The man who avenged the widows

This was in the old days, in those times when men were yet skilful rowers in kayaks. You know that there once came a great sickness which carried off all the older men, and the young men who were left alive did not know how to build kayaks, and thus it came about that the manner of hunting in kayaks was long forgotten.

これは昔、人がまだカヤックを巧みに漕いでいた時代のことである。ご存じのように、あるとき大きな病がやって来て年長の男たちをみな連れ去り、生き残った若い男たちはカヤックのこしらえ方を知らなかった。それでカヤックで狩りをするやり方は長いあいだ忘れられていたのである。

But our forefathers were so skilful, that they would cross seas which we no longer dare to venture over. The weather also was in those times less violent than now; the winds came less suddenly, and it is said that the sea was never so rough.

けれどもわたしたちの祖先はたいそう腕がよく、わたしたちがもう渡る勇気のない海を渡っていった。それにそのころは天気も今ほど荒れず、風も今ほど急には吹かず、海がこれほど荒れることはなかったという。

In those times, there lived a man at Kangârssuk whose name was Angusinãnguaq, and he had a very beautiful wife, wherefore all men envied him. And one day, when they were setting out to hunt eider duck on the islands, the other men took counsel, and agreed to leave Angusinãnguaq behind on a little lonely island there.

そのころ、カンガールスクにアングシナーングアクという名の男が住んでいて、たいそう美しい妻がいたので、男はみなアングシナーングアクを妬んでいた。そしてある日、みなが島々へケワタガモ狩りに出かけようとしていたとき、ほかの男たちは相談して、アングシナーングアクをそこの寂しい小さな島に置き去りにしようと決めた。

And so they sailed out to those islands, which lie far out at sea, and there they caught eider duck in snares, and gathered eggs, and were soon ready to turn homeward again. Then they pushed out from the land, without waiting for Angusinãnguaq, who was up looking to his snares, and they took his kayak in tow, that he might never more be able to leave that island.

そこで男たちは沖遠くにある島々へ舟を出し、そこでケワタガモを罠でとらえ、卵を集めて、まもなくまた帰る支度が整った。それから男たちは、罠を見に上っていたアングシナーングアクを待たずに岸から舟を押し出し、アングシナーングアクがもう二度とその島を離れられないように、そのカヤックを引いていった。

And now they hastened over towards the mainland. And the way was long.

そして男たちは急いで本土へ向かった。道のりは長かった。

But when they came in sight of the tents, they saw a man going from one tent to another, visiting the women whom they left behind at that place. They rowed faster, and came nearer. All the men of that place had gone out together for that hunting, and they could not guess who it might be that was now visiting among the tents.

ところが天幕が見えるところまで来ると、一人の男が天幕から天幕へと渡り歩いて、そこに残してきた女たちを訪ねているのが見えた。男たちはもっと速く漕いで近づいた。その土地の男はみなそろってあの狩りに出かけていたので、今天幕を訪ねまわっているのが誰なのか、見当がつかなかった。

Then an old man who was steering the boat shaded his eyes with his hand and looked over towards land.

すると舟の舵を取っていた一人の老人が、手で目の上にひさしをつくって陸のほうを見わたした。

"The man is Angusinãnguaq," he said.

「あの男はアングシナーングアクだ」と老人は言った。

And now it was revealed that Angusinãnguaq was a great wizard. When the umiaks had left, and he could not find his kayak, he had wound his body about with strips of hide, bending it into a curve, and then, as is the way of wizards, gathered magic power wherewith to move through the air. And thus he had come back to that place, long before those who had sought his death.

するとここで、アングシナーングアクが偉大な魔法使いだということがわかった。ウミアクが去り、自分のカヤックが見つからないと、アングシナーングアクは体に皮の細紐を巻きつけて弓なりに曲げ、それから魔法使いのやり方で、宙を進む魔法の力を集めたのである。そしてこうして、自分の死を願った者たちよりずっと先に、その地へ戻ってきたのだった。

And from that day onwards, none ever planned again to take his wife. And it was well for them that they left him in peace.

そしてその日からは、誰ももう二度とアングシナーングアクの妻を奪おうとはたくらまなかった。そしてアングシナーングアクを放っておいたのは、彼らにとって幸いだった。

For at that time, people were many, and there were people in all the lands round about. Out on the islands also there were people, and these were a fierce folk whom none might come near. Moreover when a kayak from the mainland came near their village, they would call down a fog upon him, so that he could not see, and in this manner cause him to perish.

というのも、そのころは人が多く、まわりのどの土地にも人が住んでいた。沖の島々にも人が住んでいて、それは誰も近づけない荒々しい民だった。しかも本土からカヤックが彼らの村に近づくと、その者の上に霧を呼び下ろして見えなくし、そうやって死なせてしまうのだった。

But now one day Angusinãnguaq planned to avenge his fellow-villagers. He rowed out to those unapproachable ones, and took them by surprise, being a great wizard, and killed many of the men, and cut off their heads and piled them up on the side bench. And having completed his revenge, he rowed away.

ところがある日、アングシナーングアクは村の仲間たちの仇を討とうとたくらんだ。アングシナーングアクはその近づけない者たちのところへ漕いでいき、偉大な魔法使いだったので不意を突いて、男たちを大勢殺し、その首を切り落として脇の寝台の上に積み上げた。そして仇討ちを果たすと、漕ぎ去った。

There was great joy among the widows of all those dead hunters when they learned that Angusinãnguaq had avenged their husbands. And they went into his hut one by one and thanked him.

アングシナーングアクが夫たちの仇を討ったと知ると、死んだ狩人たちの未亡人たちはみな大喜びした。そして一人ずつアングシナーングアクの小屋に入って礼を言った。