聶隱娘者，唐貞元中，魏博大將聶鋒之女也。年方十歲，有尼乞食於鋒舍，見隱娘悅之。云：「問押衙乞取此女教？」鋒大怒，叱尼。尼曰：「任押衙鐵櫃中盛，亦須偷去矣。」及夜，果失隱娘所向。鋒大驚駭，令人搜尋，曾無影響。父母每思之，相對涕泣而已。
聂隐娘者，唐贞元中，魏博大将聂锋之女也。年方十岁，有尼乞食于锋舍，见隐娘悦之。云：「问押衙乞取此女教？」锋大怒，叱尼。尼曰：「任押衙铁柜中盛，亦须偷去矣。」及夜，果失隐娘所向。锋大惊骇，令人搜寻，曾无影响。父母每思之，相对涕泣而已。
Nie Yinniang was the daughter of Nie Feng, a general of Weibo, in the Zhenyuan reign of the Tang. When she was just ten years old, a nun came begging for food at Feng’s house, saw Yinniang and took a liking to her. “Commander,” she said, “will you give me this girl to teach?” Feng flew into a rage and drove her off. “Lock her in an iron chest if you like, Commander,” said the nun. “I will still steal her away.” That night Yinniang was gone, as the nun had said. Feng was horrified. He had men search for her, but they found no trace. Whenever her parents thought of her, they could only sit facing each other and weep.
後五年，尼送隱娘歸。告鋒曰：「教已成矣，子卻領取。」尼歘亦不見。一家悲喜。問其所學，曰：「初但讀經念咒，餘無他也。」鋒不信，懇詰。隱娘曰：「真說又恐不信，如何？」鋒曰：「但真說之。」曰：「隱娘初被尼挈，不知行幾里。及時，至大石穴之嵌空數十步，寂無居人，猿狖極多，松蘿益邃。已有二女，亦各十歲，皆聰明婉麗不食。能於峭壁上飛走，若捷猱登木，無有蹶失。尼與我藥一粒，兼令長執寶劍一口，長二尺許，鋒利，吹毛令剸，逐二女攀緣，漸覺身輕如風。一年後，刺猿狖。百無一失。後刺虎豹，皆決其首而歸。三年後能飛，使刺鷹隼，無不中。劍之刃漸減五寸。飛禽遇之，不知其來也。至四年，留二女守穴，挈我於都市，不知何處也。指其人者，一一數其過曰：『為我刺其首來，無使知覺。定其膽，若飛鳥之容易也。』受以羊角匕首，刀廣三寸。遂白日刺其人於都市，人莫能見。以首入囊，返主人舍，以藥化之為水。五年，又曰：『某大僚有罪，無故害人若干。夜可入其室，決其首來。』又攜匕首入室，度其門隙，無有障礙，伏之樑上。至瞑，持得其首而歸。尼大怒曰：『何太晚如是！』某云：『見前人戲弄一兒可愛，未忍便下手。』尼叱曰：『已後遇此輩，先斷其所愛，然後決之。』某拜謝。尼曰：『吾為汝開腦後藏匕首，而無所傷。』用即抽之，曰：『汝術已成，可歸家。』遂送還。云後二十年，方可一見。」
后五年，尼送隐娘归。告锋曰：「教已成矣，子却领取。」尼歘亦不见。一家悲喜。问其所学，曰：「初但读经念咒，余无他也。」锋不信，恳诘。隐娘曰：「真说又恐不信，如何？」锋曰：「但真说之。」曰：「隐娘初被尼挈，不知行几里。及时，至大石穴之嵌空数十步，寂无居人，猿狖极多，松萝益邃。已有二女，亦各十岁，皆聪明婉丽不食。能于峭壁上飞走，若捷猱登木，无有蹶失。尼与我药一粒，兼令长执宝剑一口，长二尺许，锋利，吹毛令剸，逐二女攀缘，渐觉身轻如风。一年后，刺猿狖。百无一失。后刺虎豹，皆决其首而归。三年后能飞，使刺鹰隼，无不中。剑之刃渐减五寸。飞禽遇之，不知其来也。至四年，留二女守穴，挈我于都市，不知何处也。指其人者，一一数其过曰：『为我刺其首来，无使知觉。定其胆，若飞鸟之容易也。』受以羊角匕首，刀广三寸。遂白日刺其人于都市，人莫能见。以首入囊，返主人舍，以药化之为水。五年，又曰：『某大僚有罪，无故害人若干。夜可入其室，决其首来。』又携匕首入室，度其门隙，无有障碍，伏之梁上。至瞑，持得其首而归。尼大怒曰：『何太晚如是！』某云：『见前人戏弄一儿可爱，未忍便下手。』尼叱曰：『已后遇此辈，先断其所爱，然后决之。』某拜谢。尼曰：『吾为汝开脑后藏匕首，而无所伤。』用即抽之，曰：『汝术已成，可归家。』遂送还。云后二十年，方可一见。」
Five years later the nun brought Yinniang home. “Her training is finished,” she told Feng. “You may have her back.” Then the nun was suddenly gone. The whole family wept and rejoiced. They asked Yinniang what she had learned. “At first only reading scriptures and chanting spells,” she said. “Nothing else.” Feng did not believe her and pressed her. “If I tell you the truth,” said Yinniang, “I am afraid you will not believe it either. What then?” “Just tell the truth,” said Feng. “When the nun first