原文 Original text
繁體 Traditional
Reader's edition
龍王送魂
The Dragon King Returns the Soul
三人望江痛哭，早已驚動水府，有巡海夜叉將祭文呈與龍王。龍王看罷，就差鱉元帥去請光蕊來到，道：「先生，恭喜，恭喜。今有先生夫人、公子同岳丈俱在江邊祭你。我今送你還魂去也。再有如意珠一顆、走盤珠二顆、絞綃十端、明珠玉帶一條奉送。你今日便可夫妻子母相會也。」光蕊再三拜謝。龍王就令夜叉將光蕊身屍送出江口還魂。夜叉領命而去。三人望江痛哭，早已惊动水府，有巡海夜叉将祭文呈与龙王。龙王看罢，就差鳖元帅去请光蕊来到，道：「先生，恭喜，恭喜。今有先生夫人、公子同岳丈俱在江边祭你。我今送你还魂去也。再有如意珠一颗、走盘珠二颗、绞绡十端、明珠玉带一条奉送。你今日便可夫妻子母相会也。」光蕊再三拜谢。龙王就令夜叉将光蕊身尸送出江口还魂。夜叉领命而去。
逐句解 Line by line
三人望江痛哭，早已驚動水府，有巡海夜叉將祭文呈與龍王。
三人望江痛哭，早已惊动水府，有巡海夜叉将祭文呈与龙王。
The three of them wept toward the river, and their grief soon stirred the water-court; a sea-patrolling yaksha brought the funeral address to the Dragon King.
水府, the water-court; 巡海夜叉, the patrolling yaksha (as in the earlier rescue).
龍王看罷，就差鱉元帥去請光蕊來到，道：
龙王看罢，就差鳖元帅去请光蕊来到，道：
When the Dragon King had read it, he sent Marshal Turtle to fetch Guangrui, and said:
差鱉元帥, to dispatch Marshal Turtle — 差 is chāi; a comic-grand title for an aquatic officer.
「先生，恭喜，恭喜。
「先生，恭喜，恭喜。
'Sir, congratulations, congratulations!'
恭喜, congratulations.
今有先生夫人、公子同岳丈俱在江邊祭你。
今有先生夫人、公子同岳丈俱在江边祭你。
'Your wife, your son, and your father-in-law are all at the riverside making sacrifice to you.'
公子, the young master (the son) — 子 = zǐ; 岳丈, father-in-law.
我今送你還魂去也。
我今送你还魂去也。
'Now I send you back to life.'
還魂, to return the soul to the body — 還 is huán.
再有如意珠一顆、走盤珠二顆、絞綃十端、明珠玉帶一條奉送。
再有如意珠一颗、走盘珠二颗、绞绡十端、明珠玉带一条奉送。
'I send you besides a wish-granting pearl, two rolling-plate pearls, ten lengths of fine silk, and a belt of bright pearls and jade.'
如意珠 / 走盤珠, marvelous pearls; 絞綃, fine raw silk — the Dragon King's parting gifts.
你今日便可夫妻子母相會也。」
你今日便可夫妻子母相会也。」
'Today you may be reunited with wife, son, and mother.'
夫妻子母相會, husband-wife and child-mother reunited — 子 = zǐ, with reciprocal 相 (xiāng).
光蕊再三拜謝。
光蕊再三拜谢。
Guangrui bowed his thanks again and again.
再三拜謝, to give thanks repeatedly.
龍王就令夜叉將光蕊身屍送出江口還魂。
龙王就令夜叉将光蕊身尸送出江口还魂。
The Dragon King then had the yaksha bear Guangrui's body out to the river-mouth to be restored to life.
身屍, the body; 還魂 — 還 is huán.
夜叉領命而去。
夜叉领命而去。
The yaksha received the command and departed.
領命, to receive an order.
總評 Commentary
The chapter's reciprocities close: the carp released eighteen years before, having preserved the body, now returns the soul — with a parting largesse of marvelous pearls and silk, the Dragon King repaying a debt of life with the wealth of the deep. The water-court is rendered with the same affectionate bureaucratic comedy as before, down to the splendidly titled 鱉元帥, 'Marshal Turtle,' dispatched to fetch the revived man. The funeral sacrifice meant for a dead husband becomes, by the Dragon King's grace, the occasion of his return — the family's grief overheard by the very power their kindness once saved.