Tane--the Creation of Nature

“The godpower of Tane lifted his father Rangi high above the mountains--oh, high above the mountains, clad in snow he lifted him with the help of the gods who dwelled above the earth.

「ターネの神の力が、父ランギを山々のはるか上へ持ち上げた——おお、雪をまとった山々のはるか上へ。地の上に住む神々の助けを得て持ち上げたのだ。

Ah, bare now was Rangi and naked--oh, he was beautiful and vast, but lonely and bare, and Tane adorned him with the stars; oh, then was Rangi very beautiful indeed!

ああ、いまランギはむき出しで裸だった——おお、美しく広大だったが、孤独でむき出しだった。そこでターネは星々でこれを飾った。おお、そのときランギはまことにたいそう美しかった!

From his great work Tane was resting upon earth while his eyes were wandering over his mother, and his heart grew sad again, for he beheld that she lay naked under the eyes of Rangi and the gods.

その大仕事を終えてターネが地の上で休み、目を母の上にさまよわせていると、その胸はまた悲しくなった。母がランギと神々の目の下に裸で横たわっているのを見たからである。

Ah, his love for his mother was great, and he pressed his head to her bosom and spoke: “Oh, mother, I will not that you sorrow any more over your nakedness for I will adorn you with great beauty; do not sorrow any longer, oh mother, Papa.”

ああ、母への愛は大きかった。そしてターネは母の胸に頭を押しあててこう言った。「おお母よ、もうあなたが裸であることを悲しんでほしくありません。わたしがあなたを大いなる美しさで飾りましょう。もう悲しまないでください、おお母、パパよ。」

Thereupon he went into the Great Distance, and became the father of the lakes, the Water of the Many Faces; and many of these glittering faces he distributed over Papa. Faces, smiling at Rangi by day, and blushing up to him at every new morning--look my good friend, how the Moana-Rarapa is reflecting the beauty of Mahiku-rangi whilst Rangi is laughing down upon Papa out of his Eye of Day: ah, are they not lovers?

そう言って大いなる遠方へ行き、湖の父、すなわち多くの顔を持つ水の父となった。そしてこのきらめく顔の多くをパパの上に配った。昼にはランギに微笑み、新しい朝ごとにランギに向かって頬を染める顔である。見よ、よき友よ、ランギがその昼の目からパパを見下ろして笑っているあいだ、モアナ・ララパがマヒク・ランギの美しさをどう映しているかを。ああ、あの二人は恋人ではないか?

But again Tane wandered into the Great Distance, till he found the Gentle Noise of Air; and taking her to wife, he founded the family of the Multitude of Trees. Their sons were the Totara-tree, the Manuka, the Rimu, and the Kauri-tree: ah, look at the tree under which we are resting; see the majestic beauty of the Kauri, the child of Tane! And their daughters were the Kahiku, and the creeper and the vines.

けれどもターネはまた大いなる遠方へさまよい、とうとう「風のやさしい音」を見つけた。そしてこれを妻に迎え、「木々の群れ」の一族を興した。その息子たちはトタラの木、マヌカ、リム、そしてカウリの木であった。ああ、われらが休んでいるこの木を見よ。カウリの堂々たる美しさを、ターネの子を見よ! そしてその娘たちはカヒクと、蔓草と葡萄蔓であった。

Whilst the Multitude of Trees were growing up into maturity, Tane rested not till he found the two sisters, the Wanderer in the Sky, and the Wanderer in the Brook, and they gave him his children, the birds.

木々の群れが育って熟すあいだ、ターネは休まず、とうとう二人の姉妹、「空をさすらう者」と「小川をさすらう者」を見つけた。そして二人はターネに子らを、すなわち鳥たちを与えた。

There, friend, do you hear the sweet sounds? There?--there now; everywhere--ah, it is the black Tui; and there, do you hear the gentle noise and soft clapping of wings over our heads? It is the folk of the Kererus, the wild-doves; ha, listen to their happiness! Come farther into the green shade, my good friend, that your heart may be filled with the beauty of Tane.

そこだ、友よ、あの甘い音が聞こえるか。そこだ——いまそこだ。どこにでも——ああ、黒いトゥイだ。そしてそこ、頭の上でやさしい音と、やわらかな羽ばたきが聞こえるか。ケレルの一族、野鳩たちだ。ああ、その幸せに耳を澄ませよ! もっと緑の陰の奥へさすらおう、よき友よ。おまえの胸がターネの美しさで満たされるように。

Yes, my friend, when Tane had founded these families, then he took them back to her who was still lying lonely and naked, and now he began his great work. Ah, let us wander under the shade of Tane, that your eyes may see how the Multitude of Trees are covering Papa like a beautiful garment, spreading shades and giving happiness to the children of Tiki; perceive in the wonderful garment the great god-power of Tane-mahuta.

