The Story of Ilyá Múromets and the Nightingale Robber

Once in the famous city of Múrom[47] in the village of Karachárovo, a peasant lived who was called Iván Timoféyevich; he had one beloved son, Ilyá Múromets. And he sat down in a house as a stay-at-home for thirty years, and after the thirty years had gone by he began to walk on his feet mightily, and he gained great strength. Then he made himself the trappings of war and a lance of steel, and got himself a good steed, a knightly horse; he then went up to his mother and father and asked their blessing. “Ye, my masters, my mother and father, let me go into the famous city of Kíev, to pray to God and to do homage to our prince at Kíev.”

むかし名高いムーロムの町 [47] のカラチャーロヴォ村に、イワン・チモフェーエヴィチという百姓が住んでいた。彼にはイリヤー・ムーロメツという愛する息子が一人あった。そしてイリヤーは三十年のあいだ家にこもって坐っていたが、三十年が過ぎると力強く足で歩きはじめ、大きな力を得た。それから戦の装束と鋼の槍をこしらえ、よい駿馬、勇士の馬を手に入れて、母と父のもとへ行って祝福を求めた。「わが主なる母上、父上よ、名高いキーエフの町へ行かせてください。神に祈り、キーエフのわれらが公に敬意を捧げるために」

The mother and father gave him their blessing, and made him swear a mighty oath, and they enjoined a mighty service upon him. And they spake in this wise: “Do you go straight to the city of Kíev, straight to the city of Chernígov, and on your journeying do no one any hurt, spill no Christian blood vainly.”

母と父は祝福を与え、大いなる誓いを立てさせ、大いなる務めを言いつけた。そしてこう言った。「まっすぐキーエフの町へ、まっすぐチェルニーゴフの町へ行きなさい。そして道中、誰にも害を加えず、キリスト教徒の血を無駄に流してはならぬ」

Ilyá Múromets took the blessing of his father and mother, prayed to God, bade farewell to his father and mother, and set forth on his way and road. And he journeyed far in the dark woods, and lighted on a camp of robbers. Those robbers saw Ilyá Múromets, and were envious in their robber-like hearts for his knightly horse, and began to speak amongst themselves how they might take that horse; for steeds so fine were not seen in those parts, and now some unknown man was passing by on one. So they set on Ilyá Múromets, ten at once and then by twenties. And Ilyá Múromets stopped his knightly horse, took a tempered dart and set it on his strong bow. He let the tempered dart fall on the earth, and it tore into the earth fifty feet.

イリヤー・ムーロメツは父と母の祝福を受け、神に祈り、父と母に別れを告げ、道と旅路についた。そして暗い森を遠く旅して、盗賊の陣に行き当たった。盗賊たちはイリヤー・ムーロメツを見ると、その勇士の馬を見て盗賊らしい心に妬みを抱き、どうすればその馬を奪えるかとたがいに話しはじめた。これほど見事な駿馬はこのあたりでは見たことがなく、いま見も知らぬ男がそれに乗って通りかかっているのである。そこで一同はイリヤー・ムーロメツに襲いかかった。まず十人ずつ、それから二十人ずつでかかった。するとイリヤー・ムーロメツは勇士の馬を止め、鍛えた矢を取って強い弓につがえた。そして鍛えた矢を地に落とすと、それは五十フィートも地を裂いた。

And seeing this, the robbers were afraid, and collected in a circle, fell on their knees and prayed him, “Master, our father, youth mighty of prowess, we are guilty in thine eyes; and, for this our guilt, as it pleaseth thee, inflict on us a fine as much as is fit, whether it be coloured clothes or droves of horses.”

これを見て盗賊たちは恐れ、輪になって集まり、膝をついて願った。「主よ、われらの父よ、武勇に長けた若者よ、われらはあなたの御目に罪を犯しました。この罪に対して、お心のままに罰金をお課しください。彩りある衣でも馬の群れでも、ふさわしいだけお取りください」

Ilyá smiled at them and said: “I need no garments, but, if ye wish to enjoy your life, henceforth take no more hazards.”

