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096. Jade Sheng, Heavenly Crane
- Yu mode, 2 standard tuning: 5 6 1 2 3 5 6 		瑤天笙鶴 1
Yao Tian Sheng He  
  Two depictions of Wangzi Qiao 3          
This melody, found only in Xilutang Qintong (1525), evokes the image of Wangzi Qiao4 (often read as Wang Ziqiao5), usually depicted as at right, riding on a crane while playing a sheng mouth organ.6 This is a Daoist image often seen in folk art, and the story of Wangzi Qiao is perhaps also the source for later poetic references to a jade sheng imitating the sound of a crane.7

As for Wangzi Qiao himself, he is said to have been the eldest son of King Ling of the Zhou dynasty8 (traditional reign period 571-544 BCE). In Discourses of the States (Guo Yu: Wiki; 4th c. BCE) he appears only as a wise young prince (太子晉 Prince Jin) who criticized his father and died young. However, the book of Zhuangzi perhaps alluded to him in a passage from its Chapter 6, 大宗師 Great Venerable Teacher, about someone who "ascended to the height and mounted the clouds riding a white swan". In the Chu Ci, supposedly early Han poems such as Yuan You, with its mention of Wangzi Qiao, popularized the image of a high minded person roaming the universe.9 Then in the probably late-Han Lie Xian Zhuan (Biographies of Immortals) he has become a seeker of the Dao who rode off on a crane, as translated below. By the time of the 後漢書 Book of Later Han (5th c. CE; Wiki) there is mention of court officials trying to emulate Wangzi Qiao in order to attain longevity and transcendence.

Most famously, Wangzi Qiao is said to have studied the Dao at Songshan10 in modern Henan province. Songshan, the central of China's five sacred mountain ranges, has long been famous as an ancient center of Confucianism and Buddhism as well as Daoism. His studies completed, he is said to have ascended into immortality11 in a rather dramatic fashion, flying off on a crane from Goushi mountain,12 a low peak on the north side of the Songshan range.

To organized Daoism this made Wangzi Qiao someone to be highly venerated. As written in the 11th century anthology of the Daoist Canon (Dao Zang) called Seven Sticks from a Cloudy Bookbag (雲笈七籤 Yunji Qiqian; Wiki),

河南缑氏山，王子喬得道升天之處，白鶴留跡。真靈所棲，列為福地。
Mount Goushi in Henan — the place where Prince Qiao attained the Dao and ascended to Heaven, leaving the traces of his white crane. It is a resting abode of true numen and is counted among the Blessed Lands.

In Daoism numen (神 shen) are people or places with spiritual power. For more on "Blessed Lands" see under Grotto-Heavens.
  The stele on Goushi Mountain in 2025      
The stele at the top of Goushi Mountain commemorating this, as shown at right,13 is known as the "Stele of the Crown Prince's Ascent" (升仙太子碑 Shengxian Taizi Pai). It is said to have been written there in 699 CE by empress Wu Zetian Wiki (reigned 640-705), then carved into the stele within a few months. Empress Wu would have traveled from Luoyang (her capital). (This has apparently sometimes been confused with a 695 trip to Songshan, where she had led a 封 Feng sacrifice on the main peak of Song Shan and a 禪禪 Shan sacrifice at a lesser peak. It is on this trip that she apparently did the ceremony said to have been at the 嵩岳廟 Song Yue Temple in Dengping, but the exact place is not stated; some sources say it was at the Observatory in Gaocheng, but the Gaocheng Observatory was not built until the Yuan dynasty.14)

The earliest surviving biography of Wangzi Qiao, in the Biographies of Immortals (probably late Han), has details of this.15 The afterword here to Yao Tian Sheng He is largely a quote from the first half of his entry in this volume. The complete biography in Lie Xian Zhuan, also quoted in the Yuefu Shiji,16 is as follows.

Wangzi Qiao, Zhou Ling Wang's eldest son, was named Jin. He was good at playing the sheng and could imitate the call of a phoenix. As he roamed in the area between the Yi and Luo rivers17 the Daoist Master Fuqiu (Fuqiu Gong18) drew him up to a high mountain in the Song mountain range. 30 years later he called (people?) to the mountain. Seeing (someone named) Huan Liang18 he said, "Tell my family to wait for me on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month at the top of Goushi Mountain." When that day arrived he mounted a white crane and stopped briefly on the mountaintop. People could see him but could not go near him. Raising his hands to bid farewell to his contemporaries, he left several days later (having become an immortal). A temple was established in his honor at the base of Goushi mountain, from which a path extended far up to Songshan.

In some editions this is followed by a poem.19 Yuefu Shiji does not have this poem, but it does include five sets of lyrics about Wangzi Qiao.20 The second of these, by Jiang Yan (444-505) can be sung to the music of section 8 of the present melody. It is in fact quite remarkable that the pairing of lyrics to music almost but not quite fits the then-standard practice of one character for each right hand stroke or left hand pluck.21

The mention of Wangzi Qiao in the Chu Ci (Chu Lyrics) poem Yuan You (also a qin melody), traditionally attributed to Song Yu (ca. 290- ca. 223). On line 54 the author speaks of "following Wang(zi) Qiao for pleasure", apparently suggesting a search for immortality; and on lines 61/2 he speaks of asking Wangzi "about the balance made by unifying essence."22

Modern scholarship suggests that the poem Yuan You was not written until well into the Han dynasty. Another Chu Ci poem, this one probably dating from the late Han dynasty, describes Wangzi Qiao and another immortal, Chisongzi, as playing the se 52-string zither.23

Since my own there has been at least one other recording of this melody.24

 
Original afterword25

Zhou Ling Wang's son Wang(zi) Qiao was good at playing the sheng and could imitate the call of a phoenix. He roamed in the area between the Yi and Luo rivers encompassing the Dao. The great Master Fuqiu drew him to Songliang Mountain, transmitting to him the Way of Long Life. As a result we have this melody.

