The Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Dharma
佛欲重宣此義，而說偈言：
The Buddha, wishing to restate this meaning, spoke in verse:
「譬如長者，有一大宅，其宅久故，
"Suppose there is an elder, who has a great house, and this house is old,
而復頓弊，堂舍高危，柱根摧朽，
And moreover worn down, its halls high and precarious, the bases of its pillars broken and rotten,
梁棟傾斜，基陛隤毀，牆壁圮坼，
Its beams and ridgepoles leaning, its foundations and steps collapsed, its walls cracked and split,
泥塗褫落，覆苫亂墜，椽梠差脫，
The plaster fallen off, the thatch dropping in disorder, the rafters and eaves coming loose,
周障屈曲，雜穢充遍。有五百人，
The surrounding enclosure bent and crooked, filled everywhere with filth. There are five hundred people
止住其中。鵄梟雕鷲、烏鵲鳩鴿、
Living in it. Owls, eagles, vultures, crows, magpies, doves, and pigeons,
蚖蛇蝮蠍、蜈蚣蚰蜒、守宮百足、
Lizards, snakes, vipers, scorpions, centipedes, millipedes, geckos, and hundred-leggers,
狖貍鼷鼠，諸惡蟲輩，交橫馳走。
Weasels, civets, mice, and all manner of evil creatures run crisscross.
屎尿臭處，不淨流溢，蜣蜋諸蟲，
In the foul places of dung and urine, impurities overflow, and dung beetles and insects
而集其上。狐狼野幹，咀嚼踐蹋，
Gather on it. Foxes, wolves, and jackals chew and trample,
䶩齧死屍、骨肉狼藉。由是群狗，
Gnawing and biting corpses, with bones and flesh scattered about. Because of this, packs of dogs
競來搏撮，飢羸慞惶，處處求食。
Race to snatch and seize, gaunt with hunger and panicked, searching everywhere for food.
鬪諍𪙁掣，嘊喍㘁吠，其舍恐怖，
They fight and tug, snarl and howl and bark; the house is frightening,
變狀如是。處處皆有，魑魅魍魎、
Its transformations like this. Everywhere there are mountain sprites, water demons,
夜叉惡鬼，食噉人肉。毒蟲之屬，
Yakshas, and evil ghosts, who eat human flesh. Poisonous insects of all kinds,
諸惡禽獸，孚乳產生，各自藏護。
And evil birds and beasts, hatch and suckle their young, each hiding and guarding them.
夜叉競來，爭取食之，食之既飽，
The yakshas come racing, fighting to take and eat them, and having eaten their fill,
惡心轉熾，鬪諍之聲，甚可怖畏。
Their evil hearts blaze the more, and the sound of their fighting is most terrifying.
鳩槃荼鬼，蹲踞土埵，或時離地，
The kumbhanda ghosts squat on mounds of earth, and sometimes rise off the ground
一尺二尺，往返遊行，縱逸嬉戲，
A foot or two, going to and fro, roaming and playing without restraint,
捉狗兩足，撲令失聲，以腳加頸，
Seizing a dog by its two legs and slamming it down so that it loses its voice, setting a foot on its neck,
怖狗自樂。復有諸鬼，其身長大，
Frightening the dog for their own amusement. There are also ghosts with huge bodies,
裸形黑瘦，常住其中，發大惡聲，
Naked, black, and gaunt, always dwelling there, uttering great evil cries,
叫呼求食。復有諸鬼，其咽如針。
Calling out and begging for food. There are also ghosts whose throats are like needles.
復有諸鬼，首如牛頭，或食人肉，
There are also ghosts with heads like oxen, who either eat human flesh,
或復噉狗，頭髮蓬亂，殘害兇險，
Or devour dogs, with disheveled hair, cruel and fierce and dangerous,
飢渴所逼，叫喚馳走。夜叉餓鬼，
Driven by hunger and thirst, shouting and running about. The yakshas and hungry ghosts,
諸惡鳥獸，飢急四向，窺看窓牖。
And the evil birds and beasts, ravenous in all directions, peer through the windows.
