The Seven Princesses

In a certain country there are a King and a Queen, it is said; there are seven Princesses [the daughters] of the King. A Prince younger than those seven is born.

ある国に王と后がいたという。王には七人の姫〔娘〕がある。その七人より年下の王子が生まれた。

The King went to a war, and having gone there the King was defeated in the war. When he returned, the royal food was not made ready for the King. Having arrived, he asked the Queen, "Why did you not prepare the royal food for me?"

王は戦に出かけ、行って戦に敗れた。帰ってくると、王の食事が用意されていなかった。着いて后に尋ねた。「なぜわしの食事を用意しなかったのだ」

Then the Queen said, "I cannot bring up your children, and prepare the royal food for you also."

すると后は言った。「あなたの子どもたちを育てながら、あなたの食事まで用意することはできません」

The King asked, "Why? What have the Princesses done?"

王は尋ねた。「なぜだ。姫たちが何をした」

The Queen replied, "They go to the river, and after bathing there come back and rub oil on their heads, and comb their hair, [instead of assisting me to prepare the food]."

后は答えた。「あの子たちは川へ行って、水を浴びてから帰ってきて、頭に油を塗って髪を梳かすのです〔食事の支度を手伝いもせずに〕」

On account of that the King settled to behead the seven royal Princesses next day.

それで王は、翌日、七人の王の姫の首を刎ねると決めた。

The Queen having cooked a bundle of rice and given it to those seven said, "Go to any place you like, or the King will behead you to-morrow."

后は飯をひと包み炊いてその七人に渡し、こう言った。「どこへでも好きなところへお行きなさい。でなければ明日、王が首を刎ねます」

After that, they went off to the river, and after sitting there and eating the bundle of rice, the seven went away.

そのあと七人は川へ行き、そこに坐って飯の包みを食べてから、去っていった。

Having gone on and on, they went to the house of a Rakshasa. When they got there the Rakshasa was not at home. The seven persons asked for and obtained a resting place from the Rakshasi (female Rakshasa). Then the youngest Princess said, "We have no food; give us something to cook." So the Rakshasi gave them a little paddy.

行きに行って、ラクシャサ(羅刹)の家へ行った。着くとラクシャサは留守だった。七人はラクシャシー(女の羅刹)に宿を乞うて得た。すると末の姫が言った。「食べ物がありません。煮炊きするものをください」。そこでラクシャシーは籾を少し渡した。

The youngest Princess, taking the paddy, said to the other six Princesses, "Elder sisters, come and pound this small quantity of paddy." The six persons refused.

末の姫は籾を取って、ほかの六人の姫に言った。「姉さまがた、来てこの少しの籾を搗いてください」。六人は断った。

After that, the Princess having pounded it, when she went out to winnow it saw that there was a heap of human bones behind the house. The Princess bearing that in mind winnowed it, and returned without speaking about them. Then she called the Princesses to come and cook it; they did not come.

そのあと姫がそれを搗いて、箕にかけに外へ出ると、家の裏に人の骨の山があるのが見えた。姫はそれを心に留めて箕にかけ、そのことを口にせずに戻った。それから姫たちに来て煮炊きしてくれと言ったが、来なかった。

Afterwards the Princess having cooked, summoned those six persons to eat the rice. The six persons refused. Thereupon the Princess fed the six Princesses [by dividing the rice and giving each one her share of it].

そのあと姫は煮炊きをして、その六人を飯を食べに呼んだ。六人は断った。そこで姫は六人の姫に〔飯を分けて、めいめいの分を渡して〕食べさせた。

Now, in the evening the seven Princesses went to sleep. There were seven girls at the house, the daughters of the Rakshasa, and the seven wore white clothes. The seven Princesses wore blue clothes. Then the youngest Princess having awoke in the night, took the seven white cloths of the seven Rakshasa girls, and put them on the Princesses, placing the dark cloths of the Princesses on the girls.

