鬼讚 In Praise of Ghosts

Hymn of the Ghosts

？Have you ever, on a desolate moonlit night, heard the ghosts' hymn?，Once I was walking alone through the empty mountains. Except, far off, from a cold pool,

你們: nǐ men — you (plural) (HSK 1)
曾: Zēng — surname Zeng (HSK 4)
否: fǒu — 1. to negate 2. to deny 3. not
在: zài — 1. to exist; to be alive 2. (of sb or sth) to be (located) at 3. (used before a verb to indicate an action in progress) (HSK 1)
凄: qī — 1. intense cold 2. frigid 3. dismal 4. grim 5. bleak 6. sad 7. mournful 8. also written 淒 (qī)
涼: Liáng — the five Liang of the Sixteen Kingdoms, namely: Former Liang 前涼 (314-376), Later Liang 後涼 (386-403), Northern Liang 北涼 (398-439), Southern Liang 南涼 (Nán Liáng) (397-414), Western Liang 西涼 (400-421) (HSK 2)
的: de — 1. of; ~'s (possessive particle) 2. (used after an attribute when it modifies a noun) 3. (used at the end of a declarative sentence for emphasis) 4. (used after a noun, verb or adjective to form a nominal expression, as in 皮革的 (pí gé de) "one made of leather" or 跑堂兒的 (pǎo táng r de) "a waiter (literally, one who runs back and forth in a restaurant)" or 新的 (xīn de) "new one") 5. also pr. (dì) or (di) in poetry and songs (HSK 1)
月夜: yuè yè — moonlit night
聽: tīng — 1. to listen to; to hear 2. to heed; to obey 3. a can (loanword from English "tin") 4. classifier for canned beverages 5. to let be; to allow (Taiwan pr. (tìng)) 6. (literary) to administer; to deal with (Taiwan pr. (tìng)) (HSK 1)
過: Guō — surname Guo (HSK 1)
鬼: guǐ — 1. disembodied spirit; ghost; devil 2. (suffix) person with a certain vice or addiction etc 3. sly; crafty; resourceful (variant of 詭 (guǐ)) 4. one of the 28 constellations of ancient Chinese astronomy (HSK 5)
讚: zàn — (bound form) to praise; to laud (variant of 贊 (zàn))
有一次: yǒu yī cì — 1. once 2. once upon a time
我: wǒ — I; me; my (HSK 1)
獨自: dú zì — alone (HSK 4)
在: zài — 1. to exist; to be alive 2. (of sb or sth) to be (located) at 3. (used before a verb to indicate an action in progress) (HSK 1)
空: kōng — 1. empty 2. air 3. sky 4. in vain (HSK 3)
山: Shān — surname Shan (HSK 1)
裏: lǐ — variant of 裡 (lǐ) (HSK 1)
走: zǒu — 1. to walk 2. to go 3. to run 4. to move (of vehicle) 5. to visit 6. to leave 7. to go away 8. to die (euph.) 9. from 10. through 11. away (in compound verbs, such as 撤走 (chè zǒu)) 12. to change (shape, form, meaning) (HSK 1)
除: chú — 1. to get rid of 2. to remove 3. to exclude 4. to eliminate 5. to wipe out 6. to divide 7. except 8. not including (HSK 6)
遠處: yuǎn chù — distant place (HSK 5)
寒: hán — 1. cold 2. poor 3. to tremble
潭底: tán dǐ — bottom of a (deep) pond

，，．，the faint sound of fish leaping out of the water, which could just be heard — all else lay sealed in silence beneath the cold dew of the moon. My clothes were soaked through,

