The Palace of the Eagles

East of the Land of the Rising Sun there dwelled a king who spent all his days and half his nights in pleasure. His kingdom was on the edge of the world, according to the knowledge of those times, and almost entirely surrounded by the sea. Nobody seemed to care what lay beyond the barrier of rocks that shut off the land from the rest of the world. For the matter of that, nobody appeared to trouble much about anything in that kingdom.

日の昇る国の東に、昼はまるごと、夜も半分を楽しみに費やす王が住んでいた。その王国は、当時の人々の知るかぎりでは世界の果てにあって、ほとんどまわりじゅうを海に囲まれていた。国をほかの世界から隔てている岩の壁の向こうに何があるのか、誰も気にかけていないようだった。それを言うなら、その王国では誰も何事にもたいして気を煩わせていないようだった。

Most of the people followed the example of the king and led idle, careless lives, giving no thought to the future. The king regarded the task of governing his subjects as a big nuisance; he did not care to be worried with proposals concerning the welfare of the masses, and documents brought to him by his advisors for signature were never read. For aught he knew they may have referred to the school regulations of the moon, instead of the laws of trading and such like public matters.

民の多くは王にならって怠惰で気ままな暮らしを送り、先のことなど少しも考えなかった。王は民を治める仕事を大きな厄介ごとと見なしていた。民の暮らし向きについての提案で煩わされるのを嫌い、相談役が署名を求めて持ってくる文書は一度も読まなかった。王の知るかぎりでは、それは交易の法律やそういった公の事柄ではなく、月の学校の規則のことを書いたものだったかもしれない。

"Don't bother me," was his usual remark. "You are my advisors and officers of state. Deal with affairs as you think best."

「わしを煩わせるな」と王はいつも言った。「お前たちはわしの相談役で国の役人だ。よいと思うように取り計らえ。」

And off he would go to his beloved hunting which was his favorite pastime.

そして王は、いちばんの楽しみである大好きな狩りに出かけていくのだった。

The land was fertile, and nobody had ever entertained an idea that bad weather might some year affect the crops and cause a scarcity of grain. They took no precautions to lay in stocks of wheat, and so when one summer there was a great lack of rain and the fields were parched, the winter that followed was marked by suffering. The kingdom was faced by famine, and the people did not like it. They did not know what to do, and when they appealed to the king, he could not help them. Indeed, he could not understand the difficulty. He passed it off very lightly.

その国の土地は肥えていて、いつか悪い天気が作物を損ねて穀物が乏しくなるかもしれないなどと、誰も考えたことがなかった。人々は小麦を蓄えておく用心をしなかった。そこである夏、雨がひどく足りなくて畑が干からびると、続く冬は苦しみに満ちたものになった。王国は飢饉に直面し、民はそれを喜ばなかった。民はどうすればよいかわからず、王に訴えたが、王には助けられなかった。実のところ、王にはその難儀がわからなかった。王はそれをたいそう軽く受け流した。

"I am a mighty hunter," he said. "I can always kill enough beasts to provide a sufficiency of food."

「わしは偉大な狩人だ」と王は言った。「いつでも十分な食べ物をまかなえるだけの獣を仕留められる。」

But the drought had withered away the grass and the trees, and the shortage of such food had greatly reduced the number of animals. The king found the forests empty of deer and birds. Still he failed to realize the gravity of the situation and what he considered an exceedingly bright idea struck him.

けれども旱魃が草や木を枯らしてしまい、そういう食べ物が乏しくなったせいで、獣の数もひどく減っていた。王は森に鹿も鳥もいないのに気づいた。それでも王は事態の重大さを悟らず、この上なく名案だと思える考えがひらめいた。

"I will explore the unknown territory beyond the barrier of rocky hills," he said. "Surely there will I find a land of plenty. And, at least" he added, "it will be a pleasant adventure with good hunting."

「岩の丘の壁の向こうの知られざる土地を探検しよう」と王は言った。「きっとそこに豊かな国が見つかるだろう。それに少なくとも」と王はつけ加えた。「いい狩りのできる楽しい冒険になるだろう。」

A great expedition was therefore arranged, and the king and his hunting companions set forth to find a path over the rocks. This was not at all difficult, and on the third day, a pass was discovered among the crags and peaks that formed the summit of the barrier, and the king saw the region beyond.

そこで大がかりな遠征が組まれ、王と狩りの仲間たちは岩を越える道を探しに出発した。これは少しも難しくなく、三日目に壁の頂をなす岩山や峰のあいだに峠が見つかって、王は向こうの地方を目にした。

It seemed a vast and beautiful land, stretching away as far as the eye could see in a forest of huge trees. Carefully, the hunters descended the other side of the rock barrier and entered the unknown land.

