Part Four竹取物語 4
車持皇子は心たばかりある人にて、公には、「筑紫の國に湯あみに罷らん。」とて、暇申して、かぐや姫の家には、「玉の枝とりになんまかる。」といはせて下り給ふに、仕うまつるべき人々、皆難波まで御おくりしけり。皇子「いと忍びて。」と宣はせて、人も數多率ておはしまさず、近う仕うまつる限して出で給ひぬ。御おくりの人々、見奉り送りて歸りぬ。「おはしましぬ。」と人には見え給ひて、三日許ありて漕ぎ歸り給ひぬ。かねて事皆仰せたりければ、その時一の工匠なりける内匠六人を召しとりて、容易く人よりくまじき家を作りて、構を三重にしこめて、工匠等を入れ給ひつゝ、皇子も同じ所に籠り給ひて、しらせ給ひつるかぎり十六そをかみにくどをあけて、玉の枝をつくり給ふ。かぐや姫のたまふやうに、違はずつくり出でつ。いとかしこくたばかりて、難波に密にもて出でぬ。「船に乘りて歸り來にけり。」と、殿に告げやりて、いといたく苦しげなるさまして居給へり。迎に人多く參りたり。玉の枝をば長櫃に入れて、物覆ひてもちて參る。いつか聞きけん、「車持皇子は、優曇華の花持ちて上り給へり。」とのゝしりけり。これをかぐや姫聞きて、「我はこの皇子にまけぬべし。」と、胸つぶれて思ひけり。かゝるほどに門を叩きて、「車持皇子おはしたり。」と告ぐ。「旅の御姿ながらおはしましたり。」といへば、逢ひ奉る。皇子のたまはく、「『命を捨てゝかの玉の枝持てきたり。』とて、かぐや姫に見せ奉り給へ。」といへば、翁もちて入りたり。この玉の枝に文をぞつけたりける。
Prince Kuramochi was a man with cunning in his heart. To the court he said, "I shall go down to the land of Tsukushi to bathe in the hot springs," and so took his leave, and to Kaguya-hime's house he sent word, "I go to fetch the jeweled branch." As he went down, all those who served him saw him off as far as Naniwa. The prince said, "I would go very quietly," and did not take many people with him, but set out with only his closest attendants. Those who had come to see him off looked upon him and went home. He let people see that he had gone, and then, after about three days, he rowed back again.
He had given all his orders beforehand. He called in six craftsmen of the palace craft bureau, who were the foremost smiths of that time, and built a house where no one could easily come, and shut it about with a threefold wall, and set the craftsmen inside. The prince too shut himself in the same place. With the sixteen estates he governed he opened the furnaces and made the jeweled branch. It was made just as Kaguya-hime had said, with nothing in it amiss.
He contrived it all very cleverly and carried it secretly out to Naniwa. He sent word to his house, "I have come back by ship," and sat there looking very worn and ill. Many people came out to meet him. They put the jeweled branch in a long chest, covered it over, and carried it along. Somehow word had got about, and people were crying out, "Prince Kuramochi has come up bearing the udumbara flower."
Kaguya-hime heard this and thought, "I shall surely be beaten by this prince," and her heart broke within her.
While it was so, someone knocked at the gate and announced, "Prince Kuramochi has come." They said, "He has come still in his traveling clothes," and so the old man went out to meet him. The prince said, "Tell Kaguya-hime, 'I have thrown away my life and brought that jeweled branch,' and show it to her." The old man carried it in. To this jeweled branch a letter was tied.
Interlinear notes 1
The source text is garbled here and has long been read in two ways: "sixteen" has been taken as sixteen estates and as sixteen men. — translator
いたづらに身はなしつとも玉の枝を手をらでさらに歸らざらまし
In vain though I should cast this body away, the jeweled branch — without breaking it off with my own hand I would not have come back.
