The issues with translating literary Chinese: a meta-translation of case #9 of the Gateless Barrier
- Alexandre
- Mar 15, 2022
- 21 min read
Updated: Sep 14, 2022
I decided not long ago to do a meta-translation of the ninth case of the Gateless Barrier (無門關, Mandarin: Wumenguan; Japanese: Mumonkan). It was mostly a random decision - I typed "meditation" into Zen Marrow to see if anything juicy would come up and discovered this one.
Unlike in my previous meta-translation, I will not be including Cantonese and Middle Chinese readings all throughout the text and will instead be using Standard Chinese, or Mandarin. However, I will be including Middle Chinese transcriptions of the characters alongside their modern-day Mandarin counterparts in the verse, so that you can get a sense of what the text sounded like to people of the time. If we were being true to the sonority of Tang-dynasty literature, we'd forgo Mandarin and just use Cantonese instead all throughout the text, but that's a rant for another time with its own counter-arguments. Gah.
Furthermore, translators who prefer to use Japanese names will not have them rendered into modern Standard Chinese/Mandarin Pinyin, or Wade-Giles. For more on names in different languages, I have another post which might interest you.
Also, note that Classical Chinese is not like modern Standard Chinese/Mandarin. I've seen some people interested in Zen tell me that they're you're learning Chinese with Duolingo so that they can get a better grasp of the texts, but that's like learning Italian to read Latin. Classical Chinese is a written language and works very differently from all the spoken languages and dialects of Chinese, one of which is Standard Chinese - or, basically, Mandarin.
The original in Classical Chinese:
大通智勝
興陽讓和尚。因僧問。大通智勝佛。十劫坐道場。佛法不現前。不得成佛道時如 何。讓曰。其問甚諦當。僧云。既是坐道場。為甚麼不得成佛道。讓曰。為伊不成佛
無門曰。
只許老胡知。不許老胡會。凡夫若知即是聖人。聖人若會即是凡夫
頌曰
了身何似了心休 了得心兮身不愁 若也身心俱了了 神仙何必更封侯
The translations:
A monk asked [Sei]jo of Koyo and said, "Daitsū Chishō Buddha did zazen for ten kalpas in a Meditation Hall, and could neither manifest the truth, nor enter the Buddha-Way. Why was this?" Seijo said, "Your question is a very appropriate one." The monk persisted, "Why did he not attain Buddhahood by doing zazen in the Meditation Hall?" Seijo replied, "Because he didn't." Commentary: You may know the Old Indian, but you are not to analyse him psychologically. An ordinary man who really knows him is a sage, but a sage who has merely discursive knowledge of him ,is only an ordinary man. Verse: Rather than putting thee body to rest, rest of heart ! If the mind is at peace, the body knows no grief. But if both mind and body are pacified, thoroughly, as one, This is the life of perfect sainthood, where praise is meaningless.
A monk asked Master Rang of Xingyang, “The Buddha [called] Great Pervasive Excellent Wisdom sat at the site of enlightenment for ten eons, but the Buddha Dharma did not appear to him. How was it when he did not achieve the Buddha Path?” Rang said, “This question is very fitting.” The monk said, Since he sat at the site of enlightenment for ten eons, why did he not achieve the Buddha Path?” Rang said, “Because he did not become a Buddha” [since he already was one]. Commentary: I'll only allow that the old barbarian knows, not that he understands. If an ordinary person knows, he is a sage. If a sage understands, he is an ordinary person. Verse: Comprehending the body is not as good as comprehending the mind, then resting. If you can comprehend the mind, the body will not be sad. If you can comprehend both body and mind, What need is there any more for spirit immortals to legitimize your rank?
