The Origin of Opium

Once on a time there lived on the banks of the holy Ganga a Rishi, [22] who spent his days and nights in the performance of religious rites and in meditation upon God. From sunrise to sunset he sat on the river bank engaged in devotion, and at night he took shelter in a hut of palm-leaves which his own hand had raised in a bush hard by. There were no men and women for miles round. In the hut, however, there was a mouse, which used to live upon the leavings of the Rishi's supper. As it was not in the nature of the sage to hurt any living thing, our mouse never ran away from him, but, on the contrary, went to him, touched his feet, and played with him. The Rishi, partly in kindness to the little brute, and partly to have some one by to talk to at times, gave the mouse the power of speech. One night the mouse, standing on its hind-legs and joining together its fore-legs reverently, said to the Rishi, "Holy sage, you have been so kind as to give me the power to speak like men. If it will not displease your reverence, I have one more boon to ask." "What is it?" said the Rishi. "What is it, little mousie? Say what you want." The mouse answered--"When your reverence goes in the day to the river-side for devotion, a cat comes to the hut to catch me. And had it not been for fear of your reverence, the cat would have eaten me up long ago; and I fear it will eat me some day. My prayer is that I may be changed into a cat that I may prove a match for my foe." The Rishi became propitious to the mouse, and threw some holy water on its body, and it was at once changed into a cat.

むかしむかし、聖なるガンガーの岸辺に一人のリシ[22](聖仙)が住んでいて、昼も夜も宗教の行と神への瞑想に明け暮れていた。日の出から日没まで川岸に座って勤行にいそしみ、夜は近くの茂みに自ら建てた椰子の葉の小屋に身を寄せた。何マイル四方にも人の姿はなかった。けれどもその小屋には一匹の鼠がいて、リシの夕餉の残りで命をつないでいた。生き物を傷つけることはこの聖者の性に合わなかったので、この鼠は決して彼から逃げず、それどころか近寄ってきて足に触れ、じゃれつくのだった。リシは、半ばこの小さな獣への情けから、半ばときおり話し相手がほしくて、鼠に言葉を話す力を与えた。ある夜、鼠は後ろ足で立ち、前足をうやうやしく合わせてリシに言った。「聖なる賢者さま、あなたはご親切にも、わたしに人のように話す力をくださいました。お気に障らなければ、もうひとつお願いしたい恵みがございます。」「何かね」とリシは言った。「何かね、小さな鼠よ。望みを言ってごらん。」鼠は答えた。「ご尊師が昼のあいだ勤行に川辺へおいでになると、小屋に猫がやって来てわたしを捕らえようとします。ご尊師を恐れてのことがなければ、猫はとうにわたしを食べていたでしょう。いつか食べられてしまうのではないかと恐れております。わたしの願いは、猫に変えていただいて、あの敵に太刀打ちできるようになることでございます。」リシは鼠に恵みを垂れ、その体に聖なる水をふりかけた。すると鼠はたちまち猫に変わった。

Some nights after, the Rishi asked his pet, "Well, little puss, how do you like your present life?" "Not much, your reverence," answered the cat. "Why not?" demanded the sage. "Are you not strong enough to hold your own against all the cats in the world?" "Yes," rejoined the cat. "Your reverence has made me a strong cat, able to cope with all the cats in the world. But I do not now fear cats; I have got a new foe. Whenever your reverence goes to the river-side, a pack of dogs comes to the hut, and sets up such a loud barking that I am frightened out of my life. If your reverence will not be displeased with me, I beg you to change me into a dog." The Rishi said, "Be turned into a dog," and the cat forthwith became a dog.

