The Sun, The Moon and Crow Crowson

Once upon a time there was an old man and an old woman who had three daughters. The old man went into the loft for some groats, and took them home, but there was a hole in the sack, and the groats were running and running out of the sack.

むかしむかし、一人の老人と老婆がいて、三人の娘があった。老人は屋根裏へ挽き割り麦を取りに行き、それを家へ運んだが、袋に穴があいていて、挽き割り麦が袋から零れに零れ落ちた。

The old man went home, and the old woman asked, “Where are the groats?” But all the groats had dripped out.

老人が家に着くと、老婆が尋ねた。「挽き割り麦はどこだい」。ところが麦はすっかり零れてしまっていた。

So the old man went to collect them, and said, “If only the Sun would warm the grain, and the moon show its light on it, and Crow Crowson help me to get the groats, I would give my eldest daughter to the little Sun, and my middle daughter to the Moon, and my youngest to Crow Crowson.” So the old man set to collecting the grain, and the Sun warmed it, and the Moon shone on it, and Vóron Vóronovich helped to collect the grain.

そこで老人は拾いに出かけて言った。「もし太陽が麦を温め、月がその上に光を照らし、烏のヴォーロンが拾うのを手伝ってくれるなら、いちばん上の娘を小さな太陽に、真ん中の娘を月に、末の娘を烏のヴォーロンにやろう」。そこで老人が麦を拾いはじめると、太陽がそれを温め、月がそれを照らし、ヴォーロン・ヴォーロノヴィチが麦を拾うのを手伝った。

The old man came back home and said to the eldest daughter: “You must dress nicely and go out on the steps.” So she dressed and went out on the steps. And the Sun laid hold of her. And he commanded the next daughter in the same way to dress herself finely and to stand on the steps. So she dressed herself up and went out, and the Moon seized and took away the second daughter. And he said to the third daughter, “Dress yourself prettily and stand on the steps.” So she dressed herself prettily and stood on the steps, and Crow Crowson seized her and carried her away.

老人は家へ帰っていちばん上の娘に言った。「きれいに装って玄関の階段へ出ておいで」。そこで娘は装って階段へ出た。すると太陽が娘をつかまえた。そして次の娘にも同じように、きれいに装って階段に立つよう命じた。そこで娘は装って出ていき、月が二番めの娘をつかまえて連れ去った。そして三番めの娘に言った。「きれいに装って階段に立っておいで」。そこで娘はきれいに装って階段に立ち、烏のヴォーロンがつかまえて運び去った。

Then the old man said, “I think I might go and visit my sons-in-law.” So he went to the Sun, and at last he arrived there.

それから老人は言った。「婿たちを訪ねてみようか」。そこで太陽のところへ行き、とうとうそこに着いた。

The Sun asked him, “With what shall I regale you?”

太陽は尋ねた。「何でおもてなししましょうか」

“Oh, I don’t wish for anything!”

「いや、何も望みませんよ!」

So the Sun bade his wife make a custard ready. So the daughter prepared the custard; the Sun sat down in the middle of the floor, and his wife put the pan on him and the custard was soon cooked. So they gave the old father refreshment.

そこで太陽は妻にカスタードを作れと言いつけた。そこで娘はカスタードを用意し、太陽は床の真ん中に坐って、妻がその上に鍋を載せると、カスタードはたちまち焼き上がった。そうして老いた父をもてなした。

Then the old father went back home and bade his wife make him a custard; and he sat down on the floor and commanded her to put the pan with the custard on to him.

それから老いた父は家へ帰り、妻にカスタードを作れと言いつけた。そして床に坐って、カスタードの鍋を自分の上に載せろと命じた。

“What are you talking about? Bake it on you!” said the old wife.

「何を言っているんだい。自分の上で焼くだなんて!」と老妻は言った。

“Go on!” he replied. “Put it there; it will be baked!”

「やれというんだ!」と彼は答えた。「そこへ載せろ。焼けるから!」

So she put the pan on him, and the custard stood there for ages and was not ever cooked, only turned sour. It was no good. So in the end the wife put the pan into the stove, and this time the custard was baked and the old man got something to eat.

そこで妻は鍋を彼の上に載せたが、カスタードはいつまでもそこにあって、一向に焼けず、ただ酸っぱくなるばかりだった。無駄だった。そこでとうとう妻は鍋を竈に入れ、こんどはカスタードが焼けて、老人は食べるものにありついた。

Next day the old man went to stay as a guest with his second son-in-law, the Moon, and he arrived.

翌日、老人は二番めの婿である月のところへ客に出かけ、そこに着いた。

And the Moon said, “With what shall I regale you?”

すると月は言った。「何でおもてなししましょうか」

“I do not wish for anything,” said the old man.

「何も望みませんよ」と老人は言った。

So the Moon got the bath heated ready for him.

そこで月は風呂を焚いて用意してくれた。

The old man said, “Won’t it be very dark in the bath?”

老人は言った。「風呂はたいそう暗いのではないかね」

“No,” said the Moon to him, “quite light; only step in.”

「いいえ」と月は言った。「すっかり明るいですよ。お入りなさい」

So the old man went into the bath, and the Moon twisted his little finger into a chink, and it was quite light in the bathroom. So the old man steamed himself thoroughly, went back home and told his wife to heat the bath at night. So the old woman heated it, and he sent her there to steam herself.

そこで老人が風呂に入ると、月は小指を隙間にねじ込み、浴室はすっかり明るくなった。そこで老人は存分に蒸されて、家へ帰り、妻に夜に風呂を焚けと言いつけた。そこで老婆は風呂を焚き、彼は妻に蒸されてこいと言った。

“But,” she said, “it will be much too dark to steam myself!”

「でも」と妻は言った。「暗すぎて蒸されるどころじゃないよ!」

“Go along! it will be light enough.”

「行けというんだ! 十分明るいから」

So the old woman went. And the old man saw how the Moon had lit the place up for him, and he went and bored a tiny hole in the bathroom and thrust his finger through it.

そこで老婆は行った。そして老人は、月がどうやって明るくしてくれたかを思い出し、浴室に小さな穴をあけて指を突っ込んだ。

But there was still no light in the bath, and the old woman shrieked out to him, “Dark! much too dark!” It was not any good. So she went out, brought a lamp, and enjoyed her steam bath.

だが風呂はやはり暗いままで、老婆は彼に怒鳴った。「暗い! 暗すぎるよ!」。無駄だった。そこで妻は出ていって灯りを持ってきて、蒸し風呂を楽しんだ。

On the third day the old man went to Vóron Vóronovich. He got there.

三日めに老人はヴォーロン・ヴォーロノヴィチのところへ行き、そこに着いた。

“How shall I regale you?” asked Vóron Vóronovich.

「何でおもてなししましょうか」とヴォーロン・ヴォーロノヴィチは尋ねた。

“Oh,” said the old man, “I don’t want anything!”

「いや」と老人は言った。「何も要らんよ!」

“Well, let us come and sleep on the perch.”

「では、止まり木で寝ましょう」

So the Crow put a ladder up and climbed up there with his father-in-law. Crow Crowson settled himself comfortably with his head under his wing. But as soon as ever the old man dropped off to sleep both of them fell down and were killed.

そこで烏は梯子を掛け、舅とともにそこへ登った。烏のヴォーロンは頭を翼の下に入れて心地よく落ち着いた。だが老人がうとうとするやいなや、二人とも落ちて死んでしまった。