Once a monk earnestly asked Priest Jō of Kōyō, “Daitsū Chishō Buddha sat in the meditation hall for ten kalpas, but the Dharma of the Buddha did not manifest itself and he could not attain Buddhahood. Why was this?” Jō replied, “Your question is reasonable indeed.” The monk said, “He sat in zazen in the meditation hall. Why did he not attain Buddhahood?” Jō replied, “Because he is a non-attained Buddha.” Commentary: I approve the old barbarian’s realization, but I don’t approve the old barbarian’s understanding. When an ordinary person has realized it, he is a saint. If a saint understands it, he is nothing but an ordinary person. Verse: Far better than realizing the body is to realize the mind and be at peace. If the mind is realized, there is no anxiety about the body; If both body and mind are completely realized, A holy hermit does not wish to be appointed lord.
A monk asked Kõyõ Seijõ, "Daitsû Chishõ Buddha sat in zazen for ten kalpas and could not attain Buddhahood. He did not become a Buddha. How could this be?" Seijõ said, "Your question is quite self-explanatory." The monk asked, "He meditated so long; why could he not attain Buddhahood?" Seijõ said, "Because he did not become a Buddha." Commentary: I allow the barbarian's realization, but I do not allow his understanding. When an ignorant man realizes it, he is a sage. When a sage understands it, he is ignorant. Verse: Better emancipate your mind than your body; When the mind is emancipated, the body is free, When both body and mind are emancipated, Even gods and spirits ignore worldly power.
A monk asked the priest Ch’ing-jang of Hsing-yang, “The Buddha of Supremely Pervading, Surpassing Wisdom did zazen on the Bodhi Seat for ten kalpas, but the Dharma of the Buddha did not manifest itself and he could not attain Buddhahood. Why was this?” Ch’ing-jang said, “Your question is exactly to the point.” The monk said, “But he did zazen on the Bodhi Seat; why couldn’t he attain Buddhahood?” Ch’ing-jang said, “Because he is a nonattained Buddha.” Commentary: I approve the Old Barbarian’s realization, but I don’t approve his understanding. If an ordinary person realizes, he or she is thus a sage. If a sage understands, he or she is thus an ordinary person. Verse: Better than knowing the body is knowing the mind in peace; when the mind is realized, the body is no longer anxious. When body and mind are fully realized, the saintly hermit declines to become a noble.
A monk asked Master Light-Inception Peak: “The Buddha of Vast Insight and Surpassing Wisdom sat in meditation for ten kalpas on Buddha-Way Terrace, but the Buddha-dharma never took shape for him. How is it, in all that time, he never wholly became Buddha-Way’s turning seasons?” “A question to the point exactly,” replied Light-Inception. But the monk persisted: “After all that meditation on Buddha-Way Terrace, how is it he never wholly became the Buddha-Way?” “Because he never became a Buddha.” Commentary: I acknowledge that old barbarian’s understanding, but not his realization. When ordinary people become wise, they’re sages. And when sages become realized, they’re ordinary people. Verse: How can clarity about self compare to clarity about mind at rest? Clarity about mind—ah—fathom that clarity, and self is grief-free. And if you know clarity about mind and self, clarity within clarity, what is there more regal for gods and immortals to declare noble?
_____________________________________________________________________
The case name:
大通智勝
大 /dɑiH/, /dɑH/ dà big / huge / large / major / great / wide / deep / older (than) / oldest / eldest / greatly / very much / (dialect) father / father's elder or younger brother
通 /tʰuŋ/ tōng to go through / to know well / (suffix) expert / to connect / to communicate / open / to clear / classifier for letters, telegrams, phone calls etc
智 /ʈˠiᴇH/ zhì wisdom / knowledge
勝 /ɕɨŋ/ shèng victory / success / to beat / to defeat / to surpass / victorious / superior to / to get the better of / better than / surpassing / superb (of vista) / beautiful (scenery) / wonderful (view) / (Taiwan pr. [sheng1]) able to bear / equal to (a task)
Blyth: [doesn't translate it, just gives Japanese 'onyomi' reading] Cleary: Great Pervasive Excellent Wisdom Yamada: [doesn't translate it, just gives Japanese 'onyomi' reading] Sekida: [doesn't translate it, just gives Japanese 'onyomi' reading] Aitken: [gives his own name to the case] Ch’ing-jang’s Nonattained Buddha Hinton: Vast Insight Surpassing Wisdom
Notice how Blyth, Yamada and Sekida don't even bother translating the name of the case like they appear to have done with other cases in their translations, such as "Hyakujō's (Baizhang's) fox", instead opting for a direct Japanese onyomi reading of the Chinese characters: Daitsū Chishō. This suggests that they didn't know how exactly to translate this, and I can see why. It's a bit of an awkward one. Aitken seems to have had the same problem and instead opts to invent his own name for this case.
