Yuan Dynasty
寿阳曲·烟寺晚钟
马致远
寒烟细，
古寺清，
近黄昏礼佛人静。
顺西风晚钟三四声，
怎生教老僧禅定？
Translation
Cold mist lies thin; the ancient temple is clear and still. Near dusk, those who worship the Buddha have fallen quiet. Three or four evening bell strokes drift with the west wind—how could such a sound allow the old monk to settle into meditation?
Analysis
This song begins as a quiet temple scene, but its final question gives the stillness emotional depth. “Thin cold mist” and “clear ancient temple” create a sparse dusk atmosphere. As worshippers fall silent, the setting seems ready for meditation. Yet the evening bell, carried by the west wind, unsettles the old monk. The sound is not loud—only three or four strokes—but it awakens feeling precisely because the world is so still. Ma Zhiyuan turns a familiar Buddhist scene into a meditation on inward disturbance within outward calm.
About the Author
Ma Zhiyuan was a major Yuan dramatist and sanqu poet. His short songs are celebrated for their concentrated imagery and their ability to suggest large emotional landscapes with very few words.