それから幾夜かのち、リシはこの飼い者に尋ねた。「さて、子猫よ、今の暮らしはどうかね。」「あまりよくありません、ご尊師」と猫は答えた。「なぜかね」と賢者は問うた。「世界じゅうのどんな猫にも負けぬだけ強くなったではないか。」「はい」と猫は答えた。「ご尊師はわたしを、世界じゅうのどんな猫にも張り合える強い猫にしてくださいました。けれども今はもう猫は恐ろしくありません。新しい敵ができたのです。ご尊師が川辺へおいでになるたびに、犬の群れが小屋へ来て、けたたましく吠え立てるので、わたしは生きた心地もしません。お気に障らなければ、どうか犬に変えてくださいませ。」リシは「犬になれ」と言い、猫はただちに犬になった。

Some days passed, when one night the dog said thus to the Rishi: "I cannot thank your reverence enough for your kindness to me. I was but a poor mouse, and you not only gave me speech but turned me into a cat; and again you were kind enough to change me into a dog. As a dog, however, I suffer a great deal of trouble, I do not get enough food: my only food is the leavings of your supper, but that is not sufficient to fill the maw of such a large beast as you have made me. O how I envy those apes who jump about from tree to tree, and eat all sorts of delicious fruits! If your reverence will not get angry with me, I pray that I be changed into an ape." The kind-hearted sage readily granted his pet's wish, and the dog became an ape.

幾日か過ぎたころ、ある夜、犬はリシにこう言った。「ご尊師のご親切には、いくら感謝しても足りません。わたしはただの哀れな鼠でしたのに、あなたは言葉をくださったばかりか、猫に変えてくださり、さらにご親切にも犬に変えてくださいました。けれども犬としてはずいぶん難儀しております。食べ物が足りないのです。わたしの食べ物はご尊師の夕餉の残りだけですが、あなたがこしらえてくださったこれほど大きな獣の腹を満たすには足りません。ああ、木から木へ跳び回って、ありとあらゆる甘い果物を食べる猿がうらやましくてなりません! お怒りにならなければ、どうか猿に変えてくださいませ。」心優しい賢者は快くこの飼い者の願いを聞き入れ、犬は猿になった。

Our ape was at first wild with joy. He leaped from one tree to another, and sucked every luscious fruit he could find. But his joy was short-lived. Summer came on with its drought. As a monkey he found it hard to drink water out of a river or of a pool; and he saw the wild boars splashing in the water all the day long. He envied their lot, and exclaimed, "O how happy those boars are! All day their bodies are cooled and refreshed by water. I wish I were a boar." Accordingly at night he recounted to the Rishi the troubles of the life of an ape and the pleasures of that of a boar, and begged of him to change him into a boar. The sage, whose kindness knew no bounds, complied with his pet's request, and turned him into a wild boar. For two whole days our boar kept his body soaking wet, and on the third day, as he was splashing about in his favourite element, whom should he see but the king of the country riding on a richly caparisoned elephant. The king was out hunting, and it was only by a lucky chance that our boar escaped being bagged. He dwelt in his own mind on the dangers attending the life of a wild boar, and envied the lot of the stately elephant who was so fortunate as to carry about the king of the country on his back. He longed to be an elephant, and at night besought the Rishi to make him one.

われらの猿は、はじめのうち喜びに我を忘れた。木から木へ跳び移り、見つけたかぎりの甘い果物を吸った。けれどもその喜びは長続きしなかった。夏が来て、旱がやって来た。猿の身では、川や池から水を飲むのは難儀だと知った。そして猪たちが一日じゅう水を跳ね散らしているのを見た。猿はその境遇をうらやんで叫んだ。「ああ、あの猪たちはなんと幸せだろう! 一日じゅう体を水で冷やし、さっぱりしている。おれが猪だったらなあ。」そこでその夜、リシに猿の暮らしの苦しみと猪の暮らしの楽しみを語り、猪に変えてくださいと乞うた。親切に限りのない賢者は、この飼い者の願いに応えて、彼を猪に変えた。まる二日のあいだ、われらの猪は体をずぶ濡れにしていたが、三日目、お気に入りの水を跳ね散らしていると、なんとこの国の王が豪奢に飾り立てた象に乗っているのを見た。王は狩りに出ていて、われらの猪が獲物にされずにすんだのは、ただ運がよかっただけであった。猪は心のなかで、猪の暮らしにつきまとう危うさを思いめぐらし、この国の王を背に乗せるという幸いを得た、あの堂々たる象の境遇をうらやんだ。象になりたくてたまらなくなり、その夜リシに、象にしてくださいと願った。

