<p>the 四庫全書 (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siku_Quanshu" rel="nofollow noreferrer">imperial collection of four</a>), 文淵閣 version,  had the book 葬書. the author was marked as "郭璞" of 晉 dynasty.</p>

<p>my mistake here, as another comment indicated, the last fourth character is "功", not "巧".</p>

<p>there are two occurrences of the verse "微妙在智﹒觸類而長", both of them is followed by "玄通陰陽﹒功奪造化".</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/VJsYR.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/VJsYR.png" alt="enter image description here"></a>
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/Vv5Vx.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Vv5Vx.png" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

<p>one of them is the text, another one is remark.</p>

<p>secondly, based on my experience, the verse "玄通陰了" is non-sense, in literary chinese.</p>

<p>btw, the internet archive has a copy of "葬經箋註"</p>

<p><a href="https://archive.org/details/02094303.cn" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://archive.org/details/02094303.cn</a></p>

<p>lastly, imo, any text that's earlier than 1911, you must do the research in <strong>traditional chinese</strong>. </p>

<p>then, no baidu, use google.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-24T05:05:13.763Z
Thanks very much! I have enough trouble reading Simplified Chinese, now I've got to learn Traditional too! OMG! It is hard to use google in China, it is always blocked.
Gangosa
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-24T06:51:13.597Z
poor guy :( if you are academic, go to somewhere that's "free" to connect to the internet. if you're hobbyist to learn literary chinese, learn how to connect to the internet "freely". the os, search engine & language used,  these 3 affected all research significantly. contact me when u r "free", there're hints & tips to this topic. have fun :)
水巷孑蠻
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-24T00:26:54.427Z
2016-11-24T06:41:17.523Z
2016-11-24T06:41:17.523Z
水巷孑蠻
<p>Just be careful when you take anything from Baidu, not without a pinch of salt. The site is mostly plagiarized contents from everywhere without proof reading.</p>

<p>This should be the correct sentence.</p>

<p>微妙在智，触类而长 ，玄通阴阳， 功夺造化</p>

<p>To explain each of this in detail will take pages. Because ancient article are written in 文言文 （imagine Shakespeare English vs modern English) , it is difficult to decipher perfect answer. Some word or noun are dual/multiple meaning, sometime you don't know which meaning the writer is picking. I will dissect them to closes meaning and you should interpret yourself. </p>

<pre><code>微妙在智
微妙: subtle /  mysterious
在 upon
智 wisdom / knowledge / awareness

触类而长
触 touching/ contacting / connecting
类 being / same being / items / material / things 
而长 growth

玄通阴阳
玄 mystical / 
通 Through
阴阳 live and death / the universe  / everything 

功夺造化
功 Work / effort / results
夺 snatch / comparitive / comparable 
造化 creation / natures 
</code></pre>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-24T08:50:38.707Z
2016-11-24T08:50:38.707Z
mootmoot
<p><a href="http://baike.baidu.com/link?url=JXL84W9kGIKP7UB16P8gVyDs1CUwrhdWZ42lcgI4DOdeyY2-E4wWrfRzARCz0V7c0LQdVEK86cDnZoTOvli1aI0ocsRgD6hvxbIhOdu2sFQrRl1avIFQf7q7FWb41cbb" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Refer to this link</a></p>

<p>微妙在智，触类而长，玄通阴了，巧夺造化。（巧夺天工）</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-24T05:26:02.200Z
Apparently, that is incorrect, should be 玄通陰陽 I know both can be found on baidu, that is where I searched, but I think they cannot both be the correct original. See the post above, he or she really knows her/his stuff!
Gangosa
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-24T06:18:43.637Z
玄通阴（阴阳）了 "阴"is equivalent to"阴阳".
user7192254
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-24T03:54:14.910Z
2016-11-24T03:54:14.910Z
user7192254
<p>I was trying, in my poor way, to make sense of these old 4 character stanzas from 郭璞《葬经》.</p>

<p>微妙在智，触类而长 ，玄通阴了， 巧夺造化</p>

<p>An American told me, this is not correct, I should look up the original first. It should be:</p>

<p>微妙在智，触类而长 ，玄通阴阳， 巧夺造化</p>

<p>This was written a long time ago. The 'original' most probably does not exist. How can I know what is the original? </p>

<p>I find both versions on baidu. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-24T08:26:20.153Z
Always treat Baidu (or any other web information without auditing/proofreading ) with a pinch of salt. Some China origin contents website(especially baidu) tend to plagiarise/web scrapping others contents, including typo mistake.
mootmoot
<vocabulary>
What is the real original of 微妙在智，触类而长 ，玄通阴了， 巧夺造化
# What is the real original of 微妙在智，触类而长 ，玄通阴了， 巧夺造化

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-11-23)

I was trying, in my poor way, to make sense of these old 4 character stanzas from 郭璞《葬经》.

