The Soldier of Kang-wha

[The East says that the air is full of invisible constituents that, once taken in hand and controlled, will take on various forms of life. The man of Kang-wha had acquired the art of calling together the elements necessary for the butterfly. This, too, comes from Taoism, and is called son-sul, Taoist magic]

〔東洋では、空気には目に見えない成分が満ちていて、いったんそれを手に取って操れば、さまざまな生き物の姿をとると言われている。江華(カンファ)の男は、蝶に要る元素を呼び集める術を身につけていた。これもまた道教に由来するもので、仙術(ソンスル)、すなわち道教の魔術と呼ばれる〕

The Story

話

There was a soldier once of Kang-wha who was the chief man of his village; a low-class man, he was, apparently, without any gifts. One day his wife, overcome by a fit of jealousy, sat sewing in her inner room. It was midwinter, and he was obliged to be at home; so, with intent to cheer her up and take her mind off the blues, he said to her, "Would you like to see me make some butterflies?"

むかし、江華に一人の兵士がいて、村の頭だった。身分の低い男で、見たところ何の才もなかった。ある日、妻が嫉妬にかられて奥の部屋で縫い物をしていた。真冬のことで、兵士は家にいなければならなかった。そこで妻を元気づけて気鬱を晴らしてやろうと、兵士は妻に言った。「わたしが蝶をこしらえるところを見たくはないかい。」

His wife, more angry than ever at this, rated him for his impudence, and paid no further attention.

妻はこれにいっそう腹を立て、夫の生意気を叱りつけて、それきり相手にしなかった。

The soldier then took her workbasket and from it selected bits of silk of various colours, tucked them into his palm, closed his hand upon them, and repeated a prayer, after which he threw the handful into the air. Immediately beautiful butterflies filled the room, dazzling the eyes and shining in all the colours of the silk itself.

そこで兵士は妻の裁縫籠を取って、そのなかからいろいろな色の絹の切れ端を選び、手のひらに押し込み、手を握って祈りの文句を唱え、それからその一握りを宙に投げた。するとたちまち美しい蝶が部屋じゅうに満ち、目をくらませ、絹そのもののあらゆる色に輝いた。

The wife, mystified by the wonder of it, forgot her anger. The soldier a little later opened his hand, held it up, and they all flew into it. He closed it tight and then again opened his hand, and they were pieces of silk only. His wife alone saw this; it was unknown to others. No such strange magic was ever heard of before.

妻はその不思議さに煙に巻かれて、怒りを忘れた。少しして兵士が手を開いて差し上げると、蝶はみなそのなかへ飛び込んだ。兵士が手をしっかり握ってまた開くと、それはただの絹の切れ端になっていた。これを見たのは妻だけで、ほかの者は知らなかった。これほど奇妙な魔術はそれまで聞いたこともなかった。

In 1637, when Kang-wha fell before the Manchus, all the people of the place fled crying for their lives, while the soldier remained undisturbed at his home, eating his meals with his wife and family just as usual. He laughed at the neighbours hurrying by. Said he, "The barbarians will not touch this town; why do you run so?" Thus it turned out that, while the whole island was devastated, the soldier's village escaped.

一六三七年、江華が満州族に陥落したとき、その地の人々はみな命からがら泣き叫びながら逃げたが、兵士は落ち着いて家にとどまり、いつものように妻や家族と食事をしていた。兵士は急いで通り過ぎる隣人たちを笑った。「蛮族はこの町には手を出さない。どうしてそんなに走るのだ。」はたして、島じゅうが荒らされたのに、兵士の村は難を免れたのである。

Im Bang.

任埅(イム・バン)