魚: Yú — surname Yu (HSK 2)
躍: yuè — 1. to jump 2. to leap
出水: chū shuǐ — 1. to discharge water 2. to appear out of the water 3. to break the surface
聲: shēng — 1. sound 2. voice 3. tone 4. noise 5. reputation 6. classifier for sounds (HSK 5)
略: lüè — 1. brief; sketchy 2. outline; summary 3. to omit 4. (bound form before a single-character verb) a bit; somewhat; slightly 5. plan; strategy 6. to capture (territory) (HSK 7-9)
可: kě — 1. (prefix) can; may; able to; -able 2. to approve; to permit 3. to suit 4. (particle used for emphasis) certainly; very 5. but; however (HSK 5)
聽見: tīng jiàn — to hear (HSK 1)
以外: yǐ wài — 1. apart from 2. other than 3. except for 4. external 5. outside of 6. on the other side of 7. beyond (HSK 2)
其餘: qí yú — 1. the rest 2. the others 3. remaining 4. remainder 5. apart from them (HSK 4)
種種: zhǒng zhǒng — all kinds of (HSK 6)
都: Dū — surname Du (HSK 1)
被: bèi — 1. quilt 2. to cover (with) 3. (literary) to suffer (a misfortune) 4. used to indicate passive voice (placed before the doer of the action like "by" in English passive-voice sentences, or, if the doer is not mentioned, before the verb) 5. (since c. 2009) (sarcastic or jocular) used to indicate that the following word should be regarded as being in air quotes (as in 被旅遊[bei4 lu : 3 you2] to "go on a trip") (HSK 3)
月: yuè — 1. moon 2. month 3. monthly 4. classifier: 個 (gè), 輪 (lún) (HSK 1)
下: xià — 1. down 2. downwards 3. below 4. lower 5. later 6. next (week etc) 7. second (of two parts) 8. to decline 9. to go down 10. to arrive at (a decision, conclusion etc) 11. measure word to show the frequency of an action (HSK 1)
底: de — (equivalent to 的 as possessive particle) (HSK 4)
冷: Lěng — surname Leng (HSK 1)
露: Lù — surname Lu (HSK 6)
幽: yōu — 1. remote 2. hidden away 3. secluded 4. serene 5. peaceful 6. to imprison 7. in superstition indicates the underworld 8. ancient district spanning Liaonang and Hebei provinces
閉: bì — 1. to close 2. to stop up 3. to shut 4. to obstruct (HSK 6)
住: zhù — 1. to live; to reside; to stay 2. to stop; to cease 3. (result complement indicating firmness or a stable achieved state) (HSK 1)
我: wǒ — I; me; my (HSK 1)
底: de — (equivalent to 的 as possessive particle) (HSK 4)
衣服: yī fu — 1. clothes 2. classifier: 件 (jiàn), 套 (tào) (HSK 1)
極其: jí qí — extremely (HSK 4)
潤: rùn — 1. moist; glossy; sleek 2. to moisten; to lubricate 3. to embellish; to enhance 4. profit; remuneration 5. (neologism c. 2021) (slang) (loanword from "run") to emigrate (in order to flee adverse conditions) (HSK 7-9)
溼: shī — variant of 濕 (shī) (HSK 4)

．，．，and my legs, too, were worn out with walking. I was just about to turn back home when, I hardly know how, I came upon a settlement of the dead. Being utterly exhausted, I