そうだ、友よ、ターネがこれらの一族を興すと、それをまだ孤独に裸で横たわっている母のもとへ連れ帰り、そこから大仕事を始めた。ああ、ターネの陰の下をさすらおう。おまえの目が、木々の群れがパパを美しい衣のように覆い、影を広げ、ティキの子らに幸せを与えるさまを見られるように。その見事な衣のうちに、ターネ・マフタの大いなる神の力を見て取るのだ。

Close your eyes, my good friend, that Ngawai may show to your mind the path upon which it may perceive how Tane distributed the multitude of his children over the earth. Ah,--ha,--can you perceive how he puts their feet into the ground? Ha, ha! They will not stand! They lift their heads up to Rangi and cry, and will go whither it pleases them; ha, ha, my friend, they are rebellious, and fight with each other, and run away, for they do not like to stand and grow, and give garment and coolness to Papa, ha, ha!

目を閉じよ、よき友よ。ンガワイがおまえの心に、ターネがその多くの子らをどう地の上に配ったかを見て取れる道を示せるように。ああ——ああ——ターネが子らの足を地に差し込むのが見えるか。ははは! 子らは立とうとしない! 頭をランギの方へ持ち上げて泣き、気の向くところへ行こうとする。ははは、友よ、子らは逆らい、互いに争い、逃げ出す。立って育ち、パパに衣と涼しさを与えるのがいやなのだ、ははは!

Ah, can you perceive how Tane looks upon his work of the first day, and sees the rebellion? Can you perceive his rage, the terrible rage of the god?--ha, ha!

ああ、ターネが最初の日の仕事に目を向け、その反抗を見るのが分かるか。その怒り、神の恐ろしい怒りが分かるか。——ははは!

Ah, he is wending his way back, tearing his children out of the ground and throwing them down, tearing and throwing, and then, when the sacred colour appeared again at Mahiku-rangi, he began his great work over again! Ha, ha, my friend, ha, ha, can you perceive how he began his work? Listen: he took his children and put them into the ground again, but, ha, ha, oh, he put their heads now into the ground, so that they must stand upright and stretch their feet up to Rangi; ha, ha, could they move now?--and fight?--and run away? Ah--their hair commenced to grow into the earth and took root, and their mouth drank the dew--the tears of Rangi for Papa--and sent it up into the limbs and feet as strength and life, and the feet grew long and branched off and covered themselves with leaves. Ha, my good friend!

ああ、ターネが引き返して来る。子らを地から引き抜いて投げ捨て、引き抜いては投げ捨て、それからマヒク・ランギに聖なる色がまた現れると、大仕事をもう一度やり直した! ははは、友よ、ははは、どう始めたかが分かるか。聞け。ターネは子らを取ってまた地に差し込んだ。けれども、ははは、おお、こんどは頭を地に差し込んだのだ。それで子らは立ちどまり、足をランギの方へ伸ばすほかなくなった。ははは、こうなればもう動けるか。争えるか。逃げられるか。ああ——その髪は地の中へ育って根を張り、その口は露を——パパを思うランギの涙を——飲んで、それを力と命として四肢と足へ送った。そして足は長く伸びて枝分かれし、葉で身を覆った。ははあ、よき友よ!

Ah, my good friend, when Tane saw his children now, then came joy to his heart, and all over Papa he planted his children, and they grew, and took the earth to their mother.

ああ、よき友よ、ターネがいま子らを見たとき、その胸に喜びが来た。そしてパパの上いたるところに子らを植え、子らは育って、地を母とした。

Oh, beautifully now was Papa dressed in her vast garment, and greater still grew the love of Rangi, and he sent the rays of his Eye of Day down upon her, and created the flowers.

おお、いまパパはその広大な衣を美しくまとい、ランギの愛はいっそう大きくなった。そしてランギはその昼の目の光をパパに送り下ろし、花々を創った。

O, my friend, follow Ngawai into the darkness and the pleasures of Tane-mahuta’s creation; look, all the life of the forests and all the life in the air is his, ah, he is the great friend of man, he is the god-power of Nature.

おお友よ、ンガワイについて、ターネ・マフタの創り出したものの闇と喜びへ入って行け。見よ、森のすべての命と、空のすべての命がこの神のもの。ああ、この神は人の偉大な友であり、自然の神の力である。

Tane, the great son of Rangi.

ターネ、ランギの偉大な子。

Tane, who loved Papa.

ターネ、パパを愛した者。

Tane, the friend of man.”

ターネ、人の友。」

A soft murmuring was Ngawai’s voice, murmuring to the leaves of the trees; murmuring of that what the birds had told her; murmuring to the spirits of the forest, who all are children of Tane-mahuta.

ンガワイの声はやわらかな囁きだった。木々の葉に囁き、鳥たちが語ったことを囁き、そしてみなターネ・マフタの子である森の霊たちに囁いていた。