The Vizier's Son and the Rajah's Son

The Vizier's and the Rajah's son were great friends, and always together. This made the Rajah very jealous, and he called an old woman whom he knew, and asked her to separate the two.

大臣の息子と藩王の息子は大の仲よしで、いつも一緒にいた。これに藩王はたいそう妬いて、知り合いの老婆を呼び、二人の仲を裂いてくれと頼んだ。

This was a difficult task, as they were such fast friends, but the old woman was anxious to gain a reward, and said she would do it; so she called the Vizier's son, and when he asked her what she required, remained silent. Then she called the Rajah's son, and did the same.

二人はあまりに固い友だちだったので、これは難しい仕事だったが、老婆は褒美が欲しくてたまらなかったので、やってみせると言った。そこで老婆は大臣の息子を呼び、息子が何の用かと尋ねても、黙っていた。それから藩王の息子を呼んで、同じことをした。

After she had gone, the two questioned each other as to what she had said, and neither would believe the other when he declared she had said nothing at all; so they began to suspect one another of deceit, and quarrelled.

老婆が去ったあと、二人は老婆が何と言ったのかと互いに問いただしたが、相手が老婆は何も言わなかったと言い張っても、どちらも信じなかった。そこで二人は互いに相手がごまかしているのではないかと疑いはじめ、喧嘩になった。

Thus the old woman sowed dissension in their hearts, and after a time, instead of being friends, they became bitter enemies. The Rajah's son said he insisted on knowing what the old woman had said to the Vizier's son, and if he would not tell it, he must be put to death at the hands of a sweeper, or, in India, low-caste man.

こうして老婆は二人の心に不和の種をまき、しばらくすると二人は友だちどころか、激しく憎み合う敵になった。藩王の息子は、老婆が大臣の息子に何と言ったのかどうしても知りたい、もし言わないなら、掃除人、つまりインドでいうところの低いカーストの者の手で殺させる、と言い張った。

The sweeper was just about to do this cruel deed, when the Goddess Parbatti saw him, and implored of Mahadeo, her husband, to intercede; so he sent a large stag to the jungle, and it stood near at hand.

掃除人がまさにこのむごい行いをしようとしたとき、女神パールバティーがそれを見て、夫のマハーデーオにとりなしてくれるよう懇願した。そこでマハーデーオは大きな雄鹿を密林へ遣わし、鹿はすぐそばに立った。

When the sweeper saw it, he killed it instead with the bow and arrows, and, taking out its eyes, carried them to the Rajah, and said they were the eyes of the Vizier's son.

掃除人は鹿を見ると、代わりに弓矢で鹿を殺し、その目をえぐり取って藩王のもとへ持っていき、これが大臣の息子の目だと言った。

Thus the Prince was appeased, and again ate, drank, and was merry, until one day, walking in the garden, he saw an earthen vessel, and in it a lock of hair and a small lamp. This, he felt sure, had some significance, so he longed to ask the Vizier's son, who was clever, and would have told him all about it; but he remembered that the Vizier's son was taken away and killed, and he himself had seen his eyes brought back in proof of the deed.

こうして王子の気は収まり、また食べたり飲んだり楽しんだりしていたが、ある日庭を歩いていると、土の器があって、そのなかに髪のひと房と小さなランプが入っているのを見つけた。これにはきっと何か意味があると思って、王子は、賢くてそれについて何もかも教えてくれるはずの大臣の息子に尋ねたくてたまらなかった。けれども大臣の息子は連れていかれて殺され、その証拠に目が持ち帰られるのを自分で見たのだと思い出した。

Nevertheless he wept day and night, and would not be comforted, so the Rajah, his father, in great distress, sent for the sweeper who had been told to kill the Vizier's son, and implored him to declare the truth concerning his end. Then the man confessed everything, and went and searched for the lad, and brought him back. The two boys became fast friends as before, and the Rajah's son enquired the meaning of the lock of woman's hair and lamp.

それでも王子は昼も夜も泣いて慰めを受けつけなかったので、父の藩王はたいそう悩んで、大臣の息子を殺すよう命じられた掃除人を呼び寄せ、その最期について本当のことを言ってくれと懇願した。そこで男はすっかり白状し、若者を探しに行って連れ戻した。二人の若者は前と同じように固い友だちになり、藩王の息子は女の髪のひと房とランプの意味を尋ねた。

"It means," said the Vizier's son, "the name of a beautiful Princess called 'Princess of the Lamp,' and she lives in a distant country."

「それは」と大臣の息子は言った。「『ランプの姫』と呼ばれる美しい姫の名を表しています。その姫は遠い国に住んでいるのです」

So they set out to seek her, and soon found the Palace in which she lived, and outside a girl making a wreath of flowers for the Princess. The Rajah's son begged the girl to let him make the hal or wreath, and, in making it, he placed a letter inside.

そこで二人は姫を探しに出かけ、まもなく姫の住む宮殿を見つけた。外では娘が姫のために花輪をこしらえていた。藩王の息子は娘に、ハール、つまり花輪をこしらえさせてくれと頼み、こしらえながらそのなかに手紙を忍ばせた。

The Princess was very angry when she found the letter, and made the girl tell her the truth; but she would not receive the Prince after what he had done, so he had to return to his own country: thus was he punished for his cruelty to the Vizier's son.

姫は手紙を見つけるとたいそう怒って、娘に本当のことを言わせた。けれども姫は、王子のしたことを知ると王子を迎えようとしなかったので、王子は自分の国へ帰るほかなかった。こうして王子は大臣の息子にむごいことをした罰を受けたのである。