The Kinnara and the Parrots

In a large forest there is a great Banyan tree. In that tree many Parrots roost. While they were doing so, one day, having seen a Crow flying near, a Parrot spoke to the other Parrots, and said, "Bolawu, [84] do not ye ever give a resting-place to this flying animal," he said.

大きな森に大きな榕樹がある。その木に鸚鵡がたくさんねぐらを取っている。そうしているうちに、ある日、烏が近くを飛ぶのを見て、一羽の鸚鵡がほかの鸚鵡たちに言った。「ボラウ [84]、この飛ぶ獣にはけっして休み場所を与えてはならぬ」と言った。

While they were there many days after he said it, one day, as a great rain was falling at night, on that day the flying Crow, saying, "Ka, Ka," came and settled on the tree near those Parrots.

それから幾日かたったある日、夜に大雨が降り、その日、飛んでいた烏が「カー、カー」と鳴きながら来て、鸚鵡たちの近くの木にとまった。

That night one Parrot out of the flock of Parrots was unable to come because of that day's rain. Having seen that this Crow was roosting on the tree, all the Parrots, surrounding and pecking and pecking the Crow, drove it out in the rain.

その夜、鸚鵡の群れのうち一羽が、その日の雨のせいで帰ってこられなかった。この烏が木にねぐらを取っているのを見て、鸚鵡たちはみな烏を取り囲み、つつきにつついて、雨のなかへ追い出した。

Again, saying, "Ka, Ka," having returned it roosts in the same tree. As the Parrots getting soaked and soaked were driving off the Crow in this way, an old Parrot, sitting down, says, "What is it doing? Because it cannot go and come in this rain it is trying [85] to roost here. What [harm] will it do if it be here this little time in our company?" thus this old Parrot said. So the other Parrots allowed it to be there, without driving away the Crow.

烏はまた「カー、カー」と鳴いて戻ってきて、同じ木にねぐらを取る。鸚鵡たちが濡れに濡れながらそうやって烏を追い払っていると、年老いた鸚鵡が坐ったまま言う。「何をしているのだ。この雨では行き来できないから、ここにねぐらを取ろうとしている [85] のだ。このわずかな間、われらの仲間にいたとて何の害があろう」と、この年老いた鸚鵡は言った。そこでほかの鸚鵡たちも烏を追い払わずに、そこにいさせた。

While it was there, the Crow in the night left excreta, and in the morning went away. At the place where the excreta fell a tree sprang up [from a seed that was in them]; it became very large.

そこにいるあいだに、烏は夜のうちに糞を落とし、朝に去っていった。糞の落ちた場所に、〔そのなかの種から〕木が生えて、たいそう大きくなった。

As it was thus, one day as Kinnaras were going near that [Crows'] village, having seen that another tree was near the tree in which the Parrots roosted, the Kinnaras spoke with each other, "In these days cannot we catch the Parrots that are in this tree?" they said.

そうしているうちに、ある日、キンナラたちがその〔烏の〕村の近くを通りかかり、鸚鵡のねぐらを取る木の近くにもう一本木があるのを見て、たがいに語り合った。「このごろなら、この木にいる鸚鵡を捕まえられるのではないか」と言った。

Before that, the Kinnaras were unable to catch the Parrots in the tree. There was then only that tree in which the Parrots roosted. When the Kinnaras were going along the tree to catch the Parrots, the Parrots got to know [owing to the shaking of the tree], so all the Parrots flew away. Because of that they were unable to catch the Parrots.

それまでキンナラたちは、その木の鸚鵡を捕まえられずにいた。そのころは鸚鵡のねぐらを取る木しかなかったのである。キンナラたちが鸚鵡を捕まえようとその木を伝っていくと、〔木が揺れるので〕鸚鵡たちは気づいて、みな飛び去ってしまう。それで鸚鵡を捕まえられなかったのである。

The Kinnaras having [now] gone along the tree which had grown up through the Crow's dropping the seed under the tree, easily placed the net [over the Parrots' tree]. All the Parrots having come in the evening had settled in the tree. Having settled down, and a little time having gone, after they looked, all the Parrots being folded in the net were enclosed. The Parrots tried to go; they could not.

キンナラたちは〔いまや〕、烏が木の下に種を落として生えた木を伝っていって、たやすく〔鸚鵡の木に〕網をかけた。鸚鵡たちはみな夕方に帰ってきて木にとまった。とまってしばらくして、見てみると、鸚鵡はみな網に包まれて閉じ込められていた。鸚鵡たちは行こうとしたが、できなかった。

While they were under the net in that way, the Parrot Chief says to the other Parrots, "How has another tree grown up under this tree that we live in?" thus the Parrot Chief asked the other Parrots. "At a time when I was not here did ye give a resting-place to any one else?"

