The Raven

There was once a queen who had a little daughter, still too young to run alone. One day the child was very troublesome, and the mother could not quiet it, do what she would. She grew impatient, and seeing the ravens flying round the castle, she opened the window, and said: ‘I wish you were a raven and would fly away, then I should have a little peace.’ Scarcely were the words out of her mouth, when the child in her arms was turned into a raven, and flew away from her through the open window. The bird took its flight to a dark wood and remained there for a long time, and meanwhile the parents could hear nothing of their child.

むかしある王妃に、まだ一人で歩けないほど小さな娘があった。ある日、その子がひどくぐずって、母はどうしてもなだめられなかった。母はじれてきて、城のまわりを飛んでいる大鴉を見ると、窓を開けてこう言った。「おまえが大鴉になって飛んで行ってくれればいいのに。そうすれば少しは静かになるのに。」その言葉が口を出るか出ないかのうちに、腕の中の子は大鴉に変わり、開いた窓から飛び去ってしまった。鳥は暗い森へ飛んで行き、長いあいだそこにとどまった。そのあいだ、親たちは子の消息を何ひとつ聞くことができなかった。

Long after this, a man was making his way through the wood when he heard a raven calling, and he followed the sound of the voice. As he drew near, the raven said, ‘I am by birth a king’s daughter, but am now under the spell of some enchantment; you can, however, set me free.’ ‘What am I to do?’ he asked. She replied, ‘Go farther into the wood until you come to a house, wherein lives an old woman; she will offer you food and drink, but you must not take of either; if you do, you will fall into a deep sleep, and will not be able to help me. In the garden behind the house is a large tan-heap, and on that you must stand and watch for me. I shall drive there in my carriage at two o’clock in the afternoon for three successive days; the first day it will be drawn by four white, the second by four chestnut, and the last by four black horses; but if you fail to keep awake and I find you sleeping, I shall not be set free.’

それから長い時が経って、一人の男が森を抜けて行くと、大鴉の鳴く声が聞こえたので、その声をたどって行った。近づくと、大鴉は言った。「わたしは生まれは王の娘ですが、いまは何かの魔法にかけられています。けれどもあなたなら、わたしを自由にしてくださることができます。」「何をすればよいのです?」と男は尋ねた。大鴉は答えた。「森をもっと奥へ進んで、一軒の家に着いてください。そこには老婆が住んでいて、食べ物と飲み物を勧めますが、どちらも口にしてはなりません。口にすれば深い眠りに落ちて、わたしを助けられなくなります。家の裏の庭には大きな樹皮くずの山があります。その上に立って、わたしを待っていてください。わたしは三日続けて、午後二時に馬車でそこへ参ります。一日めは白い馬四頭、二日めは栗毛の馬四頭、最後の日は黒い馬四頭に引かせて来ます。けれども目を覚ましていられずに、眠っているところを見つけてしまえば、わたしは自由になれません。」

The man promised to do all that she wished, but the raven said, ‘Alas! I know even now that you will take something from the woman and be unable to save me.’ The man assured her again that he would on no account touch a thing to eat or drink.

男は望み通りにすると約束したが、大鴉は言った。「ああ! いまからもう分かっています。あなたはあの女から何かを受け取って、わたしを救えなくなるでしょう。」男はもう一度、食べ物にも飲み物にも決して手をつけないと請け合った。

When he came to the house and went inside, the old woman met him, and said, ‘Poor man! how tired you are! Come in and rest and let me give you something to eat and drink.’

男が家に着いて中へ入ると、老婆が出迎えて言った。「まあ気の毒に! どんなにお疲れでしょう! お入りになって休んで、何か食べるものと飲むものを差し上げましょう。」

‘No,’ answered the man, ‘I will neither eat not drink.’

「いいえ」と男は答えた。「わたしは食べも飲みもしません。」

But she would not leave him alone, and urged him saying, ‘If you will not eat anything, at least you might take a draught of wine; one drink counts for nothing,’ and at last he allowed himself to be persuaded, and drank.

