Prayer for the fast to drive away fire禳火齋詞
1May Huilu know his fault and Zhurong beg pardon
年月日。啓請如科儀。於紫極宮內修建洞淵妙齋。三日四夜轉經行道。爲禳當府火災。祈恩投辭。上諧虛無元始天尊。伏以波蕩四溟。塵昏九野。遂見綿區匝宇。未能滅祲消氛。臣雖志悅道風。而身沾睿澤。早託山河之誓。久臨淮海之封。每愼撫綏。不遑寧息。粗安一境。已涉五年。齋誠仰貢於上玄。妖氣願銷於下界。豈料天心悔禍。必俟時期。地分罹殃。難逃曆數。方當暮月。始起融風。遽興鄭國之災。難施爟斝。將救成都之急。誰噀酒杯。所焮旣多。俱焚是慮。衆力猶勤於撤屋。群心免駭於燎原。今則每念傷人。唯知罪己。仰投靈宇。敬醮寶壇。祓禳夐異於四郊。寧拘古禮。祈禱遠瞻於三島。但獻精誠。伏乞太上三尊。十方衆聖。曲流玄澤。大挫陽精。使回祿知非。祝融請罪。閭閻撲地。皆除火宅之災。道路生風。永作水鄕之福。烝黎樂業。師旅懷安。構陰謀者自就消亡。歸善化者各資榮泰。齊登壽域。仰望仙鄕。臣無任歸罪乞恩虔禱懇迫惶恐之至。謹辭。
Such a year, such a month, such a day. The opening petition is as the ritual code prescribes. Within the Ziji Palace the Dongyuan Wondrous Fast is set up and held, and for three days and four nights the scriptures are turned and the Way is walked, to drive away the fire disaster of this prefecture. Grace is prayed for, and these words are cast up to accord with the Primordial Heavenly Worthy of the Void. I humbly consider that the waves toss over the four seas and dust darkens the nine wilds, so that throughout the whole region and all around the land the baleful vapors have not yet been put out. Your servant, though his will delights in the wind of the Way, has his body wet with the sage's favor. Early he entrusted himself to the oath of mountain and river, and long has he held the domain of Huaihai. Always careful in soothing and settling the people, he has had no leisure to rest. He has roughly brought one border to quiet, and five years have now passed. The sincerity of the fast he offers up to the high dark, and he prays that the baleful air be melted away in the world below. How could he have reckoned that Heaven's heart repents of calamity only when the time is ripe, and that the lot of earth in meeting disaster is hard to escape from the reckoning of fate? Just at the last month of the season the wind of Rong first rose and all at once raised the disaster of the state of Zheng. The beacon cup (爟斝) was hard to set out, and when the urgency of Chengdu was to be saved, who would spout out a cup of wine? What was scorched was already much, and a common burning was feared. Yet the strength of the many was diligent in pulling down houses, and the hearts of the crowd were spared the terror of a fire across the plain. Now, whenever he thinks of the people hurt, he knows only to blame himself. He casts himself before the numinous hall and reverently offers the rite at the jeweled altar. Exorcism and averting are far different from the rites of the four suburbs. Why be bound by the old forms? His prayer looks far toward the three isles; he offers only his pure sincerity. I humbly beg the Three Most High Honored Ones and the host of saints of the ten directions to pour down their dark favor in full and greatly break the essence of yang, making Huilu know his fault and Zhurong beg pardon, so that the lanes and gates that lie flat on the ground may all be rid of the disaster of the burning house, and the roads may raise a wind and make forever the blessing of a land of water. May the common people delight in their work and the troops hold peace in their breasts. May those who frame dark plots go of themselves to their ruin, and may those who return to good teaching each find glory and ease, and all together climb into the land of long life and look up toward the village of the immortals. Your servant cannot bear the utmost of returning blame, begging grace, praying in reverence, pressing in earnest, and trembling in awe. This he submits with respect.