九 势 (东汉?蔡邕) The Nine Momentums
夫书肇于自然,自然既立,阴阳生焉 ;阴阳既生,形势出矣。藏头护尾,力在字中,下笔用力,肌肤之丽。故曰 :势来不可止,势去不可遏,惟笔软则奇怪生焉。 书法源出于自然。自然是客观存在的,客观存在的自然化生阴阳两极,而阴阳又化生(书法的)各种形式、形态、动势和韵律。在起笔(入笔)和收笔(出笔)处要藏头(逆入)、护尾(逆出),这样才能使书法的力(笔力)涵于笔画字形之中而不外泄。在书写时要充分调动、发挥这种力,这样写出的笔画便会有着健康的、气血调和的皮肤一样的光彩。(在充分调动、**之后,)笔势汹涌而来时,仿佛不可阻挡 ;笔势汪洋而去时,仿佛不可遏制。在毛笔的柔韧性得以真正发挥的状态下,书写会产生种种神奇和美妙,种种“意外效果”。 Calligraphy originates from Nature. Upon Nature, Yin and Yang are generated; from Yin and Yang, various forms and momentums (of calligraphy) are derived. Initiate a stroke with the tip of brush being concealed and conclude it without the tip being exposed, so that the force is reserved in the stroke you write. When the strokes are alive with force, they glow with brilliance like healthy human skin. When the momentum is generated / activated, it will become strong enough to let the calligrapher feel as if it was irresistible and overwhelming. When the flexibility of the brush is given full play, wonder and beauty will be produced beyond expectation.
八 诀 (唐?欧阳询) Eight Tips
澄神静虑,端己正容,秉笔思生,临池志逸。虚拳直腕,指齐掌空,意在笔前,文向思后。分间布白,勿令偏侧。墨淡则伤神彩,绝浓必滞锋毫。肥则为钝,瘦则露骨,勿使伤于软弱,不须怒降为奇。四面停匀,八边具备,短长合度,粗细折中。心眼准程,疏密攲正。筋骨精神,随其大小。不可头轻尾重,无令左短右长,斜正如人,上称下载,东映西带,气宇融和,精神洒落。省此微言,孰为不可也。 澄净心神,平稳思虑,学书者要端正身姿,保持容貌庄重,拿起笔而思绪萌生,临砚池而志趣超逸。执笔拳心要空虚,手腕要平直,五指一起用力,掌内要有足够的空间。立意在落笔之前,文字随思路之后成形。笔画与空间的分割布置,不要偏斜不均。用墨太淡则损伤字的神采,过分浓稠必然涩滞笔锋。字肥就会显得迟钝,太瘦则又筋骨外露。不要让字伤之于绵软、虚弱,也不必以怒笔恣肆作为神奇。字的上、下、左、右四面安排妥帖匀称,加之左上、右上、左下、右下共八个方面应充实完满。字的长短自然合理,用笔又轻重适中。心目中有确定的规程,调整好每个字的疏密、斜正。把字看作有生命的整体,它有筋骨精神,所以字形大小要顺其自然,不可以头轻尾重,不要让它左短右长。字的动态如同人一样,或斜或正,上边的动势要照顾到下边的支撑,向东运笔要有西边的呼应。这样,字的气度就会浑融和谐,精神也会潇洒超脱。领悟这段精深微妙的言语,在书法艺术上还有什么不可达到呢? Stay composed and calm, keep upright and tidy, and let your creativity well up as you take up the brush and begin to write. When you are holding the brush, your palm should be vacant, your wrist paralleling the desktop and your fingers working toghter. The mind precedes the (application of) brushstrokes; the literacy comes after the conception. The layout of character should not be out of balance. If the ink is too watery, the stroke will look faded and dispirited; if too dry and dense, it will be lack of facility. If the stroke is too fleshy, it will look blunt and dull; if too thin, it will be bony and shabby. Never let your script be too loose and invalid, nor conceit a passion to make it appear distinctive. The composition of each character should be balanced in a dynamic way, and the arrangement of strokes appropriate and neutralized. Preconceive and pre-compose what you are going to write, and then you can write as you wish. Never let the character be top-light and bottom-heavy, nor left-long and right-short; the character should be right in balance, resembling a human body in which one part should cohere to another and they together form a harmonious whole, which looks healthy and brilliant. When these words are thoroughly understood, nothing is impossible.