That said, Yamada offers an explanation for the term as follows:
The term “Daitsū Chishō” will need some explanation. Daitsū means being able to go to all places or go through anything, in other words, pervading the whole universe. Chishō means wonderful wisdom. Thus Daitsū Chishō means the wonderful wisdom that pervades the universe. We will at once recognize that this name represents one of the characteristics of our essential nature. This is also true of the names of Buddhas and bodhisattvas. Take Amida Buddha, for example. In Sanskrit, Amida is Amitayus, which means limitless life, or Amitabha, which means limitless light, also characteristics of our essential nature. Then there is Bodhisattva Kanzeon or Kannon, which in Sanskrit is Avalokitesvara. In Japanese, kan means to see with the mind-eye. Ze is the world, and on means sound, so ze-on means the sounds of the world. It is said that Bodhisattva Kanzeon, upon hearing the voices of those who call upon his name, instantly renders mercy to them. This is, of course, the mercy of our essential nature. The following story of Daitsū Chishō appears in the parable of the magic city in Chapter 7 of the Lotus Sutra: Daitsū Chishō was the king of a certain country and had sixteen sons at the time he entered the priesthood. When he experienced complete enlightenment, he began to preach the Dharma in a mountain area. Upon hearing their father’s preaching, all sixteen sons also entered the priesthood. This group constituted the foundation of present-day Buddhism. Each of the sixteen princes eventually became a Buddha, the youngest being Shakyamuni Buddha himself. It is written that Daitsū Chishō sat in samadhi in the meditation hall for ten kalpas. Ten kalpas means countless ages. One of the sutras defines a kalpa as the period of time it would take an angel who descended from heaven once every hundred years and made one sweep with its robe of feathers across the top of a cubic-mile stone mountain to wear it down level to the ground. Or it is said to be the period of time it would take a bird to consume a cubic-mile container full of sesame seeds if it ate one seed every hundred years. Ten kalpas is, therefore, a very long time.
I don't think I'd know how to translate this one exactly either, myself, but I'm curious as to what you guys think.
I'll say, "All-Pervasive Surpassing Wisdom".
Using the character breakdown I provided, what would you translate the name of the case as?
The case, line by line:
興陽讓和尚。因僧問。
興陽 Xīngyáng
讓 Ràng
和尚 hé shang Buddhist monk
因 yīn cause / reason / because
僧 sēng (bound form) Buddhist monk (abbr. for 僧伽[seng1 qie2])
問 wèn to ask / to inquire
"Xingyang Rang [and] monk. Reason monk inquire."
Blyth: A monk asked [Sei]jo of Koyo and said Cleary: A monk asked Master Rang of Xingyang Yamada: Once a monk earnestly asked Priest Jō of Kōyō Sekida: A monk asked Kõyõ Seijõ Aitken: A monk asked the priest Ch’ing-jang of Hsing-yang Hinton: A monk asked Master Light-Inception Peak
The first thing you might notice here is that the names are different between Mandarin Pinyin, Wade-Giles and Japanese romaji, but that's just trivial. You might already see the terse nature of Classical Chinese at play here, and it's not a language to waste its breath on elaborate detail (like Sanskrit).
