Barbil's Son

A Rajah's son once went to worship at a sacred stone; when there, he beheld a lovely young girl, so, falling on his face before the stone, he said: "If you will but give me this girl as my bride, I will give you my head as a sacrifice."

むかし、ある藩王の息子が、聖なる石を拝みに行った。そこで息子は美しい若い娘を見かけた。そこで石の前にひれ伏して言った。「この娘をわたしの花嫁にしてくださるなら、わたしの首を生贄として捧げます」

His prayer was granted, and he married the girl.

その祈りはかなえられ、息子は娘と結婚した。

For two months he was so happy that he never remembered his vow, but at the end of that time, a Brahmin came and reminded him of it. So, after bidding his wife a loving farewell, he went sadly away, and, cutting off his head, placed it near the stone as a sacrifice.

二か月のあいだ、息子はあまりに幸せで誓いのことを思い出さなかったが、その終わりに一人のバラモンがやって来て、誓いを思い出させた。そこで息子は妻に愛情こめて別れを告げ、悲しげに出かけていって、自分の首を切り落とし、生贄として石のそばに置いた。

Now his father, Barbil, missing him, came there to search, and was horrified to find his son's dead body with the head offered to the stone.

さて、父親のバルビルは息子がいないのに気づいて探しにやって来て、息子の死体と、石に捧げられた首を見つけてぞっとした。

"What is my life worth to me now? I will also sacrifice myself," said he, and forthwith he too cut off his own head and placed it beside that of his son.

「今となってはわしの命に何の値打ちがあろう。わしも自分を生贄にしよう」と父親は言って、すぐに自分の首も切り落とし、息子の首のそばに置いた。

The bride, finding neither father nor husband return, went forth in search of them; and, seeing what had happened, determined to add her own life to the sacrifice.

花嫁は、父親も夫も帰ってこないので探しに出かけた。そして起こったことを見ると、自分の命も生贄に加えようと決めた。

She was just about to destroy herself when a voice near by said: "Daughter, do not hurt yourself. The heads alone are off, but if you take them and place them beside the bodies, they will unite again."

娘がまさに命を絶とうとしたとき、近くで声がした。「娘よ、自分を傷つけてはならない。首が切れているだけだから、首を取って体のそばに置けば、またつながるだろう」

The delighted girl immediately did as she was directed, and the two heads were united to the bodies, so that she once again saw her husband and father alive.

娘は大喜びで、すぐに言われたとおりにした。二つの首は体につながり、娘はまた夫と父親が生きているのを見た。

But no sooner did they begin to speak than she found that she had made a terrible mistake, for, in her eagerness to restore the heads to their bodies again, she had not noticed that she had united her husband's head to his father's body, and Barbil's head to her husband's body.

けれども二人が口をきくやいなや、娘は自分がひどい間違いをしでかしたことに気づいた。首を体に戻そうと焦るあまり、夫の首を父親の体に、バルビルの首を夫の体につないでしまったことに気づかなかったのである。

While the two men quarrelled over this mistake, the poor girl, greatly distressed, appealed to the Gods to help her. They bade her cease weeping.

二人の男がこの間違いで言い争っているあいだ、かわいそうな娘はひどく困り果てて、神々に助けを願った。神々は娘に泣くのをやめるよう言った。

"The head is the principal thing," said they; "do not mind the body: if you were the daughter of a poor man and married a Prince, Barbil, having taken the form of the Prince, is also of royal blood, so it matters not. Let him that has the head of your husband be your husband again, and he who has the head of the King be the King."

「頭こそが肝心なのだ」と神々は言った。「体など気にすることはない。お前が貧しい男の娘で王子と結婚したのだとしても、王子の体になったバルビルもまた王家の血筋なのだから、かまわない。お前の夫の頭を持つ者をまた夫とし、王の頭を持つ者を王とせよ」

Thus they settled the matter, and returned home.

こうして神々はこの件を収め、一同は家へ帰った。

Moral.--The head ruleth the body, and not the body the head!

教訓——頭が体を治めるのであって、体が頭を治めるのではない!