The Princess to be Kissed at a Charge

We still say that we are clever, but our elders go and quarrel with us and say, “No, we had more sense than you.” But the tale tells that, even when our grandfathers had not learned their lessons and our great-great-great-great-grandfathers had not been born, in a certain kingdom, in a certain land, once there lived an old man who had taught his three sons reading and writing.

わたしたちはいまも自分が賢いと言うが、年寄りたちはそれに逆らって言う。「いや、わしらのほうがおまえたちより分別があった」と。だがこの話が語るところでは、わたしたちの祖父がまだ手習いもせず、高祖父のそのまた父も生まれていなかったころ、あるところの王国、あるところの国に、一人の老人が住んでいて、三人の息子に読み書きを教えた。

“Now, children,” he said to them, “I shall die; do you come and read prayers over my grave.”

「さて子どもたち」と老人は言った。「わしは死ぬ。わしの墓の上で祈りを読んでくれ」

“Very well, bátyushka,” the three sons answered. And the two elder brothers were indeed fine lads, and they grew up fine stout fellows; but the youngest, Vanyúshka,[32] was under-sized, like a starved duckling, and flat-chested. The old man, their father, died.

「承知しました、バーチュシュカ」と三人の息子は答えた。上の二人の兄はまことに立派な若者で、がっしりした大男に育った。だが末のワニューシュカ [32] は小柄で、痩せこけた家鴨の雛のようで、胸も薄かった。父である老人は死んだ。

Just about then a decree was issued by the Tsar that his daughter, Eléna Tsarévna the Fair, had ordered a temple to be built for her, with twelve columns and twelve wreaths. She was going to sit in this temple on a lofty throne, and was going to wait for the bridegroom—the valiant man who should on a flying horse, at a single spring, kiss her on the lips. All the young folks were bustling about, washing themselves clean, combing their hair, and considering to whom should the great honour fall.

ちょうどそのころ、ツァーリから布告が出た。その娘、麗しのエレーナ・ツァレーヴナが、十二本の柱と十二の花冠を備えた神殿を建てよと命じたのである。姫はその神殿の高い玉座に坐り、花婿を待とうとしていた——空飛ぶ馬に乗って、ただ一度の跳躍でその唇に口づけできる勇ましい男を。若い者はみな慌ただしく身を清め、髪を梳き、この大いなる誉れが誰の手に落ちるかを思案していた。

“Brothers,” Vanyúshka said, “our father is dead: who of us will go and read prayers on his grave?”

「兄さんたち」とワニューシュカは言った。「父さんが亡くなった。誰が墓で祈りを読みに行く」

“Whoever wishes may go,” answered the brothers.

「行きたい者が行けばよい」と兄たちは答えた。

So the youngest went. But the elders got ready and mounted their horses, curled their hair, dyed their hair; and all their kinsmen gathered round.

そこで末の弟が行った。だが兄たちは支度をして馬にまたがり、髪を巻き、髪を染めた。そして縁者がみな集まってきた。

Then the second night came: “Brothers, I read the prayers last night,” Ványa said; “it’s your turn; which of you will go?”

そして二日めの夜になった。「兄さんたち、昨夜はぼくが祈りを読んだ」とワーニャは言った。「今度は兄さんたちの番だ。どちらが行く」

“Any one who wishes may go; don’t interfere with us.”

「行きたい者が行けばよい。おれたちの邪魔をするな」

They gave their hats a knowing tilt, whooped and shouted, flew about, and rushed and galloped abroad on the open fields; and once again Ványa read the prayers; and so, too, on the third night. But the brothers saddled their horses, combed out their whiskers, and got ready on the very morrow to try their prowess in front of the eyes of Eléna the Fair. “What about our youngest brother?” they thought.

二人は帽子を粋に傾け、喚声をあげ、飛び回り、広い野へ駆け出していった。そしてまたワーニャが祈りを読んだ。三日めの夜も同じだった。だが兄たちは馬に鞍を置き、頬髭を梳き、まさに翌日、麗しのエレーナの目の前で腕を試す支度をした。「末の弟はどうする」と二人は思った。

“Never mind about him; he will only disgrace us and make people smile: let us go by ourselves.” So they started.

「あいつのことは放っておけ。おれたちに恥をかかせて人に笑われるだけだ。二人で行こう」。そうして二人は出かけた。

But Ványa also very much wanted to look at Princess Eléna the Fair, and so he wept sorely, and he went to his father’s grave, and his father heard him in his last home, and he came up to him, shook off the grey earth from his forehead, and said, “Do not grieve, Vanyúshka; I will aid you in your sorrow.” Then the old man got up, whistled and halloed with a young man’s voice, with a nightingale’s trill; and from some source or other a horse ran up, and the earth trembled, and from his nostrils and from his ears flames issued forth. He breathed smoke, and stood in front of the old man as though he were rooted to the ground, and asked him, “What do you wish?”