 
Music
Nine section, untitled; (see transcription; timings follow my recording 聽錄音)

00.00   1.
00.49   2.
01.41   3.
02.09   4.
02.45   5.
03.30   6.
04.23   7.
04.52   8. (fitted lyrics are sung)
05.29   9.
06.10         Closing harmonics
06.25         End

 
Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a separate page)

1. Jade Sheng, Heavenly Crane (瑤天笙鶴 Yao Tian Sheng He)
For 瑤天笙鶴 21646.xxx and 4/618xxx. For the separate parts:

Thus the title could be translated as, "An immortal crane in the abode of immortals". However, my understanding of the title is that the characters should actually be interpreted as 瑤笙 天鶴 Yaosheng Tianhe. Here references include the following:

Yao Tian Sheng He was also the name of an opera (雜劇 zaju) attributed to Zhu Quan, who is said to have written 12 such operas, all now lost. 姚品文 Yao Pinwen's 朱權研究 Study of Zhu Quan (Nanchang, 1993), pp.251-2, discusses them. Although the libretto is lost, it did relate something akin to the present story.
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2. Yu mode (羽調 yu diao)
For more on yu mode (standard tuning: 5 6 1 2 3 5 6 ) see Shenpin Yu Yi as well as Modality in Early Ming Qin Tablature.

The yu modal prelude could first be played here, and I have on occasion used He Wu Dong Tian as a prelude.
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3. Image: 王子喬 Wangzi Qiao on a crane
See more on these images.
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4. 王子喬 Wangzi Qiao (see images)
21295.39 王子喬 has two explanations:

  1. The name of a melody (q.v.); it then quotes a passage from the 古今樂錄 Gujin Yuelu.
  2. The name of a prince, with his biography. It says his name was 晉 Jin (Wangzi Jin: Prince Jin), his original surname was 姬 Ji (same surname given the Yellow Emperor), and he eventually became a commoner. It then relates basically the same information given in Liexian Zhuan (see below). It also has an illustration of Wangzi Qiao on a crane.

Giles 2240 has mostly the same information. (Wangzi Qiao is also mentioned in the section titles of Yuan You.) And his nickname 桐柏真人 Tongbo Zhenren associates him with the Tongbo Palace in the Tiantai Mountains.
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5. Wang Ziqiao (?)
Wangzi Qiao means "a king's son named Qiao", i.e., Prince Qiao. He is often referred to by this description, but it is also written that he was Prince Jin with the 字 courtesy name 子喬 Ziqiao, hence Wang Ziqiao, and Yuefu Shiji does sometimes write of him simply as 子喬 Ziqiao. 21295.23/1 says 王子 wangzi means "son of a king"; /2 says it is a double surname. Early sources may also refer to him as 王子 Wangzi or 王喬 Wang Qiao (see the 楚辭 Chu Ci),
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6. 笙 Sheng with qin and or crane
Some other references that have sheng together with crane and/or qin include:

Many more.
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7. Jade sheng imitating the sound of a crane
This is perhaps related to the potentially raucus sound of the sheng but I have not yet found a proper explanation.
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8. 周靈王 Zhou Ling Wang
3597.904 does not mention a surname.
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9. Mention of Wangzi Qiao in the Chu Ci (Chu Lyrics)
See David Hawkes, Songs of the South, pp. 195 and 200. Hawkes says Wangzi Qiao is not mentioned in any pre-Han source. I am not sure how this fits with the above reference to the Guo Yu. The mention of Wangzi Qiao in the Chu Ci is in the poem Yuan You (also a qin melody), traditionally attributed to Song Yu (ca. 290- ca. 223). On line 54 the author speaks of "following Wang(zi) Qiao for pleasure", apparently suggesting a search for immortality; and on lines 61/2 he speaks of asking Wangzi "about the balance made by unifying essence."
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10. 嵩山 Song Shan (Wikipedia)
The Songshan range extends west from Luoyang towards Kaifeng.
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11. Ascending into immortality
Alan Berkowitz, Patterns of Disengagement, p. 50, says the aim of an immortal was "existence beyond that which mortal men could normally expect. This goal eventually is reached either by leaving the world behind and joining the empyreal ranks of the godlike, or by staying in the world and achieving the state in which the body also becomes divinely transcendent....Chisongzi and Wangzi Qiao (are examples) of the former."

Further regarding 赤松子 Chisongzi, see Wikipedia 雨師 Yu Shi (Rain Master, also known as 赤松子 Master Red Pine). According to Giles Chisongzi was, "A being who controlled the rain and wind in the legendary age of Shen Nung. Among other feats, he was able to pass unharmed through fire." (See also 37843.105). According to Yü Ying-Shih, "Life and Immortality in the Mind of Han China." Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies 25 (1964-5), pp.80-122, immortality cults became very important after the Qin unified China and many 方士 fangshi came to the capital. Gradually the emphasis was placed on extending life in the present world.
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  Goushi Shan with Songshan in background (baidu.com")    
12. 緱氏山 Goushi Mountain
For the location of 緱氏山 Goushi Mountain see on this map just above "Song Shan". (Note also its mislocation on this Google map: it is actually down below G207, under the mark "文".)

On Goushi, in addition to the stele by Wu Zetian, there is a Republican era Goushi Observatory that apparently was once quite popular with locals. It is sometimes confused with the very significant Gaocheng Astronomical Observatory built in the Yuan dynasty and actually located on the other side of Song Shan south side of Dengfeng (see below). The image at right shows the Republican era observatory to left and the back of the stele to the right.

28328.3 緱氏 says Goushi is 山名 the name of a mountain in Henan province 40 li south of 偃師縣 Yanshi district town; it is also called Fufu Dui (覆釜堆 or 撫父堆). It adds that according to Liexian Zhuan this is the place where the son of King Ling of Zhou (i.e., Wangzi Qiao) ascended on a white crane. It also mentions Goushi as an ancient town name.

Apparently during the Tang dynasty Goushi was quite a popular spot. Baidu places it in 偃師縣府店鎮 Fudian Town of Yanshi County, adding that it was the 60th of 72 Famous Daoist Sites; before the Tang dynasty there were magnificent buildings here, and even later it had fame as beautiful pilgrimage spot. This whole area seems to be a relatively flat area midway between Luoyang and Zhengzhou, north of Songshan. Thus this quote is perhaps appropriate: "山不在高，有仙則名 Mountains are not only about height: they are only famous if immortals live there." This quote, from a poem by 劉禹錫 Liu Yuxi, is also used as lyrics for the melody Loushi Ming.

