The White Cat of Ecija

From the gates of the palace, situated on a gentle eminence in the vicinity of Ecija, down to the banks of the Genil, the ground was covered with olive-trees; and the wild aloes formed a natural and strong fence around the property of the White Cat of Ecija, whose origin, dating back to the days of Saracenic rule, was unknown to the liberated Spaniard.

エシハの近くのなだらかな丘の上に建つ宮殿の門から、ヘニル川の岸辺まで、地面はオリーブの木で覆われていた。そして野生のアロエが、エシハの白猫の地所のまわりに、自然の丈夫な垣をなしていた。この白猫の素性はサラセン人の支配の時代にさかのぼるもので、解放されたスペイン人には知られていなかった。

There was a great mystery attaching to the palace and its occupants; and although the servants of the White Cat were to all appearances human beings, still, as they were deaf and dumb, and would not, or could not, understand signs, the neighbours had not been able to discover the secret or mystery.

宮殿とそこに住む者たちには大きな謎がつきまとっていた。白猫の召使いたちは見たところ人間だったが、耳が聞こえず口もきけず、身ぶりをわかろうとしない、あるいはわからないので、近所の人々はその秘密、つまり謎を突き止められずにいた。

The palace was a noble building, after the style of the alcazar at Toledo, but not so large; and the garden at the rear was laid out with many small lakes, round which, at short distances, stood beautifully sculptured statues of young men and women, who seemed to be looking sorrowfully into the water. Only the brain and hand of an exceptionally gifted artist could have so approached perfection as to make the statues look as if alive. At night strings of small lamps were hung round the lakes, and from the interior of the palace proceeded strains of sweet, but very sad music.

宮殿は、トレドのアルカサルの様式にならった堂々たる建物だったが、それほど大きくはなかった。裏の庭には小さな池がたくさん設けられ、そのまわりには少しずつ間をおいて、若い男女の美しく刻まれた像が立っていて、悲しげに水をのぞき込んでいるように見えた。像をまるで生きているかのように見せるほど完璧に近づけるには、並外れた才能を持つ芸術家の頭と手でなければできなかっただろう。夜になると、池のまわりに小さなランプが連ねて吊るされ、宮殿のなかからは、甘いけれどたいそう悲しい音楽の調べが流れてきた。

Curiosity had long ceased to trouble the neighbours as to the mysterious White Cat and her household, and, with the exception of crossing themselves when they passed by the grounds, they had given up the affair as incomprehensible.

近所の人々は、謎めいた白猫とその家の者たちのことを気にするのをとうにやめていた。地所のそばを通るときに十字を切るほかは、わけのわからないこととしてあきらめていたのである。

Those, however, who had seen the White Cat, said that she was a beautiful creature; her coat was like velvet, and her eyes were like pearls.

けれども白猫を見たことのある人々は、白猫は美しい生きもので、毛並みはビロードのよう、目は真珠のようだと言った。

One day a knight in armour, and mounted on a coal-black charger, arrived at the principal hostelry in Ecija, and on his shield he bore for his coat of arms a white cat rampant, and, underneath, the device, “Invincible.”

ある日、鎧に身を固め、真っ黒な軍馬にまたがった騎士が、エシハいちばんの宿屋にやって来た。その盾には紋章として後ろ足で立ち上がった白猫が描かれ、その下に「無敵」という銘が記されていた。

Having partaken of some slight repast, he put spurs to his horse and galloped in the direction of the palace of the White Cat; but as he was not seen to return through the town, the people supposed that he had left by some other road.

騎士は軽い食事をとると、馬に拍車を当てて白猫の宮殿のほうへ駆けていった。けれども騎士が町を通って戻ってくるのはだれも見なかったので、人々は騎士がどこかほかの道から去ったのだと思った。

The White Cat was seen next day walking about in the grounds, but she seemed more sorrowful than usual.

次の日、白猫が庭を歩きまわっているのが見えたが、いつもより悲しげな様子だった。

In another month’s time there came another knight fully equipped, and mounted on a grey charger. On his shield he also displayed a white cat, with the device, “I win or die.” He also galloped off to the palace, or alcazar, and was not seen to return; but next day the White Cat was still more sorrowful.

