Bankoku Shinryō no Kane (Bridge of Nations Bell)

Bankoku Shinryō no Kane
Inscription Book

Translation by Qihan Gao
Illustrations by Hannah Grim

琉球国者南海勝地
Ryukyu Kingdom is a beautiful place in the southern sea

而鍾三韓之秀
And it gathers the excellence of the Korea

以大明 為輔車
The relations between the Great Ming [dynasty of China]" and

Ryukyu are like those between jar and cheek

以日域為唇齒
Regarding Japan [and Ryūkyū], they are like teeth and lips.

在此二中間湧出之蓬莱 島蓬 也
[Ryukyu] is an island of perpetual youth that wells up [from the

sea] between these two [China and Japan].

以 舟楫 為万国之津梁
We use ships to be the ports and bridges of countless nations

We are like a shipʼs helm, bridging countless nations

異産至宝充満十方刹
The Rrare products and precious treasures permeate the whole

world

地靈人物,
遠扇和夏之仁風
This Remarkable place and the outstanding people born here b
blow tender summer breeze to afar

故吾 王大世 主庚寅 慶生尚泰久茲
Consequently, our king Shō Taikyū (1454–1460 CE)

here

承宝位 於高天
Receives this imperial throne from the high heavens
[who] receives the [approval of the?] high heavens via

the imperial throne

育蒼生於厚地
Nurture the people from the generous land
[and] nurtures abundant land via the people

為興隆 三宝

For celebrating the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha
For the sake of [the] prosperity of the Three

Treasures [of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha]

報酬四恩

And to repay the kindness of the parents, people,
king, and Triratna

新鋳巨鐘 代定之憲後章于三
以就本州 下済三界 群生
中山
国王殿前 上 祝 万歳 宝
掛着之 位

We newly build this bell
To hang it in front of Shuri Castle main hall
Deciding the charter for the descendants beyond many generations
Restricting our civil and military bureaus in front our countless
following kings
Storing up civil and military arts from before our countless kings
Benefitting lives in all realms down below the court
Below, taking care of all animate creation of the three realms of
existence
Cherishing the precious position of the king (up above)

辱命相国住持溪隠安潜叟 求
銘々曰

The Abbot of the Shoukoku
Monastery (who fails his
mission) requested this

inscription，nd the inscription
says:

須弥 南畔 　世界洪 宏
On the southern side of the
Japan，the world is a wide sea

吾王出現　済苦衆生
Our king appears, and eases
relief the pain of the people

截 流玉象　吼月華鯨
A jade elephant stopped the river flow, a beautiful

whale roars to the moon

泛溢四海 　震梵音声
（the great kindness of the king ）overflow the
world，the sound of the Buddha awes everyone

覚 長夜夢　輸感 天誠
The sleep is long with dream，and I want to
express my sincerity that moves the heaven

堯風永扇　舜日益明
the wind of Yao will flow forever,
and the sun of Shun will shine brighter and

brighter

戊寅六月十九日辛亥
June 19th, 1458

大工藤原国善
(Casted by) the great craftsman Fujiwara Kuniyoshi

住相国溪隠叟誌之
Abbot Keiʼinsō the old man records this