[updated October 2022]
Chan Zhi Temple in Yangzhou
题 扬 州 禅 智 寺
雨 过 一 蝉 噪
飘 萧 松 桂 秋。
青 苔 满 阶 砌
白 鸟 故 迟 留。
暮 霭 生 深 树
斜 阳 下 小 楼。
谁 知 竹 西 路
歌 吹 是 扬 州？
Ti Yang Zhou Chan Zhi Si
Yu guo yi chan zao
Piao xiao song gui qiu.
Qing tai man jie qi
Bai niao gu chi liu.
Mu ai sheng shen shu
Xie yang xia xiao lou.
Shei zhi zhu xi lu
Ge chui shi yang zhou?
Chan Zhi Temple in Yangzhou
Rain passes by, one cicada very loud
Autumn pine and acanthus trees flutter and sigh.
Brick stairs filled with green moss
White birds intentionally remain late.
Deep forest, sunset haze emerges
Setting sun below a small tower.
Who knows the bamboo-lined western highway
And all of these melodies blow and praise Yangzhou?
Notes:
Chan Zhi: Zen Buddhism Wisdom
Yangzhou: A city located in Jiangsu Province, it straddles the Grand Canal on the northern banks of the Changjiang.
Commentary:
The line “…one cicada very loud” means summer is almost done.
The term “green moss” is also often used as a metaphor for a place that is used very infrequently, such as around a Zen Buddhist temple.