Our elephant was roaming about in the wilderness, when he saw the king out hunting. The elephant went towards the king's suite with the view of being caught. The king, seeing the elephant at a distance, admired it on account of its beauty, and gave orders that it should be caught and tamed. Our elephant was easily caught, and taken into the royal stables, and was soon tamed. It so chanced that the queen expressed a wish to bathe in the waters of the holy Ganga. The king, who wished to accompany his royal consort, ordered that the newly-caught elephant should be brought to him. The king and queen mounted on his back. One would suppose that the elephant had now got his wishes, as the king had mounted on his back. But no. There was a fly in the ointment. The elephant, who looked upon himself as a lordly beast, could not brook the idea that a woman, though a queen, should ride on his back. He thought himself degraded. He jumped up so violently that both the king and queen fell to the ground. The king carefully picked up the queen, took her in his arms, asked her whether she had been much hurt, wiped off the dust from her clothes with his handkerchief, and tenderly kissed her a hundred times. Our elephant, after witnessing the king's caresses, scampered off to the woods as fast as his legs could carry him. As he ran he thought within himself thus: "After all, I see that a queen is the happiest of all creatures. Of what infinite regard is she the object! The king lifted her up, took her in his arms, made many tender inquiries, wiped off the dust from her clothes with his own royal hands, and kissed her a hundred times! O the happiness of being a queen! I must tell the Rishi to make me a queen!" So saying the elephant, after traversing the woods, went at sunset to the Rishi's hut, and fell prostrate on the ground at the feet of the holy sage. The Rishi said, "Well, what's the news? Why have you left the king's stud?" "What shall I say to your reverence? You have been very kind to me; you have granted every wish of mine. I have one more boon to ask, and it will be the last. By becoming an elephant I have got only my bulk increased, but not my happiness. I see that of all creatures a queen is the happiest in the world. Do, holy father, make me a queen." "Silly child," answered the Rishi, "how can I make you a queen? Where can I get a kingdom for you, and a royal husband to boot? All I can do is to change you into an exquisitely beautiful girl, possessed of charms to captivate the heart of a prince, if ever the gods grant you an interview with some great prince! "Our elephant agreed to the change; and in a moment the sagacious beast was transformed into a beautiful young lady, to whom the holy sage gave the name of Postomani, or the poppy-seed lady.

われらの象が荒れ野をさまよっていると、狩りに出ている王を見た。象は捕まえてもらおうと、王の一行のほうへ歩いていった。王は遠くにこの象を見て、その美しさに感嘆し、捕らえて馴らせと命じた。われらの象はたやすく捕らえられ、王の厩に入れられて、まもなく馴らされた。たまたま妃が、聖なるガンガーの水で沐浴したいと言い出した。王は妃に同行したいと思って、新しく捕らえた象を連れてこいと命じた。王と妃はその背にまたがった。王が背に乗ったのだから、象はこれで望みを遂げたと思われようが、そうではなかった。玉に瑕があった。自分を君主のごとき獣と思っていたこの象は、たとえ妃であろうと女が自分の背に乗るという考えに耐えられなかったのである。象は自分が貶められたと思った。そして激しく跳ね上がったので、王も妃も地に投げ出された。王は大切そうに妃を助け起こし、腕に抱き、ひどく痛めなかったかと尋ね、手巾で衣の埃を払い、優しく百度も口づけした。われらの象は、王のこの愛撫を目にすると、足の速さの限りに森へ駆け去った。走りながら心のなかでこう思った。「結局のところ、妃こそすべての生き物のうちでいちばん幸せなのだ。どれほど限りない思いを注がれることか! 王は妃を抱き起こし、腕に抱き、優しく幾度も尋ね、自らの王の手で衣の埃を払い、百度も口づけした! ああ、妃であることの幸せよ! リシに、妃にしてくださいと言わねば!」そう言って象は森を抜け、日暮れにリシの小屋へ行き、聖なる賢者の足もとに地に伏した。リシは言った。「さて、どうしたのだ。なぜ王の厩を出てきた。」「ご尊師に何と申し上げればよいでしょう。あなたはわたしにたいそう親切にしてくださり、望みをみなかなえてくださいました。もうひとつだけお願いがございます。これが最後でございます。象になっても、大きくなっただけで幸せは増えませんでした。生き物のうちで、この世でいちばん幸せなのは妃だと分かりました。聖なる父よ、どうかわたしを妃にしてくださいませ。」「愚かな子よ」とリシは答えた。「どうしてお前を妃にできよう。どこにお前のための王国を、そのうえ王たる夫を見つけられようか。わたしにできるのは、お前をこのうえなく美しい娘に変えてやることだけだ。もし神々がお前にどこかの偉大な王子との縁を授けてくださるなら、その心をとらえるだけの魅力を備えた娘にな!」われらの象はこの変身に承知した。すると一瞬のうちに、この賢い獣は美しい若い女に変えられ、聖なる賢者はその娘にポストマニ、すなわち罌粟の種の娘という名を与えた。