さて夕方、七人の姫は眠りについた。その家にはラクシャサの娘である七人の娘がいて、七人は白い着物を着ていた。七人の姫は青い着物を着ていた。すると末の姫は夜に目を覚まし、七人のラクシャサの娘の白い布を七枚取って姫たちに着せ、姫たちの暗い色の布を娘たちに置いた。

The Rakshasa having returned during the night, and having learnt from his wife of the arrival of the Princesses, put one of the girls out of those who wore the dark cloths, in a large cooking-pot, and having boiled her the Rakshasa ate his own daughter.

ラクシャサは夜のうちに帰ってきて、妻から姫たちが来たと聞いて、暗い色の布を着た者のなかから娘を一人取って大鍋に入れ、煮て、ラクシャサは自分の娘を食べた。

After seeing this, when the Rakshasa had gone to sleep, the little Princess, awaking those six Princesses, told them about it, and all the Princesses escaped together during the night. Having come to a river they remained there lying on a sandbank.

それを見て、ラクシャサが眠ってから、小さな姫は六人の姫を起こしてそのことを告げ、姫たちはみな夜のうちに逃げ出した。川に来て、砂州に横たわってそこにいた。

A King having come that way while they were there, asked, "Are you Yakas or human beings?"

そこにいると、ある王がその道を通りかかって尋ねた。「おまえたちはヤカーか人間か」

The Princesses asked, "Is it a Yaka or a human being who asks?"

姫たちは尋ねた。「尋ねているのはヤカーですか、人間ですか」

The King replied, "It is indeed a human being who asks, not a Yaka."

王は答えた。「尋ねているのはまことに人間だ、ヤカーではない」

Then the Princesses said, "We indeed are human beings, not Yakas," [and they told him how they had escaped from the house of the Rakshasa and had come there].

すると姫たちは言った。「わたくしたちもまことに人間です、ヤカーではありません」〔そしてラクシャサの家からどうやって逃げてここへ来たかを話した〕。

On hearing this the King said, "Can you go with me?"

それを聞いて王は言った。「わしといっしょに来られるか」

The Princesses having said, "We can," went with the King to his palace, and became his Queens. [94]

姫たちは「参れます」と言って、王とともにその宮殿へ行き、その后となった。 [94]

On the night of the following day, a daughter of the Rakshasa, having heard how the King had taken away the Princesses, came there, and remained lying on the sandbank.

翌日の夜、ラクシャサの娘が、王が姫たちを連れ去ったと聞いて、そこへ来て、砂州に横たわっていた。

On the next day, also, the King having come that way asked, "Are you a Yaka or a human being?"

翌日もまた、王がその道を通りかかって尋ねた。「おまえはヤカーか人間か」

The Rakshasa's daughter said, "Is it a Yaka or a human being who asks?"

ラクシャサの娘は言った。「尋ねているのはヤカーですか、人間ですか」

The King replied, "It is indeed a human being who asks, not a Yaka."

王は答えた。「尋ねているのはまことに人間だ、ヤカーではない」

The Rakshasa's daughter said, "I also am indeed a human being, not a Yaka."

ラクシャサの娘は言った。「わたくしもまことに人間です、ヤカーではありません」

Then the King said, "If so, can you go with me?"

すると王は言った。「それなら、わしといっしょに来られるか」

The Rakshasi having said, "I can," went with the King to the palace, [and also became his wife.]

ラクシャシーは「参れます」と言って、王とともに宮殿へ行き、〔やはりその妻となった〕。

After a long time had gone by, all those seven Princesses were about to have children. One night, when the Princesses were asleep, the Rakshasi plucked out the eyes of the seven Princesses by magic, without awaking them, and having done so hid all the eyes. Then when the seven Princesses, having arisen, tried to go about, they were unable to go; they found that they could not see, so they lay down again.