それは目の届くかぎり巨木の森が広がる、広大で美しい国のように見えた。狩人たちは用心して岩の壁の反対側を下り、知られざる土地に入った。

It seemed uninhabited. Nor was there any sign of beast or bird of any kind. No sound disturbed the stillness of the forest, no tracks were visible. As well as the hunters could make out, no foot had ever trodden the region before. Even nature seemed at rest. The trees were all old, their trunks gnarled into fantastic shapes, their leaves yellow and sere as if growth had stopped ages ago.

そこには誰も住んでいないようだった。どんな獣や鳥の気配もなかった。森の静けさを乱す音ひとつなく、足跡ひとつ見えなかった。狩人たちの見定めたかぎり、それまでその地方を踏んだ足はひとつもなかった。自然さえ休んでいるようだった。木々はみな古く、幹は奇妙な形にねじれ、葉は何百年も前に成長が止まったかのように黄ばんでしなびていた。

Altogether the march through the forest was rather eerie, and the hunters proceeded in single file, which added to the impressiveness of the strange experience. The novelty, however, made it pleasant to the king, and he kept on his way for four days.

森を抜ける行軍はすっかり薄気味悪く、狩人たちは一列になって進んだので、この奇妙な体験はいっそう印象深いものになった。けれどもその目新しさが王には楽しく、王は四日間進み続けた。

Then the forest ended abruptly, and the explorers came to a vast open plain, a desert, through which a wide river flowed. Far beyond rose a mountain capped by rocks of regular shape. At any rate, they appeared to be rocks, but the distance was too great to enable anyone to speak with certainty.

それから森は突然終わり、探検者たちは広大な開けた平原、砂漠に出た。そこを広い川が流れていた。はるか向こうに、整った形の岩を頂に戴く山がそびえていた。少なくともそれは岩のように見えたが、あまりに遠くて誰にも確かなことは言えなかった。

"Water," said the vizier, "is a sign of life."

「水は」と宰相が言った。「命のしるしでございます。」

So the king decided to continue as far as the mountain. A ford was discovered in the river, and once on the other side it was possible to make out the rocks crowning the mountain. They looked too regular to be mere rocks, and on approaching nearer the king was sure that a huge building must be at the top of the mountain. When they arrived quite close, there was no doubt about it. Either a town, or a palace, stood on the summit, and it was decided to make the ascent next day.

そこで王は山まで進み続けることに決めた。川に浅瀬が見つかり、向こう岸に渡ると、山を戴く岩が見分けられるようになった。それはただの岩にしてはあまりに整って見え、さらに近づくと、王は山の頂に巨大な建物があるにちがいないと確信した。すぐそばまで来ると、もう疑いはなかった。頂には町か宮殿が立っていて、次の日に登ることに決まった。

During the night no sound was heard, but to everybody's surprise a distinct path up the mountain was noticed in the morning. It was so overgrown with weeds and moss and straggling creepers that it was obvious it had not been used for a long time. The ascent was accordingly difficult, but half way up the first sign of life, noticed since the expedition began, made itself visible.

夜のあいだ何の音も聞こえなかったが、朝になってみると、みなが驚いたことに、山を登るはっきりした道があるのに気づいた。雑草や苔やはびこる蔓草にすっかり覆われていて、長いあいだ使われていないのは明らかだった。そのため登るのは難しかったが、なかほどまで来ると、遠征がはじまってから初めての命のしるしが姿を見せた。

It was an eagle. Suddenly it flew down from the mountain top and circled above the hunters, screaming, but making no attempt to attack.

それは一羽の鷲だった。鷲は突然山頂から舞い降りてきて、狩人たちの頭上を鋭く鳴きながら旋回したが、襲いかかろうとはしなかった。

At length the summit was gained. It was a flat plateau of great expanse, almost the whole of which was covered by an enormous building of massive walls and stupendous towers.

とうとう頂に着いた。そこは広大な平らな台地で、そのほとんど全体を、どっしりした壁ととてつもない塔を持つ巨大な建物が覆っていた。

"This is the palace of a great monarch," said the king.

「これは偉大な君主の宮殿だ」と王は言った。

But no entrance of any kind could be seen. The rest of the day was spent in wandering round, but nowhere was a door, or window, or opening visible. It was decided to make a more serious effort next morning to gain entry.

