The Crow-peri

Once upon a time that was no time there was a man who had one son. This man used to go out into the forest all day, and catch birds for sale to the first comer. At last, however, the father died and the son was left all alone. Now he did not know what had been his fathers profession, but while he was searching all about the floor he came upon the fowling-snare. So he took it, went out into the forest, and set the snare on a tree. At that moment a crow flew down upon the tree, but as the snare was cunningly laid the poor bird was caught. The youth climbed up after it, but when he had got hold of the bird, the crow began begging him to let her go, promising to give him in exchange something more beautiful and more precious than herself. The crow begged and prayed till at last he let her go free, and again he set the snare in the tree and sat down at the foot of it to wait. Presently another bird came flying up, and flew right into the snare. The youth climbed up the tree again to bring it down, but when he saw it he was full of amazement, for such a beautiful thing he had never seen in the forest before.

いつとも知れぬむかしむかし、一人の息子を持つ男がいた。この男は一日じゅう森へ出かけ、鳥を捕らえては最初に来た者に売っていた。ところがとうとう父は死に、息子はひとり残された。息子は父の生業が何であったかを知らなかったが、家じゅうの床を探しまわるうちに、鳥を捕らえる罠を見つけた。そこでそれを持って森へ出かけ、木に罠を仕掛けた。ちょうどそのとき、一羽の鴉が木に舞い降りたが、罠が巧みに仕掛けられていたので、哀れな鳥は捕らえられてしまった。若者は木に登っていったが、鳥を掴むと、鴉は放してくれと頼みはじめ、その代わりに自分より美しく貴いものを与えると約束した。鴉が頼みに頼み、祈るように懇願したので、とうとう若者はこれを逃がしてやり、ふたたび木に罠を仕掛けて、その根方に座って待った。まもなく別の鳥が飛んできて、罠にまっすぐ飛び込んだ。若者はまた木に登って下ろそうとしたが、その鳥を見て驚きに満たされた。これほど美しいものは、それまで森で見たことがなかったのである。

While he was still gazing at it and chuckling, the crow again appeared to him and said: “Take that bird to the Padishah, and he will buy it from thee.” So the youth took away the bird, put it in a cage, and carried it to the palace. When the Padishah saw the beautiful little creature he was filled with joy, and gave the youth so much money for it that he did not know what to do with it all. But the bird they placed in a golden cage, and the Padishah had his joy of it day and night.

若者がまだ見つめて悦に入っていると、また鴉が現れて言った。「その鳥を王(パーディシャー)のもとへお持ちなさい。買ってくださいますよ。」そこで若者は鳥を持ち帰り、籠に入れて宮殿へ運んだ。王はこの美しい小さな生き物を見て喜びに満たされ、若者に、使い道も分からぬほどの大金を与えた。鳥は黄金の籠に入れられ、王は昼も夜もそれを愛でた。

Now the Padishah had a favourite who was grievously jealous of the good fortune of the youth who had brought the bird, and kept cudgelling his brains how he could get him beneath his feet. At last he hit upon a plan, and going in to the Padishah one day he said: “How happy that bird would be if only he had an ivory palace to dwell in!”

さて、王には寵臣がいて、鳥を持ってきた若者の幸運をひどく妬み、どうすればこの男を足の下に踏みつけられるかと頭を絞っていた。とうとう一計を案じ、ある日、王のもとへ行ってこう言った。「あの鳥は、象牙の宮殿に住まえれば、どんなに幸せでございましょう!」

“Yes,” replied the Padishah, “but whence could I get enough ivory to make him a palace?”

「そうだな」と王は答えた。「だが、あれに宮殿を造ってやれるだけの象牙を、どこから手に入れればよい。」

“He who brought the bird hither,” said the favourite, “will certainly be able to find the ivory.”

「あの鳥をここへ持ってきた者なら」と寵臣は言った。「きっと象牙を見つけられましょう。」

So the Padishah sent for the little fowler, and bade him make an ivory palace for the bird there and then. “I know thou canst get the ivory,” said the Padishah.

そこで王はあの小さな鳥刺しを呼び寄せ、いますぐ鳥のために象牙の宮殿を造れと命じた。「そなたなら象牙を手に入れられると知っている」と王は言った。

“Alas, my lord Padishah!” lamented the youth, “whence am I to get all this ivory from?”

「ああ、王よ!」と若者は嘆いた。「それほどの象牙を、どこから手に入れればよいのでしょう。」

“That is thy business,” replied the Padishah. “Thou mayest search for it for forty days, but if it is not here by that time thy head shall be where now thy feet are.”