そうやって網の下にいるあいだに、鸚鵡の長がほかの鸚鵡たちに言う。「われらの棲むこの木の下に、なぜもう一本木が生えたのだ」と鸚鵡の長はほかの鸚鵡たちに尋ねた。「わたしのいないあいだに、誰かに休み場所を与えたのか」

Then the Parrots say, "One day when it was raining at night, a Crow having come and stayed here, went away," they said.

すると鸚鵡たちは言う。「ある日、夜に雨が降っていたとき、烏が来てここにいて、去っていきました」と言った。

Then the Parrot Chief says, "I told you that very thing, 'Don't give a resting-place to any one whatsoever.' Now we all have become appointed to death. To-morrow morning the Kinnaras having come and broken our wings, seizing us all will go away."

すると鸚鵡の長は言う。「わたしはまさにそれを言ったのだ、『誰であろうと休み場所を与えるな』と。いまやわれらはみな死を定められた。明日の朝、キンナラたちが来てわれらの翼を折り、みなを捕らえて去っていくだろう」

When a little time had gone, the Parrot Chief [again] spoke to the Parrots, and said, "I will tell you a trick. Should you act in that way the whole of us can escape," the Parrot Chief said. "When the Kinnaras come near the tree, all of you, tightly shutting your eyes and mouths, be as though dead, without even flapping your wings. Then the Kinnaras, thinking we are dead, having freed us one by one from the net, when they are throwing us down on the ground, and have taken and placed all there, fly away after they have thrown down the last one on the ground," he said.

しばらくして、鸚鵡の長は〔また〕鸚鵡たちに言った。「一つ策を教えよう。そのとおりにすれば、われらみな逃れられる」と鸚鵡の長は言った。「キンナラたちが木の近くへ来たら、みな目と口をきつく閉じて、翼も動かさず、死んだようにしていろ。そうすればキンナラたちは、われらが死んだと思って、一羽ずつ網から外し、地面に投げ落とし、みな落としてしまい、最後の一羽を地面に落としたら飛び去るだろう」と言った。

"That is good," they said.

「それがよい」と鸚鵡たちは言った。

While they were there, a Kinnara, tying a large bag at his waist, having come to the bottom of the tree, says, "Every day [before], I couldn't [catch] ye. To-day ye are caught in my net."

そこにいると、キンナラが一人、大きな袋を腰に結わえて木の下に来て言う。「〔これまでは〕毎日、おまえたちを〔捕まえ〕られなかった。今日はわしの網にかかったぞ」

Having ascended the tree, as he was going [along it] the Kinnara says, "What is this, Bola? Are these dead without any uncanny sound?" Having climbed onto the tree, after he looked [he saw that] a part having hung neck downwards, a part on the branches, a part in the net, they were as though dead.

木に登って〔木を伝って〕いきながらキンナラは言う。「これはどうしたことだ、ボラ? こいつらは不気味な音も立てずに死んでいるのか?」 木に登って見ると、あるものは首を下に垂らし、あるものは枝の上で、あるものは網のなかで、死んだようになっていた。

Then the Kinnara saying, "Ada! Tell ye the Gods! Yesterday having climbed the tree I had no trouble in spreading the net; to-day having come to the tree I have no trouble in releasing the net. Ada! May the Gods be witnesses of the event that has occurred! What am I to do with these dead bodies!" and freeing and freeing each one from the net, threw it down on the ground.

するとキンナラは言った。「アダ! 神々に申せ! 昨日は木に登って網を張るのに何の苦もなかった。今日は木に来て網を外すのに何の苦もない。アダ! 起きたことの証人になってくださるよう、神々に願う! この死骸どもをどうしたものか!」 そして一羽ずつ網から外しては地面に投げ落とした。

As he threw them to the ground he said "One" at the first one that he threw to the ground, and having taken the account [of them], after all had fallen, at the time when the Kinnara, freeing the net, was coming descending from the tree, the whole flock of Parrots went flying away.

地面に投げ落としながら、最初の一羽を落とすときに「一つ」と言って数を〔取った〕。そしてみな落ちてしまい、キンナラが網を外して木を下りてくるとき、鸚鵡の群れはこぞって飛び去ってしまった。