Thảm cho trần nhà trống ruộng hoang.
Tiếng than lụy ngọc nhỏ tràn,
Nạn tai dồn-dập xóm làng còn chi.
Khuyên sanh-chúng rán ghi mối Đạo,
Lòng hằng lo ngay thảo nghe con.
Tương dưa giữ phận cho tròn,
Cuối niên Thân-Dậu mất còn sẽ phân.
Trong một giáp ân-cần suy tính,
Muốn làm hiền rán nhịn đừng than.
(110) Đến nay gần buổi khoa tràng,
Minh-quân xuất thế khắp tràng thảnh-thơi.
Đến Thân-Dậu cơ trời thấy lộ,
Hết đao binh qui cổ diệt kim.
Gia vô bế hộ im-lìm,
Lập thành mối Đạo rõ điềm xưa kia.
Thì dân-chúng danh bia hậu thế,
Phật, Thánh, Tiên kềm chế lập thành.
Diệt tà lập chánh đành-rành,
Ba màu nắm chặt Nam-thành xử phân.
(120) Trong tam giáo ân-cần mở Đạo,
Trường ngoại bang phục đáo như xưa.
Phật Tiên vận chuyển lọc-lừa,
Chúng-sanh rán nhớ muối dưa hội nầy.
Trên cùng dưới sum vầy một buổi,
Dựng mười hai may rủi mới hay.
Làm cho rõ mặt râu mày,
Thương-nguơn hồi phục là ngày an cư.
Cuối Thân Dậu y như Thượng-cổ,
Thời nhơn sanh hết khổ đến may.
(130) Đế-Vương xuất thế là ngày,
Dậu, Thân bình-trị trong ngoài âu ca.
Phân chỉ rành gần xa để dạ,
Chớ đảo-điên phải đọa phải sa.
Nghĩ suy cho thấu mới là,
Một bầy Hồng-Lạc nay đà thảnh-thơi.
Khuyên sanh-chúng nhớ lời ta tỏ,
Trước cùng sau chỉ rõ mối đàng.
Nhơn-sanh giữ phận chớ than,
Minh-Vương xuất thế mới an dân lành.
Gội ơn Trời độ khỏi sai lầm, (140)
Xin giúp chí bền, trị dục tâm.
Hộ mạng thần Quan-Âm trợ lực,
Nguyện thân ý nhiệm xứng công thần.
Từ-bi Trời Phật độ quần sanh,
Cứu khỏi tai ương vạn sự lành.
Đệ-tử gội nhuần ân đức cả,
Chung thân quyết chí dốc làm lành.
Đoạn dưới đây là hoàn toàn của Đức Thầy (chép theo bổn chánh).
Buồn vơi mượn bút tay đề,
Đã rời trần-thế dựa kề Tiên-bang.
(150) Tay chèo miệng nói lang-mang,
Chúng-sanh cách trở nghèo nàn hỡi ai.
Lục châu ta dạo bằng nay,
Thấy trong lê-thứ quá dài gian-nan.
Động tình tá quốc an bang,
Nước nhà vững đặt Nam-đàng hiển-vinh.
Bây giờ ta mượn kệ kinh,
Khuyên ai mau kíp sửa mình cho an.
Bữa xưa giảng-kệ một nang,
Bởi vì ta mắc dời thoàn cảnh xa.
(170) Ngày nay ta cũng nôm-na,
Gẫm trong lê-thứ hằng-hà lụy rơi.
Chừng nào mới đặng thảnh-thơi,
Qua năm Tuất-Hợi Phật Trời định phân.
Chim Ô đà dựa cầu Ngân,
Người xưa trở gót cho gần người nay.
Người nay rồi vẹn thảo ngay,
Thì là thấy tạn mặt mày người xưa.
Nguyện cầu gắng chí sớm trưa,
Cầu cho bá-tánh sớm ưa tu hành.
(180) Đầu đuôi ta tỏ ngọn ngành,
Mau mau trau-trỉa chữ lành cho xong.
Đến chừng lập hội mới mong,
Trở vể chúa cũ mới hòng xuê-xang.
Người hiền như thể cỏ lan,
Người hung chết rất chật đàng thảm thay.
Cả kêu kìa hỡi là ai,
Quan trường rời dứt mặt mày chùi lau.
Lui chơn ra khỏi cho mau,
Tìm trong lánh đục tẩu đào mới ngoan.
(190) Theo ta đến chốn Tiên-bang,
Đặng coi các nước hội hàng Năm-Non.
Đạo Phật vốn ngàn xưa rạng tỏ,
Nay lu-lờ bị mõ cùng chuông,
Thấy chúng-sanh đắp Phật bán buôn,
Mà tội lỗi ngàn muôn lao-lý.
Cho đó hiểu nhiều câu huyền-bí,
Rán nghĩ suy bền chí mới mầu.
Dẹp lợi-danh dẹp hết mộng sầu,
Đặng trở lợi với cha cùng chúa.
It is pitiable that houses and farms are desolated.
Laments make jade tears streak in traces,
One disaster after another has razed all villages.
I urge the living to memorize the Tao,
Practise righteousness day in day out.
Simple vegan meals are kept full on,
The late Monkey and Rooster finalize death tolls.
Within sixty-years one must deliberate,
As a virtuous practicer, forbear and never nag.
(110) Now the exam day is drawing near,
The Bright King who spreads peace is to appear.
The Monkey and Rooster reveals predestination,
People return to Antiquity after armageddon.