けれども老婆は男を放っておかず、しきりに勧めて言った。「何も召し上がらないのなら、せめて葡萄酒を一口いかが。一口くらい何でもありませんよ。」そしてとうとう男は説き伏せられて、飲んでしまった。

As it drew towards the appointed hour, he went outside into the garden and mounted the tan-heap to await the raven. Suddenly a feeling of fatigue came over him, and unable to resist it, he lay down for a little while, fully determined, however, to keep awake; but in another minute his eyes closed of their own accord, and he fell into such a deep sleep, that all the noises in the world would not have awakened him. At two o’clock the raven came driving along, drawn by her four white horses; but even before she reached the spot, she said to herself, sighing, ‘I know he has fallen asleep.’ When she entered the garden, there she found him as she had feared, lying on the tan-heap, fast asleep. She got out of her carriage and went to him; she called him and shook him, but it was all in vain, he still continued sleeping.

約束の時刻が近づくと、男は庭へ出て樹皮くずの山に登り、大鴉を待った。すると突然疲れが襲って来て、こらえきれず、しばらく横になった。それでも目は覚ましているつもりでいた。けれども次の瞬間にはひとりでに目が閉じ、世界じゅうのどんな物音でも起こせないほど深い眠りに落ちてしまった。二時に大鴉が白い馬四頭に引かせてやって来た。けれどもその場所に着く前から、ため息をついて独り言を言った。「あの人は眠ってしまったのだわ。」庭に入ってみると、案の定、男は樹皮くずの山に横たわってぐっすり眠っていた。姫は馬車を降りて男のところへ行き、呼び、揺すったが、すべて無駄で、男は眠り続けた。

The next day at noon, the old woman came to him again with food and drink which he at first refused. At last, overcome by her persistent entreaties that he would take something, he lifted the glass and drank again.

あくる日の昼、老婆はまた食べ物と飲み物を持って来て、男は初めそれを断った。けれどもしきりに何か取れと勧められるのについに負け、杯を上げてまた飲んでしまった。

Towards two o’clock he went into the garden and on to the tan-heap to watch for the raven. He had not been there long before he began to feel so tired that his limbs seemed hardly able to support him, and he could not stand upright any longer; so again he lay down and fell fast asleep. As the raven drove along her four chestnut horses, she said sorrowfully to herself, ‘I know he has fallen asleep.’ She went as before to look for him, but he slept, and it was impossible to awaken him.

二時ごろ、男は庭へ出て樹皮くずの山に登り、大鴉を待った。ところがそこにいていくらもたたぬうちに、手足が体を支えきれないほど疲れてきて、もう立っていられなくなった。そこでまた横になり、ぐっすり眠り込んだ。大鴉は栗毛の馬四頭を駆って来ながら、悲しげに独り言を言った。「あの人は眠ってしまったのだわ。」姫は前と同じように男を探したが、男は眠っていて、どうしても起こせなかった。

The following day the old woman said to him, ‘What is this? You are not eating or drinking anything, do you want to kill yourself?’

その次の日、老婆は男に言った。「これはどうしたことです? 食べも飲みもしないで、死ぬおつもりですか?」

He answered, ‘I may not and will not either eat or drink.’

男は答えた。「食べることも飲むこともできませんし、するつもりもありません。」

But she put down the dish of food and the glass of wine in front of him, and when he smelt the wine, he was unable to resist the temptation, and took a deep draught.

けれども老婆は料理の皿と葡萄酒の杯を目の前に置いた。そして葡萄酒の香りをかぐと、男は誘惑に抗えず、深々と飲んでしまった。

When the hour came round again he went as usual on to the tan-heap in the garden to await the king’s daughter, but he felt even more overcome with weariness than on the two previous days, and throwing himself down, he slept like a log. At two o’clock the raven could be seen approaching, and this time her coachman and everything about her, as well as her horses, were black.

また時刻が来ると、男はいつものように庭の樹皮くずの山へ行って王の姫を待った。けれども前の二日よりもさらに強い眠気に襲われ、身を投げ出して丸太のように眠り込んだ。二時に大鴉が近づいて来るのが見えたが、今度は御者も、身のまわりのものも、馬もみな黒かった。

She was sadder than ever as she drove along, and said mournfully, ‘I know he has fallen asleep, and will not be able to set me free.’ She found him sleeping heavily, and all her efforts to awaken him were of no avail. Then she placed beside him a loaf, and some meat, and a flask of wine, of such a kind, that however much he took of them, they would never grow less. After that she drew a gold ring, on which her name was engraved, off her finger, and put it upon one of his. Finally, she laid a letter near him, in which, after giving him particulars of the food and drink she had left for him, she finished with the following words: ‘I see that as long as you remain here you will never be able to set me free; if, however, you still wish to do so, come to the golden castle of Stromberg; this is well within your power to accomplish.’ She then returned to her carriage and drove to the golden castle of Stromberg.

