Translation
Qian Qi (710-782) | 錢起 |
To a Buddhist Monk Returning to Japan | 送僧歸日本 |
From this higher country, you follow karma, dwelling in it, | 上國 隨緣住 |
Returning on a path that seems to be a walking dream. | 來途 若夢行 |
Floating in the sky, far in the ocean blue, | 浮天 滄海遠 |
You leave the world with doctrine, on a reckless boat. | 去世 法舟輕 |
Moon and water pass in silent Zen, | 水月 通禪寂 |
Fish and dragons listen to your Buddhist chants. | 魚龍 聽梵聲 |
You feel only the lantern’s shadow | 惟憐 一燈影 |
And thousands of miles away your eye attains the light. | 萬里 眼中明 |
Commentary
In the Tang Dynasty, China and Japan had frequent cultural exchanges. Many Japanese came to study in China . Qian Qi wrote this farewell poem and presented it to a monk who was about to return Japan . Qian spoke highly of the monk’s proficiency in Buddhism and delivered his best wishes.
“Higher country” or “superior country” refers to China. The characters for China literally mean “central country” as they believed that the center of civilization was in China and the further away a country was, the more barbaric it was. “Floating in the sky” refers to the distant ocean horizon where the sky meets the water, so it looks like a distant boat is floating in the sky. “Doctrine, on a reckless boat” is a pun on both the actual boat and common metaphor that Buddhist doctrine is a light in the sea of despair. “Moon and water” refers to the Buddhist analogy that life is like a reflection of the moon in water. “Fish and dragons” is a compliment: even sea creatures listen to his practice. “Lantern’s shadow” refers to Buddhism spreading light to the world.
Original Chinese
Traditional | Simplified | Pronunciation |
錢起 | 钱起 | Qián Qǐ |
送僧歸日本 | 送僧归日本 | Sòng sēng guī rì běn |
上國隨緣住， | 上国随缘住， | Shàng guó suí yuán zhù， |
來途若夢行。 | 来途若梦行。 | Lái tú ruò mèng xíng。 |
浮天滄海遠， | 浮天沧海远， | Fú tiān cāng hǎi yuǎn， |
去世法舟輕。 | 去世法舟轻。 | Qù shì fǎ zhōu qīng。 |
水月通禪寂， | 水月通禅寂， | Shuǐ yuè tōng chán jì， |
魚龍聽梵聲。 | 鱼龙听梵声。 | Yú lóng tīng fàn shēng。 |
惟憐一燈影， | 惟怜一灯影， | Wéi lián yī dēng yǐng， |
萬里眼中明。 | 万里眼中明。 | Wàn lǐ yǎn zhōng míng。 |
Literal Notes
錢起 | Money Rise [Qian Qi (710-782)] |
送僧歸日本 | Send-off Buddhist-monk return-to Sun Origin [Send-off = farewell poem], [Sun Origin = Japan] |
Superior/above country follow/submit-to karma/fate dwell [Superior country = China] | |
來途若夢行。 | Return way/path/road/journey similar-to/seems dream walk/travel |
浮天滄海遠， | Float/drift/waft sky blue/dark-green sea/ocean distant/remote/far [Float sky = the boat came from the far away horizon where sky and water merge into one, so it looks like floating on the sky.] |
Leave/depart world law/rule boat light/brisk/reckless [Leave world = leave China], [Law boat = a Buddhist term. It is said that Buddhist doctrine can release souls from their suffering in the sea of life and death. Here it is a pun, “law boat” refers to Buddhist doctrine and the monk’s boat.] | |
Water moon pass-through Zen/meditation/contemplation quiet/still/silent [Water moon = a Buddhist metaphor. Buddhism holds that the world is empty; what we perceive is just the reflection of the moon in water or a flower in a mirror. ], [Zen quiet = a Buddhism term for the ideal peace of mind] | |
魚龍聽梵聲。 | Fish dragon hear/listen Buddhist sound/voice [Buddhist sound = the sound of reciting or chanting Buddhist scriptures. In the view of Buddhism, all things in the world have a Buddha-nature. This line is euphemistic praise for the monk, because the fish and dragons are moved and come to listen to his Buddhist sound. ] |
惟憐一燈影， | Only sympathize a lantern shadow/reflection [Only sympathize = love the most], [lantern = a pun. A lamp can light the world, so Buddhist doctrine is often compared to a lamp. In the poem, the lamp is not only a real lamp on the boat, but also a metaphor for Buddhist doctrine.] |
萬里眼中明。 | Ten-thousand/innumerable Chinese-miles eye in-the-midst-of/hit(target)/attain bright/light/clear |
Year:
2012
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