我: wǒ — I; me; my (HSK 1)
兩: liǎng — 1. two 2. both 3. some 4. a few 5. tael, unit of weight equal to 50 grams (modern) or 1⁄16 of a catty 斤 (jīn) (old) (HSK 1)
腿: tuǐ — 1. leg 2. classifier: 條 (tiáo) (HSK 2)
也: Yě — surname Ye (HSK 1)
走: zǒu — 1. to walk 2. to go 3. to run 4. to move (of vehicle) 5. to visit 6. to leave 7. to go away 8. to die (euph.) 9. from 10. through 11. away (in compound verbs, such as 撤走 (chè zǒu)) 12. to change (shape, form, meaning) (HSK 1)
乏: fá — 1. short of 2. tired
了: le — 1. (completed action marker) 2. (modal particle indicating change of state, situation now) 3. (modal particle intensifying preceding clause) (HSK 1)
正要: zhèng yào — 1. to be just about to 2. to be on the point of
轉: zhuǎi — see 轉文 (zhuǎi wén) (HSK 3)
囘: huí — variant of 回 (huí)
家: jiā — 1. home 2. family 3. (polite) my (sister, uncle etc) 4. classifier for families or businesses 5. refers to the philosophical schools of pre-Han China 6. noun suffix for a specialist in some activity, such as a musician or revolutionary, corresponding to English -ist, -er, -ary or -ian 7. classifier: 個 (gè) (HSK 1)
中: Zhōng — 1. (bound form) China; Chinese 2. surname Zhong (HSK 1)
不: bù — 1. no; not so 2. (bound form) not; un- (HSK 1)
曉得: xiǎo de — to know (HSK 6)
怎樣: zěn yàng — 1. how 2. what kind (HSK 2)
就: jiù — 1. (after a suppositional clause) in that case; then 2. (after a clause of action) as soon as; immediately after 3. (same as 就是 (jiù shì)) merely; nothing else but; simply; just; precisely; exactly 4. only; as little as 5. as much as; as many as 6. to approach; to move towards 7. to undertake; to engage in 8. (often followed by 著 (zhe)) taking advantage of 9. (of food) to go with 10. with regard to; concerning 11. (bound form) to reach; to attain (as in 一蹴而就 (yī cù ér jiù)) 12. (pattern: 就 (jiù) ... 也 (yě) ...) even if ... still ... 13. (pattern: 不 (bù) ... 就 (jiù) ...) if not ... then must be ... (HSK 1)
經過: jīng guò — 1. to pass 2. to go through 3. process 4. course 5. classifier: 個 (gè) (HSK 2)
一: yī — 1. one 2. single 3. a (article) 4. as soon as 5. entire; whole; all; throughout 6. "one" radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 1) 7. also pr. (yāo) for greater clarity when spelling out numbers digit by digit (HSK 1)
區: Ōu — surname Ou (HSK 3)
死人: sǐ rén — 1. dead person 2. (coll.) to die; (of a death) to happen
底: de — (equivalent to 的 as possessive particle) (HSK 4)
聚落: jù luò — 1. settlement 2. dwelling place 3. town 4. village
我: wǒ — I; me; my (HSK 1)
因: yīn — 1. cause 2. reason 3. because (HSK 6)
疲: pí — weary
極: jí — 1. extremely 2. pole (geography, physics) 3. utmost 4. top (HSK 4)
才: cái — 1. ability; talent 2. sb of a certain type 3. a capable individual 4. then and only then 5. just now 6. (before an expression of quantity) only 7. (emphatic, esp. in contrast or correction) really; actually (HSK 2)

．，，．sat down on an altar to rest a while. There I saw a crowd of spirits, tall and short, uneven in height, coming out from their various graves. They seemed

，．not to see me, and all came walking toward the place where I sat.

，，，，They walked from this grave to that, moving row by row — those in front singing a line, those behind answering with a line, as though performing some sort of

．，，．pilgrimage. Nor did I feel afraid; I simply sat quietly to one side, listening to their singing and answering.

：『？』The first row sang: 'Who is most blessed?'

．Down through the rows, each in turn, gave answer.

『，．』'It is the one who once used the sense of sight, and now can no longer tell light from dark.'

『，．』'It is the one who once used the sense of hearing, and now can no longer tell one sound from another.'

『齅，．』'It is the one who once used the sense of smell, and now can no longer tell fragrance from stench.'

『，．』'It is the one who once used the sense of taste, and now can no longer tell bitter from sweet.'

『，、．』'It is the one who once used the sense of touch, and now can no longer tell rough from smooth, cold from warm.'

，：『！When each row had finished answering, all together sang: 'Blessed is he who has renounced every sense!！』Blessed are our skulls!'

：『．．』The spirits of the first row sang again: 'Our skulls are worthy of praise. Let us praise our skulls.'

，．When the leader had finished singing, the rows went on answering in turn, one after another.

『，，．』'We praise you, because when you weep, you no longer shed any tears.'

『，，．』'We praise you, because when you rage, you no longer draw sharp, urgent breaths.'

『，．』'We praise you, because when you grieve, you no longer knit your brows.'

『，，．』'We praise you, because when you smile, no lips any longer cover your teeth.'

『，．』'We praise you, because when you hear yourself praised, no blood any longer trembles in your veins.'

『，．』'We praise you, because you refuse to be toyed with by time.'

：『！All together sang again: 'Blessed is he who has renounced every sense!！』Blessed are our skulls!'