大通智勝佛。十劫坐道場。
大通智勝佛 Dà tōng zhì shèng Fó All-pervasive surpassing wisdom Buddha
十 shí ten / 10
劫 jié abbr. for kalpa 劫波[jie2 bo1]
坐 zuò to sit / to take a seat
道場 dào chǎng Taoist or Buddhist rite / place of spiritual practice / place of immersive learning
"All-pervasive surpassing wisdom Buddha sits in the place of spiritual practice for ten kalpas."
Blyth: "Daitsū Chishō Buddha did zazen for ten kalpas in a Meditation Hall Cleary: “The Buddha [called] Great Pervasive Excellent Wisdom sat at the site of enlightenment for ten eons Yamada: “Daitsū Chishō Buddha sat in the meditation hall for ten kalpas Sekida: "Daitsû Chishõ Buddha sat in zazen for ten kalpas Aitken: “The Buddha of Supremely Pervading, Surpassing Wisdom did zazen on the Bodhi Seat for ten kalpas Hinton: “The Buddha of Vast Insight and Surpassing Wisdom sat in meditation for ten kalpas on Buddha-Way Terrace
And here we go... Having already tackled the issue of translating "Daitsū Chishō", the next bit we have to look at is 道場 (dàochǎng), which is actually the same term used for a martial arts dōjō (in Japanese) or dojang (in Korean). Notice how Blyth and Yamada translate this as "meditation hall". One dictionary translates it as "Daoist or Buddhist rite" while another says it's "place of enlightenment" or "place for spiritual practice". In a broader sense encapsulating the meaning extended to martial arts, it means "a place of immersive learning". Seeing as I don't know much about the structure of monasteries (i.e. how they're built and organised), I can only guess that some sort of sanctity is being accorded to the rite of seated meditation and that this is why Blyth and Yamada are calling this a meditation hall. Note as well that the term 坐 simply means "to sit" and zazen is being inferred. Note how Hinton tries to give a poetic translation rather than interpret the terms, translating 道場 as "Buddha-way terrace", which almost word-for-word but does not explain what a 道場 effectively is in cultural context.
佛法不現前。
佛法 fó fǎ Dharma (the teachings of the Buddha) / Buddhist doctrine
不 bù (negative prefix) / not / no
現 xiàn to appear / present / now / existing / current
前 qián front / forward / ahead / first / top (followed by a number) / future / ago / before / former / formerly
"Dharma didn't appear before him."
Blyth: and could neither manifest the truth, Cleary: but the Buddha Dharma did not appear to him Yamada: but the Dharma of the Buddha did not manifest itself Sekida: and could not attain Buddhahood. Aitken: but the Dharma of the Buddha did not manifest itself Hinton: but the Buddha-dharma never took shape for him
Sekida's translation here appears to be a bit lazy. Of course, he's inferring that if the dharma didn't manifest itself in front of All-pervasive wisdom surpassing Buddha, he did not attain Buddhahood (which seems odd considering he is already said to be a Buddha), but the other translators have gone for a more literal reading. Another alternative translation at a stretch would've been "Dharma didn't appear before (in time)", but the grammar is a bit awry for that to be what's being said here.
不得成佛道時如 何。
不 bù (negative prefix) / not / no
得 dé to obtain / to get / to gain / to catch (a disease) / proper / suitable / proud / contented / to allow / to permit / ready / finished
成佛 chéng fó to become a Buddha / to attain enlightenment
道 dào road / path / CL:條|条[tiao2],股[gu3] / principle / truth / morality / reason / skill / method / Dao (of Daoism) / to say / to speak / to talk
時 shí o'clock / time / when / hour / season / period
如 rú as / as if / such as
何 hé what / how / why / which / carry
"How was his time of not obtaining the path of becoming a Buddha?"
Blyth: nor enter the Buddha-Way. Why was this? Cleary: How was it when he did not achieve the Buddha Path? Yamada: and he could not attain Buddhahood. Why was this? Sekida: He did not become a Buddha. How could this be? Aitken: and he could not attain Buddhahood. Why was this? Hinton: How is it, in all that time, he never wholly became Buddha-Way’s turning seasons?