如是諸難，恐畏無量。是朽故宅，
Such are its dangers, its terrors are immeasurable. This decayed old house
屬於一人。其人近出，未久之間，
Belongs to one man. That man has gone out only recently, and not long after,
於後舍宅，欻然火起，四面一時，
In the house behind, a fire suddenly breaks out, on all four sides at once,
其炎俱熾。棟梁椽柱，爆聲震裂，
Its flames all blazing. The beams, ridgepoles, rafters, and pillars crack with roaring sounds,
摧折墮落，牆壁崩倒。諸鬼神等，
Break and fall down, and the walls collapse. The ghosts and spirits
揚聲大叫。雕鷲諸鳥、鳩槃荼等，
Raise their voices in great cries. Eagles, vultures, and other birds, and the kumbhandas,
周章惶怖，不能自出。惡獸毒蟲，
Run about in panic, unable to get out. Evil beasts and poisonous insects
藏竄孔穴。毘舍闍鬼，亦住其中，
Hide in holes and crevices. The pishacha ghosts also live there,
薄福德故，為火所逼，共相殘害，
Being of thin merit and virtue, pressed by the fire, they harm one another,
飲血噉肉。野幹之屬，竝已前死，
Drinking blood and eating flesh. The jackals and the like had already died earlier,
諸大惡獸，競來食噉，臭煙熢㶿，
And great evil beasts race to devour them; foul smoke billows,
四面充塞。蜈蚣蚰蜒、毒蛇之類，
Filling all four sides. Centipedes, millipedes, poisonous snakes and the like,
為火所燒，爭走出穴，鳩槃荼鬼、
Burned by the fire, scramble out of their holes, and the kumbhanda ghosts
隨取而食。又諸餓鬼，頭上火燃，
Seize and eat them. And the hungry ghosts, with fire burning on their heads,
飢渴熱惱，周章悶走。其宅如是，
Hungry, thirsty, hot, and tormented, run about in confusion. The house is like this,
甚可怖畏，毒害火災，眾難非一。
Most frightening, with poison, harm, and fire disaster, its dangers not just one.
是時宅主，在門外立，聞有人言：
At this time the master of the house, standing outside the gate, hears someone say:
『汝諸子等，先因遊戲，來入此宅，
'Your sons earlier, while at play, came into this house,
稚小無知，歡娛樂著。』長者聞已，
Young and without understanding, delighting in their amusement.' When the elder hears this,
驚入火宅，方宜救濟，令無燒害。
He rushes into the burning house, intending to rescue them so they are not burned or harmed.
告喻諸子，說眾患難，惡鬼毒蟲，
He warns his sons, telling of the many dangers, the evil ghosts and poisonous insects,
災火蔓延，眾苦次第，相續不絕。
The spreading fire, the many sufferings in succession, following one another without end.
毒蛇蚖蝮，及諸夜叉、鳩槃茶鬼，
Poisonous snakes and vipers, the yakshas, and the kumbhanda ghosts,
野幹狐狗、雕鷲鵄梟，百足之屬，
Jackals, foxes, dogs, eagles, vultures, owls, hundred-leggers and the like,
飢渴惱急，甚可怖畏。此苦難處，
Hungry, thirsty, and in agitation, most terrifying. This place of suffering and hardship,
況復大火。諸子無知，雖聞父誨，
How much more the great fire. The sons are ignorant and, though they hear their father's admonition,
猶故樂著，嬉戲不已。是時長者，
Still are attached to their pleasure and keep playing without stopping. Then the elder
而作是念：『諸子如此，益我愁惱。
Has this thought: 'My sons are like this, which adds to my sorrow and vexation.
今此舍宅，無一可樂，而諸子等，
Now in this house there is not one thing to enjoy, yet my sons
耽湎嬉戲，不受我教，將為火害。』
Are immersed in play and do not accept my teaching, and will be harmed by the fire.'
即便思惟，設諸方便，告諸子等：
He then reflects and devises skillful means, and tells his sons: