各有脏部，有外部、有内部也。If the color moves upward, the illness is getting worse; if the color moves downward like clouds dispersing, the illness is subsiding. Each of the five colors has its corresponding zang-organ area, including external and internal areas.
色从外部走内部者，其病从外走内；其色从内走外者，其病从内走外。If the color moves from the external area to the internal area, the illness also progresses from the outside to the inside; if the color moves from the inside to the outside, the illness also progresses from the inside to the outside.
病生于内者，先治其阴，后治其阳，反者益甚。其病生于阳者，先治其外，后治其内，反者益甚。If the illness originates from the inside, first treat the yin aspect and then the yang aspect; otherwise, the illness will get worse. If the illness originates from the yang aspect, first treat the outside and then the inside; otherwise, the illness will get worse.
其脉滑大以代而长者，病从外来。目有所见，志有所恶，此阳气之并也，可变而已。”If the pulse is slippery, large, intermittent and long, the illness comes from the outside. If there are visual hallucinations and distasteful thoughts, it is due to the convergence of yang qi and can be treated and changed."
雷公曰：小子闻风者，百病之始也；厥逆者，寒湿之起也，别之奈何？Leigong asked, "I have heard that wind is the origin of all diseases and that cold-dampness is caused by qi reversal. How can we distinguish them?"
黄帝曰：常候阙中，薄泽为风，冲浊为痹。在地为厥。此其常也，各以其色言其病。The Yellow Emperor said, "Regularly observe the area in the Que. A thin and shiny appearance indicates wind; a turbid and thick appearance indicates bi-syndrome. If it is related to the lower part of the body, it indicates jue-syndrome. This is the usual way, and we can diagnose the illness according to the colors."
雷公曰：人不病卒死，何以知之？Leigong asked, "How can we know if a person who is not ill suddenly dies?"
黄帝曰：大气入于脏腑者，不病而卒死矣。The Yellow Emperor said, "When the large qi enters the zang-fu organs, a person can die suddenly without being ill."
雷公曰：病小愈而卒死者，何以知之？Leigong asked, "How can we know if a person who has just recovered from a minor illness suddenly dies?"
黄帝曰：赤色出两颧，大如拇指者，病虽小愈，必卒死。黑色出于庭，大如拇指，必不病而卒死。The Yellow Emperor said, "If a red color appears on both cheeks, as large as a thumb, even though the illness has just been slightly cured, the person will surely die suddenly. If a black color appears on the forehead, as large as a thumb, the person will surely die suddenly without being ill."
雷公再拜曰：善哉！其死有期乎？Leigong bowed again and said, "Excellent! Can we predict the time of death?"
黄帝曰：察色以言其时。The Yellow Emperor said, "We can predict the time by observing the colors."
雷公曰：善乎！愿卒闻之。Leigong said, "Great! I would like to hear the details."
黄帝曰：“庭者，首面也。阙上者，咽喉也。阙中者，肺也。The Yellow Emperor said, "The Ting area represents the head and face. The area above the Que represents the throat. The area in the Que represents the lungs.
下极者，心也。直下者，肝也。肝左者，胆也。The lower extreme represents the heart. The area directly below represents the liver. The area to the left of the liver represents the gallbladder.
下者，脾也。方上者，胃也。中央者，大肠也。挟大肠者，肾也。当肾者，脐也。The area below represents the spleen. The area above the square represents the stomach. The area in the center represents the large intestine. The area next to the large intestine represents the kidneys. The area corresponding to the kidneys represents the umbilicus.
面王以上者，小肠也。面王以下者，膀胱子处也。颧者，肩也。颧后者，臂也。The area above the face king represents the small intestine. The area below the face king represents the bladder and the uterus. The zygomatic area represents the shoulders. The area behind the zygomatic area represents the arms.
臂下者，手也。目内眦上者，膺乳也。挟绳而上者，背也。循牙车以下者，股也。The area below the arms represents the hands. The area above the inner canthus of the eye represents the chest and breasts. The area along the rope (a certain line on the face) going upward represents the back. The area following the mandibular joint going downward represents the thighs.
中央者，膝也。膝以下者，胫也。当胫以下者，足也。巨分者，股里也。巨屈者，膝膑也。The area in the center represents the knees. The area below the knees represents the shins. The area corresponding to the shins represents the feet. The Jufen (a certain area on the face) represents the inner side of the thighs. The Juqu (a certain area on the face) represents the kneecap.
