第五十二回 · 飛砂蔽日 The Sand Blots Out the Sun — Journey to the West

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

飛砂蔽日 The Sand Blots Out the Sun

行xíng者zhě聽tīng說shuō「宰zǎi殺shā」二èr字zì，扢gǔ蹬dēng蹬dēng腮sāi邊biān火huǒ發fā，按àn不bú住zhù心xīn頭tóu之zhī怒nù，丟diū了le架jià子zi，掄lūn著zhe拳quán，斜xié行xíng抅jū步bù，望wàng妖yāo魔mó使shǐ個gè掛guà面miàn；那nà怪guài展zhǎn長cháng槍qiāng，劈pī手shǒu相xiāng迎yíng。行xíng者zhě左zuǒ跳tiào右yòu跳tiào，哄hǒng那nà妖yāo魔mó；妖yāo魔mó不bù知zhī是shì計jì，趕gǎn離lí洞dòng口kǒu南nán來lái。行xíng者zhě即jí招zhāo呼hū羅luó漢hàn把bǎ金jīn丹dān砂shā望wàng妖yāo魔mó一yì齊qí拋pāo下xià。好hǎo砂shā！正zhèng是shì那nà：行xíng者zhě听tīng说shuō「宰zǎi杀shā」二èr字zì，扢gǔ蹬dēng蹬dēng腮sāi边biān火huǒ发fā，按àn不bú住zhù心xīn头tóu之zhī怒nù，丢diū了le架jià子zi，抡lūn着zhe拳quán，斜xié行xíng抅jū步bù，望wàng妖yāo魔mó使shǐ个gè挂guà面miàn；那nà怪guài展zhǎn长cháng枪qiāng，劈pī手shǒu相xiāng迎yíng。行xíng者zhě左zuǒ跳tiào右yòu跳tiào，哄hǒng那nà妖yāo魔mó；妖yāo魔mó不bù知zhī是shì计jì，赶gǎn离lí洞dòng口kǒu南nán来lái。行xíng者zhě即jí招zhāo呼hū罗luó汉hàn把bǎ金jīn丹dān砂shā望wàng妖yāo魔mó一yì齐qí抛pāo下xià。好hǎo砂shā！正zhèng是shì那nà：

似sì霧wù如rú煙yān初chū散sǎn漫màn，紛fēn紛fēn靄ǎi靄ǎi下xià天tiān涯yá。似sì雾wù如rú烟yān初chū散sǎn漫màn，纷fēn纷fēn霭ǎi霭ǎi下xià天tiān涯yá。

白bái茫máng茫máng，到dào處chù迷mí人rén眼yǎn；白bái茫máng茫máng，到dào处chù迷mí人rén眼yǎn；

昏hūn漠mò漠mò，飛fēi時shí找zhǎo路lù差chà。昏hūn漠mò漠mò，飞fēi时shí找zhǎo路lù差chà。

打dǎ柴chái的de樵qiáo子zi失shī了le伴bàn，採cǎi藥yào的de仙xiān童tóng不bú見jiàn家jiā。打dǎ柴chái的de樵qiáo子zi失shī了le伴bàn，采cǎi药yào的de仙xiān童tóng不bú见jiàn家jiā。

細xì細xì輕qīng飄piāo如rú麥mài麵miàn，粗cū粗cū翻fān復fù似sì芝zhī麻má。细xì细xì轻qīng飘piāo如rú麦mài面miàn，粗cū粗cū翻fān复fù似sì芝zhī麻má。

世shì界jiè朦méng朧lóng山shān頂dǐng暗àn，長cháng空kōng迷mí沒mò太tài陽yáng遮zhē。世shì界jiè朦méng胧lóng山shān顶dǐng暗àn，长cháng空kōng迷mí没mò太tài阳yáng遮zhē。

不bù比bǐ囂xiāo塵chén隨suí駿jùn馬mǎ，難nán言yán輕qīng軟ruǎn襯chèn香xiāng車chē。不bù比bǐ嚣xiāo尘chén随suí骏jùn马mǎ，难nán言yán轻qīng软ruǎn衬chèn香xiāng车chē。

此cǐ砂shā本běn是shì無wú情qíng物wù，蓋gài地dì遮zhē天tiān把bǎ怪guài拿ná。此cǐ砂shā本běn是shì无wú情qíng物wù，盖gài地dì遮zhē天tiān把bǎ怪guài拿ná。

