淨土五會念佛略法事儀讚 2.5

2.5

昔有一賢士（沙羅林），恒日在山林（沙羅林），
百鳥同一宣（沙羅林），相看如兄弟。
有一傍行人，失脚墮流泉，
手把無根樹，口稱觀世音。
鹿兒聞此語，便即跳入水，
語汝上鹿背，將汝出彼岸。
汝得出彼岸，步步向鹿跪，
無物報鹿恩，與鹿作奴僕。
鹿是草間虫，不用作奴僕，
飢時食百草，渴即飲流泉，
欲得報鹿恩，莫道鹿在此。

Formerly there was a virtuous man (in the śāla forest), / who was always in the mountain forest (in the śāla forest). / A hundred birds sang together in unison (in the śāla forest), / looking upon one another as brothers. / There was a traveler on foot, / who lost his footing and fell into a rushing spring. / With his hands he seized a rootless tree, / and with his mouth he called upon Avalokiteśvara. / The deer heard these words, / and at once leaped into the water. / It said: "Mount upon my back, / and I will carry you to the other shore." / When you reached the other shore, / at every step you knelt to the deer: / "I have nothing with which to repay your kindness, deer; / I will become your servant." / [The deer said:] "The deer is but a creature among the grass; / there is no need to become my servant. / When hungry, I eat various grasses; / when thirsty, I drink from the rushing springs. / If you wish to repay the deer's kindness, / do not say the deer is here."