けれども入口はどこにも見当たらなかった。その日の残りはまわりを歩きまわって過ごしたが、戸口も窓も開口部もどこにも見えなかった。次の朝もっと本腰を入れて入ろうと決まった。

However, it seemed a greater puzzle than ever. At length, one of the most venturesome of the party discovered an eagle's nest on one of the smallest towers, and with great difficulty he secured the bird and brought it down to the king. His majesty bade one of his wise men, Muflog, learned in bird languages, to speak to it. He did so.

けれどもそれは前にもましての難問に思えた。とうとう一行のなかでいちばん向こう見ずな者が、いちばん小さな塔の一つに鷲の巣を見つけ、たいそう苦労して鳥を捕まえて王のもとへ持ってきた。陛下は、鳥の言葉に通じた賢者の一人ムフログに、鳥に話しかけるよう命じた。ムフログはそうした。

In a harsh croaking voice, the eagle replied, "I am but a young bird, only seven centuries old. I know naught. On a tower higher than that on which I dwell, is the eyrie of my father. He may be able to give you information."

しわがれたカアカア声で鷲は答えた。「わたしはまだ若い鳥で、たった七百歳にすぎません。何も知りません。わたしの住む塔より高い塔に、父の巣があります。父ならあなたがたに教えてやれるかもしれません。」

More he would not say. The only thing to do was to climb the higher tower and question the father eagle. This was done, and the bird answered:

鷲はそれ以上何も言おうとしなかった。できるのは、もっと高い塔に登って父鷲に尋ねることだけだった。そのとおりにすると、鳥は答えた。

"On a tower still higher dwells my father, and on yet a higher tower my grandfather, who is two thousand years old. He may know something. I know nothing."

「もっと高い塔にわたしの父が住み、さらに高い塔に二千歳になる祖父が住んでいます。祖父なら何か知っているかもしれません。わたしは何も知りません。」

After considerable difficulty the topmost tower was reached and the venerable bird discovered. He seemed asleep and was only awakened after much coaxing. Then he surveyed the hunters warily.

たいそう苦労したすえ、いちばん高い塔にたどり着き、年老いた尊い鳥が見つかった。鳥は眠っているようで、さんざんなだめすかしてようやく目を覚ました。それから鳥は用心深く狩人たちを見わたした。

"Let me see, let me think," he muttered slowly. "I did hear, when I was a tiny eagle chick, but a few years old--that was long, long ago--that my great-grandfather had said that his great-grandfather had told him he had heard that long, long, long ago--oh, ever so much longer than that--a king lived in this palace; that he died and left it to the eagles; and that in the course of many, many, many thousands of years the door had been covered up by the dust brought by the winds."

「ええと、考えさせてくれ」と鳥はゆっくりつぶやいた。「わしがほんの数歳の小さな鷲の雛だったころ——それはずっとずっと昔のことだが——わしのひいじいさんが言っておったのを聞いた。ひいじいさんのひいじいさんが、ずっとずっとずっと昔——いや、それよりもっともっと昔に——一人の王がこの宮殿に住んでいて、死んで宮殿を鷲に残し、何千年も何千年も何千年もたつうちに、戸口は風の運ぶ塵に埋もれてしまったと聞いたと、ひいじいさんに話したそうだ。」

"Where is the door?" asked Muflog.

「戸口はどこにあるのですか」とムフログは尋ねた。

That was a puzzle the ancient bird could not answer readily. He thought and thought and fell asleep and had to be kept being awakened until at last he remembered.

それは年老いた鳥にはすぐには答えられない難問だった。鳥は考えに考えて眠りこみ、何度も起こされなければならず、とうとう思い出した。

"When the sun shines in the morning," he croaked, "its first ray falls on the door."

「朝、日が照ると」と鳥はしわがれ声で言った。「その最初の光が戸口に差すのだ。」

Then, worn out with all his thinking and talking, he fell asleep again.

それから考えたり話したりしてすっかり疲れて、鳥はまた眠りこんだ。

There was no rest for the party that night. They all watched to make certain of seeing the first ray of the rising sun strike the palace. When it did so, the spot was carefully noted. But no door could be seen. Digging was therefore begun and after many hours, an opening was found.

