God's Way

In a certain town there lived a man of fierce and ungovernable disposition, who in moments of anger used to beat his mother. One day this parent, thus beaten, screamed out, "Oh, God, why do you not strike dead this wicked man who beats his mother?"

ある町に、荒々しく抑えのきかない気性の男が住んでいて、かっとなると母親を打つのが常であった。ある日、こうして打たれた母親が叫んだ。「ああ、天よ、母を打つこの邪悪な男を、なぜ打ち殺してくださらないのです。」

The beating over, the son thrust his sickle through his belt and went slowly off to the fields where he was engaged by a neighbour in reaping buckwheat. The day was fine, and the sky beautifully clear. Suddenly a dark fleck of cloud appeared in mid-heaven, and a little later all the sky became black. Furious thunder followed, and rain came on. The village people looked out toward the field, where the flashes of lightning were specially noticeable. They seemed to see there a man with lifted sickle trying to ward them off. When the storm had cleared away, they went to see, and lo, they found the man who had beaten his mother struck dead and riven to pieces.

打ち終えると、息子は鎌を帯に差し、隣人に雇われて蕎麦を刈っている畑へ、ゆっくりと出かけていった。その日は晴れて、空は美しく澄みわたっていた。ところが突然、中天に黒い雲の点が現れ、しばらくすると空一面が真っ暗になった。激しい雷が続き、雨が降りだした。村の人々が畑のほうを見やると、そこでは稲妻がとりわけ激しく光っていた。鎌を振り上げてそれを払いのけようとする男の姿が見えるようであった。嵐が過ぎ去ってから行ってみると、なんと、母を打ったその男が雷に打たれて死に、ずたずたに引き裂かれていた。

God takes note of evil doers on this earth, and deals with them as they deserve. How greatly should we fear!

天はこの地上の悪しき者を見ておられ、その報いにふさわしく処される。なんと畏れるべきことか!

Yi Ryuk.

李陸(イ・リュク)