Sorrow

Once upon a time, in a wretched village, there lived two peasants, who were own brothers. One was poor, however, and the other rich. The rich man settled in the town, built himself a fine house, and became a merchant. Sometimes the poor brother had not a crumb of bread and the children (each of whom was smaller than the others) cried and begged for something to eat. From morning to evening the peasant trudged away like a fish on ice, but it was all of no good.

むかしむかし、みすぼらしい村に二人の百姓が住んでいた。実の兄弟だった。だが一人は貧しく、一人は裕福だった。裕福なほうは町に居を構え、立派な家を建てて商人になった。貧しいほうの兄弟は、パン屑一つないこともしばしばで、子どもたち(どの子も次の子より小さかった)は泣いて何か食べるものをねだった。朝から晩まで、この百姓は氷の上の魚のようにあくせく歩き回ったが、何の役にも立たなかった。

One day he said to his wife: “I am going into the town, in order to beg my brother to help me.”

ある日、彼は妻に言った。「町へ行って、兄に助けてくれと頼んでくる」

So he came to the rich man and asked him: “Brother, help me in my sorrow, for my wife and children sit at home without any bread and are starving.”

そこで彼は裕福な兄のところへ来て頼んだ。「兄さん、わたしの嘆きを助けてください。女房も子どもらもパンもなしに家に坐って飢えているのです」

“If you will work for me this week I will help you.”

「今週わしのために働くなら、助けてやろう」

What was the poor fellow to do? He set to work, cleaned out the courtyard, groomed the horses, carried the water, hewed the wood. When the week had gone by the rich man gave him a loaf of bread. “There, you have a reward for your pains.”

貧しい男にどうすることができたろう。彼は仕事にかかり、庭を掃除し、馬の手入れをし、水を運び、薪を割った。一週間が過ぎると、裕福な兄はパンを一つ与えた。「ほら、骨折りの褒美だ」

“I thank you for it,” said the poor man, and bowed down, and was going home.

「ありがたいことです」と貧しい男は言って深く礼をし、帰ろうとした。

“Stay,” the rich brother said to him: “Come with your wife to-morrow and be my guests. To-morrow is my name-day.”

「待て」と裕福な兄は言った。「明日、女房と二人で客に来い。明日はわしの名の日だ」

“Oh, brother, how can I? As you know, merchants who wear boots and furs come to see you, whilst I have only bast shoes, and I only have my grey coat.”

「ああ兄さん、どうしてそんなことができましょう。ご存じのとおり、あなたのところへは長靴と毛皮を着た商人衆が来るのに、わたしは樹皮靴しか持たず、灰色の上着一枚しかないのです」

“Never mind! Come to-morrow; I shall still have room for you.”

「かまうものか! 明日来い。おまえたちの席くらいはある」

“Good brother! I will come.”

「よき兄さん! 参ります」

So the poor man went home, gave his wife the loaf of bread, and said: “Listen, wife. To-morrow you and I are to be guests.”

そこで貧しい男は家へ帰り、妻にパンを渡して言った。「なあおまえ、明日、二人で客に行くぞ」

“Who has asked us?”

「誰が呼んだの」

“My brother. To-morrow is his name-day.”

「兄さんだ。明日は兄さんの名の日なんだ」

“All right, let’s go.”

「そう、では行きましょう」

Next day they got up and went into the town. They came to the rich man’s door, greeted him, and sat down on a bench. And at table there were many guests, and the master of the house entertained them all magnificently. Only he forgot the poor brother and his wife, and he gave them nothing. They sat there, and could only look at the others eating and drinking. When the meal was over the guests rose from table and bowed their thanks to the master and mistress, and the poor man also stood up from his bench and bowed down deep before his brother; and the guests went home drunken and merry, noisily singing songs.

翌日、二人は起きて町へ行った。裕福な兄の戸口に着いて挨拶し、腰掛けに坐った。食卓には客が大勢いて、家の主はみなを豪勢にもてなした。ただ、貧しい弟とその妻だけは忘れられ、何も出されなかった。二人はそこに坐って、ほかの者が飲み食いするのを眺めているほかなかった。食事が終わると客たちは席を立ち、主人夫婦に礼をして頭を下げた。貧しい男も腰掛けから立ち上がり、兄の前で深く礼をした。そして客たちは酔って上機嫌で、賑やかに歌をうたいながら家路についた。

But the poor man went home with an empty stomach. “We too must sing a song!” he said to his wife.

だが貧しい男は腹を空かせたまま家へ帰った。「おれたちも歌をうたおう!」と彼は妻に言った。

“Oh, you fool, the others sing, for they have had a good dinner and have drunk well. Why should we sing?”

