佛陀的門徒烏帕古普塔躺在馬圖拉城牆邊的塵土上，酣然入睡了。燈火全部熄滅，門戶全都關閉，星辰全都躲進了八月的陰沉的天空。
是誰的雙腳叮叮噹噹地響著腳鐲，突然觸擊他的胸膛？他驀然驚醒，一個女人手中的燈光照到了他仁慈的眼睛上。這是一位舞女，珠光寶氣，披著淡藍的斗篷，陶醉於美酒般的青春之中。她把燈火湊近，看到了一張端莊英俊的年輕臉膛。
「請原諒，修行者，」女人說道，「請您慈悲光臨寒舍。這塵埃飛揚的地面不是你合適的床。」
修行僧答道：「女人啊，繼續過你的日子吧；一旦時機成熟，我會去找你的。」
突然，黑夜露出了澄澄發亮的牙齒。雷電在天空轟鳴，女人嚇得瑟瑟發抖。
……
路邊樹木的枝枒經歷著花兒綻放時的陣痛。在溫和的春天的空氣中，歡快的笛聲從遠處飄來。平民百姓已經進入樹林，參加花節。一輪圓月從半空中注目凝望寂靜城鎮的陰影。年輕的修行者走在孤寂無人的街道，頭頂上，害相思病的杜鵑歇在芒果樹梢，傾訴著夜不成眠的哀怨。烏帕古普塔經過一道道城門，佇立在護城堤下。
城牆的陰影中，躺著一個染上了瘟疫的女人，遍體斑痕，被匆匆趕出城外。這個女人是誰呢？
修行僧在她身邊坐下，把她的頭放在自己的膝上，用淨水潤著她的嘴唇，用香膏敷著她的全身。
「大慈大悲的人啊，你是誰呀？」女人問道。
「看望你的時機終於來臨，於是我就來了。」年輕的修行僧答道。
#1，[馬圖拉] 即摩偷羅。摩偷羅，又作摩度羅、摩突羅、摩頭羅、秣菟羅，意譯孔雀城、三雀城、美蜜城、密蓋，印度古國，位於今朱木那河（Jumna，亦作亞穆納河）西南一帶。首都摩偷羅城，又名秣菟羅城，位於今印度馬圖拉南方。釋迦牟尼時代，摩偷羅國為阿利安人建立的城市國家，為當時十六大國之一戍洛西那國的首都。在釋迦牟尼過世後，逐漸成為西方佛教的重鎮，優波鞠多出身於此。是盛極一時的文化中心，後來成為迦膩色迦王的南方之都。(wiki)
#2，[ascetic] 禁慾主義者；苦行者；苦修者；修道者。吳笛原譯作苦行僧，依個人理解，佛陀的門徒應是修行者而非苦行者。
###(采果集 37)
Upagupta, the disciple of Buddha, lay asleep on the dust by the city wall of Mathura.
Lamps were all out, doors were all shut, and stars were all hidden by the murky sky of August.
Whose feet were those tinkling with anklets, touching his breast of a sudden?
He woke up startled, and the light from a woman's lamp struck his forgiving eyes.
It was the dancing girl, starred with jewels, clouded with a pale-blue mantle, drunk with the wine of her youth.
She lowered her lamp and saw the young face, austerely beautiful.
"Forgive me, young ascetic," said the woman; "graciously come to my house. The dusty earth is not a fit bed for you."
The ascetic answered, "Woman, go on your way; when the time is ripe I will come to you."
Suddenly the black night showed its teeth in a flash of lightning.
The storm growled from the corner of the sky, and the woman trembled in fear.
......
The branches of the wayside trees were aching with blossom.
Gay notes of the flute came floating in the warm spring air from afar.
The citizens had gone to the woods, to the festival of flowers.
From the mid-sky gazed the full moon on the shadows of the silent town.
The young ascetic was walking in the lonely street, while overhead the lovesick koels urged from the mango branches their sleepless plaint.
Upagupta passed through the city gates, and stood at the base of the rampart.
What woman lay in the shadow of the wall at his feet, struck with the black pestilence, her body spotted with sores, hurriedly driven away from the town?
The ascetic sat by her side, taking her head on his knees, and moistened her lips with water and smeared her body with balm.
"Who are you, merciful one?" asked the woman.
"The time, at last, has come to visit you, and I am here," replied the young ascetic.
###(Fruit-Gathering 37)
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