Concerning a Monk and a Yaka

A monk, tying a Yaka [by magical spells] gets work from him. For seven years he got work. Then the time having come for the Yaka to go, the Yaka every day having gone near the monk says, "Monk, tell me a work [to do]."

ある僧が〔呪文で〕ヤカー(鬼神)を縛って、働かせていた。七年のあいだ働かせた。やがてヤカーの去る時が来て、ヤカーは毎日、僧のところへ来ては言う。「僧よ、わたしに仕事を言いつけてくれ」

The monk said one day, "In Galgamuwa tank there will be seven islands. Having gone there and planed them down, come back." After that, the Yaka having gone and planed the tank, and having very quickly come, said at the hand of the monk, "Monk, tell me a work."

ある日、僧は言った。「ガルガムワの溜池に島が七つある。そこへ行って削り平らげて帰ってこい」。するとヤカーは行って溜池を削り、たちまち戻ってきて、僧に向かって言った。「僧よ、仕事を言いつけてくれ」

Then the monk said, "Having cut a well of seven fathoms, and having cut a Damunu [147] tree, and removed the splinters, and put it down to the bottom of a well, and tied a creeper noose to the Damunu stick, you are to draw it up [from inside the well] to the ground."

そこで僧は言った。「七尋の井戸を掘れ。それからダムヌ [147] の木を切って、ささくれを取り除き、井戸の底に入れて、そのダムヌの棒に蔓の輪を結びつけ、〔井戸のなかから〕地上へ引き上げるのだ」

Afterwards the Yaka having cut a well of seven fathoms, and cut a Damunu tree, and removed the bark from it, and tied a creeper noose to it, and put the Damunu stick to the bottom of the well, the Yaka sitting on the ground holding the creeper noose tried to draw it out. He could not draw it. When he was drawing it, because there was slime on the Damunu stick he was unable to draw it out.

そこでヤカーは七尋の井戸を掘り、ダムヌの木を切って皮を剥ぎ、蔓の輪を結びつけ、そのダムヌの棒を井戸の底に入れ、地上に坐って蔓の輪を握り、引き上げようとした。だが引き上げられない。引こうとしても、ダムヌの棒には粘りがあって、引き上げることができなかった。

On account of the time during which the Yaka had been delayed near the well, the monk being afraid of the Yaka, the monk went backwards and backwards for three gawwas (twelve miles). The Yaka having pushed against the monk for so much time, and having got a bill-hook also, on the road he drove him (the monk) away. Having gone there [afterwards] to kill the monk, he met with the monk. After that, the Yaka threw the bill-hook, so that having cut the monk with it he would die. After he had thrown it, the bill-hook was behind, [148] and the monk was in front [of it]. On account of that, the name [of the place] there became Kaettaepahuwa [a village twenty-one miles from Kurunaegala, on the road to Anuradhapura].

ヤカーが井戸のそばで手間取っているあいだに、僧はヤカーを恐れて、うしろへうしろへと三ガッワ(十二マイル)も退いた。ヤカーはそれだけの時を僧に押しかかり、鉈をも手に入れて、道で僧を追い立てた。そして〔そのあと〕僧を殺しにそこへ行って、僧に出会った。そこでヤカーは、それで僧を斬って死なせようと、鉈を投げた。投げると、鉈はうしろに [148]、僧は〔その〕前にいた。そのために、そこの〔地の〕名はカエッタエパフワとなった〔クルナエガラからアヌラーダプラへの道にある、二十一マイル離れた村〕。