長い時がたって、あの七人の姫はみな子を産もうとしていた。ある夜、姫たちが眠っていると、ラクシャシーは術によって、目を覚まさせずに七人の姫の目をえぐり出し、その目をすっかり隠した。すると七人の姫は起き上がって歩こうとしたが、歩けなかった。目が見えないとわかって、また横になった。

Afterwards the King came to awake them. "Why are you sleeping yet?" he said.

そのあと王が起こしに来た。「なぜまだ眠っているのだ」と言った。

The seven Princesses replied, "We are unable to get up; we have no eyes."

七人の姫は答えた。「起き上がれません。目がないのです」

The King asked, "How have your eyes become displaced?"

王は尋ねた。「どうして目がなくなったのだ」

The seven Princesses said, "What has happened we do not know; they have been plucked out while we were asleep."

七人の姫は言った。「何が起きたのかわかりません。眠っているあいだにえぐり出されたのです」

Afterwards the King having said, "If so, go where you like," drove them away. The King allowed only the Rakshasi to stay.

そのあと王は「それなら、好きなところへ行け」と言って追い出した。王はラクシャシーだけを留めた。

The seven Princesses, having gone on and on, and having fallen down at a pool, gave birth to seven Princes there. Now, there was no food for the seven, so having cut up the Prince of the eldest Princess, and divided the body into seven parts, they ate for a day. On the next day, having cut up the next Princess's Prince and divided the body, they ate it. Thus, in that manner they ate the six Princes of the six persons.

七人の姫は行きに行って、ある池のほとりに倒れ込み、そこで七人の王子を産んだ。さて七人には食べ物がなかったので、長女の姫の王子を切り刻んで、その体を七つに分けて、一日食べた。翌日、次の姫の王子を切り刻んで体を分けて食べた。こうしてそのようにして六人の六人の王子を食べた。

On the next day they settled to cut up the Prince of the youngest Princess. Then the youngest Princess, on each of the days having put away her portions of flesh, said, "You shall not cut up my Prince. Look, here is your flesh," she said, and gave them the six portions of flesh. The six persons ate them.

翌日、末の姫の王子を切り刻むことに決まった。すると末の姫は、どの日にも自分の肉の分け前を取っておいていたので、こう言った。「わたしの王子を切り刻んではなりません。ごらんなさい、これがあなたがたの肉です」と言って、六つ分の肉を渡した。六人はそれを食べた。

[The narrator did not state how they subsisted after that.]

〔語り手は、そのあと七人がどうやって暮らしたかは語らなかった。〕

While this youngest Princess was rearing that Prince there, after the Prince went to the chena jungle one day, he met with a Vaedda. The Vaedda said, "Let us go together to the King's city." [95] The Prince said "Ha," and went with him. There the King saw him, and being pleased with him gave him food and the like. The Prince having eaten, after he had come again to the pool the Prince's mother asked, "Where did you go?"

この末の姫がそこでその王子を育てているうちに、ある日、王子が焼畑の藪へ行くと、ヴァエッダに出会った。ヴァエッダは言った。「いっしょに王の都へ行こう」 [95]。王子は「よし」と言って、いっしょに行った。そこで王が王子を見て、気に入って食べ物などを与えた。王子は食べてから、また池へ帰ってくると、王子の母が尋ねた。「どこへ行っていたのです」

The Prince said, "I went to the King's city."

王子は言った。「王の都へ行っていました」

His mother asked, "What did you go for?"

母は尋ねた。「何をしに行ったのです」

The Prince replied, "I went 'simply'" (that is, for no special purpose).

王子は答えた。「『そのまま』行っただけです」(つまり格別の用があったのではない)。

The Princess having said, "Aha!" while she was still there the Prince said, "I am going to the forge."

姫が「なるほど!」と言って、そこにいると、王子は言った。「鍛冶場へ行ってきます」

Having gone to the forge he said to the smith, "Make and give me a bow and an arrow." The smith said, "Cut a stick and come with it." So the Prince went to the chena jungle to cut a stick. There was no suitable stick, but a golden shoot had fallen down there, and having taken it he gave it to the smith. The smith said, "This is not good; bring another stick," so the Prince went and brought another stick. The smith made a good bow and arrow out of the stick, and gave them to him.

