第三十七回 · 袈裟有詩 The Cassock Bears a Verse — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition 含詞賦 With rhapsody

袈裟有詩 The Cassock Bears a Verse

那nà太tài子zǐ道dào：「你nǐ是shì那nǎ方fāng來lái的de，使shǐ這zhè般bān隱yǐn身shēn法fǎ欺qī我wǒ？」三sān藏zàng上shàng前qián施shī禮lǐ道dào：「貧pín僧sēng無wú隱yǐn身shēn法fǎ，乃nǎi是shì東dōng土tǔ唐táng僧sēng，上shàng雷léi音yīn寺sì拜bài佛fó求qiú經jīng進jìn寶bǎo的de和hé尚shàng。」太tài子zǐ道dào：「你nǐ那nà東dōng土tǔ雖suī是shì中zhōng原yuán，其qí窮qióng無wú比bǐ，有yǒu甚shén寶bǎo貝bèi，你nǐ說shuō來lái我wǒ聽tīng。」三sān藏zàng道dào：「我wǒ身shēn上shàng穿chuān的de這zhè袈jiā裟shā，是shì第dì三sān樣yàng寶bǎo貝bèi。還hái有yǒu第dì一yī等děng、第dì二èr等děng更gèng好hǎo的de物wù哩lī。」太tài子zǐ道dào：「你nǐ那nà衣yī服fú，半bàn邊biān苫shān身shēn，半bàn邊biān露lù臂bì，能néng值zhí多duō少shǎo物wù，敢gǎn稱chēng寶bǎo貝bèi？」三sān藏zàng道dào：「這zhè袈jiā裟shā雖suī不bù全quán體tǐ，有yǒu詩shī幾jǐ句jù。詩shī曰yuē：那nà太tài子zǐ道dào：「你nǐ是shì那nǎ方fāng来lái的de，使shǐ这zhè般bān隐yǐn身shēn法fǎ欺qī我wǒ？」三sān藏zàng上shàng前qián施shī礼lǐ道dào：「贫pín僧sēng无wú隐yǐn身shēn法fǎ，乃nǎi是shì东dōng土tǔ唐táng僧sēng，上shàng雷léi音yīn寺sì拜bài佛fó求qiú经jīng进jìn宝bǎo的de和hé尚shàng。」太tài子zǐ道dào：「你nǐ那nà东dōng土tǔ虽suī是shì中zhōng原yuán，其qí穷qióng无wú比bǐ，有yǒu甚shén宝bǎo贝bèi，你nǐ说shuō来lái我wǒ听tīng。」三sān藏zàng道dào：「我wǒ身shēn上shàng穿chuān的de这zhè袈jiā裟shā，是shì第dì三sān样yàng宝bǎo贝bèi。还hái有yǒu第dì一yī等děng、第dì二èr等děng更gèng好hǎo的de物wù哩lī。」太tài子zǐ道dào：「你nǐ那nà衣yī服fú，半bàn边biān苫shān身shēn，半bàn边biān露lù臂bì，能néng值zhí多duō少shǎo物wù，敢gǎn称chēng宝bǎo贝bèi？」三sān藏zàng道dào：「这zhè袈jiā裟shā虽suī不bù全quán体tǐ，有yǒu诗shī几jǐ句jù。诗shī曰yuē：

佛fó衣yī偏piān袒tǎn不bù須xū論lùn，內nèi隱yǐn真zhēn如rú脫tuō世shì塵chén。佛fó衣yī偏piān袒tǎn不bù须xū论lùn，内nèi隐yǐn真zhēn如rú脱tuō世shì尘chén。

萬wàn線xiàn千qiān針zhēn成chéng正zhèng果guǒ，九jiǔ珠zhū八bā寶bǎo合hé元yuán神shén。万wàn线xiàn千qiān针zhēn成chéng正zhèng果guǒ，九jiǔ珠zhū八bā宝bǎo合hé元yuán神shén。

仙xiān娥é聖shèng女nǚ恭gōng修xiū製zhì，遺yí賜cì禪chán僧sēng靜jìng垢gòu身shēn。仙xiān娥é圣shèng女nǚ恭gōng修xiū制zhì，遗yí赐cì禅chán僧sēng静jìng垢gòu身shēn。

見jiàn駕jià不bù迎yíng猶yóu自zì可kě，你nǐ的de父fù冤yuān未wèi報bào枉wǎng為wéi人rén。」见jiàn驾jià不bù迎yíng犹yóu自zì可kě，你nǐ的de父fù冤yuān未wèi报bào枉wǎng为wéi人rén。」

逐句解 Line by line

那nà太tài子zǐ道dào：「你nǐ是shì那nǎ方fāng來lái的de，使shǐ這zhè般bān隱yǐn身shēn法fǎ欺qī我wǒ？」那nà太tài子zǐ道dào：「你nǐ是shì那nǎ方fāng来lái的de，使shǐ这zhè般bān隐yǐn身shēn法fǎ欺qī我wǒ？」

That prince said, “From what quarter do you come, that you use such a hiding-spell to make sport of me?”

那太子 (nà tài zǐ) deictic nà, 子 = zǐ; 那方 (nǎ fāng) "which quarter," interrogative 那 = nǎ.