「それはそなたの務めである」と王は答えた。「四十日のあいだ探すがよい。だがそれまでに揃わなければ、そなたの首はいま足のある場所に置かれることになる。」

The youth was sore troubled, and while he was still pondering in his mind which road he should take, the crow came flying up to him, and asked him what he was grieving about so much. Then the youth told her what a great trouble that one little bird had brought down upon his head.

若者はひどく思い悩んだ。どの道を行くべきかと心の中で思案していると、あの鴉が飛んできて、そんなに何を嘆いているのかと尋ねた。そこで若者は、あの小さな鳥一羽が我が身にどれほど大きな災いをもたらしたかを語った。

“Why this is nothing at all to fret about,” said the crow; “but go to the Padishah, and ask him for forty wagon-loads of wine!” So the youth returned to the palace, got all that quantity of wine, and as he was coming back with the cars, the crow flew up and said: “Hard by is a forest, on the border of which are forty large trenches, and as many elephants as there are in the wide world come to drink out of these trenches. Go now and fill them with wine instead of water. The elephants will thus get drunk and tumble down, and thou wilt be able to pull out their teeth and take them to the Padishah.”

「まあ、それしきのことで思い悩むには及びません」と鴉は言った。「王のところへ行って、葡萄酒を四十荷馬車ぶんくださいとお願いなさい!」そこで若者は宮殿へ戻ってその量の葡萄酒をすべて手に入れ、荷車とともに帰る道すがら、鴉が飛んできて言った。「すぐ近くに森があり、その境には四十の大きな水溜めがあります。この世にいるかぎりの象たちが、その水溜めへ水を飲みに来ます。行って、水の代わりに葡萄酒で満たしなさい。象たちは酔って倒れますから、その牙を抜いて王のもとへ持っていけばよいのです。」

The youth did as the bird said, crammed his cars full of elephants’ tusks instead of wine, and returned with them to the palace. The Padishah rejoiced greatly at the sight of all the ivory, had the palace built, rewarded the little fowler with rich gifts, and sent him home.

若者は鳥の言うとおりにし、荷車に葡萄酒の代わりに象の牙を積み込んで、宮殿へ戻った。王は山のような象牙を見てたいそう喜び、宮殿を造らせ、この小さな鳥刺しに豊かな贈り物を与えて家へ帰した。

So there was the sparkling bird in his ivory palace, and right merrily did he hop about from perch to perch, but he could never be got to sing. “Ah!” said the evil counsellor, “if only his master were here he would sing of his own accord.”

こうしてきらめく鳥は象牙の宮殿に収まり、止まり木から止まり木へと実に楽しげに跳ねまわったが、どうしても歌おうとはしなかった。「ああ!」と邪な助言者は言った。「この鳥の主がここにいれば、ひとりでに歌いましょうものを。」

“Who knows who his master is, or where he is to be found?” asked the Padishah sadly.

「その主が誰なのか、どこにいるのか、誰が知ろう」と王は悲しげに尋ねた。

“He who fetched the elephants’ tusks could fetch the bird’s master also,” replied the evil counsellor.

「象の牙を持ってきた者なら、その鳥の主も連れてこられましょう」と邪な助言者は答えた。

So the Padishah sent for the little fowler once more, and commanded him to bring the bird’s master before him.

そこで王はもう一度、あの小さな鳥刺しを呼び寄せ、鳥の主を連れてくるよう命じた。

“How can I tell who his master is, when I caught him by chance in the forest?” asked the fowler.

「森でたまたま捕らえただけの鳥の主が誰かなど、どうして分かりましょう」と鳥刺しは尋ねた。

“That is thy look-out,” said the Padishah; “but if thou find him not I will slay thee. I give thee forty days for thy quest, and let that suffice thee.”

「それはそなたが考えることだ」と王は言った。「だが見つけられなければ、そなたを殺す。探索に四十日与える。それで足りるであろう。」

So the youth went home, and sobbed aloud in his despair, when lo! the crow came flying up and asked him what he was crying for.

そこで若者は家に帰り、絶望のあまり声をあげて泣いた。すると、なんと! あの鴉が飛んできて、何を泣いているのかと尋ねた。

“Why should I not cry?” said the poor youth, and with that he began to tell the crow of his new trouble.--“Nay, but ’tis a shame to weep for such a trifle,” said the crow. “Go quickly now to the King and ask him for a large ship, but it must be large enough to hold forty maidservants, a beautiful garden also, and a bath-house.” So the youth returned to the King and told him what he wanted for his journey.

