Mountain Rocks
山 石
山 石 荦 确 行 径 微
黄 昏 到 寺 碥 蝠 飞。
升 堂 坐 阶 新 雨 足
芭 蕉 叶 大 支 子 肥。
僧 言 古 壁 佛 画 好
以 火 来 照 所 见 稀。
铺 床 拂 度 置 羹 饭
疏 粝 亦 足 饱 我 饥。
夜 深 静 卧 百 虫 绝
清 月 出 岭 光 入 扉。
天 明 独 去 无 道 路
出 入 高 下 穷 烟 霏。
山 红 涧 碧 纷 烂 漫
时 见 松 栎 皆 十 围。
当 洛 赤 足 蹋 涧 石
水 声 激 激 风 吹 衣。
人 生 如 此 自 可 乐
岂 必 局 束 为 人 鞿 ？
嗟 哉 吾 党 二 三 子
安 得 至 老 不 更 归。
Shan Shi
Shan shi luo que xing jing wei
Huang hun dao si bian fu fei.
Sheng tang zuo jie xin yu zu
Ba jiao ye da zhi zi fei.
Seng yan gu bi fo hua hao
Yi huo lai zhao suo jian xi.
Pu chuang fu du zhi geng fan
Shu li yi zu bao wo ji.
Ye shen jing wo bai chong jue
Qing yue chu ling guang ru fei.
Tian ming du qu wu dao lu
Chu ru gao xia qiong yin fei.
Shan hong jian bi fen lan man
Shi jian song li jie shi wei.
Dang liu chi zu ta jian shi
Shui sheng ji ji feng chui yi.
Ren sheng ru ci zi ke le
Qi bi ju shu wei ren ji?
Jie zai wu dang er san zi
An de zhi lao bu geng gui.
Mountain Rocks
Walk up and down narrow footpaths, prominent and jagged mountain rocks
Yellow dusk arrives at the temple, bats flying about.
Up steps to sit in the main hall, new falling rain substantial
Large broadleaf banana trees provide fertile offshoots.
Fine Buddhist paintings, monk docents also explain the words on the ancient walls
Because of nightfall, one light arrives to illuminate the sights.
Made-up beds, room set up for a thick soup and rice meal
Thin brown rice adequate to fill up my hunger.
Lie down, evening deep and still, hundreds of insects have died
Clear moonrise, through the door a lit landscape of mountain ranges.
Alone as the sky brightens, monks go out without a pathway
Come and go, up and down as the mists disperse.
Bluish-green waters, many brightly-colored red mountain flowers
Sometimes can see pine trees that can barely be enclosed by ten holding hands.
Human experience can be this happy and natural
Why do we make people be tied up with reins and halters?
Big lament!
My group has two or three young people
Do not wait until you are old to experience what this tranquility can give.
Commentary:
A fine description of Han Yu’s experience of staying overnight at a Buddhist temple during his travels. These temples housed many itinerant travelers in ancient China.