Here it should perhaps be noted that there are also claims connecting Wangzi Qiao not just with Goushi Mountain, which is only a Blessed Land, but also with actual grotto-heavens (q.v.). For example, the Ascending Immortal Terrace (升仙台 Sheng Xian Tai) at 王屋山 Wangwu Shan. Wangwu Mountain, listed by Sima Chengzheng as one of Daoism's "Ten Great Grotto-Heavens" claims he studied the Dao there. This is mid-way between Yuncheng and Jiaozuo on the Henan map.

A similar claim apparently has been made of 桐柏山 Tongbai Mountain of the Jinting Grotto Heaven (金庭洞天 Jinting Dongtian) near 天台山 Tiantai Mountain in Zhejiang.
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13. Goushi Mountain Stele in 2025 (as above)
For the text of the stele see the Appendix.
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14. The 告城觀星臺 Gaocheng Observatory aka 登封 Dengfeng Observatory (Wiki)
This observatory in Gaocheng town, on the opposite side of Songshan from Goushi and just south of Dengfeng, dates from the Yuan dynasty but the history of the site is uncertain. Nearby is a 周公測景台 Zhou Gong Shadow Measurements Pavilion, the original of which is said to have been built by Zhou Gong ca. 1000 BCE. In 695, four years before Wu Zetian visited Goushi Mountain, she apparently also took part in a "告成 Gaocheng" ("Proclaim Completion") ceremony; after this the area was renamed "Gaocheng", but again the exact location is not known. Local sources sometimes connect this to the area around the 嵩岳寺 Song Yue Pagoda in 登封市 Dengfeng City, but again details are vague. There seems to be no historical marker commemorating that event.

In addition to the stele, further images can be found by searching for "升仙太子碑" and looking at the article on Chinese Wikipedia.
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15. The Biographies of Immortals (列仙傳 Liexian Zhuan)
This book was traditionally attributed to 劉向 Liu Xiang (ca.79-ca.06 BCE); modern scholarship suggests that it was probably written one or two centuries later. See Nienhauser, Companion, p.566. The biography is in Liexian Zhuan, A.1, A.23-24.
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16. Wangzi Qiao entry in Liexian Zhuan (and Yuefu Shiji)
This biography of Wangzi Qiao from Liexian Zhuan (in 樂府詩集 Yuefu Shiji it is in Folio 29, p.437), is as follows:

王子喬者，周靈王太子晉也。好吹笙作鳳(凰)鳴，遊伊、洛之間，道士浮丘公接以上嵩高山。三十餘年後，求之於山上，見桓良，曰：「告我家，七月七日，待我於緱氏山巔。至時，果乘白鶴駐山頭。」至時，果乘白鶴駐山頭，望之不得到，舉手謝時人，數日而去。為立祠於緱氏山下及嵩高之首焉。 亦稱為王喬、王子晉。

In Liexian Zhuan this is followed by a poem (below), but in Yuefu Shiji it is followed instead by different lyrics, by five people (also below).
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17. 伊 Yi and 洛 Luo rivers
These two rivers flow eastward through Loyang, then join up not far from Goushi Hill, from where Wangzi is said to have flon off on his crane. The combined rivers then continue to meander eastward and northward for another 25 miles or so until joiningc1 the Yellow River.
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18. Master Fuqiu (see also Pei Lan) Master Fuqiu (right) with Wangzi Qiao (expand)      
The Master of the Drifting Mound (Fuqiu Gong 浮丘公 17924.37) is mentioned in various ancient sources. These have him living in different periods, beginning with the time of the Yellow Emperor. Several other names are said to refer to the same person, such as 壺丘子 Huqiuzi in Liezi. The Liexian Zhuan biography of Wangzi Qiao mentions Fuqiu Gong. And like Wangzi Qiao, Fuqiu Gong is sometimes said to have played a sheng mouth organ while riding a crane at Songshan. Fuqiu is also mentioned in connection with the melody Pei Lan. For further information on Fuqiu Gong see Robert Hymes, Way and Byway: Taoism, Local Religion and Models of Divinity in Sung and Modern China, pp.59-60.

The brick at right shows Fuqiu Gong at right greeting Wangzi Qiao, who plays a sheng mouth organ. Replicas of the original, a 5th-6th brick unearthed east of Nanyang City, Henan (河南鄧縣學莊 Henan, Deng County, Xue village), are displayed for sale on the internet.

The same scene is also depicted on a very similar tile belonging to the Henan Museum, Zhengzhou. It was photographed while on display at MIM, the Music Instrument Museum in Phoenix, Arizona, as part of a special exhibition called Ancient Treasures from Central China: Harmony of the Ancients from the Henan Museum. There the commentary identified it as basically from the same site as the brick: "Tile relief of fenghuang attracted by sheng; Southern Dynasties, 420-489 CE; excavated from a Southern dynasties tomb in Xuezhuang, Dengxian County, 1957." It then added,

"According to Zhou dynasty legend, Prince Qiao celebrated his epiphany of learning the true meaning of Daoism by playing the sheng mouth organ, thus attracting a fenghuang, or mythical phoenix bird, to dance before him. The sheng's bamboo pipes are designed to resemble the fenghuangs wing feathers."

(I played Jade Sheng Heavenly Crane in my programs related to Henan and winged beings).
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19. Huan Liang 桓良
15061.xxx. I have not yet found any other references to him.
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20. Poem at the end of the Liexian Zhuan entry for Wangzi Qiao
The poem with my tentative translation is as follows,

妙哉王子，神遊氣爽。
Miào zāi Wángzǐ, shén yóu qì shuǎng.
Marvelous Wangzi (Qiao), a spirit roaming cool and refreshed.

笙歌伊落，擬音鳳響。
Shēng gē Yī Luò, nǐ yīn fèng xiǎng.
Mouth organ singing over the Yi and Luo, echoing the sound of a phoenix.

浮丘感應，接手俱上。
Fúqiū gǎn yìng, jiē shǒu jù shàng.
(Master) Fuqiu is moved to respond, hand in hand they both ascend.

揮策青崖，假翰獨往。
Huī cè qīng yá, jiǎ hàn dú wǎng.
Waving their riding crops above green cliffs, as if on feather quills (i..e., a crane) they go alone.

