夫精明五色者，气之华也。赤欲如白裹朱，不欲如赭；白欲如鹅羽，不欲如盐；青欲如苍璧之泽，不
欲如蓝；黄欲如罗裹雄黄，不欲如黄土；黑欲如重漆色，不欲如地苍。（一
作炭色。）五色精微象见矣，其寿不久也。
色味当五脏∶白当肺辛，赤当心苦，青当肝酸，黄当脾甘，黑当肾咸。故白当皮，赤当脉，青当筋，黄
当肉，黑当骨。故色见青如草滋者死，黄如枳实者死，黑如 者死，赤如 血者死，白如枯骨者死，此五色
之见死也。青如翠羽者生，赤如鸡冠者生，黄如蟹腹者生，白如豕膏者生，黑如乌羽者生，此五色之见生也。
生于心，如以缟裹朱；生于肺，如以缟裹红；生于肝，如以缟裹钳；生于脾，如以缟裹栝蒌
实；生于肾，如以缟裹紫，此五脏所生之外荣也。（裹字最妙，凡真色皆根于皮里，其深含于皮里者，正
色也。由皮里而暴露于皮外者，病色，死色也。其薄散而仅浮于皮上者，浮游之气不根脏腑，无关吉凶者也，
直谓之垢而已。上《素问》。）
夫五色有光，明亮是也；五色有体，润泽是也。光者无形，为阳主气；体者有象，为阴主血。
气血俱亡，其色沉
晦，经所谓草滋、枳实、 、 血、枯骨五者是也。气血尚存，其色光明润泽，经所谓翠羽、鸡冠、蟹腹、
豕膏、鸟羽五者是也。然此五色虽为可生，终属一脏独亢，病也，非平也。平人五脏既和，其一脏之色，
必待其王而始荣于外。其荣于外也，禀胃气而出于皮毛之间，胃气色黄，皮毛色白，故云如缟裹。如缟裹者，
朦胧光泽，虽有形影，犹未灿然，内因气血无乖，阴阳不争，五脏无偏胜故也。苟或不然，五
脏衰败，其见色也，昔之朦胧者，一变而为独亢；昔之光明者，一变而为沉浊；昔之润泽者，一变而为枯槁；甚
至沉浊枯槁，合而为夭，是光体俱无，阴阳气血俱绝矣。不死又何待乎。
按∶此篇之义，与前篇微有不同，前指分部所起之邪色，此指满面自有之本色也。邪色起于别乡，大如
榆荚，无论青黄赤白黑，皆有所主之病，有凶无吉者也。本色端满于面，
无有分部，而专以色之夭泽辨吉凶者也。一重在部上，一重在色上。
所谓精明与五色，是脏腑精气外在荣华的表现。面色红，应当像白绢包裹着朱砂那样含蓄红润，而不应当像代赭石那样暗红无光；面色白，应当像鹅的羽毛那样洁白润泽，而不应当像食盐那样苍白干枯；面色青，应当像青玉那样温润有光泽，而不应当像蓝靛那样晦暗死板；面色黄，应当像丝绸包裹着雄黄那样明黄柔和，而不应当像黄土那样枯槁无华；面色黑，应当像多层涂漆那样黑亮深邃，而不应当像泥土或炭色那样灰暗。（另一种版本作“炭色”）。如果五色的精微之象直接显露于外，没有含蓄之象，那么人的寿命就不长了。
五色与五味分别对应五脏：白色对应肺和辛味，红色对应心和苦味，青色对应肝和酸味，黄色对应脾和甘味，黑色对应肾和咸味。所以，白色对应皮肤，红色对应血脉，青色对应筋脉，黄色对应肌肉，黑色对应骨骼。因此，如果面色呈现如青草枯萎般的颜色，主死亡；如枳实般枯黄的颜色，主死亡；如屋漏尘灰般的颜色，主死亡；如凝血般的紫暗颜色，主死亡；如枯骨般的惨白颜色，主死亡，这是五色中显现的死候。如果面色呈现如翠鸟羽毛般青亮的颜色，主生存；如鸡冠般鲜红的颜色，主生存；如蟹腹般黄润的颜色，主生存；如猪油般洁白的颜色，主生存；如乌鸦羽毛般黑亮的颜色，主生存，这是五色中显现的生候。
心气生于内，其色如白绢包裹朱砂；肺气生于内，其色如白绢包裹红色；肝气生于内，其色如白绢包裹钳（此处指金属光泽或特定青色，原文可能有误，通常解为如缟裹蓝/青）；脾气生于内，其色如白绢包裹栝楼实；肾气生于内，其色如白绢包裹紫色。这是五脏精气在外的荣华表现。（“裹”字用得极妙，凡是真正的正气之色都根植于皮下，深深蕴含在皮里的，才是正色。由皮里暴露到皮外的，是病色、死色。那些稀薄散漫、仅仅浮在皮面上的，是游离之气，不根源于脏腑，无关吉凶，直称之为污垢罢了。以上引自《素问》。）
五色既有光泽，明亮即是光泽；五色既有形体，润泽即是形体。光泽是无形的，属于阳，主气；形体是有形象的，属于阴，主血。如果气血都耗亡了，面色就会沉滞晦暗，这就是经文所说的草滋、枳实、屋漏、衃血、枯骨这五种情况。如果气血尚存，面色就会光明润泽，这就是经文所说的翠羽、鸡冠、蟹腹、豕膏、乌羽这五种情况。然而这五种可生的颜色，终究属于一脏之气偏亢，是病态，并非平和状态。健康人的五脏调和之后，其中某一脏的气色，必须等到该脏当令旺盛时，才会荣华显露于外。这种荣华显露于外，是禀受胃气而发于皮毛之间，胃气之色黄，皮毛之色白，所以说像白绢包裹着东西。所谓“如缟裹”，是指朦胧而有光泽，虽然有形影，但并不灿烂刺眼，这是因为内部气血和谐，阴阳不争，五脏没有偏胜的缘故。如果不这样，五脏衰败，其显现的面色，过去那种朦胧含蓄的，一变而为独亢外露；过去那种光明润泽的，一变而为沉浊晦暗；过去那种润泽的，一变而为枯槁干裂；甚至沉浊、枯槁混合在一起导致夭折，这是光和体都没有了，阴阳气血都断绝了。不死还要等待什么呢？
按语：这一篇的含义，与前一篇略有不同。前一篇指的是从身体不同部位产生的邪气之色，这一篇指的是满面自然固有的本色。邪色起于其他部位，大小如榆荚，无论青黄赤白黑，都有所主的疾病，只有凶险没有吉利。本色端正充满于面部，没有特定的分部，专门通过颜色的夭折或润泽来辨别吉凶。前一篇重在部位上，这一篇重在颜色上。
The clarity of the spirit and the five colors are the external splendor of Qi (vital energy). A red complexion should be like white silk wrapping cinnabar, not like hematite; a white complexion should be like goose feathers, not like salt; a green complexion should be like the luster of dark jade, not like indigo; a yellow complexion should be like silk wrapping realgar, not like loess soil; a black complexion should be like multiple layers of lacquer, not like earth or charcoal color. If the subtle images of the five colors appear directly without concealment, one's lifespan will not be long.
Colors correspond to flavors and the Zang organs: White corresponds to the Lung and pungent flavor; Red to the Heart and bitter flavor; Green to the Liver and sour flavor; Yellow to the Spleen and sweet flavor; Black to the Kidney and salty flavor. Thus, White corresponds to skin; Red to vessels; Green to sinews; Yellow to flesh; Black to bones. Therefore, if the complexion appears like withered grass, death ensues; like dried zhi shi fruit, death ensues; like dust from a leaking roof, death ensues; like clotted blood, death ensues; like dry bone, death ensues. These are the signs of death in the five colors. If the complexion appears like the feather of a kingfisher, life is indicated; like a rooster's comb, life is indicated; like the belly of a crab, life is indicated; like pig fat, life is indicated; like the feather of a crow, life is indicated. These are the signs of life in the five colors.