鍛冶場へ行って、鍛冶屋に言った。「弓と矢をこしらえてください」。鍛冶屋は言った。「棒を切って持ってこい」。そこで王子は棒を切りに焼畑の藪へ行った。ちょうどよい棒はなかったが、金の若枝がそこに落ちていたので、それを取って鍛冶屋に渡した。鍛冶屋は「これはよくない。別の棒を持ってこい」と言い、王子は行って別の棒を持ってきた。鍛冶屋はその棒からよい弓と矢をこしらえて渡した。

Then the Prince having taken the bow and arrow, and shot a deer, carried it to the city. After he had gone there they gave him paddy, rice, flesh, and cooking-pots, and the like for it. Then the Prince having taken them to the pool where the Princesses were, gave them to his mother the Queen. Afterwards he shot a deer every day, and having taken it to the city carried back to the Princesses the things that he received for it.

そして王子は弓と矢を取って鹿を射て、それを都へ運んだ。行くと、その代わりに籾や米や肉や煮炊きの鍋などをもらった。そして王子はそれを姫たちのいる池へ運んで、母である后に渡した。そのあと毎日鹿を射て、都へ運んで、その代わりにもらったものを姫たちに持ち帰った。

One day having shot a deer, as he was about to take it to the city the Prince's mother told him to carry it to the palace. While he was there the Rakshasi saw him, and having made inquiry got to know that he was the son of the youngest Princess. So she said to him, "Take a letter to our house for me," and gave it to him.

ある日、鹿を射て都へ運ぼうとすると、王子の母は宮殿へ運べと言った。そこにいるとラクシャシーが王子を見て、尋ねてみて、末の姫の息子だと知った。そこで王子に言った。「わたしの家へ手紙を持っていってくれ」と言って、それを渡した。

As the Prince was going that day taking the letter, it became night, so he went to a city, and asked a widow woman for a resting-place for the night. The woman of the house said, "Ane! What have you come to this city for? A Yaka has eaten all who were in this city. To-night he will be coming for my daughter."

その日、王子が手紙を持って行くうちに夜になったので、ある都へ行って、寡婦に一夜の宿を乞うた。家の女は言った。「アネ! 何をしにこの都へおいでになったのです。ヤカーがこの都の者をみな食べてしまいました。今夜はわたしの娘を取りに来るのです」

The Prince asked, "How will the Yaka come?"

王子は尋ねた。「ヤカーはどうやって来るのですか」

The woman said, "Four miles away he says, 'Hu'; then a mile away he says, 'Hu'; and having come from there near the stile at the road, he says, 'Hu'."

女は言った。「四マイル離れたところで『フー』と言い、それから一マイル離れたところで『フー』と言い、そこから道の踏み越し段のそばまで来て『フー』と言うのです」

The Prince asked, "Are there Kaekuna [96] seeds here?"

王子は尋ねた。「ここにカエクナ [96] の種はありますか」

The daughter said, "There are," and she gave him a sackful of them.

娘は「あります」と言って、袋にいっぱい渡した。

Then he told the daughter, whose father had been the King of the city, not to be afraid. "If the Yaka should come I will kill him," he said. So the Prince went to sleep, placing a sword that he had brought at his side, and laying his head on the waist pocket of the Princess.

そして王子は、父がその都の王だったというその娘に、恐れるなと言った。「ヤカーが来たらわたしが殺しましょう」と言った。そして持ってきた剣をわきに置き、姫の腰布の懐に頭を載せて眠った。

Afterwards the Yaka cried "Hu," when four miles away, and tears fell from the eyes of the Princess on the breast of the Prince when she heard it. Next, the Yaka cried "Hu," when a mile away. The Princess having spoken words to him on hearing it, he arose. "What is it?" he asked. The Princess said, "The Yaka is coming." Then the Prince emptied the sack of Kaekuna seeds at the door, and took up his sword.

