Kánagssuaq

Kánagssuaq, men say, went out from his own place to live on a little island, and there took to wife the only sister of many brothers. And while he lived there with her, it happened once that the cold became so great that the sea between the islands was icebound, and they could no longer go out hunting. At last they had used up their store of food, and when that store of food was used up, and none of them could go out hunting, they all remained lying down from hunger and weakness.

人の話では、カーナグスアクは自分の土地を出て小さな島に住みに行き、そこで大勢の兄弟を持つたった一人の姉妹を妻にめとった。そしてそこで妻と暮らしていると、あるとき寒さがあまりに厳しくなって、島々のあいだの海が氷に閉ざされ、みな狩りに出られなくなった。とうとう蓄えの食べ物を使い果たし、蓄えを使い果たしても誰も狩りに出られないので、みな飢えと衰弱で寝たきりになった。

Once, when there was open water to the south, where they often caught seal, Kánagssuaq took his kayak on his head and went out hunting. He rowed out in a northerly wind, with snow falling, and a heavy sea. And soon he came upon a number of black seal. He rowed towards them, to get within striking distance, but struck only a little fjord seal, which came up between him and the others. This one was easier to cut up, he said.

あるとき、よくアザラシをとる南のほうに開いた水ができたので、カーナグスアクはカヤックを頭に載せて狩りに出かけた。雪が降り、波の荒い北風のなかを漕ぎ出した。するとまもなくワモンアザラシの群れに出くわした。銛の届くところまで近づこうと漕いでいったが、仕留めたのは、自分とほかのアザラシのあいだに浮かび上がってきた小さなフィヨルドのアザラシだけだった。こっちのほうが切り分けやすい、とカーナグスアクは言った。

Now when he had got this seal, he took his kayak on his head again and went home across the ice. And his house-fellows shouted for joy when they saw the little creature he sent sliding in. Next day he went out again, and caught two black seal, and after that, he never went out without bringing home something.

さて、このアザラシを手に入れると、カーナグスアクはまたカヤックを頭に載せて、氷を渡って家に帰った。そして家の仲間たちは、カーナグスアクがすべらせて入れた小さな獣を見て、喜びの声をあげた。次の日カーナグスアクはまた出かけて、ワモンアザラシを二頭とった。それからは、出かけるたびに必ず何かを持ち帰った。

The north wind continued, and the snow and the cold continued. When he lay out waiting for seal, as was now his custom, he often wished that he might meet with Kilitêraq, the great hunter from another place, who was the only one that would venture out in such weather. But this did not come about.

北風は続き、雪も寒さも続いた。今では習いになったとおりアザラシを待って浮かんでいるとき、カーナグスアクは、よその土地の偉大な狩人キリテーラクに会えたらとよく思った。こんな天気に漕ぎ出す勇気があるのはキリテーラクだけだったからである。けれどもそうはならなかった。

But now there was great dearth of food also in the place where Kilitêraq lived. And therefore Kilitêraq took his kayak on his head and went out across the ice to hunt seal. And coming some way, he sighted Kánagssuaq, who had already made his catch, and was just getting his tow-line out. As soon as he came up, Kánagssuaq cut away the whole of the belly skin and gave to him. And Kilitêraq felt now a great desire for blubber, and took some good big pieces to chew.

ところが、キリテーラクの住む土地でもひどく食べ物が乏しくなっていた。それでキリテーラクはカヤックを頭に載せて、アザラシ狩りに氷を渡って出かけた。しばらく行くと、カーナグスアクの姿が見えた。カーナグスアクはもう獲物をとっていて、ちょうど引き綱を出しているところだった。キリテーラクがそばに来るやいなや、カーナグスアクは腹の皮をまるごと切り取ってキリテーラクに与えた。キリテーラクは脂身が欲しくてたまらなくなっていたので、立派な大きいかけらをいくつか取って噛んだ。

And while he lay there, some black seal came up, and Kánagssuaq said:

そしてキリテーラクがそこに浮かんでいると、ワモンアザラシが何頭か浮かび上がってきたので、カーナグスアクは言った。

"Row in to where they are."

