Foundation

Na Yin納音

Each pair of the sixty cycle takes a poetic element, such as Gold in the Sea.

金火木土金火水土金木水土火木水金火木土金火水土金木水土火木水
The thirty Na Yin in order, by element.

一律含五音，十二律納六十音也。

Shen Kuo, in Xie Ji Bian Fang Shu, vol. 1

What it is

Na Yin means taken-in sound. Shen Kuo, quoted in Xie Ji Bian Fang Shu, traces it to music: each of the twelve pitches holds five notes, which gives sixty, one for each pair of the cycle.

The five notes start from metal and pass to fire, wood, water and earth. That is why the list below keeps returning in that order.

In a chart

Na Yin is an older way of reading than the Day Master method. San Ming Tong Hui still uses it often, and each entry in our sixty cycle pages shows it.

The thirty Na Yin

Each name with its two pillars.

  1. 海中金甲子・乙丑Gold in the Sea
  2. 爐中火丙寅・丁卯Fire in the Furnace
  3. 大林木戊辰・己巳Wood of the Great Forest
  4. 路旁土庚午・辛未Roadside Earth
  5. 劍鋒金壬申・癸酉Sword-Edge Metal
  6. 山頭火甲戌・乙亥Mountaintop Fire
  7. 澗下水丙子・丁丑Stream Water
  8. 城頭土戊寅・己卯City-Wall Earth
  9. 白鑞金庚辰・辛巳Pewter Metal
  10. 楊柳木壬午・癸未Willow Wood
  11. 井泉水甲申・乙酉Well Water
  12. 屋上土丙戌・丁亥Rooftop Earth
  13. 霹靂火戊子・己丑Thunderbolt Fire
  14. 松柏木庚寅・辛卯Pine and Cypress Wood
  15. 長流水壬辰・癸巳Long-Flowing Water
  16. 砂石金甲午・乙未Sand and Stone Metal
  17. 山下火丙申・丁酉Fire at the Foot of the Mountain
  18. 平地木戊戌・己亥Flatland Wood
  19. 壁上土庚子・辛丑Wall Earth
  20. 金箔金壬寅・癸卯Gold Leaf Metal
  21. 覆燈火甲辰・乙巳Lamp Fire
  22. 天河水丙午・丁未Heavenly River Water
  23. 大驛土戊申・己酉Highway Earth
  24. 釵釧金庚戌・辛亥Hairpin and Bracelet Metal
  25. 桑柘木壬子・癸丑Mulberry Wood
  26. 大溪水甲寅・乙卯Great Stream Water
  27. 沙中土丙辰・丁巳Sand Earth
  28. 天上火戊午・己未Fire in the Sky
  29. 石榴木庚申・辛酉Pomegranate Wood
  30. 大海水壬戌・癸亥Great Sea Water

Sources Xie Ji Bian Fang Shu, vols. 1, 2 and 8; Yi Zhuan.