原文 Original text
繁體 Traditional
Reader's edition
含詞賦 With rhapsody
採獵之軍
The Hunting Host
行者正在感嘆，忽聽得炮聲響喨，又只見東門開處，閃出一路人馬，真個是採獵之軍，果然勢勇。但見：行者正在感叹，忽听得炮声响喨，又只见东门开处，闪出一路人马，真个是采猎之军，果然势勇。但见：
曉出禁城東，分圍淺草中。晓出禁城东，分围浅草中。
彩旗開映日，白馬驟迎風。彩旗开映日，白马骤迎风。
鼉鼓鼕鼕擂，標槍對對衝。鼍鼓冬冬擂，标枪对对冲。
架鷹軍猛烈，牽犬將驍雄。架鹰军猛烈，牵犬将骁雄。
火炮連天振，粘竿映日紅。火炮连天振，粘竿映日红。
人人支弩箭，個個挎雕弓。人人支弩箭，个个挎雕弓。
張網山坡下，鋪繩小徑中。张网山坡下，铺绳小径中。
一聲驚霹靂，千騎擁貔熊。一声惊霹雳，千骑拥貔熊。
狡兔身難保，乖獐智亦窮。狡兔身难保，乖獐智亦穷。
狐狸該命盡，麋鹿喪當中。狐狸该命尽，麋鹿丧当中。
山雉難飛脫，野雞怎避兇。山雉难飞脱，野鸡怎避凶。
他都揀占山場擒猛獸，摧殘林木射飛蟲。他都拣占山场擒猛兽，摧残林木射飞虫。
逐句解 Line by line
行者正在感嘆，忽聽得炮聲響喨，又只見東門開處，閃出一路人馬，真個是採獵之軍，果然勢勇。
行者正在感叹，忽听得炮声响喨，又只见东门开处，闪出一路人马，真个是采猎之军，果然势勇。
Pilgrim was still sighing when suddenly he heard the crash of cannon-fire, and saw the east gate open and a train of horse and men burst forth — truly a hunting host, and mighty in its might.
聽得 (tīng de) "heard," complement de; 開處 (kāi chù) "where [the gate] opened," chù; 一路人馬 (yí lù rén mǎ) "a train of horse and men."
但見：
但见：
One saw only this:
但見 (dàn jiàn) "one saw only," the formulaic lead-in to the embedded verse.
曉出禁城東，分圍淺草中。
晓出禁城东，分围浅草中。
At dawn they issue from the east of the forbidden city, dividing their ring amid the shallow grass.
禁城 (jìn chéng) "the forbidden city," 禁 = jìn; 分圍 (fēn wéi) "to divide and encircle," fēn; 淺草中 (qiǎn cǎo zhōng) "amid the shallow grass," zhōng.
彩旗開映日，白馬驟迎風。
彩旗开映日，白马骤迎风。
Bright banners unfurl, mirroring the sun; white horses gallop, breasting the wind.
驟 (zhòu) "to gallop"; 迎風 (yíng fēng) "to face the wind."
鼉鼓鼕鼕擂，標槍對對衝。
鼍鼓冬冬擂，标枪对对冲。
Alligator-drums boom and thunder; lances, pair upon pair, thrust forward.
鼉鼓 (tuó gǔ) "drums of alligator-hide"; 鼕鼕 (dōng dōng) the booming of drums; 標槍 (biāo qiāng) "lances."
架鷹軍猛烈，牽犬將驍雄。
架鹰军猛烈，牵犬将骁雄。
The hawk-bearing troops are fierce and fiery; the hound-leading generals, bold and valiant.
牽犬將 (qiān quǎn jiàng) "hound-leading generals," standalone 將 = jiàng (general/officer), parallel to 架鷹軍; 驍雄 (xiāo xióng) "bold and brave."
火炮連天振，粘竿映日紅。
火炮连天振，粘竿映日红。
Fire-cannon shake the very sky; lime-poles glow red in the sun.
火炮 (huǒ pào) "cannon"; 粘竿 (zhān gān) a bamboo pole limed at the tip for snaring fowl. The graph 粘 here carries the "sticky/lime" sense (廣韻 女廉切, nián), but the compound 粘竿 is dictionary-standard as zhān.
人人支弩箭，個個挎雕弓。
人人支弩箭，个个挎雕弓。
Every man draws his crossbow-bolt; each one slings a carved bow.
支弩箭 (zhī nǔ jiàn) "to set the crossbow-bolt"; 挎雕弓 (kuà diāo gōng) "to sling the carved bow."
張網山坡下，鋪繩小徑中。
张网山坡下，铺绳小径中。
Nets are spread below the hillside; snares laid out along the little paths.
鋪繩 (pū shéng) "to lay out ropes," 鋪 = pū (to spread), not pù; 小徑中 (xiǎo jìng zhōng) "along the little paths," zhōng.
一聲驚霹靂，千騎擁貔熊。
一声惊霹雳，千骑拥貔熊。
A single cry startles like a thunderclap; a thousand riders throng like panther and bear.
霹靂 (pī lì) "a thunderclap"; 貔熊 (pí xióng) "panther and bear," figures for fierce warriors.
狡兔身難保，乖獐智亦窮。
狡兔身难保，乖獐智亦穷。
The cunning hare can scarce save its skin; the wary river-deer’s wit, too, is spent.
狡兔 (jiǎo tù) "the cunning hare"; 乖獐 (guāi zhāng) "the wary river-deer"; 難 (nán) "hardly."
狐狸該命盡，麋鹿喪當中。
狐狸该命尽，麋鹿丧当中。
For fox and vixen the allotted span is done; the elk and deer perish in the midst of it.
該命盡 (gāi mìng jìn) "the fated span is exhausted," 盡 = jìn; 喪當中 (sàng dāng zhōng) "perish in the midst," zhōng.
山雉難飛脫，野雞怎避兇。
山雉难飞脱，野鸡怎避凶。
The mountain pheasant can hardly wing free; how should the wild fowl escape the peril?
山雉 (shān zhì) "the mountain pheasant"; 難 (nán) "hardly"; 避兇 (bì xiōng) "to shun the peril."
他都揀占山場擒猛獸，摧殘林木射飛蟲。
他都拣占山场擒猛兽，摧残林木射飞虫。
They all pick out and seize the mountain grounds to take the fierce beasts, and break and blast the forest trees to shoot the flying things.
都揀占 (dōu jiǎn zhàn) "all pick out and seize," 都 = dōu, 占 = zhàn; 摧殘 (cuī cán) "to break and ravage."
總評 Commentary
Wukong’s reconnaissance is interrupted by the prince’s hunting host pouring from the east gate, and the chapter marks the martial spectacle with a full regulated verse — cannon and banners, drums and lances, crossbows and carved bows, nets and snares.
The 排律 mounts through its parallel couplets to the quarry’s doom: hare and river-deer, fox and elk, pheasant and wild fowl all run down, their “allotted span” exhausted. The set-piece is more than ornament — the encircling, life-taking hunt is the very occasion that will bring the isolated prince within Wukong’s reach.