懷素家長₊沙₊。
Huai Su's home was in ChangSha.

幼而事佛。
From his youth, he adhered to buddhism.

經禪之暇。
When he wasn't studying scriptures or meditating,

頗好筆翰。
he was particularly inclined towards brush arts.

然恨未能₊遠者見前人₊之奇跡₊。
He just regretted he was yet unable to roam afar seeing the ancients' masterpieces.

所見₊甚淺。
His perception was still extremely shallow.

遂擔笈杖錫。
So he shouldered his pack, and took up his cane.

西遊上國。
He traveled west to the capital.

謁見當代₊名公。
He paid respects to the famous officials of the time,

錯綜₊其事。
acquiring diverse new experiences.

遺編絕簡。
Lost texts, unavailable books,

往往₊遇之。
could be found there.

豁然₊心胸₊。
Opening his heart,

略無疑₊滯。
his intentions were unfettered.

魚箋絹素。
Silk letters from their fish-shaped boxes

多所塵點。
were all besmeared with ink dots or margin notes,

士大夫₊不以為₊怪焉。
but distinguished gentlemen did not find them disturbing.

顏刑部₊書家者流。
Penal Official Yan belonged to a calligraphy sect.

精極筆法₊。
Highly developed calligraphy,

水鏡之辯。
liquid crystal discernment,

許在末行。
(His) praise (was added) by the final lines (of Huai Su's work).

又以尚書₊司勳郎盧象。
Also the High Minister Lu Xiang

小宗伯張正言。
and the minor ritual official Zhang ZhengYan

曾為歌詩。
had composed a song

故敘之曰。
in which they said,

開士懷素。
"A gentleman is Huai Su,

僧中之英。
a hero among monks,

氣概₊通束。
of firm resolve,

性靈豁暢。
and open heart,

精心₊草聖。
a dedicated sage of the cursive style.

積有歲時₊。
Collecting many years of experience,

江嶺之間₊。
From the Long River to the 5 Mountain Ranges

其名大著。
his name has become well-known."

故吏部₊侍郎韋公陟。
Thus the historian Wei GongBu

者見其筆力₊勗以有成。
also saw the power of his brushwork and insisted it would achieve greatness.

今禮部侍郎張公謂。
The current ritual official honorable Zhang said

賞其不羈₊。
he admired its lack of inhibition

引以遊處。
roaming freely everywhere.

兼好事₊者₊同作歌以贊之。
Many connoisseurs came together to compose songs in its praise,

動盈卷軸₊。
going about (their sleeves) overflowing with the rolls.

夫草稿₊之作。
So the cursive style

起於漢代₊。
began in the Han Dynasty.

杜度。
Du Du

崔瑗。
Cui Yuan

始以妙聞。
began to spread its wonder

迨乎伯英。
up to Bo Ying

尤擅其美。
who especially excelled in its beauty.

羲獻茲降。
After (Wang) Xi and Xian (Zhi),

虞陸相承₊。
Yu and Lu both inherited

口訣₊手授。
their mouths' instructions and their hands' directions,

以至₊于₊吳郡張旭₊長史。
until the official Zhang Xu of Wu Jun.

雖姿性顛逸。
Although his disposition was peculiar,

超絕₊古今₊。
he surpassed all before and after,

而模楷精詳。
and was a model of precision,

特為₊真正₊。
an indisputable master.

真卿早歲₊常接遊居。
(Yan) Zhen Qing from his youth traveled frequently.

屢蒙激昂₊。
and learned many lessons.

教以筆法₊。
He taught through calligraphy.

資質₊劣弱。
When aptitude is weak,

又嬰物務。
and one has so much to overcome,

不能₊懇習。
unable to earnestly practice

迄以無成₊。
and is yet unable to succeed

追思₊一言。
trying to think of a single word,

何可復得。
what could make it return?

忽見師作。
Just look at the master's works

縱橫₊不群。
the extraordinary lines,

迅疾駭人。
startling speed,

若還舊觀₊。
and it's as if the past were before you again.

向使師得親承善誘。
Through the teacher's personal bestowing of excellence

函挹規模₊。
quickly gain the epitome of excellence.

則入室之賓。
The guest at the head of the class,

捨子奚適。
what would be done without him?

嗟歎不足₊。
Sighs are insufficient.

聊書此以冠諸篇首。
The best I can do is write this as the the head for some series.

