Happy Land of the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit, Cave Heaven of the Water Curtain

In spring they picked flowers for food and drink,

In summer they lived off fruit.

In autumn they gathered taro and chesnuts,

They got through the winter on Solomon's-seal.

~

A light glow suffused the boudless sky;

A few crows were late in finding their roosts.

Lights were lit throughout the city as all fell still;

It was just the hour for the monks to enter the trance.

~

Palace of immortals: yellow shoots and white snow.
Home of men who can fly: rare and wonderful flowers.

~

 The Tang Priest,

Shivering and shaking,

Weeping and lost for words.

Zhu Bajie,

Muttering and grumbling,

Full of complaints.

Friar Sand,

Talking away,

While secretly feeling uncertain.

Sun the Novice,

Chuckling merrily,

Ready to use his powers.

~


Precious flames and golden light dazzled the eye,
While the rare incense and delicacies were marvellously fine.
The thousand-storeyed golden pavilion was infinitely lovely,
And pure sounded immortals' music on the ear.
Meatless food and magic flowers of the sort that are rare on earth,
Fragrant teas and exotic dishes that give eternal life.
After a long period of enduring a thousand kinds of suffering,
Today comes the glorious happiness of the Way completed.


~


The holy monk long strove to fetch the scriptures;
For fourteen years across the West he strayed.
He journeyed hard and met with much disaster;
By mountain and by rivers long delayed.
Completing eight times nine and one nine more,
His deeds filled worlds in numbers beyond measure.
He went back to his country taking sutras
That people in the East will always treasure.

~

This post was inspired by the 1996 Journey to the West / 西遊記 TV series produced and broadcasted by TVB HK.