Classica Sinica Medica

Sorrow and Anger Cause Loss of Voice

憂恚無言

Yōu huì wú yán

Eight short paragraphs on sudden loss of voice. The chapter first maps the vocal apparatus as a set of parts with functions — throat, windpipe, epiglottis, lips, tongue, uvula, nasopharynx, hyoid — using the language of doors, fans, triggers, and bolts. It then explains two conditions from the size of the epiglottis: thin and small gives easy, rapid speech; thick and large gives slow breath and stammering repetition. Sudden voicelessness is cold settling on the epiglottis so that it can neither open nor close. The treatment is direct: reduce the blood vessels of the foot shaoyin on both sides to clear the turbid qi, and needle Tiantu where the epiglottis vessel joins the conception vessel.

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8 paragraphs
黃帝問於少師曰：人之卒然憂恚而言無音者，何道之塞，何氣出行，使音不彰？願聞其方。 黄帝问于少师曰：人之卒然忧恚而言无音者，何道之塞，何气出行，使音不彰？愿闻其方。
Huáng Dì wèn yú shào shī yuē: rén zhī cù rán yōu huì ér yán wú yīn zhě, hé dào zhī sāi, hé qì chū xíng, shǐ yīn bù zhāng? yuàn wén qí fāng.
黄帝问少师说：人突然忧恚而言无音，是哪条道路阻塞，什么气出行，使声音不彰？希望听其中的道理。
The Yellow Emperor asked Shao Shi: When a person is suddenly overcome by sorrow and anger and loses his voice, what road is blocked, what qi goes out, so that the sound does not come through? I should like to hear the reason.
少師答曰：咽喉者，水穀之道也。喉嚨者，氣之所以上下者也。會厭者，音聲之户也。口脣者，音聲之扇也。舌者，音聲之機也。懸雍垂者，音聲之關也。頏顙者，分氣之所泄也。横骨者，神氣所使，主發舌者也。 少师答曰：咽喉者，水谷之道也。喉咙者，气之所以上下者也。会厌者，音声之户也。口唇者，音声之扇也。舌者，音声之机也。悬雍垂者，音声之关也。颃颡者，分气之所泄也。横骨者，神气所使，主发舌者也。
shào shī dá yuē: yān hóu zhě, shuǐ gǔ zhī dào yě. hóu lóng zhě, qì zhī suǒ yǐ shàng xià zhě yě. huì yàn zhě, yīn shēng zhī hù yě. kǒu chún zhě, yīn shēng zhī shàn yě. shé zhě, yīn shēng zhī jī yě. xuán yōng chuí zhě, yīn shēng zhī guān yě. háng sǎng zhě, fēn qì zhī suǒ xiè yě. héng gǔ zhě, shén qì suǒ shǐ, zhǔ fā shé zhě yě.
少师回答说：咽喉是水谷的道路。喉咙是气上下出入的地方。会厌是音声的门户。口唇是音声的扇。舌是音声的机。悬雍垂是音声的关。颃颡是分气所泄的地方。横骨是神气所使、主发舌的。
Shao Shi answered: The throat is the road of water and grain. The windpipe is where qi goes up and down. The epiglottis is the door of the voice. The lips are the fan of the voice. The tongue is the trigger of the voice. The uvula is the bolt of the voice. The nasopharynx is where the divided qi leaks away. The hyoid bone is what the spirit qi employs, and it governs the raising of the tongue.
故人之鼻洞涕出不收者，頏顙不開，分氣失也。 故人之鼻洞涕出不收者，颃颡不开，分气失也。
gù rén zhī bí dòng tì chū bù shōu zhě, háng sǎng bù kāi, fēn qì shī yě.
所以人鼻洞涕出不收的，是颃颡不开，分气失职。
Hence when a person’s nose runs and the discharge will not stop, it is that the nasopharynx does not open and the divided qi has lost its office.
是故厭小而疾薄，則發氣疾，其開闔利，其出氣易。 是故厌小而疾薄，则发气疾，其开阖利，其出气易。
shì gù yàn xiǎo ér jí bó, zé fā qì jí, qí kāi hé lì, qí chū qì yì.
所以会厌小而薄，则发气快，开阖利，出气容易。
Therefore when the epiglottis is small and thin, the qi is emitted quickly, its opening and closing are facile, and the outgoing breath is easy.
其厭大而厚，則開闔難，其氣出遲，故重言也。 其厌大而厚，则开阖难，其气出迟，故重言也。
qí yàn dà ér hòu, zé kāi hé nán, qí qì chū chí, gù chóng yán yě.
会厌大而厚，则开阖难，出气迟，所以重言。
When the epiglottis is large and thick, opening and closing are difficult, the breath comes out slowly, and therefore speech is doubled.
人卒然無音者，寒氣客于厭，則厭不能發，發不能下至，其開闔不致，故無音。 人卒然无音者，寒气客于厌，则厌不能发，发不能下至，其开阖不致，故无音。
rén cù rán wú yīn zhě, hán qì kè yú yàn, zé yàn bù néng fā, fā bù néng xià zhì, qí kāi hé bù zhì, gù wú yīn.
人突然无音，是寒气客于会厌，会厌不能发，发不能下至，开阖不协调，所以无音。
When a person is suddenly voiceless, cold qi has settled on the epiglottis; the epiglottis cannot open, and opening cannot reach down, so opening and closing do not meet, and therefore there is no voice.
黃帝曰：刺之奈何？ 黄帝曰：刺之奈何？
Huáng Dì yuē: cì zhī nài hé?
黄帝说：怎么刺？
The Emperor said: How should it be needled?
歧伯曰：足之少陰，上繫於舌，絡於横骨，終於會厭，兩寫其血脉，濁氣乃辟。會厭之脉，上絡任脉，取之天突，其厭乃發也。 歧伯曰：足之少阴，上系于舌，络于横骨，终于会厌，两写其血脉，浊气乃辟。会厌之脉，上络任脉，取之天突，其厌乃发也。
Qí Bó yuē: zú zhī shào yīn, shàng xì yú shé, luò yú héng gǔ, zhōng yú huì yàn, liǎng xiè qí xuè mài, zhuó qì nǎi bì. huì yàn zhī mài, shàng luò rèn mài, qǔ zhī tiān tū, qí yàn nǎi fā yě.
岐伯说：足少阴上系于舌，络于横骨，终于会厌，左右两处泻其血脉，浊气乃退。会厌之脉上络任脉，取天突，会厌就能发。
Qi Bo said: The foot shaoyin binds upward to the tongue, networks at the hyoid bone, and ends at the epiglottis. Reduce the blood vessels on both sides, and the turbid qi will retire. The vessel of the epiglottis networks upward to the conception vessel; take Tiantu, and the epiglottis will open.

