2022.08.01

《造山紀要》長文的英譯終於完成了，感謝譯者Teresa Chan 的用心。最初寫五段關於山的唱誦文字，《盤古》、《五嶽》、《三山》、《崑崙》、《須彌》，差不多是兩年前了，整整一個星期，每晚寫一段，大概三、四小時完成，寫時基本上已定了唱誦的調子，沒有考慮平仄韻腳，只求唱時順口，五段文字完成後，就沒有再修改，不同版本的唱誦錄音之前則在面書分享過幾次。

《造山紀要》長文，為五段唱誦文字各加了備注，並附寫作緣起及結語，交待書寫的來龍去脈及相關典故，這倒要翻查一些資料，費了一些功夫。斷斷續續的寫，文章大概半年前完成，決定要有英譯，希望能為想了解我作品的英語世界朋友提供一點線索。Teresa 之前幫我譯過幾篇，信、達、雅兼備，我要找譯者，她是不二之選。

此文將作為九月個展《造山》的點題文章。

(中英對照，長文慎入)

造山紀要

A Chronicle of Mountain Making

緣起

西元二零二零年十月，以《造山紀要》為題，書寫五段與「山」有關的文字，用以爬梳《造山系列》作品的一些主要想法。五段文字分別為《盤古》、《五嶽》、《三山》、《崑崙》與《須彌》，由太初洪蒙盤古開天闢地講起，幻想自己神遊太虛，得見盤古死後化身成山河大地，天下初具五嶽真形，東西南北中，是造化之功，亦引無數英雄逐鹿、多少騷人詠嘆。山，既是自然景觀，亦側記人文歷史。

盤古神人尚且難免一死，凡塵眾生豈能與天地同壽，但古往今來多少求長生者，仍不惜勞師動眾尋找海上仙山，最後皆空手而回，真能得道者億萬中無一。若有神人聖者偶開天眼，沿崑崙主軸直探須彌秘境，才知浮華世界怎比宇宙無邊，最後從浩瀚太虛急速迴轉，須彌極大納入芥子毫端，真箇了悟大小無礙原為一體，一元復始又復歸洪蒙。

編寫《造山紀要》，於我猶如一場無礙於物、橫越時空之旅，說得玄秘一點，好像經歷了一趟宇宙生成演化，經歷過後，再作《造山系列》雕塑，大概別有啟發。世界多事，無一日安寧，而這些神話想像蓋與現世無關，至少並不直接相關，寄情於此，聊以自娛。外面如何紛亂，至使身不由己，但心始終要有個歸處，此心歸處亦不奢望有多少同道，或者正如楊絳在《一百歲感言》中所謂，「世界是自己的，與他人毫無關係」，也就沒有甚麽好介懷了。

The Beginning

In October 2020, I wrote five pieces of text about “mountains” to consolidate the main concepts relating to the works of the mountain making series. Grouped under the main title of A Chronicle of Mountain Making, the five pieces are Pangu, The Five Great Mountains, The Three Mythical Mountains, The Kunlun and The Sumeru, and the story starts with the creation of land and sky. In the writing, I imagined myself travelling back to the very beginning when the universe was a void, where I witnessed the death of Pangu, whose body became the land, and I saw the first formation of mountains and rivers. The Five Great Mountains indicating the five directions of the world (east, west, south, north and the centre) were a wonder of creation, and they would become the goals of explorers and conquerors, and inspiration for poets and writers in the years to come. Mountains are not only part of the Nature, but also a testimony of history and the humanities.

An eminent man like Pangu could not escape death, so there is no possibility that the common man would live forever. That said, throughout history, many people journeyed to far ends of the world in quest of eternal life. Most were fruitless attempts and rarely did anyone find the answer. If any wise and enlightened man could follow the core of the Kunlun and reach the secret land of the Sumeru, he would see that the glamorous human world bears no comparison with the endless universe, and that all forms and sizes have the same beginning. When it is no longer necessary to differentiate what is big and what is small, the majestic Sumeru can be put in a mustard seed. The vast universe can also return instantly to the primordial origin, where time and space are again renewed in cycles.