Postomani lived in the Rishi's hut, and spent her time in tending the flowers and watering the plants. One day, as she was sitting at the door of the hut during the Rishi's absence, she saw a man dressed in a very rich garb come towards the cottage. She stood up and asked the stranger who he was, and what he had come there for. The stranger answered that he had come a-hunting in those parts, that he had been chasing in vain a deer, that he felt thirsty, and that he came to the hut of the hermit for refreshment.

ポストマニはリシの小屋に住み、花の世話をし草木に水をやって日を過ごした。ある日、リシが留守のあいだ小屋の戸口に座っていると、たいそう豪奢な身なりをした男が小屋のほうへ来るのが見えた。彼女は立ち上がって、この見知らぬ人にどなたか、何をしにおいでになったのかと尋ねた。見知らぬ人は、このあたりへ狩りに来たのだが、鹿を追ってむだ足を踏み、喉が渇いたので、隠者の小屋へ休みに来たのだと答えた。

Postomani. Stranger, look upon this cot as your own house. I'll do everything I can to make you comfortable; I am only sorry we are too poor suitably to entertain, a man of your rank, for if I mistake not you are the king of this country.

ポストマニ——見知らぬ方、この小屋をご自分の家とお思いください。心地よくお過ごしいただけるよう、できるかぎりのことをいたします。ただ、わたしたちはあまりに貧しくて、あなたさまのようなご身分の方をふさわしくおもてなしできないのが残念です。思い違いでなければ、あなたさまはこの国の王でいらっしゃいましょう。

The king smiled. Postomani then brought out a water-pot, and made as if she would wash the feet of her royal guest with her own hands, when the king said, "Holy maid, do not touch my feet, for I am only a Kshatriya, and you are the daughter of a holy sage."

王は微笑んだ。それからポストマニは水差しを持ってきて、自らの手でこの王たる客の足を洗おうとした。すると王は言った。「聖なる乙女よ、わたしの足に触れてはならぬ。わたしはただのクシャトリヤであり、そなたは聖なる賢者の娘なのだから。」

Postomani. Noble sir, I am not the daughter of the Rishi, neither am I a Brahmani girl; so there can be no harm in my touching your feet. Besides, you are my guest, and I am bound to wash your feet.

ポストマニ——高貴な方、わたしはリシの娘ではございませんし、バラモンの娘でもございません。ですからあなたさまの足に触れても差し支えはございません。それにあなたさまはわたしの客人ですから、お足を洗うのはわたしの務めでございます。

King. Forgive my impertinence. What caste do you belong to?

王——無礼を許してくれ。そなたはどの階級の者か。

Postomani. I have heard from the sage that my parents were Kshatriyas.

ポストマニ——賢者から聞いたところでは、わたしの両親はクシャトリヤであったそうです。

King. May I ask you whether your father was a king, for your uncommon beauty and your stately demeanour show that you are a born princess.

王——尋ねてよいものか、そなたの父は王であったか。そなたの並はずれた美しさと堂々たる物腰は、そなたが生まれながらの姫であることを示しておる。

Postomani, without answering the question, went inside the hut, brought out a tray of the most delicious fruits, and set it before the king. The king, however, would not touch the fruits till the maid had answered his questions. When pressed hard Postomani gave the following answer: "The holy sage says that my father was a king. Having been overcome in battle, he, along with my mother, fled into the woods. My poor father was eaten up by a tiger, and my mother at that time was brought to bed of me, and she closed her eyes as I opened mine. Strange to say, there was a bee-hive on the tree at the foot of which I lay; drops of honey fell into my mouth and kept alive the spark of life till the kind Rishi found me and brought me into his hut. This is the simple story of the wretched girl who now stands before the king."