：They raised their hands and sang together:

『，、，；'O man, in this life and in the life to come, if you have tears, you must shed them to the fullest;；if you have a voice, you must sing it to the fullest;if you have suffering, you must

人: rén — 1. person; people 2. classifier: 個 (gè), 位 (wèi), 名 (míng) (HSK 1)
那: Nā — surname Na (HSK 1)
你: nǐ — you (informal, as opposed to courteous 您 (nín)) (HSK 1)
在: zài — 1. to exist; to be alive 2. (of sb or sth) to be (located) at 3. (used before a verb to indicate an action in progress) (HSK 1)
當: dāng — 1. to be 2. to act as 3. manage 4. withstand 5. when 6. during 7. ought 8. should 9. match equally 10. equal 11. same 12. obstruct 13. just at (a time or place) 14. on the spot 15. right 16. just at (HSK 2)
生: shēng — 1. to grow; to give birth; to produce; to be born 2. to arise; to occur 3. to light (a fire) 4. to live; to be alive 5. life 6. raw; uncooked; unprocessed 7. unfamiliar; strange 8. (bound form) student; person engaged in a field 9. (bound form) male role in traditional opera 10. (bound form) life; lifetime 11. (bound form) means of livelihood 12. (bound form) very; intensely (as in 生疼 (shēng téng)) 13. (bound form) in a forced manner (as in 生拉硬拽 (shēng lā yìng zhuài)) (HSK 2)
來生: lái shēng — next life
底: de — (equivalent to 的 as possessive particle) (HSK 4)
時候: shí hou — 1. time 2. length of time 3. moment 4. period (HSK 1)
有: yǒu — 1. to have; there is 2. (bound form) having; with; -ful; -ed; -al (as in 有意 (yǒu yì) intentional) (HSK 1)
淚: lèi — (bound form) tears; teardrops (HSK 4)
就: jiù — 1. (after a suppositional clause) in that case; then 2. (after a clause of action) as soon as; immediately after 3. (same as 就是 (jiù shì)) merely; nothing else but; simply; just; precisely; exactly 4. only; as little as 5. as much as; as many as 6. to approach; to move towards 7. to undertake; to engage in 8. (often followed by 著 (zhe)) taking advantage of 9. (of food) to go with 10. with regard to; concerning 11. (bound form) to reach; to attain (as in 一蹴而就 (yī cù ér jiù)) 12. (pattern: 就 (jiù) ... 也 (yě) ...) even if ... still ... 13. (pattern: 不 (bù) ... 就 (jiù) ...) if not ... then must be ... (HSK 1)
得: dé — 1. to obtain 2. to get 3. to gain 4. to catch (a disease) 5. proper 6. suitable 7. proud 8. contented 9. to allow 10. to permit 11. ready 12. finished (HSK 2)
盡量: jìn liàng — 1. as much as possible 2. to the greatest extent (HSK 3)
流: liú — 1. to flow 2. to disseminate 3. to circulate or spread 4. to move or drift 5. to degenerate 6. to banish or send into exile 7. stream of water or sth resembling one 8. class, rate or grade (HSK 2)
有: yǒu — 1. to have; there is 2. (bound form) having; with; -ful; -ed; -al (as in 有意 (yǒu yì) intentional) (HSK 1)
聲: shēng — 1. sound 2. voice 3. tone 4. noise 5. reputation 6. classifier for sounds (HSK 5)
就: jiù — 1. (after a suppositional clause) in that case; then 2. (after a clause of action) as soon as; immediately after 3. (same as 就是 (jiù shì)) merely; nothing else but; simply; just; precisely; exactly 4. only; as little as 5. as much as; as many as 6. to approach; to move towards 7. to undertake; to engage in 8. (often followed by 著 (zhe)) taking advantage of 9. (of food) to go with 10. with regard to; concerning 11. (bound form) to reach; to attain (as in 一蹴而就 (yī cù ér jiù)) 12. (pattern: 就 (jiù) ... 也 (yě) ...) even if ... still ... 13. (pattern: 不 (bù) ... 就 (jiù) ...) if not ... then must be ... (HSK 1)
得: dé — 1. to obtain 2. to get 3. to gain 4. to catch (a disease) 5. proper 6. suitable 7. proud 8. contented 9. to allow 10. to permit 11. ready 12. finished (HSK 2)
盡量: jìn liàng — 1. as much as possible 2. to the greatest extent (HSK 3)
唱: chàng — 1. to sing 2. to call loudly 3. to chant (HSK 1)
有: yǒu — 1. to have; there is 2. (bound form) having; with; -ful; -ed; -al (as in 有意 (yǒu yì) intentional) (HSK 1)
苦: kǔ — 1. bitter 2. hardship 3. pain 4. to suffer 5. to bring suffering to 6. painstakingly (HSK 4)
就: jiù — 1. (after a suppositional clause) in that case; then 2. (after a clause of action) as soon as; immediately after 3. (same as 就是 (jiù shì)) merely; nothing else but; simply; just; precisely; exactly 4. only; as little as 5. as much as; as many as 6. to approach; to move towards 7. to undertake; to engage in 8. (often followed by 著 (zhe)) taking advantage of 9. (of food) to go with 10. with regard to; concerning 11. (bound form) to reach; to attain (as in 一蹴而就 (yī cù ér jiù)) 12. (pattern: 就 (jiù) ... 也 (yě) ...) even if ... still ... 13. (pattern: 不 (bù) ... 就 (jiù) ...) if not ... then must be ... (HSK 1)
得: dé — 1. to obtain 2. to get 3. to gain 4. to catch (a disease) 5. proper 6. suitable 7. proud 8. contented 9. to allow 10. to permit 11. ready 12. finished (HSK 2)
盡: jìn — 1. to use up 2. to exhaust 3. to end 4. to finish 5. to the utmost 6. exhausted 7. finished 8. to the limit (of sth) 9. all 10. entirely (HSK 6)