だがワーニャもまた麗しのエレーナ姫をひと目見たくてたまらず、ひどく泣いて、父の墓へ行った。すると父はその最後の住まいでそれを聞きつけ、彼のところへ来て、額から灰色の土を払い落としてこう言った。「嘆くな、ワニューシュカ。おまえの悲しみを助けてやろう」。そして老人は起き上がって、若者のような声で、夜鶯の震え声で口笛を吹き、呼ばわった。するとどこからともなく一頭の馬が駆けつけてきて、大地が震え、その鼻孔と耳から炎が噴き出した。馬は煙を吐き、地に根が生えたかのように老人の前に立って尋ねた。「何をお望みですか」

Ványa mounted the horse by one ear, dismounted it by the other, and turned into so fine a youth as no tale can tell and no pen can write. He sat on the horse, bent over sideways; and he flew like your hawk over there, straight to the palace of Eléna the Fair Tsarévna. He stretched out, leaped on, and he did not reach two of the crowns. He again made an effort, flew up, jumped; there was only one wreath left. He made one more effort, turned round once more, and, as fire leaps to the eyes, he instantly kissed and smacked Eléna the Fair on the lips. “Who is it! Who is it! Catch him!” For his very trace had vanished. Then he leapt back to his father’s grave, and he let his horse free into the open field; and he then bowed down to the earth and asked advice of his father, and the old man gave him advice. Ványa went back home as though he had never been there; and the brothers told him where they had been, what they had done and seen; and he listened as though he had never heard of it before.

ワーニャは馬の片方の耳から乗り、もう一方の耳から下りた。するとどんな話も語り尽くせず、どんな筆も書き尽くせぬほどの美しい若者になった。彼は馬に乗って横ざまに身を屈め、向こうの隼のように飛んで、まっすぐ麗しのエレーナ・ツァレーヴナの宮殿へ向かった。身を伸ばして跳び上がったが、二つの冠に届かなかった。もういちど力をこめて飛び上がり、跳んだ。残る花冠は一つになった。もういちど力をこめ、もういちど身を翻して、目に火花が散るように、たちまち麗しのエレーナの唇に口づけをした。「誰だ! 誰だ! 捕まえろ!」。だがその跡形すら消えていた。それから彼は父の墓へ跳び戻り、馬を広い野へ放して、地に額づいて父に助言を乞い、老人は助言を与えた。ワーニャはまるでそこにいなかったかのように家へ帰った。そして兄たちがどこへ行き、何をして何を見たかを語ると、彼はそれを初めて聞くかのように聞いていた。

There was another bout next day, and you could never see an end of the boyárs and the lords seated at the royal palace. The elder brothers started out, and the younger brother set out on foot secretly and quietly, just as though he had never kissed the Tsarévna, and he stopped in his distant corner. Eléna Tsarévna was asking for her bridegroom; Eléna Tsarévna was wishing to show him to the whole world, desiring to give him the half of her kingdom; but never a bridegroom appeared. They were looking for him in the midst of the boyárs, in the midst of the generals; and they went to them all, but they could not find him. But Ványa looked on and smiled, and waited until his bride came to him. For he said, “I won her like a knight; now she is to love me in my kaftán.”

翌日もう一度の勝負があり、王宮に居並ぶボヤーレと殿方は際限もないほどだった。兄たちは出かけ、末の弟はこっそり静かに歩いて出かけた。まるでツァレーヴナに口づけなどしなかったかのように。そして遠い隅に立ち止まった。エレーナ・ツァレーヴナは花婿を求め、エレーナ・ツァレーヴナはそれを世じゅうに示し、王国の半ばを与えたいと望んでいた。だが花婿は現れなかった。人々はボヤーレのなかに、将軍たちのなかに探し、みなのところへ行ったが、見つけられなかった。だがワーニャは眺めて微笑み、花嫁が自分のところへ来るのを待っていた。彼はこう言ったのである。「わたしは勇士としてあの人を勝ち取った。いまはカフタンを着たわたしを愛してもらおう」

So she got up, looked out of the open windows, glanced through them all, and then she saw and recognised her bridegroom, took him to herself, and soon the betrothal took place. And oh, what a fine young man he was—so sensible, brave, and so handsome! He used to sit on his flying horse, undo his cap, put his arms a-kimbo; and he seemed like a king, like the reigning king; and you looked on, and you would never have imagined that at one time he could ever have been poor Vanyúshka.

そこで姫は立ち上がり、開いた窓から外を見て、隅から隅まで眺め渡し、そしてとうとう花婿を見つけて気づき、自分のもとへ迎え入れて、まもなく婚約が結ばれた。ああ、なんという立派な若者だったことか——分別があり、勇敢で、そして美しかった! 彼は空飛ぶ馬に坐り、帽子を脱ぎ、腰に手を当てるのだった。そうすると王のように、治める王そのもののように見えた。そしてそれを眺めていると、かつて哀れなワニューシュカだったことがあるなどとは、とても思えなかった。