A Legend of Sardana

In a city called Sardana there once lived a man whose name was Simru. This man had great riches and lands, and also owned a place of worship.

サルダナという町に、むかしシムルーという名の男が住んでいた。この男はたいそうな富と土地を持ち、礼拝所もひとつ持っていた。

He married a lady of Sardana, who was called "Begum."

男はサルダナの婦人をめとり、その人は「ベーグム(奥方)」と呼ばれた。

After a few years of married life Simru died, and his wealthy widow gave alms and much money to the poor.

何年か連れ添ったのちシムルーは死に、裕福な未亡人は貧しい人々に施しとたくさんの金を与えた。

In the same city lived an oil dealer who also died, and the angels took him to Heaven and presented him before the Almighty.

同じ町に油売りが住んでいて、これも死んだ。天使たちが油売りを天へ連れていき、全能の神の御前に差し出した。

"Who have you brought?" asked the Creator. "This man's days upon earth are not yet completed: take him back before his body is buried, and let his spirit re-possess his body; but in the city of Sardana you will find another man of the same name: bring him to me."

「誰を連れてきたのだ」と造り主は尋ねた。「この男の地上での日々はまだ終わっていない。体が葬られる前に連れ戻し、魂をもう一度体に宿らせよ。そしてサルダナの町で同じ名のもう一人の男を見つけて、わたしのもとへ連れてまいれ」

On leaving the Court of God, some former creditor of the oil dealer's, who had preceded him into the Unseen, recognised him, and laying hold of him, demanded the sum of five rupees which he had owed him during his lifetime.

神の宮廷を出たところで、油売りより先に見えざる世界へ来ていた昔の貸し主の一人が油売りに気づき、つかまえて、生きているあいだに借りていた五ルピーを返せと言い立てた。

The poor man being unable to pay this debt, the angels once more took him before the Almighty, who asked why they had returned.

かわいそうな男はこの借りを返せなかったので、天使たちはもう一度男を全能の神の御前へ連れていった。神は、なぜ戻ってきたのかと尋ねた。

The angels replied: "O God, there is a man here to whom this oil dealer owes five rupees, and he will not let us return until the debt is paid."

天使たちは答えた。「おお神よ、ここに、この油売りが五ルピーを借りている男がおりまして、借りが返されるまでわたしたちを帰そうとしないのです」

The Almighty enquired if this was true, and the oil dealer replied: "Yes, but I am a poor man, and not able to repay it."

全能の神がそれは本当かと問うと、油売りは答えた。「はい。けれどもわたしは貧しい者で、返すことができません」

Then the Almighty said: "In the city of Sardana lives a rich Begum; do you know her?"

すると全能の神は言った。「サルダナの町に裕福なベーグムが住んでいる。知っているか」

"Yes, O King."

「はい、おお王よ」

"Well, the Begum's treasury is here, and I will advance you five rupees out of it, if, when you return to earth, you promise faithfully to give it back to the Begum."

「では、ベーグムの宝蔵がここにあるから、そこから五ルピーを前貸ししてやろう。地上へ戻ったら、必ずそれをベーグムに返すと誓うならばな」

So the oil dealer gratefully took the loan, paid his debt, and returned with the angels to earth, where he arrived just too late to re-enter his body, which his friends had already taken away to prepare for burial. Watching his opportunity, he waited till they were otherwise engaged, and at once re-entered it; but when he sat up, and began to speak, his terrified friends and relations fled, thinking it was his ghost.

そこで油売りはありがたく借りを受け、借金を返し、天使たちと一緒に地上へ戻った。ところが着いたのがわずかに遅く、体に戻ることができなかった。友人たちがもう体を運び去って、葬りの支度をしていたのである。油売りは機をうかがい、みなが別のことにかまけているあいだを待って、すぐさま体に入った。けれども起き上がって話しはじめると、友人や親類は幽霊だと思って恐れおののき、逃げ出した。

On this the oil dealer called out: "Do not fear, I am not a spirit; but God has released me, as my days upon earth are not yet fulfilled. The man who ought to have died is Kungra, the vegetable man; go and see whether he is dead or alive."

そこで油売りは叫んだ。「恐れることはない。わたしは霊ではない。地上での日々がまだ満ちていないので、神がわたしを放してくださったのだ。死ぬはずだったのは、八百屋のクングラーだ。行って、生きているか死んでいるか見てきなさい」

The friends, on going to the house of Kungra, found that he had just fallen from a wall and been killed on the spot; all his relations were wailing and lamenting his sudden end.

友人たちがクングラーの家へ行ってみると、クングラーはちょうど塀から落ちてその場で死んだところで、親類はみな、その急な最期を嘆き悲しんでいた。

Thus everybody knew that the words of the old oil dealer were correct.

こうして誰もが、年老いた油売りの言葉が正しかったと知った。

In the meantime, the oil dealer called his son, and said: "Son, when I went to Heaven I there met a man to whom I owed five rupees, and he caught me and would not let me return before I paid it, so the Almighty advanced me the money from the Begum's treasury in Heaven, and bade me give her back that amount on my return to earth. Therefore do I entreat you, my son, to come with me, and together we will visit the Begum, and give her five rupees."

そのあいだに、油売りは息子を呼んで言った。「息子よ、天へ行ったとき、わたしが五ルピーを借りていた男に会って、その男がわたしをつかまえ、返すまで帰そうとしなかった。そこで全能の神が天にあるベーグムの宝蔵から金を前貸ししてくださり、地上へ戻ったらその額をベーグムに返せとお命じになった。だから息子よ、頼むから一緒に来ておくれ。二人でベーグムを訪ねて、五ルピーを差し上げよう」

So they took the money and went to the Begum's house.

そこで二人は金を持ってベーグムの屋敷へ行った。

"Who are you?" asked she.

「あなたたちは誰です」とベーグムは尋ねた。

The oil dealer then told her the whole story, ending with: "And now I come to return you the five rupees."

すると油売りは一部始終を話し、最後にこう言った。「そういうわけで、五ルピーをお返しに参りました」

The Begum was very pleased, and, taking the money, she called her servants and ordered a further sum of one hundred rupees to be added to it. This money she spent on sweets, which were distributed amongst the poor.

ベーグムはたいそう喜んで、金を受け取ると召使いたちを呼び、それにさらに百ルピーを足すよう命じた。この金で菓子を買って、貧しい人々に配った。

Many years afterwards the good Begum of Sardana died, but her houses and lands are still in existence; nor does anybody living in that town forget the story of the oilman who died and lived again. [9]

何年ものち、善良なサルダナのベーグムは亡くなったが、その屋敷と土地は今もあり、その町に住む者で、死んでまた生き返った油売りの話を忘れている者はいない。[9]