With Many Intellectuals and Officials, Climb Up the Ci En Temple Pagoda
同 诸 公 登 慈 恩 寺 塔
高 标 跨 苍 穹
烈 风 无 时 休。
自 非 旷 士 怀
登 兹 翻 百 忧。
方 知 象 教 力
足 可 追 冥 搜。
仰 穿 龙 蛇 窟
始 出 支 撑 幽。
七 星 在 北 户
河 汉 声 西 流。
羲 和 鞭 白 日
少 昊 行 清 秋。
秦 山 忽 破 碎
泾 渭 不 可 求。
俯 视 但 一 气
焉 能 辨 皇 州。
回 首 叫 虞 舜
苍 梧 云 正 愁。
惜 哉 瑶 池 饮
日 晏 昆 仑 丘。
黄 鹄 去 不 息
哀 鸣 何 所 投。
君 看 随 阳 雁
名 有 稻 粱 谋。
Tong Zhu Gong Deng Ci En Si Ta
Gao biao kua cang qiong
Lie feng wu shi xiu.
Zi fei kuang shi huai
Deng zi fan bai you.
Fang zhi xiang jiao li
Zu ke zhui ming sou.
Yang chuan long she ku
Shi chu zhi cheng you.
Qi xing zai bei hu
He han sheng xi liu.
Xi he bian bai ri
Shao hao xing qing qiu.
Qin shan hu po sui
Jing wei bu ke qiu.
Fu shi dan yi qi
Yan neng bian huang zhou.
Hui shou jiao yu shun
Cang wu yun zheng chou.
Xi zai yao chi yin
Ri yan kun lun qiu.
Huang hu qu bu xi
Ai ming he suo tou.
Jun kan sui yang yan
Ming you dao liang mou.
With Many Intellectuals and Officials, Climb to Ci En Temple and Pagoda
So tall, on top of and beyond the blue sky
Strong and powerful wind without a time to rest.
I am naturally not one with an ability to rule and direct affairs
Climb these buildings to a position of one hundred sorrows and anxieties.
Realize religious icons have power and force
Enough to pursue the hidden and profound.
High enough to penetrate the caves of dragons and snakes
Foundation posts had to be driven very deep into the ground.
Can see above the seven northern stars
Almost hear the western flowing sounds of the Milky Way.
Almost see Xi He lashing the dragons that pull the sun across the sky
Shao Hao brings to us clear autumns.
Qin mountains suddenly broken into pieces
Unable to see the Jing and Wei River inhabitants.
Look down only see one color of air
Unable to find the palace’s location.
Turn my head around to call out for Shun, the best Yu nation king
He is sad and full of sorrows, beyond the clouds of Mt Cang Wu.
Too bad! Our emperor drank too much with Yao Chi, the Western fairy queen
Every day in the Kunlun mountains till late in the day.
The yellow swans have no place to rest
They call out their grief and sorrows, for there is no place to go and stay.
Today we see only Yang wild geese, who can only say, “Yes, yes, yes.”
Each of them seeks their own indoor and comfortable roost.
Notes:
Ci En Temple: Buddhist temple built in 648 and located near the then- capital Chang’an (currently Xi’an). Reportedly established by the famous monk Xuanzong, who traveled to the west (India) to bring back many Buddhist sutras.
Xi He: Chinese solar deity who was the mother of the ten suns. She was also the empress and wife of Emperor Huangdi.
Shao Hao: Son of the Yellow Emperor and a king circa 2,600 BC.
Qin mountains: Also known as the famous “Southern Mountains” south of the capital Chang’an (Xi’an).
Jing and Wei rivers: The Jing is tributary to the Wei, which in turn is tributary to the Yellow River near Chang’an.
Shun: Yu nation king who reigned 2233-2184 BC, and one of the Five Emperors.
Yao Chi: Known as the Jasper Lady, a goddess who guided Yu to control the primordial floods. Also famous as a shape-shifter.
Kunlun mountains: A long mountain range that forms the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau, including the provinces of Xizang (Tibet), Qinghai, and Xinjiang. In myth they are the axis mundi, the world pillar that connects the Heaven and the Earth.
Yang wild geese: In Chinese mythology and literature geese are symbols of the seasonal changes, and as messengers of love from those afar. The Yang geese are the light and sun of the yin-yang duality, flying to the north for the summer.