第五回 · 蟠桃賦 Rhapsody on the peach trees — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional 含詞賦 With rhapsody

蟠桃賦 Rhapsody on the peach trees

夭yāo夭yāo灼zhuó灼zhuó，夭yāo夭yāo灼zhuó灼zhuó，

顆kē顆kē株zhū株zhū。颗kē颗kē株zhū株zhū。

夭yāo夭yāo灼zhuó灼zhuó花huā盈yíng樹shù，夭yāo夭yāo灼zhuó灼zhuó花huā盈yíng树shù，

顆kē顆kē株zhū株zhū果guǒ壓yā枝zhī。颗kē颗kē株zhū株zhū果guǒ压yā枝zhī。

果guǒ壓yā枝zhī頭tóu垂chuí錦jǐn彈dàn；果guǒ压yā枝zhī头tóu垂chuí锦jǐn弹dàn；

花huā盈yíng樹shù上shàng簇cù胭yān脂zhī。花huā盈yíng树shù上shàng簇cù胭yān脂zhī。

時shí開kāi時shí結jié千qiān年nián熟shú，时shí开kāi时shí结jié千qiān年nián熟shú，

無wú夏xià無wú冬dōng萬wàn載zài遲chí。无wú夏xià无wú冬dōng万wàn载zài迟chí。

先xiān熟shú的de，酡tuó顏yán醉zuì臉liǎn；先xiān熟shú的de，酡tuó颜yán醉zuì脸liǎn；

還hái生shēng的de，帶dài蒂dì青qīng皮pí。还hái生shēng的de，带dài蒂dì青qīng皮pí。

凝níng煙yān肌jī帶dài綠lǜ，凝níng烟yān肌jī带dài绿lǜ，

映yìng日rì顯xiǎn丹dān姿zī。映yìng日rì显xiǎn丹dān姿zī。

樹shù下xià奇qí葩pā並bìng異yì卉huì，树shù下xià奇qí葩pā并bìng异yì卉huì，

四sì時shí不bú謝xiè色sè齊qí齊qí；四sì时shí不bú谢xiè色sè齐qí齐qí；

左zuǒ右yòu樓lóu臺tái並bìng館guǎn舍shě，左zuǒ右yòu楼lóu台tái并bìng馆guǎn舍shě，

盈yíng空kōng常cháng見jiàn罩zhào雲yún霓ní。盈yíng空kōng常cháng见jiàn罩zhào云yún霓ní。

不bú是shì玄xuán都dōu凡fán俗sú種zhǒng，不bú是shì玄xuán都dōu凡fán俗sú种zhǒng，

瑤yáo池chí王wáng母mǔ自zì栽zāi培péi。瑶yáo池chí王wáng母mǔ自zì栽zāi培péi。

逐句解 Line by line

夭yāo夭yāo灼zhuó灼zhuó，夭yāo夭yāo灼zhuó灼zhuó，

Lush and glowing,

顆kē顆kē株zhū株zhū。颗kē颗kē株zhū株zhū。

fruit upon fruit, tree upon tree.

夭yāo夭yāo灼zhuó灼zhuó花huā盈yíng樹shù，夭yāo夭yāo灼zhuó灼zhuó花huā盈yíng树shù，

Lush and glowing, blossoms crowd the boughs;

顆kē顆kē株zhū株zhū果guǒ壓yā枝zhī。颗kē颗kē株zhū株zhū果guǒ压yā枝zhī。

fruit upon fruit, the laden branches bend.

果guǒ壓yā枝zhī頭tóu垂chuí錦jǐn彈dàn；果guǒ压yā枝zhī头tóu垂chuí锦jǐn弹dàn；

Heavy on the branch-tips hang brocade pellets;

錦彈 ("brocade pellets"): the hanging peaches likened to ornamental balls.

花huā盈yíng樹shù上shàng簇cù胭yān脂zhī。花huā盈yíng树shù上shàng簇cù胭yān脂zhī。

thick on the trees the blossoms cluster like rouge.

時shí開kāi時shí結jié千qiān年nián熟shú，时shí开kāi时shí结jié千qiān年nián熟shú，

Ever opening, ever setting, ripe in a thousand years;

無wú夏xià無wú冬dōng萬wàn載zài遲chí。无wú夏xià无wú冬dōng万wàn载zài迟chí。

no summer and no winter, slow across ten thousand.

載 here is zài, "year": 萬載 = ten thousand years.

先xiān熟shú的de，酡tuó顏yán醉zuì臉liǎn；先xiān熟shú的de，酡tuó颜yán醉zuì脸liǎn；

The early-ripe: faces flushed as if with wine;

還hái生shēng的de，帶dài蒂dì青qīng皮pí。还hái生shēng的de，带dài蒂dì青qīng皮pí。

the still-green: stems intact, their skins yet blue.

凝níng煙yān肌jī帶dài綠lǜ，凝níng烟yān肌jī带dài绿lǜ，

Mist-cured, their flesh tinged green;

映yìng日rì顯xiǎn丹dān姿zī。映yìng日rì显xiǎn丹dān姿zī。

sun-struck, they show a cinnabar grace.

樹shù下xià奇qí葩pā並bìng異yì卉huì，树shù下xià奇qí葩pā并bìng异yì卉huì，

Beneath the trees rare blooms and exotic plants,

四sì時shí不bú謝xiè色sè齊qí齊qí；四sì时shí不bú谢xiè色sè齐qí齐qí；

through all four seasons unfading, their colours even.

左zuǒ右yòu樓lóu臺tái並bìng館guǎn舍shě，左zuǒ右yòu楼lóu台tái并bìng馆guǎn舍shě，

To left and right, towers and lodges;

盈yíng空kōng常cháng見jiàn罩zhào雲yún霓ní。盈yíng空kōng常cháng见jiàn罩zhào云yún霓ní。

filling the air, a canopy of drifting cloud and rainbow.

不bú是shì玄xuán都dōu凡fán俗sú種zhǒng，不bú是shì玄xuán都dōu凡fán俗sú种zhǒng，

No common breed of the Mystic Capital these,

瑤yáo池chí王wáng母mǔ自zì栽zāi培péi。瑶yáo池chí王wáng母mǔ自zì栽zāi培péi。

but the Queen Mother of the Jade Pool's own planting.

玄都: the Daoist Mystic Capital. 瑤池王母: the Queen Mother of the West, mistress of the Jade Pool — the peaches are her own planting, no common stock.

總評 Commentary

This 賦 is doctrine, not ornament, and its whole burden is timelessness: 時開時結千年熟，無夏無冬萬載遲 — "ever opening, ever setting, ripe in a thousand years; without summer, without winter, slow across ten thousand." The trees stand outside seasonal time, and in 丹 symbolism that placelessness beyond the cycle of growth and decay is the very mark of the elixir-ground, the field where the phenomenal turning of generation and ruin is suspended.

The closing couplet is the hinge of the whole episode: 不是玄都凡俗種，瑤池王母自栽培 — "no common breed of the Mystic Capital, but the Queen Mother’s own planting." The fruit of deathlessness is Heaven’s cultivation, tended across kalpas; it is not a thing to be seized. Read forward, the 心猿 now set to guard it is about to take by theft what the trees themselves teach can only be ripened by the slow labour of an age. Anthony C. Yu notes how the poem’s lush surface — 錦彈, 胭脂, 丹姿 — sweetens the very temptation the narrative will go on to punish.