；taste it to the fullest;；if you have love, you must give it to the fullest;；if you have desire, you must take it to the fullest;．，if you have work, you must accomplish it to the fullest. Wait until you grow weary, until you come to your

量: liáng — to measure (HSK 4)
嘗: cháng — 1. to taste; to try (food) 2. to experience 3. (literary) ever; once (HSK 5)
有情: yǒu qíng — 1. to be in love 2. sentient beings (Buddhism)
就: jiù — 1. (after a suppositional clause) in that case; then 2. (after a clause of action) as soon as; immediately after 3. (same as 就是 (jiù shì)) merely; nothing else but; simply; just; precisely; exactly 4. only; as little as 5. as much as; as many as 6. to approach; to move towards 7. to undertake; to engage in 8. (often followed by 著 (zhe)) taking advantage of 9. (of food) to go with 10. with regard to; concerning 11. (bound form) to reach; to attain (as in 一蹴而就 (yī cù ér jiù)) 12. (pattern: 就 (jiù) ... 也 (yě) ...) even if ... still ... 13. (pattern: 不 (bù) ... 就 (jiù) ...) if not ... then must be ... (HSK 1)
得: dé — 1. to obtain 2. to get 3. to gain 4. to catch (a disease) 5. proper 6. suitable 7. proud 8. contented 9. to allow 10. to permit 11. ready 12. finished (HSK 2)
盡量: jìn liàng — 1. as much as possible 2. to the greatest extent (HSK 3)
施: Shī — surname Shi
有: yǒu — 1. to have; there is 2. (bound form) having; with; -ful; -ed; -al (as in 有意 (yǒu yì) intentional) (HSK 1)
欲: yù — 1. to wish for 2. to desire 3. variant of 慾 (yù)
就: jiù — 1. (after a suppositional clause) in that case; then 2. (after a clause of action) as soon as; immediately after 3. (same as 就是 (jiù shì)) merely; nothing else but; simply; just; precisely; exactly 4. only; as little as 5. as much as; as many as 6. to approach; to move towards 7. to undertake; to engage in 8. (often followed by 著 (zhe)) taking advantage of 9. (of food) to go with 10. with regard to; concerning 11. (bound form) to reach; to attain (as in 一蹴而就 (yī cù ér jiù)) 12. (pattern: 就 (jiù) ... 也 (yě) ...) even if ... still ... 13. (pattern: 不 (bù) ... 就 (jiù) ...) if not ... then must be ... (HSK 1)
得: dé — 1. to obtain 2. to get 3. to gain 4. to catch (a disease) 5. proper 6. suitable 7. proud 8. contented 9. to allow 10. to permit 11. ready 12. finished (HSK 2)
盡量: jìn liàng — 1. as much as possible 2. to the greatest extent (HSK 3)
取: qǔ — 1. to take 2. to get 3. to choose 4. to fetch (HSK 2)
有事: yǒu shì — 1. to be occupied with sth 2. to have sth on one's mind 3. there is something the matter (HSK 6)
就: jiù — 1. (after a suppositional clause) in that case; then 2. (after a clause of action) as soon as; immediately after 3. (same as 就是 (jiù shì)) merely; nothing else but; simply; just; precisely; exactly 4. only; as little as 5. as much as; as many as 6. to approach; to move towards 7. to undertake; to engage in 8. (often followed by 著 (zhe)) taking advantage of 9. (of food) to go with 10. with regard to; concerning 11. (bound form) to reach; to attain (as in 一蹴而就 (yī cù ér jiù)) 12. (pattern: 就 (jiù) ... 也 (yě) ...) even if ... still ... 13. (pattern: 不 (bù) ... 就 (jiù) ...) if not ... then must be ... (HSK 1)
得: dé — 1. to obtain 2. to get 3. to gain 4. to catch (a disease) 5. proper 6. suitable 7. proud 8. contented 9. to allow 10. to permit 11. ready 12. finished (HSK 2)
盡量: jìn liàng — 1. as much as possible 2. to the greatest extent (HSK 3)
成就: chéng jiù — 1. accomplishment 2. success 3. achievement 4. classifier: 個 (gè) 5. to achieve (a result) 6. to create 7. to bring about (HSK 3)
等到: děng dào — 1. to wait until 2. by the time when (sth is ready etc) (HSK 2)
你: nǐ — you (informal, as opposed to courteous 您 (nín)) (HSK 1)
疲勞: pí láo — 1. fatigue 2. wearily 3. weariness 4. weary (HSK 7-9)
等到: děng dào — 1. to wait until 2. by the time when (sth is ready etc) (HSK 2)
你: nǐ — you (informal, as opposed to courteous 您 (nín)) (HSK 1)
歇: xiē — 1. to rest 2. to take a break 3. to stop 4. to halt 5. (dialect) to sleep 6. a moment 7. a short while (HSK 5)