此五脏六腑肢节之部也，各有部分。有部分，用阴和阳，用阳和阴，当明部分，万举万当。These are the areas corresponding to the five zang-organs, six fu-organs and limbs. Each has its specific area. By understanding the specific areas, we can regulate yin and yang, and vice versa. When we clearly understand the areas, everything we do will be appropriate.
能别左右，是谓大道，男女异位，故曰阴阳。审察泽夭，谓之良工。Being able to distinguish left and right is the great way. Since men and women have different positions, we call it yin and yang. Carefully observing the shininess and dullness is what a good doctor does."
沉浊为内，浮泽为外。A turbid and sunken appearance indicates internal conditions, while a floating and shiny appearance indicates external conditions.
黄赤为风，青黑为痛，白为寒。黄而膏润为脓，赤甚者为血痛。甚为挛，寒甚为皮不仁。Yellowish-red indicates wind, bluish-black indicates pain, and white indicates cold. Yellow and greasy indicates pus, and a very red color indicates blood pain. Severe pain can cause spasm, and severe cold can cause numbness of the skin.
五色各见其部，察其浮沉，以知浅深；When each of the five colors appears in its corresponding area, by observing its floating and sinking, we can know the depth of the illness;
察其泽夭，以观成败；察其散搏（别本作抟），以知远近by observing its shininess and dullness, we can observe the success or failure of the treatment; by observing its dispersion and aggregation (in some versions, it is 'tuán'), we can know the distance of the illness;
视色上下，以知病处；积神于心，以知往今。by observing the upward and downward movement of the color, we can know the location of the illness. Concentrating the mind can help us know the past and present of the illness.
故相气不微，不知是非，属意勿去，乃知新故。Therefore, if the observation of qi is not meticulous, we cannot tell right from wrong. If we keep our attention focused, we can know the new and old situations of the illness.
色明不麤，沉夭为甚；不明不泽，其病不甚；If the color is bright but not coarse, and then becomes dull and lifeless, it indicates a severe illness. If the color is neither bright nor shiny, the illness is not severe.
其色散，驹驹然未有聚；其病散而气痛，聚未成也。If the color is dispersed and has not yet aggregated like a colt running around without gathering, the illness is also dispersed and there is qi pain, and the aggregation has not yet formed.
肾乘心，心先病，肾为应，色皆如是。When the kidney attacks the heart, the heart gets sick first and the kidney responds. The colors are all like this.
男子色在于面王，为小腹痛；下为卵痛；其圜直为茎痛，高为本，下为首，狐疝㿉阴之属也。For men, if the color is on the face king, it indicates pain in the lower abdomen; if it is lower, it indicates pain in the testicles; if it is round and straight, it indicates pain in the penis. The upper part is the base, the lower part is the tip, which belongs to hernia and scrotal disorders.
女子在于面王，为膀胱子处之病，散为痛，搏（别本作抟）为聚，方员左右，各如其色形。For women, if the color is on the face king, it indicates diseases of the bladder and uterus. If it is dispersed, it indicates pain; if it is aggregated (in some versions, it is 'tuán'), it indicates a mass. Whether it is square, round, left or right, it is all in accordance with the shape of the color.
其随而下至胝为淫。有润如膏状，为暴食不洁。If it follows down to the heel, it indicates excessive sexual indulgence. If there is a greasy and shiny appearance like ointment, it indicates overeating unclean food.
左为左，右为右。其色有邪，聚散而不端，面色所指者也。Left is left and right is right. If the color is abnormal, with irregular aggregation and dispersion, it indicates the direction pointed by the facial color.
色者，青黑赤白黄，皆端满，有别乡，别乡赤者，其色赤大如榆荚；在面王为不日（别本作月）。The colors are blue, black, red, white and yellow, all of which are regular and full. There is a 'different area'. If the color in the different area is red, it is as large as an elm pod; if it is on the face king, it indicates within a short time (in some versions, it is 'within a short month').
其色上锐，首空上向，下锐下向，在左右如法。If the color is sharp at the top, pointing upward to the empty head, and sharp at the bottom, pointing downward, it is the same on both left and right sides.
以五色命脏，青为肝，赤为心，白为肺，黄为脾，黑为肾。We name the zang-organs according to the five colors. Blue represents the liver, red represents the heart, white represents the lung, yellow represents the spleen, and black represents the kidney.
肝合筋，心合脉，肺合皮，脾合肉，肾合骨也。”The liver is associated with tendons, the heart is associated with blood vessels, the lung is associated with skin, the spleen is associated with muscles, and the kidney is associated with bones."
