Written on the Old Flute of the Monk Tong題通師古笛
普光堂頭通師蓄古笛甚奇。自言得之於功德山白蓮社承座上。使人吹之。淸越可愛。功德山。是元曉，義相二公所棲之地也。義相所遺笠子。至今尙存。然則此笛亦焉知非當時之遺物歟。師請詩爲賦之。
Tong, the Abbot of Bogwang Temple, keeps a most remarkable old flute, and says himself that he got it from the Seungjwa (承座) of the White Lotus Society on Mount Gongdeok. I had someone play it, and it was clear and high and lovely. Mount Gongdeok is the land where Wonhyo and Uisang both dwelt. The rain hat that Uisang left behind remains there even now. If that is so, how should one know that this flute too is not a thing left from that time? The monk asked for a poem, and so I make him this.
Interlinear notes 1
幷序
The preface is appended together with it.
靑山揷天玉一朶。曉相二公曾燕坐。當時說法動人天。應有仙樂飄空下。笙簫忽散返玉樓。偶遺寶笛誤不收。千年鬼護秘扃鑰。神物自隱人難搜。吾師眼聖獨見之。信手摩挲心自奇。靈珍本爲異人出。古器那宜今世知。外費天巧非人鐫。中含龍吟豈俗傳。曺植謾誇雲夢竹。蔡邕空識柯亭椽。據床三弄淸裂石。長風挽落猶滴滴。一聲若作師子吼。堪笑禪家無孔笛。
The green mountain stabs the sky, a single cluster of jade, and Wonhyo and Uisang, the two of them, once sat there at ease. Preaching the Law then, they moved both men and heavens, and surely the music of immortals came fluttering down out of the void. The reed-organ and the flute scattered of a sudden and went back to the jade tower, and by chance left the precious flute amiss and did not gather it up. A thousand years the spirits kept it, hidden under bar and lock, and the numinous thing hid itself, so that men could hardly find it. Our monk's eye is holy, and he alone saw it, and stroking it as his hand went, he thought it strange of himself. A numinous treasure comes forth from the first for an uncommon man; how should the age we live in know an ancient vessel? Without, it has taken the workmanship of Heaven and is no man's carving; within, it holds a dragon's cry — how should it be handed on commonly? Cao Zhi (曺植) boasted in vain of the bamboo of Yunmeng (雲夢), and Cai Yong (蔡邕) in vain made out the rafter of Keting (柯亭). Leaning on the bench he blows three tunes, and the clearness splits the stone; and though a long wind draw it down, it falls in drops still. If one sound of it should become the roar of a lion, it would be worth a laugh at the holeless flute of the Seon house.