At the dawn of the Great Dao, the furnace of creation forged the hard into yang and refined the soft into yin.
Thus were cast the twin forms of Xi and Moon, fashioned after the dual forces of yin and yang.
Observe Xi's nature: endowed with hardness, she stood as yang;
Moon's essence, meanwhile, followed yin and became soft.
When primordial chaos first opened and all things began to flourish, tender buds held dewdrops and fresh bamboo gathered emerald hues.
As spring unfolded, sprouts bloomed; as the years passed, branches drooped.
With time's passage, fragrant grass grew lush;
as days and months flowed by, clear streams trickled on.
Thus Xi flowed deep and tranquil, while moonlight melted softly,
and all worldly clamor withdrew, all mundane worries emptied away.
The heart was clear as water, undisturbed by vulgar words;
their auras resonated, joining the true workings of yin and yang.
Looking up, they watched silver dragons soar with phoenixes; looking down, they beheld rosy clouds spread like brocade.
They walked slowly upon the wind, embracing peaks and streams.
The moon unfurled with the force of yang, while Xi delighted in all things.
The stream moistened the sunset, soft light blending above and below;
the moon held clear dew, light and shadow harmonizing within and without.
With feeling, they gazed across the wilderness, watching the clear moon without distraction;
they cast their eyes into secluded places, following the sunset and forgetting fatigue.
They watched specks of moonlight, dew brimming in every drop; the blazing sunset, cold streams flowing through ravines.
They followed nature's proper path and conformed to Heaven and Earth's order.
From this, they came to understand the principles, their hearts clear and free of obstruction.
At times, they watched the moon from tall towers and leaned by windows to embrace