The Story of Panch Mar Khan

There was once a weaver who had the habit of slapping his face to kill any flies that settled upon it; and it was rumoured that he killed five at every blow, so he got the name of Panch Mar Khan, which means "a killer of five."

むかし一人の機織りがいて、顔にとまった蠅を殺すために自分の顔をぴしゃりと叩く癖があった。そしてひと叩きで五匹殺すという噂が立ったので、パンチ・マール・カーン、つまり「五つ殺し」という名をもらった。

People did not know that this name applied to flies, but thought the weaver a brave, strong man, able to kill five of his enemies at a blow, so that he gained a reputation for bravery.

人々はこの名が蠅のことだとは知らずに、機織りを、ひと打ちで敵を五人殺せる勇敢で強い男だと思ったので、機織りは勇者の評判を得た。

One day the Rajah of that place heard some enemies were coming in force to attack his capital. All the fighting men were required to go out and meet them on the morrow; so Panch Mar Khan received notice to be in readiness also.

ある日、その地の藩王は、敵が大軍で都を攻めに来ると聞いた。戦える男はみな翌日出て敵を迎え撃たねばならなかった。そこでパンチ・マール・カーンにも、支度をしておくよう知らせが来た。

Now he had never touched a weapon in his life, and was horribly frightened at the very idea, so he made up his mind to run away during the night.

さて、この男は生まれてから一度も武器に触れたことがなく、考えただけで恐ろしくてたまらなかったので、夜のうちに逃げ出そうと決めた。

He saddled his donkey, and, taking two large millstones, set out on his journey; but, as he was passing the enemy's camp, and arrived at a hill just a little above it, the donkey began to kick and to bray, and the two stones rolled down the hill into the enemy's camp with a great noise.

男はロバに鞍をつけ、大きな石臼を二つ持って旅に出た。ところが敵の陣営のそばを通り、そのすぐ上の丘に来たとき、ロバが蹴ったりいなないたりしはじめて、二つの石が大きな音を立てて丘を転がり落ち、敵の陣営に飛び込んだ。

They thought an army was after them, and became terror-stricken, so that in the darkness and panic which ensued, many of them were killed.

敵は軍勢が追ってきたのだと思って恐怖に駆られ、続いて起こった暗闇と混乱のなかで、多くの者が殺された。

Panch Mar Khan was greatly delighted at his good luck, and, instead of running away, returned to his own home.

パンチ・マール・カーンは運のよさにたいそう喜んで、逃げるのをやめて自分の家へ帰った。

Next morning, when the soldiers came to call him out to fight the enemy, he very proudly asked: "What enemy? Did I not go out at night, and kill hundreds of our enemies and drive the rest away?"

次の朝、兵士たちが敵と戦いに出るよう呼びに来ると、男はたいそう得意げに尋ねた。「何の敵だ。わしは夜のうちに出ていって、敵を何百人も殺し、残りを追い払ったではないか」

True enough, there was now no camp to be seen, and several dead men were found on the spot; so Panch Mar Khan's reputation as a brave man spread far and wide, and he was handsomely rewarded by the Rajah.

まったくそのとおり、今では陣営はどこにも見えず、その場所には死人が何人も見つかった。そこでパンチ・マール・カーンの勇者としての評判は遠くまで広まり、藩王から気前よく褒美を与えられた。

Some days after news came that a tiger was prowling about; and a brave man was required to go out that night and kill it. Who was so brave as Panch Mar Khan! So he was deputed to go, but when he heard this he nearly died of fright, and made up his mind that he would run away.

何日かして、虎がうろついているという知らせが来て、その夜出ていって虎を殺す勇敢な男が必要になった。パンチ・マール・カーンほど勇敢な者がいようか! そこで男が行くよう命じられたが、それを聞くと男は恐ろしさのあまり死にそうになり、逃げ出そうと心に決めた。

So when darkness fell he crept out and caught his donkey by the ear, and led it to its stable, and there tied it to a post, to wait till he was ready to get on its back; but when he returned with a light, what was his surprise to find it was not his donkey, but the tiger that he had led by the ear and tied to a post.

そこで暗くなると、男はこっそり出ていってロバの耳をつかみ、馬屋へ連れていって柱につないだ。背中に乗る支度ができるまで待たせておくためである。ところが明かりを持って戻ってみると、驚いたことに、耳をつかんで柱につないだのは自分のロバではなく、虎だった。

Such brave conduct from a mortal to a wild beast had so amazed the tiger, that it was too frightened to resist, so there it remained till morning, and Panch Mar Khan was thought to be the bravest man alive!

人間が野の獣にこれほど大胆なふるまいをしたことに虎はあまりに驚いて、怖くて手向かいできず、朝までそこにじっとしていた。そしてパンチ・マール・カーンは生きている者のなかでいちばん勇敢な男だと思われた!

Next morning he got up early, and went out into the field near his house, and there he suddenly came face to face with the fierce eyes and grinning teeth of a jackal. His other bravery was by mistake, but this was a reality, and so frightened was he, that he fell down and died on the spot.

次の朝、男は早く起きて家の近くの畑へ出ていった。するとそこで突然、豺の鋭い目とむき出しの歯に真正面から出くわした。ほかの勇敢さは間違いから生まれたものだったが、これは本物だった。男はあまりに怖くて、倒れてその場で死んでしまった。