The Grateful Ghost

It is often told that in the days of the Koryo Dynasty (A.D. 918-1392), when an examination was to be held, a certain scholar came from a far-distant part of the country to take part. Once on his journey the day was drawing to a close, and he found himself among the mountains. Suddenly he heard a sneezing from among the creepers and bushes by the roadside, but could see no one. Thinking it strange, he dismounted from his horse, went into the brake and listened. He heard it again, and it seemed to come from the roots of the creeper close beside him, so he ordered his servant to dig round it and see. He dug and found a dead man's skull. It was full of earth, and the roots of the creeper had passed through the nostrils. The sneezing was caused by the annoyance felt by the spirit from having the nose so discommoded.

高麗王朝の時代(西暦918〜1392年)、科挙が行われることになったとき、国のはるか遠いところから一人の書生が受験しにやって来た、とよく語られる。旅の途中のある日、日が暮れかかって、書生は山のなかにいた。突然、道ばたの蔓草や茂みのなかからくしゃみが聞こえたが、誰の姿も見えなかった。奇妙に思って書生は馬から降り、藪のなかに入って耳を澄ました。またくしゃみが聞こえ、それはすぐそばの蔓草の根もとから聞こえてくるようだったので、書生は召し使いにそのまわりを掘って見てみるよう命じた。掘ってみると、死人のされこうべが出てきた。それは土でいっぱいで、蔓草の根が鼻の穴を通り抜けていた。くしゃみは、鼻をそんなふうにふさがれて霊が不快に感じていたせいだった。

The candidate felt sorry, washed the skull in clean water, wrapped it in paper and reburied it in its former place on the hill-side. He also brought a table of food and offered sacrifice, and said a prayer.

受験生は気の毒に思って、されこうべをきれいな水で洗い、紙に包んで、山腹のもとの場所に葬り直した。また食べ物の膳を持ってきて供え、祈りを捧げた。

That night, in a dream, a scholar came to him, an old man with white hair, who bowed, thanked him, and said, "On account of sin committed in a former life, I died out of season before I had fulfilled my days. My posterity, too, were all destroyed, my body crumbled back into the dust, my skull alone remaining, and that is what you found below the creeper. On account of the root passing through it the annoyance was great, and I could not help but sneeze. By good luck you and your kind heart, blessed of Heaven, took pity on me, buried me in a clean place and gave me food. Your kindness is greater than the mountains, and like the blessing that first brought me into life. Though my soul is by no means perfect, yet I long for some way by which to requite your favour, and so I have exercised my powers in your behalf. Your present journey is for the purpose of trying the official Examination, so I shall tell you beforehand what the form is to be, and the subject. It is to be of character groups of fives, in couplets; the rhyme sound is 'pong,' and the subject 'Peaks and Spires of the Summer Clouds.' I have already composed one for you, which, if you care to use it, will undoubtedly win you the first place. It is this--

その夜、夢のなかに、白髪の老人である一人の学者が現れて、お辞儀をして礼を言って言った。「前世で犯した罪のために、わたしは天寿を全うする前に時ならず死にました。わたしの子孫もみな滅び、わたしの体は崩れて塵に帰り、されこうべだけが残りました。それがあなたが蔓草の下で見つけたものです。根がそこを通っていたのでひどく不快で、くしゃみをせずにいられなかったのです。幸いなことに、天に祝福されたあなたの優しい心が、わたしを哀れんで清らかな場所に葬り、食べ物をくださいました。あなたの親切は山よりも大きく、初めてわたしに命をもたらした恵みのようです。わたしの魂は決して完全ではありませんが、あなたのご恩に報いる道を願って、あなたのために力をふるいました。あなたの今度の旅は科挙を受けるためですから、試験の形式と題を前もってお教えしましょう。それは五言の対句で、韻は『峰(ポン)』、題は『夏雲の峰と尖塔』です。わたしがすでにあなたのために一篇作っておきました。お使いになりたければ、きっと首席を得られるでしょう。それはこういうものです——

'The white sun rode high up in the heavens, And the floating clouds formed a lofty peak; The priest who saw them asked if there was a temple there, And the crane lamented the fact that no pines were visible; But the lightnings from the cloud were the flashings of the woodman's axe, And the muffled thunders were the bell calls of the holy temple. Will any say that the hills do not move? On the sunset breezes they sailed away.'"

『白き日は天高く昇り、浮かぶ雲は高き峰をなす。これを見し僧はそこに寺ありやと問い、鶴は松の見えざるを嘆く。されど雲よりの稲妻は樵の斧のひらめき、くぐもれる雷は聖なる寺の鐘の音。山は動かずと誰か言わん。夕べの風に乗りて帆のごとく去りぬ。』」

After thus stating it, he bowed and took his departure.

そう述べると、老人はお辞儀をして去っていった。

The man, in wonder, awakened from his dream, came up to Seoul; and behold, the subject was as foretold by the spirit. He wrote what had been given him, and became first in the honours of the occasion.

男は不思議に思いながら夢から覚め、ソウルに上った。すると、なんと、題は霊の予言したとおりだった。書生は与えられたものを書き、その試験で首席の栄誉を得たのである。

Im Bang.

任埅(イム・バン)