Na Yin
納音
A poetic name for each of the sixty character pairs, like “Metal in the sea.” It's an image from the tradition, not a measure of strength.
Metal in the sea
Hidden treasure: talents revealed over time.
爐中火
Furnace fire
Furnace fire: transforms and tempers what it touches.
大林木
Great forest wood
Great forest: breadth, growth and protection.
路旁土
Roadside earth
Roadside earth: useful simplicity, clears the way for others.
Sword-edge metal
A firm, decisive inheritance.
山頭火
Mountaintop fire
Fire on the summit: vision, ideals and a far-off glow.
澗下水
Stream water
Stream water: clarity and steadiness that carve a path.
城頭土
City-wall earth
City-wall earth: protection, limits and firmness.
White wax metal
White wax metal: delicacy and worth that gets polished.
楊柳木
Willow wood
Willow wood: flexibility and grace.
泉中水
Spring water
Spring water: purity, freshness, a source that never runs dry.
屋上土
Rooftop earth
Rooftop earth: shelter and a home for others.
霹靂火
Thunderbolt fire
Thunderbolt fire: quick intuition and sudden energy.
松柏木
Pine and cypress wood
Pine and cypress: endurance and long life.
長流水
Long river water
Long river: perseverance and reach.
Metal in the sand
Gold in the sand: worth that must be found and washed.
山下火
Fire at the mountain’s foot
Fire at the mountain’s foot: discreet, steady warmth.
平地木
Flatland wood
Flatland wood: free, simple growth.
壁上土
Wall earth
Wall earth: structure and patience.
Gold leaf metal
Gold leaf: beauty and refinement.
覆燈火
Lamp fire
Lamp fire: guidance and clarity in the dark.
天河水
Heavenly river water
The Milky Way, rain from the sky: nourishing, idealistic and spiritual.
大驛土
Great road earth
A highway: connections, travel and trade in later life.
Jewelry metal
Jewelry metal: refinement and recognized worth.
桑柘木
Mulberry wood
Mulberry wood: usefulness, work and abundance.
大溪水
Great stream water
Great torrent: force, movement and change.
沙中土
Sand earth
Sand earth: adaptable and fertile in its own way.
天上火
Sky fire
Sky fire: the light that lights everything.
石榴木
Pomegranate wood
Pomegranate wood: fertility and abundant fruit.
大海水
Great sea water
Great sea: breadth, depth and resources.