第十一回 · 魏徵之書 Wei Zheng's Letter to the Netherworld — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

魏徵之書 Wei Zheng's Letter to the Netherworld

辱rǔ愛ài弟dì魏wèi徵zhēng頓dùn首shǒu書shū拜bài大dà都dū案àn契qì兄xiōng崔cuī老lǎo先xiān生shēng臺tái下xià：憶yì昔xī交jiāo遊yóu，音yīn容róng如rú在zài。倏shū爾ěr數shù載zài，不bù聞wén清qīng教jiào。常cháng只zhǐ是shì遇yù節jié令lìng，設shè蔬shū品pǐn奉fèng祭jì，未wèi卜bǔ享xiǎng否fǒu？又yòu承chéng不bú棄qì，夢mèng中zhōng臨lín示shì，始shǐ知zhī我wǒ兄xiōng長zhǎng大dà人rén高gāo遷qiān。奈nài何hé陰yīn陽yáng兩liǎng隔gé，天tiān各gè一yì方fāng，不bù能néng面miàn覿dí。今jīn因yīn我wǒ太tài宗zōng文wén皇huáng帝dì倏shū然rán而ér故gù，料liào是shì對duì案àn三sān曹cáo，必bì然rán得dé與yǔ兄xiōng長zhǎng相xiāng會huì。萬wàn祈qí俯fǔ念niàn生shēng日rì交jiāo情qíng，方fāng便biàn一yī二èr，放fàng我wǒ陛bì下xià回huí陽yáng，殊shū為wéi愛ài也yě。容róng再zài修xiū謝xiè。不bú盡jìn。辱rǔ爱ài弟dì魏wèi征zhēng顿dùn首shǒu书shū拜bài大dà都dū案àn契qì兄xiōng崔cuī老lǎo先xiān生shēng台tái下xià：忆yì昔xī交jiāo游yóu，音yīn容róng如rú在zài。倏shū尔ěr数shù载zài，不bù闻wén清qīng教jiào。常cháng只zhǐ是shì遇yù节jié令lìng，设shè蔬shū品pǐn奉fèng祭jì，未wèi卜bǔ享xiǎng否fǒu？又yòu承chéng不bú弃qì，梦mèng中zhōng临lín示shì，始shǐ知zhī我wǒ兄xiōng长zhǎng大dà人rén高gāo迁qiān。奈nài何hé阴yīn阳yáng两liǎng隔gé，天tiān各gè一yì方fāng，不bù能néng面miàn觌dí。今jīn因yīn我wǒ太tài宗zōng文wén皇huáng帝dì倏shū然rán而ér故gù，料liào是shì对duì案àn三sān曹cáo，必bì然rán得dé与yǔ兄xiōng长zhǎng相xiāng会huì。万wàn祈qí俯fǔ念niàn生shēng日rì交jiāo情qíng，方fāng便biàn一yī二èr，放fàng我wǒ陛bì下xià回huí阳yáng，殊shū为wéi爱ài也yě。容róng再zài修xiū谢xiè。不bú尽jìn。

逐句解 Line by line

辱rǔ愛ài弟dì魏wèi徵zhēng頓dùn首shǒu書shū拜bài大dà都dū案àn契qì兄xiōng崔cuī老lǎo先xiān生shēng臺tái下xià：辱rǔ爱ài弟dì魏wèi征zhēng顿dùn首shǒu书shū拜bài大dà都dū案àn契qì兄xiōng崔cuī老lǎo先xiān生shēng台tái下xià：

Your unworthy younger brother Wei Zheng, bowing his head, respectfully addresses this letter to his sworn elder brother, the Grand Registrar, venerable Master Cui:

辱愛弟 a self-deprecating epistolary formula, 'the younger brother you deign to favour.' 頓首 'knocking the head [to the ground],' a formal salutation. 大都案 the office of Grand Registrar (= 掌案判官); 都 here dū. 契兄 a sworn elder brother. 臺下 a respectful term of address.

憶yì昔xī交jiāo遊yóu，音yīn容róng如rú在zài。倏shū爾ěr數shù載zài，不bù聞wén清qīng教jiào。忆yì昔xī交jiāo游yóu，音yīn容róng如rú在zài。倏shū尔ěr数shù载zài，不bù闻wén清qīng教jiào。

I recall our old companionship — your voice and face seem present still. Yet in the space of a few swift years I have heard nothing of your pure counsel.

音容如在 'voice and countenance as if still here,' a formula of mourning remembrance. 倏爾 'in a flash.' 數載 (shù zài) 'several years.' 清教 'your pure instruction,' a respectful term for the addressee's words.