そのあとヤカーが四マイル離れたところで「フー」と叫び、それを聞いて姫の目から涙が王子の胸に落ちた。次にヤカーが一マイル離れたところで「フー」と叫んだ。それを聞いて姫が言葉をかけると、王子は起き上がった。「どうした」と尋ねた。姫は言った。「ヤカーが来ます」。すると王子はカエクナの種の袋を戸口にあけ、剣を取った。

As the Yaka, having come, was springing into the doorway, he slipped on the seeds, and fell. Thereupon the Prince cut and killed the Yaka with his sword, and having put his body in a well which was there, covered it up with earth.

ヤカーが来て戸口へ跳び込もうとすると、種に足をすべらせて倒れた。そこで王子は剣でヤカーを斬って殺し、その死骸をそこにあった井戸に入れて、土をかぶせた。

After the Prince had told the Princess about himself and the seven Princesses, he said, "I must go now."

王子が姫に、自分のことと七人の姫のことを話してから、こう言った。「もう行かねばなりません」

The Princess asked him, "What else is there in your hands?"

姫は尋ねた。「手にお持ちのそれは何ですか」

The Prince replied, "There is a letter which the Queen has ordered me to take to her home."

王子は答えた。「后さまが家へ持っていけとおっしゃった手紙です」

The Princess having said, "Where is it? Let me look at it," took it, and when she looked at it there was written in it, "Mother, eat the Prince who brings this letter, and eat the eyes of those seven persons."

姫は「どこですか。見せてください」と言って受け取り、見てみると、こう書いてあった。「母上、この手紙を持ってきた王子を食べ、あの七人の目も食べてください」

Then the Princess having torn up the letter, wrote another letter, "Mother, having taken care of the Prince who brings this letter, send medicine for the eyes of those seven persons." Having written it she gave it into the hands of the Prince.

すると姫はその手紙を破って、別の手紙を書いた。「母上、この手紙を持ってきた王子を大事にして、あの七人の目のための薬を持たせてください」。そう書いて王子の手に渡した。

The Prince carrying the letter, and having taken a bundle of cooked rice to eat on the way, went to the house of the Rakshasi. As he was coming near the house he saw a Rakshasi sitting at the road. When she saw him she said, "The flesh of that one who is coming is for me."

王子は手紙を持ち、道中で食べる炊いた飯の包みを持って、ラクシャシーの家へ行った。家の近くへ来ると、道にラクシャシーが坐っているのが見えた。ラクシャシーは王子を見て言った。「あそこへ来る者の肉はわたしのものだ」

The Prince asked, "What art thou saying?" and gave the letter to the Rakshasi, and asked for the medicine for the eyes. After reading the letter the Rakshasi prepared abundant food for him, and gave him lodgings that day.

王子は「何を言っている」と尋ねて、手紙をラクシャシーに渡し、目のための薬をくれと言った。手紙を読んでから、ラクシャシーは王子のためにたっぷり食べ物を用意し、その日の宿も与えた。

Next day, showing him a tree, she said, "After you have rubbed the juice of this tree on the eyes of the persons who are blind, their eyes will become well."

翌日、ある木を見せて言った。「この木の汁を、目の見えない者の目に塗れば、目は治ります」

The Prince said, "If so, tie a little of it in a packet and give me it." So the Rakshasi having tied up a packet of it gave him it.

王子は言った。「それなら、少し包んでください」。そこでラクシャシーはそれをひと包み縛って渡した。

Then the Prince having taken it back, rubbed it on the eyes of those seven persons, and their eyes became well.

そして王子はそれを持ち帰って、あの七人の目に塗り、七人の目は治った。

Afterwards, the Prince having gone with them to the city where he killed the Yaka, married the Princess, and remained there.

そのあと王子は七人を連れて、ヤカーを殺したあの都へ行き、姫を娶って、そこで暮らした。