さらにひと月たつと、すっかり武装して灰色の軍馬にまたがった別の騎士がやって来た。その盾にもまた白猫が描かれ、「勝つか死ぬか」という銘があった。この騎士もまた宮殿、つまりアルカサルへ駆けていき、戻ってくるのは見られなかった。そして次の日、白猫はいっそう悲しげだった。

In another month a fresh knight appeared. He was a handsome youth, and his bearing was so manly that a crowd collected. He was fully equipped, but on his shield he displayed a simple red cross. He partook of some food, and then cantered out of the town with his lance at rest. He was seen to approach the palace, and as soon as he thrust open the gate with his lance, a terrific roar was heard, and then a sheet of fire flashed from the palace door, and they saw a horrid dragon, whose long tail, as it lashed the air, produced such a wind that it seemed as if a gale had suddenly sprung up.

さらにひと月たつと、また新しい騎士が現れた。美しい若者で、その物腰があまりに雄々しかったので、人だかりができた。すっかり武装していたが、盾には簡素な赤い十字が描かれているだけだった。騎士は食事をとると、槍を構えて町から軽やかに駆け出していった。騎士が宮殿に近づくのが見えた。そして騎士が槍で門を押し開けたとたん、すさまじい咆哮が聞こえ、宮殿の戸口から炎がひと筋ほとばしった。人々の目に恐ろしい竜が見えた。竜の長い尾が空を打つと、あまりに激しい風が起こったので、にわかに大風が吹き出したかのようだった。

But the gallant knight was not daunted, and eagerly scanned the dragon as if to see where he might strike him.

けれども勇ましい騎士はひるまず、どこを突けばよいか見定めようとするかのように、竜をじっと見すえた。

Suddenly it was seen that the dragon held the White Cat under its talons, so that the Knight of the Cross in charging the dragon had to take care not to strike her. Spurring his horse on, he never pulled up till he had transfixed the dragon with his lance, and, jumping off the saddle, he drew his sword and cut off the monster’s head.

突然、竜が白猫を鉤爪の下に押さえているのが見えた。そのため十字の騎士は、竜に突きかかるとき白猫を突かないよう気をつけねばならなかった。騎士は馬に拍車を当て、槍で竜を刺し貫くまで手綱を引かなかった。そして鞍から飛び降りると、剣を抜いて怪物の首を切り落とした。

No sooner had he done this than he was surrounded by ten enormous serpents, who tried to coil round him; but as fast as they attacked him, he strangled them.

そうするやいなや、騎士は十匹の巨大な蛇に囲まれた。蛇たちは騎士に巻きつこうとしたが、騎士は襲いかかってくるそばから蛇を絞め殺した。

Then the serpents turned into twenty black vultures with fiery beaks, and they tried to pick out his eyes; but with his trusty blade he kept them off, and one by one he killed them all, and then found himself surrounded by forty dark-haired and dark-eyed lovely maidens, who would have thrown their arms around him, but that he, fearing their intentions were evil, kept them off; when, looking on the ground, he saw the White Cat panting, and heard her bid him “strike.”

すると蛇たちは、火のような嘴を持つ二十羽の黒い禿鷲に変わり、騎士の目をつつき出そうとした。けれども騎士は頼みの刃で禿鷲たちを寄せつけず、一羽ずつみな殺してしまった。すると今度は、黒い髪と黒い目をした四十人の愛らしい乙女たちに囲まれていた。乙女たちは騎士に腕を投げかけようとしたが、騎士はその心づもりが悪いものではないかと恐れて寄せつけなかった。そのとき、地面を見ると、白猫があえいでいるのが見え、「斬って」と命じる声が聞こえた。

He waited no longer, but struck at them and cut off their heads, and then saw that the ground was covered with burning coal, which would have scorched the White Cat and killed her, had not the gallant knight raised her in his arms. He then placed her on his shield, and as soon as she touched the cross she was seen to change into a beautiful maiden, and all the statues round the lakes left their positions and approached her.