A tricky bit to translate here is the 如 何 at the end of the sentence. It isn't a formulation I'm familiar with, and a more literal translation of this sentence as I read it would be "The time of not obtaining the path to becoming a Buddha as how?". You can see how this is a tricky business.
讓曰。其問甚諦當。
讓 Ràng
曰 yuē to speak / to say
其 qí his / her / its / their / that / such / it (refers to sth preceding it)
問 wèn to ask / to inquire
甚 shèn what / very / extremely / any
諦 dì to examine / truth (Buddhism)
當 dāng to be / to act as / manage / withstand / when / during / ought / should / match equally / equal / same / obstruct / just at (a time or place) / on the spot / right / just at
"Rang says: 'This question examines [very] correctly.'"
Blyth: Seijo said, "Your question is a very appropriate one." Cleary: Rang said, “This question is very fitting.” Yamada: Jō replied, “Your question is reasonable indeed.” Sekida: Seijõ said, "Your question is quite self-explanatory." Aitken: Ch’ing-jang said, “Your question is exactly to the point.” Hinton: “A question to the point exactly,” replied Light-Inception.
僧云。既是坐道場。為甚麼不得成佛道。
僧 sēng (bound form) Buddhist monk (abbr. for 僧伽[seng1 qie2])
云 yún (classical) to say
既是 jì shì is both ...(and...) / since / as / being the case that
坐 zuò to sit / to take a seat
道場 dào chǎng Taoist or Buddhist rite / place of spiritual practice / place of immersive learning
為 wèi because of / for / to
甚麼 shén me what
不 bù (negative prefix) / not / no
得 dé to obtain / to get / to gain / to catch (a disease) / proper / suitable / proud / contented / to allow / to permit / ready / finished
成佛 chéng fó to become a Buddha / to attain enlightenment
道 dào road / path / CL:條|条[tiao2],股[gu3] / principle / truth / morality / reason / skill / method / Dao (of Daoism) / to say / to speak / to talk
"Monk says: 'Since he sat in the place of spiritual practice, why did he not obtain the path to becoming a Buddha?'"
Blyth: The monk persisted, "Why did he not attain Buddhahood by doing zazen in the Meditation Hall?" Cleary: The monk said, Since he sat at the site of enlightenment for ten eons, why did he not achieve the Buddha Path?” Yamada: The monk said, “He sat in zazen in the meditation hall. Why did he not attain Buddhahood?” Sekida: The monk asked, "He meditated so long; why could he not attain Buddhahood?" Aitken: The monk said, “But he did zazen on the Bodhi Seat; why couldn’t he attain Buddhahood?” Hinton: But the monk persisted: “After all that meditation on Buddha-Way Terrace, how is it he never wholly became the Buddha-Way?”
This passage is fairly straightforward. We've already discussed the question of zazen in the meditation hall. I find Hinton's translation here interesting, as he mentions "becoming the Buddha-Way", which emphasises a processual nature of Buddhahood which isn't a static category or state.
讓曰。為伊不成佛。
讓 Ràng
曰 yuē to speak / to say
為 wèi because of / for / to
伊 yī (old) third person singular pronoun ("he" or "she") / second person singular pronoun ("you") / (May 4th period) third person singular feminine pronoun ("she") / (Classical Chinese) introductory particle with no specific meaning / that (preceding a noun)
不 bù (negative prefix) / not / no
成佛 chéng fó to become a Buddha / to attain enlightenment
"Rang says: 'Because he did not become a Buddha.'"
Blyth: Seijo replied, "Because he didn't." Cleary: Rang said, “Because he did not become a Buddha” [since he already was one]. Yamada: Jō replied, “Because he is a non-attained Buddha.” Sekida: Seijõ said, "Because he did not become a Buddha." Aitken: Ch’ing-jang said, “Because he is a nonattained Buddha.” Hinton: “Because he never became a Buddha.”
