University of Virginia Library

七言古詩 韓愈 謁衡嶽廟遂宿嶽寺題門樓

五嶽祭秩皆三公, 四方環鎮嵩當中。
火維地荒足妖怪, 天假神柄專其雄。
噴雲泄霧藏半腹, 雖有絕頂誰能窮?
我來正逢秋雨節, 陰氣晦昧無清風。
潛心默禱若有應, 豈非正直能感通?
須臾靜掃眾峰出, 仰見突兀撐青空。
紫蓋連延接天柱, 石廩騰擲堆祝融。
森然魄動下馬拜, 松柏一逕趨靈宮。
紛牆丹柱動光彩, 鬼物圖畫填青紅。
升階傴僂薦脯酒, 欲以菲薄明其衷。
廟內老人識神意, 睢盱偵伺能鞠躬。
手持盃珓導我擲, 云此最吉餘難同。
竄逐蠻荒幸不死, 衣食纔足甘長終。
侯王將相望久絕, 神縱欲福難為功。
夜投佛寺上高閣, 星月掩映雲曈曨。
猿鳴鐘動不知曙, 杲杲寒日生於東。

Seven-character-quatrain
Han Yu STOPPING AT A TEMPLE ON HENG MOUNTAIN I
INSCRIBE THIS POEM IN THE GATE-TOWER

The five Holy Mountains have the rank of the Three Dukes.
The other four make a ring, with the Song Mountain midmost.
To this one, in the fire-ruled south, where evil signs are rife,
Heaven gave divine power, ordaining it a peer.
All the clouds and hazes are hidden in its girdle;
And its forehead is beholden only by a few.
...I came here in autumn, during the rainy season,
When the sky was overcast and the clear wind gone.
I quieted my mind and prayed, hoping for an answer;
For assuredly righteous thinking reaches to high heaven.
And soon all the mountain-peaks were showing me their faces;
I looked up at a pinnacle that held the clean blue sky:
The wide Purple-Canopy joined the Celestial Column;
The Stone Granary leapt, while the Fire God stood still.
Moved by this token, I dismounted to offer thanks.
A long path of pine and cypress led to the temple.
Its white walls and purple pillars shone, and the vivid colour
Of gods and devils filled the place with patterns of red and blue.
I climbed the steps and, bending down to sacrifice, besought
That my pure heart might be welcome, in spite of my humble offering.
The old priest professed to know the judgment of the God:
He was polite and reverent, making many bows.
He handed me divinity-cups, he showed me how to use them
And told me that my fortune was the very best of all.
Though exiled to a barbarous land, mine is a happy life.
Plain food and plain clothes are all I ever wanted.
To be prince, duke, premier, general, was never my desire;
And if the God would bless me, what better could he grant than this ? --
At night I lie down to sleep in the top of a high tower;
While moon and stars glimmer through the darkness of the clouds....
Apes call, a bell sounds. And ready for dawn
I see arise, far in the east the cold bright sun.