The Golden Tree

At a certain city there is a King, it is said; there are three Princes of that King. The King, while sleeping, saw in a dream that a Golden Tree sprang up, and on that Golden Tree a Silver Flower blossomed. A Silver Cock that was sitting on the Silver Flower crowed.

ある都に王がいたという。その王には三人の王子がいる。王は眠っているとき、黄金の木が生えて、その黄金の木に銀の花が咲く夢を見た。その銀の花にとまった銀の雄鶏が鳴いた。

Afterwards the King caused the three Princes to be fetched. When the eldest Prince had been brought he asked him, "Son, can you explain this dream which I have had?"

そのあと王は三人の王子を呼び寄せさせた。長男の王子が連れてこられると、王は尋ねた。「息子よ、わしの見たこの夢を解けるか」

The Prince asked, "What appeared in the dream, Father-King?"

王子は尋ねた。「父なる王よ、夢に何が現れたのですか」

The King said, "A Golden Tree having been created, on it a Silver Flower blossomed, and a Silver Cock crowed while sitting upon the flower."

王は言った。「黄金の木が生えて、その上に銀の花が咲き、その花にとまった銀の雄鶏が鳴いた」

The Prince said, "Ane! Father-King, I cannot interpret it; perhaps my two younger brothers will explain it."

王子は言った。「アネ! 父なる王よ、わたしには解けません。弟たち二人なら解けましょう」

Then the King having caused the next Prince to be fetched, asked him, "Son, can you explain this dream?"

そこで王は次の王子を呼び寄せさせて尋ねた。「息子よ、この夢を解けるか」

The Prince asked, "Father-King, what appeared in the dream?"

王子は尋ねた。「父なる王よ、夢に何が現れたのですか」

The King told him the manner in which the things appeared in the dream.

王は夢に現れたありさまを話した。

The Prince said, "Father-King, I cannot explain it; perhaps younger brother will interpret it."

王子は言った。「父なる王よ、わたしには解けません。弟なら解けましょう」

Then the King having caused the youngest Prince to be brought asked him, "Son, can you explain this dream?"

そこで王は末の王子を連れてこさせて尋ねた。「息子よ、この夢を解けるか」

The Prince asked, "Father-King, what appeared in the dream?"

王子は尋ねた。「父なる王よ、夢に何が現れたのですか」

The King told him the manner in which the things appeared in the dream.

王は夢に現れたありさまを話した。

Then the Prince said, "O Lord, Your Majesty, I will interpret that dream, but I must first go in search of the explanation."

すると王子は言った。「陛下、その夢を解いてご覧に入れます。ですがまずその解き明かしを探しに行かねばなりません」

After that, the three Princes obtained leave of absence for three years. Having got it, the three persons, cooking a bundle of rice, and taking from their father permission to depart, started to go in search of the interpretation. Having gone on and on, they came to a junction of three roads. Having arrived at it, and eaten the bundle of cooked rice, the eldest Prince said, "I will go along this road; you go on those two roads." So the eldest Prince went along one road, the second Prince went along another road, and the youngest Prince went on the remaining road.

そのあと三人の王子は三年の暇を得た。それを得て、三人は飯をひと包み炊き、父から発つ許しを得て、解き明かしを探しに出発した。行きに行って、三つの道の分かれ目に来た。そこに着いて炊いた飯の包みを食べてから、長男の王子が言った。「わたしはこの道を行こう。おまえたちはあの二つの道を行け」。そこで長男は一つの道を、次男はもう一つの道を、末の王子は残りの道を行った。

Having gone on and on, the youngest Prince arrived at the house of a widow woman. The woman said, "Ane! Son, what have you come here for? We have not even firewood for cooking."

行きに行って、末の王子は寡婦の家に着いた。女は言った。「アネ! 息子や、何をしにここへ来たのです。煮炊きの薪さえないのですよ」

The Prince asked, "Why, mother, is that?"

