Song of 12 Animal-Forms

[Mark Blohm]

The Song of 12 Animals Forms from the "Xingyiquan Classic":


Dragon-form has the techniques of shrinking and expanding bones,
tiger the courage of charging at prey,
monkey the ability to transverse mountains,
horse the art of sudden speed,
alligator the intelligence to glide through water,
cockerel-form the nature to fight,
hawk the poise to soar the skies,
sparrow the marvel to skim over water,
snake has the essence to slide through grass,
ostrich the structure to collide and ram,
eagle the skill to catch and grip,
and bear the strength to be stable and upright.



龍有縮骨之法,
虎有撲食之勇,
猴有縱山之能,
馬有疾蹄之功,
鼍有浮水之靈,
鷄有勝鬥之性,
鷂有撞天之勢,
燕有抄水之巧,
蛇有撥草之精,
��有崩撞之形,
鷹有捉拿之技,
熊有豎頂之力.



The dragon-form has the techniques of shrinking and expanding bones,
龍有縮骨之法
lóng yǒu suō gǔ zhī fǎ

the tiger-form has the courage of charging at prey,
虎有撲食之勇
hǔ yǒu pū shí zhī yǒng

the monkey-form has the ability to transverse mountains,
猴有縱山之能
hóu yǒu zòng shān zhī néng

the horse-form has the art of sudden speed,
馬有疾蹄之功
mǎ yǒu jí tí zhī gōng

the alligator-form has the intelligence to glide through water,
鼍有浮水之靈
tuó yǒu fúshuǐ zhī líng

the cockerel-form has the nature to fight,
鷄有勝鬥之性
jī yǒu shèng dòu zhī xìng

the hawk-form has the poise to soar the skies,
鷂有撞天之勢
yào yǒu zhuàng tiān zhī shì

the sparrow-form has the marvel to skim over water,
燕有抄水之巧
yàn yǒu chāo shuǐ zhī qiǎo

the snake-form has the essence to slide through grass,
蛇有撥草之精
shé yǒu bō cǎo zhī jīng

the ostrich-form has the structure to collide an ram,
��有崩撞之形
tái yǒu bēng zhuàng zhī xíng

the eagle-form has the skill to catch and grip,
鷹有捉拿之技
yīng yǒu zhuōná zhī jì

the bear-form has the strength to be stable and upright.
熊有豎頂之力
xióng yǒu shù dǐng zhī lì

[Mark Blohm]

The song is mentioned here and here.