Thursday, June 04, 2020

司空圖二十四詩品《洗煉》 / Sikong Tu's Twenty-Four Classes of Poetry, 7 - "Washed and Purified"


Poem #7 from 二十四詩品. Not a whole lot to say about it, other than that I like the moon imagery, which in the first case is Daoist in its similarity to 列子 Liezi's riding the wind, and Buddhist in the second, where past lives are as transient as the moon. Sikong Tu was known to be influenced by both schools of thought.

Enjoy, dear reader.

微臣
史大偉

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洗煉
司空圖

如礦出金
如鉛出銀
超心煉冶
絕愛緇磷
空潭瀉春
古鏡照神
體素儲潔
乘月返真
載瞻星辰
載歌幽人
流水今日
明月前身

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"Washed and Purified"
Sikong Tu

Like gold comes from ore
Like silver comes from lead
overcome the mind, purify and smelt it
renounce attachment to light and dark

Water flows from deep pools in spring
the ancient mirror reflects the spirit
unblemished form conserves its purity
ride the moonlight to return to the Real

Set your gaze on the stars
turn your ear to the hermit's song
today is like flowing water;
the bright moon, our former lives.

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