法華義疏 2.147

2.147

偈有二種：一、首盧偈，凡三十二字，蓋是外國數經之法。數經之法者，莫問長行與偈，但具三十二字便名一首盧也。二、結句偈，要以四句備足然後為偈，莫問四言乃至七言，必須四句。故《涅槃經》云「四句為偈，是名句世」。句世者，世間流布以四句為偈也。句世有二種：一、伽陀，謂孤起偈亦名不等頌。二、路伽，謂頌長行偈。有人言，外國稱祇夜或名偈夜，今略彼夜字直稱為偈，此間翻為句也頌也。有人言，偈是此間語，以其明義竭盡故稱為偈也。

Verses are of two kinds: First, the śloka verse, which consists of thirty-two syllables; this is the method of calculating sūtras in foreign countries. In the method of calculating sūtras, regardless of prose or verse, any unit comprising thirty-two syllables is termed one śloka. Second, the verse of concluding lines, which requires four lines to be complete before constituting a verse; regardless of whether it has four words or up to seven words [per line], it must consist of four lines. Therefore the Nirvāṇa Sūtra states: 'Four lines constitute a gāthā; this is called worldly verses.' 'Worldly verses' means that in worldly dissemination four lines constitute a verse. Worldly verses are of two kinds: first, gāthā, which refers to isolated verses, also termed non-recapitulatory verses; second, śloka, which refers to verses that recapitulate prose. Some say that in foreign countries they are called geya, and now, omitting the syllable 'ya', they are simply called ge (verses), which are translated here as lines or chants. Some say that 'ge' is a term native to this land, called 'ge' because it brings the clarification of meaning to its utmost exhaustion.