The Forty Princes and the Seven-headed Dragon

There was once upon a time a Padishah, and this Padishah had forty sons. All day long they disported themselves in the forest, snaring birds and hunting beasts, but when the youngest of them was fourteen years old their father wished to marry them. So he sent for them all and told them his desire. “We will marry,” said the forty brothers, “but only when we find forty sisters who are the daughters of the same father and the same mother.” Then the Padishah searched the whole realm through to find forty such sisters, but though he found families of thirty-nine sisters, families of forty sisters he could never find.

むかしむかし、一人の王(パーディシャー)がいて、この王には四十人の息子がいた。息子たちは一日じゅう森で遊び暮らし、鳥をわなで捕らえたり獣を狩ったりしていたが、いちばん下の息子が十四歳になったとき、父は息子たちを結婚させたいと思った。そこで王は息子たちをみな呼び寄せて、自分の望みを告げた。「結婚はいたします」と四十人の兄弟は言った。「ただし、同じ父と同じ母から生まれた四十人の姉妹が見つかったときに限ります。」そこで王はそういう四十人の姉妹を見つけようと国じゅうを探したが、三十九人姉妹の家は見つかっても、四十人姉妹の家はどうしても見つからなかった。

“Let the fortieth of you take another wife,” said the Padishah to his sons. But the forty brothers would not agree thereto, and they begged their father to allow them to go and search if haply they might find what they wanted in another empire. What could the Padishah do? He could not refuse them their request, so he gave them his permission. But before they departed he summoned them into his presence, and this is what their father the Padishah said to them: “I have three things to say to you, which bear ye well in mind. When ye come in your journey to a large spring, take heed not to pass the night near it. Beyond the spring is a caravanserai; there also ye must not abide. Beyond the caravanserai is a vast desert; and there also ye must not take a moment’s rest.” The sons promised their father that they would keep his words, and with baggage light of weight but exceedingly precious, they took horse and set out on their journey.

「四十番目の者は別の妻を娶ればよかろう」と王は息子たちに言った。けれども四十人の兄弟はそれに承知せず、もしかするとよその国で望むものが見つかるかもしれないから、探しに行かせてくれと父に頼んだ。王に何ができただろう。息子たちの頼みを断ることはできず、許しを与えた。けれども息子たちが出発する前に、王は息子たちを御前に呼んだ。そして父である王が息子たちに言ったのはこういうことだった。「三つ言っておくことがある。よく心に留めておけ。旅の途中で大きな泉に来たら、その近くで夜を過ごさぬよう気をつけよ。泉の向こうには隊商宿(キャラバンサライ)がある。そこにも泊まってはならぬ。隊商宿の向こうには広大な砂漠がある。そこでもひとときも休んではならぬ。」息子たちは父の言葉を守ると約束し、軽いけれどもこの上なく値打ちのある荷物を持って馬に乗り、旅に出た。

They went on and on, they smoked their chibooks and drank forty cups of coffee, and when evening descended the large spring was right before them. “Verily,” began the elder brethren, “we will not go another step further. We are weary, and the night is upon us, and what need forty men fear?” And with that they dismounted from their horses, ate their suppers, and laid them down to rest. Only the youngest brother, who was fourteen years of age, remained awake.

息子たちはどんどん進んでいき、チブクをふかし、コーヒーを四十杯飲んだ。そして夕暮れが下りてくると、目の前に大きな泉があった。「まったくだ」と兄たちは切り出した。「もう一歩も進まないぞ。われわれは疲れているし、夜になった。四十人の男が何を恐れることがある。」そう言うと兄たちは馬を降り、夕食を食べて、横になって休んだ。十四歳のいちばん下の弟だけが起きていた。

It might have been near midnight when the youth heard a strange noise. He caught up his arms, and turning in the direction of the sound saw before him a seven-headed dragon. They rushed towards each other, and thrice the dragon fell upon the prince, but could do him no harm. “Well, now it is my turn,” cried the youth; “wilt thou be converted to the true faith?” and with these words he struck the monster such a blow that six of his seven heads came flying down.