その夜、一行は休めなかった。みなで見張って、昇る朝日の最初の光が宮殿を照らすのを確かめようとした。光が差すと、その場所がよくよく見定められた。けれども戸口は見えなかった。そこで掘りはじめ、何時間もたって開口部が見つかった。

Through this an entrance was effected into the palace. What a wonderful and mysterious place it was, all overgrown with the weeds of centuries! Tangled masses of creepers lay everywhere--over what were once trimly kept pathways, and almost completely hiding the lower buildings. In the crevices of the walls, roots had insinuated themselves, and by their growth had forced the stones apart. It was all a terrible scene of desolation. The king's men had to hack a way laboriously through the wilderness of weeds with their swords to the central building, and when they did so they came to a door on which was an inscription cut deep into the wood. The language was unknown to all but Muflog, who deciphered it as follows:

そこを通って宮殿に入った。何世紀もの雑草にすっかり覆われた、なんと驚くべき不思議な場所だったことか! からみ合った蔓草のかたまりがいたるところに——かつてはきちんと手入れされていた小道の上に——横たわり、低い建物をほとんどすっかり隠していた。壁の割れ目には根が入り込み、伸びるにつれて石を押し広げていた。それはみな恐ろしいほどの荒廃のありさまだった。王の家来たちは剣で雑草の荒れ野を苦労して切り開いて中央の建物まで道をつけなければならず、そこに着くと、木に深く刻まれた碑文のある扉があった。その言葉はムフログのほかには誰にもわからず、ムフログは次のように解読した。

"We, the Dwellers in this Palace, lived for many years in Comfort and Luxury. Then Hunger came. We had made no preparation. We had amassed jewels in abundance but not Corn. We ground Pearls and Rubies to fine flour, but could make no Bread. Wherefore we die, bequeathing this Palace to the eagles who will devour our bodies and build their eyries on our towers."

「この宮殿に住まう我らは、長年安楽と奢侈のうちに暮らした。やがて飢えが来た。我らは何の備えもしていなかった。宝石はあり余るほど蓄えたが、穀物は蓄えなかった。真珠と紅玉を挽いて細かな粉にしたが、パンはこしらえられなかった。ゆえに我らは死ぬ。この宮殿を、我らの亡骸を喰らい我らの塔に巣を築くであろう鷲たちに遺して。」

A dread silence fell on the whole party when Muflog read these strange words, and the king turned pale. This warning from the dead past was making the adventure far from enjoyable. Some of the party suggested the immediate abandonment of the expedition and the prompt return home. They feared hidden dangers now. But the king remained resolute.

ムフログがこの奇妙な言葉を読むと、一行全体に恐ろしい沈黙が落ち、王は青ざめた。死んだ過去からのこの警告は、冒険をまるで楽しくないものにしていた。一行の何人かは、すぐに遠征をやめてさっさと家に帰ろうと言いだした。今では隠れた危険を恐れていたのである。けれども王は決心を変えなかった。

"I must investigate this to the end," he said in a firm voice. "Those who are seized by fear may return. I will go on, if needs be, alone."

「わしはこれを最後まで調べねばならぬ」と王はしっかりした声で言った。「恐れにとらわれた者は帰ってよい。わしは、必要とあらば一人でも進む。」

Encouraged by these words, the hunters decided to remain with the king. One of them began to batter at the door, but the king was anxious to preserve the inscription, and after more cutting away of weeds, the key was seen to be sticking in the keyhole. Unlocking the door, however, was no light task, for ages of rust had accumulated. When finally this was accomplished the door creaked heavily on its hinges and a musty smell came from the dank corridor that was revealed.

この言葉に励まされて、狩人たちは王とともにとどまることに決めた。一人が扉を打ち破ろうとしたが、王は碑文を残しておきたかった。さらに雑草を切り払うと、鍵が鍵穴に差さったままになっているのが見えた。けれども扉の錠を開けるのは容易ではなかった。何世紀もの錆が積もっていたからである。とうとうそれができると、扉は蝶番の上で重くきしみ、現れた湿った廊下からかび臭いにおいがした。

The explorers walked ankle-deep in dust through a maze of rooms until they came to a big central hall of statues. So artistically fashioned were they that they seemed lifelike in their attitudes, and for a moment all held their breath. This hall was dustless, and Muflog pointed out that it was an airtight chamber. Evidently it had been specifically devised to preserve the statues.

探検者たちはくるぶしまで埋まる塵のなかを歩いて迷路のような部屋部屋を抜け、彫像の並ぶ大きな中央の広間に着いた。像はあまりに見事にこしらえられていて、その姿勢は生きているように見えたので、一瞬みな息をのんだ。この広間には塵がなく、ムフログは、ここは空気の通わない部屋だと指摘した。明らかに像を保つために特別に工夫されていたのである。

"These must be the effigies of kings," said his majesty, and on reading the inscriptions, Muflog said that was so.

