Whom the King Honors

In the days of King Se-jong students of the Confucian College were having a picnic to celebrate the Spring Festival. They met in a wood to the north of the college, near a beautiful spring of water, and were drinking and feasting the night through. While they were thus enjoying themselves the rooms of the college were left deserted. One student from the country, a backwoodsman in his way, who was of no account to others, thought that while the rest went away to enjoy themselves some one ought to stay behind to guard the sacred precincts of the temple; so he decided that he would forgo the pleasures of the picnic, stay behind and watch.

世宗王の時代、成均館の学生たちが春の祭りを祝って野遊びをしていた。学生たちは成均館の北の林の、美しい泉の近くに集まって、夜通し飲んだり食べたりしていた。こうして楽しんでいるあいだ、成均館の部屋は空っぽになっていた。田舎から来た一人の学生は、いわば山出しで、ほかの者からは何とも思われていなかったが、ほかの者が楽しみに出かけているあいだ、誰かが残って孔子廟の神聖な境内を守らなければならないと考えた。そこでその学生は野遊びの楽しみをあきらめて、残って見張ることにした。

The King at that time sent a eunuch to the college to see how many of the students had remained on guard. The eunuch returned, saying that all had gone off on the picnic, except one man, a raw countryman, who was in sole charge. The King at once sent for the man, asking him to come just as he was in his common clothes.

そのとき王は、学生のうち何人が残って守っているか見させようと、成均館に宦官を遣わした。宦官は戻ってきて、みな野遊びに出かけてしまい、一人の粗野な田舎者だけが一人で番をしていると言った。王はすぐにその男を呼び寄せ、ふだんの着物のままで来るよう命じた。

On his arrival his Majesty asked, "When all have gone off for a gay time, why is it that you remain alone?"

男が着くと、陛下は尋ねた。「みなが楽しみに出かけたのに、なぜそなただけ一人で残っているのだ。」

He replied, "I, too, would like to have gone, but to leave the sacred temple wholly deserted did not seem to me right, so I stayed."

男は答えた。「わたしも行きたかったのですが、神聖な廟をすっかり空けておくのは正しくないと思ったので、残ったのです。」

The King was greatly pleased with this reply, and asked again, "Do you know how to write verses?"

王はこの答えにたいそう喜んで、また尋ねた。「詩を作れるか。」

The reply was, "I know only very little about it."

答えはこうだった。「ほんの少ししか心得ておりません。」

The King then said, "I have one-half of a verse here which runs thus--

すると王は言った。「ここに半分の詩句がある。こういうものだ——

'After the rains the mountains weep.'

『雨のあと、山は涙す。』

You write me a mate for this line to go with it."

この句に添う対句を作ってみよ。」

At once the student replied--

たちまち学生は答えた——

"Before the wind the grass is tipsy."

「風の前に、草は酔う。」

The King, delighted, praised him for his skill and made him a special graduate on the spot, gave him his diploma, flowers for his hat, and issued a proclamation saying that he had passed the Al-song Examination. At once he ordered for him the head-gear, the red coat, a horse to ride on, two boys to go before, flute-players and harpers, saying, "Go now to the picnic-party and show yourself."

王は大喜びでその腕前をほめ、その場で特別の及第者とし、合格証と帽子に挿す花を与え、謁聖試(アルソンシ)に及第したと布告を出した。すぐに王は、その者のために冠と紅の衣と乗る馬と先導の少年二人と笛吹きと琴弾きを用意させて言った。「さあ野遊びの一行のところへ行って、姿を見せてやれ。」

While the picnickers were thus engaged, suddenly they heard the sound of flutes and harps, and they questioned as to what it could mean. This was not the time for new graduates to go abroad. While they looked, behold, here came a victorious candidate, dressed in ceremonial robes, heralded by boys, and riding on the King's palfrey, to greet them. On closer view they saw that it was the uncouth countryman whom they had left behind at the Temple. They asked what it meant, and then learned, to their amazement, that the King had so honoured him. The company, in consternation and surprise, broke up and returned home at once.

野遊びの者たちが楽しんでいると、突然、笛や琴の音が聞こえてきたので、何事だろうと問い合った。今は新しい及第者が練り歩く時期ではなかった。見ていると、なんと、儀式の衣をまとい、少年に先導され、王の馬に乗った及第者がやって来て、一行に挨拶した。近くで見ると、それは廟に置いてきたあの粗野な田舎者だった。一行がどういうことかと尋ねると、驚いたことに、王がその者にそのような栄誉を与えたのだとわかった。一行はうろたえ驚いて、すぐに解散して家へ帰った。

This special graduate became later, through the favour of the King, a great and noted man.

この特別の及第者は、のちに王の寵愛によって偉大な名高い人物になった。

Im Bang.

任埅(イム・バン)