姫は馬車を進めながらいつにも増して悲しげで、嘆いて言った。「あの人は眠ってしまった。もうわたしを自由にはできない。」姫は男が深く眠っているのを見つけ、起こそうとあらゆる手を尽くしたが、どれも効かなかった。そこで姫は男のかたわらに、パンと肉と葡萄酒の瓶を置いた。それはどれほど取っても決して減らない種類のものだった。それから自分の名を彫った金の指輪を指から抜いて、男の指にはめた。最後に、手紙を一通そばに置いた。その手紙には、置いて行く食べ物と飲み物のことを詳しく書いたあとに、こう結んであった。「あなたがここにとどまっているかぎり、わたしを自由にすることは決してできないと分かりました。それでもそうしたいと思われるなら、シュトロムベルクの黄金の城へおいでください。それはあなたの力でじゅうぶん果たせることです。」そして姫は馬車に戻り、シュトロムベルクの黄金の城へ帰って行った。

When the man awoke and found that he had been sleeping, he was grieved at heart, and said, ‘She has no doubt been here and driven away again, and it is now too late for me to save her.’ Then his eyes fell on the things which were lying beside him; he read the letter, and knew from it all that had happened. He rose up without delay, eager to start on his way and to reach the castle of Stromberg, but he had no idea in which direction he ought to go. He travelled about a long time in search of it and came at last to a dark forest, through which he went on walking for fourteen days and still could not find a way out. Once more the night came on, and worn out he lay down under a bush and fell asleep. Again the next day he pursued his way through the forest, and that evening, thinking to rest again, he lay down as before, but he heard such a howling and wailing that he found it impossible to sleep. He waited till it was darker and people had begun to light up their houses, and then seeing a little glimmer ahead of him, he went towards it.

男は目を覚まして、自分が眠ってしまったと知ると、心から嘆いて言った。「きっとあの人はここに来て、また行ってしまったのだ。もう助けるには遅すぎる。」それからかたわらに置かれたものに目を留め、手紙を読んで、何が起こったかをすっかり知った。男はすぐさま立ち上がり、旅立ってシュトロムベルクの城へたどり着きたいと逸ったが、どちらへ行けばよいのか見当もつかなかった。長いあいだ探し回ったあげく、とうとう暗い森に来て、そこを十四日間歩き続けたが、それでも出口が見つからなかった。また夜が来て、疲れ果てた男は茂みの下に横になって眠った。あくる日もまた森を進み、その晩もまた休もうと前のように横になったが、あまりに恐ろしい遠吠えや嘆き声が聞こえて、眠ることができなかった。男はもっと暗くなって人々が家に灯をともし始めるまで待ち、それから前方に小さなきらめきを見つけて、そちらへ向かった。

He found that the light came from a house which looked smaller than it really was, from the contrast of its height with that of an immense giant who stood in front of it. He thought to himself, ‘If the giant sees me going in, my life will not be worth much.’ However, after a while he summoned up courage and went forward. When the giant saw him, he called out, ‘It is lucky for that you have come, for I have not had anything to eat for a long time. I can have you now for my supper.’ ‘I would rather you let that alone,’ said the man, ‘for I do not willingly give myself up to be eaten; if you are wanting food I have enough to satisfy your hunger.’ ‘If that is so,’ replied the giant, ‘I will leave you in peace; I only thought of eating you because I had nothing else.’

行ってみると、灯りは一軒の家から来ていた。その家は実際より小さく見えたが、それは前に立っている途方もない大男の背丈と見比べたせいだった。男は心の中で思った。「入るところをあの大男に見られたら、わたしの命は長くあるまい。」それでもしばらくして勇気を奮い起こし、進み出た。大男は男を見るとこう叫んだ。「来てくれて運がよかった。長いこと何も食っていないのだ。おまえを夕飯にできるぞ。」「それはやめてもらいたい」と男は言った。「食われるために進んで身を差し出す気はない。食べ物がほしいのなら、あなたの腹を満たせるだけのものを持っている。」「それならば」と大男は答えた。「おまえには手を出すまい。ほかに何もなかったから食おうと思っただけだ。」