騎士はもうためらわず、乙女たちに斬りかかって首をはねた。すると地面が燃える炭で覆われているのが見えた。勇ましい騎士が白猫を腕に抱き上げなかったら、炭は白猫を焦がして殺していただろう。それから騎士は白猫を自分の盾の上に載せた。白猫が十字に触れたとたん、美しい乙女に変わるのが見えた。そして池のまわりの像がみな台座を離れて、乙女のほうへ近づいてきた。

As soon as she could recover herself sufficiently to speak, she addressed the knight as follows—

口がきけるほどに気を取り直すとすぐ、乙女は騎士にこう語りかけた——

“Gallant sir, I am Mizpah, only daughter of Mudi Ben Raschid, who was governor of this province for many years under the Moorish king, Almandazar the Superb. My mother was daughter of Alcharan, governor of Mazagan, and she was a good wife and kind mother. But my father discovering that she had forsaken the faith of her fathers, and had embraced the religion of the Cross, so worried her to return to her childhood’s faith that she died broken-hearted. Then he married again, and his second wife, my stepmother, was a very wicked woman. She knew that I was a Christian at heart, and that my lover was also a Christian; so one day, when my father was holding a banquet, she said to him, ‘Mudi Ben Raschid, the crescent of the Holy Prophet is waning in thy family—thy daughter is a renegade!’

「勇ましいお方、わたしはミズパ、ムディ・ベン・ラシッドのひとり娘です。父は、ムーア人の王、壮麗なるアルマンダサルのもとで長年この地方の総督をつとめていました。母はマザガンの総督アルチャランの娘で、よい妻、優しい母でした。けれども父は、母が先祖の信仰を捨てて十字の教えを受け入れたことを知ると、子どものころの信仰に戻れと母をあまりに責め立てたので、母は悲しみのあまり死んでしまいました。それから父は再婚し、二人目の妻、つまりわたしの継母は、たいそう悪い女でした。継母は、わたしが心のなかではキリスト教徒であることも、わたしの恋人もまたキリスト教徒であることも知っていました。そこである日、父が宴を開いているとき、継母は父に言ったのです。『ムディ・ベン・ラシッドよ、聖なる預言者の三日月は、あなたの家で欠けつつあります——あなたの娘は背教者です!』

“Then he was very much annoyed, and exclaimed that he would his palace and his riches were made over to the enemy of mankind and I turned into a cat, than that so great a stain should fall on his family. No sooner had he finished speaking than he fell dead and his wicked wife also, and I was turned into a cat; my lover, Haroun, and all my young friends were turned into stone, and my servants were stricken deaf and dumb. Many a brave knight has been here to try and deliver me; but they all failed, because they only trusted in themselves, and were therefore defeated. But thou, gallant knight, didst trust more on the Cross than on thyself, and thou hast freed me. I am, therefore, the prize of thy good sword; deal with me as thou wilt.”

「すると父はたいそう腹を立てて、これほどの汚点が家に降りかかるくらいなら、宮殿も富も人類の敵にくれてやり、わたしは猫に変わってしまえばいいと叫びました。父が言い終わるやいなや、父は倒れて死に、悪い妻もまた死にました。そしてわたしは猫に変えられ、恋人のハールーンと若い友だちはみな石に変えられ、召使いたちは耳も口もきかなくされたのです。わたしを救い出そうと、たくさんの勇敢な騎士がここへ来ました。けれどもみな失敗しました。自分だけを頼みにしていたので、打ち負かされたのです。けれどもあなたは、勇ましい騎士さま、ご自分よりも十字を頼みにされたので、わたしを自由にしてくださいました。ですからわたしは、あなたのよき剣の褒美です。どうぞお心のままになさってください」

The Knight of the Cross assured her that he came from Compostella, where it was considered a duty to rescue maidens in distress, and that the highest reward coveted was that of doing their duty. He had in various parts of the world been fortunate enough in freeing others, and he had still more work before him. He trusted that the lovely Mizpah might long be spared to Haroun, and, saluting her, he galloped off.

十字の騎士は乙女に、自分はコンポステーラから来た者で、そこでは困っている乙女を救うのは務めとされており、望む最高の褒美は務めを果たすことそのものなのだと請け合った。騎士は世界のあちこちで、運よくほかの者たちを救うことができたが、まだこの先にもっと仕事がある。愛らしいミズパが末長くハールーンのもとにいられるよう願うと言って、騎士は乙女に挨拶し、駆け去っていった。

Then was the wedding held, at which all the people from Ecija attended; and the bridegroom, rising, wished prosperity to the good knight, St. James of Compostella, who had been the means of bringing about so much happiness.

それから婚礼が催され、エシハの人々がみな列席した。花婿は立ち上がって、これほどの幸せをもたらす手立てとなったよき騎士、コンポステーラの聖ヤコブの栄えを祈った。