Han Yu: Pay Homage to the Mt. Heng Temple: Stay Overnight Near the Temple Gate Tower

Pay Homage to the Mt. Heng Temple: Stay Overnight Near the Temple Gate Tower

谒 衡 岳 庙 遂 宿 岳 寺 题 门 楼

五 月 祭 秩 皆 三 公
四 方 环 镇 嵩 当 中。
火 维 地 荒 足 妖 怪
天 假 神 柄 专 其 雄。

喷 云 泄 雾 藏 半 腹
虽 有 绝 顶 谁 能 穷？
我 来 正 逢 秋 雨 节
阴 气 晦 昧 无 清 风。

潜 心 默 祷 若 有 应
岂 非 正 直 能 感 通。
须 臾 静 扫 众 峰 出
仰 见 突 兀 撑 青 空。

紫 盖 连 延 接 天 柱
石 廪 腾 掷 堆 祝 融。
森 然 魄 动 下 马 拜
松 柏 一 径 趋 灵 宫。

粉 墙 丹 柱 动 先 彩
鬼 物 图 画 填 青 红 。
升 阶 伛 偻 荐 脯 酒
欲 以 菲 薄 明 其 衷。

庙 令 老 人 识 神 意
睢 盱 侦 何 能 鞠 躬。
手 持 杯 珓 导 我 掷
云 此 最 吉 余 难 同。

窜 逐 蛮 荒 幸 不 死
衣 食 才 足 甘 长 终。
侯 王 将 相 望 久 绝
神 纵 欲 福 难 为 功。

夜 投 佛 寺 上 高 阁
星 月 掩 映 云 膧 胧。
猿 鸣 钟 动 不 知 曙
杲 杲 寒 日 生 于 东。

Ye Heng Yue Miao Sui Su Miao Si Ti Men Lou

Wu yue ji zhi jie san gong
Si fang huan zhen song dang zhong.
Huo wei di huang zu yao guai
Tian jian shen bing zhuan qi xiong.

Pen yun xie wu zang ban fu
Sui you jue ding shei neng qiong?
Wo lai zheng feng qiu yu jie
Yin qi hui mei wu qing feng.

Qian xin mo dao ruo you ying
Qi fei zheng zhi neng gan tong.
Xu yu jing sao zhong feng chu
Yang jian tu wu cheng qing kong.

Zi gai lian yan jie tian zhu
Shi lin teng zhi dui zhu rong.
Sen ran po dong xia ma bai
Song bai yi jing qu ling gong.

Fen qiang dan zhu dong xian cai
Gui wu tu hua tian qing hong.
Sheng jie yu lu jian fu jiu
Yu yi fei bo ming qi zhong.

Miao ling lao ren shi shen yi
Sui xu zhen he neng ju gong.
Shou chi bei jiao dao wo zhi
Yun ci zui ji yu nan tong.

Cuan zhu man huang xing bu si
Yi shi cai zu gan chang zhong.
Hou wang jiang xiang wang jiu jue
Shen zong yu fu nan wei gong.

Ye tou fo si shang gao ge
Xing yue yan ying yun tong long.
Yuan ming zhong dong bu zhi shu
Gao gao han ri sheng yu dong.

Pay Homage to Mt. Heng Temple: Stay Overnight Near the Temple Gate Tower

Five sacred mountains filled with high ranking officials
Mt. Song surrounded on all four sides by calm mountains.
A place of uncultivated lands, for the evil and eccentric
Area of powerful spirits for the whole country.

Gushing out and release of clouds, fog from deep mountain bowels
Although the peaks are high, who can reach them?
I arrive in time for the season of autumn rains
Without clear winds, dark and gloomy atmosphere.

Submerged with silent prayers like having the answers
If one is not punctual or direct, spirits will not visit.
Suddenly the tranquility swept clean all of the peaks
Look to see the towering summits unfurl the blue sky.

Like the sky’s posts, connected mountains hold up a canopy
Shilin, Tengzhi and Zhurong formations piled and stacked.
Rest my horse, my soul moved by the awesome
Pine trees and cypresses along a footpath seeks a spiritual palace.

Moving ancestral colors of white walls and red columns
Filled with green and red paintings of spirit entities.
Offerings of meat and wine, often kowtow going up the stairs
My actions of simplicity and feeling noticed by the monks.

Highest temple elder knows the deity’s meanings
They return my eye contact of giving thanks.
Guided how to hold the divination cup properly
Told me that unlike others, my cast proved very lucky.

Having been exiled to culturally backward places, rejoice at not dying yet
For a long time my talents sufficient enough for food and clothes.
Not hoping for a noble position, long into the future looks bright
Reject society’s success, the deities set free my good fortune.

Evening climb up to a tall Buddhist pavilion
Stars and moon set off each other from clouds and mists.
Not aware of daybreak, apes howled and bells rang
Very bright and cold sun emerges from the east.

Notes:

Mt. Heng temple:  Also known as the Hanging Temple, it is located in Shanxi Province. Built over 1,500 years ago into a steep cliff. All three ancient beliefs of China (Daoism, Buddhism, Confucianism) consider it sacred.

Mt. Song:  Located in Henan Province on the southern bank of the Yellow River. Considered one of the Five Great Mountains of China.

Shilin:  Stone Forest in Yunnan Province

Tengzhi:  The loess formations on the Loess Plateau in central China.

Zhurong:  Located in the Jiangsu Basin. Also a mythological deity as the god of fire.

Divination cup: Referring to the Yi Jing : Also known as the “I Ching” and the Book of Changes. A text of ceremonial divinations, where the use of random numbers, by casting lots or coins, reveals the future and present conditions. The oldest of the Chinese texts, appeared during the Western Zhou Dynasty (ca. 1000-750 BC).