God’s Blessing Compasses all Things

Once upon a time in a certain country, in a certain kingdom, there were two peasants, Iván and Naúm. They entered into a partnership and went together to look for work, and they rambled about until they came to a rich village and got work with different masters. For the whole week they kept at work and met on Sunday for the first time.

むかしむかし、あるところの国、あるところの王国に、イワンとナウームという二人の百姓がいた。二人は組んで、いっしょに仕事を探しに出かけ、さまよったすえに豊かな村に着き、それぞれ別の主人のところで働き口を得た。まる一週間働きつづけ、日曜日にはじめて顔を合わせた。

“Brother, how much have you earned?” asked Iván.

「兄弟、いくら稼いだ」とイワンが尋ねた。

“God has given me five roubles.”

「神が五ルーブリ下さった」

“God gave them to you? He does not give much unless you work for it.”

「神が下さっただと。働かずには大して下さらんぞ」

“No, Brother, without God’s blessing you can do nothing; you cannot gain a groat.”

「いや兄弟、神の祝福なしには何もできぬ。一文も稼げぬのだ」

So they quarrelled about this, and at last they decided, “We will each go our own way. We will ask the first man we meet which of us is right. He who loses the bet must sacrifice all his earnings.”

そこで二人はこれをめぐって言い争い、とうとうこう決めた。「それぞれ別の道を行こう。最初に出会った者に、どちらが正しいかを尋ねよう。賭けに負けたほうは稼ぎをすっかり差し出すのだ」

So they went on some twenty paces. Afterwards they came across an unholy spirit in human guise, and they asked him and received his reply. “What you earn for yourself is the proper thing; place no reliance on God.”

そこで二十歩ばかり行った。そのあと人の姿をした聖ならぬ霊に行き当たり、尋ねてその答えを得た。「自分のために稼ぐのが筋というものだ。神を当てになどするな」

Naúm gave Iván his money and returned emptyhanded to his master. One week later the two men met once again, and set about the same argument. Naúm said: “Though you took my money from me last week, still, this week God gave me yet more.”

ナウームはイワンに金を渡し、手ぶらで主人のもとへ帰った。一週間後、二人はまた顔を合わせ、同じ言い争いをはじめた。ナウームは言った。「先週おまえはわたしの金を取っていったが、それでも今週、神はさらに多くを下さった」

“If God gave it you as you said, we will once more ask the first person who meets us who is right. The loser of the bet shall have the money, and shall have his right hand hewn off.”

「おまえの言うとおり神が下さったのなら、もういちど最初に出会った者に、どちらが正しいかを尋ねよう。賭けに負けたほうは金を渡し、右手を斬り落とされるのだ」

Naúm consented. On their way they met the same devil, who returned the same reply. Iván gave Naúm his money, hacked off his right hand, and left it behind.

ナウームは承知した。道で二人は同じ悪魔に出会い、悪魔は同じ答えを返した。イワンはナウームに金を渡し、その右手を斬り落として、置き去りにした。

Naúm pondered for a long time what he should do without his right hand. Who would give him meat and drink? But God is merciful. So he went to the river, and he lay down on a boat on the shore. “I will sit down here, and to-morrow I may see what I shall do, for the morning is wiser than the evening.”

ナウームは右手なしでどうしたものかと長いこと思案した。誰が食べ物と飲み物をくれよう。だが神は慈悲深い。そこで川へ行き、岸に上げてあった舟に横になった。「ここに坐っていよう。明日になれば何をすべきかわかるかもしれぬ。朝は夕より賢いのだから」

And about midnight very many devils assembled on the boat and began to tell each other what tricks they had played. The first said: “I started a quarrel between two peasants, backed up the one who was in the wrong; and the one, who was in the right, had his hand hacked off.”

そして真夜中ごろ、たいそう多くの悪魔がその舟に集まり、どんな悪戯をしてきたかをたがいに語りはじめた。一匹めが言った。「おれは二人の百姓のあいだに争いを起こし、間違っているほうに肩入れした。そして正しいほうは手を斬り落とされたぞ」

“That’s not much of a feat! If he were to wave his hand, three times over the dew, his hand would grow again,” said the second.

「そんなのは大した手柄じゃない! もしそいつが手を露の上で三度振れば、手はまた生えてくる」と二匹めが言った。

Then the third began to boast, “I have sucked a lord’s daughter dry, and she can hardly stir.”

それから三匹めが自慢しはじめた。「おれは殿さまの娘の精気を吸い尽くしてやった。もうろくに身動きもできん」

“What! if any one had any compassion on the lord, he would heal the daughter at once. It is as simple as possible. You have only to take this herb”—pointing to a herb on the shore—“cook it, boil her in the brew, and she will be healed.”

「なんだ! 誰かがその殿さまを憐れんだら、たちまち娘を癒やしてしまうぞ。このうえなく簡単なことだ。この草を取って」——と岸辺の草を指さして——「煮て、その煎じ汁で娘を浸せばいい。それで癒える」

“In a certain pond,” a fifth devil said, “there is a peasant who has put up a water-mill, and for many years he has been striving to make it go, but whenever he lets the water through the sluice, I make a hole in it, and all the water flows through.”

「ある池に」と五匹めの悪魔が言った。「水車小屋を建てた百姓がいる。何年もそれを回そうとしているが、水門から水を通すたびに、おれが穴をあけて、水はすっかり流れ出てしまう」

“What a fool your peasant is!” said the sixth devil. “He ought to dam it up well, and as soon as the water breaks through, throw in a sheaf of straw, and all your work would be no good.”

「おまえの百姓はなんという間抜けだ!」と六匹めの悪魔が言った。「しっかり堰き止めて、水が破って出るやいなや藁束を投げ込めばいい。そうすればおまえの仕事はすっかり無駄になる」

Naúm had listened very attentively. Next day he grew his hand on again, then he saw to the peasant’s dam, and he healed the lord’s daughter. Both the peasant and the lord rewarded him richly, and he lived a fine life.

ナウームはたいそう注意深く聞いていた。翌日、彼は手をまた生やし、それから百姓の堰を見てやり、殿さまの娘を癒やした。百姓も殿さまも手厚く礼をし、彼は結構な暮らしを送った。

Once he met his former companion, who was very much astonished, and asked: “How is it you have become so rich, and how did you grow your hand on again?”

あるとき彼はかつての連れに出会った。連れはたいそう驚いて尋ねた。「どうしてそんなに金持ちになった。どうやって手をまた生やした」

Naúm told him exactly what had happened, and kept nothing back.

ナウームは何が起こったかをありのままに話し、何ひとつ隠さなかった。

Iván listened very attentively, and thought, “Ha! I shall do the same, and shall become richer than he!” So he went to the river and lay down on the shore, in the boat.

イワンはたいそう注意深く聞いて考えた。「はは! おれも同じことをして、あいつより金持ちになってやる!」。そこで川へ行き、岸辺の舟に横になった。

And at midnight all the devils gathered together. “Brothers,” they said, “somebody must have been eavesdropping on us, for the peasant’s hand grew again, the maiden is healed, and the mill-wheel is turning!”

そして真夜中に悪魔たちがみな集まった。「兄弟たち」と悪魔たちは言った。「誰かがおれたちの話を盗み聞きしたに違いない。あの百姓の手はまた生えたし、娘は癒えたし、水車は回っているぞ!」

So they burst on the boat, found Iván, and tore him into tiny bits.

そこで悪魔たちは舟に躍りかかり、イワンを見つけて、細切れに引き裂いてしまった。

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Then the wolves wept cows’ tears.

そのとき狼たちは牛の涙を流した。