百喻經(jīng)之四七: 貧人能作鴛鴦鳴喻

(47) THE POOR MAN CROWS LIKE A DUCK

昔外國法，節(jié)慶之日，一切婦女盡持優(yōu)缽羅花以為鬘飾。

It happened once that a foreign country was celebrating its Religious Day for festivities. All women wore blue lotus flowers as ornament in their hair.

有一貧人，其婦語言：“爾若能得優(yōu)缽羅花來用與我，為爾作妻;若不能得，我舍爾去。”

To her husband, a woman said, "If you can get blue lotus flowers for me, I shall remain as your wife. Otherwise. I'll walk out on you."

其夫先來常善作鴛鴦之鳴，即入王池，作鴛鴦鳴，偷優(yōu)缽羅花。時守池者而作是問：“池中者誰?”

Her husband was capable of crowing like a duck. He then entered the king's pond to steal blue lotus flowers. He crowed when he was caught by the palace guard. The guard asked: "Who are you?"

而此貧人失口，答言：“我是鴛鴦。”

With a slip of the tongue, the poor man replied: "I'm a duck."

守者捉得，將詣王所，而扵中道復更和聲作鴛鴦鳴。守池者言：“爾先不作，今作何益!”

He was arrested and was taken to the king. On the way, he crowed again. Thereupon, the guard said, "You didn't crow properly before, what's the use of doing so now?"

世間愚人，亦復如是。終身殘害，作眾惡業(yè)，不習心行，使令調(diào)善。臨命終時，方言：“今我欲得修善。”

So are the stupid in the world. One who in his lifetime does all kinds of evil deeds to the others, is reluctant to repent and subdue his mind. Only at the time of his demise, he says, "From now on, I shall start to do good deeds."

獄卒將去付閻羅王，雖欲修善，亦無所及已。如彼愚人欲到王所作鴛鴦鳴。

The guard will nevertheless send him to the King of Hell. It is too late for him to want to do good deeds, just as the stupid man who could crow like duck.

注釋：

①「法節(jié)」，《麗藏》作「節(jié)法」，誤，今據(jù)宋、元、明三藏改。

②僵鉢羅華：梵文Utpala就是青蓮華，葉子狹長，近下處稍圓，向上漸漸尖起來，很像佛眼。

跱：梵文Soma譯音的簡稱，將花朵貫串起來，作為裝飾，佩戴在頭上或身上。

④習：調(diào)節(jié)。

⑤心行：心，念念遷流不已，或念善，或念惡，所以叫做心行。

⑥閻羅王：梵文Yama-raja：主管生死罪福之業(yè)，役使鬼卒追攝罪人，捶拷治罰，決斷善惡。

白話：

從前外國的習俗，在節(jié)慶之日里，所有婦女都佩戴優(yōu)缽羅華作為裝飾。

有一個窮人，妻子對他說：「你若是能得來優(yōu)缽羅華與我佩戴，我就做你的妻子;若是不能得到，我便離開你了?！顾煞蛳惹昂苣苣》馒x鴦的叫聲，便跨進國王的池沼，一邊作鴛鴦的鳴聲，一邊偷優(yōu)缽羅華。這時守池人問道：「池中的是誰?」這窮人失口答道：「我是鴛鴦。」守池人將他捉牢了，帶到國王處去，走到半道上，窮人又抑揚有致地作起鴛鴦的鳴聲來。守池人說：「你先前不叫，現(xiàn)在叫有什么用?」

世上的愚人也是這樣，終身殺生害命，作種種惡業(yè)，不調(diào)節(jié)心行，以使它朝善的方向發(fā)展，待到命終時，方說：「如今我想修行善業(yè)?！躬z卒依然把他帶去，付與閻羅王處治。雖是想修行善業(yè)，也已經(jīng)晚了。就好像那個愚人，快到國王那兒了，才作起鴛鴦叫來。

這故事比喻：事情要在該做的時候做，晚了就來不及了。