太保告回 Boqin Takes His Leave
那伯欽見孫行者一心收拾要行,卻轉身對三藏唱個喏道:「長老,你幸此間收得個好徒,甚喜,甚喜。此人果然去得。我卻告回。」三藏躬身作禮相謝道:「多有拖步,感激不勝。回府多多致意令堂老夫人、令荊夫人,貧僧在府多擾,容回時踵謝。」伯欽回禮,遂此兩下分別。那伯钦见孙行者一心收拾要行,却转身对三藏唱个喏道:「长老,你幸此间收得个好徒,甚喜,甚喜。此人果然去得。我却告回。」三藏躬身作礼相谢道:「多有拖步,感激不胜。回府多多致意令堂老夫人、令荆夫人,贫僧在府多扰,容回时踵谢。」伯钦回礼,遂此两下分别。
逐句解 Line by line
Seeing that Pilgrim Sun was set with one mind on setting out, Boqin turned and made a salute to Sanzang, saying,
The hunter's task is discharged; he has brought the monk safely to the frontier and seen him gain a protector. 行者 here reads 行 as xíng.
"Elder, you are fortunate to have gained so good a disciple here — I am glad, most glad.
Boqin's warm approval (甚喜,甚喜, "most glad, most glad") uses 甚 in its adverbial sense, "very," read shèn — distinct from the interrogative 甚麼 (shén).
This man will indeed do to go with you. And now I take my leave."
去得 ("will do to go," 得 read de) affirms the monkey fit for the road; the hunter then formally takes his leave.
Sanzang bowed and made his thanks: "I have put you to much trouble, and I am more grateful than I can say.
相謝 — "to thank" — takes 相 in its reciprocal sense, read xiāng, not the "appearance" sense (xiàng).
When you return to your house, convey my many respects to your honoured mother and to your worthy wife; I have been much bother to your household, and when I pass this way again I shall come to give my thanks in person."
Sanzang's parting speech is a model of Tang courtesy, sending formal respects to Boqin's mother (令堂) and wife (令荊), with a promise to repay the family's hospitality on his return.
Boqin returned the courtesy, and with that the two parted.
The leave-taking closes the Liu Boqin episode. 分別 ("to part") reads 分 as fēn.
A brief, gracious scene of parting closes the hunter's role in the story. Liu Boqin, having escorted Sanzang to the very edge of Tang territory and seen him safely provided with a disciple, takes his leave with evident satisfaction at the monk's good fortune.
The exchange is all Tang decorum: Boqin salutes and commends the new disciple; Sanzang bows low, thanks him profusely, and sends careful respects to the hunter's mother and wife before promising to repay their hospitality on his return. The formality marks the closing of one companionship just as the pilgrimage's true partnership — monk and monkey — begins.
With Boqin gone, the narrative frame narrows to master and disciple alone on the road west, and the chapter turns at once to the first test of their new bond: the tiger on the path.