イリヤーは彼らに微笑んで言った。「衣は要らぬ。だがおまえたちが命を全うしたいなら、これからは二度と危ない橋を渡るな」

And he went on his road to the famous city of Kíev. And Ilyá Múromets set out on the road; when he came under the walls of the city of Sébezh he saw three Tsarévichi from foreign parts, who had a host of thirty thousand men; they wished to capture the city of Sébezh and to take the Tsar of Sébezh prisoner. So Ilyá Múromets set out after the three Tsarévichi, and he pursued them down to the seashore and slew all the rest of the army, but captured the Tsarévichi alive and returned to the city of Sébezh, and the citizens saw him and gave news of this to their Tsar.

そして名高いキーエフの町へ向かって道を進んだ。イリヤー・ムーロメツは道につき、セービェジの町の城壁の下まで来ると、異国から来た三人のツァレーヴィチを見た。彼らは三万の軍勢を擁し、セービェジの町を陥れ、セービェジのツァーリを捕虜にしようとしていた。そこでイリヤー・ムーロメツは三人のツァレーヴィチを追い、海辺まで追い詰めて、軍勢の残りをすっかり討ち、ツァレーヴィチたちは生け捕りにしてセービェジの町へ戻った。町の人々はそれを見て、自分たちのツァーリに知らせた。

When he arrived at the city of Chernígov, under the walls of the city of Chernígov there was a Saracen host too many to count besieging the city of Chernígov: they were going to sack it and to set God’s churches aflame, and to take captive the Prince, the Duke of Chernígov. And at that mighty host and fray, Ilyá Múromets was afraid, but he placed himself at the will of the Saviour, and thought how he would sacrifice his head for the Christian faith. Then Ilyá Múromets began to lay low the Saracen host with his lance of steel, and he routed all of the pagan host and took the Tsarévich of the Saracens captive and led him into the city of Chernígov. As he entered, all the citizens of the city of Chernígov met him and gave him honour, and the Prince and Duke of Chernígov himself came out to receive the doughty youth with honour and to give thanks to the Lord God for sending such unexpected succour to the city and not letting them all perish helplessly before the mighty Saracen host. They received him into their palace and they gave him a great feast, and set him on his way.

チェルニーゴフの町に着くと、チェルニーゴフの町の城壁の下には数え切れぬほどのサラセンの軍勢が町を囲んでいた。彼らは町を略奪し、神の教会を焼き、チェルニーゴフの公にして大公を捕虜にしようとしていた。そしてこの大軍と戦いを前にして、イリヤー・ムーロメツは恐れたが、救い主の御心に身を委ね、キリスト教の信仰のために自分の首を捧げようと思った。それからイリヤー・ムーロメツは鋼の槍でサラセンの軍勢を薙ぎ倒しはじめ、異教の軍勢をすっかり打ち破り、サラセンのツァレーヴィチを捕虜にしてチェルニーゴフの町へ連れていった。彼が入ると、チェルニーゴフの町の人々がみな出迎えて敬意を表し、チェルニーゴフの公にして大公その人も出てきて、この勇ましい若者を敬意をもって迎え、これほど思いがけぬ救いを町に送り、力強いサラセンの軍勢の前でみなが空しく滅びることのないようにしてくださった主なる神に感謝した。人々は彼を宮殿に迎え入れ、大きな宴を開き、そして旅立たせた。

Ilyá Múromets went to the city of Kíev straight from Chernígov on the road by the village of Kutúzovo, which the Nightingale Robber had been oppressing for thirty years, not letting any man pass, whether on horseback or on foot, and assailing them not with any weapon, but only with his robber’s whistle. Ilyá Múromets rode into the open field and saw the scattered bones of knights and warriors. He rode over them and arrived at the Bryánski woods,[48] the miry swamp, to the hazel-tree bridges, and to the Smoródina river. The Nightingale Robber heard his end approaching, and felt a foreboding of a terrible ill; and before Ilyá Múromets had advanced twenty versts, he whistled with his powerful robber’s whistle. But the valorous heart of Ilyá was not afraid, and before ever he had advanced ten versts more the Nightingale Robber whistled more terribly than before, and the horse of Ilyá Múromets stumbled at the sound.

