廣弘明集 15.65

15.65

辱告慰企。晚寒體中勝常。靈運脚諸疹。此春更甚憂。慮古人有情。信如來告。企詠之結實過飢渴。山間幽阻音塵闊絕。忽見諸讚歡慰良多。可謂俗外之詠。尋覽三復味翫增懷。輒奉和如別。雖辭不足覩然意寄盡此。從弟惠連後進文悟衰宗之美亦有一首。并以遠呈。承祇洹法業日茂。隨喜何極。六梁微緣。竊望不絕。即時經始招題在所住山南。南檐臨㵎北戶背巖。以此息心當無所忝耶。平生緬然臨紙累歎。敬惜為先繼以音告。儻值行李輒復承問。二月一日謝靈運白答。

I was humbled by your letter, which brought comfort to my longing. In this late cold, may your health be better than usual. My, Lingyun's, foot ailments have become even more distressing this spring. The ancients were creatures of sentiment; I truly believe the Tathāgata’s words. My longing and chanting have indeed surpassed [the pangs of] hunger and thirst. In these secluded, obstructed mountains, news and letters have been completely cut off. Suddenly seeing your various eulogies brought great joy and comfort; they may truly be called chants beyond the mundane world. Reading them over and over, savoring and enjoying them, only deepened my feelings. I have ventured to compose matching poems in reply, as recorded separately. Though the wording is unworthy of regard, my thoughts and devotion are fully invested here. My younger cousin Huilian, a late-comer to literary understanding and an ornament of our declining clan, has also composed one piece, which I present alongside [mine] from afar. Hearing that the Dharma enterprise at the Jetavana flourishes day by day, how could my rejoicing know any bound? The tenuous connection with the six beams—I secretly hope it will never be severed. At present, I have begun to establish a plaque and inscription at the south of the mountain where I reside: the southern eaves overlook a ravine, and the northern doorway backs onto a cliff. Using this to pacify the mind, there should be nothing to feel ashamed of! Looking back with deep longing upon my life, I sigh repeatedly before the paper. Reverence and cherished regard come first, followed by this message. If a traveler happens by, I shall again convey my inquiries. First day of the second month, Xie Lingyun writes in reply.