took me,” she said, “I did not know how far we went. At length we came to a great cave in the rocks, a hollow running dozens of paces deep. No one lived there. There were a great many apes and monkeys, and the pines and hanging creepers grew ever denser. Two girls were already there, each ten years old like me, both clever and lovely, and they did not eat. They could run up sheer cliffs as if flying, like nimble apes climbing trees, and never slipped. The nun gave me a pill, and made me carry a precious sword at all times, about two feet long, so sharp that a hair blown against it was cut through. I followed the two girls climbing, and little by little I felt my body grow light as the wind. After a year I was stabbing apes and monkeys, and I did not miss one in a hundred. Then I stabbed tigers and leopards, and each time came back with the head cut off. After three years I could fly, and she sent me to stab hawks and falcons; I never missed. The blade of the sword was gradually shortened by five inches. Birds in flight never knew I was coming. In the fourth year she left the two girls to guard the cave and took me to a city, I do not know where. She pointed out a man and listed his crimes one by one. ‘Bring me his head,’ she said, ‘and do not let him know. Steady your nerve; it will be as easy as killing a bird on the wing.’ She gave me a dagger of ram’s horn with a blade three inches wide. In broad daylight I stabbed the man in the marketplace, and no one saw. I put the head in a bag, took it back to where she was staying, and turned it to water with a drug. In the fifth year she said, ‘A certain high official is guilty: for no reason he has harmed a number of people. Go into his room at night and bring me his head.’ Again I took the dagger and went into his room. I slipped through the crack of the door with nothing to stop me and hid on a beam. When it was dark I came back with his head. The nun was furious. ‘Why are you so late?’ I said, ‘I saw the man playing with a little child, so sweet that I could not bear to strike at once.’ ‘From now on,’ she snapped, ‘when you meet that sort, first cut down what he loves, then finish him.’ I bowed and thanked her. ‘I will open the back of your head and hide the dagger there,’ said the nun. ‘It will do you no harm. When you need it, draw it out.’ Then she said, ‘Your art is complete. You may go home.’ And she brought me back. She said that after twenty years we would meet once more.”