イリヤー・ムーロメツはチェルニーゴフからまっすぐキーエフの町へ、クトゥーゾヴォ村を通る道を行った。この村は夜鶯強盗が三十年のあいだ苦しめてきたところで、馬に乗る者も歩く者も誰一人通さず、しかも武器で襲うのではなく、ただ盗賊の口笛だけで襲うのだった。イリヤー・ムーロメツは広い野へ乗り入れ、勇士や武人の散らばった骨を見た。その上を乗り越えて、ブリャンスクの森 [48]、泥沼、榛の木の橋、そしてスモロージナ川に着いた。夜鶯強盗は自分の最期が近づくのを聞きつけ、恐ろしい災いの予感を覚えた。そしてイリヤー・ムーロメツが二十ヴェルスタも進まぬうちに、力強い盗賊の口笛を吹いた。だがイリヤーの勇武なる心は恐れなかった。そしてさらに十ヴェルスタも進まぬうちに、夜鶯強盗は前よりいっそう恐ろしく吹き、イリヤー・ムーロメツの馬はその音につまずいた。

At last Ilyá arrived at the nest, which was spread above twelve oaks, and the Nightingale Robber was sitting in the nest, saw the white Russian knight approaching, and began to whistle with all of his might, essaying to smite Ilyá Múromets to death. Ilyá Múromets took out his strong bow, put a tempered dart to it, and shot it at the nest of the Nightingale Robber; it fell into his right eye and went beyond. And the Robber-Nightingale fell down from his nest like a sheaf of oats. Ilyá Múromets took the Robber-Nightingale, tied him strongly to his steel stirrup and rode to the famous city of Kíev.

とうとうイリヤーは、十二本の樫の木の上に広がった巣に着いた。夜鶯強盗は巣に坐っていて、白きロシアの勇士が近づくのを見て、力のかぎり口笛を吹きはじめ、イリヤー・ムーロメツを打ち殺そうとした。イリヤー・ムーロメツは強い弓を取り出し、鍛えた矢をつがえて、夜鶯強盗の巣へ射た。それは右の目に当たって貫いた。そして夜鶯強盗は燕麦の束のように巣から落ちた。イリヤー・ムーロメツは夜鶯強盗を捕らえ、鋼の鐙にしっかり縛りつけて、名高いキーエフの町へ向かった。

On his way he passed the palace of the Nightingale Robber, and as soon as he came up to the Robber’s palace the windows were opened and out of these windows the Nightingale Robber’s three daughters were looking. The youngest daughter saw him, and cried out to her sisters: “Here is our father coming back with booty: he is bringing us a man tied to his steel stirrup.”

道すがら夜鶯強盗の館の前を通った。そして強盗の館に近づくやいなや窓が開き、その窓から夜鶯強盗の三人の娘が外を見ていた。末の娘がそれを見て姉たちに叫んだ。「お父さんが獲物を持って帰ってくる。鋼の鐙に人を縛りつけて連れてくるわ」

But the elder sister looked out and cried bitterly: “That is not our father; some unknown man is coming along and is dragging our father after him.”

だが上の姉が外を見て、苦く叫んだ。「あれはお父さんじゃない。見知らぬ男がやって来て、お父さんを引きずっているのよ」

Then they cried out to their husbands, “Masters, do ye go and meet that man and slay him for the slaying of our father, lest our name be disgraced.”

そこで三人は夫たちに叫んだ。「殿方よ、あの男を迎え撃って、父を討ったかどで殺してください。わたしたちの名が辱められぬように」

Then their husbands, mighty warriors, set out to face the white Russian knight. They had good horses, sharp lances, and they wished to hoist Ilyá aloft on their lances.

そこで娘たちの夫、力強い武人たちが、白きロシアの勇士を迎え撃ちに出た。彼らはよい馬と鋭い槍を持ち、イリヤーを槍で高く突き上げようとした。

The Nightingale Robber saw them, and said, “My beloved sons, do not dishonour nor take such a bold knight, and so all receive your death from him; it would be better to ask his forgiveness in humbleness and to ask him into my house to have a goblet of green wine.”

夜鶯強盗はそれを見て言った。「愛する息子たちよ、あれほど大胆な勇士を辱めもするな、捕らえもするな。みなあの者の手にかかって死ぬことになる。それより謙って許しを乞い、わが家へ招いて緑の酒を一杯ふるまうほうがよい」

So at the invitation of the sons-in-law Ilyá returned home and received no evil of them.