So they went indoors together and sat down, and the man brought out the bread, meat, and wine, which although he had eaten and drunk of them, were still unconsumed. The giant was pleased with the good cheer, and ate and drank to his heart’s content. When he had finished his supper the man asked him if he could direct him to the castle of Stromberg. The giant said, ‘I will look on my map; on it are marked all the towns, villages, and houses.’ So he fetched his map, and looked for the castle, but could not find it. ‘Never mind,’ he said, ‘I have larger maps upstairs in the cupboard, we will look on those,’ but they searched in vain, for the castle was not marked even on these. The man now thought he should like to continue his journey, but the giant begged him to remain for a day or two longer until the return of his brother, who was away in search of provisions. When the brother came home, they asked him about the castle of Stromberg, and he told them he would look on his own maps as soon as he had eaten and appeased his hunger. Accordingly, when he had finished his supper, they all went up together to his room and looked through his maps, but the castle was not to be found. Then he fetched other older maps, and they went on looking for the castle until at last they found it, but it was many thousand miles away. ‘How shall I be able to get there?’ asked the man. ‘I have two hours to spare,’ said the giant, ‘and I will carry you into the neighbourhood of the castle; I must then return to look after the child who is in our care.’

そこで二人は一緒に中へ入って座り、男はパンと肉と葡萄酒を取り出した。それは食べても飲んでも、なくならないままだった。大男はこのご馳走を喜び、心ゆくまで食べて飲んだ。夕飯を食べ終えると、男はシュトロムベルクの城へ行く道を教えてもらえないかと尋ねた。大男は言った。「おれの地図を見てみよう。町も村も家も、みな載っているのだ。」そこで地図を持って来て城を探したが、見つからなかった。「かまわん」と大男は言った。「二階の戸棚にもっと大きな地図がある。それを見よう。」けれども探しても無駄で、城はそれにも載っていなかった。男はもう旅を続けようかと思ったが、大男は、食べ物を探しに出ている弟が帰るまで、もう一日二日とどまってくれと頼んだ。弟が帰って来ると、二人はシュトロムベルクの城のことを尋ね、弟は、食べて腹を満たしたらすぐ自分の地図を見てみようと言った。そして夕飯を終えると、三人そろって弟の部屋へ上がり、その地図を調べたが、城は見つからなかった。そこで弟はもっと古い地図を持って来て、三人はさらに城を探し、とうとう見つけた。けれどもそれは何千マイルも先だった。「どうすればそこへ行けるだろう?」と男は尋ねた。「二時間なら空いている」と大男は言った。「城の近くまで運んでやろう。そのあとは、預かっている子の世話に戻らねばならん。」

The giant, thereupon, carried the man to within about a hundred leagues of the castle, where he left him, saying, ‘You will be able to walk the remainder of the way yourself.’ The man journeyed on day and night till he reached the golden castle of Stromberg. He found it situated, however, on a glass mountain, and looking up from the foot he saw the enchanted maiden drive round her castle and then go inside. He was overjoyed to see her, and longed to get to the top of the mountain, but the sides were so slippery that every time he attempted to climb he fell back again. When he saw that it was impossible to reach her, he was greatly grieved, and said to himself, ‘I will remain here and wait for her,’ so he built himself a little hut, and there he sat and watched for a whole year, and every day he saw the king’s daughter driving round her castle, but still was unable to get nearer to her.

そこで大男は男を城から百リーグほどのところまで運び、そこで別れてこう言った。「残りの道は自分で歩けるだろう。」男は昼も夜も旅して、とうとうシュトロムベルクの黄金の城に着いた。ところが城は硝子の山の上にあって、麓から見上げると、魔法にかけられた姫が城のまわりを馬車で回り、それから中へ入って行くのが見えた。男は姫を見て大喜びし、山の頂へ行きたくてたまらなかった。けれども山の斜面はあまりに滑らかで、登ろうとするたびに滑り落ちた。姫のもとへ行けないと分かると男はたいそう嘆き、心の中で言った。「ここにとどまって、あの人を待とう。」そこで小さな小屋を建て、そこに座って丸一年見張った。そして毎日、王の姫が城のまわりを馬車で回るのを見たが、それでも近づくことはできなかった。