王子は尋ねた。「母さま、それはなぜですか」

The widow woman said, "There is a Yaka in the jungle in which is the firewood. The Yaka has now eaten all the people of this city; few people are now in it."

寡婦は言った。「薪のある藪にヤカーがいるのです。ヤカーはこの都の人々をみな食べてしまって、いまは人がわずかしかいません」

The Prince asked, "How does that Yaka seize the men?"

王子は尋ねた。「そのヤカーはどうやって人を捕らえるのですか」

The widow woman said, "When they go to the jungle and are cutting firewood, he comes saying 'Hu,' and eats them."

寡婦は言った。「藪へ行って薪を切っていると、『フー』と言って来て、食べてしまうのです」

Afterwards the Prince, taking his sword, went to the jungle, and chopped a piece of firewood. The Yaka came, saying "Hu." Then the Prince chopped at the Yaka with that very sword, and the Yaka died there. After that, the Prince, taking a bundle of firewood, returned to the house of the widow woman.

そのあと王子は剣を持って藪へ行き、薪を一本切った。ヤカーが「フー」と言って来た。すると王子はその剣でヤカーを斬りつけ、ヤカーはそこで死んだ。そのあと王子は薪をひと束持って、寡婦の家へ帰った。

The widow woman asked, "Son, did you meet with the Yaka?"

寡婦は尋ねた。「息子や、ヤカーに出会いましたか」

The Prince said, "I met with him; I killed the Yaka."

王子は言った。「出会いました。ヤカーを殺しました」

Then having cooked with the firewood, she gave the Prince to eat.

そこで女はその薪で煮炊きをして、王子に食べさせた。

On the morning of the following day the King went to the jungle, and chopped firewood. That day the Yaka did not come, saying "Hu." Afterwards, through the Yaka's not saying "Hu," the King went to look for him, and saw that the Yaka was dead. So the King returned to the city, and saying, "I must find now, in a moment, the man who killed the Yaka," caused proclamation to be made by beat of tom-toms to that effect.

翌朝、王が藪へ行って薪を切った。その日、ヤカーは「フー」と言って来なかった。そのあと、ヤカーが「フー」と言わないので、王は探しに行き、ヤカーが死んでいるのを見た。そこで王は都へ帰り、「ヤカーを殺した者をいますぐ見つけねばならぬ」と言って、太鼓を打ってその旨の触れを出させた。

Having heard it, this widow woman, summoning the Prince, went to the palace, and told the King that he had killed the Yaka. After that the King asked at the hand of the Prince, "How did you kill the Yaka?"

それを聞いて、この寡婦は王子を連れて宮殿へ行き、この者がヤカーを殺したと王に告げた。そのあと王は王子に尋ねた。「どうやってヤカーを殺したのか」

The Prince said, "I went to the jungle, and while I was chopping firewood the Yaka having come crying "Hu," sprang onto me. Then I speedily chopped at him and killed him." Having heard this, the King gave the Prince a district of that kingdom, and an elephant's load of goods.

王子は言った。「藪へ行って薪を切っておりますと、ヤカーが『フー』と叫んで来て、わたしに跳びかかりました。そこですばやく斬りつけて殺しました」。これを聞いて、王は王子にその国の一郡と、象一頭分の財を与えた。

Afterwards the Prince gave all those things to the widow woman, and having gone away to another city, came to the house of a widow-mother. Having arrived there, the Prince said to her, "Ane! Mother, you must give me a resting-place to-day."

そのあと王子はその品をすべて寡婦に与え、別の都へ行って、寡婦の家に来た。着くと王子は言った。「アネ! 母さま、今日一晩、休む場所をくださいませんか」

The widow-mother said, "I can indeed give you a resting-place, but there is no place to sleep in. You cannot sleep in the veranda; a light falls there during the night, and any person who sees that light dies. Nobody can stop the light. In order to stop it, the King has made public proclamation by beat of tom-toms that to any person who stops it he will give an elephant's load of goods, and a district of the kingdom."