鋒聞語甚懼，後遇夜即失蹤，及明而返。鋒已不敢詰之，因茲亦不甚憐愛。忽值磨鏡少年及門，女曰：「此人可與我為夫。」白父，父不敢不從，遂嫁之。其夫但能淬鏡，餘無他能。父乃給衣食甚豐，外室而居。
锋闻语甚惧，后遇夜即失踪，及明而返。锋已不敢诘之，因兹亦不甚怜爱。忽值磨镜少年及门，女曰：「此人可与我为夫。」白父，父不敢不从，遂嫁之。其夫但能淬镜，余无他能。父乃给衣食甚丰，外室而居。
What he heard frightened Feng badly. After that, whenever night came, she disappeared, and she came back at daybreak. Feng no longer dared to question her, and he did not love her as he had. One day a young mirror-polisher happened to come to the gate. “This man can be my husband,” she said. She told her father, and he did not dare refuse; so she married him. Her husband could do nothing but polish mirrors. Her father gave them ample food and clothing, and they lived in a separate house.
數年後，父卒。魏帥稍知其異，遂以金帛署為左右吏。如此又數年。
数年后，父卒。魏帅稍知其异，遂以金帛署为左右吏。如此又数年。
Some years later her father died. The Weibo commander came to know something of her strange gifts, and with gold and silk he took her into his service as one of his attendants. Several more years passed in this way.
至元和間，魏帥與陳許節度使劉昌裔不協，使隱娘賊其首。隱娘辭帥之許。劉能神算，已知其來。召衙將，令來日早至城北，候一丈夫一女子，各跨白黑衛。至門，遇有鵲前噪夫，夫以弓彈之，不中，妻奪夫彈，一丸而斃鵲者。揖之云：「吾欲相見，故遠相祗迎也。」衙將受約束，遇之。隱娘夫妻曰：「劉僕射果神人，不然者，何以洞吾也，願見劉公。」劉勞之。隱娘夫妻拜曰：「合負僕射萬死。」劉曰：「不然，各親其主，人之常事。魏今與許何異，顧請留此，勿相疑也。」隱娘謝曰：「僕射左右無人，願舍彼而就此，服公神明也。」知魏帥之不及劉。劉問其所須，曰：「每日只要錢二百文足矣。」乃依所請。忽不見二衛所之，劉使人尋之，不知所向。後潛收布囊中，見二紙衛，一黑一白。
至元和间，魏帅与陈许节度使刘昌裔不协，使隐娘贼其首。隐娘辞帅之许。刘能神算，已知其来。召衙将，令来日早至城北，候一丈夫一女子，各跨白黑卫。至门，遇有鹊前噪夫，夫以弓弹之，不中，妻夺夫弹，一丸而毙鹊者。揖之云：「吾欲相见，故远相祗迎也。」衙将受约束，遇之。隐娘夫妻曰：「刘仆射果神人，不然者，何以洞吾也，愿见刘公。」刘劳之。隐娘夫妻拜曰：「合负仆射万死。」刘曰：「不然，各亲其主，人之常事。魏今与许何异，顾请留此，勿相疑也。」隐娘谢曰：「仆射左右无人，愿舍彼而就此，服公神明也。」知魏帅之不及刘。刘问其所须，曰：「每日只要钱二百文足矣。」乃依所请。忽不见二卫所之，刘使人寻之，不知所向。后潜收布囊中，见二纸卫，一黑一白。
In the Yuanhe reign the Weibo commander fell out with Liu Changyi, Military Governor of Chenxu, and sent Yinniang to take his head. Yinniang left the commander and set out for Xu. Liu had a gift for divination and already knew she was coming. He summoned one of his officers and told him to go north of the city early the next morning and wait for a man and a woman riding a white donkey and a black one. “At the gate a magpie will chatter in front of the man. He will shoot at it with his pellet bow and miss. The wife will take the bow from him and kill the magpie with a single pellet. Bow to them and say: ‘My master wishes to meet you, and so has sent me far out to welcome you.’” The officer did as he was told and met them. “His Excellency Liu really is a god,” said Yinniang and her husband. “How else could he have seen through us? We wish to see Lord Liu.” Liu received them kindly. Yinniang and her husband bowed. “We have wronged Your Excellency and deserve ten thousand deaths.” “Not at all,” said Liu. “Each serves his own master; that is only natural. What difference is there now between Wei and Xu? Please stay here and have no doubts.” Yinniang thanked him. “Your Excellency has no one like us about him. We wish to leave that man and come to you, because we bow to your powers.” She knew the Weibo commander was no match for Liu. Liu asked what they needed. “Only two hundred cash a day,” she said. “That is enough.” He granted it. Suddenly the two donkeys were nowhere to be seen. Liu sent men to look for them, but no one knew where they had gone. Later, hidden in a cloth bag, two paper donkeys were found, one black and one white.