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21. 樂府詩集 Yuefu Shiji, pp. 437 - 439, after the biography of Wangzi Qiao from Liexian Zhuan, has five Wangzi Qiao poems, ordered chronologically:

  1. 古辭 "Ancient Lyrics", said to have accompanied 魏、晉樂所奏 music played in the Wei and Jin period (see biography above)
  2. 梁江淹 Jiang Yan of the Liang (these fit Section 8 of the melody; see below)
  3. 高允生 Gao Yunsheng (see below)
  4. 後魏高允 Gao Yun of the Latter Wei (see below)
  5. 唐宋之問 Song Zhiwen of the Tang (see below)

Details of these five Wangzi Qiao poems are as follow:

  1. 古辭 "Ancient Lyrics", said to have accompanied 魏、晉 奏 music played in the Wei and Jin period (thanks to 朱元虎 Zhu Yuanhu for translation assistance).

    王子喬，參駕白鹿雲中遨。
    參駕白鹿雲中遨，下游來。
    王子喬，參駕白鹿上至雲。
    戲游遨，上建逋陰、廣里，
    踐近高，結仙宮，過謁三台，東游四海五嶽，
    上過蓬萊、紫雲台。
    三王、五帝不足令，令我聖明應太平。
    養民若子事父明，當究天祿永康寧。
    玉女羅坐吹笛簫。嗟行聖人游八極，
    鳴吐銜福翔殿側。聖主享萬年。悲吟皇帝延壽命。

    Wangzi Qiao rode a white deer up to the heavens.
    He rode the white deer up to the heavens, then came down alongside a river.
    Wangzi Qiao rode a white deer up to the heavens.
    Wandering and enjoying himself, he went up past Buyin and Guangli.
    In the near mountains having visited the palaces of immortals,
        he went on past the Three Platforms, the four seas and the five peaks,
    Then went on to Penglai and Ziyuntai.
    It was not necessary to visit the three kings and five emperors (of antiquity):
        our own saintly ruler has brought great peace.
    He takes care of the people just as he takes care of his own son and attends to his father;
        we hope that he lives a long life and with in good health.
    The     Jade Maiden is seated playing the flute,
        thrumming immortals fly at will,
    (Cranes) call out blessings as they fly about the palace
        We wish that our saintly emperor will live forever.
        With great feeling I sing this, wishing the emperor a long life.

    The location of 逋陰 Buyin and 廣里 Guangli is not clear. "Three Platforms" (三台 Santai) was apparently the name of a constellation.

  2. 梁江淹 Jiang Yan of the Liang
    These lyrics, which fit Section 8 of the melody, form four couplets, the structure being (5+5) x 4. The stroke count of section eight of Yao Tian Sheng He is 5+5, 7+4, 5+6, 8+5. By using more than one stroke per character in three of the phrases, and pairing one character to a slide in another phrase, I was able to match the melody and lyrics quite musically. The lyrics and my translation are as follows:

    子喬好輕舉，不待襝銀丹。
    Zi Qiao hao qing ju, bu dai lian yin dan.
    Ziqiao loved soaring, no need for elixers.

    控鶴去窈窕，學鳳對巑岏。
    Kong he qu yao tiao, xue feng dui cuan wan.
    Riding a crane he roamed the skies, on phoenix faced high peaks.

    山無一春草，谷有千年蘭。
    Shan wu yi chun cao, gu you qian nian lan.
    Hills don't have just one spring with grass, dales have immortal blooms.

    雲衣不躑躅，龍駕何時還？                   (corrected by 朱元虎 from "下躑躅")
    Yun yi bu zhi zhu, long jia he shi huan?
    Clothed in clouds he'll never stop roaming, on a dragon when would he return?

    Meanwhile my translation above was aimed at having a syllabic count that allows it to be paired to the music as much as possible in the traditional manner, and so far has succeeded well enough that the song can easily be sung in English.

    Note that the translation with my transcription is more literal.

  3. 高允生 Gao Yunsheng

    仙化非常道，其義出自然。   (Becoming immortal is not a common path, righteousness comes from nature....)
    王喬誕神氣，白日忽升天。
    晻曖御雲氣，飄颻乘長煙。
    寄想崆峒外，翱翔宇宙間。
    七月有佳節，控鶴崇崖巔。
    永與時人別，一去不復旋。

  4. 後魏高允 Gao Yun of the Latter Wei

    王少卿，王少卿，超升飛龍翔天庭。   (Wangzi Qiao, Wangzi Qiao, astride a dragon flew to heaven....)
    遺儀景，雲漢酬，光鶩電逝忽若浮。
    騎日月，從列星，跨騰太廓踰窅冥。
    尋元氣，出天門，窮覽有無究道根。

  5. 唐宋之問 Song Zhiwen of the Tang 王子喬，愛神仙，七月七日上寅天。   (Wangzi Qiao cherished immortality, on the Double 7th [!?] he ascended heaven....)
    白虎搖瑟鳳吹笙，乘騎雲氣吸日精。
    吸日精，長不歸，遺洞今在而人非。
    空望山頭草，草露濕人衣。
To my knowledge the third, fourth and fifth have not been translated.
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22. The lyrics do not quite fit
For another example of this see here.

What does it mean that the the lyrics are quite singable but do not quite fit the then-standard practice of one character for each right hand stroke or left hand pluck? Was there an earlier version that had these lyrics, but these were then left out because they didn't pair properly according to the official way? To me the lyrics were clearly begging to be sung: should I try to ignore that when selecting note values?
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23. Playing se
See Sorrow for Troth Betrayed (惜誓 Xi Shi) in David Hawkes, Songs of the South, p.240. His translation says, "the two Masters held zithers tuned in perfect concord (while he) sang the Qing Shang air". For Chisongzi, see footnote above.
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24. Recordings
Since mine several nylon-metal string recordings have been made, such as this one by 廖艾斯 and this one, both on YouTube.
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25. 瑤天笙鶴，西麓堂琴統解題 (English)
西麓堂琴統，瑤天笙鶴解題 (The original Chinese for the introduction is as follows):

周靈王子王（子）喬好吹笙，作鳳鳴。遊伊洛間函道，大浮丘公引之入嵩亮山，授以長生之道。遂有此曲。

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Appendix
Content of the Wu Zetian stele on Goushi Mountain
From Wikisource; translation below

