Ascending to the Blue Dragon Temple (by Wang Wei)

Late this morning we had a power outage in the neighborhood.  I noticed a truck from our local utility parked just in front of my neighbor Lucille’s giant beech tree.  Forced to power down I took the opportunity to look for a poem to translate.  I settled on this one by Wang Wei about his ascent to the Blue Dragon Temple to visit a certain Chan Master Cao – appropriately enough about his own powering down in a slightly different way.

It’s not an easy poem to translate – the phrasing is dense and opaque, and full of dharma references.  After struggling with my translation I looked to David Hinton’s version in his fine book (The selected poems of Wang Wei) and found considerable difference between his rendering and my own.  Live and learn.

I am going to email David now and ask him for permission to post his translation immediately below my own.

On a Summer's Day 
Ascending to the Blue Dragon Temple
 To Visit Chan Master Cao

A tired old man

I slowly ascend

To the temple

To meditate there

Yearning to learn more

About life’s deepest meanings

To contemplate emptiness

However imperfectly

To understand Nothing

Mountains and rivers

And Heaven’s pure vistas

May be seen either by means

Of inner or outer vision

Living in the world

Following Buddha’s teaching

Pursuing the Middle Way

None shall be condemned

To suffer torments in Hell

But instead shall be reborn

Of earth and wind

夏日过青龙寺谒操禅师

龙钟一老翁    徐步谒禅宫
欲问义心义     遥知空病空
山河天眼里     世界法身中
莫怪销炎热     能生大地风