The Story of the Creation

Bilaan (Mindanao)

ビラアン(ミンダナオ)

In the very beginning there lived a being so large that he can not be compared with any known thing. His name was Melu, [129] and when he sat on the clouds, which were his home, he occupied all the space above. His teeth were pure gold, and because he was very cleanly and continually rubbed himself with his hands, his skin became pure white. The dead skin which he rubbed off his body [130] was placed on one side in a pile, and by and by this pile became so large that he was annoyed and set himself to consider what he could do with it.

いちばん初めに、知られているどんなものともくらべられないほど大きな者がいた。その名はメル [129] で、その住まいである雲に座ると、上のすべての場所を占めた。その歯は純金であり、そしてたいそう清らかで絶えず手で身をこすっていたので、その肌は純白になった。体からこすり落ちた死んだ皮は [130] 片側に積み上げられ、そしてやがてこの山があまりに大きくなったので、彼は煩わしくなって、それをどうしたものかと考えにかかった。

Finally Melu decided to make the earth; so he worked very hard in putting the dead skin into shape, and when it was finished he was so pleased with it that he determined to make two beings like himself, though smaller, to live on it.

とうとうメルは地を作ることに決めた。そこでその死んだ皮を形にするのにたいそう懸命に働き、そしてでき上がるとたいそう気に入ったので、その上に住まわせるために、自分に似ていてもっと小さい者を二つ作ろうと決めた。

Taking the remnants of the material left after making the earth he fashioned two men but just as they were all finished except their noses, Tau Tana from below the earth appeared and wanted to help him.

地を作ったあとに残った材の残りを取って、彼は二人の人を形づくった。けれども鼻を除いてすべてができ上がったちょうどそのとき、地の下からタウ・タナが現れて、手伝いたいと言った。

Melu did not wish any assistance, and a great argument ensued. Tau Tana finally won his point and made the noses which he placed on the people upside down. When all was finished, Melu and Tau Tana whipped the forms until they moved. Then Melu went to his home above the clouds, and Tau Tana returned to his place below the earth.

メルは助けをほしがらず、そして大きな言い争いが続いた。タウ・タナはとうとうその主張を通して、鼻を作り、それを人々に上下逆さまにつけた。すべてが済むと、メルとタウ・タナはその形が動くまで打った。それからメルは雲の上の自分の家へ行き、そしてタウ・タナは地の下の自分の場所へ帰った。

All went well until one day a great rain came, and the people on the earth nearly drowned from the water which ran off their heads into their noses. Melu, from his place on the clouds, saw their danger, and he came quickly to earth and saved their lives by turning their noses the other side up.

何もかもうまくいっていたが、ある日大きな雨が来て、地の人々は頭から鼻へ流れ込む水でほとんど溺れかけた。雲の上の自分の場所からメルはその危うさを見て、素早く地へ来て、その鼻を反対側に向けることでその命を救った。

The people were very grateful to him, and promised to do anything he should ask of them. Before he left for the sky, they told him that they were very unhappy living on the great earth all alone, so he told them to save all the hair from their heads and the dry skin from their bodies and the next time he came he would make them some companions. And in this way there came to be a great many people on the earth.

人々は彼にたいそう感謝し、そして彼が求めることは何でもすると約束した。天へ向かう前に、人々は彼に、この大きな地にまったく独りで住んでいるのはたいそう不幸だと告げた。そこで彼は、頭の髪と体の乾いた皮をすべて取っておくようにと告げ、そして次に来たときに連れを何人か作ってやろうと言った。そしてこうして、地には数多くの人がいるようになった。