For more images see Appendix 2 Modern copy of text partially hidden in 2025      

朕聞天地權輿，混元黃於元氣；陰陽草昧，徵造化於洪爐。萬品於是資生，三才以之肇建。然則春榮秋落，四時變寒暑之機；玉兔金烏，兩曜遞行藏之運。是知乾坤至大，不能無傾缺之形；日月至明，不能免盈虧之數。豈若混成為質，先二儀以開元；兆道標名，母萬物而為稱。惟恍惟惚，窈冥超言象之端；無去無來，寥廓出寰區之外。驂鸞馭鳳，升八景而戲仙庭；駕月乘雲，驅百靈而朝上帝。元都迥辟，玉京為不死之鄉；紫府旁開，金闕乃長生之地。吸朝霞而飲甘露，控白鹿而化青龍。魚腹神符，已效徵於涓子；管中靈藥，方演術於封君。從壺公而見玉堂，召盧敖而赴元闕。炎皇少女，乘往仙家；負局先生，來過吳市。或排煙而長往，或禦風而不旋。既化飯以成蜂，亦變枯而生葉。費長房之縮地，目覽遐荒；餐簡子之賓天，親聆廣樂。懷中設饌，標許彥之奇方；座上釣魚，呈左慈之妙技。遙升閣道，遠睇平衢。鼓琴瑟而駕輜軿，出西關而遊北海，登昆侖而一息，期汗漫於九垓。湘東遺鳥跡之書，濟北致魚山之會。拂虹旌於日路，飛羽蓋於煙郊。既入無窮之門，遂遊無極之野。青虯吐甲，爰披五嶽之文；丹鳳銜符，式受三皇之訣。瀨鄉九井，漾德水而澄漪；淮南八仙，著真圖而闡秘。自非天姿拔俗，靈骨超凡，豈能訪金籙於元門，尋玉皇於碧落者矣。

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升仙太子者，字子喬，周靈王之太子也。原夫補天益地之崇基，三分有二之洪業。神宗啟胄，先承履帝之祥；聖考興源，幼表靈髭之相。白魚標於瑞典，赤雀降於禎符。屈叔譽於三窮，錫師曠以四馬。穀洛之鬥，嚴父申欲壅之規；而匡救之誠，仙儲切犯顏之諫。播臣子之懿範，顯圖史之芳聲。而靈應難窺，冥徵罕測。紫雲為蓋，見嘉貺於張陵；白成質，遺神丹於崔子。鳳笙漢響，恒居伊洛之間；鶴駕騰鑣，俄陟神仙之路。嵩高嶺上，雖藉浮邱之迎；緱氏峰前，終待桓良之告。傍稽素篆，仰叩元經，時將玉帝之遊，乍洽琳宮之宴。仙冠岌岌，表嘉稱於芙蓉；右弼巍巍，效靈官於桐柏。九丹可挹，仍標延壽之誠；千載方傳，尚紀仙人之祀。辭青宮而歸九府，棄蒼震而慕重元。無勞羽翼之功，坐致雲霄之賞。雖黃庭眾聖，未接於末塵；紫洞群靈，豈驂於後乘。斯乃騰芳萬古，擅美千齡，豈與夫鬆子陶公，同年而語者也。

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我國家先天纂業，辟地裁基，正八柱於乾綱，紐四維於坤載。山鳴鸑鷟，爰彰受命之祥；洛出圖書，式兆興王之運。廓提封於百億，聲教洽於無垠；被正朔於三千，文軌同於有截。茫茫宇宙，掩沙界以疏疆；眇眇寰區，籠鐵圍而劃境。坐明堂以崇嚴祀，大禮攸陳；謁清廟而展因心，洪規更闡。文山西峙，上聳於圓清；武井東流，下凝於方濁。駢柯連理，恒騁異於彤墀；九穗兩岐，每呈祥於翠畝。神芝吐秀，宛成輪蓋之形；曆草抽英，還司朔望之候。山車澤馬，充仞於郊畿；瑞表祥圓，洋溢於中外。乾坤交泰，陰陽和而風雨調；遠肅邇安，兵戈戢而爟烽靜。西鶼東鰈，已告太平之符；鄗黍江茅，屢薦升中之應。而王公卿士，百辟群僚，鹹詣闕以披陳，請登封而告禪。

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敬陳嚴配之典，用展禋宗之儀，泥金而葉於告成，瘞玉而騰於茂實。千齡盛禮，一旦鹹申。爾乃鳳輦排虛，既造雲霞之路；龍旗拂迥，方馳日月之扃。後殿縈山，先鋒蔽野。千乘萬騎，鉤陳指靈嶽之前；穀邃川停，羽駕陟仙壇之所。既而馳情煙路，係想元門，遙臨鬆寢之前，近瞰桂岩之下。重巒絕磴，空留落景之暉；復廟連甍，徒見浮雲之影。山扉半毀，才睹昔年之規；澗牖全傾，更創今辰之制。乃為子晉重立廟焉，仍改號為升仙太子之廟。

方依福地，肇啟仙居，開廟後之新基，獲藏中之古劍。昆吾挺質，巨闕標名，白虹將紫電爭鋒，飛景共流星競彩。去夜驚而除眾毒，輕百戶而卻三軍。宿空勞望氣之人，自遇象天之寶。岩岩石室，紀黃老五千之文；赫赫靈壇，披碧洞三元之籙。爰於去歲，嚐遣內史往祠，雖人祗有路隔之言，而冥契著潛通之兆。遂於此日，頻感殊禎。迢遞雲間，聞鳳笙之度響；徘徊空裏，瞻鶴駕之來儀。瑞氣氤氳，異香芬馥，欽承景貺，目擊休徵。爾其近對緱岑，遙臨嵩嶺，變維城之往廟，建儲後之今祠。窮工匠之奇精，傍臨絕壑；建山川之體勢，上冠雲霓。其地則測景名都，交風勝壤。仰觀元緯；星文當太室之邦；俯矚黃輿，地理處均霜之境。膏腴宇宙，通百越之樓船；穴險山原，控八方之車騎。危峰切漢，德水橫川，實天下之樞機，極域中之壯觀。於是捫危鑿阯，越壑裁基，命般爾而開筵，召公輸而綴思。梅梁瞰迥，近駕煙霞，桂棟臨虛，上連日月。窗明雲母，將曙景而同暉；戶掛琉璃，共晴天而合色。曲閣乘九霄之表，重簷架八景之中。湛休水於天池，發祥花於奇樹。珠闕據緱峰之外，瑤壇接嵩嶠之隈。素女乘雲，窺步簷而不逮；青童駕羽，仰層檻而何階。茂躅鬱兮若生，靈儀肅兮如在。

