Part Three竹取物語 3
「猶この女見では、世にあるまじき心ちのしければ、天竺にあるものも持てこぬものかは。」と、思ひめぐらして、石作皇子は心のしたくみある人にて、「天竺に二つとなき鉢を、百千萬里の程行きたりともいかでか取るべき。」と思ひて、かぐや姫の許には、「今日なん天竺へ石の鉢とりにまかる。」と聞かせて、三年ばかり經て、大和國十市郡にある山寺に、賓頭盧の前なる鉢のひた黑に煤つきたるをとりて、錦の袋に入れて、作花の枝につけて、かぐや姫の家にもて來て見せければ、かぐや姫あやしがりて見るに、鉢の中に文あり。ひろげて見れば、
"Still, if I do not see this woman I feel I cannot live in the world. Could a thing that is in India not be brought here?" So he turned it over in his mind. But Prince Ishitsukuri was a man with cunning in his heart, and he thought, "There is not a second bowl like this in India. Though I went a hundred thousand or a million ri, how should I get it?" So he let word be carried to Kaguya-hime, "Today I set out for India to fetch the stone bowl." Then, when about three years had passed, he took a bowl that stood before the venerable Binzuru in a mountain temple in the district of Toichi in the land of Yamato, black all over with soot, and put it in a bag of brocade, and tied it to a spray of artificial flowers, and brought it to Kaguya-hime's house and showed it to her.
Kaguya-hime thought it strange, and when she looked there was a letter in the bowl. She opened it out and read:
海山のみちにこゝろをつくしはてみいしの鉢のなみだながれき
Over sea and mountain, on the road I spent my heart until it was worn away. To get this stone begging bowl tears have flowed.
かぐや姫、「光やある。」と見るに、螢ばかりのひかりだになし。
Kaguya-hime looked to see whether there was light in it, but there was not so much light in it as a firefly.
おく露のひかりをだにもやどさまし小倉山にてなにもとめけむ
The light of the settled dew, that at least it should have held. On dark Mount Ogura what were you seeking?
とてかへしいだすを、鉢を門に棄てゝ、この歌のかへしをす。
So she said and sent it back out, and he threw the bowl down at the gate and answered this poem.
しら山にあへば光のうするかとはちを棄てゝもたのまるゝかな
Meeting snow-white Mount Shirayama, has my light faded away? Though I have thrown the bowl away, still I lean upon my hope.
とよみて入れたり。かぐや姫返しもせずなりぬ。耳にも聞き入れざりければ、いひ煩ひて歸りぬ。かれ鉢を棄てゝまたいひけるよりぞ、面なき事をばはぢをすつとはいひける。
So he sang, and sent it in. Kaguya-hime did not even answer him. She did not take it into her ears, and he grew weary of speaking and went home. Because he threw away the bowl and still spoke to her, a shameless act came to be called throwing away one's shame.
Interlinear notes 1
The word for the bowl, hachi, and the word for shame, haji, are of one sound. — translator