Five Notes-Six Teachings
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Five Notes (Tai Gong Six Teachings-Dragon Teaching Chapter 11)
本篇用五音和五行相配来作判断敌情和用兵的根据，是兵阴阳家的说法，带有浓厚的迷信色彩。
English
King Wu asked Tai Gong:"From the sound of the pitch pipes, can we know the fluctuations of the army, foretell victory and defeat?"
Tai Gong said:"Your question is profound indeed! Now there are twelve pipes, with five major notes: Gong, Shang, Jiao, Zheng and Yu. These are basic, orthodox sounds, unchanged for over thousands of generations. The spirits of the five notes is similar to the five elements. Metal, wood, water, fire and earth – each according to their conquest relationship, can be employed to counteract each other – the five notes can be used to know more about the enemy.
In antiquity, during the period of the Three Sage Emperors, they use the nature of vacuity and non-action to govern the hard and strong. They didn’t have characters for writing; everything proceeded from in accordance to the behavior of the five elements. The behavior of the five elements is in accordance to Heaven and Earth. The division into the six jia is a realization of marvelous and subtle spirit.
Their method was, when the day had been clear and calm – without any clouds, wind or rain – to send light cavalry out in the middle of the night, to approach the enemy’s fortifications. Stopping about nine hundred paces away, they would all lift their pipes to their ears and then yell out to startle the enemy. There would be a very small, subtle sound that would respond in the pitch pipes.
If the Jiao note responded among the pipes, then we should attack from the west. If the Zheng note responded in the pipes, then we should attack from the north. If the Shang note responded in the pipes, then we should attack from the south. If the Yu note responded in the pipes, then we should attack its center. If none of the notes responded, it is Gong, then we should attack from the east.
These signs of the five notes are evidence to assist in the conquest, the subtle moments of success and defeat."
"Excellent!" said King Wu.
Tai Gong continued:"These subtle, mysterious notes all have external indications."
"How can we know them?" King Wu asked.
Tai Gong replied:"When the enemy has been startled into movement, listen for them. If you hear the sound of the drums, then it is the Jiao. If you see the flash of lights from a fire, then it is Zheng. If you hear the sounds of metals, that of spears and halberds, then it is Shang If you hear the sound of people sighing, it is Yu. If all is silent, without any sound, then it is Gong. These five are signs of sound and appearance."
Modern
武王问太公说：从律管发出的五音，可以知道三军的消长，胜负的征兆吗?
太公说：深奥啊！这个问题。十二律管主要有五个音阶——宫、商、角、徵、羽，这是它的基本声音，千年万代不会改变的。五微妙变化是自然的常法，借此可以推知敌情变化，金木水火土各生克取胜。用兵之道也是以其胜攻不胜啊！
古代三皇用“虚无”以制刚强，当时没有文字，一切都按王行生克行事。五行生克的道理是天地自然法则，六甲之分是非常微妙的。运用五音五行的方法是：当天气晴朗，没有阴云风雨时，半夜派遣轻骑前往敌人营全，距敌九百步以外，都拿着律管对着耳朵。对敌方大声疾呼以震惊它，敌方会有回声反应于律管中，反应来的声音是微弱的。律管中如有“角”声反应，应当从西方去打它；律管中如有“徵”声反应，应当从北方去打它；律管中如有“商”声反应，应当从南方去打它；律管中如有“羽”声反应，应当从敌人中央去打它；所有律管都没有回声是“宫”声的反应，应当从东方去打它。这是五行生克的应验，辅助制胜的征兆，胜败的关键。
武王说：好啊！
太公说：五音微妙，都有外在的征候！
武王问：怎么知道的?
太公说：当敌人惊动时就听音并观察。听到鼓声是角声的反应；见到火光是徵声的反应；听到金铁矛戟兵器声是商声的反应；听到敌人的呼啸声是羽声的反应；寂寞无闻的是宫声的反应。这五种音和色是相符合的。
Original
武王问大公曰：律音之声，可以知三军之消息，胜负之决乎?
太公曰：深哉！王之问也。夫律管十二，其要有五音——宫、商、角、徵、羽，此其正声也，万代不易。五行之神，道之常也，可以知敌，金木水火土，各以其胜攻之。
古者三皇之世，虚无之情，以制刚强，无有文字，皆由五行。五行之道，天地自然，六甲之分，微妙之神。其法：以天清净，无阴云风雨，夜半，遣轻骑往至敌之垒，去九百步外，偏持律管当耳，大呼惊之，有声应其来甚微。角声应管，当以白虎；徵声应管，当以玄武；商声应管，当以朱雀；羽声应管，当以勾陈；五管声尽不者宫也，当以青龙。此五行之符，佐胜之征，成败之机。
武王曰：善哉！
太公曰：微妙之音，皆有外候!
武王曰：何以知之
太公曰：敌人惊动则听之。闻抱鼓之音者角也；见火光者微也；闻金铁矛戟之音者商也；闻人啸呼之音者羽也；寂寞无闻者宫也。此五者，声色之符也。
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