「まあ、この馬鹿。ほかの人たちが歌うのは、たっぷり食べてたっぷり飲んだからでしょう。なぜわたしたちが歌うの」

“Well, after all, I was a guest at my brother’s name-day, and I am ashamed of going back so silently. If I sing they will all think, anyhow, that I have been served as well.”

「だがともかく、おれは兄さんの名の日の客だったんだ。こんなに黙って帰るのは恥ずかしい。歌えばみんな、おれもちゃんともてなされたと思うだろう」

“Sing if you will! I shall not!”

「歌いたければ歌いなさい! わたしは歌わない!」

So the peasant sang and sang, and he heard two voices. So he stopped and asked his wife: “Are you helping me; to sing with a thin voice?”

そこで百姓は歌いに歌った。すると声が二つ聞こえた。そこで彼は立ち止まって妻に尋ねた。「おまえ、細い声で合わせて歌ってくれているのか」

“What are you thinking of? I was doing nothing of the sort.”

「何を言っているの。そんなことはしていないわ」

“What was it, then?”

「では何だったのだ」

“I don’t know,” said the wife. “Sing. I will listen.” So he went on singing by himself, and again the two voices were heard. So he stayed still, and said, “Sorrow, are you aiding me to sing?”

「知らないわ」と妻は言った。「歌いなさい。聞いているから」。そこで彼はまた一人で歌いはじめ、また声が二つ聞こえた。そこで彼はじっと立ち止まって言った。「悲嘆よ、おまえが合わせて歌っているのか」

And Sorrow answered: “Yes, I am aiding you.”

すると悲嘆は答えた。「そうとも、おれが合わせているのだ」

“Now, Sorrow, we will go on together.”

「では悲嘆よ、いっしょに行こう」

“Yes, I will ever remain with you.”

「そうとも、おれはいつまでもおまえのそばにいる」

So the peasant went home. But Sorrow called him into the inn.

そこで百姓は家へ向かった。だが悲嘆は彼を居酒屋へ誘い込んだ。

He said: “I have no money.”

彼は言った。「金がない」

“Never mind, Hodge; what do you want money for? Why, you still have half of a fur; what is the use of it? It will soon be summer, and you will be no longer requiring it. We will go into the inn and drink it up.”

「かまうものか、お百姓。金が何の要りようだ。おまえには毛皮の半分がまだある。あんなものが何の役に立つ。じきに夏が来て、もう要らなくなるぞ。居酒屋へ行ってあれを飲んでしまおう」

So the peasant and Sorrow went into the inn, and they drank up the half-fur. Next day Sorrow groaned and said he had a headache, a fearful headache, owing to last night’s treat. And he enticed the peasant once more to bib wine.

そこで百姓と悲嘆は居酒屋へ行き、毛皮の半分を飲み尽くした。翌日、悲嘆はうめいて、昨夜のもてなしのせいで頭が痛い、ひどく頭が痛いと言った。そしてまた百姓を酒に誘い込んだ。

“But I have no money!”

「だが金がない!」

“There is no need of money. Take your sleigh and your carriage; that will be sufficient for us!”

「金など要らぬ。おまえの橇と荷車を持っていけ。それで十分だ!」

It was not any good. The peasant could not escape Sorrow. So he took his sleigh and his carriage, drove them to the inn, and drank them with Sorrow. And in the morning Sorrow groaned yet further, and reduced the master to further drinking; and the peasant drank away his ploughshare and his plough.

無駄だった。百姓は悲嘆から逃れられなかった。そこで橇と荷車を居酒屋へ運び、悲嘆とともに飲み尽くした。そして朝になると悲嘆はさらにうめき、主人をさらに酒に引きずり込んだ。そして百姓は鋤の刃と鋤を飲み尽くした。

One month had gone by, and he had drunk all his property away, pledged his izbá[54] to a neighbour, and spent all the money in the inn. Then Sorrow came to him once more. “Let us go to the inn!”

一か月が過ぎ、彼は身代をすっかり飲み尽くし、イズバー [54] を隣人に抵当に入れて、その金もすっかり居酒屋で使ってしまった。そこで悲嘆がまた来た。「居酒屋へ行こう!」

“No, Sorrow, I have no more.”

「いや悲嘆よ、もう何もない」

“Why, your wife has two sarafáns, one will be sufficient for her.”

「なに、おまえの女房はサラファンを二枚持っているぞ。一枚あれば十分だろう」

So the peasant took the sarafán, drank it up; and he thought: “Now I have not anything left, neither house, nor clothes, nor anything else for myself or my wife!”

そこで百姓はサラファンを取って飲み尽くした。そして思った。「これで何も残っていない。家も衣も、おれにも女房にも何一つない!」

Next morning Sorrow woke up and saw that there was nothing more he could take. So he said: “Master, what is your wish? Go to your neighbour and borrow a pair of oxen and a carriage.”