三sān藏zàng上shàng前qián施shī禮lǐ道dào：「貧pín僧sēng無wú隱yǐn身shēn法fǎ，乃nǎi是shì東dōng土tǔ唐táng僧sēng，上shàng雷léi音yīn寺sì拜bài佛fó求qiú經jīng進jìn寶bǎo的de和hé尚shàng。」三sān藏zàng上shàng前qián施shī礼lǐ道dào：「贫pín僧sēng无wú隐yǐn身shēn法fǎ，乃nǎi是shì东dōng土tǔ唐táng僧sēng，上shàng雷léi音yīn寺sì拜bài佛fó求qiú经jīng进jìn宝bǎo的de和hé尚shàng。」

Tripitaka came forward, made his bow, and said, “This poor monk has no hiding-spell; I am the Tang Monk of the Eastern Land, a monk going up to Thunderclap Monastery to worship the Buddha, seek the scriptures, and present treasures.”

貧僧 (pín sēng) "this poor monk"; 佛 (fó) invariant.

太tài子zǐ道dào：「你nǐ那nà東dōng土tǔ雖suī是shì中zhōng原yuán，其qí窮qióng無wú比bǐ，有yǒu甚shén寶bǎo貝bèi，你nǐ說shuō來lái我wǒ聽tīng。」太tài子zǐ道dào：「你nǐ那nà东dōng土tǔ虽suī是shì中zhōng原yuán，其qí穷qióng无wú比bǐ，有yǒu甚shén宝bǎo贝bèi，你nǐ说shuō来lái我wǒ听tīng。」

The prince said, “Though your Eastern Land is the Central Plain, its poverty is beyond compare; what treasures have you? Tell me and let me hear.”

那東土 (nà dōng tǔ) deictic nà; 中原 (zhōng yuán) "the Central Plain," zhōng; 有甚 (yǒu shén) "what," 甚 = shén.

三sān藏zàng道dào：「我wǒ身shēn上shàng穿chuān的de這zhè袈jiā裟shā，是shì第dì三sān樣yàng寶bǎo貝bèi。三sān藏zàng道dào：「我wǒ身shēn上shàng穿chuān的de这zhè袈jiā裟shā，是shì第dì三sān样yàng宝bǎo贝bèi。

Tripitaka said, “This cassock I wear upon my body is a treasure of the third kind.

袈裟 (jiā shā) "the monastic cassock" (Skt. kāṣāya).

還hái有yǒu第dì一yī等děng、第dì二èr等děng更gèng好hǎo的de物wù哩lī。」还hái有yǒu第dì一yī等děng、第dì二èr等děng更gèng好hǎo的de物wù哩lī。」

There are yet finer things of the first grade and the second.”

還有 (hái yǒu) "there are yet," 還 = hái; 第一等 (dì yī děng) "the first grade," ordinal 一 = yī (not sandhi’d).

太tài子zǐ道dào：「你nǐ那nà衣yī服fú，半bàn邊biān苫shān身shēn，半bàn邊biān露lù臂bì，能néng值zhí多duō少shǎo物wù，敢gǎn稱chēng寶bǎo貝bèi？」太tài子zǐ道dào：「你nǐ那nà衣yī服fú，半bàn边biān苫shān身shēn，半bàn边biān露lù臂bì，能néng值zhí多duō少shǎo物wù，敢gǎn称chēng宝bǎo贝bèi？」

The prince said, “That garment of yours, covering half the body and baring half the arm — how much can it be worth, that you dare call it a treasure?”

那衣服 (nà yī fú) deictic nà; 苫身 (shān shēn) "cover the body"; 露臂 (lù bì) "bare the arm."

三sān藏zàng道dào：「這zhè袈jiā裟shā雖suī不bù全quán體tǐ，有yǒu詩shī幾jǐ句jù。三sān藏zàng道dào：「这zhè袈jiā裟shā虽suī不bù全quán体tǐ，有yǒu诗shī几jǐ句jù。

Tripitaka said, “Though this cassock does not clothe the whole body, there are some lines of verse upon it.

不全體 (bù quán tǐ) "not clothing the whole body."

詩shī曰yuē：诗shī曰yuē：

The verse says:

詩曰 (shī yuē) "the verse says," the lead-in to the embedded poem.

The Buddha-robe, bared at one shoulder, needs no debate; within it hides the True Suchness, freed from worldly dust.

偏袒 (piān tǎn) "the bared shoulder" of the monastic robe; 真如 (zhēn rú) "True Suchness" (Skt. tathatā); 佛 (fó) invariant.

Ten thousand threads and a thousand stitches make the true fruit; nine pearls and eight jewels join the primal spirit.

正果 (zhèng guǒ) "the true fruit" of attainment; 元神 (yuán shén) "the primal spirit."

Immortal maids and holy women reverently wrought it, bestowed on the Chan monk to still and cleanse his body.

仙娥 (xiān é) "immortal maidens"; 遺賜 (yí cì) "bestowed"; 靜垢身 (jìng gòu shēn) "to still and cleanse the defiled body."

To fail to rise before the sovereign might yet be borne; but your father’s wrong unavenged — in vain, then, are you a man!

見駕不迎 (jiàn jià bù yíng) "to fail to rise before the sovereign"; 枉為人 (wǎng wéi rén) "in vain to be a man," 為 = wéi (to be), not wèi.

總評 Commentary

The dispute over the cassock — the prince scorning a “half-piece of cloth” — draws out a verse extolling the robe as woven by immortal maidens and holding the True Suchness, the Buddhist mystery hidden in the humble garment.

The poem’s force is its sudden turn in the last line: ostensibly praising the cassock, it ends by striking at the prince himself — “your father’s wrong unavenged, in vain are you a man.” With that, the scene pivots from a quarrel over a robe to the buried question of the murdered king, and the prince can no longer wave the monk away.