Ukaleq

Ukaleq, men say, was a strong man. Whenever he heard news of game, even if it were a great bear, he had only to go out after it, and he never failed to kill it.

人の話では、ウカレクは力の強い男だった。獲物の知らせを聞けば、それが大きな熊であっても、あとを追って出かけさえすれば、仕留めそこなうことは決してなかった。

Once the winter came, and the ice grew firm, and then men began to go out hunting bears on the ice. One day there was a big bear. Ukaleq set off in chase, but he soon found that it was not to be easily brought down.

あるとき冬が来て、氷が固くなると、男たちは氷の上へ熊狩りに出かけるようになった。ある日、大きな熊が一頭いた。ウカレクは追いかけて出発したが、まもなく、それがたやすく仕留められる相手ではないとわかった。

The bear sighted Ukaleq, and turned to pursue him. Ukaleq fled, but grew tired at length. Now and again he managed to wound the beast, but was killed himself at last, and at the same time the bear fell down dead.

熊はウカレクを見つけると、向き直ってウカレクを追いかけてきた。ウカレクは逃げたが、とうとう疲れてしまった。ときおり獣に傷を負わせることはできたが、とうとう自分が殺され、それと同時に熊も倒れて死んだ。

Now when his comrades came to look at the bear, its teeth began to whisper, and then they knew that Ukaleq had been killed by a Magic Bear. [7] And as there was no help for it, they took the dead man home with them. And then his mother said:

さて、仲間たちがその熊を見に来ると、熊の歯がささやきはじめたので、みなはウカレクが魔法の熊[7]に殺されたのだとわかった。そしてどうしようもないので、死んだ男を家へ連れて帰った。するとウカレクの母が言った。

"Lay him in the middle of the floor with a skin beneath him." She had kept the dress he had worn as a little child, and now that he was dead, she put it in her carrying bag, and went out with it to the cooking place in the passage. And when she got there, she said:

「床のまんなかに、下に毛皮を敷いて寝かせておくれ。」母はウカレクが小さな子どものころに着ていた服をとっておいたので、息子が死んだ今、それを負い袋に入れ、通路の炊事場へ持っていった。そしてそこに着くと言った。

"For five days I will neither eat nor drink."

「五日のあいだ、わたしは食べも飲みもしない。」

Then she began hushing the dress in the bag as if it were a child, and kept on hushing it until at last it began to move in the bag, and just as it had commenced to move, there came some out from the house and said:

それから母は、袋のなかの服を子どものようにあやしはじめ、あやしにあやし続けていると、とうとう服が袋のなかで動きはじめた。ちょうど動きはじめたところで、家から何人かが出てきて言った。

"Ukaleq is beginning to quiver."

「ウカレクが震えはじめたよ。」

But she kept on hushing and hushing, and at last that which she had in the bag began trying to crawl out. But then there came one from the house and said:

けれども母はあやしにあやし続け、とうとう袋のなかのものが這い出そうとしはじめた。するとそのとき家から一人が出てきて言った。

"Ukaleq has begun to breathe; he is sitting up."

「ウカレクが息をしはじめた。起き上がっているよ。」

Hardly was this said when that which was in the bag sprang out, making the whole house shake. Then they made up a bed for Ukaleq on the side bench, and placed skins under him and made him sit up. And after five days had passed, and that without eating or drinking, he came to himself again, and commenced to go out hunting once more.

そう言うか言わないうちに、袋のなかのものが飛び出して、家じゅうが揺れた。それからみなはウカレクのために脇の寝台に寝床をこしらえ、下に毛皮を敷いて起き上がらせた。そして五日がたつと、それも食べも飲みもせずに五日がたつと、ウカレクはわれに返り、また狩りに出かけるようになった。

Then the winter came, and the winter was there, and the ice was over the sea, and when the ice had formed, they began to make spirit callings. The villages were close together, and all went visiting in other villages.

それから冬が来て、冬になり、海の上に氷が張ると、氷が張ったところで人々は霊を呼ぶ儀式をはじめた。村々は互いに近く、みながほかの村を訪ね合った。

And at last Ukaleq set out with his family to a village near by, where there was to be a big spirit calling. The house where it was to be held was so big that there were three windows in it, and yet it was crowded with folk.

そしてとうとうウカレクは家族を連れて、大きな霊を呼ぶ儀式が開かれることになっている近くの村へ出かけた。儀式の開かれる家はあまりに大きくて窓が三つもあったが、それでも人でぎっしりだった。

In the middle of the spirit calling, there was an old woman who was sitting cross-legged up on the bench, and she turned round towards the others and said:

霊を呼ぶ儀式のさなかに、寝台の上にあぐらをかいて座っていた一人の老婆が、ほかの者たちのほうを振り向いて言った。

"We heard last autumn that Ukaleq had been killed by a Magic Bear." Hardly had she said those words when an old wifeless man turned towards her and said:

「去年の秋、ウカレクが魔法の熊に殺されたと聞いたけれどね。」老婆がそう言うか言わないうちに、妻のいない年寄りの男が老婆のほうを向いて言った。

"Was it by any chance your Magic Bear that killed him?"

「ひょっとして、あいつを殺したのはお前さんの魔法の熊じゃなかったのかい。」

Then the old woman turned towards the others and said:

すると老婆はほかの者たちのほうを向いて言った。

"Mine? Now where could I have kept such a thing?"

「わたしのだって。いったいどこにそんなものを飼っておけるというんだい。」

But after saying that she did not move. She even forgot to breathe, for shame at having been discovered by the wifeless man, and so she died on the spot.

けれどもそう言ったきり、老婆は動かなかった。妻のいない男に見破られた恥ずかしさで、息をすることさえ忘れてしまい、そのままその場で死んでしまった。

After that Ukaleq went home, and never went out hunting bears again.

そのあとウカレクは家に帰り、二度と熊狩りには出かけなかった。

Here ends this story.

この話はこれでおしまい。