To me, writing A Chronicle of Mountain Making is a journey through space and time unrestricted by physical obstacles. To say it in an enigmatic way, it seems as if I have witnessed the evolution of the universe in my writing, bringing back inspiration for my sculptural works of the mountain making series. In these tumultuous years, peace is not readily found. The mythical stories mentioned in the text have nothing to do with the reality, at least not directly related. I read and savour these stories in my leisure time. We are unable to have control over everything in a chaotic world but still, our heart needs a quiet place to take a rest. While I do not expect many to share the same, I am able to put my mind at ease when I recall what Yang Jiang (Note 1) writes in her Looking back on A Hundred Years of Life, “The world is our own and has nothing to do with others”.

正文

《造山紀要》五章如下，原意是可以唱詠，夜闌人靜，對酒當歌，自拍自和，此身幾何。五章正文另附備注，以補充相關背景資料，不求今夜有知音，付梓流傳，待後人評說。

Main Text

A Chronicle of Mountain Making is written in five sections, intended for reciting or chanting like the Chinese poems. I often imagine myself drinking and chanting in a quiet night, thinking of the meaning of the mortal life. Supplementary notes are appended to all five pieces of writing. While the writing may not have resonance for many, I hope it will be passed on and shared in the future.

《盤古》

話說太初洪蒙，一片混沌，有神人盤古，渠將天地來分。陽清為天，陰濁為地，盤古於其間，立地頂天。泣為雨下氣成風，聲為雷響兩目生光。神人終有日垂死去，明眸化作日月雙輝，四肢五體成山嶽，熱血流淌化作河川，從此山河大地，萬古長存。

備注：

三國．徐整《藝文類聚》卷一引《三五曆紀》有關盤古死後化身萬物的傳說，其文曰：「首生盤古，垂死化身；氣成風雲，聲爲雷霆，左眼爲日，右眼爲月，四肢五體爲四極五嶽，血液爲江河，觔脈爲地里，肌肉爲田土……」。盤古開天闢地，被尊為神人，但神人仍不免一死，此一死方能藉有限之身化育萬物、成就永恆。「四肢五體為四極五嶽」，此有形之軀亦為山河大地立界，往後幾多風流人物，是非成敗，都離不開這歷史舞台。

"Pangu"

At the primordial origin was a void where no physical form existed. Pangu separated the sky from the land: the sky is the yang and clear, the land is the yin and turbid. Pangu stood on the land, supporting the sky. His tears became rain and his breath turned into wind. His voice became thunder and his eyes shone to light up the land. The eminent man faced the end of his life one day. His eyes were transformed into the sun and the moon, limbs and head into mountains, and blood into rivers. So was the world created, in which man would dwell for many days and years to come.

Supplementary Notes:

The first volume of Yiwen Leiju (Note 2) quotes a legend recorded in Sanwu Liji (Note 3) (by Xu Zheng of the Three Kingdom period), which tells the transformation of Pangu into the world after he died. It says, “Pangu the first born was transformed after death: his breath into wind and cloud, his voice into thunder, his left eye became the sun and his right eye the moon, his limbs and head were the four directions and five mountains, from his blood came the rivers, his tendons turned into paths and routes, while his muscles into land and fields…” Pangu separated the sky from the land and was revered as an eminent man. However, he could not escape death, and it was through his death that the mortal was transformed into the world and continued to exist. “… his limbs and head were the four directions and five mountains”. So the physical body of Pangu became the frame and boundaries of the world, which would be the stage for many big names in human history and for their stories of success and failure.

