It probably was in 2008, I received a calendar from the local office of Campus Crusade For Christ (1 )as a give away to people to for the New Year. I immediately felt seriously humbled and challenged as I saw Emperor KangXi – The Death of Christ as the cover of the calendar with the English translations as below:

康熙皇帝 － 基督之死 (Jīdū zhī sǐ) (2)

Emperor Kangxi – The Death of Christ

功成十字血成溪 When the work of the cross is done, blood flowed like a river,
千丈恩流分自西 Grace from the west flowed a thousand yards deep,
身列四衙半夜路 On the midnight road he was subjected to four trials,
徒方三背兩番鸡 Before the rooster crowed twice, three times betrayed by a disciple.
五百鞭达寸肌裂 Five hundred lashes tore every inch of skin,
六尺悬垂二盜齐 Two thieves hung on either side, six feet high,
慘恸八垓惊九品 Sadness greater than any had ever known,
七言一毕万灵啼 Seven words, one completed task, ten thousand spirits weep.

The structure of the poem was in the total conformity with the ancient Chinese classical of 七 言 诗 (qi-yen-she) format, which means that every complete sentence consisted exactly seven words with rhymes. So the poem only has had 8 complete sentences with 56 Chinese characters, in total and with no punctuation. 

With an unbroken history for 5000-year, the Chinese people have been exposed to many folk religions even longer before philosophies such as Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism that didn’t come into China till 5th/6th centuries. So it would need more than a miracle for the Emperor to tell the story of the Cross to the Chinese during his reign.

I was gravitated by the Chinese numerals that amazingly occur in the poem, which has symbols for the decimal power from 1 (一, Yi); 10 (十, Shi); 100 (百 –Bai); 1000 (千 – Qiān) and 10,000 ( 万– Wàn).  And 13 out of the total of 56 words are Chinese numerals. And each numeral has its deep scriptural significance.

功成 十(10)字血成溪    千(thousand)丈恩流分自西      身列四(4) 衙 平夜路    

徒方三(3)背两番雉      五(5)百(100)鞭挞寸肤裂             六(6)尺悬垂二(2)盗齊 

惨恸八(8) 垓惊九(9)品      七(7)言一(1)毕万灵啼     

People may puzzle why the Emperor would choose to use a numerical approach to convey his faith? Presumptuously I would think that he, being a Manchurian was probably led to show his cultural sense and sensitiveness as of the Han ethnic people, many in general, are superstitiously obsessed with numbers and even till today.

1 =     Once for all, the finished work, or you can say ‘the one task’

2 =      Two thieves

3 =      Three times denials

4 =      Four trials back and forth

5 =      Five hundred stripes

6 =     Six feet high tree for crucifixion

7 =     Seven final words to

8 =     Eight points of a compass – to the furthermost point of the world

9 =     Nine ranks of officials – all walks of people

10=    Chinese Numeral 10, also the pictographs of the Cross

The poem is descriptive and pictographic as if the Emperor were at the scene as the spectator to witness from the trials, the beatings, Peter’s denials and as if he was at the foot of the Cross next to Jesus’ earthly mother, Mary when the physical crucifixion actually took place.

Let us intently look at how the Emperor magnificently weaved the Chinese numerals and his choices of words into this awesome seven-word poem. Evidently, the Emperor had interfaced his perfect grip of the spiritual significance that’s our dear Lord Jesus’ finished work on the Cross.

I would never be in any position or attempt to compare and definitely not trying to contrast with the existing translation, but to share my reflection on the original text with my Chinese resources and prayerfully in tune with passages of scriptures in the Bible.

功成十字 ‘When the work of the Cross is done’

The first 2-word phrases are “功 成 (pinyin – Gōng chéng), “ which literally, means ‘the work is done,’ or, ‘it is finished.’ And 十 (Shi)is the Chinese numeral Ten (10) but according to the “Historical forms of the character 十” (3)as below, don’t you think that it pictographs the Cross to us, especially the large seal script? but definitely how I see it. 

Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Bamboo and silk script	Large seal script	Small seal script

The character of 字(Zi) means ‘word’ or character in Chinese. And the commonly used translation of the Cross  in the Chinese version of the Bible would be十字架 (Shízìjià). And 架 (jià) means ‘frame,’ ‘rack,’ ‘stand,’ or ‘shelf.’  however, I think that with the restraint of 7-word poem in consideration, the Emperor omitted the word of 架, but it wouldn’t compromise what he intended to express.  

And it shall be easy for Christian to relate the four (4) words of – “功 成 十字(- Gōng Chéng Shi Zi)“to the following passage of Scriptures, which Apostle John has entailed the ‘finished work‘ with four (4) passage of scriptures that occurs both in the book of ‘Revelation,’ and the Gospel of John. 

John 17:4 “ I have finished the work, which You have given Me to do.”

John 19:30 – “It is finished.” And it says “that is the final word in the redemption of humankind,’’– Oswald Chamber.

Revelation 16:17  “when God proclaimed the end of His catastrophic wrath.. and

Revelation 21:6a  “HE said unto me, it is done –“

To be continued

Kay

1. https://www.cru.org/communities/campus.htm
2. blogspot.com/2008/12/kangxi-his-poems.html
3. wiktionary