「これは王たちの像にちがいない」と陛下は言い、ムフログは碑文を読んでそのとおりだと言った。

At the far end of the hall, on a pedestal higher than the others, was a statue bigger than the rest. In addition to the name there was an inscription on the pedestal. Muflog read it amid an awed stillness:

広間のいちばん奥の、ほかより高い台座の上に、ほかより大きな像があった。台座には名前のほかに碑文があった。ムフログは畏れに静まりかえったなかでそれを読んだ。

"I am the last of the kings--yea, the last of men, and with my own hands have completed this work. I ruled over a thousand cities, rode on a thousand horses, and received the homage of a thousand vassal princes; but when Famine came I was powerless. Ye who may read this, take heed of the fate that has overwhelmed this land. Take but one word of counsel from the last of the mortals; prepare thy meal while the daylight lasts * * *"

「我は王たちの最後の者——否、人の最後の者にして、我が手でこの仕事を成し遂げた。我は千の町を治め、千の馬に乗り、千の家臣の君侯の臣従を受けた。されど飢饉が来たとき、我は無力であった。これを読むやもしれぬ汝らよ、この国を呑み込んだ運命に心せよ。死すべき者の最後の者からただひとつの忠告を受けよ。日の光のあるうちに汝の糧を備えよ* * *」

The words broke off: the rest was undecipherable.

言葉はそこで途切れていた。残りは解読できなかった。

"Enough," cried the king, and his voice was not steady. "This has indeed been good hunting. I have learned, in my folly and pursuit of pleasure, what I had failed to see for myself. Let us return and act upon the counsel of this king who has met the end that will surely be our own should we forget his warning."

「もうよい」と王は叫んだが、その声は震えていた。「これはまことによい狩りであった。わしは愚かさと楽しみの追求のなかで、自分では見ようとしなかったことを学んだ。帰って、この王の忠告に従って行おう。その警告を忘れれば、きっとわれらもこの王と同じ最期を迎えるのだから。」

Looking out across the plain they had traversed, his majesty seemed to see a vision of prosperous cities and smiling fertile fields. In imagination, he saw caravans laden with merchandise journeying across the intervening spaces. Then, as darker thoughts followed, a cloud appeared to settle over the whole land. The cities crumbled and disappeared, the eagles swooped down and took possession of that which man had failed to appreciate and hold; and after the eagles the dust of the ages settled slowly, piling itself up year by year until everything was covered and only the desert was visible.

通ってきた平原を見わたすと、陛下には栄える町々と、ほほえむように実った畑の幻が見えるようだった。想像のなかで、商品を積んだ隊商があいだの土地を旅していくのが見えた。それから暗い思いが続くと、国じゅうに雲が垂れこめるように思えた。町々は崩れて消え、鷲が舞い降りて、人間が大切にすることも守ることもできなかったものを手に入れた。そして鷲のあとに、何世紀もの塵がゆっくりと降り積もり、年ごとに積み重なって、とうとうすべてが覆われ、砂漠しか見えなくなった。

Scarcely a word was spoken as the king and his hunters made their way back to the land East of the Rising Sun. In all, they had been away forty days when they re-crossed the barrier of rocks. They were joyously welcomed.

王と狩人たちが日の昇る国の東の国へ帰る道すがら、ほとんどひと言も口がきかれなかった。岩の壁をふたたび越えたときには、全部で四十日留守にしていた。一行は喜んで迎えられた。

"What have you brought," asked the populace. "In a little while we shall be starving."

「何を持ってきてくださったのですか」と民衆は尋ねた。「もう少ししたら、わたしたちは飢えてしまいます。」

"Ye shall not starve," said the king. "I have brought wisdom from the Palace of the Eagles. From the fate and sufferings of others I have learned a lesson--my duty."

「お前たちを飢えさせはせぬ」と王は言った。「わしは鷲の宮殿から知恵を持ち帰った。ほかの者たちの運命と苦しみから、わしは教訓を学んだ——わしの務めを。」

At once he set to work to organize the proper distribution of the food supply and the cultivation of the land. He wasted no more time on foolish pleasures, and in due course the land East of the Rising Sun enjoyed happiness and prosperity and even established fruitful colonies in the plain overlooked by the Palace of the Eagles.

王はすぐに、食べ物の蓄えを正しく分け、土地を耕すための手はずを整えにかかった。もう愚かな楽しみに時を費やさなかった。そしてやがて、日の昇る国の東の国は幸せと繁栄を享受し、鷲の宮殿の見下ろす平原に実り豊かな植民地を築きさえしたのである。