真夜中近くだったろうか、若者は妙な物音を聞いた。若者は武器をつかみ、音のするほうへ向き直ると、目の前に七つの頭を持つ竜がいた。両者はたがいに突進し、竜は三度王子に襲いかかったが、傷ひとつ負わせられなかった。「さあ、今度はわたしの番だ」と若者は叫んだ。「まことの信仰に改宗するか。」そう言うと若者は怪物にすさまじい一撃をくらわせたので、七つの頭のうち六つが飛び落ちた。

“Strike me once more,” groaned the dragon.

「もう一度打て」と竜はうめいた。

“Not I,” replied the youth, “I myself only came into the world once.” Immediately the dragon fell to pieces, but his one remaining head began to roll and roll and roll till it stood on the brink of the well. “Whoever can take my soul out of this well,” it said, “shall have my treasure also,” and with these words the head bounded into the well.

「打つものか」と若者は答えた。「わたし自身、この世に生まれてきたのは一度きりだ。」たちまち竜はばらばらに崩れたが、残ったひとつの頭が転がって、転がって、転がって、井戸のふちで止まった。「この井戸からわしの魂を取り出せる者には、わしの宝もくれてやろう」と頭は言い、そう言うと井戸に跳び込んだ。

The youth took a rope, fastened one end of it to a rock, and seizing the other end himself, lowered himself into the well. At the bottom of the well he found an iron door. He opened it, passed through, and there right before him stood a palace compared with which his father’s palace was a hovel. Into this palace he went, and in it were forty rooms, and in each room was a damsel sitting by her embroidery frame with enormous treasures behind her. “Art thou a man or a spirit?” cried the terrified damsels.--“A man am I, and the son of a man,” replied the prince. “I have just slain a seven-headed dragon, and have followed its rolling head hither.”

若者は綱を取って、一方の端を岩に結びつけ、もう一方の端を自分で握って、井戸のなかへ下りていった。井戸の底には鉄の扉があった。若者がそれを開けて通り抜けると、目の前に宮殿が立っていて、それに比べれば父の宮殿など小屋のようなものだった。若者がこの宮殿に入っていくと、そこには四十の部屋があり、どの部屋にも一人の娘が刺繍の枠のそばに座っていて、そのうしろには莫大な財宝があった。「あなたは人間なの、それとも精霊なの」とおびえた娘たちは叫んだ。——「わたしは人間で、人間の息子だ」と王子は答えた。「たった今、七つの頭の竜を退治して、転がっていくその頭を追ってここへ来たのだ。」

Oh, how the forty damsels rejoiced at hearing these words. They embraced the youth, and begged and prayed him not to leave them there. They were the children of one father and one mother they said. The dragon had killed their parents and carried them off, and they had nobody to look to in the whole wide world.

おお、この言葉を聞いて四十人の娘たちはどんなに喜んだことか。娘たちは若者を抱きしめ、ここに置き去りにしないでくれと頼み、祈るように願った。自分たちは同じ父と同じ母の子どもで、竜が両親を殺して自分たちをさらってきたので、広い世界に頼る者が誰もいないのだ、と娘たちは言った。

“We also are forty,” said the youth, “and we are seeking forty damsels.” Then he told them that he would first of all ascend to his brethren, and then he would come for them again. So he ascended out of the well, went to the spring, lay down beside it and fell asleep.

「わたしたちも四十人で」と若者は言った。「四十人の娘を探しているのだ。」それから若者は、まず兄たちのところへ上がって、それからまた迎えに来ると娘たちに言った。そこで若者は井戸から上がり、泉へ行って、そのそばに横になって眠った。

Early in the morning the forty brothers arose and laughed at their father for trying to frighten them with the well. Again they set out on their way, and went on and on till evening overtook them, when they perceived a caravanserai before them. “Not a step further will we go,” said the elder brothers. The youngest brother indeed insisted that it would be well to remember their father’s words, for his speech could surely not have been in vain. But they laughed at their youngest brother, ate and drank, said their prayers, and lay down to sleep. Only the youngest brother remained wide awake.