只zhǐ為wèi妖yāo魔mó侵qīn正zhèng道dào，阿ā羅luó奉fèng法fǎ逞chěng豪háo華huá。只zhǐ为wèi妖yāo魔mó侵qīn正zhèng道dào，阿ā罗luó奉fèng法fǎ逞chěng豪háo华huá。

手shǒu中zhōng就jiù有yǒu明míng珠zhū現xiàn，等děng時shí刮guā得de眼yǎn生shēng花huā。手shǒu中zhōng就jiù有yǒu明míng珠zhū现xiàn，等děng时shí刮guā得de眼yǎn生shēng花huā。

逐句解 Line by line

行xíng者zhě聽tīng說shuō「宰zǎi殺shā」二èr字zì，扢gǔ蹬dēng蹬dēng腮sāi邊biān火huǒ發fā，按àn不bú住zhù心xīn頭tóu之zhī怒nù，丟diū了le架jià子zi，掄lūn著zhe拳quán，斜xié行xíng抅jū步bù，望wàng妖yāo魔mó使shǐ個gè掛guà面miàn；那nà怪guài展zhǎn長cháng槍qiāng，劈pī手shǒu相xiāng迎yíng。行xíng者zhě听tīng说shuō「宰zǎi杀shā」二èr字zì，扢gǔ蹬dēng蹬dēng腮sāi边biān火huǒ发fā，按àn不bú住zhù心xīn头tóu之zhī怒nù，丢diū了le架jià子zi，抡lūn着zhe拳quán，斜xié行xíng抅jū步bù，望wàng妖yāo魔mó使shǐ个gè挂guà面miàn；那nà怪guài展zhǎn长cháng枪qiāng，劈pī手shǒu相xiāng迎yíng。

When Pilgrim heard the two words "be butchered," the fire flared up along his cheeks with a crackling; he could not hold down the anger in his heart, dropped his guard, whirled his fists, went in aslant with hooking steps and threw a face-cover at the fiend — and the monster spread his long spear and met him hand to hand.

The two units are joined at the ；. 扢蹬蹬: 蹬 = dēng in both, mimetic of the flaring. 丟了架子: 了 = le, suffix 子 = zi; 掄著: 著 = zhe; 長槍: 長 = cháng; 相迎: 相 = xiāng. 掛面 and 抅步 are terms of the boxing manuals — a strike across the face and a hooked step.

行xíng者zhě左zuǒ跳tiào右yòu跳tiào，哄hǒng那nà妖yāo魔mó；妖yāo魔mó不bù知zhī是shì計jì，趕gǎn離lí洞dòng口kǒu南nán來lái。行xíng者zhě左zuǒ跳tiào右yòu跳tiào，哄hǒng那nà妖yāo魔mó；妖yāo魔mó不bù知zhī是shì计jì，赶gǎn离lí洞dòng口kǒu南nán来lái。

Pilgrim jumped left and jumped right, drawing the fiend on; and the fiend, not knowing it was a stratagem, chased him away from the cave mouth and southward.

Joined at the ；. Deictic 那妖魔: 那 = nà. 哄 here is "to lure, to draw on" — the manoeuvre the Tathāgata prescribed.

行xíng者zhě即jí招zhāo呼hū羅luó漢hàn把bǎ金jīn丹dān砂shā望wàng妖yāo魔mó一yì齊qí拋pāo下xià。行xíng者zhě即jí招zhāo呼hū罗luó汉hàn把bǎ金jīn丹dān砂shā望wàng妖yāo魔mó一yì齐qí抛pāo下xià。

Pilgrim at once called to the arhats to fling the golden cinnabar sand down on the fiend all together.

一齊: 一 sandhis to yì before a second tone. The whole plan of the previous two passages is executed in one sentence.

好hǎo砂shā！正zhèng是shì那nà：好hǎo砂shā！正zhèng是shì那nà：

Fine sand it was! Just this:

The bare interjection 好砂！ carries its own terminal and joins forward to the verse tag 正是那： on the same source line — the join rule established at Chapter 51. Deictic 那 = nà in the tag formula.

