The Friend of the Devil

A Story of the Islands in the Bay of Angra

アングラ湾の島々の話

Once upon a time there was a handsome Flemish youth who came to the island of Fayal. His name was Fernao de Hutra. He fell in love with a beautiful nun in the convent of the Gloria in the city of Horta.

むかしむかし、一人の美しいフランドル人の若者がファイアル島にやって来た。名はフェルナン・デ・ウトラといった。若者はオルタの町のグロリア修道院の美しい修道女に恋をした。

One day the Devil appeared to him.

ある日、悪魔が若者の前に現れた。

"Since you fell in love with this fair nun, I see you are a friend of mine," said the Devil.

「お前はあの美しい修道女に恋をしたのだから、わしの友だちだな」と悪魔は言った。

The young man had not known this, but he replied:

若者はそんなことは知らなかったが、こう答えた。

"Say rather that I will be your friend if you help me get possession of this nun I love."

「わたしが恋するこの修道女を手に入れるのを助けてくれるなら、あなたの友だちになろう、と言ってほしい」

"Very well," said the Devil, "but you will have to make a bargain with me."

「よかろう」と悪魔は言った。「だがわしと取り引きをしてもらわねばならん」

"What is it?" asked Fernao, rather anxiously.

「どんな取り引きだ」とフェルナンはいくらか心配そうに尋ねた。

"Grant me your solemn pledge that you'll give me all your children," responded the Devil.

「お前の子どもをみなわしにくれると、厳かに誓え」と悪魔は答えた。

"Agreed," said Fernao.

「承知した」とフェルナンは言った。

After that he saw much of the Devil. The nun, however, was as devout as she was beautiful. She refused to break the vows she had made and flee with the Flemish youth. She firmly resisted both him and the Devil.

それからというもの、フェルナンはたびたび悪魔と会った。けれども修道女は、美しいのと同じくらい信心深かった。立てた誓いを破ってフランドル人の若者と逃げることを拒んだ。修道女は若者にも悪魔にも固く逆らった。

"You are not a true friend to me after all," said Fernao to the Devil sadly.

「結局あなたはわたしのほんとうの友だちではないのだな」とフェルナンは悲しげに悪魔に言った。

"But you are my friend," said the Devil in reply.

「だがお前はわしの友だちだ」と悪魔は答えた。

Soon after, Fernao de Hutra left the city of Horta and the island of Fayal and went to join his kinsmen who had settled in Angra in the island of Terceira. Here his handsome face won many friends for him among the youth of the city. To some of these he confided the story of his relations with the Devil.

まもなく、フェルナン・デ・ウトラはオルタの町とファイアル島を去り、テルセイラ島のアングラに住みついていた親族のもとへ行った。ここでその美しい顔は、町の若者たちのあいだにたくさんの友だちをつくった。そのうちの何人かに、フェルナンは悪魔とのかかわりの話を打ち明けた。

Now it happened that in the year 1666 the first bull fight was held in Angra. To this very day the island of Terceira is the only one in the Azores which has bull fights.

さて、1666年にアングラで初めての闘牛が開かれた。今日に至るまで、テルセイラ島はアゾレス諸島で闘牛をする唯一の島である。

Fernao had taken part in this. He was one of the chief organizers of the bull fight held on St. John's Day of the following year. That day all the men and women and children of the city of Angra assembled in the public square before the fort. The bullfighters, richly clad, rode forth upon prancing steeds decked in costly velvets with streamers and ribbons of gold and silver which sparkled in the bright sunlight. The youths were resplendent in their garments of crimson or purple or blue velvet, richly embroidered. Fernao de Hutra was radiant in his jacket of blue decked with pearls, with a plumed hat upon his handsome head. He carried a yellow banner embroidered with the arms of his family.

フェルナンはこの闘牛に加わっていた。次の年の聖ヨハネの日に開かれる闘牛では、主な世話役の一人だった。その日、アングラの町の男も女も子どももみな、砦の前の広場に集まった。豪華に着飾った闘牛士たちが、明るい日差しにきらめく金銀の吹き流しやリボンで飾った高価なビロードをまとい、跳ねる馬に乗って進み出た。若者たちは、豪華な刺繍をほどこした深紅や紫や青のビロードの衣装できらびやかだった。フェルナン・デ・ウトラは真珠で飾った青い上着をまとい、美しい頭に羽根飾りの帽子をかぶって、ひときわ輝いていた。フェルナンは一族の紋章を刺繍した黄色い旗を掲げていた。

Gay music sounded. The bulls were brought into the ring. The bullfighters saluted and the fight began.

