The elder, in his clouded dream, listened as the sound of the wind swept by for a moment; and then he heard, faintly, from beyond the Chan hall, a voice calling out, “Master!”

聽著 (tīng zhe) durative zhe; 聞得 (wén de) complement de; 一時 (yì shí), 一聲 (yì shēng) by sandhi. 中 (zhōng) locative.

Lifting his head abruptly, he looked about within the dream: beyond the door stood a fellow, drenched and dripping from head to foot, tears falling from his eyes, crying out ceaselessly only, “Master!”

站著 (zhàn zhe) durative zhe; 漢子 (hàn zi) suffix zi; 中 (zhōng) ×2 (夢中, 眼中); 不住 (bú zhù) "without cease," bú by sandhi.

Tripitaka rose a little and said, “Are you not some goblin or sprite, some spirit-fiend or heterodox demon, come in the dead of night to sport with me?

魍魎 (wǎng liǎng) a class of hill-and-water sprite; 妖魅 (yāo mèi) "goblins and elf-spirits."

I am not of that sort given over to greed and to wrath.

那 (nà) deictic; 貪嗔 (tān chēn) "craving and anger," two of the Buddhist defilements (kleśa).

I am at heart a monk upright and true, who by the decree of the Great Tang in the Land of the East goes up to the Western Heaven to worship the Buddha and seek the scriptures.

佛 (fó) invariant; 光明正大 (guāng míng zhèng dà) "open and upright."

Under my hand are three disciples, heroes all who subdue dragons and tame tigers, stalwarts who sweep away monsters and rid the world of demons.

都 (dōu) "all"; 降龍 (xiáng lóng) "subdue dragons," 降 is xiáng (subdue), not jiàng.

Should they set eyes on you, they would grind your corpse and pound your bones to powder, and scatter you as fine dust.

見了 (jiàn le) perfective le; 碎屍粉骨 (suì shī fěn gǔ) "shatter the corpse, powder the bones."

This I say out of my great compassion, my heart of expedient mercy.

慈悲 (cí bēi) compassion (Skt. karuṇā); 方便 (fāng biàn) "expedient means" (Skt. upāya).

Betimes now hide yourself away and flee afar; do not come up to my Chan gate.”

趁早兒 (chèn zǎo er) "at the earliest chance"; 兒 is the retroflex suffix er, not ér. 遠遁 (yuǎn dùn) "flee far."

The man, leaning firm against the Chan hall, said, “Master, I am no demon or ogre, nor any goblin or heterodox spirit.”

那 (nà) deictic; 倚定 (yǐ dìng) "lean firmly against."

Tripitaka said, “If you are not of that kind, then for what do you come here in the deep of night?”

何為 (hé wèi) "for what purpose," 為 is wèi (reason/purpose).

The man said, “Master, spare a glance and take one look at me.”

那 (nà) deictic; 舍眼 (shě yǎn) "cast a glance"; 一看 (yí kàn) by sandhi.

The elder, looking indeed with fixed and careful gaze — ah! —

長老 (zhǎng lǎo); 仔細 (zǐ xì) "carefully," 仔 is zǐ here, not zǎi. 定睛 (dìng jīng) "fix the eyes."

he saw only this of him:

只見 (zhǐ jiàn), the formulaic lead-in to the embedded portrait.

On his head a sky-piercing crown; round his waist a belt of green jade; on his body a russet-yellow robe of soaring dragons and dancing phoenixes; on his feet a pair of cloud-toed, embroidered-mouthed “sorrow-free” shoes; in his hand a white-jade tablet set with the Dipper and arrayed stars.

沖天冠 (chōng tiān guān) a tall imperial crown; 赭黃袍 (zhě huáng páo) the sovereign’s russet-yellow robe; 白玉珪 (bái yù guī) a jade audience-tablet (珪 = 圭); 列斗 (liè dǒu) "arrayed like the Dipper," 斗 = dǒu.

His face like the Long-Life Emperor of the Eastern Peak; his form like Lord Wenchang, opener of civilization.

東岳長生帝 the deified sovereign of Mount Tai; 長生 (cháng shēng) "long life," 長 = cháng. 文昌 the god of letters; 似 (sì) "resembles."