The Beggar King

Proud King Hagag sat on his throne in state, and the high priest, standing by his side, read from the Holy Book, as was his daily custom. He read these words: "For riches are not for ever: and doth the crown endure to every generation?"

高慢なハガグ王が玉座に威儀を正して座り、傍らに立つ大祭司が、日々の習わしどおり聖なる書を読んでいた。大祭司はこう読んだ。「富は永久に続くものではない。冠が代々に続くであろうか。」

"Cease!" cried the king. "Who wrote those words?"

「やめよ!」と王は叫んだ。「その言葉を書いたのは誰だ。」

"They are the words of the Holy Book," answered the high priest.

「聖なる書の言葉にございます」と大祭司は答えた。

"Give me the book," commanded the king.

「その書をよこせ」と王は命じた。

With trembling hands the high priest placed it before his majesty. King Hagag gazed earnestly at the words that had been read, and he frowned. Raising his hand, he tore the page from the book and threw it to the ground.

震える手で、大祭司はそれを陛下の前に置いた。ハガグ王は読まれた言葉をじっと見つめ、眉をひそめた。そして手を上げ、その頁を書から引きちぎって床へ投げ捨てた。

"I, Hagag, am king," he said, "and all such passages that offend me shall be torn out."

「わたしハガグこそが王である」と彼は言った。「わたしの気に障るこのような箇所は、すべて引きちぎってしまえ。」

He flung the volume angrily from him while the high priest and all his courtiers looked on in astonishment.

王は腹立たしげに書を投げ出し、大祭司も廷臣もみな、呆然とそれを見ていた。

"I have heard enough for today," he said. "Too long have I delayed my hunting expedition. Let the horses be got ready."

「今日はもう十分に聞いた」と王は言った。「狩りに出るのを長く延ばしすぎた。馬を支度させよ。」

He descended from the throne, stalked haughtily past the trembling figure of the high priest, and went forth to the hunt. Soon he was riding furiously across an open plain toward a forest where a wild stag had been seen. A trumpet sounded the signal that the deer had been driven from its hiding place, and the king urged his horse forward to be the first in the chase. His majesty's steed was the swiftest in the land. Quickly it carried him out of sight of his nobles and attendants. But the deer was surprisingly fleet and the king could not catch up with it. Coming to a river, the animal plunged in and swam across. Scrambling up the opposite bank its antlers caught in the branch of a tree, and the king, arriving at the river, gave a cry of joy.

王は玉座から降り、震える大祭司の姿の脇を傲然と通り過ぎ、狩りに出かけた。まもなく王は、野生の牡鹿が目撃された森へ向かって、開けた野を猛然と駆けていた。鹿が隠れ場所から追い出されたことを告げる喇叭が鳴り、王はいち早く追おうと馬を急き立てた。陛下の駿馬は国でいちばん速かった。たちまち王を貴族や供の者たちの目の届かぬところへ運んでいった。しかし鹿は驚くほど足が速く、王は追いつけなかった。川に来ると、鹿は飛び込んで泳ぎ渡った。向こう岸を這い上がろうとしたとき、その角が木の枝に引っかかった。川に着いた王は喜びの声をあげた。

"Now I have thee," he said. Springing from his horse and divesting himself of his clothing he swam across with naught but a sword.

「さあ、捕まえたぞ」と王は言った。馬から跳び降り、衣を脱ぎ捨てて、剣一本だけを持って泳ぎ渡った。

As he reached the opposite bank, however, the deer freed itself from the tree and plunged into a thicket. The king, with his sword in his hand, followed quickly, but no deer could he see. Instead, he found, lying on the ground beyond the thicket, a beautiful youth clad in a deer-skin. He was panting as if after a long run. The king stood still in surprise and the youth sprang to his feet.

ところが王が向こう岸に着くと、鹿は木から身を振りほどき、茂みの中へ飛び込んだ。王は剣を手にすぐさま後を追ったが、鹿の姿はどこにも見えなかった。その代わり、茂みの向こうの地面に、鹿の皮をまとった美しい若者が横たわっていた。長く走ったあとのように息を切らしていた。王が驚いて立ちすくむと、若者は跳ね起きた。

"I am the deer," he said. "I am a genii and I have lured thee to this spot, proud king, to teach thee a lesson for thy words this morning."