翌朝、悲嘆は目を覚まし、もう取れるものが何もないと知った。そこで言った。「ご主人、どうする気だ。隣へ行って牡牛を二頭と荷車を借りてこい」

So the peasant went to his neighbour and said, “Can you lend me a car and a pair of oxen for a short time, and I will do a week’s work for them?”

そこで百姓は隣人のところへ行って言った。「しばらく荷車と牡牛二頭を貸してくれませんか。代わりに一週間働きます」

“What do you want with them?”

「何に使うのだ」

“To fetch wood out of the forest.”

「森から薪を運ぶのです」

“Well, then, take them, but don’t overload them.”

「では持っていけ。ただし積みすぎるなよ」

“Oh, of course not, uncle!”

「もちろんです、旦那!」

So the peasant took the oxen, went with Sorrow into the carriage, and drove into the field.

そこで百姓は牡牛を借り、悲嘆とともに荷車に乗って野へ出た。

“Do you know the big stone in this field?” Sorrow asked.

「この野にある大きな石を知っているか」と悲嘆が尋ねた。

“Oh, yes!”

「ええ、知っています!」

“Well, then, drive up to it.”

「では、そこまで行け」

So they arrived at the stone and dismounted. Sorrow bade the peasant lift up the stone, and he aided him in the work. Under the stone there was a hollow filled with gold.

そこで二人は石のところへ着いて降りた。悲嘆は百姓に石を持ち上げよと言い、自分も手伝った。石の下には黄金でいっぱいの窪みがあった。

“Now, what do you see?” said Sorrow. “Load it all up quickly on to the coach.”

「さあ、何が見える」と悲嘆は言った。「早くすっかり荷車に積み込め」

So the peasant set to work sharply, loaded all the gold up, to the very last ducats. And when he noticed there was not anything left, he said, “Sorrow, is there no more gold there?”

そこで百姓は手早く仕事にかかり、最後の一枚まで黄金をすっかり積み込んだ。そして何も残っていないのに気づくと言った。「悲嘆よ、もう黄金はないのか」

“I don’t see any.”

「見当たらんな」

“Down there in the corner I see something glittering.”

「あの下の隅に何か光っているのが見える」

“No; I cannot see anything.”

「いや、何も見えん」

“Get down into the pit, and you will see it.”

「穴へ下りてみろ。そうすれば見える」

So Sorrow went into the pit, and as soon as he was in the peasant cast the stone in. “Things will now go better,” said the peasant, “for if I were to take you back with me, Sorrow, you would drink up all of this money!”

そこで悲嘆が穴に入った。すると入るやいなや百姓は石を投げ込んだ。「これで具合がよくなる」と百姓は言った。「おまえを連れて帰ったら、悲嘆よ、この金をすっかり飲み尽くしてしまうからな!」

So the peasant went home, and he poured out the gold in the cellar. He took the oxen back to his neighbour, and he began to set up house again, bought a wood, built a big house, and became twice as rich as his brother. Soon he rode to the town, in order to invite his brother and his sister-in-law to his own name-day.

そこで百姓は家へ帰り、黄金を地下室に空けた。牡牛を隣人に返し、また身代を立て直しはじめ、森を買い、大きな家を建てて、兄の二倍も裕福になった。まもなく町へ馬を駆り、兄と義姉を自分の名の日に招いた。

“Whatever do you mean?” said the rich brother, “why, you have nothing to eat, and you are giving festivals!”

「いったいどういうつもりだ」と裕福な兄は言った。「おまえは食うものもないのに、祝いを催すのか!」

“I had nothing to eat before, but I am now as well off as you are.”

「前は食うものもありませんでしたが、いまはあなたと同じくらい豊かなのです」

“All right; I will come.”

「よかろう、行こう」

So next day the rich man, with his wife, went to the name-day; and they saw that the poor starveling had a big new house, much finer than many merchants’ houses. And the peasant gave them a rich dinner, with all kinds of meat and drink.

そこで翌日、裕福な男は妻とともに名の日に出かけた。すると、あの貧しい飢え者が大きな新しい家を、多くの商人の家よりずっと立派な家を持っているのを見た。そして百姓はあらゆる肉と酒をそろえた豪勢な食事でもてなした。

So the rich man asked his brother: “Tell me, how did you become so rich?”

そこで裕福な男は弟に尋ねた。「言ってみろ、どうやってそんなに豊かになったのだ」

Then the peasant told him the bare truth—how Sorrow had followed on his heels and how he and his Sorrow had gone into the inn, and he had drunk away all his goods and chattels to the last shred, until he had only his soul left in his body; and then how Sorrow had showed him the treasure-trove in the field, and he had thus freed himself from the thraldom of Sorrow.

