​​The Song of Liberation
( 解脫歌 )

The "Song of Liberation" (解脫歌), composed by Great Fool Monk (大愚法師, Dàyú Fǎshī), also known as Jiashan Shanhui (嘉善山會, 805–881), is a Chan (Zen) Buddhist poem. It reflects his deep realization of liberation, characterized by spontaneous insight into the nature of the mind and ultimate freedom from attachment and dualistic thinking.

Here is an English translation of the Song of Liberation:
The Song of Liberation by Great Fool Monk (Dàyú Fǎshī)

1. My mind is free from entanglements,
   And thus, the path of liberation is revealed.
   I roam freely through the mountains and rivers,
   Completely at ease in my natural state.
2. The clouds in the sky have no roots,
   And the flowing water has no form.
   All is naturally perfect just as it is,
   With nothing to be sought and nothing to be grasped.
3. I no longer fear birth and death,
   For they are merely passing clouds.
   The wheel of samsara turns endlessly,
   But I am not caught in its motion.
4. In a single thought, all worlds arise;
   In a single thought, they all dissolve.
   Knowing this, I abide in the timeless truth,
   Free from both existence and non-existence.
5. The birds sing and the wind blows,
   Yet there is no singer, no listener.
   Nature's harmony is beyond words,
   And in this silence, true liberation is found.
6. I have cut the cords of attachment,
   And my mind is like the empty sky.
   No delusion can bind me now,
   For I walk the path of the liberated ones.
7. Where is the Buddha? Where is the Dharma?
   I see nothing but the pure and formless.
   The true nature is beyond thought and concept,
   And thus, I dwell in the unconditioned.
8. Those who seek and grasp cannot find it;
   Those who let go attain it without effort.
   The way of liberation is clear and bright,
   But only the free can walk upon it.

The Song of Liberation reflects a mind that has transcended the dualities of samsara and nirvana, life and death, and is completely at ease in the non-dual nature of reality. The use of natural imagery like clouds, water, and birds conveys the spontaneity and simplicity of a liberated mind, which is neither attached to forms nor limited by them.

​Like many Chan poems, this work emphasizes direct experience, beyond intellectual understanding, pointing to a state of mind that is inherently free, unbound by desires or fears. The true realization of liberation, as conveyed by Great Fool Monk, lies in the abandonment of all seeking and the full acceptance of the present moment.