How a Prince Was Chased by a Yaksani, and What Befel

A prince went for hunting-sport. As he was going, a Yaksani (female Yaka) who was living in the midst of the forest, chased him, saying that she was going to eat the Prince, and drove the Prince down the path. The Prince having gone running, went bounding through the middle of a city. The Yaksani followed him in the disguise of a woman.

ある王子が狩りの遊びに出かけた。行く途中、森の奥に住むヤクサニ(女の鬼神)が、王子を食おうと言って追いかけ、王子を道の先へ追い立てた。王子は駆けに駆けて、ある都の真ん中を跳ねるように抜けた。ヤクサニは女の姿になって追ってきた。

The King of the city having seen them, sent the Ministers, and told them to look what it was about. The Ministers asked the Yaksani who was bounding behind him, "What is that for?"

その都の王は二人を見て、大臣たちをやって何ごとか見てこいと言った。大臣たちは、うしろから跳ねてくるヤクサニに尋ねた。「それはどういうことか」

The Yaksani said, "My husband having quarrelled with me and left me, is running away. I am running after him because of it."

ヤクサニは言った。「わたくしの夫がわたくしと言い争って捨てて逃げていくのです。それで追いかけているのです」

The Ministers then brought her before the King, and having seen the beauty of the Yaksani, the King was pleased with her, and said, "If you should not go with him it does not matter; stay here." So the King, having prepared another house for the Yaksani, and having married her, establishing her in the office of Chief Queen, she remained there.

大臣たちはそれを王の前に連れてきた。王はヤクサニの美しさを見て気に入り、こう言った。「あの者と行かずともよい。ここにおれ」。そして王はヤクサニのために別の家を用意して娶り、第一后の位に据え、ヤクサニはそこに暮らした。

While she was there, this Yaksani having gone like a thief during the time when all were sleeping, and killed and eaten the men of the city, brought a few of the bones, and placed them in a heap at the back of the houses in which the twelve Queens of the King slept.

そこにいるあいだ、このヤクサニはみなが眠っている間に盗人のように出かけて、都の人々を殺して食い、その骨をいくつか持ち帰って、王の十二人の后たちが寝ている家の裏に積んでおいた。

When a little time had gone by in this manner, the men of the city came to the King, and saying, "Since you have brought and are keeping this Yaksani this city is altogether desolate," made obeisance. Then the King made inquiry into the matter.

そうしてしばらくたつと、都の人々が王のもとへ来て、「このヤクサニを連れてきて置いておられるせいで、この都はすっかり荒れ果ててしまいました」と言って、頭を下げた。そこで王はそのことを調べた。

Then that Yaksani said, "Ane! O Lord, Your Majesty, I indeed do not know about that, but I did indeed see that thief who eats human flesh, although I did not tell you."

するとそのヤクサニは言った。「アネ! 陛下、わたくしはそのことを存じませんが、人の肉を食うその盗人を見たことはございます。申し上げませんでしたけれど」

The King asked, "Who is it?"

王は尋ねた。「誰だ」

The Yaksani said, "If Your Majesty should look behind the houses of the twelve Queens you can ascertain."

ヤクサニは言った。「陛下が十二人の后のお住まいの裏をごらんになれば、おわかりになりましょう」

When the King went there and looked, he found that it was true, and gave orders for the twelve Queens to be killed. Then the Yaksani told him not to kill them, but to pluck out their eyes, and send them into the midst of the forest. Having heard the words which the Yaksani said, he acted in that very manner.

王がそこへ行って見ると、そのとおりだったので、十二人の后を殺せと命じた。するとヤクサニは、殺さずに目をえぐり出して森の奥へ送れと言った。ヤクサニの言葉を聞いて、王はそのとおりにした。

So all this party of Queens went and stayed in one spot, and there all the twelve bore children. As each one was born, they divided and ate it. The youngest Queen put aside all the flesh that was given to her, and while she was keeping it she, also, bore a son. Then those eleven Queens made ready to eat that Prince, so that Princess gave them the flesh which she had kept, and the party ate it.

