The Death of Maui

Many descendants had Maui; and many of them were living at Hawaiki, and many were living in this land, in Aotea-roa. When he had created this land; when through his great deed he had compelled Tama-nui-ki-te-ra to prolong the days that the hearts of his descendants may be gladdened; and when at last he had cheated Mahuika out of her flames which were living now in the Kamaki-tree to give fire and warmth to his children, then the life at Hawaiki became finer and finer; and finer and finer became the life at Aotea-roa. That was the time when the great wish grew in the heart of Maui, the wish to conquer his powerful enemy Hine-nui-te-po, that Night might die and man may live for ever: ake, ake, ake!--yes, it was his great wish.

マウイには多くの子孫があった。その多くはハワイキに住み、多くはこの地、アオテア・ロアに住んでいた。この地を創り、その大いなる業によってタマ・ヌイ・キ・テ・ラーに昼を長くさせて子孫の胸を喜ばせ、そしてとうとうマフイカを欺いてその炎を奪い、いまカマキの木に生きるその炎が子らに火と暖かさを与えるようになったとき、ハワイキの暮らしはいよいよ良くなった。そしてアオテア・ロアの暮らしもいよいよ良くなった。そのころ、マウイの胸に大いなる願いが育った。力ある敵ヒネ・ヌイ・テ・ポーを打ち負かして、夜が死に、人が永遠に生きられるようにする願いである。アケ、アケ、アケ!——そう、それがその大いなる願いであった。

At length he wandered to the tree at Hawaiki, and here he found his parents, and told them of his great desire. But his parents were still angry with him about the evil trick he had played on Mahuika, the trick which had nearly cost him his life; but he laughed, and spoke boastingly: “Ho, old people, have I not done greater deeds than this one? Who caught the big fish, Te ika-a-Maui? Who?--Maui! Who captured Tama-nui-ki-te-Ra? Who?--Maui! Truly, old people, Maui will continue on his way for ever and ever! Ha, he will go and kill Hine-nui-te-po! Hine-nui-te-po!--so that the life of man may be for ever and ever: ake, ake, ake! Who is stronger than Maui?”

とうとうマウイはハワイキの木のところへさすらい、そこで親たちを見つけて、その大いなる望みを告げた。けれども親たちは、マフイカに仕掛けたあの邪な悪戯、命を落としかけたあの悪戯のことでまだ怒っていた。けれどもマウイは笑って誇らしげに言った。「ほう、老いた人たちよ、わたしはこれより大いなる業をなしてこなかったか。あの大きな魚テ・イカ・ア・マウイを捕らえたのは誰だ。誰だ?——マウイだ! タマ・ヌイ・キ・テ・ラーを捕らえたのは誰だ。誰だ?——マウイだ! まことに、老いた人たちよ、マウイはいつまでもいつまでもその道を行くのだ! ああ、行ってヒネ・ヌイ・テ・ポーを殺すのだ! ヒネ・ヌイ・テ・ポーを!——人の命がいつまでもいつまでも続くように。アケ、アケ、アケ! マウイより強い者が誰かいるか?」

And his father answered: “Hine-nui-te-po, whom you may behold yonder flashing on the horizon, is stronger than Maui!”

すると父が答えた。「向こうの地平線に閃いているのが見えよう、あのヒネ・ヌイ・テ・ポーが、マウイより強いのだ!」

Thereupon laughed Maui, and spoke: “When Hine-nui-te-po can take my life, then you can tell me how her looks are, ha, ha!” But his father spoke warningly: “Ah, my son, her eyes, which you see flashing yonder, are dark as greenstone; her teeth are sharp as obsidian; her mouth is like the mouth of the Baracuta, and the hair of her head is the sea-weed; her body alone has human form!”

そこでマウイは笑って言った。「ヒネ・ヌイ・テ・ポーがわたしの命を取れるものなら、そのときはその者の姿がどんなものか教えてくれればよい、ははあ!」けれども父は戒めて言った。「ああわが子よ、向こうに閃いて見えるその目は翡翠のように暗い。その歯は黒曜石のように鋭い。その口はバラクータの口のようで、その頭の髪は海藻だ。人の形をしているのはその体だけなのだ!」

But Maui only laughed, and asked: “Is Hine-nui-te-po as strong as Tama-nui-ki-te-Ra? Is her strength as the strength of the sea, which I have conquered and filled with land? Is her power as great as the power of the fire--Ha, ha?” And his father had to answer: “It is well, my youngest son; go brave there where you find your ancestress flashing with fire on the horizon, and conquer her. Go, son of mine!”--