朝早く、四十人の兄弟は起き上がって、井戸のことで自分たちを脅そうとした父を笑った。兄弟はまた旅を続け、どんどん進んでいくと夕暮れに追いつかれ、目の前に隊商宿が見えた。「もう一歩も進まないぞ」と兄たちは言った。いちばん下の弟は、父の言葉がむだであるはずはないから、それを思い出したほうがいいとしきりに言った。けれども兄たちはいちばん下の弟を笑い、食べて飲み、祈りを唱えて、横になって眠った。いちばん下の弟だけがすっかり目を覚ましていた。

About midnight he again heard a noise. The youth snatched up his arms, and again he saw before him a seven-headed dragon, but much larger than the former one. The dragon rushed at him first of all, but could not overcome him, then the youth dealt him one blow and off went six of the dragon’s heads. Then the dragon wished him to take one more blow but he would not; the head rolled into a well, the youth went after it, and came upon a palace larger than the former one, and with ever so much more treasures and precious things in it. He marked the well so that he should know it again, returned to his brothers, and wearied out with his great combat slept so soundly that his brothers had to wake him up with blows next morning.

真夜中ごろ、若者はまた物音を聞いた。若者は武器をひっつかみ、目の前にまた七つの頭の竜が見えたが、それは前の竜よりずっと大きかった。まず竜が若者に突進してきたが、打ち負かせなかった。そこで若者がひと打ち加えると、竜の頭が六つ飛んだ。すると竜はもうひと打ち受けたがったが、若者はそうしなかった。頭は井戸に転がり込み、若者はそのあとを追って、前のより大きく、前のより何倍もたくさんの財宝や宝物のある宮殿にたどり着いた。若者はまた見つけられるように井戸にしるしをつけて兄たちのところへ戻り、激しい戦いに疲れ果ててぐっすり眠り込んだので、次の朝、兄たちは殴って起こさなければならなかった。

Again they arose, took horse, went up hill and down dale, and just as the sun was setting, behold! a vast desert stood before them. They fell to eating straightway, drank their fill also, and were just going to lie down to sleep when all at once such a roaring, such a bellowing arose that the very mountains fell down from their places.

兄弟はまた起き上がって馬に乗り、丘を越え谷を下って、ちょうど日が沈むころ、なんと! 目の前に広大な砂漠が広がっていた。兄弟はすぐに食べはじめ、飲みたいだけ飲んで、ちょうど横になって眠ろうとしたとき、突然すさまじいうなり声、ほえ声が起こって、山々までもがその場から崩れ落ちた。

The princes were horribly afraid, especially when they saw coming against them a gigantic seven-headed dragon. He vomited forth venomous fire in his wrath, and roared furiously: “Who killed my two brothers? Hither with him! I’ll try conclusions with him also!”

王子たちはひどくおびえた。とりわけ、巨大な七つの頭の竜がこちらへ向かってくるのを見たときには。竜は怒り狂って毒の炎を吐き、猛然とほえた。「わしの兄弟を二人殺したのは誰だ。そいつをここへ出せ! そいつとも勝負をつけてやる!」

The youngest brother saw that his brethren were more dead than alive from fear, so he gave them the keys of the two wells, in one of which was the vast heap of treasure, and in the other the forty damsels. Let them take everything home, he said; as for himself he must first slay the dragon and then he would follow after them. The thirty-nine brothers lost no time in mounting their horses and galloping off. They drew the treasure out of one well and the forty damsels out of the other, and so returned home to their father. But now we will see what happened to the youngest brother.

いちばん下の弟は、兄たちが恐怖で生きた心地もないのを見て、二つの井戸の鍵を兄たちに渡した。一方の井戸には莫大な財宝の山があり、もう一方には四十人の娘がいた。何もかも家へ持って帰ってくれ、自分はまず竜を退治して、それからあとを追う、と弟は言った。三十九人の兄たちはすぐさま馬に乗って駆け去った。兄たちは一方の井戸から財宝を、もう一方の井戸から四十人の娘を引き上げて、父のもとへ帰った。だが今は、いちばん下の弟がどうなったか見てみよう。

He fought the dragon and the dragon fought him, but neither could get the better of the other. The dragon perceived that it was vain to try and vanquish the youth, so he said to him: “If thou wilt go to the Empire of Chin-i-Machin[12] and fetch me thence the Padishah’s daughter, I will not worry the life out of thee.” To this the prince readily agreed, for he could not have sustained the conflict much longer.

