<Header>
<Author: 韓愈>
<Title: 謁衡嶽廟遂宿嶽寺題門樓>
<Format: 七言古詩>
<Year: 1987>
<BookName: 300 Tang Poems: A New Translation>
<Translator: 許淵冲, 陸佩弦, 吳鈞陶>
<TranslatedTitle: A Poem Inscribed on the Entrance Gate of a Temple on Heng Mounyain>
<BookPage: 270-272>
<UsedPage: 3>
<Feature: 1>
<End Header>
<Poem>
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。
粉牆丹柱動光彩，
鬼物圖畫填青紅。
升階傴僂薦脯酒，
欲以菲薄明其衷。
廟令老人識神意，
睢盱偵伺能鞠躬。
手持杯珓導我擲，
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，
星月掩映雲膧朧。
猿鳴鐘動不知曙，
杲杲寒日生於東。
<End Poem>
<Translation>
The five Sacred Mountains rank like the Three Dukes;
With Mount Song in the centre, the other four
Standing in a circular guard.
The land is haunted, wild and fiery.
Yet Heaven bestowed on Mount Heng
That unique supremacy.

Clouds scudding and mist spraying,
Its girdle is often shrouded.
Who could then ever scale
The ultimate summit clouded?

I came upon a rainy autumn,
With air so stale and wanting of fresh wind.
Praying devoutly in silence,
Thinking that my upright mind
Would move the spirit to answer,

Instantly the clouds dispersed,
And a crown of peaks appeared.
I saw a pinnacle, for a wonder,
Protruding toward the blue yonder.

"Purple Canopy" extending to touch
"Heaven's Pillar",
"Stone Granary" throwing in its lot
With "Fire God",
Deeply awed, I dismounted
To prostrate myself.

Through the cypress and pine
I hastened along the pathway
To the holy temple.
The rosy cassia wood shimmered
Against the whitewashed walls,
And the spiritual figures filled out
The frescoes in blue and red.
Bowing low, while ascending the steps
With offerings of dried meat and wine,
I wished to show my sincerity
With such meagreness.

Within the temple was an old man
Of godly communion.

Bowing low but with eyes lit up in a search.
He held a divination box
And instructed me to cast,
He then pronounced that my throw blest
Was by far the luckiest.

Exiled to the barbarous wilderness
My only hope was to survive.
To be Duke, Prince, General, Premier,
I long ceased to aspire,
Not even with the leniency of God's blessing.

By nightfall, I lodged in the monastery.
Climbing to the top room,
I saw stars and moon
Flicker behind the shifting clouds.
Though many monkeys chattered,
And the bells tolled,
I should not awake to the dawn
As in the east
Rose the splendor of a wintry sun.
<End Translation>
<Formatted Translation>
The five Sacred Mountains rank like the Three Dukes;
With Mount Song in the centre, the other four
Standing in a circular guard. The land is haunted, wild and fiery.
Yet Heaven bestowed on Mount Heng That unique supremacy.

Clouds scudding and mist spraying, Its girdle is often shrouded.
Who could then ever scale The ultimate summit clouded?

I came upon a rainy autumn,
With air so stale and wanting of fresh wind.
Praying devoutly in silence,
Thinking that my upright mind Would move the spirit to answer,

Instantly the clouds dispersed, And a crown of peaks appeared.
I saw a pinnacle, for a wonder, Protruding toward the blue yonder.

"Purple Canopy" extending to touch "Heaven's Pillar",
"Stone Granary" throwing in its lot With "Fire God",
Deeply awed, I dismountedn To prostrate myself.

Through the cypress and pine I hastened along the pathway To the holy temple. 
The rosy cassia wood shimmered Against the whitewashed walls, 
And the spiritual figures filled out The frescoes in blue and red.
Bowing low, while ascending the steps With offerings of dried meat and wine,
I wished to show my sincerity With such meagreness.

Within the temple was an old man Of godly communion.

Bowing low but with eyes lit up in a search. 
He held a divination box And instructed me to cast,
He then pronounced that my throw blest Was by far the luckiest.

Exiled to the barbarous wilderness My only hope was to survive.
To be Duke, Prince, General, Premier, I long ceased to aspire,
Not even with the leniency of God's blessing.

By nightfall, I lodged in the monastery. Climbing to the top room,
I saw stars and moon Flicker behind the shifting clouds.
Though many monkeys chattered, And the bells tolled, I should not awake to the dawn 
As in the east Rose the splendor of a wintry sun.
<End Formatted Translation>