そこで婿たちの招きに応じてイリヤーは家へ立ち寄り、何の害も受けなかった。

The eldest daughter raised an iron storm-board of chains for him to stumble against; but Ilyá saw her on the gates, struck at her with his lance, and he smote her to death.

上の娘は、彼がつまずくようにと鎖でできた鉄の落とし戸を吊り上げた。だがイリヤーは門の上にいるその娘を見つけて槍で突き、打ち殺した。

When Ilyá arrived at the city of Kíev, he went straight to the Prince’s courtyard, entered the white stone palace, prayed to God and did homage to the Prince.

イリヤーはキーエフの町に着くと、まっすぐ公の庭へ行き、白い石の宮殿に入って神に祈り、公に敬意を捧げた。

The Prince of Kíev asked him, “Say, doughty youth, how do they call thee? Of what city art thou?”

キーエフの公は尋ねた。「言え、勇ましい若者よ、そなたは何と呼ばれている。どこの町の者か」

And Ilyá Múromets returned answer: “My lord, they call me Ílyushka, and by my father’s name Ivánov; I live in the city of Múrom in the village of Karachárovo.”

そしてイリヤー・ムーロメツは答えた。「わが主よ、人はわたしをイリューシュカと呼び、父の名からイワーノフと申します。ムーロムの町のカラチャーロヴォ村に住んでおります」

Then the Prince asked him, “By what road didst thou come?”

すると公は尋ねた。「どの道を通ってきた」

“From Múrom by the city of Chernígov, and under the walls of Chernígov I routed a Saracen host too many to count, and I relieved the city of Chernígov. And from there I went straight and I took the mighty Nightingale Robber alive and dragged him along at my steel stirrup.”

「ムーロムからチェルニーゴフの町を経て参りました。そしてチェルニーゴフの城壁の下で、数え切れぬサラセンの軍勢を打ち破り、チェルニーゴフの町を救いました。そこからまっすぐ来て、力強い夜鶯強盗を生け捕りにし、鋼の鐙に縛って引いてまいりました」

Then the Prince was angry and said, “Why art thou telling such tales?”

すると公は怒って言った。「なぜそのような作り話をする」

When the knights Alyósha Popóvich and Dobrýnya Nikítich heard this, they dashed out to look, and assured the Prince that this was really so.

勇士アリョーシャ・ポポーヴィチとドブルィニャ・ニキーチチがこれを聞くと、駆け出して見に行き、まことにそのとおりですと公に請け合った。

Then the Prince bade a goblet of green wine be given to the doughty youth. The Prince, however, wished to hear the whistle of the Robber-Nightingale. Ilyá Múromets put the Prince and Princess into a sable shúba, seized them under the arm, called in the Nightingale Robber and bade him whistle like a nightingale with only half his whistle; but the Nightingale Robber whistled with all his robber’s whistle, and he deafened all of the knights, so that they fell to the ground, and as a punishment for this was slain by Ilyá Múromets.

そこで公は緑の酒の杯をこの勇ましい若者に与えよと命じた。だが公は夜鶯強盗の口笛を聞きたがった。イリヤー・ムーロメツは公と公妃を黒貂のシューバに包んで脇に抱え、夜鶯強盗を呼び入れて、夜鶯のように、ただし半分の力だけで吹けと命じた。ところが夜鶯強盗は盗賊の口笛を力のかぎり吹き、勇士たちをみな聾にして地に倒れさせた。その罰としてイリヤー・ムーロメツに討たれた。

Ilyá Múromets swore blood brotherhood with Dobrýnya Nikítich, then they saddled their good horses and rode forth on the open fields; and they journeyed on for about three months and found no opponent worthy of their steel: they had only gone in the open field. Then they met a passer-by, a beggar singing psalms. His shirt weighed fifteen pud, and his hat ten pud, and his stick was ten sazhéns long. Ilyá Múromets set on him with his horse, and was going to try his mighty strength on him.