昔峴山墮淚，猶見钜平之碑；襄水沈波，尚有當陽之碣。況乎上賓天帝，搖山之風樂不歸；下接浮邱，洛浦之笙歌斯遠。豈可使芳猷懿躅，與歲月而推遷，霞宇星壇，共風煙而歇滅。乃刊碑勒頌，用紀徽音，庶億載而惟新，齊兩儀而配久。方佇乘龍使者，為降還齡之符；駕羽仙人，曲垂駐壽之藥。使璿璣葉度，玉燭調時，百穀喜於豐年，兆庶安於泰俗。虔敷短制，乃作銘云：

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邈矣元始，悠哉渾成。傍該萬類，仰契三精。至神不測，大象難名。出入太素，驅馳上清。（其一）
黃庭仙室，丹闕靈台。銀宮雪合，玉樹花開。夕遊雲路，朝挹霞杯。霓旌仿佛，羽駕徘徊。（其二）
樹基創業，遷朝立市。四險天中，三川地紀。白魚呈貺，丹鳥薦祉。靈骨仙才，芳猷不已。（其三）
遐瞻帝係，仰眷仙儲。遙馳月域，高步煙墟。名超紫府，職邁玉虛。飄颻芝蓋，容與雲車。（其四）
遠集昆侖，遙期汗漫。金漿玉液，霧宮霞館。瑤草扶疏，珠林璀璨。萬劫非久，二儀何算。（其五）
棲心大道，讬跡長生。三山可陟，九轉方成。島飛舄影，鳳引歌聲。永升金闕，恒遊玉京。（其六）
青童素女，浮邱赤鬆。位稱桐柏，冠號芙蓉。尋真禦辯，控鶴乘龍。高排雲霧，輕舉遐蹤。（其七）
歲往年移，天長地久。霄漢為室，煙霞作友。舞鶴飛蓋，歌鸞送酒。絕跡氛埃，芳名不朽。（其八）
粵我大周，上膺元命。補天立極，重光累聖。嘉瑞屢臻，殊祥疊映。歸功蒼昊，升中表慶。（其九）
爰因展禮，途接靈居。年載超忽，庭宇凋疏。更安珠敦，重開玉虛。方依翠壁，敬勒丹書。（其十）
新基建趾，古劍騰文。鳳笙飛韻，鶴駕淩云。休符雜遝，嘉瑞氤氳。仙儀靡見，逸響空聞。（其十一）
仰聖思元，求真懷昔。霞軒月殿，星宮霧驛。萬歲須臾，千齡朝夕。紀盛德於芳翰，勒鴻名於貞石。（其十二）

English translation

I have heard that at the inception of Heaven and Earth, the primordial breath of the Yellow One emerged from the undivided Original Qi. When Yin and Yang were yet dim and obscure, the forces of creation were drawn from the vast cosmic furnace.

All the myriad beings thereby received life, and the Three Powers (Heaven, Earth, Man) were thus first established. In spring things flourish; in autumn they fall— through the alternation of the four seasons cold and heat revolve. The Jade Rabbit (moon) and the Golden Crow (sun) pursue their course of appearing and withdrawing by turns.

From this we know: even the boundless Heaven and Earth cannot avoid tilting and deficiency; even the luminous sun and moon cannot escape waxing and waning.

How different from that primordial Substance that is unformed yet complete — which opened the Beginning before the Two Principles existed, which manifested the Dao before all creatures were named. Dim and mysterious, beyond words or images; neither coming nor going, vast beyond the realm of worlds.

There the luan-bird is harnessed and the phoenix driven, soaring among the Eight Scenes, sporting in the courts of the Immortals; riding the moon and driving the clouds, commanding the hundred spirits to attend the Celestial Emperor.

The Prime Capital (Yuandu) lies far open, The Prime Capital (Yuandu) lies far open, the Jade City is the land of deathlessness; the Purple Palace stands beside it, the Golden Gate is the domain of long life. They breathe in morning rosy mists, drink sweet dew; they rein white stags and transform them into azure dragons.

The divine talismans in the fish’s belly once proved their power for Master Juan; the elixirs within the tubes still perfect the art of Lord Feng. They follow Master Hu of the Gourd to behold the Jade Hall, and summon Lu Ao to attend the Jade Palace.

The Flame Emperor’s daughter rides away to the abodes of the Immortals; the chess-board gentleman passes through the market of Wu. Some part the mists and journey afar; some ride the wind and do not return. They can transform grain into bees, and make dry trees sprout fresh leaves.

They shrink the earth beneath their feet like Fei Changfang, so that their eyes encompass the distant wastes; they banquet in Heaven like Jian Zi, and hear the Grand Music in person.

In their bosoms they prepare the magic feasts of Xu Yan; at their seats they display the marvellous arts of Zuo Ci. They ascend distant gallery-paths and gaze upon far avenues; they play qin and se as they ride in feathered chariots, leaving the Western Gate to roam the Northern Sea, climbing Kunlun to rest a moment, and seeking the boundless Hanmang beyond the Nine Heavens.

In Xiangdong remain traces of their writings on bird-tracks; in Jibei they convene at Mount Fish. Their rainbow banners sweep along the sun’s road; their feathered canopies fly through misty fields. Entering the Gate of Infinity, they wander the Plain of the Limitless.

The green dragon (qiu) sheds its shell, revealing the script of the Five Peaks; the cinnabar phoenix bears talismans, receiving the formulas of the Three Sovereigns. In Laixiang’s Nine Wells, virtue flows pure and clear; the Eight Immortals of Huainan expound their secret charts.

Unless one’s heavenly endowment rise above the common, and one’s numinous bones transcend the mortal, how could one seek the Golden Registers at the Gate of Origin or the Jade Emperor in the Blue Heaven? This opening sets the tone: a cosmic prologue glorifying Daoist cosmology and the immortal realm, leading naturally to the “Ascended Prince” (Wangzi Qiao) who exemplifies that transcendence.