Textual notes

Readings follow the base edition; significant variants are recorded here.

  1. 懸雍垂者懸壅垂者

    雍、壅通。懸雍垂即今所謂懸雍垂，俗稱小舌，在咽之上端，爲音聲之關。底本作雍，仍錄。

  2. 頏顙者，分氣之所泄也頏顙者，分氣之所泄也

    頏顙，咽之上竅，通於鼻者。分氣謂清氣由此分泄於鼻。鼻洞涕出不收，正由頏顙不開、分氣失職。

  3. 横骨者，神氣所使横骨者，神氣所使

    横骨，舌本之骨，即今舌骨。神氣使之鼓動而後舌能發，故曰主發舌者。横字底本从木，全篇一律。

  4. 兩寫其血脉兩瀉其血脈

    寫讀爲瀉。兩寫者，左右兩處皆瀉其血絡，以除濁氣。此刺無音之正法，與下文取天突爲二法。

  5. 濁氣乃辟濁氣乃避

    辟讀爲避，退也。血絡既瀉，濁氣乃退，會厭得通而音可出。辟、避古通，底本作辟。

  6. 其開闔不致其開闔不致

    致，至也。開闔不能相至，即啟閉失其常度。此句總結無音之由，與上「開闔利」「開闔難」相貫。

Cite this page

APA

Huangdi Neijing · Lingshu 黃帝內經靈樞 (Compiled over the same span as the Suwen; the present text was put in order in the Tang.). Yōu huì wú yán 憂恚無言 [Sorrow and Anger Cause Loss of Voice], Chapter 69. In Classica Sinica Medica. Base text: 《黃帝素問靈樞經》十二卷八十一篇，宋·史崧校定并音釋。據上海涵芬樓《四部叢刊》子部影印明趙府居敬堂刊本錄入，卷首牌記題「上海涵芬樓景明趙府居敬堂刊本」，並記原書版匡高營造尺六寸三分、寬四寸四分。目錄末行作「元二十四卷今併爲十二卷計八十一篇」。底本與影印本均屬公有領域。 Retrieved 30 October 2026, from https://classicstcm.com/classics/huangdi-neijing-lingshu/sorrow-and-anger-loss-of-voice/

MLA

"Yōu huì wú yán 憂恚無言 [Sorrow and Anger Cause Loss of Voice]." Huangdi Neijing · Lingshu 黃帝內經靈樞, chapter 69, Classica Sinica Medica, 2026, https://classicstcm.com/classics/huangdi-neijing-lingshu/sorrow-and-anger-loss-of-voice/. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026. Base text: 《黃帝素問靈樞經》十二卷八十一篇，宋·史崧校定并音釋。據上海涵芬樓《四部叢刊》子部影印明趙府居敬堂刊本錄入，卷首牌記題「上海涵芬樓景明趙府居敬堂刊本」，並記原書版匡高營造尺六寸三分、寬四寸四分。目錄末行作「元二十四卷今併爲十二卷計八十一篇」。底本與影印本均屬公有領域。

Chinese scholarly

《黃帝內經靈樞·憂恚無言》（Huángdì Nèijīng Língshū）。《黃帝素問靈樞經》十二卷八十一篇，宋·史崧校定并音釋。據上海涵芬樓《四部叢刊》子部影印明趙府居敬堂刊本錄入，卷首牌記題「上海涵芬樓景明趙府居敬堂刊本」，並記原書版匡高營造尺六寸三分、寬四寸四分。目錄末行作「元二十四卷今併爲十二卷計八十一篇」。底本與影印本均屬公有領域。Classica Sinica Medica，2026 年 10 月 30 日 存取，https://classicstcm.com/classics/huangdi-neijing-lingshu/sorrow-and-anger-loss-of-voice/。

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