The Children of the Limokon

Mandaya (Mindanao)

マンダヤ(ミンダナオ)

In the very early days before there were any people on the earth, the limokon (a kind of dove) [134] were very powerful and could talk like men though they looked like birds. One limokon laid two eggs, one at the mouth of the Mayo River and one farther up its course. After some time these eggs hatched, and the one at the mouth of the river became a man, while the other became a woman.

地にまだ人がいなかったたいそう早い時代には、リモコン(鳩の一種)[134] はたいそう力があり、鳥のように見えたけれども人のように話すことができた。あるリモコンが卵を二つ産んだ。一つはマヨ川の口に、もう一つはその流れのもっと上のほうに。しばらくしてこの卵は孵り、そして川の口のほうは男になり、一方もう一つは女になった。

The man lived alone on the bank of the river for a long time, but he was very lonely and wished many times for a companion. One day when he was crossing the river something was swept against his legs with such force that it nearly caused him to drown. On examining it, he found that it was a hair, and he determined to go up the river and find whence it came. He traveled up the stream, looking on both banks, until finally he found the woman, and he was very happy to think that at last he could have a companion.

男は長いあいだ川の岸にひとりで暮らしたけれども、たいそう寂しくて、何度も連れを望んだ。ある日、川を渡っていると、何かがあまりに強く脚に押し流されてきて、ほとんど溺れかけた。それを調べてみると、それが一本の髪であると分かり、そしてどこから来たのかを見つけるために川を上ることに決めた。彼は両方の岸を見ながら流れを上っていき、そしてとうとう女を見つけ、そしてとうとう連れを得られるのだと思ってたいそう幸せだった。

They were married and had many children, who are the Mandaya still living along the Mayo River,

二人は夫婦になって数多くの子を持った。その子らが、いまもマヨ川に沿って住んでいるマンダヤである、