寡婦は言った。「休む場所は差し上げられますが、眠る場所がありません。縁側では眠れません。夜にそこへ光が落ちて、その光を見た者は誰でも死ぬのです。その光を止められる者はおりません。それを止めるために、王は太鼓を打って、止めた者には象一頭分の財と国の一郡を与えると触れ出しておられます」

The Prince asked her, "Mother, where does the light fall first?"

王子は尋ねた。「母さま、その光はまずどこに落ちるのですか」

The widow-mother said, "In an open grass field in the middle of the city."

寡婦は言った。「都の真ん中の開けた草地です」

The Prince then said, "If so, go and tell the King to fix a raised platform at the place where the light falls, and having placed there a winnowing basket made of cow-dung, and a large pot of water, to come away. I will go there to-night and stop it."

すると王子は言った。「それなら王のもとへ行って、光の落ちる場所に高い台を据え、牛糞でこしらえた箕と大きな水壺をそこに置いて、帰ってくるよう申し上げてください。今夜わたしが行って止めましょう」

So the widow-mother went and told the King. After that, the King prepared the things in that very manner, and came away.

そこで寡婦は行って王に告げた。そのあと王はまさにそのとおりに用意して、帰ってきた。

In the evening, the Prince, having eaten food, went onto the platform. Near midnight, while he was there the light fell there. When the Prince looked, the Naga King of the world of the Nagas, having come there, had ejected from his mouth the Cobra Stone, and having gone far away was eating food [as a cobra].

夕方、王子は食事をしてから台に上がった。真夜中近く、そこにいると光がそこに落ちた。王子が見ると、ナーガの世界のナーガ王がそこへ来て、口から蛇の玉を吐き出し、遠くへ行って〔眼鏡蛇の姿で〕食べ物を食べていた。

Then this Prince put the cow-dung winnowing basket on the stone, whereupon the Naga King came crying out to the water-pot, taking it for the person [who had done it]. The Prince then chopped at him with his sword, and the Naga King died. After that, taking the Cobra Stone, the Prince washed it with water from the pot, and put it away in the waist pocket of his cloth.

そこでこの王子は牛糞の箕を玉にかぶせた。するとナーガ王は、〔それをした者〕と思って水壺に向かって叫びながら来た。王子は剣で斬りつけ、ナーガ王は死んだ。そのあと王子は蛇の玉を取り、壺の水で洗って、腰布の懐にしまった。

While he was there it became light. Then the King came to see if he had stopped the light. When he looked he saw that the cobra was lying in a heap. The King asked at the hand of the Prince, "Did you stop the light?" The Prince said, "Look there! The very one that made the light has been killed there." Afterwards the King gave the Prince an elephant's load of goods, and a district of that kingdom.

そこにいるうちに夜が明けた。すると王は、光が止まったか見に来た。見ると眼鏡蛇がとぐろを巻いて倒れていた。王は王子に尋ねた。「光を止めたか」。王子は言った。「ごらんください! その光を出していた当の者がそこで死んでおります」。そのあと王は王子に象一頭分の財と、その国の一郡を与えた。

Afterwards, the Prince having given to the widow woman all the things that had been given to him, went along the path on which the Naga King had come, to the world of the Nagas. When he got there, all the three Princesses of the Naga King whom he had killed were there, sitting in one spot.

そのあと王子は与えられたものをすべて寡婦に与え、ナーガ王が来た道をたどって、ナーガの世界へ行った。着くと、殺したナーガ王の三人の姫がみな、一つ所に坐っていた。

The Princesses said to this Prince, "What have you come for? Should our father the King return now he will eat you."

姫たちはこの王子に言った。「何をしに来たのです。いま父である王が帰ってきたら、あなたを食べてしまいます」

The Prince saying, "Your father the King cannot come. I have come here after killing your father the King," showed them the Cobra Stone.

王子は「あなたがたの父である王は来られません。わたしはあなたがたの父である王を殺してからここへ来たのです」と言って、蛇の玉を見せた。

Then the Princesses asked, "What have you come here for?"