そこでこの后たち一同は行って、一つ所にとどまり、そこで十二人ともみな子を産んだ。生まれるごとに、みなで分けて食べた。いちばん若い后は自分に与えられた肉をみな取り分けておき、それを取っておくうちに、自分も男の子を産んだ。すると十一人の后はその王子を食べようとしたので、その姫は取っておいた肉を渡し、一同はそれを食べた。

As time went on that Prince having grown a little, began to bring and give them fruits that were lying on the ground. Then the Prince met with a bow and an arrow that had been concealed there. After that he began to shoot various kinds of small animals, and to bring and give them to the Queens. Afterwards he shot large animals, and having brought fire and boiled them, he gave the flesh to them. By this time the Prince understood all things thoroughly.

時がたち、その王子が少し大きくなると、地面に落ちている木の実を取ってきて与えるようになった。やがて王子は、そこに隠されていた弓と矢に出くわした。そのあと小さな獣をいろいろ射て、后たちに持ってきて与えるようになった。そのあと大きな獣も射て、火を持ってきて煮て、その肉を与えた。このころには王子は何もかもをよく知るようになっていた。

After that, one day this Prince asked, "Mother, what is the reason why your eyes have become blind, and my eyes are well?"

そのあとある日、この王子は尋ねた。「母さん、あなたがたの目が見えなくなり、わたしの目が無事なのはなぜですか」

The party said, "We were the Queens of such and such a King; having taken a Yaksani in marriage, this was done to us through her enmity." Then the Prince remained thinking of killing the King.

一同は言った。「われらはどこそこの王の后であった。王がヤクサニを娶り、その敵意によってこうされたのだ」。すると王子はその王を殺そうと考えつづけた。

One day, as he was going hunting, he met with a Vaedda. Thinking he would kill the Vaedda, the Prince chased him along the path. The Vaedda, being afraid, went running away, and having met with the King said, "O Lord, Your Majesty, there is a very handsome Prince in the midst of this forest. One cannot say if the Prince is the son of a deity or a royal Prince. He does not come near enough to speak. When he sees a man he drives him away, saying he is going to eat him." He spoke very strongly about it.

ある日、狩りに行くと、ヴァエッダに出会った。王子はそのヴァエッダを殺そうと思って、道を追いかけた。ヴァエッダは怖くなって逃げ、王に出会って言った。「陛下、この森の奥にたいそう見目のよい王子がおります。神の子か王の子か、見当もつきません。近づいて話しかけようとしても近寄らせません。人を見ると、食ってやると言って追い払います」。そう言い立てた。

So the Ministers were sent by the King, who told them to seize and bring him. As the party were going to seize him, he sprang forward, saying that he was going to eat them. At that, the party became afraid, and ran away. Having come running, they told the King, "O Lord, Your Majesty, we cannot seize him. He comes springing at us saying he is going to eat us."

そこで王は大臣たちをやって、捕らえて連れてこいと命じた。一同が捕らえに行くと、王子は食ってやると言って跳びかかってきた。それで一同は怖くなって逃げた。駆け戻って王に告げた。「陛下、捕らえられません。食ってやると言って跳びかかってきます」

Then the King came, bringing his war army. Thereupon the Prince, who before that was angry with the King in his mind, threw a stone in order to kill the King, and struck him. Being struck by the stone, the King's head was wounded (lit. split), so the King and all of them became afraid, and ran away.

そこで王は戦の軍を率いて来た。するとそれまで心のうちで王に怒っていた王子は、王を殺そうと石を投げ、当てた。石に当たって王の頭は傷つき(裂け)、王も一同も怖くなって逃げた。

The King, having returned, wrote letters to foreign countries: "There is a wicked Prince in the midst of the forest in my kingdom. Who he is I cannot find out. Because of it you must come to seize the Prince."

王は帰ってから、他国へ手紙を書いた。「わが国の森の奥に、性の悪い王子がいる。何者かわからぬ。それゆえその王子を捕らえに来られたい」

The Prince having got to know of it, and thinking, "It is not good for me to be killed at the hands of these men; having met with the King I will kill him," went to the royal palace. When he arrived there the King saw him, and asked, "Who are you?"

王子はそれを知って、「この者たちの手にかかって殺されるのはよくない。王に会って殺してやろう」と思い、王宮へ行った。着くと王は王子を見て尋ねた。「そなたは何者か」

The Prince said, "I am a royal Prince; I stay in the midst of this forest."

王子は言った。「わたしは王の子です。この森の奥に住んでおります」

The King said, "Would it be a bad thing if you remained at this palace?"

王は言った。「この宮殿におっては悪いか」

The Prince asked, "What work would there be for me?"