No house closes its door and everyone behaves,
The Tao is re-established like the former ways.
The mass will shine through to posterity.
Buddha, Saints, and Fairies, make a polity,
Destroy the evil and establish the good.
The three colors unite for Southern statehood.
(120) Three Religions are busy opening,
The foreign arena is restored as in its beginning.
Screening is carried out by Buddha and Fairy,
The living, you should take this opportunity.
People reunite regardless of their status,
Good or back luck is among twelve livelihoods.[1]
Ensure you will stand out as the braves,
The restored Upper Age brings blissful days.
Monkey and Rooster’s end is like Antiquity,
When the living's ordeal gives way to prosperity.
(130) It is the day The Emperor descends,
The pacified Rooster and Monkey are triumphant.
Point out for those far and wide to engrave,
Don’t get so insane as to become depraved.
It is good to think this through,
A swarm of flamingos now relax in droves.
Sentient beings, remember my words,
From beginning to end, I’ll show the pathway.
The living, take care and don’t feel dismayed,
As the Bright King appears, so does peace.
(140) Beg the Lord to help you prevent misdeeds,
To help you persevere and master cravings.
Beg The Protectress Gwan Yin for helping,
Your vow to prove a meritorious nobleman.
The Compassionate Supreme blesses the living,
Salvage and give them a peace that is long lasting.
For Buddha’s grace, we, disciples, show gratitude,
And devote all our lives to doing good.
The article hereafter is entirely Lord Master’s (written to the original)
Melancholically I start to write,
Far from the world, I’ve been on Paradise.
(150) I scull while telling one story after another,
What a pity for the living to become paupers!
I am roving the Six Provinces,
Where folks suffer prolonged calamities.
Deeply moved, I help pacify the country,
Once she settles down, the South enjoys the glory.
Now I borrow sutras and stanzas,
To urge to achieve all moral standards.
Formerly I had plenty of scriptures to scan,
I had to move my boat to a faraway haven.
(170) Nowadays I speak in simple parlance,
Given the populace’s tears drop in abundance.
When will there be an enjoyment of freedom?
On Dog and Pig years, will the Holy Judgment come.
Black Bird [2] has perched on the bridge of Galaxy,
The Ancient return to stay near the contemporary.
If the latter have been perfectly decent,
Then they will meet up with the Ancient.
I pray that, from morning to afternoon,
The masses will keep their endeavour on.
(180) Thorough are all my explanations,
Quickly accomplish your ameliorations.
Then you can hope to attend the Assembly,
Rejoin the Former Sovereign, then enjoy prosperity.
The good people are like the orchids,
Alas! Muggers’ cadavers will fill up streets.
I appeal to those from all walks of life,
Quit bureaucracy [3] and have your faces wiped.
Withdraw as soon as you can,
It is wise to take refuge with the pure land.
(190) Follow Me to the Fairy field,
To see states gathering at the Five-Hill.[3]
Buddhism has since antiquity been shining,
It is now dimmed by bells ‘n’ tocsins.
The living who carve buddhas for sale,
Will incur myriad horrible terms of jail.
I let you know many a mystical sentence,
It is useful to keep your perseverance.
Give up fame, wealth and complaints,
So you can return to the father and sovereign.
(200) If you don’t act now, you’ll be like a drying leaf,
(200) Nếu chẳng lo cũng như lá úa,
1.-Line 125: Here, Lord Master used the proverb “dựng mười hai”, that is, to set up the twelve, the twelve docks that normally apply to the young girls waiting for someone to ask their hands, without knowing in advance what may happen to them after marriage. If those who chose them are good husbands, the brides consider themselves lucky; otherwise, this is bad luck. That’s why Lord Master used the word ‘Good luck or bad luck’ here. The same applies to the case in which a practicer is required to adhere to one of the religions without knowing enough what each of them contains until they follow them for a while. If the faith is right, he may be deemed fortunate, otherwise, he will waste his life and sometimes put it in danger. That’s why Lord Master advises people to carefully think over a religion prior to converting and committing to it.
2.- Line 174: It is said that, when the Cowherd and Lady Weaver met each other, there was a Black Bird which arrived and transported rocks with their heads to build a bridge for both the parties to see each other. Lord Master wanted to use this tale as analogous to the predestined encounter between Lord Master and His disciples.
3.- Line 187: Lord Master meant those who by then were collaborating with French colonial government in different positions. Collaboration with the invader should be considered a betrayal to the country.
4.- LIne 191: Five Hills are five peaks on the Forbidden Mountain that area as follow:
1. Bo Hong Peak: formerly, few frequented it, therefore the dung beetles were born in limitless numbers here. 716 meters high, to the West;
2. Head Peak: it might be so named because people first saw it when climbing via Thum Chung market. 584 meters high, to the Northwest.
3. Butterly Peak: it is so called because Mr. Butterly and Mr. Chalk, Khmer people, the commanders of the Battalion Commander, Tran Van Thanh, who was one of the disciples of the Jewel Mountain and Strange Perfume, who later on went in hiding here and got enlightened.
4. Lady Peak or Phnom Barech: here there is the Temple for the Local Goddess. 579 meters high, to the South.
5. Thien Tue or Phnom Prapeal: it is so called because there are many Thien Tue trees. 514 high to the East
(This is in the book Thất Sơn Mầu Nhiệm "Miraculous Seven Mountains' by Dat Si and Nguyen Van Hau)