常cháng只zhǐ是shì遇yù節jié令lìng，設shè蔬shū品pǐn奉fèng祭jì，未wèi卜bǔ享xiǎng否fǒu？常cháng只zhǐ是shì遇yù节jié令lìng，设shè蔬shū品pǐn奉fèng祭jì，未wèi卜bǔ享xiǎng否fǒu？

At each turning of the seasons I have only set out plain offerings in sacrifice, though I cannot tell whether you have received them.

節令 the seasonal festivals. 蔬品 simple, meatless offerings. 未卜 (bǔ) 'cannot divine, cannot know'; 享 here means for a spirit to receive sacrifice.

又yòu承chéng不bú棄qì，夢mèng中zhōng臨lín示shì，始shǐ知zhī我wǒ兄xiōng長zhǎng大dà人rén高gāo遷qiān。又yòu承chéng不bú弃qì，梦mèng中zhōng临lín示shì，始shǐ知zhī我wǒ兄xiōng长zhǎng大dà人rén高gāo迁qiān。

Then, of your kindness, you did not forsake me but appeared before me in a dream, and so I first learned that my elder brother had risen to high estate.

承不棄 'you deigned not to abandon me.' 臨示 to appear and reveal oneself, here in a dream. 高遷 promotion to high office — Cui Jue's infernal magistracy.

奈nài何hé陰yīn陽yáng兩liǎng隔gé，天tiān各gè一yì方fāng，不bù能néng面miàn覿dí。奈nài何hé阴yīn阳yáng两liǎng隔gé，天tiān各gè一yì方fāng，不bù能néng面miàn觌dí。

But alas, the quick and the dead are sundered, each in a separate quarter of the world, and we cannot meet face to face.

陰陽兩隔 'the yin and yang worlds divided.' 天各一方 'each beneath a different corner of heaven.' 面覿 (miàn dí) 'to behold face to face.'

今jīn因yīn我wǒ太tài宗zōng文wén皇huáng帝dì倏shū然rán而ér故gù，料liào是shì對duì案àn三sān曹cáo，必bì然rán得dé與yǔ兄xiōng長zhǎng相xiāng會huì。今jīn因yīn我wǒ太tài宗zōng文wén皇huáng帝dì倏shū然rán而ér故gù，料liào是shì对duì案àn三sān曹cáo，必bì然rán得dé与yǔ兄xiōng长zhǎng相xiāng会huì。

Now, because my sovereign, the Cultured Emperor Taizong, has suddenly passed away and must, I reckon, face the three tribunals, he will surely come to meet with my elder brother.

文皇帝 'the Cultured Emperor,' an epithet of Taizong. 倏然而故 'died suddenly.' 對案三曹 = 三曹對案. 相 (xiāng) in 相會, 'meet together.'

萬wàn祈qí俯fǔ念niàn生shēng日rì交jiāo情qíng，方fāng便biàn一yī二èr，放fàng我wǒ陛bì下xià回huí陽yáng，殊shū為wéi愛ài也yě。万wàn祈qí俯fǔ念niàn生shēng日rì交jiāo情qíng，方fāng便biàn一yī二èr，放fàng我wǒ陛bì下xià回huí阳yáng，殊shū为wéi爱ài也yě。

I entreat you ten-thousand-fold: bending your thoughts upon the friendship of our living days, grant a small favour or two, and release my sovereign to return to the light — it would be a singular kindness.

萬祈 'I beg a myriad times.' 俯念 'to look down and be mindful of.' 生日交情 'the friendship of our lifetimes' (生日 = 生時, our living days — not 'birthday'). 方便一二 'afford one or two conveniences'; 一 read yī as an enumerated numeral. 回陽 to return to the world of the living. 為 here wéi, 'to be.'

容róng再zài修xiū謝xiè。不bú盡jìn。容róng再zài修xiū谢xiè。不bú尽jìn。

I shall render fuller thanks another time. Words cannot exhaust it.

容再修謝 'permit me to make my thanks again,' an epistolary sign-off. 不盡 'I cannot say it all,' the conventional close of a letter; 盡 jìn, and 不 accordingly bú before it.

總評 Commentary

Wei Zheng's letter is a small masterpiece of epistolary parallel prose (駢文), moving through the fixed stages of the form — salutation, remembrance, apology for neglected sacrifices, acknowledgment of a dream-visitation, and finally the request — all in the idiom of sworn brotherhood between the living and the dead. Its quiet claim is that the offices of the afterworld run on the same currency as those above: old friendship, mutual obligation, and a favour asked between colleagues. That the request should be nothing less than the resurrection of an emperor is stated with the same measured decorum as a plea for any small official kindness.