すると姫たちは尋ねた。「何をしにここへ来たのですか」

The Prince said, "I have come on account of a sooth-saying, in order to get it explained."

王子は言った。「ある夢占いのために、それを解き明かしてもらいに来たのです」

The Princesses asked, "What is the sooth?"

姫たちは尋ねた。「どんな占いですか」

The Prince said, "At the time when our father the King was sleeping, a Golden Tree having sprung up, and a Silver Flower having blossomed on it, a Silver Cock which was sitting upon the flower crowed."

王子は言った。「父である王が眠っていたとき、黄金の木が生えて、そこに銀の花が咲き、その花にとまった銀の雄鶏が鳴いたのです」

The three Princesses said, "We cannot explain it here. Let us go to your father the King."

三人の姫は言った。「ここでは解き明かせません。あなたの父である王のもとへ行きましょう」

The Prince said "Ha," and the three Princesses and the Prince set off to come to him.

王子は「よし」と言い、三人の姫と王子は出かけた。

They came to the junction of the three roads at which at first the three Princes separated. Having arrived there they went along the road on which the eldest brother of the Prince had gone, and having met with him the Prince said, "Let us go back, elder brother, these three Princesses will explain the dream"; so they returned. Then they all went along the road on which the next brother had gone, and having found him the Prince said, "Let us go back."

一行は、初めに三人の王子が別れた三つの道の分かれ目に来た。そこに着いて、王子の兄が行った道を進み、兄に会って王子は言った。「兄さん、帰りましょう。この三人の姫が夢を解いてくださいます」。そこで一行は引き返した。それからもう一人の兄が行った道を進み、兄を見つけて王子は言った。「帰りましょう」

Having summoned him to go with them, those three Princes and the three Princesses, six persons, having met together in this manner, came to the Princes' city. Having arrived there, this youngest Prince caused their father the King to be called. So the King came to them.

その兄も呼んでいっしょに行き、三人の王子と三人の姫、六人がこうして集まって、王子たちの都へ来た。着くと、この末の王子は父である王を呼ばせた。そこで王が二人のもとへ来た。

Then these three Princesses who had come from the world of the Nagas said to this youngest Prince, "Cause us three persons to stand at the thread" (that is, to toe the line). So this Prince caused them to stand at the thread.

するとナーガの世界から来たこの三人の姫は、この末の王子に言った。「わたしたち三人を糸の上に立たせてください」(つまり一線に並ばせてください)。そこでこの王子は三人を糸の上に立たせた。

Then the three Princesses said, "Cut off our three heads at one stroke." So this youngest Prince cut off their three heads at one stroke. Thereupon the Golden Tree was created, and the Silver Flower having blossomed on it, the Silver Cock that was sitting on the top of the flower crowed.

すると三人の姫は言った。「ひと打ちでわたしたち三人の首を斬り落としてください」。そこでこの末の王子はひと打ちで三人の首を斬り落とした。すると黄金の木が生じ、その上に銀の花が咲き、花の上にとまった銀の雄鶏が鳴いた。

Then this youngest Prince chopped down the Golden Tree with his sword, and the three Princesses came to life again. Having come to life, the three Princesses asked at the hand of the King, the father of the Princes, "Was it thus in the dream that appeared to you?" The King said "Yes." Then the three Princesses told him that they were the Golden Tree, and the Silver Flower, and the Silver Cock.

そこでこの末の王子は剣で黄金の木を斬り倒し、三人の姫はまた生き返った。生き返ると、三人の姫は王子たちの父である王に尋ねた。「あなたの見た夢はこのようでしたか」。王は「そうだ」と言った。すると三人の姫は、自分たちが黄金の木であり、銀の花であり、銀の雄鶏なのだと告げた。

After that, the three Princesses, having been married to the three Princes, remained there.

そのあと三人の姫は三人の王子に娶られて、そこで暮らした。