第十二回 · 道場莊嚴 The Splendor of the Ritual Site — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional 含詞賦 With rhapsody

道場莊嚴 The Splendor of the Ritual Site

唐táng王wáng大dà駕jià早zǎo到dào寺sì前qián，吩fēn咐fù住zhù了le音yīn樂yuè響xiǎng器qì。下xià了le車chē輦niǎn，引yǐn著zhe多duō官guān，拜bài佛fó拈niān香xiāng。三sān匝zā已yǐ畢bì，擡tái頭tóu觀guān看kàn，果guǒ然rán好hǎo座zuò道dào場chǎng。但dàn見jiàn：唐táng王wáng大dà驾jià早zǎo到dào寺sì前qián，吩fēn咐fù住zhù了le音yīn乐yuè响xiǎng器qì。下xià了le车chē辇niǎn，引yǐn着zhe多duō官guān，拜bài佛fó拈niān香xiāng。三sān匝zā已yǐ毕bì，擡tái头tóu观guān看kàn，果guǒ然rán好hǎo座zuò道dào场chǎng。但dàn见jiàn：

幢chuáng幡fān飄piāo舞wǔ，寶bǎo蓋gài飛fēi輝huī。幢chuáng幡fān飘piāo舞wǔ，宝bǎo盖gài飞fēi辉huī。

幢chuáng幡fān飄piāo舞wǔ，凝níng空kōng道dào道dào彩cǎi霞xiá搖yáo；幢chuáng幡fān飘piāo舞wǔ，凝níng空kōng道dào道dào彩cǎi霞xiá摇yáo；

寶bǎo蓋gài飛fēi輝huī，映yìng日rì翩piān翩piān紅hóng電diàn徹chè。宝bǎo盖gài飞fēi辉huī，映yìng日rì翩piān翩piān红hóng电diàn彻chè。

世shì尊zūn金jīn像xiàng貌mào臻zhēn臻zhēn，羅luó漢hàn玉yù容róng威wēi烈liè烈liè。世shì尊zūn金jīn像xiàng貌mào臻zhēn臻zhēn，罗luó汉hàn玉yù容róng威wēi烈liè烈liè。

瓶píng插chā仙xiān花huā，爐lú焚fén檀tán降jiàng。瓶píng插chā仙xiān花huā，炉lú焚fén檀tán降jiàng。

瓶píng插chā仙xiān花huā，錦jǐn樹shù輝huī輝huī漫màn寶bǎo剎chà；瓶píng插chā仙xiān花huā，锦jǐn树shù辉huī辉huī漫màn宝bǎo刹chà；

爐lú焚fén檀tán降jiàng，香xiāng雲yún靄ǎi靄ǎi透tòu清qīng霄xiāo。炉lú焚fén檀tán降jiàng，香xiāng云yún霭ǎi霭ǎi透tòu清qīng霄xiāo。

時shí新xīn果guǒ品pǐn砌qì朱zhū盤pán，奇qí樣yàng糖táng酥sū堆duī彩cǎi案àn。时shí新xīn果guǒ品pǐn砌qì朱zhū盘pán，奇qí样yàng糖táng酥sū堆duī彩cǎi案àn。

高gāo僧sēng羅luó列liè誦sòng真zhēn經jīng，願yuàn拔bá孤gū魂hún離lí苦kǔ難nàn。高gāo僧sēng罗luó列liè诵sòng真zhēn经jīng，愿yuàn拔bá孤gū魂hún离lí苦kǔ难nàn。

逐句解 Line by line

唐táng王wáng大dà駕jià早zǎo到dào寺sì前qián，吩fēn咐fù住zhù了le音yīn樂yuè響xiǎng器qì。唐táng王wáng大dà驾jià早zǎo到dào寺sì前qián，吩fēn咐fù住zhù了le音yīn乐yuè响xiǎng器qì。

The Tang king's great carriage had come early to the temple gate, and he gave order to still the music and the sounding instruments.

樂 in 音樂 ('music') is yuè.

下xià了le車chē輦niǎn，引yǐn著zhe多duō官guān，拜bài佛fó拈niān香xiāng。下xià了le车chē辇niǎn，引yǐn着zhe多duō官guān，拜bài佛fó拈niān香xiāng。

Descending from the palanquin, he led his many officials in worship of the Buddha and the offering of incense.

著 in 引著 ('leading') is the durative zhe.