Notice how Clearly cheekily slips in his own interpretation of the case. I'm not sure what Aitken means in his translation by "non-attained", as 成佛 is quite clearly "to become a Buddha" as far as the usage of 成 (to succeed / to finish / to complete / to accomplish / to become / to turn into) goes.
All in all, I would say that Cleary's translation is the most reliable here, as he seems to navigate the dilemma between giving a literal translation and translating in such a way that is both understandable and enjoyable to his audience quite well.
Which translation do you prefer?
The commentary, line by line:
只許老胡知。
只 zhǐ only / merely / just / but
許 xǔ to allow / to permit / to promise / to praise / somewhat / perhaps
老 lǎo old (of people) / venerable (person)
胡 hú non-Han people, esp. from central Asia
知 zhī to know / to be aware
"Only allow the Old Barbarian [Bodhidharma] knows."
Blyth: You may know the Old Indian, Cleary: I'll only allow that the old barbarian knows, Yamada: I approve the old barbarian’s realization, Sekida: I allow the barbarian's realization, Aitken: I approve the Old Barbarian’s realization, Hinton: I acknowledge that old barbarian’s understanding,
Ok, there is quite some divergence here. I think that Blyth's translation follows the route of 許 meaning "perhaps", but in that case, why use 只 (only)? "Only perhaps" seems like awkward phrasing, even in Classical Chinese. I think that it's interesting how the translators have all assumed that Wumen is talking about himself as the subject of "allow" here, because it's not actually given in the text. To me, this could be as much an imperative statement as a declarative one.
不許老胡會。
不許 bù xǔ not to allow / must not / can't
老 lǎo old (of people) / venerable (person)
胡 hú non-Han people, esp. from central Asia
會 huì can (i.e. have the skill, know how to) / likely to / sure to / to meet / to get together / meeting / gathering / union / group / association / a moment (Taiwan pr. for this sense is [hui3])
"Do not allow that the Old Barbarian knows through experience."
Blyth: but you are not to analyse him psychologically. Cleary: not that he understands. Yamada: but I don’t approve the old barbarian’s understanding. Sekida: but I do not allow his understanding. Aitken: but I don’t approve his understanding. Hinton: but not his realization.
I find this interesting, because these two lines (this one and the previous) use two words in Chinese which mean "to know", which might easily confuse an English-speaker. In the previous line, 知 means "to know" in terms of knowledge. In this one, 會 means "to know" in terms of learning and experience, and knowing how to do something. In other words, the two sentences, "I know what a boat is" and "I know how to build a boat" are not the same kind of knowing, in Chinese. Similarly, "I know what French is" and "I know how to speak French" are not the same kind of knowing. This gives the term 會, which has the meaning of "can" too. Notice how the translators have slipped up trying to express this difference in English, with Sekida and Hinton saying the exact opposite of one another in the process!
凡夫若知即是聖人。
凡夫 fán fū common person / ordinary guy / mortal man
若 ruò to seem / like / as / if
知 zhī to know / to be aware
即 jí namely / that is / i.e. / prompt / at once / at present / even if / prompted (by the occasion) / to approach / to come into contact / to assume (office) / to draw near
是 shì is / are / am / to be
聖人 shèng rén saint / sage / refers to Confucius 孔子[Kong3 zi3] / the current reigning Emperor
"If a common person knows, at once they are a sage."
Blyth: An ordinary man who really knows him is a sage, Cleary: If an ordinary person knows, he is a sage. Yamada: When an ordinary person has realized it, he is a saint. Sekida: When an ignorant man realizes it, he is a sage. Aitken: If an ordinary person realizes, he or she is thus a sage. Hinton: When ordinary people become wise, they’re sages.
I think that Blyth has mistranslated this phrase by inferring the knowing of somebody (i.e. Bodhidharma) rather than knowing more generally, as the other translators have put it. Sekida is obviously opening up the Buddhist duality of enlightened and ignorant.
