形意拳九歌/Xingyiquan Jiu Ge – Xingyiquan’s Nine Songs

一, 身: 前俯後仰, 其勢不勁。左側右斜, 皆身之病。正而似斜, 斜而似正。

1. Body: Bowing Forward or leaning backward, such patterns aren’t strong. Left slanting & right tilting, all are the body’s illnesses. Upright & yet it seems Inclined, Inclined & yet it seems Upright.

二, 肩: 頭宜上頂, 肩宜下垂。左肩成拗, 右肩自隨。身力到手, 肩之所為。

2. Shoulders: The head should press upward, the shoulders should hang downward. When the left shoulder bends, the right shoulder should follow. When the body’s strength arrives in the hands, it is the shoulders’ doing.

三, 臂: 左臂前伸, 右臂在肋。似曲不曲, 似直不直。過曲不遠, 過直力少。

3. Arms: The left arm extends forward, the right arm is near the ribs. It seems bent, yet not bent, it seems straight, yet not straight. If too bent then there isn’t enough distance, if too straight the power will be inadequate. 

四, 手: 右手在脅, 左手齊胸。後者微拓, 前者力伸。兩手皆覆, 用力宜勻。

4. Hands: The right hand is near the ribs, the left hand is even with the chest. The rear hand slightly supports, the lead hand strongly expands. In all cases, both hands cover, the use of strength should be evenly distributed. 

五, 指: 五指各分, 其形似鉤。虎口圓滿, 似剛似柔。力須到指, 不可強求。

5. Fingers: All five fingers are separated, they’re similar in appearance to hooks. The Tiger’s Mouth is round & full, seeming both hard & soft. Power must reach the fingers, but it cannot be forced. 

六, 股: 左股在前, 右股在後。似直不直, 似弓不弓。雖有直曲, 每見雞形。

6. Thighs: The left thigh is in front, the right thigh is behind. It seems straight but not straight, it seems bowed but not bowed. Although there is straight & bent, they all look Chicken Shape. 

七, 足: 左足直前, 斜則皆病。右足勢斜, 前踵對脛。隨人距離, 足趾扣定。

7. Feet: The left foot is straight forward, slanted is illness every time. The right foot is in a slanting pattern, the lead heel is opposite the lower leg. 

八, 舌: 舌為肉稍, 卷則氣降。目张髮聳, 丹田愈沉。肌容如鐵, 內堅五臟。

8. Tongue: The tongue is the Meat Tip, when it’s curled up then Qi descends. Eyes open & hair on end, the Dantian sinks ever lower. The muscles look like iron, the Five Viscera are solid within. 

九, 臀: 提起臀部, 氣貫四稍。兩眼繚繞, 臀部肉交。低則勢散, 故宜稍高。

9. Buttocks: Lift the buttocks, & Qi will thread the Four Tips. Both holes curl up, the buttock muscles cross. If low then the power is disbursed, therefore it’s appropriate to raise the tip of the tailbone.