百喻經之六五: 五百歡喜丸喻

§65 五百歡喜丸喻

(65) five hundred happy pills

昔有一婦，荒淫無度，欲情既盛，嫉惡其夫；每思方策，頻欲殘害。種種設計，不得其便。會值其夫，聘使鄰國。婦密為計，造毒藥丸，欲用害夫。詐語夫言：“爾今遠使，慮有乏短。今我造作五百歡喜丸，用為資糧，以送與爾。爾若出國，至他境界，饑困之時，乃可取食。”

once upon a time, there was a woman who led a promiscuous life. she hated her husband when she was burning with lascivious desires. however, there was no opportunity for her to carry out any of her schemes to kill him. it so happened that her husband was sent on an official mission to a neighboring state, the woman secretly prepared some poisonous pills. to the husband she said with a faked tenderness, "now that you have been sent far away on this official mission, i have prepared for you five hundred pills both as food supplies and as something to cheer you up. you will take them when you are hungry, when you reach the border."

夫用其言，至他界已，未及食之，于夜暗中，止宿林間，畏懼惡獸，上樹避之。其歡喜丸忘置樹下。

the husband did not take them when he crossed the frontier. it was dark then and he decided to rest in the forest. afraid of wild animals, he climbed up a tree to spend the night. he left his pills under the tree.

即以其夜，值五百偷賊，盜彼國王五百匹馬，并及寶物，來止樹下。由其逃突，盡皆饑渴，于其樹下，見歡喜丸，諸賊取已，各食一丸。藥毒氣盛，五百群賊一時俱死。

on that same night, a group of five hundred thieves stopped at the same spot with five hundred horses and precious things stolen from their king. they were all hungry and thirsty from their narrow escape. finding those pills under the tree, the thieves took them and, on account of the strong poisonous effect, died one after another in no time.

時樹上人，至天明已，見此群賊死在樹下，詐以刀箭斫射死尸，收其鞍馬，驅向彼國。

at daybreak, the man hiding in the tree saw the dead thieves. then he deceitfully made as if he slew and shot the corpses with swords and arrows. afterward, he got all the horses as well as the stolen goods together and rode towards the foreign country.

時彼國王，多將人眾，案跡來逐。會于中路，值于彼王。彼王問言：“爾是何人？何處得馬？”

meanwhile, the king was on his way with his guards trying to apprehend the thieves. they carne across the man and asked, "who are you? where did you get these horses?"

其人答言：“我是某國人，而于道路值此群賊，共相斫射。五百群賊今皆一處死在樹下。由是之故，我得此馬，及以珍寶，來投王國。若不見信，可遣往看賊之瘡痍殺害處所。”

the man replied, "i have come on a special mission. on the way, 1 encountered this band of thieves. i fought them and killed them all. their corpses are under a tree over there. that's how 1 got these horses and precious things. if your majesty doesn't believe it, you can inspect the casualties on the spot where we fought."

王時即遣親信往看，果如其言。王時欣然，嘆未曾有。既還國已，厚加爵賞，大賜珍寶，封以聚落。

immediately, the king sent his guards to inspect the spot. they found out what he had said was true. the king was overwhelmed with admiration for his unusual bravery. later, when the man was sent back to his own country, the king bestowed him both a knighthood and treasures as well as a piece of land.

彼王舊臣，咸生嫉妒，而白王言：“彼是遠人，未可服信。如何卒爾寵遇過厚？至于爵賞，逾越舊臣。”