これをもあはれと見て居るに、竹取の翁走り入りていはく、「この皇子に申し給ひし蓬莱の玉の枝を、一つの所もあやしき處なく、あやまたずもておはしませり。何をもちてか、とかく申すべきにあらず。旅の御姿ながら、我御家へも寄り給はずしておはしましたり。はやこの皇子にあひ仕うまつり給へ。」といふに、物もいはず頬杖をつきて、いみじく歎かしげに思ひたり。この皇子「今さら何かといふべからず。」といふまゝに、縁にはひのぼり給ひぬ。翁ことわりに思ふ。「この國に見えぬ玉の枝なり。この度はいかでかいなびまをさん。人ざまもよき人におはす。」などいひ居たり。かぐや姫のいふやう、「親ののたまふことを、ひたぶるにいなび申さんことのいとほしさに、得難きものを、かくあさましくもてくること」をねたく思ひ、翁は閨の内しつらひなどす。翁皇子に申すやう、「いかなる所にかこの木はさぶらひけん。怪しく麗しくめでたきものにも。」と申す。皇子答へての給はく、 「前一昨年の二月の十日頃に、難波より船に乘りて、海中にいでて、行かん方も知らず覺えしかど、『思ふこと成らでは、世の中に生きて何かせん。』と思ひしかば、たゞ空しき風に任せてありく。『命死なばいかゞはせん。生きてあらん限はかくありきて、蓬莱といふらん山に逢ふや。』と、浪にたゞよひ漕ぎありきて、我國の内を離れてありき廻りしに、或時は浪荒れつゝ海の底にも入りぬべく、或時は風につけて知らぬ國にふき寄せられて、鬼のやうなるものいで來て殺さんとしき。或時には來し方行末も知らず、海にまぎれんとしき。或時にはかて盡きて、草の根を食物としき。或時はいはん方なくむくつけなるもの來て、食ひかゝらんとしき。或時には海の貝をとりて、命をつぐ。旅の空に助くべき人もなき所に、いろ〳〵の病をして、行方すらも覺えず、船の行くに任せて、海に漂ひて、五百日といふ辰の時許に、海の中に遙に山見ゆ。舟のうちをなんせめて見る。海の上に漂へる山いと大きにてあり。其山の樣高くうるはし。『是や我覓むる山ならん。』と思へど、さすがに畏しく覺えて、山の圍を指し廻らして、二三日許見ありくに、天人の粧したる女、山の中より出で來て、銀の金鋺をもて水を汲みありく。これを見て船よりおりて、『この山の名を何とか申す。』と問ふに、女答へて曰く、『これは蓬莱の山なり。』と答ふ。是を聞くに嬉しき事限なし。この女に、『かく宣ふは誰ぞ。』と問ふ。『我名はほうかんるり。』といひて、ふと山の中に入りぬ。その山を見るに、更に登るべきやうなし。その山のそばつらを廻れば、世の中になき花の木どもたてり。金銀瑠璃色の水流れいでたり。それにはいろ〳〵の玉の橋わたせり。そのあたり照り輝く木どもたてり。その中にこのとりて持てまうできたりしは、いとわろかりしかども、『のたまひしに違はましかば。』とて、この花を折りてまうできたるなり。山は限なくおもしろし。世に譬ふべきにあらざりしかど、この枝を折りてしかば、さらに心もとなくて、船に乘りて追風ふきて、四百餘日になんまうで來にし。大願の力にや、難波より昨日なん都にまうで來つる。さらに潮にぬれたる衣をだに脱ぎかへなでなん、まうで來つる。」との給へば、翁聞きて、うち歎きてよめる、
She was sitting and looking on this with pity when the old bamboo cutter ran in and said, "The jeweled branch of Penglai that you asked of this prince, he has brought it without a single doubtful place in it, just as you said. There is nothing left to say for it or against it. He has come still in his traveling clothes, without even stopping at his own house. Go now at once and receive this prince."
But she said nothing. She rested her chin on her hand and sat looking deeply grieved. The prince said, "There is nothing more to be said now," and climbed up onto the veranda. The old man thought this was only right, and sat saying such things as, "This is a jeweled branch not to be seen in this land. How could you refuse him this time? And he is a man of good bearing."
Kaguya-hime said, "It was because I could not bear to refuse outright what my father told me that I named a thing hard to get. And now he brings it in this shameless way." She thought it bitter. But the old man went about making the bedchamber ready.
The old man said to the prince, "In what sort of place did this tree stand? It is a strange and beautiful and splendid thing."
The prince answered, "About the tenth day of the second month three years before, I took ship from Naniwa and went out onto the sea. I did not know which way I was going, but I thought, 'If I do not do the thing I have set my heart on, what good is it to live in the world?' So I drifted as the empty wind took me. I thought, 'If my life ends, there is no help for it. While I live I will go on like this, and see whether I meet the mountain they call Penglai.' So I floated on the waves and rowed about, and I went out beyond our own land and wandered. At one time the waves were so rough that I was near going down to the bottom of the sea. At one time the wind drove me to a land I did not know, and things like demons came out and would have killed me. At one time I knew neither where I had come from nor where I was going, and was near being lost in the sea. At one time my food ran out, and I took the roots of grasses for my food. At one time a thing frightful beyond words came and would have bitten me. At one time I took shellfish from the sea and so kept my life.
