The Bodhisatta's Birth
4．菩萨的诞生
There was in Kapilavatthu a Sakya king,
strong of purpose and reverenced by all men,
a descendant of the Okkakas, who call themselves Gotama,
and his name was Suddhodana or Pure-Rice. [1]
在迦毗罗卫国有一位释迦族的国王，他意志坚定，为臣民所崇敬。这位国王是自称为乔达摩的奥卡凯斯人的后裔，他的名字是首图驮那或净饭。 1
His wife Maya-devi was beautiful as the water-lily and pure in mind as the lotus.
As the Queen of Heaven, she lived on earth, untainted by desire, and immaculate. [2]
净饭王的妻子摩耶夫人，如睡莲般美丽，似荷花般纯洁。她生活在尘世中，却没有被欲望玷污，洁白无瑕，像是天国里的王后一样。 2
The king, her husband, honoured her in her holiness,
and the spirit of truth, glorious and strong in his wisdom
like unto a white elephant, descended upon her. [3]
她的丈夫因她的圣洁而尊敬她；他对真理的执着态度，像白象一样的荣耀和强壮，也影响了她。 3
When she knew that the hour of motherhood was near,
she asked the king to send her home to her parents;
and Suddhodana, anxious about his wife and the child she would bear him,
willingly granted her request. [4]
摩耶夫人得知自己即将生产，请求国王送她回到父母身边。净饭王关心妻子和即将出生的孩子，欣然同意了她的要求。 4
At Lumbini there is a beautiful grove,
and when Maya-devi passed through it the trees were one mass of fragrant flowers
and many birds were warbling in their branches.
The Queen, wishing to stroll through the shady walks, left her golden palanquin, and,
when she reached the giant Sala tree in the midst of the grove,
felt that her hour had come.
She took hold of a branch.
Her attendants hung a curtain about her and retired.
When the pain of travail came upon her,
four pure-minded angels of the great Brahma held out a golden net to receive the babe,
who came forth from her right side like the rising sun bright and perfect. [5]
在蓝毗尼有一个美丽的花园，当摩耶夫人经过时，园中林木葱葱，鲜花盛开，百鸟啼鸣。王后想在荫凉处散步，便离开了她的金轿。当她走到园中一棵大无忧树下时，感到孩子要出生了。她抓住一个树枝，随从挂起帘子将她遮住便退下了。阵痛来临时，伟大梵天的四个纯洁天使拉起一个金网去迎接婴孩，孩子从母亲的右胁中出生，像冉冉升起的太阳明亮美丽。 5
The Brahma-angels took the child and placing him before the mother said:
"Rejoice, O queen, a mighty son has been born unto thee." [6]
梵天的天使抱起孩子，将他放在母亲面前，说道：“欢喜吧，王后，你生了一个伟大的儿子。” 6
At her couch stood an aged woman imploring the heavens to bless the child. [7]
在王后的卧榻旁站着一位老妪，她祈求众天神赐福给这孩子。 7
All the worlds were flooded with light.
The blind received their sight by longing to see the coming glory of the Lord;
the deaf and dumb spoke with one another
of the good omens indicating the birth of the Buddha to be.
The crooked became straight; the lame walked.
All prisoners were freed from their chains
and the fires of all the hells were extinguished. [8]
天地间充满了亮光。盲人因期盼看到主的荣光而有了视觉；聋人和哑巴相互交谈着预示佛陀出世的吉兆；驼背的人身板挺直了；瘸腿的人能行走了；所有的囚徒从他们的锁链中解脱出来；一切地狱之火熄灭了。 8
No clouds gathered in the skies and the polluted streams became clear,
whilst celestial music rang through the air
and the angels rejoiced with gladness.
With no selfish or partial joy but for the sake of the law they rejoiced,
for creation engulfed in the ocean of pain was now to obtain release. [9]
天空澄明净彻，河水清冽透亮。这时，天国的音乐骤然响起，穿彻云霄，天使们因喜悦而欢呼。他们欢呼不是因个人或部分人的原因，而是为他们所喜悦的正道。因为，现在那些陷在苦海中的众生得到了解放。 9
The cries of beasts were hushed;
all malevolent beings received a loving heart, and peace reigned on earth.
Mara, the evil one, alone was grieved and rejoiced not. [10]
野兽的嗥叫停下了，所有怀有恶意的生灵有了爱心，平安降临大地。罪恶之神波旬独自悲伤，沮丧难耐。 10
The Naga kings, earnestly desiring to show their reverence for the most excellent law,
as they had paid honour to former Buddhas, now went to greet the Bodhisatta.
They scattered before him mandara flowers,
rejoicing with heartfelt joy to pay their religious homage. [11]
那加国诸王热切地想要表达他们对这最杰出的正道的尊重，就像他们曾经对前世佛所表达的敬意一样，现在他们向这位菩萨致意。他们在他面前撒满了曼陀罗花，以此表达他们满心的喜悦之情，并同时奉献虔诚的敬意。 11
The royal father, pondering the meaning of these signs,
was now full of joy and now sore distressed. [12]
国王揣测着这些迹象的意思，时而满心高兴，时而满心忧愁。 12
The queen mother, beholding her child and the commotion which his birth created,
felt in her timorous heart the pangs of doubt. [13]
王后看着她的孩子和因他出生造成的轰动，心中因疑虑感到阵阵恐慌。 13
Now there was at that time in a grove near Lumbini Asita,
a rishi, leading the life of a hermit.
