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I'm currently translating a poem from a Tai Chi Manual about "Sleeping Immortal" (睡仙歌）, a related style of Qigong. The following passage seems to contain a lot of alchemical symbolism, and my current translation is as follows：
养得汞儿性圆，等待他铅儿花现。
“Cultivate Mercury, with a circular nature. Wait for his Lead to appear like a blossom."
Is this translation on the right track? I'm particularly not unsure whether “儿” in this phrase is supposed to be a diminutive suffix or not.
the verse quoted is, well, different from the original text, which is in 道藏輯要 三丰全集 玄要篇下：
睡神仙・睡神仙・石根高臥忘其年・三光沉淪性自圓・氣氣歸玄竅・息息任天然・莫散亂・須安恬・温養得汞性兒圓・等待他鉛花兒現・無走失・有防閑・眞火候・運中間・行七返・不艱難・煉九還・何嗟嘆・靜觀龍虎戰場戰・暗把陰陽顚倒顚・人言我是矇矓漢・我卻眠兮眠未眠・學就了眞臥禪・養成了眞胎元・臥龍一起便昇天・此蟄法・是誰傳・曲肱而枕自尼山・樂在其中無人諳・五龍飛躍出深潭・天將此法傳圖南・圖南一派儔能繼・邋遢道人張丰仙
in taoism, the lead (鉛) - mercury (汞), dragon (龍) - tiger (虎) are metaphor. depends on the alchemy (external or internal); and sects, these terms might be explained diversely.
Is this translation on the right track? I'm particularly not unsure whether “儿” in this phrase is supposed to be a diminutive suffix or not
on the right track? i believe not. “兒”, yes, a diminutive suffix.
try this page, in english, not too peculiar 😸