，！』rest — then you shall be blessed!'

，．，，When they had finished chanting this passage, they scattered, each going their own way. For a moment, the clouds over the mountain, unable to sleep soundly, pressed straight down, and the distant hills were all

他們: tā men — they; them (HSK 1)
誦: sòng — 1. to read aloud 2. to recite
完: wán — 1. to finish 2. to be over 3. whole 4. complete 5. entire (HSK 2)
這: zhè — 1. (pronoun) this; these 2. (bound form) this; the (followed by a noun) 3. (bound form) this; these (followed by a classifier) (in this sense, commonly pr. (zhèi), esp. in Beijing) (HSK 1)
段: Duàn — surname Duan (HSK 2)
就: jiù — 1. (after a suppositional clause) in that case; then 2. (after a clause of action) as soon as; immediately after 3. (same as 就是 (jiù shì)) merely; nothing else but; simply; just; precisely; exactly 4. only; as little as 5. as much as; as many as 6. to approach; to move towards 7. to undertake; to engage in 8. (often followed by 著 (zhe)) taking advantage of 9. (of food) to go with 10. with regard to; concerning 11. (bound form) to reach; to attain (as in 一蹴而就 (yī cù ér jiù)) 12. (pattern: 就 (jiù) ... 也 (yě) ...) even if ... still ... 13. (pattern: 不 (bù) ... 就 (jiù) ...) if not ... then must be ... (HSK 1)
各自: gè zì — 1. each 2. respective 3. apiece (HSK 3)
分散: fēn sàn — 1. to scatter 2. to disperse 3. to distribute (HSK 4)
一時: yī shí — 1. a period of time 2. a while 3. for a short while 4. temporary 5. momentary 6. at the same time (HSK 6)
山: Shān — surname Shan (HSK 1)
中: Zhōng — 1. (bound form) China; Chinese 2. surname Zhong (HSK 1)
睡: shuì — 1. to sleep 2. to lie down (HSK 1)
不: bù — 1. no; not so 2. (bound form) not; un- (HSK 1)
熟: shú — 1. ripe; mature 2. thoroughly cooked; done 3. familiar; acquainted 4. experienced; skilled 5. (of sleep etc) deep; profound 6. also pr. (shóu) (HSK 2)
底: de — (equivalent to 的 as possessive particle) (HSK 4)
雲: Yún — 1. surname Yun 2. short name for Yunnan 雲南 (Yún nán) (HSK 2)
直: Zhí — 1. surname Zhi 2. Zhi (c. 2000 BC), fifth of the legendary Flame Emperors 炎帝 (Yán dì) descended from Shennong 神農 (Shén nóng) Farmer God (HSK 3)
望: wàng — 1. full moon 2. to hope 3. to expect 4. to visit 5. to gaze (into the distance) 6. to look towards 7. towards (HSK 7-9)
下: xià — 1. down 2. downwards 3. below 4. lower 5. later 6. next (week etc) 7. second (of two parts) 8. to decline 9. to go down 10. to arrive at (a decision, conclusion etc) 11. measure word to show the frequency of an action (HSK 1)
壓: yā — 1. to press 2. to push down 3. to keep under (control) 4. pressure (HSK 3)
遠: yuǎn — 1. far 2. distant 3. remote 4. (intensifier in a comparison) by far 5. much (lower etc) (HSK 1)
地底: dì dǐ — 1. subterranean 2. underground
丘陵: qiū líng — hills (HSK 7-9)
都: Dū — surname Du (HSK 1)
給: gěi — 1. to 2. for 3. for the benefit of 4. to give 5. to allow 6. to do sth (for sb) 7. (grammatical equivalent of 被) 8. (grammatical equivalent of 把) 9. (sentence intensifier) (HSK 1)

