The King of Yom-na (hell)

[Pak Chom was one of the Royal Censors, and died in the Japanese War of 1592.]

〔パク・チョムは王の諫官の一人で、一五九二年の日本との戦で死んだ。〕

The Story

話

In Yon-nan County, Whang-hai Province, there was a certain literary graduate whose name I have forgotten. He fell ill one day and remained in his room, leaning helplessly against his arm-rest. Suddenly several spirit soldiers appeared to him, saying, "The Governor of the lower hell has ordered your arrest," so they bound him with a chain about his neck, and led him away. They journeyed for many hundreds of miles, and at last reached a place that had a very high wall. The spirits then took him within the walls and went on for a long distance.

黄海道延安(ヨナン)郡に、名前は忘れたが、ある文科の及第者がいた。ある日その人は病にかかって部屋にこもり、ひじかけにぐったりともたれていた。突然、何人かの霊の兵が現れて言った。「下の地獄の長官がお前を捕らえよと命じた。」そして兵たちはその人の首に鎖を巻いて縛り、引き立てていった。何百里も旅をして、とうとうとても高い塀のある所に着いた。それから霊たちはその人を塀のなかへ連れていき、長い道のりを進んだ。

There was within this enclosure a great structure whose height reached to heaven. They arrived at the gate, and the spirits who had him in hand led him in, and when they entered the inner courtyard they laid him down on his face.

この囲いのなかには、高さが天に届くほどの大きな建物があった。一行が門に着くと、その人を引き立てていた霊たちは、その人を連れて入り、奥の中庭に入るとうつぶせに寝かせた。

Glancing up he saw what looked like a king seated on a throne; grouped about him on each side were attendant officers. There were also scores of secretaries and soldiers going and coming on pressing errands. The King's appearance was most terrible, and his commands such as to fill one with awe. The graduate felt the perspiration break out on his back, and he dared not look up. In a little a secretary came forward, stood in front of the raised dais to transmit commands, and the King asked, "Where do you come from? What is your name? How old are you? What do you do for a living? Tell me the truth now, and no dissembling."

ちらりと見上げると、王のような者が玉座に座っていて、その両わきには付き従う役人たちが並んでいた。また何十人もの書記や兵が、急ぎの用で行ったり来たりしていた。王の姿はこの上なく恐ろしく、その命令は聞く者を畏れで満たすほどだった。及第者は背中に汗が噴き出すのを感じ、顔を上げることもできなかった。しばらくすると一人の書記が進み出て、高い壇の前に立って命令を伝え、王が尋ねた。「お前はどこから来たのか。名は何という。年はいくつだ。何をして暮らしを立てている。ありのままに言え。偽りはならぬぞ。」

The scholar, frightened to death, replied, "My clan name is So-and-so, and my given name is So-and-so. I am so old, and I have lived for several generations at Yon-nan, Whang-hai Province. I am stupid and ill-equipped by nature, so have not done anything special. I have heard all my life that if you say your beads with love and pity in your heart you will escape hell, and so have given my time to calling on the Buddha, and dispensing alms."

学者は死ぬほど怯えて答えた。「わたくしの姓はしかじか、名はしかじかでございます。年はいくつで、黄海道の延安に何代も住んでおります。生まれつき愚かで取り柄がないので、これといったことは何もしておりません。心に慈しみと憐れみを持って数珠を繰れば地獄を逃れると一生聞かされてまいりましたので、仏の名を唱え、施しをすることに時を費やしてまいりました。」

The secretary, hearing this, went at once and reported it to the King. After some time he came back with a message, saying, "Come up closer to the steps, for you are not the person intended. It happens that you bear the same name and you have thus been wrongly arrested. You may go now."

書記はこれを聞くとすぐに行って王に報告した。しばらくして書記は伝言を持って戻ってきて言った。「階段のもっと近くへ上がってこい。お前は目当ての者ではなかった。たまたま同じ名を持っていたので、間違って捕らえられたのだ。もう帰ってよい。」

The scholar joined his hands and made a deep bow. Again the secretary transmitted a message from the King, saying, "My house, when on earth, was in such a place in such and such a ward of Seoul. When you go back I want to send a message by you. My coming here is long, and the outer coat I wear is worn to shreds. Ask my people to send me a new outer coat. If you do so I shall be greatly obliged, so see that you do not forget."

