Of all between heaven and earth, man is the most precious being.
His head resembles heaven, his feet the earth, a cosmic seeing.
The body inherited from parents is a treasure to hold dear.
Of the five blessings in the Book of Documents, longevity stands clear.
To guard one's health, three prohibitions must be known and kept.
Great rage, great lust, and great drunkenness, from these one must adept.
If even one of these three remains and is not cast aside,
Beware the loss of vital essence, the true force deep inside.
To seek long life, first curb your temper, let no fiery spark arise.
When fire does not flare, the spirit finds its own tranquil skies.
Wood kept from fire will never turn to ashes, cold and gray.
If man can curb his temper, life will lengthen day by day.
Boundless greed makes one forget the essence, the vital core.
Unceasing mental strain lets the primal spirit flee the door.
Toil exhausts the body's balanced, harmonious breath.
What then can be relied upon to guard against this death?
If the heart is overused, it will be drained and worn.
If the form is overworked, its strength will be forlorn.
If the spirit is too hurt, it turns to emptiness.
If the vital breath is drained, it leads to nothingness.
If people wish to know the way to guard their health and cheer,
Let joy be constant, anger rare, and hold both of them dear.
With sincere heart and upright will, dispel distracting thought.
Follow reason, cultivate the self, from all vexations be brought.
In spring, exhale 'Xu' to brighten eyes; in summer, 'He' soothes the heart.
Autumn's 'Si' and winter's 'Chui' give lungs and kidneys their due part.
Through all four seasons, 'Hu' aids the spleen to transform what we eat.
And 'Xi' dispels the stubborn heat from triple warmer's seat.
Hair should be combed, breath refined with care.
Teeth tapped, saliva swallowed, a practice rare.
If you wish not to die, cultivate Kunlun's height.
With both hands often rub and stroke your face, a daily rite.
In spring, less sour, more sweet should be the fare.
In winter, bitter's good, but salty beware.
In summer, increase pungency, reduce the bitter taste.
In autumn, pungent may be less, with sour in haste.
In late seasons, less salt, and sweetness too restrain.
Thus naturally the five organs will remain without a pain.
If all excess is cut, the body will be sound.
But with flavors too diverse, no health can be found.
In spring's chill, do not let padded clothes be thin.
In summer's sweat, change garments, fresh within.
In autumn and winter, as cold grows, add layers slow.
Do not wait till sickness comes to take medicine's flow.
Only summer is hard to regulate with skill.
Hidden yin within forbids ice water's chill.
Melons, peaches, raw and cold, should be eaten few.
Lest when autumn comes, malaria or dysentery ensue.
Remember well: the heart is strong, the kidneys weak in this season.
A noble man observes fasts, acts with reason.
Keep the body full, not empty, as a rule.
Daily meals should avoid greasy food, keep cool.
Too full hurts the spirit, hunger hurts the spleen.
Too thirsty hurts the blood, excess hurts the breath, unseen.
Eat when hungry, drink when thirsty, but not to excess.
Lest bloating comes and heart and lungs face distress.
Forced drink after drunk, forced food when full, no gain.
Such habits make the body harbor illness and pain.
Man relies on food and drink to nourish life, it's true.
Remove the extreme, and comfort will ensue.
After meals, stroll a hundred steps, slow and light.
Rub the navel and belly till the food takes flight.
At midnight, wash the spiritual root with water clear.
From the cinnabar field, exhale foul breath, sincere.
Wine can temper one's disposition, bring delight.
But heavy drinking leads to sickness, day and night.
The lungs, the canopy, if injured, will not mend.
Coughing wastes the spirit, can bring life to an end.
Never use salt to flavor tea, beware the cost.
It clearly invites a thief into the house, is lost.
Lower warmer's cold and void will make one thin.
Harming kidneys, harming spleen, lets sickness in.
Sitting or lying, guard against wind entering the brain.
If wind enters the brain, long life you'll not attain.
And if drunk or full you lie in wind's embrace,
The moment wind gets in, disaster finds its place.
Wild geese have order, dogs have loyalty, we see.
Black carp face north, knowing a subject's decree.
Man, lacking ritual and right, yet eats such kind.
Heaven, earth, and spirits all are displeased in mind.
To nourish the body, curb the five pungent spices' might.
Uncurbed, they harm the body, put health to flight.
Do not let them stir false yang to flare and burn.
Essence drained, looks withered, illness takes its turn.
Whether at home or abroad, wherever you may be,
If sudden thunder, storm, or wind you hear or see.
Quickly be solemn, revere heaven's awe, its power.
In a quiet room, collect your heart, retreat that hour.
Love's entanglements bind, freedom they deny.
Fame and profit's snares—when will their hold pass by?
Loosen somewhat, seek your own fortune, be at ease.
Lest middle age brings early white hair on the breeze.
To stand firm between heaven and earth is not an easy feat.
Well-fed, warmly clad, should one not feel incomplete?
Thinking of no way to repay heaven's boundless grace,
Morning and evening burn incense, thank heaven's place.
How can one have a safe body and life ever long?
A peaceful breast, much goodness stored, make spirits strong.
Cherish life, cherish body, cherish breath with care.
Please, sir, study well this song of health, beware.