(582) Ubazakura by Lafcadio Hearn [読解]
Ubazakura by Lafcadio Hearn |
Translation with the help of DeepL |
Three hundred years ago, in the village called Asamimura, in the district called Onsengōri, in the province of Iyō, there lived a good man named Tokubei. This Tokubei was the richest person in the district, and the muraosa, or headman, of the village. In most matters he was fortunate; but he reached the age of forty without knowing the happiness of becoming a father. Therefore he and his wife, in the affliction1) of their childlessness, addressed2) many prayers to the divinity3) Fudō Myō Ō, who had a famous temple, called Saihōji, in Asamimura. At last their prayers were heard4): the wife of Tokubei gave birth to5) a daughter. The child was very pretty; and she received the name of Tsuyu. As the mother’s milk was deficient6), a milk-nurse7), called O-Sodé, was hired for the little one. O-Tsuyu grew up to be a very beautiful girl; but at the age of fifteen she fell sick, and the doctors thought that she was going to die. In that time the nurse O-Sodé, who loved O-Tsuyu with a real mother’s love, went to the temple Saihōji, and fervently8) prayed to Fudō-Sama on behalf of the girl. Every day, for twenty-one days, she went to the temple and prayed; and at the end of that time, O-Tsuyu suddenly and completely recovered. Then there was great rejoicing9) in the house of Tokubei; and he gave a feast to all his friends in celebration of the happy event. But on the night of the feast the nurse O-Sodé was suddenly taken ill10); and on the following morning, the doctor, who had been summoned11) to attend12) her, announced that she was dying. Then the family, in great sorrow, gathered about13) her bed, to bid14) her farewell. But she said to them:— “It is time that I should tell you something which you do not know. My prayer has been heard. I besought15) Fudō-Sama that I might be permitted to die in the place of O-Tsuyu; and this great favor has been granted16) me. Therefore you must not grieve about my death... But I have one request to make. I promised Fudō-Sama that I would have a cherry-tree planted in the garden of Saihōji, for a thank-offering17) and a commemoration18). Now I shall not be able myself to plant the tree there: so I must beg that you will fulfill that vow19) for me... Good-bye, dear friends; and remember that I was happy to die for O-Tsuyu’s sake.” After the funeral of O-Sodé, a young cherry-tree,—the finest that could be found,—was planted in the garden of Saihōji by the parents of O-Tsuyu. The tree grew and flourished20); and on the sixteenth day of the second month of the following year,—the anniversary of O-Sodé’s death,—it blossomed in a wonderful way. So it continued to blossom for two hundred and fifty-four years,—always upon the sixteenth day of the second month;—and its flowers, pink and white, were like the nipples of a woman’s breasts, bedewed21) with milk. And the people called it Ubazakura, the Cherry-tree of the Milk-Nurse. |
今から300年前、伊予の国の温泉郷にある浅見村という村に、徳兵衛という善人が住んでいた。この徳兵衛は、この地方で最も裕福な人で、村の村長(庄屋)であった。ほとんどのことで、恵まれていた、しかし、父になる幸せを知らずに40歳を迎えてしまった。そのため、浅見村に西方寺という名刹(めいせつ)の不動明王に、夫婦で子宝に恵まれない苦悩1)を訴え、祈願を重ねた。
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1) affliction: 苦痛、苦悩
2) address: 捧げる
3) divinity: 神、超人的な力
4) prayers were heard: 祈りが届いた
5) gave birth to: 子を産む
6) deficient: 不足した、欠けている
7) milk-nurse: 乳母
8) fervently: 熱烈に
9) rejoicing: 喜び、歓喜
10) was suddenly taken ill
11) summon: 呼びつける、・・・するように命じる
12) attend: 看護する、診療する。
13) gather about: [・・・の周りに]集まる
14) bid: <あいさつなど>を<人>に述べる、言う
15) besought: beseech ・・・を嘆願する、懇願する。
16) grant: 承諾 [許可]する
17) thank-offering: (神への)感謝の捧げ物
18) commemoration: 記念物
19) vow: (神に対しての)誓い、誓約
20) flourish: <植物が>繁茂する
21) bedew: ・・・をぬらす
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