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The Prince who Ascended to Immortality — whose personal name was Zi Qiao, was the Crown Prince of King Ling of Zhou.

Consider the exalted foundation of Heaven-mending and Earth-extending, the vast enterprise of which two parts in three belonged to him. His divine ancestry was initiated by the august forebears, who had already received Heaven’s mandate of imperial fortune. His holy father opened the ancestral source; in his youth his features already revealed a spiritual aura.

White fish appeared as an omen in the sacrificial pools, and crimson sparrows descended as portents of blessing. Qu Shu praised him amid the extremities of the Three Perfections, and Music-Master Kuang was granted the gift of four fine horses.

When strife arose between the valleys of Gu and Luo, his stern father renewed his plans to suppress it. But out of sincere loyalty the Immortal-to-be dared to remonstrate face-to-face, his words revealing a heart set on rescue and rectitude.

Thus he displayed the perfect pattern of a filial minister, and his noble example shone through the records of history. Yet his divine response was hard to fathom, and his hidden omen difficult to measure.

Purple clouds formed a canopy — he beheld an auspicious bestowal with Zhang Ling; a white elixir took shape — he left behind divine cinnabar for Master Cui. Phoenix-flutes resounded in Han’s music; he often dwelled between the rivers Yi and Luo. Then, driving cranes and flying carriages, he suddenly mounted the road of the Immortals.

Upon lofty Mount Song, though welcomed by the Immortal Fu Qiu, he awaited the proclamation of Huan Liang at the peak of Goushi Mountain. He consulted the plain-script talismans and reverently knocked upon the Classic of Origin; at times he accompanied the Jade Emperor in his excursions, at times he joined banquets in the Palace of Gems.

His immortal cap towered high, marking him with praise among the lotus blossoms; as Right Assistant he stood majestic, serving as divine officer at Mount Tongbo. He could ladle the Nine Elixirs and truly demonstrate the will to extend life; for a thousand ages the transmission continues, still recording the rites offered to this transcendent.

He left the Azure Palace and returned to the Nine Bureaus; he abandoned the Blue Thunder Star and turned his heart toward the Double Origin. Without toil of feathered wings, he attained at rest the reward of thy.

Even among the many sages of the Yellow Court, none approached the dust of his final trace; among the myriad spirits of the Purple Cavern, who could share his chariot’s company?

Truly his fragrance soars through ten thousand ages, his glory dominates a thousand years — can one compare him to Master Song and Potter Tao and speak of them as his equals in the same breath?

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Our Great State inherited its enterprise from Before Heaven — opened lands and laid foundations, set the Eight Pillars upright along the thread of Heaven, and bound the Four Cords firm upon the carriage of Earth.

The mountains resounded with the cry of the phoenix-roc, proclaiming the omen of a mandate received; the River Luo produced charts and books, revealing in due form the destiny of royal renewal.

Its dominion spreads over a hundred-billion fiefs; its civilizing voice fills boundless space. The calendar and seals of authority extend through three thousand domains; its laws and carriages are unified wherever limits are drawn.

Vast is the cosmos—our borders reach beyond the sandy realms; subtle and immense—the world is enclosed within the iron-mountain walls.

The sovereign sits in the Hall of Brightness, solemn in great sacrifices; the grand rites are displayed in due order. She venerates the Pure Temple, expressing her inherited devotion, and thereby enlarges the majestic pattern of the ancestors.

The Wen Mountain rises in the west, towering toward the perfect circle above; the Wu Well flows eastward, descending into the square depths below. Twin branches grow together, displaying marvels by the vermilion steps; ears of grain with nine stalks and double spikes repeatedly present auspicious signs amid the green fields.

Spirit fungi put forth blossoms, forming the shape of wheels and canopies; the calendar grasses sprout and mark the times of the moon’s phases. Wild chariots and marsh horses fill the suburban plains; omens of blessing overflow from the capital to the borders.

Heaven and Earth unite in harmony; Yin and Yang are balanced and wind and rain arrive in season.

Afar, all is reverent; nearby, all is secure — weapons are sheathed, beacons lie still.

In the west the jian-birds and in the east the die-fish announce the portents of Great Peace; the sacrificial grains from Hao and the rushes from the Jiang are repeatedly offered at the central altar, confirming Heaven’s response.

Thus princes, dukes, ministers, and officials of every rank all approach the palace to submit memorials, beseeching that we perform the Feng and Shan sacrifices, to report to Heaven our perfected rule.

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Reverently I proclaimed the rites of solemn pairing, performing the great ceremonies to extend the ancestral offerings. Gilded earth was moulded for the mound at Gaosheng, and jade tokens were buried to ascend in splendid reality.

That grand ritual of a thousand ages was in a single day renewed in all its forms. Then the phoenix carriage parted the clouds, advancing upon roads of vapour; the dragon banners brushed the sky, racing along the gates of sun and moon.

The rear halls encircled the mountains; the vanguard filled the plains. A thousand chariots and ten thousand riders converged before the numinous peaks of the gods. Valleys fell silent, rivers paused their flow, while the feathered retinue ascended to the Immortal Altar.

My thoughts galloped along the misty roads; my imagination reached toward the Gate of Origin. From afar I looked upon the resting place of the Pine Immortal; nearby I gazed beneath the rocks of the Cassia cliffs.

The steep ridges and severed steps still faintly showed the traces of the ancient glow; the fallen temple and broken roofs revealed only drifting shadows of floating cloud.

The mountain doors half ruined still hinted at their former plan; the windowed ravine wholly collapsed— I established anew its design for this auspicious day.

Thus I caused a new temple to be raised for Prince Zi Jin and renamed it Temple of the Ascended Prince (升仙太子廟).

The site, being a Blessed Land, now opened as a Celestial Dwelling. Behind the temple’s foundations we unearthed an ancient sword, bright as if newly forged. Its metal was of Kunwu, its name inscribed Great Que; a white rainbow contended with the violet lightning for brilliance, its flying gleam rivalled the coursing of the shooting stars.

By night it flashed, dispelling every venom; against a hundred soldiers it stood as a host of its own. Those who had long sought auspicious omens in vain now beheld this treasure that reflected Heaven’s design.