けれどもマウイは笑うばかりで、こう尋ねた。「ヒネ・ヌイ・テ・ポーはタマ・ヌイ・キ・テ・ラーほど強いのか。その力は、わたしが打ち負かして陸で満たした海の力ほどか。その力は火の力ほど大きいのか——ははあ?」すると父は答えるほかなかった。「よろしい、末の子よ。祖母が地平線で火を閃かせているところへ勇ましく行って、打ち負かして来るがよい。行け、わが子よ!」——

Maui now took the shape of a beautiful coloured bird, and flew high up in the sacred tree at Hawaiki, and sang and twittered till all the birds of the forest collected around him: the Tui and the Huia and the Kaka, the little Fantail and the Robin--all the birds followed the sweet call of Maui, and great singing and life and happiness were in the tree at Hawaiki.

マウイはいま美しい色の鳥の姿をとり、ハワイキの聖なる木の高くまで飛んで、森の鳥がみな自分のまわりに集まるまで歌いさえずった。トゥイとフイアとカカ、小さなオウギビタキとコマドリ——鳥はみなマウイの甘い呼び声に従い、ハワイキの木には大いなる歌と命と幸せがあった。

When night came Maui and all the birds flew toward the west where Hine-nui-te-po lived, and there they descended and found the old goddess asleep.

夜が来ると、マウイと鳥たちはみな、ヒネ・ヌイ・テ・ポーの住む西へ飛んだ。そしてそこへ降りて、年老いた女神が眠っているのを見つけた。

Maui now took the form of man again, and prayed the birds to be very careful, and very quiet, and not to laugh, for he was going to undertake his greatest deed: to enter into Hine-nui-te-po and to steal her heart, so that she must die and man might live for ever and ever--ake--ake--ake!

マウイはいままた人の姿をとり、鳥たちにたいそう気をつけて、たいそう静かにして、笑わないようにと乞うた。その最も大いなる業に取りかかろうとしていたからである。すなわちヒネ・ヌイ・テ・ポーの内に入り、その心臓を盗んで、この者が死に、人がいつまでもいつまでも生きられるようにすること——アケ——アケ——アケ!

When the little birds heard Maui speaking thus, they fluttered about and chirruped and were full of fear, and they twittered: “Maui, do not do it, do not do it, Maui; no, Maui; no, no; Maui, do not do it!”

小さな鳥たちがマウイのこの言葉を聞くと、羽ばたきさえずり、恐れでいっぱいになって、こう囁いた。「マウイ、やめて、やめて、マウイ。だめよ、マウイ。だめ、だめ。マウイ、やめて!」

But Maui only laughed, and threw off his mat, so that all birds could see his beautiful tattoo, the work of the god of the Rainbow, and, taking his enchanted weapon, he entered the old goddess Hine-nui-te-po. All the while the little birds were flying and fluttering hither and thither and were full of fear for Maui. They fluttered noiselessly through the bushes and higher then up the trees and, looking out of curiously glittering eyes upon Maui, they were happy, beholding the wonderful spectacle of Maui entering Hine-nui-te-po.

けれどもマウイは笑うばかりで敷物を脱ぎ捨てた。それで鳥はみな、虹の神の手による美しい入れ墨を見ることができた。そして魔法の武器を取って、年老いた女神ヒネ・ヌイ・テ・ポーの内に入った。そのあいだずっと小さな鳥たちはあちこち飛び羽ばたいて、マウイのことを恐れていた。音を立てずに茂みを抜け、それから木の上の方へ飛び、物見高くきらめく目でマウイを見て、マウイがヒネ・ヌイ・テ・ポーの内に入る見事な眺めを目にして幸せだった。

Ah, then was it that the little bird Tiwakawaka could not longer be silent, but burst out into a heartfelt twittering laughter. Ah, the sweet noise awoke the old goddess, and opening her greenstone eyes, she saw Maui and his doings. Wrath overcame her, and quickly she snapped her jaws together, biting through Maui and killing him with her sharp teeth of obsidian. Then she took him down into the everlasting darkness.

ああ、そのとき小さな鳥ティワカワカが、もう黙っていられなくなって、心からのさえずり笑いを漏らしてしまった。ああ、その甘い音が年老いた女神を目覚めさせ、その翡翠の目を開くと、マウイとその仕業が見えた。怒りがこれを襲い、素早く顎を噛み合わせて、マウイを噛み切り、黒曜石の鋭い歯で殺してしまった。それから永遠の闇へと連れ下ろした。

That was the death of Maui!

それがマウイの死であった!