「わたしがあの鹿だ」と若者は言った。「わたしは精霊(ジン)であり、高慢な王よ、今朝のお前の言葉ゆえに教訓を授けるため、お前をこの場所へおびき寄せたのだ。」

Before King Hagag could recover from his surprise the youth ran back to the river and swam across. Quickly he dressed himself in the king's clothes and mounted the horse just as the other hunters came up. They thought the genii was King Hagag and they halted before him.

ハガグ王が驚きから立ち直る前に、若者は川へ駆け戻って泳ぎ渡った。そして手早く王の衣を身につけ、ちょうど他の狩人たちがやってきたところで馬にまたがった。狩人たちは精霊をハガグ王だと思い、その前で馬を止めた。

"Let us return," said the genii. "The deer has crossed the river and has escaped."

「帰ろう」と精霊は言った。「鹿は川を渡って逃げてしまった。」

King Hagag from the thicket on the opposite side watched them ride away and then flung himself on the ground and wept bitterly. There he lay until a wood-cutter found him.

向こう岸の茂みから、ハガグ王は一行が馬で去っていくのを見送った。それから地に身を投げて激しく泣いた。一人の木こりに見つけられるまで、王はそこに横たわっていた。

"What do you here?" asked the man.

「こんなところで何をしている」とその男は尋ねた。

"I am King Hagag," returned the monarch.

「わたしはハガグ王だ」と君主は答えた。

"Thou art a fool," said the wood-cutter. "Thou art a lazy good-for-naught to talk so. Come, carry my bundle of sticks and I will give thee food and an old garment."

「お前は阿呆だ」と木こりは言った。「そんなことを言うとは、ろくでもない怠け者め。さあ、この薪の束を担げ。そうすれば食い物と古着をくれてやる。」

In vain the king protested. The wood-cutter only laughed the more, and at last, losing patience, he beat him and drove him away. Tired and hungry, and clad only in the rags which the wood-cutter had given him, King Hagag reached the palace late at night.

王が抗議しても無駄であった。木こりはますます笑うばかりで、とうとう堪忍袋の緒が切れて王を打ち据え、追い払った。疲れ果て、腹を空かせ、木こりにもらった襤褸だけをまとって、ハガグ王は夜更けに宮殿にたどり着いた。

"I am King Hagag," he said to the guards, but roughly they bade him begone, and after spending a wretched night in the streets of the city, his majesty, next morning, was glad to accept some bread and milk offered to him by a poor old woman who took pity on him. He stood at a street corner not knowing what to do. Little children teased him; others took him for a beggar and offered him money. Later in the day he saw the genii ride through the streets on his horse. All the people bowed down before him and cried, "Long live the king!"

「わたしはハガグ王だ」と衛兵に言ったが、衛兵は乱暴に失せろと命じた。都の通りで惨めな一夜を過ごしたのち、陛下は翌朝、哀れに思った貧しい老女が差し出したパンと乳を、ありがたく受け取った。王はどうしてよいか分からず、街角に立っていた。小さな子どもたちは王をからかい、ほかの者は乞食と思って金を差し出した。その日の遅く、王は精霊が自分の馬に乗って通りを行くのを見た。民はみなその前にひれ伏し、「王よ、万歳!」と叫んだ。

"Woe is me," cried Hagag, in his wretchedness. "I am punished for my sin in scoffing at the words of the Holy Book."

「ああ、なんと情けない」とハガグは惨めさのあまり叫んだ。「聖なる書の言葉を嘲った罪で、わたしは罰を受けているのだ。」

He saw that it would be useless for him to go to the palace again, and he went into the fields and tried to earn his bread as a laborer. He was not used to work, however, and but for the kindness of the very poorest he would have died of starvation. He wandered miserably from place to place until he fell in with some blind beggars who had been deserted by their guide. Joyfully he accepted their offer to take the guide's place.