弟は竜と戦い、竜は弟と戦ったが、どちらも相手に勝てなかった。竜は若者を打ち負かそうとしてもむだだと悟って、若者に言った。「もしおまえがチーン・イ・マーチーンの国[12] へ行って、そこの王の姫を連れてきてくれたら、おまえの命を苦しめはしない。」王子は喜んでこれを承知した。これ以上戦いを続けることはできなかったからである。

Then Champalak, for that was the dragon’s name, gave the prince a bridle and said to him: “A good steed comes hither to feed every day, seize him, put this bridle in his mouth, and bid him take thee to the Empire of Chin-i-Machin!” So the youth took the bridle and waited for the good charger. Presently a golden-maned charger came flying through the air, and the moment the prince had put the bridle in its mouth, the charger said: “What dost thou command, little Sultan?” and before you could wink your eyes, the Empire of Chin-i-Machin stood before him. Then he dismounted from his horse, took off the bridle, and went into the town. There he entered into an old woman’s hut and asked her whether she received guests. “Willingly,” answered the old woman. Then she made ready a place for him, and while he was sipping his coffee he asked her all about the talk of the town. “Well,” said the old woman, “a seven-headed dragon is very much in love with our Sultan’s daughter. A war has been raging between them on that account these many years, and the monster presses us so hardly that not even a bird can fly into our realm.”

すると竜のチャムパラク——それが竜の名だった——は王子に手綱を渡して言った。「毎日ここへよい馬が草を食べに来る。そいつをつかまえて、この手綱をくわえさせ、チーン・イ・マーチーンの国へ連れていけと命じるがよい!」そこで若者は手綱を受け取って、よい軍馬を待った。まもなく金のたてがみの軍馬が空を飛んできた。王子がその口に手綱をかませたとたん、軍馬は言った。「何をお命じですか、小さなスルタンさま。」そしてまばたきする間もなく、チーン・イ・マーチーンの国が目の前にあった。そこで若者は馬を降り、手綱を外して町に入った。若者は年とった女の小屋に入り、客を泊めてくれるかと尋ねた。「喜んで」と年とった女は答えた。そこで女は若者のために寝場所を整え、若者はコーヒーをすすりながら、町の噂をあれこれ尋ねた。「そうだねえ」と年とった女は言った。「七つの頭の竜が、わしらのスルタンの姫にすっかり恋をしているのさ。そのせいで何年も両者のあいだで戦が続いていて、怪物があんまりひどく攻めたてるものだから、わしらの国には鳥一羽飛んでこられないんだよ。」

“Then where is the Sultan’s daughter?” asked the youth.--“In a little palace in the Padishah’s garden,” replied the old woman, “and the poor thing dare not put her foot outside it.”

「それで、スルタンの姫はどこにいるのですか」と若者は尋ねた。——「王さまの庭にある小さな宮殿さ」と年とった女は答えた。「かわいそうに、そこから一歩も外へ出られないんだよ。」

The next day the youth went to the Padishah’s garden, and asked the gardener to take him as a servant, and he begged and prayed till the gardener had not the heart to refuse him. “Very well, I will take thee,” said he, “and thou wilt have nought to do but water the flowers of the garden.”

次の日、若者は王の庭へ行き、召し使いに雇ってくれと庭師に頼んだ。若者が頼みに頼んだので、庭師は断る気になれなかった。「よし、雇ってやろう」と庭師は言った。「おまえは庭の花に水をやるだけでいい。」

Now the Sultan’s daughter saw the youth, called him to her window, and asked him how he had managed to reach that realm. Then the youth told her that his father was a Padishah, that he had fought with the dragon Champalak on his travels, and had promised to bring him the Sultan’s daughter. “Yet fear thou nothing,” added the youth, “my love is stronger than the love of the serpent, and if thou wilt only have the courage to come with me, trust me to find a way of disposing of him.”

さて、スルタンの姫は若者を見かけて窓辺に呼び、どうやってこの国へたどり着いたのかと尋ねた。そこで若者は、自分の父は王であること、旅の途中で竜のチャムパラクと戦ったこと、そしてスルタンの姫を竜のもとへ連れていくと約束したことを話した。「けれども何も恐れることはありません」と若者は付け加えた。「わたしの愛は蛇の愛より強い。あなたがわたしと一緒に来る勇気さえ持ってくれたら、竜を片づける手立てはきっと見つけてみせます。」

The damsel was so much in love with the prince, and so eager to escape from her captivity, that she consented to trust herself to him, and one night they escaped from her palace and went straight towards the desert where dwelt the dragon Champalak. They agreed on the way that the girl should find out what the dragon’s talisman was, that they might destroy him that way if they could do it no other.

