The Princess who would not Smile

If you think of it, what a big world God’s world is: in it rich and poor folk live, and there is room enough for them all; and the Lord overlooks and judges them all. There are fine folk who have holidays, there are wailful folk who must moil; every man has his lot.

考えてみれば、神の世はなんと広いことか。そこには富める者も貧しき者も住み、みなに十分な場所がある。そして主はそのすべてを見そなわし、裁きたもう。祭日を過ごす立派な人々もあれば、嘆きながらあくせく働かねばならぬ人々もある。人にはそれぞれの分がある。

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In the Tsar’s palace, in the Prince’s chamber, every day the Princess Without a Smile grew fairer. What a life she had, what plenty, what beauty round her! There was enough of everything that exists that the soul may desire, but she never smiled, never laughed, and it seemed as though her heart could not rejoice at anything.

ツァーリの宮殿、公の部屋で、笑わぬ姫は日ごとに美しくなっていった。なんという暮らし、なんという豊かさ、なんという美しさに囲まれていたことか! 魂の望みうるものは何ひとつ不足なくあったのに、姫は決して微笑まず、決して笑わず、その心は何ごとにも喜べぬかのようだった。

It was a bitter thing for the Tsar her father to gaze at his doleful daughter. He used to open his imperial palace to whoever would be his guest. “Come,” he said, “come and try to enliven the Princess Without a Smile: any one who succeeds shall gain her as his wife.” And as soon as he had said this all folk thronged up at the gates of the palace, driving up from all sides, coming on foot, Tsarévichi and princes’ sons, boyárs and noblemen, military folk and civil. Feasts were celebrated, rivers of mead flowed, and the Princess would not smile.

父であるツァーリにとって、物憂い娘を見つめるのは苦いことだった。ツァーリは客になりたい者には誰にでも帝の宮殿を開けた。「来るがよい」とツァーリは言った。「来て笑わぬ姫を喜ばせてみよ。成し遂げた者はこれを妻とすることができる」。そう言うやいなや、人々はみな宮殿の門に押し寄せ、四方から馬を駆り、歩いてやって来た。ツァレーヴィチも公の子も、ボヤーレも貴族も、武人も文人も。宴が催され、蜂蜜酒が川のように流れたが、姫は微笑まなかった。

But, at the other end of the town, in his own little hut, there dwelt an honourable labourer. Every morning he used to sweep out the courtyard: every evening he used to pasture the cattle, and he was engaged in ceaseless labour. His master was a rich man, a just man, and he did not begrudge pay. When the year came to an end he put a purse of money on the table, “Take,” he said, “as much as you like”; and the master went outside.

だが町のもう一方の端、小さな小屋には、一人の実直な働き手が住んでいた。毎朝、庭を掃き、毎夕、家畜を牧に出し、絶え間なく働きつづけていた。主人は裕福で公正な人で、給金を惜しまなかった。年が終わると、卓に金の入った財布を置いてこう言った。「好きなだけ取るがよい」。そして主人は外へ出ていった。

The workman went up to the table and thought, “How shall I not be guilty in the eyes of God if I take too much for my labour?” So he took only one little coin, put it into the hollow of his hand and thought he would have a little drink. So he went to the well, and the coin slipped through his fingers and fell to the bottom. So the poor fellow had nothing left. Now, anybody else in his place would have cried out, would have become melancholy and angry, might have put his hands up. He did nothing of the sort. “Everything,” he said, “comes from God. The Lord knows what He gives to each man, whose money He divides, from whom He takes the last money. Evidently I have given bad care, I have done little work; and now am I to become angry?”

働き手は卓へ行って考えた。「働きに見合わぬほど多く取ったら、神の御目に罪ある者とならぬだろうか」。そこで小さな貨幣を一枚だけ取り、手のひらに載せて、少し水でも飲もうと思った。そこで井戸へ行くと、貨幣が指の間から滑り落ちて底に沈んだ。こうして哀れな男には何も残らなかった。さて、ほかの者なら同じ立場で叫んだり、塞ぎ込んだり、腹を立てたり、両手を上げて嘆いたりしただろう。この男はそんなことは何一つしなかった。「何もかも」と男は言った。「神から来る。主は誰に何をお与えになるか、誰の金をお分けになるか、誰から最後の金をお取り上げになるかをご存じだ。どうやらわたしは世話がゆき届かず、働きが足りなかったのだろう。それでいま腹を立てるというのか」

So he set to work once more. And all that his hand touched flew like fire. Then, when the term was over, when one year more had gone by, the master again put a purse of money on the table: “Take,” he said, “as much as your soul desires”; and he himself went outside.

そこでまた仕事にかかった。そして手に触れるものはみな火のように捗った。やがて期限が来て、もう一年が過ぎると、主人はまた卓に金の財布を置いた。「取るがよい」と主人は言った。「魂の望むだけ」。そして自分は外へ出ていった。

Then again the labourer thought how he should not offend God, how he should not take too much for his work. So he took one coin and he went to have a little drink at the well. In some way or other the money fell from his hands and the coin tumbled into the well and was lost.