陽気な音楽が鳴った。牛たちが闘技場に連れてこられた。闘牛士たちが礼をして、闘いが始まった。

In the windows of the castle the daughters of the chief magistrate of the city of Angra were seated among their friends. The eldest daughter, Sophia, was the most beautiful maid of the whole city. The magistrate watched her anxiously as her fair cheek alternately paled and flushed as the struggle went on. There could be no doubt about the fact that there was love in her eyes as they rested upon the handsome young Flemish cavalier, Fernao de Hutra. She was wearing his colors and in her hand she carefully held his bouquet of flowers. The ribbon which tied them secured also a piece of paper upon which were written these words:

城の窓辺には、アングラの町の長官の娘たちが友だちに交じって座っていた。長女のソフィアは町じゅうでいちばん美しい娘だった。長官は、闘いが進むにつれて娘の美しい頬が青ざめたり赤らんだりするのを心配そうに見守った。美しいフランドル人の若い騎士フェルナン・デ・ウトラに注がれる娘の瞳に恋が宿っているのは疑いようがなかった。娘はフェルナンの色を身につけ、手にはフェルナンの花束を大事に持っていた。花束を結んだリボンには、次の言葉を書いた紙切れも結ばれていた。

"Oh, beautiful maid of my heart's desire, For your dear sake I'd go through fire."

「おお、わが心の望む美しき娘よ、 そなたのためなら火のなかをも行こう」

The magistrate withdrew from the gay scene into the silence of the great hall of the castle. He bowed his head upon his hands.

長官は陽気な場を離れて、城の大広間の静けさのなかへ引き下がった。長官は両手に頭をうずめた。

"This youth is the friend of the Devil," he groaned. "I cannot consent to my daughter's marriage to him. He has promised to give all his children to the Devil, they say. I cannot allow my own grandchildren to be given to the Devil."

「あの若者は悪魔の友だちだ」と長官はうめいた。「娘があの男と結婚するのを許すわけにはいかない。噂では、あの男は子どもをみな悪魔にやると約束したそうだ。わたしの孫たちを悪魔にやらせるわけにはいかない」

That very day he began to plot how to get rid of the handsome young Fernao.

まさにその日、長官は美しい若者フェルナンを追い払う算段を始めた。

Now in the bay before the city of Angra there are two rocky islands called to-day just as they were then, the Ilheos de Cabras, the islands of goats. The brother-in-law of the magistrate was the owner of these barren islands. There were a few goats there, a few mulberry bushes, and a tiny spring of fresh water. The magistrate called his brother-in-law to him as soon as the bull fight was over. He told him all his fears and asked if he might use the islands as a place of banishment for the young Flemish cavalier who was the friend of the Devil.

さて、アングラの町の前の湾には、昔も今もイリェウス・デ・カブラス、つまり山羊の島々と呼ばれる二つの岩の島がある。長官の義理の兄弟が、この不毛な島々の持ち主だった。そこには山羊が数頭と、桑の茂みがいくつかと、小さな真水の泉が一つあるだけだった。長官は闘牛が終わるとすぐに義理の兄弟を呼び寄せた。長官は自分の恐れをすっかり話し、悪魔の友だちである若いフランドル人の騎士を追放する場所としてその島々を使わせてもらえないかと尋ねた。

"You are quite welcome to use these islands for so worthy a purpose," replied his brother-in-law. "Indeed, I have often thought that the deep cave on the island led into Inferno. It is a most fitting spot for the habitation of the Devil's friend."

「そんな立派な目的のためなら、喜んで島を使ってくれ」と義理の兄弟は答えた。「実を言うと、あの島の深い洞穴は地獄に通じているのではないかと、たびたび思っていたんだ。悪魔の友だちが住むにはまったくふさわしい場所だよ」

Thus it happened that the handsome young Flemish cavalier was seized and borne away to the barren rocky islands in the Bay of Angra. When he was received there a great earthquake shook the whole island of Terceira. When at last the people of the city of Angra were through contemplating all the destruction which had been wrought, some one looked in the direction of the island of goats. They saw that a great piece had been broken away from one of the islands.

こういうわけで、美しい若いフランドル人の騎士はとらえられ、アングラ湾の不毛な岩の島々へ運ばれていった。騎士がそこに着いたとき、大地震がテルセイラ島じゅうを揺るがした。アングラの町の人々が、ようやく引き起こされた破壊をすっかり見終えたとき、誰かが山羊の島のほうを見た。人々は、島の一つから大きな塊が崩れ落ちているのを見た。

Thus it was that the Devil received his friend.

こうして悪魔は友を迎え取ったのである。