Looking out from his hut one day he saw three robbers fighting and he called out to them, ‘God be with you.’ They stopped when they heard the call, but looking round and seeing nobody, they went on again with their fighting, which now became more furious. ‘God be with you,’ he cried again, and again they paused and looked about, but seeing no one went back to their fighting. A third time he called out, ‘God be with you,’ and then thinking he should like to know the cause of dispute between the three men, he went out and asked them why they were fighting so angrily with one another. One of them said that he had found a stick, and that he had but to strike it against any door through which he wished to pass, and it immediately flew open. Another told him that he had found a cloak which rendered its wearer invisible; and the third had caught a horse which would carry its rider over any obstacle, and even up the glass mountain. They had been unable to decide whether they would keep together and have the things in common, or whether they would separate. On hearing this, the man said, ‘I will give you something in exchange for those three things; not money, for that I have not got, but something that is of far more value. I must first, however, prove whether all you have told me about your three things is true.’ The robbers, therefore, made him get on the horse, and handed him the stick and the cloak, and when he had put this round him he was no longer visible. Then he fell upon them with the stick and beat them one after another, crying, ‘There, you idle vagabonds, you have got what you deserve; are you satisfied now!’

ある日、小屋から外を見ていると、三人の盗賊が争っているのが見えた。そこで男は呼びかけた。「神があなたがたとともにありますように。」盗賊たちはその声を聞いて止まったが、あたりを見回しても誰もいないので、また争いに戻り、それはいっそう激しくなった。「神があなたがたとともにありますように」と男はまた叫び、彼らはまた手を止めてあたりを見回したが、誰も見えないので争いに戻った。三度めに男は「神があなたがたとともにありますように」と叫び、それから三人の争いのわけを知りたくなって、外へ出て、なぜそんなに怒って争っているのかと尋ねた。一人が言うには、自分は杖を見つけた、それで通りたい戸を叩けば、たちまち開くのだという。もう一人は、着れば姿が見えなくなる外套を見つけたと言った。そして三人めは、乗り手をどんな障りも越えて運び、あの硝子の山さえ登る馬を捕まえたと言った。三人はこのまま一緒にいて品物を共有するか、それとも別れるかを決めかねていたのである。それを聞いて男は言った。「その三つと引き換えに、わたしが何かを差し上げよう。金ではない、それは持っていないのでな。だがずっと値打ちのあるものだ。ただしまず、三つの品についてあなたがたが言ったことが本当かどうか確かめねばならない。」そこで盗賊たちは男を馬に乗せ、杖と外套を渡した。そして男がそれを身にまとうと、もう姿は見えなくなった。そこで男は杖で三人に襲いかかり、次々に打ちすえて叫んだ。「それ、この怠け者の宿無しども、当然の報いだ。これで満足か!」

After this he rode up the glass mountain. When he reached the gate of the castle, he found it closed, but he gave it a blow with his stick, and it flew wide open at once and he passed through. He mounted the steps and entered the room where the maiden was sitting, with a golden goblet full of wine in front of her. She could not see him for he still wore his cloak. He took the ring which she had given him off his finger, and threw it into the goblet, so that it rang as it touched the bottom. ‘That is my own ring,’ she exclaimed, ‘and if that is so the man must also be here who is coming to set me free.’

そのあと男は硝子の山を駆け上がった。城の門まで来ると閉まっていたが、杖で一打ちすると、たちまち大きく開いて中へ入れた。男は階段を上り、姫が座っている部屋へ入った。姫の前には葡萄酒でいっぱいの黄金の杯があった。男はまだ外套をまとっていたので、姫には見えなかった。男は姫からもらった指輪を指から抜き、杯に投げ入れた。指輪は底に触れて音を立てた。「これはわたしの指輪だわ」と姫は叫んだ。「それならば、わたしを自由にしに来てくださる方も、ここにいらっしゃるに違いない。」

She sought for him about the castle, but could find him nowhere. Meanwhile he had gone outside again and mounted his horse and thrown off the cloak. When therefore she came to the castle gate she saw him, and cried aloud for joy. Then he dismounted and took her in his arms; and she kissed him, and said, ‘Now you have indeed set me free, and tomorrow we will celebrate our marriage.’

姫は城じゅうを探し回ったが、どこにも見つからなかった。そのあいだに男はまた外へ出て馬にまたがり、外套を脱ぎ捨てていた。それで姫が城の門まで来ると男の姿が見え、姫は喜びのあまり声を上げた。そこで男は馬を降りて姫を腕に抱き、姫は男に口づけして言った。「あなたは本当にわたしを自由にしてくださいました。明日、二人の婚礼を挙げましょう。」