Isigâligârssik

Isigâligârssik was a wifeless man, and he was very strong. One of the other men in his village was a wizard.

イシガーリガールシクは妻のいない男で、たいそう力が強かった。村のほかの男の一人は魔法使いだった。

Isigâligârssik was taken to live in a house with many brothers, and they were very fond of him.

イシガーリガールシクは大勢の兄弟のいる家に引き取られて一緒に暮らしていて、兄弟たちはイシガーリガールシクをたいそう好いていた。

When the wizard was about to call upon his spirits, it was his custom to call in through the window: "Only the married men may come and hear." And when they who were to hear the spirit calling went out, a little widow and her daughter and Isigâligârssik always stayed behind together in the house. Once, when all had gone out to hear the wizard, as was their custom, these three were thus left alone together. Isigâligârssik sat by the little lamp on the side bench, at work.

魔法使いは霊を呼ぼうとするとき、窓からなかへ「妻のある男だけが聞きに来てよい」と呼びかけるのが習いだった。そして霊を呼ぶ儀式を聞く者たちが出かけていくと、小さな未亡人とその娘とイシガーリガールシクは、いつも一緒に家に残っていた。あるとき、いつものようにみなが魔法使いの儀式を聞きに出かけて、この三人がこうして一緒に残された。イシガーリガールシクは脇の寝台の小さなランプのそばに座って仕事をしていた。

Suddenly he heard the widow's daughter saying something in her mother's ear, and then her mother turned towards him and said:

突然、未亡人の娘が母親の耳に何か言うのが聞こえた。すると母親がイシガーリガールシクのほうを向いて言った。

"This little girl would like to have you."

「この子があなたと一緒になりたいのですって。」

Isigâligârssik would also like to have her, and before the others of the house had come back, they were man and wife. Thus when the others of the house had finished and came back, Isigâligârssik had found a wife, and his house-fellows were very glad of this.

イシガーリガールシクもその娘と一緒になりたかったので、家のほかの者たちが帰ってくる前に、二人は夫婦になった。こうして家のほかの者たちが儀式を終えて帰ってくると、イシガーリガールシクには妻ができていて、家の仲間たちはこれをたいそう喜んだ。

Next day, as soon as it was dark, one called, as was the custom: "Let only those who have wives come and hear." And Isigâligârssik, who had before had no wife, felt now a great desire to go and hear this. But as soon as he had come in, the great wizard said to Isigâligârssik's wife:

次の日、暗くなるとすぐ、いつものように誰かが呼んだ。「妻のある者だけが聞きに来い。」そしてそれまで妻のなかったイシガーリガールシクは、今度こそ聞きに行きたくてたまらなくなった。ところがイシガーリガールシクが入るやいなや、大魔法使いがイシガーリガールシクの妻に言った。

"Come here; here."

「こっちへ来い。ここへ。」

When she had sat down, he told her to take off her shoes, and then he put them up on the drying frame. Then they made a spirit calling, and when that was ended, the wizard said to Isigâligârssik:

妻が座ると、魔法使いは靴を脱げと言い、それを干し枠の上に載せた。それからみなは霊を呼ぶ儀式を行い、それが終わると、魔法使いはイシガーリガールシクに言った。

"Go away now; you will never have this dear little wife of yours again."

「もう帰れ。お前のこのかわいい妻は二度とお前のものにはならぬ。」

And then Isigâligârssik had to go home without a wife. And Isigâligârssik had to live without a wife. And every time there was a spirit calling, and he went in, the wizard would say:

そこでイシガーリガールシクは妻を連れずに家に帰るほかなかった。そしてイシガーリガールシクは妻なしで暮らすほかなかった。そして霊を呼ぶ儀式があるたびにイシガーリガールシクが入っていくと、魔法使いはこう言った。

"Ho, what are you doing here, you who have no wife?"

「ほう、妻もいないお前がここで何をしている。」

But now anger grew up slowly in him at this, and once when he came home, he said:

ところがこれにイシガーリガールシクのなかでゆっくりと怒りが育ってきて、あるとき家に帰ると言った。

"That wizard in there has mocked me well, but next time he asks me, I shall know what to answer."

「あそこの魔法使いはさんざんわたしをあざけったが、今度聞かれたら、何と答えればいいかわかっている。」

But the others of the village warned him, and said:

けれども村のほかの者たちは忠告して言った。

"No, no; you must not answer him. For if you answer him, then he will kill you."

「だめだ、だめだ。あいつに言い返してはいけない。言い返したら、あいつはお前を殺すぞ。」

But one evening when the bad wizard mocked him as usual Isigâligârssik said:

けれどもある晩、悪い魔法使いがいつものようにあざけると、イシガーリガールシクは言った。

"Ho, and what of you who took my wife away?"

「ほう、ではわたしの妻を奪ったお前はどうなのだ。」

Now the wizard stood up at once, and when Isigâligârssik bent down towards the entrance to creep out, the wizard took a knife, and stabbed him with a great wound.