もう一度宮殿へ行っても無駄だと悟り、王は野に出て、日雇いとしてパンを得ようとした。しかし働くことに慣れておらず、いちばん貧しい人々の親切がなければ飢え死にしていたであろう。惨めにあちこちをさまよううちに、手引きの者に置き去りにされた盲目の乞食たちに出会った。王は、その手引きの代わりをしてほしいという申し出を喜んで受けた。

Months rolled by, and one morning the royal heralds went forth and announced that "Good King Hagag" would give a feast a week from that day to all the beggars in the land.

幾月かが過ぎ、ある朝、王の触れ役たちが出てきて、「善き王ハガグ」がその日から一週間後、国じゅうの乞食に宴を賜ると告げた。

From far and near came beggars in hundreds, to partake of the king's bounty, and Hagag stood among them, with his blind companions, in the courtyard of the palace waiting for his majesty to appear. He knew the place well, and he hung his head and wept.

遠くから近くから、王の施しにあずかろうと何百という乞食がやってきた。ハガグも盲目の仲間とともにその中に立ち、宮殿の中庭で陛下のお出ましを待っていた。彼はその場所をよく知っていた。そして頭を垂れて泣いた。

"His majesty will speak to each one of you who are his guests today," cried a herald, and one by one they passed into the palace and stood before the throne. When it came to Hagag's turn, he trembled so much that he had to be supported by the guards.

「陛下は、本日の客人であるそなたたち一人ひとりにお言葉を賜る」と触れ役が叫び、乞食たちは一人ずつ宮殿に入って玉座の前に立った。ハガグの番が来ると、あまりに震えたので、衛兵に支えられねばならなかった。

The genii on the throne and Hagag looked long at each other.

玉座の精霊とハガグは、長いあいだ見つめ合った。

"Art thou, too, a beggar?" said the genii.

「そなたも乞食か」と精霊は言った。

"Nay, gracious majesty," answered Hagag with bent head. "I have sinned grievously and have been punished. I am but the servant of a troop of blind beggars to whom I act as guide."

「いいえ、恵み深き陛下」とハガグは頭を垂れて答えた。「わたくしは重い罪を犯し、罰を受けました。わたくしは盲目の乞食の一団に仕え、その手引きをしている者にすぎません。」

The genii king signed to his courtiers that he desired to be left alone with Hagag. Then he said:

精霊の王は、ハガグと二人きりにしてほしいと廷臣たちに合図した。それから言った。

"Hagag, I know thee. I see that thou hast repented. It is well. Now canst thou resume thy rightful place."

「ハガグよ、わたしはお前を知っている。お前が悔い改めたことが分かる。それでよい。いまこそ、お前はしかるべき座に戻れる。」

"Gracious majesty," said Hagag, "I have learned humility and wisdom. The throne is not for me. The blind beggars need me. Let me remain in their service."

「恵み深き陛下」とハガグは言った。「わたくしは謙遜と知恵を学びました。玉座はわたくしのためのものではございません。盲目の乞食たちがわたくしを必要としています。どうか、あの者たちに仕え続けさせてください。」

"It cannot be," said the genii. "I see that thou art truly penitent. Thy lesson is learned and my task is done. I will see that the blind beggars lack not."

「それはならぬ」と精霊は言った。「お前がまことに悔い改めていることは分かった。お前の教訓は学ばれ、わたしの務めは終わった。盲目の乞食たちが困らぬよう、わたしが取り計らおう。」

With his own hands he placed the royal robes on Hagag and himself donned those of the beggar. When the courtiers returned they saw no difference. King Hagag sat on the throne again, and nowhere in the whole world was there a monarch who ruled more wisely or showed more kindness and sympathy to all his subjects.

精霊は自らの手で王の衣をハガグにまとわせ、自分は乞食の衣をまとった。廷臣たちが戻ってきたとき、誰にも違いは分からなかった。ハガグ王はふたたび玉座に座った。そして世界のどこを探しても、これほど賢く国を治め、臣民すべてにこれほどの優しさと思いやりを示した君主はいなかったのである。