The Bell of Hwangnyongsa, the Medicine Buddha of Bunhwangsa, and the Bell of Bongdeoksa皇龍寺鍾 芬皇寺藥師 奉德寺鍾
1Casting the bell of Hwangnyongsa
新羅第三十五景徳大王以天寳十三甲午鑄皇龍寺鍾,長一丈三寸,厚九寸,入重四十九万七千五百八十一斤.施主孝貞伊王三毛夫人,匠人里上宅下典.肅宗朝重成新鍾,長六尺八寸.
King Gyeongdeok, the thirty-fifth ruler of Silla, cast the bell of Hwangnyongsa in the thirteenth year of Tianbao (天寶), the gabo year.
Its length was one gil and three chi, its thickness nine chi, and the weight of metal that went into it was four hundred ninety-seven thousand five hundred and eighty-one geun.
The donors were Hyojeong Iwang (孝貞伊王) and Lady Sammo (三毛夫人), and the craftsman was the hajeon (下典) of the Isang house (里上宅).
In the reign of Sukjong a new bell was cast again, six cheok and eight chi long.
2Casting the Medicine Buddha of Bunhwangsa
又明年乙未鑄芬皇藥師銅像,重三十万六千七百斤,匠人本彼部強古乃未.
Also, the next year, the eulmi year, the bronze image of the Medicine Buddha of Bunhwangsa was cast. Its weight was three hundred six thousand seven hundred geun, and the craftsman was Ganggo naemal (強古乃末) of Bonpi-bu.
3A bell begun for a father, completed by the son
又捨黄銅一十二万斤,爲先考聖徳王欲鑄巨鍾一口,未就而崩,其子惠恭大王乾運以大暦庚戌十二月,命有司鳩工徒乃克成之,安於奉徳寺.寺乃孝成王開元二十六年戊寅,爲先考聖徳大王奉福所創也.故鍾銘曰聖徳大王神鍾之銘.〔聖徳乃景徳之考典光大王也.鍾本景徳爲先考所施之金,故称云聖徳鍾厼.〕朝散大夫前太子司議郎翰林郎金弼粤奉教撰鍾銘,文煩不録.
Also, he gave one hundred twenty thousand geun of yellow copper, meaning to cast a great bell for his late father King Seongdeok, but he died before it was completed.
His son, the great king Hyegong, Geonun (乾運), in the gyeongsul year of Dali (大曆), in the twelfth month, commanded the officials to gather craftsmen, and at last it was completed and placed at Bongdeoksa (奉德寺).
That temple was built by King Hyoseong in the twenty-sixth year of Kaiyuan, the muin year, to uphold the blessings of his late father the great king Seongdeok. Therefore the inscription (銘) of the bell is called the Inscription of the Divine Bell of the Great King Seongdeok (聖德大王神鍾之銘).〔Seongdeok is the great king Jeongwang, the father of King Gyeongdeok. The bell was originally the metal King Gyeongdeok donated for his late father, and that is why it is called the Seongdeok bell.〕
Kim Pirwol (金弼粤), josan daebu, former taeja saui-rang and hallim-rang, composed the bell inscription by royal command. The text is lengthy and is not recorded here.
Interlinear notes 1
聖徳乃景徳之考典光大王也. 鍾本景徳爲先考所施之金, 故称云聖徳鍾厼.
Seongdeok is the great king Jeongwang (典光大王), the father of King Gyeongdeok. The bell was originally the metal King Gyeongdeok donated for his late father, and that is why it is called the Seongdeok bell.