三sān匝zā已yǐ畢bì，擡tái頭tóu觀guān看kàn，果guǒ然rán好hǎo座zuò道dào場chǎng。但dàn見jiàn：三sān匝zā已yǐ毕bì，擡tái头tóu观guān看kàn，果guǒ然rán好hǎo座zuò道dào场chǎng。但dàn见jiàn：

Three circumambulations completed, he raised his head to look, and it was indeed a fine ritual site. Behold:

三匝 ('three circuits') is the reverent circumambulation of the images. The lead-in 但見 ('behold') ushers in the descriptive fu.

幢chuáng幡fān飄piāo舞wǔ，寶bǎo蓋gài飛fēi輝huī。幢chuáng幡fān飘piāo舞wǔ，宝bǎo盖gài飞fēi辉huī。

Pennons and streamers fluttering in the dance; jeweled canopies flashing bright.

The couplet states the two subjects the next four lines will expand one at a time — 幢幡飄舞 and 寶蓋飛輝 — a structure the poem repeats for 瓶插仙花 and 爐焚檀降.

幢chuáng幡fān飄piāo舞wǔ，凝níng空kōng道dào道dào彩cǎi霞xiá搖yáo；幢chuáng幡fān飘piāo舞wǔ，凝níng空kōng道dào道dào彩cǎi霞xiá摇yáo；

Pennons and streamers fluttering in the dance — they seemed to hold the air, band upon band of colored cloud a-sway;

The first subject expanded: the banners are taken up again verbatim and given their effect, 道道彩霞, rainbow after rainbow. The repetition is the form, not a slip.

寶bǎo蓋gài飛fēi輝huī，映yìng日rì翩piān翩piān紅hóng電diàn徹chè。宝bǎo盖gài飞fēi辉huī，映yìng日rì翩piān翩piān红hóng电diàn彻chè。

jeweled canopies flashing bright — they caught the sun, wave upon wave of crimson lightning shot through.

The second subject expanded to match, canopy for banner and 紅電 for 彩霞. Sunlight through the canopies is described as lightning, which is the more violent image of the two.

The World-Honored One's golden image, its features serene and full; the arhats' jade countenances, awesome and fierce.

世尊 is the Buddha, 羅漢 the arhats. 臻臻 and 烈烈 give the images bearing and the attendants severity — the statuary is described as though it had a temperament.

瓶píng插chā仙xiān花huā，爐lú焚fén檀tán降jiàng。瓶píng插chā仙xiān花huā，炉lú焚fén檀tán降jiàng。

In vases, immortal flowers; in censers, sandalwood and jiangzhen incense burning.

檀降 is sandalwood (檀香) together with jiangzhen incense (降香), a fragrant wood; 降 here is read jiàng.

瓶píng插chā仙xiān花huā，錦jǐn樹shù輝huī輝huī漫màn寶bǎo剎chà；瓶píng插chā仙xiān花huā，锦jǐn树shù辉huī辉huī漫màn宝bǎo刹chà；

In vases, immortal flowers — brocade trees glimmering, spread through the precious temple;

寶剎 ('the precious temple') reads 剎 as chà, not shā.

爐lú焚fén檀tán降jiàng，香xiāng雲yún靄ǎi靄ǎi透tòu清qīng霄xiāo。炉lú焚fén檀tán降jiàng，香xiāng云yún霭ǎi霭ǎi透tòu清qīng霄xiāo。

in censers, sandalwood and jiangzhen incense burning — fragrant clouds curling thick, piercing the clear empyrean.

降 reads jiàng in 檀降, a compound of sandalwood and gharuwood rather than the verb of descending. The censer smoke rises where the flowers of the matching line stood still.

Fresh seasonal fruits heaped on vermilion trays; wondrous sugar-pastries piled on painted tables.

The offering-tables: 砌 is to stack in courses, as one lays brick. Fruit on vermilion dishes and sugar-work on painted stands are the last physical items before the poem turns to the monks.

Eminent monks ranged in rows, chanting the true scriptures, praying to pluck the forsaken souls from their tribulation.

難 in 苦難 ('suffering, tribulation') is nàn, not nán.

總評 Commentary

The fu describing the ritual site is a set-piece of Buddhist ecphrasis, cataloguing the assembly's splendor in cascading parallel clauses — fluttering pennons and flashing canopies likened to drifting cloud and crimson lightning, the serene gold of the Buddha and the fierce jade of the arhats, flowers and incense, heaped fruit and pastries. The rhetoric is all surface magnificence until the final couplet, which turns abruptly to purpose: the eminent monks chant 'to pluck the forsaken souls from their tribulation.' The descriptive display is thus grounded, at its close, in the rite's true object — the deliverance of the dead — and the passage modulates from spectacle to prayer.