其後₊繼作不絕₊。
The rest would never end;

溢乎箱篋₊。
The bookshelves would overflow.

其述形似。
Their style could be described

則有張禮部云。
as ritual official Zhang has said,

奔蛇走虺勢入座₊。
"A rushing snake on the run, a poisonous snake powerful in its seat.

驟雨₊旋風₊聲₊滿堂₊。
the sounds of torrents and whirlwinds fill the room."

盧員外₊云。
The aristocrat Lu said,

初疑輕煙澹古松。
"At first, I suspected light smoke and trembling old pines.

又似山開萬仞峰。
then it was like mountains opening on 10000 peaks."

王永州₊邕曰。
Wang Yong of Yong Zhou said,

寒猿飲水₊撼枯藤。
"Winter monkeys drinking water shake the dry vines.

壯士₊拔山伸勁鐵。
Strong men lifting mountains extract the sturdy iron."

朱處士遙云。
The Daoist Zhu Yao said,

筆下₊唯看激電流₊。
"Under his pen, one only sees the flow of arousing electricity.

字成只畏盤龍₊走。
The finished characters scare coiled snakes to flight."

敘機格。
Speaking of disposition,

則有李御史₊舟云。
thus, Judge Li Zhou has said,

昔張旭₊之作也。
"(Seeing) Old Zhang Xu's works,

時人謂之張顛。
the people of the time called him Strange Zhang.

今懷素之為也。
(Seeing) contemporary Huai Su's works,

余實謂之狂僧。
we surely call him Crazy Monk.

以狂繼顛。
If crazy inherits from strange,

誰曰不可₊。
who can argue?"

張公又云。
Venerable Zhang also said,

稽山賀老粗知名₊。
"Old He of Ji Mountain was hardly known;

吳郡張顛曾不面。
Strange Zhang of Wu Jun is already known throughout the North. (不面=北方)"

許御史₊瑤云。
Judge Xu Yao said,

志在新奇₊無定則。
"Aspiring to new wonders without rules,

古瘦灕驪半無墨。
classic thin streaks half devoid of ink.

醉來信₊手兩三行。
When drunk trusting his hand for a few lines,

醒後去書書不得₊。
while his sober writing can't compare."

戴御史₊叔倫云。
Judge Dai ShuLun said,

心手相師勢轉奇。
"Heart guiding the hand, the power becomes miraculous.

詭形在狀翻合宜₊。
Strange forms become appropriate.

人人₊欲問此中妙。
Everyone wants to ask where these wonders come from.

懷素自言初不知₊。
Huai Su himself says he really doesn't know."

語疾速₊。
Regarding speed,

則有竇御史₊冀云。
thus Judge Dou Ji has said,

粉壁長廊₊數十間。
"White walls, long corridors, dozens of rooms,

興來小豁胸中₊氣。
with the slightest inclination,

忽然₊絕叫三五聲。
a few sudden loud shouts

滿壁縱橫₊千萬₊字。
the walls are filled with thousands of characters."

戴公又云。
Venerable Dai also said,

馳豪驟墨列奔駟。
"Galloping brush, rapid ink, waves of rushing horses,

滿座₊失聲看不及₊。
the filled room gasps at the blinding speed."

目愚劣。
Eyes are foolish.

則有從父司勳員外₊郎吳興錢起詩云。
My cousin, the aristocrat Wu XingQian also composed a poem saying,

遠鶴無前侶。
"The far-roaming heron has no companion before him

孤雲寄太虛₊。
The lonely cloud lives in the great void.

狂來輕世界₊。
Craziness comes easing earthly concerns.

醉裏得真如₊。
In drunkenness, gaining integrity."

皆辭旨激切。
All these words have encouraged me.

理識玄奧₊。
Their knowledge is profound.

固非虛蕩之所敢當。
Certainly this humble writer can hardly admit such praise.

徒增愧畏耳。
It would only be embarrassing.

時大曆丁巳₊冬十月₊廿有八日。
In the 54th year of the Imperial calendar, in winter,the 28th day of the 10th month.

Much thanks to Liu YiRu 劉怡如 at ChengGong University 成功大學 in Tainan 台南 for herdiligence in researching background facts and multiple interpretations of many lines,and her patience in putting up with my persistent quibbling. This translationwould not have been possible without her help.

phillip potamites
my.last.name@yahoo.com