The Ill-fated Priest

A certain scribe of Chung-chong Province, whose name was Kim Kyong-jin, once told me the following story. Said he: "In the year 1640, as I was journeying past Big Horn Bridge in Ta-in County, I saw a scholar, who, with his four or five servants, had met with some accident and all were reduced to a state of unconsciousness, lying by the river side. I asked the reason for what had befallen them, and they at last said in reply, 'We were eating our noon meal by the side of the road, when a Buddhist priest came by, a proud, arrogant fellow, who refused to bow or show any recognition of us. One of the servants, indignant at this, shouted at him. The priest, however, beat him with his stick, and when others went to help, he beat them also, so that they were completely worsted and unable to rise or walk. He then scolded the scholar, saying, "You did not reprimand your servants for their insult to me, so I'll have to take it out of you as well." The Buddhist gave him a number of vicious blows, so that he completely collapsed;' and when I looked there was the priest a li or two ahead.

忠清道のキム・ギョンジンという名の書吏が、あるときわたしに次の話をしてくれた。その者は言った。「1640年、泰仁(テイン)郡の大角橋を通りかかったとき、一人の両班が四、五人の召し使いと一緒に何か災難にあって、みな意識を失って川岸に倒れているのを見ました。何があったのかと尋ねると、とうとうこう答えました。『わたしたちが道ばたで昼の食事をしていると、仏僧が一人通りかかりました。高慢で傲慢なやつで、お辞儀もせず、わたしたちに挨拶もしようとしませんでした。召し使いの一人がこれに腹を立てて怒鳴りつけました。すると僧は杖でその召し使いを打ち、ほかの者が助けに行くとその者たちも打ったので、みなすっかりやられて起き上がることも歩くこともできなくなりました。それから僧は両班を叱りつけて、「お前はわしへの侮辱について召し使いを戒めなかった。だからお前にも償わせてやる」と言いました。仏僧は両班をさんざんひどく打ったので、両班はすっかり倒れてしまったのです』と。そして見ると、その僧は一、二里先にいました。

"Just then a military man, aged about forty or so, came my way. He was poor in flesh and seemed to have no strength. Riding a cadaverous pony, he came shuffling along; a boy accompanying carried his hat-cover and bow and arrows. He arrived at the stream, and, seeing the people in their plight, asked the cause. The officer was very angry, and said, 'Yonder impudent priest, endowed with no end of brute force, has attacked my people and me.'

「ちょうどそのとき、四十歳ほどの武官が一人通りかかりました。痩せていて力もなさそうでした。骨ばかりの小馬に乗ってのろのろやって来て、付き添いの少年が笠の覆いと弓矢を持っていました。武官は川まで来て、人々の窮状を見て、わけを尋ねました。役人はたいそう怒って言いました。『向こうの無礼な坊主が、とてつもない腕力を持っていて、わたしの家の者とわたしを襲ったのです』と。

"'Indeed,' said the stranger, 'I have been aware of him for a long time, and have decided to rid the earth of him, but I have never had an opportunity before. Now that I have at last come on him I am determined to have satisfaction.' So he dismounted from his horse, tightened his girth, took his bow, and an arrow that had a 'fist' head, and made off at a gallop after the priest. Soon he overtook him. Just as the priest looked back the archer let fly with his arrow, which entered deep into the chest. He then dismounted, drew his sword, pierced the two hands of the priest and passed a string through them, tied him to his horse's tail, and came triumphantly back to where the scholar lay, and said, 'Now do with this fellow as you please. I am going.'

「『なるほど』とその見知らぬ人は言いました。『あの者のことはずっと前から知っていて、この世から除いてやろうと決めていたのですが、これまで機会がなかったのです。とうとう行き合ったからには、必ず片をつけてやりましょう』と。そこで武官は馬から降りて腹帯を締め直し、弓と、『こぶし』形の鏃のついた矢を取って、僧を追って馬を駆けさせました。まもなく追いつきました。ちょうど僧が振り返ったとき、射手は矢を放ち、矢は胸に深く突き刺さりました。それから武官は馬から降りて刀を抜き、僧の両手を刺し貫いてそこに紐を通し、自分の馬の尾に結びつけて、両班の倒れているところへ意気揚々と戻ってきて言いました。『さあ、この者を好きになさい。わたしは行きます』と。

"The scholar bowed before the archer, thanked him, asked his place of residence and name. He replied, 'My home is in the County of Ko-chang,' but he did not give his name.

「両班は射手の前にお辞儀をして礼を言い、住まいと名を尋ねました。武官は『わたしの家は高敞(コチャン)郡にあります』と答えましたが、名は告げませんでした。

"The scholar looked at the priest, and never before had he seen so powerful a giant, but now, with his chest shot through and his hands pierced, he was unable to speak; so they arose, made mincemeat of him, and went on their way rejoicing."

「両班は僧を見ましたが、これほど力の強い大男はそれまで見たことがありませんでした。けれども今は胸を射抜かれ両手を刺し貫かれて、口もきけませんでした。そこで一行は起き上がって、その僧を切り刻み、喜んで道を続けたのです。」

Im Bang.

任埅(イム・バン)