《五嶽》

上回講到盤古化身成山嶽，東西南北定於中，東嶽泰山乃係封襌地，帝王登頂受命於天，西嶽華山縱有天下險，南嶽衡山亦有洞天，北嶽太恆自古係兵家地，中嶽嵩山峻極堪尊。須知道五嶽群山非獨處，由來大地一體相連，孤高自命徒添感嘆，星移斗轉又億萬年。

備注：

由盤古之五體 (四肢與頭) 推展至五嶽，象徵身體與土地的直接關聯，東、西、南、北、中，以方位界定空間，進而為活於其間者確立自身的存在。五嶽各有名號甚至被賦予不同性格，但從地質構造與地貌形成的角度而言，五嶽群山其實亦是一體相連、脈絡相通。由看似分隔的山嶽推展至延綿的山脈，是空間的擴展，但山脈亦非靜止不動，只因人生命短暫而未能察覺，空間的擴展與時間的推移，二而為一。

"The Five Great Mountains"

The last episode tells the transformation of Pangu into mountains. The centre is the anchor of the four directions. In the east is Mount Tai, the summit of which was a ritual site where the emperors of ancient time worshipped the heaven. In the west is Mount Hua, which is famous for its precipitous terrain. In the south is South Mount Heng (Note 4) with enchanting landscape. In the north is North Mount Heng (Note 4), a place of strategic importance for centuries. In the centre is the high and spectacular Mount Song. Great as they are, none of the five mountains is a solitary figure but connected through the land with each other. It is meaningless for anyone to be proud and self-important. Seasons change and stars shift in position, telling the passing of time and years.

Supplementary Notes:

The transformation of Pangu’s limbs and head into the Five Great Mountains symbolises the direct connection between the body and the earth. Space is delineated by the five directions, east, west, south, north and the centre. Those who live in this space will further define their own existence. Each of the Five Great Mountains has its own name and they are even described as having different characters. From the geological point of view and the history of earth formation, the five mountains are in fact connected as one. The connection of the seemingly separated mountains to form mountain ranges is an extension of space. Mountains do not remain static but our life is too short to notice the change. The extension of space and the flow of time are two united as one.

《三山》

忽聞海上有仙山，蓬萊、方丈共瀛洲，服藥長生終不可至，飄渺虛無海上求。蜃樓出水仙家居處，朝市滾滾波面浮。始皇大業渠統江山，百歲千秋仍未夠，童男童女三千眾，不得蓬萊仙藥不回頭。海客瀛洲談不盡，人間老病萬年憂，試問蒼天何所以，長生殿内哭白頭。

備注：

「五嶽」在神州大地的歷史時空中是有跡可尋，「三山」相對而言就更富浪漫神話色彩。「三山」指那三座山歷來說法不一，較普遍的說法是蓬萊、方丈與瀛洲。「三山」反映凡人渴求長生不老、得道成仙的冀盼，虛無飄渺亦疑幻似真，「似真」支持著這虛幻的冀盼，畢竟何為「真」何為「幻」，亦難以論斷。

"The Three Mythical Mountains"

It was said that there were mythical mountains out there across the sea, namely the Penglai, the Fangzhang and the Yingzhou. In people’s pursuit of the elixir of life, they turned to the sea after many fruitless attempts. Looking ahead from this floating world of the mortals, were the mountains in the distance the residence of immortal beings or just a mirage? The founder of an empire (Note 5) was not satisfied with the earthly reign and craved an everlasting life. Never returned were the thousands of boys and girls deployed in the quest for the elixir. Travellers from faraway places kept bringing back stories about Yingzhou but man could not evade sickness and death. Stricken by the fact of mortality, even rulers and emperors got no answer in their prayers but could only cry over the passing of life.

Supplementary Notes:

While the Five Great Mountains can be located on maps, the Three Mythical Mountains remain in tales and legends. Views are divided on the identity of the Three Mythical Mountains. Penglai, Fangzhang and Yingzhou are the more commonly accepted version. The Three Mythical Mountains are a reflection of man’s desire for an everlasting life and immortality. Their existence and location seem to be covered in mist, and there is no way to uncover the truth. The veil of mist, however, supports the desire for the impossible. At the end, no one is able to judge what is real and what is unreal.