学者は手を合わせて深くお辞儀をした。書記はまた王の伝言を伝えて言った。「わが家は、この世にいたころ、ソウルのしかじかの坊のしかじかの所にあった。お前が帰ったら、お前に言伝てを頼みたい。わしはここに来て久しく、着ている上着はすり切れてぼろぼろになった。わが家の者たちに、新しい上着を送ってくれるよう頼んでくれ。そうしてくれたらたいそうありがたい。忘れぬようにせよ。」

The scholar said, "Your Majesty's message given me thus direct I shall pass on without fail, but the ways of the two worlds, the dark world and the light, are so different that when I give the message the hearers will say I am talking nonsense. True, I'll give it just as you have commanded, but what about it if they refuse to listen? I ought to have some evidence as proof to help me out."

学者は言った。「陛下からこうしてじかに承った言伝ては必ずお伝えいたします。けれども、暗い世と明るい世という二つの世の習いはあまりに違いますので、わたくしが言伝てを伝えても、聞く者たちはわたくしがたわごとを言っていると申すでしょう。たしかに、仰せのとおりにお伝えいたしますが、もし聞き入れてもらえなかったらどうすればよいのでしょう。わたくしを助ける証拠として、何かしるしがあればよいのですが。」

The King made answer, "Your words are true, very true. This will help you: When I was on earth," said he, "one of my head buttons [1] that I wore had a broken edge, and I hid it in the third volume of the Book of History. I alone know of it, no one else in the world. If you give this as a proof they will listen."

王は答えた。「お前の言うことはもっともだ、まったくもっともだ。これが助けになるだろう。この世にいたころ」と王は言った。「わしの着けていた冠の飾りボタン〔注一〕のひとつの縁が欠けていたので、わしはそれを『書経』の第三巻に隠しておいた。それを知っているのはわしだけで、世にほかに知る者はいない。これをしるしとして伝えれば、聞き入れるだろう。」

The scholar replied, "That will be satisfactory, but again, how shall I do in case they make the new coat?"

学者は答えた。「それで大丈夫でございましょう。けれども、もうひとつ、もし新しい上着を作ってもらえたら、どうすればよいのでしょう。」

The reply was, "Prepare a sacrifice, offer the coat by fire, and it will reach me."

答えはこうだった。「祭祀を支度して、上着を火にくべて供えよ。そうすればわしのもとに届く。」

He then bade good-bye, and the King sent with him two soldier guards. He asked the soldiers, as they came out, who the one seated on the throne was. "He is the King of Hades," said they; "his surname is Pak and his given name is Oo."

それから学者は別れを告げ、王は二人の兵の護衛をつけてよこした。出てくるとき、学者は兵たちに、玉座に座っていたのは誰かと尋ねた。「冥府の王だ」と兵たちは言った。「姓は朴(パク)、名は宇(ウ)という。」

They arrived at the bank of a river, and the two soldiers pushed him into the water. He awoke with a start, and found that he had been dead for three days.

一行が川の岸に着くと、二人の兵は学者を水のなかへ突き落とした。学者ははっと目を覚まし、自分が三日のあいだ死んでいたことを知った。

When he recovered from his sickness he came up to Seoul, searched out the house indicated, and made careful inquiry as to the name, finding that it was no other than Pak Oo. Pak Oo had two sons, who at that time had graduated and were holding office. The graduate wanted to see the sons of this King of Hades, but the gatekeeper would not let him in. Therefore he stood before the red gate waiting helplessly till the sun went down. Then came out from the inner quarters of the house an old servant, to whom he earnestly made petition that he might see the master. On being thus requested, the servant returned and reported it to the master, who, a little later, ordered him in. On entering, he saw two gentlemen who seemed to be chiefs. They had him sit down, and then questioned him as to who he was and what he had to say.