ポストマニはその問いに答えず、小屋のなかへ入って、このうえなくおいしい果物を載せた盆を持ってきて、王の前に置いた。けれども王は、乙女が自分の問いに答えるまで果物に手をつけようとしなかった。強く求められて、ポストマニはこう答えた。「聖なる賢者が申しますには、わたしの父は王であったそうです。戦に敗れて、母とともに森へ逃れました。哀れな父は虎に食われ、母はそのとき産の床につき、わたしが目を開けると母は目を閉じました。不思議なことに、わたしが横たわっていた木の根方には、その木に蜂の巣があって、蜜の滴がわたしの口に落ち、親切なリシが見つけて小屋へ連れ帰ってくださるまで、命の火をつないでくれたのです。これが、いま王の御前に立つみじめな娘の、ただそれだけの話でございます。」

King. Call not yourself wretched. You are the loveliest and most beautiful of women. You would adorn the palace of the mightiest sovereign.

王——自分をみじめと呼んではならぬ。そなたは女のうちで最も愛らしく美しい。どれほど強大な君主の宮殿をも飾るであろう。

The upshot was, that the king made love to the girl and they were joined in marriage by the Rishi. Postomani was treated as the favourite queen, and the former queen was in disgrace. Postomani's happiness, however, was short-lived. One day as she was standing by a well, she became giddy, fell into the water, and died. The Rishi then appeared before the king and said: "O king, grieve not over the past. What is fixed by fate must come to pass. The queen, who has just been drowned, was not of royal blood. She was born a mouse; I then changed her successively, according to her own wish, into a cat, a dog, an ape, a boar, an elephant, and a beautiful girl. Now that she is gone, do you again take into favour your former queen. As for my reputed daughter, through the favour of the gods I'll make her name immortal. Let her body remain in the well; fill the well up with earth. Out of her flesh and bones will grow a tree which shall be called after her Posto, that is, the Poppy tree. From this tree will be obtained a drug called opium, which will be celebrated as a powerful medicine through all ages, and which will always be either swallowed or smoked as a wonderful narcotic to the end of time. The opium swallower or smoker will have one quality of each of the animals to which Postomani was transformed. He will be mischievous like a mouse, fond of milk like a cat, quarrelsome like a dog, filthy like an ape, savage like a boar, and high-tempered like a queen."

その結末はというと、王はこの娘に思いを寄せ、二人はリシによって結ばれた。ポストマニは寵愛の妃として遇され、前の妃は寵を失った。けれどもポストマニの幸せは長続きしなかった。ある日、井戸のそばに立っていると目まいがして、水に落ちて死んでしまった。するとリシが王の前に現れて言った。「おお王よ、過ぎたことを嘆くな。定めによって決まっていることは、必ず起こるのだ。いま溺れた妃は、王家の血筋ではなかった。生まれは鼠であった。わたしがその願いに従って次々に、猫に、犬に、猿に、猪に、象に、そして美しい娘に変えたのだ。あの者が去った今、もう一度、前の妃を寵しなさい。わたしの娘とされた者については、神々の恵みによって、その名を不朽のものにしてやろう。その体は井戸のなかに残し、井戸を土で埋めよ。その肉と骨から一本の木が生え、その名にちなんでポスト、すなわち罌粟の木と呼ばれるであろう。この木から阿片という薬が得られ、それは強い薬として代々にわたって名高く、また不思議な麻酔として、世の終わりまでつねに呑まれるか吸われるかするであろう。阿片を呑む者、吸う者は、ポストマニが変えられたそれぞれの獣の性をひとつずつ持つことになる。鼠のようにいたずら好きで、猫のように乳を好み、犬のように喧嘩早く、猿のように不潔で、猪のように荒々しく、妃のように気位が高いであろう。」

Thus my story endeth, The Natiya-thorn withereth, etc.

ここでわたしの話はおしまい。ナティヤの棘は枯れゆく、云々。