後月餘，白劉曰：「彼未知住，必使人繼至。今宵請剪髮，繫之以紅綃，送於魏帥枕前，以表不回。」劉聽之。至四更卻返曰：「送其信了，後夜必使精精兒來殺某，及賊僕射之首。此時亦萬計殺之，乞不憂耳。」
后月余，白刘曰：「彼未知住，必使人继至。今宵请剪发，系之以红绡，送于魏帅枕前，以表不回。」刘听之。至四更却返曰：「送其信了，后夜必使精精儿来杀某，及贼仆射之首。此时亦万计杀之，乞不忧耳。」
A month or so later she said to Liu, “He does not know I am staying here. He is sure to send someone after me. Tonight, please, let me cut off some of my hair, tie it with red silk and lay it by the Weibo commander’s pillow, to show that I will not return.” Liu agreed. At the fourth watch she came back. “I have delivered the message. Tomorrow night he will certainly send Jingjing’er to kill me and take Your Excellency’s head. When he comes, I will use every means to kill him. Please do not worry.”
劉豁達大度，亦無畏色。是夜明燭，半宵之後，果有二幡子一紅一白，飄飄然如相擊於床四隅。良久，見一人自空而踣，身首異處。隱娘亦出曰：「精精兒已斃。」拽出於堂之下，以藥化為水，毛髮不存矣。
刘豁达大度，亦无畏色。是夜明烛，半宵之后，果有二幡子一红一白，飘飘然如相击于床四隅。良久，见一人自空而踣，身首异处。隐娘亦出曰：「精精儿已毙。」拽出于堂之下，以药化为水，毛发不存矣。
Liu was a broad-minded man and showed no fear. That night the candles were lit. Past midnight, sure enough, two pennants appeared, one red and one white, fluttering about the four corners of the bed as if striking at each other. After a long while a man fell headlong out of the empty air, his head and body in two places. Yinniang came out as well. “Jingjing’er is dead,” she said. She dragged him out below the hall and turned him to water with her drug; not a hair was left.
隱娘曰：「後夜當使妙手空空兒繼至。空空兒之神術，人莫能窺其用，鬼莫得躡其蹤。能從空虛之入冥，善無形而滅影。隱娘之藝，故不能造其境，此即係僕射之福耳。但以于闐玉周其頸，擁以衾，隱娘當化為蠛蠓，潛入僕射腸中聽伺，其餘無逃避處。」
隐娘曰：「后夜当使妙手空空儿继至。空空儿之神术，人莫能窥其用，鬼莫得蹑其踪。能从空虚之入冥，善无形而灭影。隐娘之艺，故不能造其境，此即系仆射之福耳。但以于阗玉周其颈，拥以衾，隐娘当化为蠛蠓，潜入仆射肠中听伺，其余无逃避处。」
“Tomorrow night,” said Yinniang, “he will send Kongkong’er the Wonder Hand after him. Kongkong’er’s arts are divine: no man can see how he works them, no ghost can follow his tracks. He can pass from the empty air into darkness; he is a master at having no form and leaving no shadow. My skill cannot reach his level. It will rest on Your Excellency’s good fortune. Only put Khotan jade around your neck and wrap yourself in a quilt. I will turn into a midge and slip into Your Excellency’s bowels to listen and watch. There is nowhere else to hide.”
