The Abbot’s Hut
- Poetry of Qiwu Qian

《满公房》

English Translation

The world’s a lotus treasury divine,

Where pilgrims light incense to form karmic ties.

The Lamp King’s radiance knows no confine—

At midnight, silence spreads the Buddha’s sighs.

This seven-character quatrain, composed during the poet’s visit to a Buddhist temple, distills the essence of a sacred nightscape into twenty-eight characters. "Man Gong’s Chamber" (满公房) likely refers to a revered monk’s abode or a hall of worship, where lotus flowers, incense, and the "King of Lamps" merge into a tableau of spiritual transcendence. Through sparse yet evocative imagery, Feng captures both the physical serenity of the temple and its metaphysical resonance—where light and silence become conduits for enlightenment.

中文原文( Chinese )

世界莲花藏，行人香火缘。

灯王照不尽，中夜寂相传。

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Why Chinese poems is so special?: The most distinctive features of Chinese poetry are: concision- many poems are only four lines, and few are much longer than eight; ambiguity- number, tense and parts of speech are often undetermined, creating particularly rich interpretative possibilities; and structure- most poems follow quite strict formal patterns which have beauty in themselves as well as highlighting meaningful contrasts.

How to read a Chinese poem?: Like an English poem, but more so. Everything is there for a reason, so try to find that reason. Think about all the possible connotations, and be aware of the different possibilities of number and tense. Look for contrasts: within lines, between the lines of each couplet and between successive couplets. Above all, don't worry about what the poet meant- find your meaning.

The Abbot’s Hut - Poetry of Qiwu Qian

The Abbot’s Hut
- Poetry of Qiwu Qian