娘は王子にすっかり恋をしていたし、捕らわれの身から逃れたくてたまらなかったので、王子に身を任せることを承知した。そしてある夜、二人は娘の宮殿を逃げ出して、竜のチャムパラクの住む砂漠へまっすぐ向かった。二人は道々、娘が竜の護符が何なのかを探り出して、ほかに手がなければその手で竜を滅ぼそうと取り決めた。

Imagine the joy of Champalak when he perceived the princess! “What joy, what rapture, that thou hast come!” cried Champalak; but fondle her and caress her as he might, the damsel did nothing but weep. Days passed by, weeks passed by, and yet the tears never left the damsel’s eyes. “Tell me at least what thy talisman is,” said the damsel to him one day, “if thou wouldst see me happy and not wretched with thee all thy days.”

姫を見たときのチャムパラクの喜びを思ってごらん!「なんという喜び、なんという歓喜、おまえが来てくれるとは!」とチャムパラクは叫んだ。けれども竜がいくらかわいがってもなでても、娘は泣いてばかりいた。日が過ぎ、週が過ぎても、娘の目から涙が消えることはなかった。「せめてあなたの護符が何なのか教えてください」とある日娘は竜に言った。「わたしがあなたと一緒に一生みじめでなく、幸せでいるのを見たいのなら。」

“Alas, my soul!” said the dragon, “my talisman is guarded in a place whither it is impossible ever to come. It is in a large palace in a neighbouring realm, and though one may venture thither for it, no one has ever been able to get back again.”

「ああ、わが魂よ!」と竜は言った。「わしの護符は、けっしてたどり着けないところに守られている。隣の国の大きな宮殿にあって、それを取りに行こうとする者はあっても、戻ってこられた者は一人もいないのだ。」

The prince needed no more, that was quite good enough for him. He took his bridle, went with it to the sea-shore, and summoned his golden-maned steed. “What dost thou command me, little Sultan?” said the steed. “I desire thee to convey me to the neighbouring realm, to the palace of the talisman of the dragon Champalak,” cried the youth--and in no more time than it takes to wink an eye, the palace stood before him.

王子にはそれで十分だった。それで何の不足もなかった。王子は手綱を取り、それを持って海岸へ行き、金のたてがみの馬を呼んだ。「何をお命じですか、小さなスルタンさま」と馬は言った。「隣の国の、竜チャムパラクの護符のある宮殿へ連れていってほしい」と若者は叫んだ——するとまばたきするほどの間もなく、宮殿が目の前にあった。

Then the steed said to the youth: “When we reach the palace thou wilt tie the bridle to two iron gates, and when I neigh once and strike my iron hoofs together, a door will open. In this open door thou wilt see a lion’s throat, and if thou canst not kill that lion at one stroke, escape, or thou art a dead man.” With that they went up to the palace, he tied the horse to the two iron gates by his bridle, and when he neighed the door flew open. The youth struck with all his might at the gaping throat of the lion in the doorway and split it right in two. Then he cut open the lion’s belly, and drew out of it a little gold cage with three doves in it, so beautiful that the like of them is not to be found in the wide world. He took one of them and began softly stroking and caressing it, when all at once--pr-r-r-r!--away it flew out of his hand. The steed galloped swiftly after it, and if he had not caught it and wrung its neck it would have gone hard with the good youth.

すると馬は若者に言った。「宮殿に着いたら、手綱を二つの鉄の門に結びつけてください。わたしが一度いななき、鉄のひづめを打ち合わせると、扉が開きます。その開いた扉のなかに獅子ののどが見えるでしょう。もしその獅子をひと打ちで殺せなかったら、逃げてください。さもないとあなたは死にます。」そう言うと二人は宮殿へ行き、若者は手綱で馬を二つの鉄の門に結びつけた。馬がいななくと扉がさっと開いた。若者は戸口にいる獅子の大きく開いたのどに力いっぱい打ちかかって、まっぷたつに裂いた。それから獅子の腹を切り開いて、そこから小さな金の鳥かごを取り出した。なかには三羽の鳩がいて、広い世界にそれに並ぶものは見つからないほど美しかった。若者はそのうちの一羽を手に取って、そっとなでたりかわいがったりしはじめた。すると突然——ぱたぱたぱたっ!——鳩は手から飛び去ってしまった。馬が全速力でそのあとを追い、もし馬が鳩をつかまえて首をひねらなかったら、善良な若者はひどい目にあっていただろう。