《崑崙》

崑崙旁薄千萬里，地軸西東貫神州，弱水鴻毛浮不起，巍巍天柱上雲霄，北辰在上乃係居中處，無邊宇宙任逍遥，上下四方何來歸處，古往今來待得幾時。人於天地何所似，雪泥鴻爪不過一時，歌詞唱到心酸處，穹蒼萬象只有心知，所謂心外無物心外無理，情歸何處亦只有心知。

備注：

今日地圖上的崑崙山，是西起帕米爾高原東部，橫貫新疆、西藏，伸延至青海境內，全長約二千五百公里的延綿山脈，是否上古神話傳說中的崑崙，尚未可考。據《淮南子》所載「崑崙之丘，或上倍之，是謂涼風之山，登之而不死；或上倍之，是謂懸圃，登之乃靈，能使風雨；或上倍之，乃維上天，登之乃神，是謂太帝之居」，由崑崙直上「太帝之居」，「登之乃神」，但要登崑崙之丘，又談何容易。《搜神記》卷十三云：「崑崙之墟，……其外絕以弱水之深，又環以炎火之山」，「弱水」一入即沉，連鴻毛之輕都浮不起，「炎火之山」一入焚身，登天之路即如死路。「登天乃神」不成，回首人世，不過雪泥鴻爪，過後又了無踪影，一切只有心知。

"The Kunlun"

The Kunlun spans thousands of miles from the west to the east across the heart of motherland. Nothing, even as light as a feather, floats on the long river of Ruoshui. The mountain rises majestically from the land to form a pillar that supports the sky. The Pole Star shines in the celestial centre. Travelling freely in the universe, returning to nowhere, waiting for no particular hour. To what is human life likened in the world? All traces we left are transient. When the melancholic lyrics bring a touch of sadness, my heart echoes with the remote firmament. The only thing we should do to understand the universe and the world is returning to our own heart. My heart is also the home of all my senses and feelings.

Supplementary Notes:

On today’s map, the 2,500 km-long mountain range of Kunlun starts from the eastern part of the Pamirs, extending eastward across Xinjiang and Tibet, and reaches the province of Qinghai. Whether it is the same Kunlun referred to in the ancient myths is something yet to be proved. According to The Huainanzi (Note 6), if you climbed up the Kunlun, “you would reach the Mount of Cool Wind and become immortal; higher up to the palace of Xuanpu, you would have the magical power of controlling the wind and rain; higher up to the summit, you would see the throne of the Supreme Deity and you would become a god.” From the Kunlun, one could reach “the throne of the Supreme Deity” and “become a god” himself. But climbing the Kunlun is never an easy task. Soushenji (Note 7) says in volume 13, “The area of Kunlun … to which access is blocked by the deep river of Ruoshui and the surrounding mountains of fire.” Everything sinks in Ruoshui and even a feather cannot float on it. The mountains of fire burn anything. It seems that the road leading to the summit is a road fraught with peril, and the attempt to see the throne of the Supreme Deity and become god will never succeed. Returning to the human world, life is like footprints on the snow, which will disappear without a trace. Anything we know and treasure can only stay in our heart.

《須彌》

須彌座落三千界，七寶樓台天外天，至大無邊不可見，一念之轉在目前。有話花繁果盛芬芳遍，滿山神獸樂流連。十方風動同時起，清涼法界不染塵煙，須彌山上諸神佛，不在山中在心田。無邊浩瀚急迴轉，大小無礙納毫端，須彌芥子同歸處，太初無相又一元。

備注：

印度教與原始佛教的宇宙觀都有關於須彌山的記載，是三千大千世界中心至高至大的一座神山，是諸天神佛的居所，而人類所居的世界，不過微塵般的極小部分。大乘佛教認為一切法空，原不相礙，所以芥子 (芥菜的種子) 雖小，也能無礙地容納須彌山，故稱「芥子納須彌」。有關須彌山的描述，見諸不同佛典，其中《起世因本經》有載「須彌山王，在大海中，下狹上闊，漸漸寬大，端直不曲，大身牢固，佳妙殊特，最勝可觀。四寶合成，所謂金銀琉璃頗梨。須彌山上，生種種樹，其樹欝茂，出種種香，其香遠熏，遍滿諸山」。須彌秘境至大至廣，然而萬般殊勝又能一下子納於芥子之端，了無痕跡，至大至小原無分別，由宇宙無邊急速迴轉，一切又復歸原點。

