十三式歌诀

十三總勢莫輕視。命意源頭在腰隙。變轉虛實須留意。氣遍身體不少凝。靜中觸動動猶靜。因敵變化示神奇。勢勢在心揆用意。得來不覺費工夫。刻刻留意在腰間。腹內鬆靜氣騰然。尾閭中正神貫頂。滿身輕利頂頭懸。仔細留心向推求。屈伸開合聽自由。入門引路須口授。工夫無息法自修。若言體用何為凖。意氣君來骨肉臣。想推用意終何在。益壽延年不老春。歌兮歌兮百四十。字字眞切義無疑。若不向此推求去。枉費工夫貽歎息。

Thirteen Form Song

Do not neglect any of the thirteen forms, their command coming from the gap of your waist. You must pay attention to the changing between empty and full, then energy will flow through your whole body without getting stuck anywhere.      In stillness, movement stirs, and then once in motion, seem yet to be in stillness, for the magic lies in making adjustments based on being receptive to the opponent.
In every movement, very deliberately control it by the use of intention, for once you achieve that, it will all be effortless.

At every moment, pay attention to your waist, for if there is relaxation and stillness within your belly, energy is primed.

Your tailbone is centered and spirit penetrates to your head top,
thus your whole body will be nimble and your head top will be pulled up as if suspended.
Pay careful attention in your practice that you are letting bending and extending, contracting and expanding, happen as the situation requires.
Beginning the training requires personal instruction,
but mastering the art depends on your own unceasing effort.     If we ask what are the standards for form and applications? It is that mind is the master and body is the slave. If you think about it, what is emphasizing the use of intention going to lead you to?
To a longer life and a longer youth.     Repeatedly recite the words above, all of which speak clearly and hence their ideas come through without confusion.

If you pay no heed to those ideas, you will go astray in your training, and you will find you have wasted your time and be left with only sighs of regret.