劉如言。至三更，瞑目未熟，果聞頸上鏗然，聲甚厲。隱娘自劉口中躍出。賀曰：「僕射無患矣。此人如俊鶻，一搏不中，即翩然遠逝，恥其不中。才未逾一更，已千里矣。」後視其玉，果有匕首划處，痕逾數分。自此劉轉厚禮之。
刘如言。至三更，瞑目未熟，果闻颈上铿然，声甚厉。隐娘自刘口中跃出。贺曰：「仆射无患矣。此人如俊鹘，一搏不中，即翩然远逝，耻其不中。才未逾一更，已千里矣。」后视其玉，果有匕首划处，痕逾数分。自此刘转厚礼之。
Liu did as she said. At the third watch, as he lay with his eyes shut but not yet asleep, he did indeed hear a sharp clang at his neck, very loud. Yinniang leapt out of his mouth. “Congratulations,” she said. “Your Excellency is out of danger. This man is like a fine falcon: if one strike misses, he soars far away, ashamed of having missed. Before a single watch has passed he will be a thousand li off.” Afterwards they looked at the jade, and there was the mark where a dagger had struck it, a groove more than a few tenths of an inch deep. From then on Liu treated her with still greater respect.
自元和八年，劉自許入覲，隱娘不願從焉。云：「自此尋山水，訪至人，但乞一廬給與其夫。」劉如約。後漸不知所之。及劉薨於統軍，隱娘亦鞭驢而一至京師，柩前慟哭而去。
自元和八年，刘自许入觐，隐娘不愿从焉。云：「自此寻山水，访至人，但乞一庐给与其夫。」刘如约。后渐不知所之。及刘薨于统军，隐娘亦鞭驴而一至京师，柩前恸哭而去。
In the eighth year of Yuanhe, Liu left Xu for an audience at court. Yinniang did not wish to go with him. “From now on I will roam the mountains and rivers and seek out the perfected ones,” she said. “I ask only for a cottage for my husband.” Liu did as she asked. After that, little by little, no one knew where she was. When Liu died in the post of Commander of the Imperial Army, Yinniang came once to the capital, whipping along a donkey, wept bitterly before his coffin and went away.
開成年，昌裔子縱除陵州刺史，至蜀棧道，遇隱娘，貌若當時，甚喜相見，依前跨白衛如故。語縱曰：「郎君大災，不合適此。」出藥一粒，令縱吞之，云：「來年火急拋官歸洛，方脫此禍。吾藥力只保一年患耳。」縱亦不甚信，遺其繒彩，隱娘一無所受，但沉醉而去。後一年，縱不休官，果卒於陵州。自此無復有人見隱娘矣。
开成年，昌裔子纵除陵州刺史，至蜀栈道，遇隐娘，貌若当时，甚喜相见，依前跨白卫如故。语纵曰：「郎君大灾，不合适此。」出药一粒，令纵吞之，云：「来年火急抛官归洛，方脱此祸。吾药力只保一年患耳。」纵亦不甚信，遗其缯彩，隐娘一无所受，但沉醉而去。后一年，纵不休官，果卒于陵州。自此无复有人见隐娘矣。
In the Kaicheng reign, Liu Changyi’s son Zong was appointed Prefect of Lingzhou. On the plank roads into Shu he met Yinniang. She looked just as she had in those days. They were very glad to see each other, and she was riding a white donkey as before. “Young master,” she said to Zong, “a great disaster awaits you. You should not have come here.” She took out a pill and had him swallow it. “Next year, give up your post at once and go back to Luoyang. Only then will you escape this. My pill can protect you for one year only.” Zong did not quite believe her. He offered her silks, but she would accept none of them; she only drank herself deeply drunk and left. A year later, Zong still had not given up his post, and he died in Lingzhou, as she had said. After that no one ever saw Yinniang again.