聖人若會即是凡夫。
聖人 shèng rén saint / sage / refers to Confucius 孔子[Kong3 zi3] / the current reigning Emperor
若 ruò to seem / like / as / if
會 huì can (i.e. have the skill, know how to) / likely to / sure to / to meet / to get together / meeting / gathering / union / group / association / a moment (Taiwan pr. for this sense is [hui3])
即 jí namely / that is / i.e. / prompt / at once / at present / even if / prompted (by the occasion) / to approach / to come into contact / to assume (office) / to draw near
是 shì is / are / am / yes / to be
凡夫 fán fū common person / ordinary guy / mortal man
"If a sage understands through experience, at once they are a common person."
Blyth: but a sage who has merely discursive knowledge of him, is only an ordinary man. Cleary: If a sage understands, he is an ordinary person. Yamada: If a saint understands it, he is nothing but an ordinary person. Sekida: When a sage understands it, he is ignorant. Aitken: If a sage understands, he or she is thus an ordinary person. Hinton: And when sages become realized, they’re ordinary people.
I disagree with Blyth's translation here, as he's speaking of discursive knowledge rather than experiential knowledge. I think that the other translators are closer to it, but Hinton's use of the term "become realised" opens up a question of whether a better translation would be "If a sage can" (i.e. if they are realised by walking the walk and not just talking the talk).
The poem, line by line:
了身何似了心休
Middle Chinese: ljau13 ɕjәn53 ɣɑ31 zji13 ljau13 sjәm53 xju53
了 liǎo to finish / to achieve / variant of 瞭|了[liao3] / to understand clearly
身 shēn body / life / oneself / personally / one's morality and conduct / the main part of a structure or body / pregnant / classifier for sets of clothes: suit, twinset / Kangxi radical 158
何 hé what / how / why / which / carry
似 sì to seem / to appear / to resemble / similar / -like / pseudo- / (more) than
了 liǎo to finish / to achieve / variant of 瞭|了[liao3] / to understand clearly
心 xīn heart / mind / intention / center / core / CL:顆|颗[ke1],個|个[ge4]
休 xiū to rest / to stop doing sth for a period of time / to cease / (imperative) don't
"How can understanding the body/oneself clearly compare to understanding the mind at rest clearly?"
Blyth: Rather than putting thee body to rest, rest of heart ! Cleary: Comprehending the body is not as good as comprehending the mind, then resting. Yamada: Far better than realizing the body is to realize the mind and be at peace. Sekida: Better emancipate your mind than your body; Aitken: Better than knowing the body is knowing the mind in peace Hinton: How can clarity about self compare to clarity about mind at rest?
Here, I think Hinton hits the nail on the head. After all, this is his domain, his work has primarily been on Chinese poetry. Notice from the Middle Chinese how 身 (body/oneself) and 心休 (mind/heart at rest) are in a high pitch register (yin) and stick out from the rest of this verse in a low pitch register (yang), emphasising them even more.
了得心兮身不愁
ljau13 tәk5 sjәm53 ɣjai31 ɕjәn53 fyәt5 dʐju31;
了 liǎo to finish / to achieve / variant of 瞭|了[liao3] / to understand clearly
得 dé to obtain / to get / to gain / to catch (a disease) / proper / suitable / proud / contented / to allow / to permit / ready / finished
心 xīn heart / mind / intention / center / core / CL:顆|颗[ke1],個|个[ge4]
兮 xī (particle in old Chinese similar to 啊 "ah")
身 shēn body / life / oneself / personally / one's morality and conduct / the main part of a structure or body / pregnant / classifier for sets of clothes: suit, twinset / Kangxi radical 158
不 bù (negative prefix) / not / no
愁 chóu to worry about
"Understanding completely and obtaining the mind - ah - don't worry about the body/self."