似sì霧wù如rú煙yān初chū散sǎn漫màn，紛fēn紛fēn靄ǎi靄ǎi下xià天tiān涯yá。似sì雾wù如rú烟yān初chū散sǎn漫màn，纷fēn纷fēn霭ǎi霭ǎi下xià天tiān涯yá。

Like mist, like smoke, at first it spreads and scatters; / thick and dim it settles down to the sky's edge.

散漫: 散 = sǎn, the adjectival "loose, diffuse," not the verb sàn; 似 = sì (GLOBAL_PY). The rhapsody runs on the 麻 rhyme throughout: 涯差家麻遮車拿華花.

白bái茫máng茫máng，到dào處chù迷mí人rén眼yǎn；白bái茫máng茫máng，到dào处chù迷mí人rén眼yǎn；

A blank white haze — everywhere it blinds men's eyes;

到處: 處 = chù. The three-syllable openings 白茫茫 and 昏漠漠 break the seven-syllable run and mark this as a 賦 rather than a regulated poem.

昏hūn漠mò漠mò，飛fēi時shí找zhǎo路lù差chà。昏hūn漠mò漠mò，飞fēi时shí找zhǎo路lù差chà。

a dull grey murk — flying through it, one loses the road.

找路差: 差 = chà ("to go amiss"), against the chāi of dispatch used four passages ago.

The woodcutter cutting fuel has lost his fellow; / the herb-gathering boy of the immortals cannot find his home.

樵子: suffix 子 = zi; 失了: 了 = le. The couplet is a topos of dust-storm verse, and it does something for the plot too: the sand is indiscriminate, and it is falling on a landscape with people in it.

細xì細xì輕qīng飄piāo如rú麥mài麵miàn，粗cū粗cū翻fān復fù似sì芝zhī麻má。细xì细xì轻qīng飘piāo如rú麦mài面miàn，粗cū粗cū翻fān复fù似sì芝zhī麻má。

Fine, it drifts as light as wheat flour; / coarse, it tumbles over like sesame seed.

似芝麻: 似 = sì. Both similes are from the kitchen, and they place the celestial weapon squarely in a Ming household.

The world is dimmed and the mountain tops go dark; / the long sky is drowned and the sun shut out.

長空: 長 = cháng. 迷沒: 沒 = mò ("to sink, to be submerged") — the only token of this reading in the chapter; the other four are the méi of 沒奈何 and 沒有別人.

It is not the clamorous dust that trails a fine horse; / it cannot be called the soft light stuff that lines a scented carriage.

難言: 難 = nán. Two couplets of denial: the poem is at pains to say what this sand is not — not road dust, not the padding of a lady's carriage — before saying what it is.

This sand is by its own nature a thing without feeling; / it blankets earth and curtains heaven, and takes the monster.

無情物 — "a thing without feeling," which in Buddhist usage is the non-sentient, that which has no mind and cannot will. The couplet is the hinge of the rhapsody and the reason it can be used at all.

Only because the fiend encroaches on the true Way / do the arhats, upholding the Law, put forth this splendour.

只為: 為 = wèi, purposive; 豪華: 華 = huá. 阿羅 is 阿羅漢, arhat. The line supplies the justification a Buddhist weapon requires: the violence is answering an encroachment, not initiating one.

In their hands the bright pearls show at once; / in a moment it scours till the eyes swim with flowers.

手中: 中 = zhōng; 刮得: 得 = de, the complement marker. 眼生花 — "flowers before the eyes," the standard idiom for dazzle.

總評 Commentary

The rhapsody is the third and last set-piece of the chapter, and the only one about an object. It runs on a single 麻 rhyme and spends ten lines making the sand large: mist and smoke, a white blindness, a woodcutter who has lost his fellow, an immortal's herb-boy who cannot find his way home, flour and sesame, the mountains dark, the sun buried. Two of the couplets are denials — this is not road dust behind a fine horse, not the soft stuff lining a scented carriage — as though the poem were warding off the ordinary comparisons before it commits to its own.

The line that matters is 此砂本是無情物: this sand is by nature a thing without feeling. In Buddhist usage the 無情 is the non-sentient, what has no mind and cannot will — and that is precisely the justification for putting it in the hands of arhats, who may not kill. The weapon does the blinding; nobody intends it. It is also, as the reader already suspects, the reason it will be useless. The ring takes objects, and the Tathāgata has just sent eighteen grains of the most impressive object in the chapter.