「泣かずにいられましょうか」と哀れな若者は言い、新しい難儀を鴉に語りはじめた。——「いえ、そんな些細なことで泣くのは恥です」と鴉は言った。「すぐに王のところへ行って、大きな船をくださいとお願いなさい。ただし、四十人の侍女と、美しい庭と、湯殿を積めるほど大きくなければなりません。」そこで若者は王のもとへ戻り、旅に何が要るかを告げた。

The ship was prepared as he had desired it, the youth embarked, and was just thinking whether he should go to the left or the right, when the crow came flying up, and said to him: “Steer thy ship always to the right, and go straight on until thou perceive a huge mountain. At the foot of this mountain dwell forty Peris, and when they perceive thy ship they will feel a strong desire to look at everything on board of it. But thou must allow only their Queen to come on board, for she is the owner of the bird, and while thou art showing her the ship, set sail and never stop till thou reach home.”

船は望みどおりに整えられ、若者は乗り込んだ。さて左へ行くべきか右へ行くべきかと考えていると、鴉が飛んできて言った。「船をつねに右へ向け、巨大な山が見えるまでまっすぐ進みなさい。この山のふもとには四十人のペリ(妖精)が住んでいて、あなたの船を見れば、船の中の何もかもを見たくてたまらなくなるでしょう。しかし乗せてよいのは女王だけです。あの鳥の持ち主は女王ですから。そして船をお見せしているあいだに帆を上げ、家に着くまで決して止まってはなりません。」

So the youth went on board the ship, steered steadily to the right, and never stopped once till he came to the mountain. There the forty Peris were walking on the sea-shore, and when they saw the ship they all came rushing up that they might examine the beautiful thing. The Queen of the Peris asked the little fowler whether he would not show her the ship, especially the inside of it, and he took her off in a little skiff and brought her to the vessel.

そこで若者は船に乗り、ひたすら右へ舵を取り、山に着くまで一度も止まらなかった。そこでは四十人のペリが海辺を歩いており、船を見るとみな、その美しいものを見ようと駆け寄ってきた。ペリの女王は、船を、とりわけその中を見せてはくれまいかと小さな鳥刺しに尋ね、鳥刺しは小舟で女王を船まで連れていった。

The Peri was monstrously delighted with the beautiful ship, walked in the garden with the damsels on board the ship, and when she saw the bath-room she said to the waiting-maids: “If I have come so far, I may as well have a bath into the bargain.” With that she stepped into the bath-room, and while she was bathing the ship went off.

ペリはこの美しい船に途方もなく喜び、船の中の庭を侍女たちと歩き、湯殿を見ると侍女たちに言った。「ここまで来たのだから、ついでに湯を浴びていこう。」そう言って湯殿に入り、湯を浴びているあいだに船は出帆した。

They had gone a good distance across the sea before the Peri had finished her bathing. The Peri made haste, for it was now growing late, but when she stepped upon the deck she saw nothing but the sea around her. At this she fell a-weeping bitterly. What would become of her? she said; whither was she going? into whose hands was she about to fall? But the youth comforted her with the assurance that she was going to a King’s palace, and would be among good people.

ペリが湯を浴び終えたときには、船は海をかなり進んでいた。もう遅い時刻になっていたのでペリは急いだが、甲板に出てみると、まわりには海しか見えなかった。これに彼女は激しく泣きはじめた。自分はどうなるのか、と彼女は言った。どこへ行くのか。誰の手に落ちようとしているのか。しかし若者は、王の宮殿へ行くのであり、良い人々のもとで暮らすことになるのだと請け合って慰めた。

Not very long afterwards they arrived in the city, and sent word to the King that the ship had come back. Then he brought the Peri to the palace, and as she passed by the ivory palace of the bird, it began to sing so beautifully that all who heard it were beside themselves for joy. The Peri was a little comforted when she heard it, but the King was filled with rapture, and he loved the beautiful Peri so fondly that he could not be a single moment without her. The wedding-banquet quickly followed, and with the beauteous Peri on his right hand, and the sparkling bird on his left, there was not a happier man in the world than that Padishah. But the poison of envy devoured the soul of the evil counsellor.

ほどなく二人は都に着き、船が戻ったことを王に知らせた。王はペリを宮殿へ迎え、彼女があの鳥の象牙の宮殿のそばを通ると、鳥はあまりに美しく歌いはじめたので、聞いた者はみな喜びで我を忘れた。ペリもそれを聞いていくらか慰められたが、王は歓喜に満たされ、この美しいペリを心から愛して、一瞬たりとも離れていられなかった。婚礼の宴がたちまち続き、右にこの麗しいペリを、左にきらめく鳥を置いて、この王ほど幸せな者は世にいなかった。しかし妬みの毒は、あの邪な助言者の魂を蝕んでいた。

One day, however, the Sultana suddenly fell ill, and took to her bed. Every remedy was tried in vain, but the sages said that nothing could cure her but the drug which she had left behind her in her own fairy palace. Then, by the advice of the evil counsellor, the young fowler was again sent for to the palace, and commanded to go and seek for the drug.