He was a Brahman of dignified mien,
famed not only for wisdom and scholarship,
but also for his skill in the interpretation of signs.
And the king invited him to see the royal babe. [14]
那时，有一位哲人阿私陀，他在蓝毗尼附近的花园里过着隐士生活。他是一位有着威严仪表的婆罗门，不仅学识渊博，充满智慧，而且能洞察各种迹象，在当地很有威望。于是国王邀请他来看望太子。 14
The seer, beholding the prince, wept and sighed deeply.
And when the king saw the tears of Asita he became alarmed and asked:
"Why has the sight of my son caused thee grief and pain?" [15]
这位先知一见到太子，便痛哭起来，并深深叹气。国王看见阿私陀的眼泪，心中惊慌，便问道：“为何看到我儿子让你这般悲伤痛苦？” 15
But Asita's heart rejoiced,
and, knowing the king's mind to be perplexed, he addressed him, saying: [16]
但是阿私陀的心却在欢呼雀跃，他知道国王仍在困惑之中，于是对国王说： 16
"The king, like the moon when full, should feel great joy,
for he has begotten a wondrously noble son. [17]
“像满月一样完美的陛下啊！您应该感到非常高兴，因为您生了一个极为高贵的儿子。 17
"I do not worship Brahma, but I worship this child;
and the gods in the temples will descend from their places of honour to adore him. [18]
“我不崇拜梵天，但是我崇拜这个孩子。庙里的诸神都将从他们荣耀的宝座上走下来崇拜他。 18
"Banish all anxiety and doubt.
The spiritual omens manifested indicate that the child now born
will bring delliverance to the whole world. [19]
“去除所有的担心和怀疑吧。这些已出现的灵异征兆，表明了这孩子的出生将要把整个世界解救出来。 19
"Recollecting that I myself am old,
on that account I could not hold my tears;
for now my end is coming on and I shall not see the glory of this babe.
For this son of thine will rule the world. [20]
“我一想到自己已经老了，因此禁不住流泪。因为我的生命即将结束，我将看不到这婴孩的荣耀。您的儿子将统治全世界。 20
"The wheel of empire will come to him.
He will either be a king of kings to govern all the lands of the earth,
or verily will become a Buddha.
He is born for the sake of everything that lives. [21]
“他将掌管国家大事，或者会成为王中之王去统治这世上所有的土地，或者他会成为一个佛陀。他之所以生，就是为所有在世上活着的人。 21
"His pure teaching will be like the shore that receives the ship-wrecked.
His power of meditation will be like a cool lake;
and all creatures parched with the drought of lust may freely drink thereof. [22]
“他的纯正教诲将像停泊船只的海岸，他沉思的力量恰似凉爽的湖水，所有口渴难耐的生命都可以自由地畅饮。 22
"On the fire of covetousness he will cause the cloud of his mercy to rise,
so that the rain of the law may extinguish it.
The heavy gates of despondency will be open,
and give deliverance to all creatures ensnared in the self-entwined meshes of folly and ignorannce. [23]
“在贪婪的欲望之火上方，他将生出怜悯的云彩，降下正道的甘霖将火熄灭。他将打开沮丧者的大门，将所有的生命从愚蠢和无知的自缚困境中解救出来。 23
"The king of the law has come forth
to rescue from bondage all the poor, the miserable, the helpless." [24]
“正道之王出现了，他将所有穷困的、痛苦的、无助的人从束缚中解救出来。” 24
When the royal parents heard Asita's words they rejoiced in their hearts
and named their new-born infant Siddhattha,
that is, "he who has accomplished his purpose." [25]
国王夫妇听了阿私陀的话后内心欣喜万分，他们将新生儿命名为“悉达多”，意思为“他已经实现了他的目标”。 25
And the queen said to her sister, Pajapati:
"A mother who has borne a future Buddha will never give birth to another child.
I shall soon leave this world, my husband, the king, and Siddhattha, my child.
When I am gone, be thou a mother to him." [26]
王后对她的妹妹摩诃波阇波提说：“能够生下一个未来佛的母亲将不会再生另一个孩子了。我将离开这个世界，离开我的国王丈夫和我的孩子悉达多。我走之后，你做他的母亲吧。” 26
And Pajapati wept and promised. [27]
于是摩诃波阇波提哭泣并答应了她。 27
When the queen had departed from the living,
Pajapati took the boy Siddhattha and reared him.
And as the light of the moon increases little by little,
so the royal child grew from day to day in mind and in body;
and truthfulness and love resided in his heart. [28]
王后离开人世之后，摩诃波阇波提带走了男孩悉达多并养育他。就像月亮之光是一点一点地增多一样，太子的学识和身体也一天天地增长，真理和爱也在他心中生成。 28
When a year had passed Suddhadana the king made Pajapati his queen
and there was never a better stepmother than she. [29]
一年过后，净饭王立摩诃波阇波提为王后，她是最好的继母人选。 29