Then he mounted his steed again, and in the twinkling of an eye he stood once more before Champalak’s palace. In the gateway of the palace he killed the second dove, so that when the youth entered the dragon’s room, there the monster lay quite helpless, and there was no more spirit in him at all. When he saw the dove in the youth’s hand he implored him to let him stroke it for the last time before he died. The youth’s heart felt for him, and he was just about to hand the bird to him when the princess rushed out, snatched the dove from his hand, and killed it, whereupon the dragon expired before their very eyes. “‘Twas well for thee,” said the steed, “that thou didst not give him the dove, for if he had got it, fresh life would have flowed into him.” And with that the steed disappeared, bridle and all.

それから若者はまた馬に乗り、またたくまにチャムパラクの宮殿の前に戻っていた。宮殿の門口で若者は二羽目の鳩を殺した。それで若者が竜の部屋に入ると、怪物はすっかり力を失って横たわり、もう何の気力も残っていなかった。竜は若者の手に鳩があるのを見ると、死ぬ前に最後にもう一度それをなでさせてくれと懇願した。若者は竜が気の毒になり、ちょうど鳥を竜に渡そうとしたとき、姫が駆け出してきて若者の手から鳩をひったくり、殺してしまった。すると竜は二人の目の前で息絶えた。「鳩を渡さなくてよかった」と馬は言った。「もし竜が鳩を手に入れていたら、竜に新しい命が流れ込んでいたでしょう。」そう言うと馬は手綱ごと消えてしまった。

Then they got together the dragon’s treasures, and went with them to the Empire of Chin-i-Machin. The Padishah was sick for grief at the loss of the damsel, and after searching for her in all parts of the kingdom in vain, was persuaded that she had fallen into the hands of the dragon. And lo! there she stood before him now, hand in hand with the King’s son. Then there was such a marriage-feast in that city that it seemed as if there was no end to it. After the marriage they set out on their journey again, and travelled with a great escort of soldiers to the prince’s father. There they had long held the King’s son to be dead, and would not believe that it was he even now till he had told them the tale of the three seven-headed dragons and the forty damsels.

それから二人は竜の財宝を集めて、それを持ってチーン・イ・マーチーンの国へ行った。王は娘を失った悲しみで病に伏し、国じゅうを探してもむだだったので、娘は竜の手に落ちたのだと思い込んでいた。ところが、なんと! 娘が王の息子と手に手を取って、今目の前に立っていたのである。そこでその都では、果てしなく続くかと思われるほどの婚礼の宴が開かれた。婚礼がすむと二人はまた旅に出て、兵士たちの大勢の護衛とともに王子の父のもとへ向かった。そこでは王の息子はとうに死んだものと思われていて、王子が三匹の七つの頭の竜と四十人の娘の話をするまで、今でもそれが王子だとは信じようとしなかった。

The fortieth damsel was waiting patiently for him there, and the prince said to his wife: “Behold now my second bride!”--“Thou didst save my life from the dragon,” replied the Princess of Chin-i-Machin, “I therefore give her to thee, do as thou wilt with her!” So they made a marriage-feast for the second bride also, and they spent half their days in the Empire of the prince’s father, and the other half in the Empire of Chin-i-Machin, and their lives flowed away in happiness.

そこでは四十番目の娘が辛抱強く王子を待っていた。王子は妻に言った。「見てごらん、これがわたしの二人目の花嫁だ!」——「あなたはわたしの命を竜から救ってくださいました」とチーン・イ・マーチーンの姫は答えた。「ですからこの娘をあなたに差し上げます。お好きなようになさってください!」そこで二人目の花嫁のためにも婚礼の宴が開かれ、一同は日々の半分を王子の父の国で、残りの半分をチーン・イ・マーチーンの国で過ごし、その暮らしは幸せのうちに流れていった。