するとまた働き手は、どうすれば神を怒らせずにすむか、どうすれば働きに見合わぬほど多く取らずにすむかと考えた。そこで貨幣を一枚取って、井戸へ水を少し飲みに行った。どういうわけか金が手から落ちて、貨幣は井戸へ転がり込み、失われた。

So he set to work even more obstinately: at night he would not sleep and by day he would not eat. Other men saw their corn grow dry and yellow, but his master’s corn prospered amain. Some men’s cattle became bowlegged, but his master’s gambolled in the street. And the horses of some masters fell downhill, but his master’s could not be kept to the bridle. The master knew very well whom he must thank, to whom he must render gratitude. So, when the third year came to an end, he laid a pile of money on the table: “Take, my dear man, as much as your soul desires. It is your work, and it is your money”; and he went out of the room.

そこで男はいっそう根を詰めて働いた。夜は眠らず、昼は食べなかった。ほかの者たちの麦は枯れて黄ばんだが、主人の麦は見事に実った。ある者たちの家畜はがに股になったが、主人の家畜は往来で跳ね回った。またある主人たちの馬は坂を転げ落ちたが、この主人の馬は手綱では抑えきれぬほどだった。主人は誰に感謝し、誰に恩を返さねばならぬかをよく知っていた。そこで三年めが終わると、卓に金の山を積んだ。「取りなさい、いとしい男よ、魂の望むだけ。これはおまえの働きであり、おまえの金だ」。そして部屋を出ていった。

Once more the workman took a single coin, went to the well for a drink of water and looked, and the lost money floated up to the surface: so he took them, and he then felt sure that God had rewarded him for his labour. He was joyous and thought, “It is now the time for me to go and look at the white world and to learn of people.” So he thought this, and he went out whither his eyes gazed.

またしても働き手は貨幣を一枚だけ取り、水を飲みに井戸へ行って見ると、失った金が水面に浮かび上がってきた。そこでそれを取り、神が自分の働きに報いてくださったのだと確信した。男は喜んで考えた。「いまこそ白い世を見に行き、人から学ぶ時だ」。そう思って、目の向くほうへ出かけた。

He went on to the field, and he saw a mouse running: “My friend, my dear gossip, give me a coin; I will be of service to you.”

野へ出ると、一匹の鼠が走っていた。「お友だち、親しいお仲間さん、貨幣を一枚おくれ。お役に立ちますから」

So he gave the mouse a coin.

そこで男は鼠に一枚やった。

Then he went to the forest, and a beetle crept up and said, “My friend, my dear gossip, give me a coin; I will be of service to you.”

それから森へ行くと、一匹の甲虫が這い寄ってきて言った。「お友だち、親しいお仲間さん、貨幣を一枚おくれ。お役に立ちますから」

So he gave him the second coin.

そこで二枚めをやった。

Then he came up to the stream, and he met a sheat-fish. “My friend, my dear gossip, give me a coin; I shall be of service to you.”

それから川へ来ると、一匹の鯰に出会った。「お友だち、親しいお仲間さん、貨幣を一枚おくれ。お役に立ちますから」

And he could not refuse him, so he gave his last coin.

断ることができず、最後の一枚をやった。

So then he came into the city. Oh, it was so thronged! All the doors were opened, and he looked, and the workman turned in all directions, and he did not know where to go. In front of him stood the Tsar’s palace decked with gold and silver, and at the window the Tsarévna Without a Smile sat and gazed on him straight. What should he do? The light in his eyes turned dark, and a sleep fell on him, and he fell straight into the mud. Up came the sheat-fish with his big whiskers, and after him the beetle and the mouse: they all ran up, they all pressed round him and did all the service they could. The little mouse took his coat: the beetle cleaned his boots, and the sheat-fish drove away the flies. The Princess Without a Smile gazed on their services, and she smiled.

そうして男は町に入った。おお、なんという人出だろう! どの戸も開いていた。男は見回し、あちこち向きを変えたが、どこへ行けばよいかわからなかった。目の前には金と銀で飾られたツァーリの宮殿が立ち、窓には笑わぬツァレーヴナが坐って、まっすぐ彼を見つめていた。どうしたものか。目の前の光が暗くなり、眠気が襲ってきて、男はそのまま泥のなかへ倒れた。そこへ大きな髭の鯰が来て、続いて甲虫と鼠が来た。みな駆け寄ってきて彼を取り囲み、できるかぎりの奉仕をした。小さな鼠は上着を取り、甲虫は長靴を磨き、鯰は蠅を追い払った。笑わぬ姫はその奉仕ぶりを見つめて、微笑んだ。

“Who is he who has enlivened my daughter?” cried the King. One man said “I,” and another man said “I.”

「わが娘を喜ばせたのは誰だ」と王は叫んだ。ある者は「わたしです」と言い、別の者も「わたしです」と言った。

“No,” said the Princess, “that is the man there”; and she pointed out the workman.

「いいえ」と姫は言った。「あそこにいるあの人です」。そして働き手を指さした。

Instantly he was taken into the palace, and the workman stood in the imperial presence, a youth such as never was: then the Tsar kept his princely word and gave what he had promised.

たちまち男は宮殿に迎え入れられ、帝の御前に立った。それはかつてなかったほどの若者だった。そしてツァーリは王者の言葉を守り、約束したものを与えた。

I am saying it. Was not this a mere dream? Did not the workman only dream it? They assure me this is not the fact, and that it all happened in real truth; so you must believe it.

わたしはこう言っている。これはただの夢ではなかったか。働き手が夢に見ただけではなかったか。人はそうではない、何もかもまことに起こったのだと請け合う。だから信じねばならない。