Bǎi Zì Zàn (百字讃), the “Hundred Words of Praise” (or “Hundred-Word Eulogy”), is a medieval Chinese poem in praise of the Prophet ﷺ, written by Hóngwǔ (r. 1368–1398), the first emperor of the Ming dynasty. Emperor Hóngwǔ, whose personal name was Zhū Yuánzhāng, is held to have ushered in the “golden age” of Islam in China, commissioning mosques in the major cities of his empire. Several of his top officials and family members were Muslim, and some have speculated that the emperor himself also followed the teachings of Islam. The poem is composed of exactly one hundred Chinese characters/syllables, hence its name. The Bǎi Zì Zàn can be found engraved on stone stelae in many traditional Chinese mosques, some of which were erected by Hóngwǔ himself. The translation and transliteration offered below are from this insightful study by Brendan Newlon.
Lyrics
Mandarin
Transliteration
1. Gān kūn chū shǐ / tiān jí zhù míng
2. Chuán jiào dà shèng / jiàng shēng xī yù
3. Shòu shòu tiān jīng / sān shí bù cè / pǔ huà zhòng shēng
4. Yì zhào jūn shī / wàn shèng lǐng xiù
5. Xié zhù tiān yùn / bǎo bì guó mín
6. Wǔ shí qí yòu / mò zhù tài píng
7. Cún xīn zhēn zhǔ / jiā zhì qióng mín
8. Zhěng jiù huàn nàn / dòng bié yōu míng
9. Chāo bá líng hún / tuō lí zuì yè
10. Rén fù tiān xià / dào guàn gǔ jīn
11. Jiàng xié guī yī / jiào míng qīng zhēn
12. Mù hǎn mò dé / zhì guì shèng rén
Translation (B. Newlon)
1. The universe began with the heavenly tablet recording his name.
2. The religion-delivering great sage, born in the western realm.
3. Conferring and receiving heavenly scripture in thirty parts, universally transforming all created beings.
4. Master of the trillion rulers, leader of the ten thousand sages.
5. Assisted by destiny, protector of the community.
6. In each of the five prayers, he silently supplicates for their total well-being.
7. His intention is that Allah should remember the needy.
8. Deliver them from tribulations to safety, Knower of the unseen.
9. Exalted above every soul and spirit, free from any blameworthy deeds.
10. A mercy to all of the worlds, whose path is preeminent for all time.
11. Renounce spiritual ignorance; return to The One – that is the religion called “Islam” [literally, “the Way of Purity and Truth”].
12. Muhammad is the most noble sage.
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Gān kūn chū shǐ / tiān jí zhù míng
The universe began with the heavenly tablet recording his name.
– 2 –
Chuán jiào dà shèng / jiàng shēng xī yù
The religion-delivering great sage, born in the western realm.
– 3 –
Shòu shòu tiān jīng / sān shí bù cè / pǔ huà zhòng shēng
Conferring and receiving heavenly scripture in thirty parts, universally transforming all created beings.
– 4 –
Yì zhào jūn shī / wàn shèng lǐng xiù
Master of the trillion rulers, leader of the ten thousand sages.
– 5 –
Xié zhù tiān yùn / bǎo bì guó mín
Assisted by destiny, protector of the community.
– 6 –
Wǔ shí qí yòu / mò zhù tài píng
In each of the five prayers, he silently supplicates for their total well-being.
– 7 –
Cún xīn zhēn zhǔ / jiā zhì qióng mín
His intention is that Allah should remember the needy.
– 8 –
Zhěng jiù huàn nàn / dòng bié yōu míng
Deliver them from tribulations to safety, Knower of the unseen.
– 9 –
Chāo bá líng hún / tuō lí zuì yè
Exalted above every soul and spirit, free from any blameworthy deeds.
– 10 –
Rén fù tiān xià / dào guàn gǔ jīn
A mercy to all of the worlds, whose path is preeminent for all time.
– 11 –
Jiàng xié guī yī / jiào míng qīng zhēn
Renounce spiritual ignorance; return to The One – that is the religion called “Islam” [literally, “the Way of Purity and Truth”].
– 12 –
Mù hǎn mò dé / zhì guì shèng rén
Muhammad is the most noble sage.
Audio Samples
Read by Jenny Zhao
Read by Iskander Zhao (from 2:20)
Categories
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