「あいつらのところへ漕いでいけ。」

And he rowed in to them and harpooned one, and killed it on the spot with that one stroke. He took his bladder float, to make a tow-line fast, and wound up the harpoon line, but before he had come to the middle, a breaking wave came rolling down on him. And it broke over him, and it seemed indeed as if there were no kayak there at all, so utterly was it hidden by that breaking wave. Then at last the bladder showed up behind the kayak, and a little after, the kayak itself came up, with the paddles held in a balancing position. Now for the second time he took his bladder and line, and just as he came to the place where the tow-line is made fast, there came another wave and washed over him so that he disappeared. And then he came up a second time, and as he came up, he said:

そこでキリテーラクはそのほうへ漕いでいって一頭に銛を打ち込み、そのひと突きでその場で仕留めた。引き綱を結びつけようと浮き袋を取り、銛綱を巻き取ったが、まんなかまで来ないうちに、砕ける波がキリテーラクの上に転がり落ちてきた。波はキリテーラクの上で砕け、その砕ける波にすっかり隠されて、まるでそこにカヤックなどまったくないかのように見えた。それからとうとうカヤックのうしろに浮き袋が現れ、少しあとで、櫂を釣り合いの構えに保ったままカヤックそのものが浮かび上がってきた。そこでキリテーラクは二度目に浮き袋と綱を取ったが、ちょうど引き綱を結ぶところまで来ると、また波が来てキリテーラクを洗い、その姿は消えた。それからキリテーラクは二度目に浮かび上がり、浮かび上がると言った。

"I am now so far out that I cannot make my tow-line fast. Will you do this for me?"

「もう精も根も尽きて、引き綱が結べない。わたしの代わりに結んでくれないか。」

And then Kánagssuaq made his tow-line fast, and as soon as he had taken the seal in tow, he rowed away in the thickly falling snow, and was soon lost to sight. When he came home, his many comrades in the village were filled with great thankfulness towards him. And thereafter it was as before; that he never came home without some catch.

そこでカーナグスアクが引き綱を結んでやった。キリテーラクはアザラシを引くやいなや、しきりに降る雪のなかを漕ぎ去って、まもなく見えなくなった。キリテーラクが家に帰ると、村の大勢の仲間たちはキリテーラクに深く感謝した。そしてそれからは前と同じように、獲物を持たずに帰ることは決してなかった。

A few days later, they awoke and saw that the snow was not falling near them now, but only far away on the horizon. And after that the weather became fine again. And when the spring came, they began hunting guillemots; driving them together in flocks and killing them so. This they did at that time.

数日たって、みなが目を覚ますと、雪はもう近くには降っておらず、ずっと遠くの水平線に降っているだけだった。そしてそのあと天気はまたよくなった。そして春が来ると、みなはウミガラス狩りをはじめた。群れに追い集めて、そうやって仕留めるのである。そのころはそうしていたのだった。

And now one day they had sent their bird arrows showering down among the birds, and were busy placing the killed ones together in the kayaks. And then suddenly a kayak came in sight on the sunny side. And when that stranger came nearer, they looked eagerly to see who it might be. And when Kilitêraq came nearer--for it was Kilitêraq who came--he looked round among the kayaks, and when he saw that Kánagssuaq was among them, he thrust his way through and came close up to him, and stuck his paddle in between the thongs on Kánagssuaq's kayak, and then loosened the skin over the opening of his own kayak, and put his hand in behind, and drew out a splendid tow-line made of walrus hide and beautifully worked with many beads of walrus tooth. And a second time he put in his hand, and took out now a piece of bearskin fashioned to the seat of a kayak. And these things he gave to Kánagssuaq, and said:

さてある日、みなが鳥を射る矢を鳥のあいだへ雨のように降らせて、仕留めた鳥をカヤックに並べるのに忙しくしていた。すると突然、日の当たる側に一艘のカヤックが見えてきた。そしてそのよそ者が近づいてくると、みなは誰だろうと目を凝らした。そしてキリテーラクが近づいてくると——やって来たのはキリテーラクだったのである——キリテーラクはカヤックのあいだを見まわし、カーナグスアクがそのなかにいるのを見つけると、あいだを押し分けてすぐそばまで来た。そして自分の櫂をカーナグスアクのカヤックの革紐のあいだに差し込み、それから自分のカヤックの乗り口の皮をゆるめて、うしろへ手を入れ、セイウチの皮でこしらえ、セイウチの歯の玉をたくさんあしらって見事に細工した立派な引き綱を取り出した。そしてもう一度手を入れて、今度はカヤックの座席に合わせてこしらえた熊の毛皮を取り出した。そしてこれらの品をカーナグスアクに与えて言った。

"Once in the spring, when I could not make my tow-line fast to a seal, you helped me, and made it fast. Here is that which shall thank you for that service."

「いつかの春、わたしがアザラシに引き綱を結べなかったとき、あなたは助けて結んでくれた。これはその手助けへのお礼だ。」

And then he rowed away.

そしてキリテーラクは漕ぎ去った。