Lofty the stone chambers, preserving the Five-Thousand-word Scripture of Yellow and Lao; shining the sacred altar, displaying the Registers of the Three Origins of the Azure Cavern.

Last year I once dispatched the Court Recorder to make offerings; though men spoke of a road that could not reach, the hidden resonance proved secret communion.

And on this very day, repeated wonders were felt: afar within the clouds one heard the music of phoenix flutes; in the empty air one beheld the arrival of crane-drawn chariots.

Auspicious vapour coiled and spread; strange fragrance filled the air. Awed, I received these luminous gifts; my eyes beheld these felicitous signs.

Near at hand the shrine faces Mount Gou; afar it looks toward Mount Song.

Transforming the ruined temple of the past into this new sanctuary for the Heir Apparent, I exhausted the craft of artisans in marvellous precision, commanding them to overlook the deepest ravines; I modelled the structure upon the forms of mountains and streams, crowning it above with cloud and rainbow.

The region lies within the capital of Measured Shadows, a meeting place of auspicious winds and blessed soil. Above, one observes the constellations at the very centre of Heaven’s track; below, one surveys the royal chariot of Earth within its frosty bounds.

Its fertile realm opens upon the riverways that reach the Hundred Yue; its mountain passes command the roads of all eight quarters.

The perilous peaks cut across the Milky Way; the virtuous River flows broad beneath. Truly this is the pivot of the world, the most splendid of all domains within the Central Region.

Thereupon I climbed the crags to select the site, crossed the ravine to lay the foundation, summoned Ban Er to arrange the banquet and Gongshu (Ban the craftsman) to devise its form.

The plum-beam overlooks the void, resting among clouds and mist; the cassia pillars rise toward the sun and moon.

The windows of mica glow with dawn’s light; the doors of glass merge their colours with the clear sky.

Curved galleries soar beyond the Nine Heavens; tiered eaves stand amid the Eight Views. The blessed waters rest tranquil within the Celestial Pool; auspicious flowers bloom upon miraculous trees.

Pearl halls cling beyond the slopes of Mount Gou; jade terraces join the spurs of Mount Song.

The Maiden of Purity rides the clouds, peering beneath the eaves yet failing to reach; the Blue-robed Youth drives his wings upward, gazing toward the balustrades, uncertain of their steps.

The traces of the Transcendent are luxuriant as if alive; the sacred presence stands solemn, as though still there.

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1.
Vast is the Primal Beginning,
remote the undivided Whole.
It encompasses the ten thousand kinds,
and accords with the triple essences.
The utmost spirit is unfathomable;
the Great Image cannot be named.
It moves through the Grand Simplicity,
drives within the Upper Clarity.

(2)
In the Yellow Court’s immortal chamber,
on the cinnabar towers of the numinous terrace,
silver palaces merge with snow,
jade trees open their blossoms.
At evening they roam the paths of cloud;
at dawn they lift cups of rosy mist.
Rainbow banners hover faintly,
feathered chariots circle and return.

(3)
They founded the basis and raised the enterprise,
moved the court and established the capital.
In this Heaven-centered land of the Four Defenses,
amid the Three Rivers that mark the Earth’s design,
white fish present auspicious gifts,
red birds bring joyful blessings;
his spiritual bones and immortal talent—
their fragrant example never ceases.

(4)
From afar we gaze upon the imperial line,
looking upward toward the immortal heir.
He journeys to the moon’s domain,
strides high through the mists of being.
His name transcends the Purple Mansion;
his office surpasses the Jade Void.
With a fungus-covered canopy aloft,
he idly rides the cloud-drawn car.

(5)
He gathers afar on Mount Kunlun,
and in the distance seeks the vast Han-mang.
Golden nectar and jade-liquid abound
in misty palaces and rosy halls.
Jade herbs grow luxuriant;
pearl forests gleam and glitter.
Ten thousand kalpas are but a moment—
how can the Two Principles be counted?

(6)
He fixes his heart on the Great Way,
and entrusts his form to everlasting life.
He may climb the Three Mountains;
after nine transmutations he attains completion.
Flying-island sandals cast their shadows;
phoenixes lead the singing voice.
Forever he ascends to the Golden Gate,
and ever wanders in the Jade Capital.

(7)
Blue-robed youths and white-gowned maidens,
the Immortals Fu-qiu and Chi-song—
their ranks bear titles of Tongbo,
their crowns are called Hibiscus.
Seeking the True, they curb debate;
riding cranes, they drive dragons.
They rise high beyond the clouds,
lightly soaring to distant realms.

(8)
Years go, ages shift;
Heaven long, Earth enduring.
The empyrean is his chamber;
mist and vapour are his friends.
He dances with cranes beneath flying canopies;
he sings with luan-birds as they offer wine.
His traces are cut off from dust and smoke;
his fragrant name shall never perish.

(9)
Our Great Zhou,
now bears the Mandate of the Origin.
It repairs Heaven and sets the Pole;
its light renews the line of sages.
Auspicious signs arrive in succession;
marvelous omens shine in mutual brilliance.
All glory returns to the azure vastness;
at the central altar we proclaim our joy.

(10)
Therefore, following the rites,
our road connects with the numinous abode.
Years have sped beyond measure;
the courts and halls had fallen to ruin.
We set again the pearl vessels;
we reopen the Jade Precinct.
Relying on the emerald cliffs,
we reverently engrave this cinnabar text.

(11)
A new foundation is established;
an ancient sword shines forth.
Phoenix flutes release their soaring tones;
crane chariots glide through the clouds.
Propitious tokens mingle in abundance;
auspicious vapours coil and spread.
The immortal form is unseen—
only its transcendent echo remains.

(12)
We revere the saintly mind’s return to the Origin,
and cherish the quest for the True of ancient days.
In rosy pavilions and lunar halls,
starry palaces and misty couriers dwell.
A thousand years are but a dawn and dusk;
ten thousand ages pass in an instant.
Let these fragrant lines record his sublime virtue;
let this steadfast stone inscribe his illustrious name.

Translation by Chat GPT, which also added some commentary.

 
Appendix II
One new and two old images from Goushi Mountain

For text of the stele see Appendix 1) Source of first image unclear; the second and third, from Chinese Wikipedia, are dated 1918 and then recent    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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