ところがある日、后が突然病に倒れ、床についた。あらゆる薬が試されたが甲斐がなく、賢者たちは、彼女自身の妖精の宮殿に残してきた薬のほかには癒すすべがないと言った。そこで邪な助言者の勧めにより、あの若い鳥刺しがまた宮殿へ呼ばれ、その薬を探しに行くよう命じられた。

So the good youth embarked on his ship again, and was just about to sail when the crow came to him and asked him whither he was going. The youth told her that the Sultana was ill, and he had been sent to fetch the drug from the fairy palace. “Well then, go!” said the crow, “and thou wilt find the palace behind a mountain. Two lions stand in the gates, but take this feather and touch their mouths with it, and they will not lift so much as a claw against thee.”

そこで善良な若者はふたたび船に乗り、いままさに出帆しようとしたとき、鴉が来て、どこへ行くのかと尋ねた。若者は、后が病であり、妖精の宮殿から薬を取ってくるように遣わされたのだと告げた。「では、お行きなさい!」と鴉は言った。「宮殿は山の向こうにあります。門には二頭の獅子が立っていますが、この羽根を持っていき、その口に触れなさい。そうすれば爪一本あなたに向けることはありません。」

The youth took the feather, arrived in front of the mountain, disembarked, and quickly beheld the palace. He went straight up to the gates, and there stood the two lions. He took out his feather, and no sooner had he touched their mouths than they lay down one on each side and let him go into the palace. The Peris about the palace also saw the youth, and immediately guessed that their Queen was ill. So they gave him the drug, and immediately he took ship again, and returned to the palace of the Padishah. But the moment he entered the Peri’s chamber with the drug in his hand, the crow alighted on his shoulder, and thus they went together to the sick Sultana’s bed.

若者は羽根を受け取り、山の前に着いて上陸すると、すぐに宮殿を見つけた。まっすぐ門へ向かうと、そこに二頭の獅子が立っていた。羽根を取り出してその口に触れるやいなや、獅子は左右に一頭ずつ伏せて、彼を宮殿へ通した。宮殿のペリたちも若者を見て、すぐさま女王が病であると察した。そこで薬を渡し、若者はただちに船に乗って王の宮殿へ戻った。ところが薬を手にペリの部屋へ入った瞬間、鴉が彼の肩に舞い降り、こうして二人は連れ立って病の后の床へ向かった。

The Sultana was already in the throes of death, but no sooner had she tasted of the healing drug than she seemed to return to life again at a single bound. She opened her eyes, gazed upon the little fowler, and perceiving the crow upon his shoulder thus addressed her: “Oh, thou sooty slave! art thou not sorry for all that this good youth hath suffered for my sake?” Then the Sultana told her lord that this same crow was her serving-maid, whom, for negligence in her service, she had changed into a crow. “Nevertheless,” she added, “I now forgive her, for I see that her intentions towards me were good.”

后はすでに死の苦しみのうちにあったが、癒しの薬を口にするやいなや、一足飛びに生き返ったかのようであった。目を開けて小さな鳥刺しを見つめ、その肩に鴉がいるのに気づくと、鴉に向かってこう言った。「おお、この煤けた下女め。この善良な若者がわたしのために受けた苦しみを、お前は何とも思わぬのか。」それから后は王に、この鴉は自分の侍女であり、務めを怠ったために鴉に変えたのだと語った。「けれども」と后は続けた。「いまは赦してやりましょう。この者のわたしへの心根が善いものであったと分かりましたから。」

At these words the crow trembled all over, and immediately a damsel so lovely stood before the young fowler that there was really very little difference between her and the Queen of the Peris. At the petition of the Sultana, the Sultan married the youth to the Crow-Peri, the evil-minded counsellor was banished, and the fowler became Vizier in his stead. And their happiness lasted till death.

この言葉に鴉は全身を震わせ、たちまち、ペリの女王との違いなどほとんどないほど美しい娘が、若い鳥刺しの前に立っていた。后の願いにより、王は若者をこの鴉のペリと娶わせ、邪な心の助言者は追放され、鳥刺しがその後任の大臣となった。そして二人の幸せは、死ぬまで続いたのである。