イリヤー・ムーロメツはドブルィニャ・ニキーチチと血の兄弟の誓いを結び、それから二人はよい馬に鞍を置いて広い野へ乗り出した。そして三か月ほど旅をしたが、自分たちの鋼にふさわしい敵は見つからなかった。ただ広い野を行っただけだった。やがて一人の通りすがりの、詩篇をうたう乞う者に出会った。その者の肌着は十五プード、帽子は十プードあり、杖は十サージェンの長さだった。イリヤー・ムーロメツは馬を向けて、その者に自分の力を試そうとした。

Then the passing beggar saw Ilyá Múromets and said: “Hail, Ilyá Múromets! Do you recollect? I learned my letters with you in the same school, and now you are setting your horse on me, who am only a beggar, as though I were an enemy, and you do not know that a very great misfortune has befallen the city of Kíev. The infidel knight, the mighty man, the dishonourable Ídolishche, has arrived. His head is as big as a beer cauldron, and his shoulders a sazhén broad. There is a span length between his brows, and between his ears there is a tempered dart. And he eats an ox at a time and he drinks a cask at a time. The Prince of Kíev is very aggrieved with you that you have left him in such straits.”

すると通りすがりの乞う者はイリヤー・ムーロメツを見て言った。「よう、イリヤー・ムーロメツ! 覚えているか。わたしはおまえと同じ学校で文字を習った。それなのにいま、ただの乞う者であるわたしに、まるで敵であるかのように馬を向けている。そしておまえは、キーエフの町にたいそう大きな災いが降りかかったことを知らぬのだ。異教の勇士、力強い者、不名誉なイードリシチェがやって来た。その頭はビールの釜ほど大きく、肩は一サージェンの広さがある。眉と眉のあいだは一あた、耳と耳のあいだには鍛えた矢が収まる。そして一度に牡牛を一頭食い、一度に樽を一つ飲む。キーエフの公は、そんな窮地に置き去りにされたとおまえをたいそう恨んでいる」

So Ilyá Múromets changed into the beggar’s dress and rode straight back to the palace of the Prince, and cried out in a knightly voice: “Hail to thee, Prince of Kíev! give me, a wandering beggar, alms.”

そこでイリヤー・ムーロメツは乞う者の衣に着替え、まっすぐ公の宮殿へ馬を返して、勇士の声で叫んだ。「よう、キーエフの公よ! 流れの乞う者たるわたしに施しをください」

And the Prince saw him and spoke in this wise: “Come into my palace, beggar. I will give you food and drink and will give you gold on your way.”

すると公は彼を見てこう言った。「宮殿へ入れ、乞う者よ。食べ物と飲み物を与え、旅の路銀に黄金をやろう」

So the beggar went into the palace and stood at the stove and looked round.

そこで乞う者は宮殿に入り、竈のそばに立って見回した。

Ídolishche asked to eat, so they brought him an entire roasted ox and he ate it to the bones; then Ídolishche asked for drink, so they brought him a cauldron of beer; and twenty men had to bring it in. And he held it up to his ears and drank it all through.

イードリシチェが食べ物を求めると、人々は焼いた牡牛を丸ごと運んできて、彼はそれを骨まで食べた。それからイードリシチェが飲み物を求めると、ビールの釜を運んできた。それは二十人がかりで運ばねばならなかった。そして彼はそれを耳のところまで持ち上げて飲み干した。

Ilyá Múromets said, “My father had a gluttonous mare; it guzzled until its breath failed.”

イリヤー・ムーロメツは言った。「わたしの父は大食らいの牝馬を飼っていた。息が切れるまでがつがつ食っていたよ」

Ídolishche could not stand this affront, and said, “Hail, wandering beggar! Do you dare me? I could take you in my hands; if it had been Ilyá Múromets I would even have braved him.”

イードリシチェはこの侮辱に堪えられず、言った。「よう、流れの乞う者め! おれに挑むつもりか。おまえなど手のうちで潰せる。イリヤー・ムーロメツだったら、それでも相手になってやったものを」

“Well,” said Ilyá Múromets, “that is the kind of man he was!” And he took off his cap and struck him lightly on the head, and he nearly knocked through the walls of the palace, took Ídolishche’s trunk and flung it out. And in return the Prince honoured Ilyá Múromets, praised him highly, and placed him amongst the mighty knights of his court.

「ほう」とイリヤー・ムーロメツは言った。「あの男はそういう人物だったのか!」。そして帽子を脱いで軽くその頭を打つと、宮殿の壁をあやうく突き破るほどで、イードリシチェの胴をつかんで外へ放り出した。そして返礼として公はイリヤー・ムーロメツを敬い、大いに称え、宮廷の力ある勇士たちのうちに列した。