微妙在智，触类而长 ，玄通阴了， 巧夺造化

An American told me, this is not correct, I should look up the original first. It should be:

微妙在智，触类而长 ，玄通阴阳， 巧夺造化

This was written a long time ago. The 'original' most probably does not exist. How can I know what is the original?

I find both versions on baidu.

**Tags:** vocabulary

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Always treat Baidu (or any other web information without auditing/proofreading ) with a pinch of salt. Some China origin contents website(especially baidu) tend to plagiarise/web scrapping others contents, including typo mistake.  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2016-11-24. Score: 4

the 四庫全書 ([imperial collection of four](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siku_Quanshu)), 文淵閣 version, had the book 葬書. the author was marked as "郭璞" of 晉 dynasty.

my mistake here, as another comment indicated, the last fourth character is "功", not "巧".

there are two occurrences of the verse "微妙在智﹒觸類而長", both of them is followed by "玄通陰陽﹒功奪造化".

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/VJsYR.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/VJsYR.png)
[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/Vv5Vx.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/Vv5Vx.png)

one of them is the text, another one is remark.

secondly, based on my experience, the verse "玄通陰了" is non-sense, in literary chinese.

btw, the internet archive has a copy of "葬經箋註"

<https://archive.org/details/02094303.cn>

lastly, imo, any text that's earlier than 1911, you must do the research in **traditional chinese**.

then, no baidu, use google.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thanks very much! I have enough trouble reading Simplified Chinese, now I've got to learn Traditional too! OMG! It is hard to use google in China, it is always blocked.  
> **username_2**: poor guy :( if you are academic, go to somewhere that's "free" to connect to the internet. if you're hobbyist to learn literary chinese, learn how to connect to the internet "freely". the os, search engine & language used,  these 3 affected all research significantly. contact me when u r "free", there're hints & tips to this topic. have fun :)  

---

### Answer by username_1 on 2016-11-24. Score: 1

Just be careful when you take anything from Baidu, not without a pinch of salt. The site is mostly plagiarized contents from everywhere without proof reading.

This should be the correct sentence.

微妙在智，触类而长 ，玄通阴阳， 功夺造化

To explain each of this in detail will take pages. Because ancient article are written in 文言文 （imagine Shakespeare English vs modern English) , it is difficult to decipher perfect answer. Some word or noun are dual/multiple meaning, sometime you don't know which meaning the writer is picking. I will dissect them to closes meaning and you should interpret yourself.

```
微妙在智
微妙: subtle /  mysterious
在 upon
智 wisdom / knowledge / awareness

触类而长
触 touching/ contacting / connecting
类 being / same being / items / material / things 
而长 growth

玄通阴阳
玄 mystical / 
通 Through
阴阳 live and death / the universe  / everything 

功夺造化
功 Work / effort / results
夺 snatch / comparitive / comparable 
造化 creation / natures 

```


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2016-11-24. Score: 0

[Refer to this link](http://baike.baidu.com/link?url=JXL84W9kGIKP7UB16P8gVyDs1CUwrhdWZ42lcgI4DOdeyY2-E4wWrfRzARCz0V7c0LQdVEK86cDnZoTOvli1aI0ocsRgD6hvxbIhOdu2sFQrRl1avIFQf7q7FWb41cbb)

微妙在智，触类而长，玄通阴了，巧夺造化。（巧夺天工）

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Apparently, that is incorrect, should be 玄通陰陽 I know both can be found on baidu, that is where I searched, but I think they cannot both be the correct original. See the post above, he or she really knows her/his stuff!  
> **username_3**: 玄通阴（阴阳）了 "阴"is equivalent to"阴阳".  

---

