去秋，柏林大学教授法兰居士游秣陵，会衲于祇桓精舍，谭及英人近译大乘起信论，以为破碎过甚，衲喟然叹曰：“译事固难，况译以英文，首尾负竭，不称其意，滋无论矣。又其卷端，谓马呜此论，同符景教。吃呜呼，是乌足以语大乘者哉！”

居士各衲为购法苑珠林，版久蠹蚀，无以应其求也。衲语居士：“震旦万事蘦坠，岂复如昔时所称天国（celestial empire），亦将为印度比伦埃及希腊之继耳！”

此语思之，常有馀恫。比自秣陵遄归将母，病起匈膈，檽笔译拜伦去国之尤，寄之吟咏，谋人这国，功成不居，虽与日月争光，可民！尝谓计歌之美，在乎气体；然其情思幼眇，抑亦十方同感，如衲旧译颖颖赤墙靡，去燕，冬日，答美人赠东发带诗数章，可为证已。古诗“思君令人老”，英译作“to think of you makes me old”，辞气相副，正难再得，若小雅“昔我往矣，杨柳依依；令我来思，雨雪霏霏。行道迟迟，载渴载饥，我心伤悲，莫知我哀。”

译如：

“at first, when we got out,

the willows were fresh and green;

now, when we shall be returning,

the snow will be falling in clouds,

long and tedious will be our marching;

we shall hunger; we shall thirst.

our hearts are wounded with grief,

and no one knows our sadness.”

又陈陶陇西行，“誓扫匈奴不顾身，五千貂锦丧胡麝；可怜无定河边骨，犹是春闺梦里人！”

“they swore the huns should perish:

they would die if needs they must,

and now five thousand, sable-clad,

have bit the tartar dust.

along the river bank their bones lie

scattered where they may,

but still their forms in dreams arise

to fair ones far away.”

顾视元文，犹不相及。自余译者，浇淳散朴，损益任情，宁足以胜鞮寄之任！今译是篇，按文切理，语无增饰；陈义悱测，事辞相称。世有作者，亦将有感乎斯文？光绪三十二年，佛从“多罗夜登陵奢”天下还日，曼殊序于太平洋舟中。