病が治ると、学者はソウルへ上って、教えられた家を探し出し、その名を注意深く問い合わせてみると、はたしてそれはパク・ウその人だった。パク・ウには息子が二人いて、そのころ及第して官職についていた。及第者はこの冥府の王の息子たちに会いたかったが、門番が入れてくれなかった。それで、日が沈むまで朱塗りの門の前に立ってなすすべもなく待っていた。すると家の奥から年老いた召し使いが出てきたので、学者は主人に会わせてほしいと熱心に頼んだ。こう頼まれて、召し使いは戻って主人に伝え、主人はしばらくして学者を通すよう命じた。入ってみると、主らしい二人の紳士がいた。二人は学者を座らせ、それから誰なのか、何を言いに来たのかと問いただした。

He replied, "I am a student living in Yon-nan County, Whang-hai Province. On such and such a day I died and went into the other world, where your honorable father gave me such and such a commission."

学者は答えた。「わたくしは黄海道延安郡に住む書生です。しかじかの日にわたくしは死んであの世へ行き、そこであなたがたのお父上から、しかじかの言いつけを受けたのです。」

The two listened for a little and then, without waiting to hear all that he had to say, grew very angry and began to scold him, saying, "How dare such a scarecrow as you come into our house and say such things as these? This is stuff and nonsense that you talk. Pitch him out," they shouted to the servants.

二人はしばらく聞いていたが、学者の言うことをみな聞き終えもしないうちに、ひどく腹を立てて叱りはじめた。「お前のようなかかしがわが家に入り込んで、よくもそんなことが言えたものだ。お前の言うことはでたらめのたわごとだ。つまみ出せ」と二人は召し使いたちに叫んだ。

He, however, called back saying, "I have a proof; listen. If it fails, why then, pitch me out."

けれども学者は叫び返して言った。「しるしがあるのです。聞いてください。それが外れたら、そのときはつまみ出してください。」

One of the two said, "What possible proof can you have?" Then the scholar told with great exactness and care the story of the head button.

二人のうちの一人が言った。「お前にどんなしるしがあるというのだ。」そこで学者は、冠の飾りボタンの話をたいそう正確に念入りに語った。

The two, in astonishment over this, had the book taken down and examined, and sure enough in Vol. III of the Book of History was the button referred to. Not a single particular had failed. It proved to be a button that they had missed after the death of their father, and that they had searched for in vain.

二人はこれに驚いて、本を下ろさせて調べてみると、はたして『書経』の第三巻に、言われたボタンがあった。ひとつとして違うところはなかった。それは父の死後になくなっていて、探しても見つからなかったボタンだとわかった。

Accepting the message now as true, they all entered upon a period of mourning.

今や言伝てを真実と受け入れて、一同はみな喪に服した。

The women of the family also called in the scholar and asked him specially of what he had seen. So they made the outer coat, chose a day, and offered it by fire before the ancestral altar. Three days after the sacrifice the scholar dreamed, and the family of Pak dreamed too, that the King of Hades had come and given to each one of them his thanks for the coat. They long kept the scholar at their home, treating him with great respect, and became his firm friends for ever after.

一家の女たちも学者を呼び入れて、見てきたことを特に尋ねた。そこで一家は上着を作り、日を選んで、祖先の祭壇の前で火にくべて供えた。祭祀から三日たって、学者は夢を見、パク家の者たちも夢を見た。冥府の王がやって来て、一人ひとりに上着の礼を言ったのである。一家は学者を長く家にとどめて、たいそう敬ってもてなし、それからはずっと固い友となった。

Pak Oo was a great-grandson of Minister Pak Chom. While he held office he was honest and just and was highly honoured by the people. When he was Mayor of Hai-ju there arose a dispute between him and the Governor, which proved also that Pak was the honest man.

パク・ウは大臣パク・チョムのひ孫だった。官職にあったあいだ、正直で公正で、民にたいそう敬われていた。海州(ヘジュ)の府使だったとき、パクと観察使とのあいだに争いが起こったが、それでもパクのほうが正直な人だとわかった。

When I was at Hai-ju, Choi Yu-chom, a graduate, told me this story.

わたしが海州にいたとき、及第者のチェ・ユチョムがこの話をしてくれた。

Im Bang.

任埅(イム・バン)