Blyth: If the mind is at peace, the body knows no grief. Cleary: If you can comprehend the mind, the body will not be sad. Yamada: If the mind is realized, there is no anxiety about the body; Sekida: When the mind is emancipated, the body is free, Aitken: when the mind is realized, the body is no longer anxious. Hinton: Clarity about mind—ah—fathom that clarity, and self is grief-free.
Here I'm not sure why Blyth talks about "peace" when it isn't mentioned in the original, and I don't see why Sekida says the body is "free". The jury's out on whether or not the body is something which worries or something to be worried about, here. The Middle Chinese shows us a play with the cadence of the text, with the low-register "ah" in the middle sticking out from the high-register words surrounding it. Furthermore, this line rhymes with the previous line with falling tones, but in a low register while the previous line is in a high register.
若也身心俱了了
ɲja13 ja13 ɕjәn53 sjәm53 kyo53 ljau13 ljau13
若 ruò to seem / like / as / if
也 yě also / too / (in Classical Chinese) final particle implying affirmation
身心 shēn xīn body and mind / mental and physical
俱 jù entirely / without exception / (literary) to be together / to be alike
了了 liǎo liǎo to realize clearly / to settle a matter / to get it over with
"If however body and mind are completely realised together"
Blyth: But if both mind and body are pacified, thoroughly, as one, Cleary: If you can comprehend both body and mind, Yamada: If both body and mind are completely realized, Sekida: When both body and mind are emancipated, Aitken: When body and mind are fully realized, Hinton: And if you know clarity about mind and self, clarity within clarity,
The Middle Chinese here is brilliant, because you can really see the play on words. Notice how the words come in rhyming couplets and sound nearly (if not exactly) the same as one other apart from 俱. This is also the only line that sticks out of the rhyme pattern going on in the others.
神仙何必更封侯
ʥjәn53 sjan53 ɣɑ31 pjәt5 kaɲ53 fyuŋ53 ɣu31
神仙 shén xiān Daoist immortal / supernatural entity / (in modern fiction) fairy, elf, leprechaun etc / fig. lighthearted person
何必 hé bì there is no need / why should
更 gèng more / even more / further / still / still more
封 fēng to confer / to grant / to bestow a title / to seal / classifier for sealed objects, esp. letters
侯 hóu marquis, second of the five orders of ancient Chinese nobility 五等爵位[wu3 deng3 jue2 wei4] / nobleman or high official
"The immortal/supernatural entity has no further need to bestow a title to the/be conferred the title of lord."
Blyth: This is the life of perfect sainthood, where praise is meaningless. Cleary: What need is there any more for spirit immortals to legitimize your rank? Yamada: A holy hermit does not wish to be appointed lord. Sekida: Even gods and spirits ignore worldly power. Aitken: the saintly hermit declines to become a noble. Hinton: what is there more regal for gods and immortals to declare noble?
What a mess. Here, the issue is in reading between the lines. Blyth and Sekida try to spin this line their own ways, and Hinton interprets this line his own way as well. I agree more with Yamada and Aitken on this one, with Cleary for some reason saying "your rank" instead of discussing the nobleman 侯. The Middle Chinese shows that this follows the same rhyming pattern, on a falling tone in a low register.
I hope that some of you who are curious about translation or why translations differ can now see where some of the issues are. I've given you the Chinese characters so you can follow along for yourselves in trying to interpret literary Chinese, which can be frustratingly terse. If you're interested in learning how to read literary Chinese, I can recommend this free course and this more in-depth one which will be starting in a month (March 2022).
I hope those of you who like poetry also liked the inclusion of the Middle Chinese, because it adds a whole new dimension to the verses which I see is always neglected here. My knowledge of Song-dynasty poetry is limited, but from my knowledge of Tang-dynasty poetry, I can say that there has been an obvious departure from the conventional rhyme scheme and couplet-based pairing that is to be expected of poets such as Li Bai and Du Fu. Perhaps there was more room for free verse poetry at this time...
Which translation did you like best and what have you got to say about all the differences in interpretation?
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