．，，buried from sight. I very nearly lost my way as well, but fortunately the broken, intermittent sound of fish leaping from the water came drifting from beyond the cold pool, letting

．me dimly make out the way home.

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What it’s about

Walking alone through a cold, moonlit mountain, the exhausted narrator rests on an altar in a cemetery. Ghosts emerge from graves and process past him in rows, singing antiphonally. They call those without sight, hearing, smell, taste or touch blessed and praise their skulls: skulls shed no tears, gasp with no anger, wrinkle no brows, hide no teeth behind smiling lips and feel no blood tremble when praised. Death has removed both suffering and susceptibility.

Their final chorus unexpectedly addresses the living. While alive, people should exhaust their capacities: shed tears, sing, taste bitterness, give feeling, take desire and finish what must be done. Only after fatigue and rest will they possess the ghosts' blessing. The hymn therefore does not recommend rushing toward numbness. The dead praise freedom from sensation because they have passed through sensation fully. When cloud covers the hills, the narrator nearly loses his way, but intermittent fish splashes guide him home; embodied sound, one of the faculties the skulls lack, restores a living path.

When it was written 背景

The piece mixes a Chinese graveyard encounter with the cadence of a religious beatitude: “blessed are” and responsive praise recall Christian liturgy, while release from the senses and from time resonates with Buddhist detachment. Xu does not force these traditions into a systematic creed. Instead the grotesque visibility of skulls corrects any prettified spirituality, and the closing injunction values an intense finite life before rest. The five “organs” correspond to familiar sense categories, though the ghosts add emotion, expression and reputation to their inventory. Learners can use the repeated 我們讚美你 and 再不 to hear the ceremonial structure. The final fish sound recalls the opening landscape and reverses the hymn: the narrator survives because hearing still connects him to the material world.

Words in this chapter 生词

讚美zàn měiHSK 7-9讚美zàn měi — to admire · to praise · to eulogize (HSK 7-9)
髑髏dú lóu髑髏dú lóu — (literary) skull (of a dead person)
盡量jìn liàngHSK 3盡量jìn liàng — as much as possible · to the greatest extent (HSK 3)
感官gǎn guān感官gǎn guān — sense · sense organ
挨着āi zheHSK 6挨着āi zhe — near (HSK 6)
棄絕qì jué棄絕qì jué — to abandon · to forsake
有福yǒu fú有福yǒu fú — to be blessed
幽魂yōu hún幽魂yōu hún — ghost · spirit (of the dead)
爲wéiHSK 2爲wéi — variant of 為 (wéi) (HSK 2)
出水chū shuǐ出水chū shuǐ — to discharge water · to appear out of the water · to break the surface
次序cì xù次序cì xù — sequence; order
而今ér jīn而今ér jīn — now · at the present (time)