王子は尋ねた。「わたしにはどんな仕事がありますか」

The King said, "Remain and do the work of the First Minister of the Ministers."

王は言った。「ここにいて、大臣のうち第一の大臣の仕事をせよ」

The Prince asked, "How much pay would there be for me for the day?"

王子は尋ねた。「一日にどれほどの給金をいただけますか」

The King replied, "I will give fifty masuran."

王は答えた。「五十マスラン与えよう」

"Fifty masuran are insufficient for me. Will you give me every day in the evening a hundred masuran?" he asked.

「五十マスランでは足りません。毎日夕方に百マスランいただけますか」と尋ねた。

The King said, "It is good," and after that he stayed there. While remaining there he came twice a day and assisted his twelve mothers.

王は「それがよい」と言い、そのあと王子はそこに留まった。そこにいるあいだ、一日に二度、十二人の母たちのところへ行って助けた。

When no long time had gone by, some one was heard crying out in the night near the city. The King told him to look who was crying. The Prince having gone, taking his sword, when he looked, a dead body was hanging in a tree, and a Yaksani was springing up to eat the dead body. Being unable to seize it she was crying out.

さほど久しくないころ、夜に都の近くで誰かが叫んでいるのが聞こえた。王は誰が叫んでいるか見てこいと言った。王子が剣を持って行って見ると、死骸が木に吊るされていて、ヤクサニがその死骸を食おうと跳び上がっていた。捕らえられずに叫んでいたのである。

The Prince went and asked, "What is that for?"

王子は行って尋ねた。「それはどういうことだ」

The Yaksani replied, "My son having gone into the tree cannot descend; because of it I am crying out."

ヤクサニは答えた。「わたくしの息子が木に登って下りられないのです。それで叫んでいるのです」

The Prince said, "Mount on my shoulders and unfasten him."

王子は言った。「わたしの肩に乗って、ほどいてやれ」

The Yaksani having got on his shoulders, as she was about to eat the Prince he chopped at her with his sword. A foot was cut off, and she fled. Taking the foot and returning with it, the Prince showed it to the King. The King having seen the Prince's resoluteness, in order to cause him to be killed said that unless he should bring the other foot he could not take charge of this one.

ヤクサニは王子の肩に乗り、王子を食おうとしたところを、王子は剣で斬りつけた。片足が切り落とされ、ヤクサニは逃げた。その足を取って帰り、王子はそれを王に見せた。王は王子の剛胆さを見て、殺させようと思い、もう一方の足も持ってこなければこれを引き取れぬと言った。

After that, the Prince went to the palace where the Yakas dwelt. There this Yaksani whom he had wounded came, and having made obeisance, fell down and said, "Lord, do not kill me. I will do anything you tell me." Summoning her to accompany him and returning, he showed her to the King.

そのあと王子はヤカーたちの住む宮殿へ行った。そこへ、傷つけたこのヤクサニが来て、頭を下げ、ひれ伏して言った。「旦那さま、殺さないでください。何なりと仰せのとおりにいたします」。王子はヤクサニを連れて帰り、王に見せた。

Afterwards he employed this Yaksani, and caused her to make a city at the place where his mothers were, and having made her construct a palace, he told the Yaksani and his mothers to dwell there.

そのあと王子はこのヤクサニを使って、母たちのいる場所に都を作らせ、宮殿を建てさせて、ヤクサニと母たちにそこに住めと言った。

While they were there the Yaksani said to the Prince, "I know the place where the King's life is. Whatever you should do to the King himself you cannot kill him."

そこにいるあいだ、ヤクサニは王子に言った。「王の命のありかを存じております。王自身に何をなさっても、王を殺すことはできません」

The Prince asked, "Where is it?"

王子は尋ねた。「どこにある」

"It is in a golden parrot in such and such a tree," she said.

「どこそこの木にいる黄金の鸚鵡のなかにございます」と言った。

After that he went there and caught the parrot and killed it. Then the King died.

そのあと王子はそこへ行って鸚鵡を捕らえ、殺した。すると王は死んだ。

After he died, the Prince having set fire to the palace there, and cut down the Yaksani who stayed with the King, left his mothers in charge of the city formed by the maimed Yaksani, and remained ruling the kingdom.

王が死ぬと、王子はそこの宮殿に火をかけ、王とともにいたヤクサニを斬り倒し、足を失ったヤクサニの作った都を母たちに任せて、自らは国を治めつづけた。