そこで百姓はありのままを話した。悲嘆がどう自分につきまとい、どうやって悲嘆といっしょに居酒屋へ行き、身も心も残すばかりに家財をことごとく飲み尽くしたか。そして悲嘆が野の宝を教えてくれて、こうして悲嘆の軛から自由になったか、を。

And the rich man became envious and thought: “I will go into the field and will lift the stone up. Sorrow will rend my brother’s body asunder, so that he cannot then brag of his riches in front of me.”

すると裕福な男は妬んで考えた。「野へ行ってあの石を持ち上げてやろう。悲嘆が弟の体を引き裂けば、わしの前で富の自慢もできなくなる」

So he left his wife behind and drove into the field, to the big stone. He whirled it off to the side and bowed down to see what was under the stone. And he had hardly bowed down, when Sorrow sprang up and sat on his shoulders.

そこで彼は妻を残して野へ、大きな石のところへ馬を駆った。石を脇へ転がして、下に何があるか見ようと身を屈めた。そして身を屈めるやいなや、悲嘆が跳び上がって彼の肩に乗った。

“O!” Sorrow cried. “You wanted to leave me here under the earth. Now I shall never depart from you.”

「おお!」と悲嘆は叫んだ。「おまえはおれをこの地の下に置き去りにしようとしたな。もう二度とおまえから離れんぞ」

“Listen, Sorrow: I was not the person who locked you up here!”

「待て、悲嘆よ。おまえをここに閉じ込めたのはわしではない!」

“Who was it, then, if it was not you?”

「ではおまえでないなら誰だ」

“My brother. I came in order to set you free.”

「わしの弟だ。わしはおまえを解き放ちに来たのだ」

“No, you are lying and deceiving me again. This time it shall not come off.”

「いや、おまえは嘘をついてまたおれを欺こうとしている。今度はそうはいかん」

So Sorrow sat fast on the wretched merchant’s shoulders. He brought Sorrow with him home, and his household went from bad to worse. Sorrow began early in the morning enticing the merchant into the beerhouse day after day, and much property was drunk away.

そこで悲嘆はこの哀れな商人の肩にしっかり坐り込んだ。彼は悲嘆を連れて家へ帰り、その家は日に日に悪くなっていった。悲嘆は朝早くから日ごとに商人をビール屋へ誘い込み、多くの財産が飲み尽くされた。

“This life is absolutely unbearable!” thought the merchant. “I have done Sorrow too good a service. I must now set myself free from him. How shall I?” So he thought and he thought it out. He went into his courtyard, cut two oak wedges, took a new wheel, and knocked one wedge from one end into the axle. He went up to Sorrow. “Now, Sorrow, must you lie about like that?”

「こんな暮らしはまったく堪えられん!」と商人は思った。「悲嘆にあまりによい奉公をしてしまった。いまこそこいつから自由にならねば。どうすればよい」。そう考えに考えて思いついた。彼は庭へ出て樫の楔を二つ削り、新しい車輪を取って、一方の端から軸に楔を一つ打ち込んだ。それから悲嘆のところへ行った。「なあ悲嘆よ、そんなふうに寝転がっていなければならんのか」

“What should I be doing? What else is there to do?”

「ほかに何をする。ほかに何がある」

“Come into the courtyard; let us play hide-and-seek.”

「庭へ来い。かくれんぼをしよう」

This suited Sorrow down to the ground, and at first the merchant hid and Sorrow found him at once.

これは悲嘆の気にすっかり入り、はじめは商人が隠れて、悲嘆はすぐに見つけた。

Then Sorrow had to hide. “You will not find me so easily: I can hide myself in any crack.”

こんどは悲嘆が隠れる番だった。「そう簡単には見つかるまい。おれはどんな隙間にも隠れられる」

“What!” said the merchant. “Why, you could never get into this wheel, much less into a crack!”

「なんだと!」と商人は言った。「おまえがこの車輪に入れるものか。隙間などなおさらだ!」

“What! I could not get into the wheel? Just look how I manage to hide myself in it!”

「なんだと! おれが車輪に入れないだと。どうやって隠れるか見ていろ!」

So Sorrow crept into the wheel, and the merchant took the other oak wedge and drove it into the hub from the other side, and threw the wheel, with Sorrow inside, into the river. Sorrow was drowned, and the merchant lived as before.

そこで悲嘆は車輪のなかへ這い込んだ。すると商人はもう一つの樫の楔を取って反対側から轂に打ち込み、悲嘆を入れたまま車輪を川へ投げ込んだ。悲嘆は溺れ、商人はもとどおりに暮らした。