Life arising in the Heart manifests as if white silk wraps cinnabar; Life arising in the Lung manifests as if white silk wraps red; Life arising in the Liver manifests as if white silk wraps [metallic blue/green]; Life arising in the Spleen manifests as if white silk wraps Trichosanthes fruit; Life arising in the Kidney manifests as if white silk wraps purple. These are the external splendors generated by the Zang organs. (The character "wrap" is exquisite; true colors are rooted beneath the skin. Those deeply contained within the skin are correct colors. Those exposed from beneath the skin to the exterior are pathological or fatal colors. Those that are thin, scattered, and merely floating on the surface are wandering Qi, not rooted in the Zang organs, and irrelevant to auspiciousness or inauspiciousness; they are simply called dirt. Quoted from Suwen.)
Five colors possess both luster and substance. Luster refers to brightness; substance refers to moistness. Luster is formless, belongs to Yang, and governs Qi; substance has form, belongs to Yin, and governs Blood. When both Qi and Blood are exhausted, the color becomes deep and dull, which corresponds to the five conditions mentioned in the classic: withered grass, zhi shi fruit, leaking roof dust, clotted blood, and dry bone. When Qi and Blood still exist, the color is bright and moist, corresponding to the five conditions: kingfisher feather, rooster comb, crab belly, pig fat, and crow feather. However, although these five colors indicate potential for life, they ultimately belong to the hyperactivity of a single organ, representing pathology rather than balance. In a healthy person with harmonious Zang organs, the color of any single organ will only manifest externally when that organ is at its peak. This external manifestation is derived from Stomach Qi and emerges between the skin and hair. Since Stomach Qi is yellow and skin/hair is white, it is described as "like white silk wrapping." "Like white silk wrapping" implies a hazy luster; although forms are visible, they are not dazzlingly bright. This is because internally, Qi and Blood are harmonious, Yin and Yang do not conflict, and the Zang organs have no excessive dominance. If this is not the case, and the Zang organs decline, the previously hazy color changes to isolated hyperactivity; the previously bright and moist color changes to deep turbidity; the previously moist color changes to withered desiccation. Eventually, deep turbidity and withered desiccation combine to cause premature death, where both luster and substance are absent, and Yin-Yang and Qi-Blood are severed. What else is there to wait for but death?
Note: The meaning of this chapter differs slightly from the previous one. The previous chapter referred to evil colors arising from specific body parts; this chapter refers to the natural base color of the entire face. Evil colors arise from other areas, sized like elm seeds; regardless of green, yellow, red, white, or black, they all indicate specific diseases and are inauspicious. Base colors are uniformly full across the face without specific localization, and auspiciousness or inauspiciousness is determined solely by whether the color is withered or moist. The former focuses on location; the latter focuses on color.