"The Sumeru"

The Sumeru is located in the great chiliocosm. The glamorous palace of the gods is so tall that it touches the sky and so huge that its boundary cannot be seen. But in the split second of a thought, the mind brings it close to our eyes. On the Sumeru, plants bloom and bear fruit, and magical beasts frolic. Wind blows from all directions, extinguishing all troubles and worries. The Sumeru gods reside not in the mountain but in our heart. The vast universe can return instantly to its origin, and all forms and sizes can be put in the tip of a hair without differentiation. Both the Sumeru and a mustard seed have the same beginning, and the universe is renewed in a new cycle from the primordial void.

Supplementary Notes:

The Sumeru can be found in both Hindu and Buddhist cosmology. It is the tallest sacred mountain at the centre of the chiliocosm and is the residence of gods. The human world, in the contrary, is a tiny one like dust. According to the teachings of Mahayana Buddhism, neither the body nor the mind has a physical presence. There is no difficulty to put the Sumeru in a very small mustard seed. The Sumeru is mentioned in a number of Buddhist writings. It is written in the Aggañña Sutta that “Sumeru the king of mountains rises from the sea, with a narrow base but becomes wider at higher altitude. Tall, solid and regular in form, the Sumeru is majestic and spectacular. It is made of four precious materials, namely gold, silver, coloured glaze and crystal. On the green and lush Sumeru can be found a wide variety of trees which fill the air with rich fragrance, and the fragrance spreads over a long distance.” While the secret land of Sumeru is huge and wide, all its spectacular views can be put in a mustard seed without a trace as there is no difference between big and small. The boundless universe can return instantly to its origin, and all will go back to the very beginning.

後記

《造山紀要》由《盤古》始而至《須彌》告一段落，在空間的維度上，大小無礙，在時間的維度上，過去未來同一。《造山系列》雕塑作品，可觸可見的是山體形相，然而有形之物終究歸於塵土，期望文字載述以至唱詠流聲，能賦予作品無礙於時空的想像。聲文述說與造物過程，於我是來回往復、交纏並進，共構在世的點點痕跡，說到底，還不過是心跡。

Epilogue

Starting with Pangu and ended with The Sumeru, A Chronicle of Mountain Making explores space and time. Space is not limited by its size, and time is not restricted to the past or future. The sculptural works of the mountain making series show the tangible shapes and forms of mountains but physical existence will eventually disappear. I hope that the writing, be it read or recited, will allow people to see in the works imagination that is not limited by time and space. To me, writing and object making are interrelated, alternating and always ongoing. Through writing and object making, I try to leave my own traces in this world, traces of what I have carried in my heart.

Translator’s Notes:

1. Yang Jiang (1911-2016) (楊絳), a Chinese author, scholar and translator.

2. Yiwen Leiju (藝文類聚) (literal meaning of the title: “a classified collection of literary writings”) is an encyclopedia compiled in the Tang Dynasty.

3. Sanwu Liji (三五曆紀) (literal meaning of the title: “a record of the three kings and five emperors”) is a text of the 3rd century AD attributed to Xu Zheng of the Three Kingdom period. It is said to be the earliest work which tells the myth of Pangu.

4. For the five great mountains in China, the southern mountain is named “衡山” (in Hunan Province) and the northern mountain “恆山” (in Shanxi Province). “衡” and “恆” share the same pronunciation of “heng” in Putonghua.

5. The “founder of an empire” here refers to the First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty (秦始皇), who conquered all warring states and ruled a unified China in 221 BC.

6. The Huainanzi (淮南子) is an important collection of essays completed under the patronage of Liu An, a prince of Huainan in the Western Han period.

7. Soushenji (搜神記) (literal meaning of the title: “in search of the supernatural”) is a collection of legends and stories about Chinese gods, spirits and immortal beings compiled by Gan Bao of the Eastern Jin period.

(Translated by Teresa Chan)

#造山紀要