すると魔法使いはすぐさま立ち上がり、イシガーリガールシクが這って出ようと入口のほうへかがむと、小刀を取って大きな傷を負わせた。

Isigâligârssik ran quickly home to his house, and said to his wife's mother:

イシガーリガールシクは急いで自分の家へ駆け戻り、妻の母親に言った。

"Go quickly now and take the dress I wore when I was little. [4] It is in the chest there."

「急いで、わたしが小さいころに着ていた服[4]を出してください。そこの長持に入っています。」

And when she took it out, it was so small that it did not look like a dress at all, but it was very pretty. And he ordered her then to dip it in the water bucket. When it was wet, he was able to put it on, and when the lacing thong at the bottom touched the wound, it was healed.

そして母親が取り出してみると、それはあまりに小さくて服にはとても見えなかったが、たいそうかわいらしかった。それからイシガーリガールシクは、それを水桶に浸すよう言いつけた。濡れるとイシガーリガールシクはそれを着ることができ、裾の締め紐が傷に触れると、傷は治った。

Now when his house-fellows came out after the spirit-calling they thought to find him lying dead outside the entrance. They followed the blood spoor, and at last he had gone into the house. When they came in, he had not a single wound, and all were very glad for that he was healed again. And now he said:

さて、家の仲間たちは霊を呼ぶ儀式が終わって出てくると、イシガーリガールシクが入口の外に倒れて死んでいるだろうと思った。みなが血の跡をたどっていくと、とうとうイシガーリガールシクは家に入っていた。みなが入ってみると、イシガーリガールシクには傷ひとつなく、みなまた治ったことをたいそう喜んだ。そしてイシガーリガールシクは言った。

"To-morrow I will go bow-shooting with him."

「明日、あいつと弓の射比べをする。」

Then they slept, and awakened, and Isigâligârssik opened his little chest and searched it, and took out a bow that was so small it could hardly be seen in his hands. He strung that bow, and went out, and said:

それからみなは眠って目を覚まし、イシガーリガールシクは小さな長持を開けて探し、手のなかでほとんど見えないほど小さな弓を取り出した。イシガーリガールシクはその弓に弦を張って外へ出て、言った。

"Come out now and see." Then they went out, and he went down to the wizard's house, and called through the window:

「さあ、出てきて見ていてくれ。」そこでみなが出ていくと、イシガーリガールシクは魔法使いの家へ下りていって、窓から呼びかけた。

"Big man in there; come out now and let us shoot with the bow!" And when he had said this, he went and stood by a little river. When he turned to look round, the wizard was already by the passage of his house, aiming with his bow.

「なかの大男、さあ出てきて弓の射比べをしよう!」そしてそう言うと、小さな川のそばへ行って立った。振り向いて見ると、魔法使いはもう自分の家の通路のところで弓をかまえていた。

He said: "Come here." And then Isigâligârssik drew up spittle in his mouth and spat straight down beside his feet.

魔法使いは言った。「こっちへ来い。」するとイシガーリガールシクは口につばをためて、自分の足もとにまっすぐ吐いた。

"Come here," he said then, to the great wizard. Then he went over to him, and came nearer and nearer, and stopped just before him. Now the wizard aimed with his bow towards him, and when he did this, the house-fellows cried to Isigâligârssik: "Make yourself small!" And he made himself so small that only his head could be seen moving backwards and forwards. The wizard shot and missed. And a second time he shot and missed.

「こっちへ来い」と今度はイシガーリガールシクが大魔法使いに言った。すると魔法使いはそのほうへやって来て、どんどん近づき、すぐ目の前で止まった。そこで魔法使いはイシガーリガールシクに向けて弓をかまえた。魔法使いがそうすると、家の仲間たちがイシガーリガールシクに叫んだ。「体を小さくしろ!」するとイシガーリガールシクはあまりに小さくなったので、頭が前へうしろへ動いているのしか見えなかった。魔法使いは射て、はずした。そして二度目も射て、はずした。

Then Isigâligârssik stood up, and took the arrow, and broke it across and said:

するとイシガーリガールシクは立ち上がって、その矢を取ってへし折って言った。

"Go home; you cannot hit." And then the wizard went off, turning many times to look round. At last, when he bent down to get into his house through the passage way, Isigâligârssik aimed and shot at him. And they heard only the sound of his fall. The arrow was very little, and yet for all that it sent him all doubled up through the entrance, so that he fell down in the passage.

「帰れ。お前には当てられない。」すると魔法使いは何度も何度も振り返りながら去っていった。とうとう魔法使いが通路から家に入ろうとかがんだとき、イシガーリガールシクはねらいを定めて射た。すると倒れる音だけが聞こえた。矢はたいそう小さかったのに、それでも魔法使いを体を折り曲げたまま入口の奥へ吹っ飛ばし、魔法使いは通路に倒れた。

In this way Isigâligârssik won his wife again, and he lived with her afterwards until death.

こうしてイシガーリガールシクは妻を取り戻し、それから死ぬまで妻と一緒に暮らした。