Under a traveler's sky, in a place where there was no one to help me, I fell into all kinds of sickness. I forgot even where I was going, and let the ship go as it would, and drifted on the sea. On the five hundredth day, about the hour of the dragon, I saw a mountain far off in the midst of the sea. From the ship I gazed at it with all my eyes. The mountain floating on the sea was very large. Its shape was high and beautiful. I thought, 'Can this be the mountain I seek?' but even so I was afraid, and I went round the sides of the mountain and looked for two or three days. Then a woman dressed like a heavenly being came out from within the mountain and went about drawing water with a bowl of silver.
Seeing this, I came down from the ship and asked, 'What is the name of this mountain?' The woman answered, 'This is the mountain of Penglai.' When I heard it, my joy had no end. I asked the woman, 'Who are you, that say so?' She said, 'My name is Hokanruri,' and slipped away into the mountain.
When I looked at the mountain, there was no way at all to climb it. I went round its lower slopes, and there stood flowering trees such as are not in the world. Water of gold and silver and lapis color flowed out. Over it were laid bridges of many kinds of jewels. Round about stood trees that shone and glittered. The one I broke off and brought from among them was the poorest of them all, but I thought, 'It must not differ from what she said,' and so I broke off this flower and brought it. The mountain was beautiful beyond measure. There was nothing in the world to compare with it. But once I had broken this branch off, my heart could not rest, and I boarded the ship. A fair wind blew, and in something over four hundred days I came back. Was it the power of my great vow? I came up from Naniwa to the capital yesterday. I have come here without even changing the clothes the salt water wet."
The old man heard this, and sighed, and sang:
呉竹のよゝのたけとり野山にもさやはわびしきふしをのみ見し
Joint upon joint of the bamboo, this old bamboo cutter of many years — in field or in mountain such a bitter joint as this I have never seen.
これを皇子聞きて、「こゝらの日頃思ひわび侍りつる心は、今日なんおちゐぬる。」との給ひて、かへし、
The prince heard this and said, "The heart that has grieved through all these many days has settled at last today." And he answered:
わが袂けふかわければわびしさのちくさのかずも忘られぬべし
Now that my sleeves are dry at last today, of my sorrow even the thousand kinds and their number will surely be forgotten.
との給ふ。かゝるほどに、男ども六人連ねて庭にいできたり。一人の男、文挾に文をはさみてまをす。「作物所の寮のたくみ漢部内麿まをさく、『玉の木を作りて仕うまつりしこと、心を碎きて、千餘日に力を盡したること少からず。しかるに祿いまだ賜はらず。これを賜はり分ちて、けごに賜はせん。』」といひてさゝげたり。竹取の翁、「この工匠等が申すことは何事ぞ。」とかたぶきをり。皇子は我にもあらぬけしきにて、肝消えぬべき心ちして居給へり。これをかぐや姫聞きて、「この奉る文をとれ。」といひて見れば、文に申しけるやう、「皇子の君千餘日賤しき工匠等と諸共に、同じ所に隱れ居給ひて、かしこき玉の枝を作らせ給ひて、『官も賜はらん。』と仰せ給ひき。これをこの頃案ずるに、『御つかひとおはしますべき、かぐや姫の要じ給ふべきなりけり。』と承りて、この宮より賜はらんと申して給はるべきなり。」といふを聞きて、かぐや姫、暮るゝまゝに思ひわびつる心地ゑみ榮えて、翁を呼びとりていふやう、「誠に蓬莱の木かとこそ思ひつれ、かくあさましき虚事にてありければ、はや疾くかへし給へ。」といへば、翁こたふ、「さだかに造らせたるものと聞きつれば、かへさんこといと易し。」とうなづきをり。かぐや姫の心ゆきはてゝ、ありつる歌のかへし、
So he said. While it was so, six men came into the garden in a line. One of the men set a letter in a letter clip and made his plea. "Ayabe no Uchimaro, craftsman of the workshop office, says: 'In making the jeweled tree and serving with it I broke my heart over the work, and for more than a thousand days I spent no small strength upon it. Yet the wages have not been given. Let them be given, that I may share them out among my apprentices.'" So he said, and held it up.
The old bamboo cutter sat with his head to one side and said, "What is this that these craftsmen are saying?" The prince sat beside himself, feeling as though his heart would fail him.
Kaguya-hime heard this and said, "Bring me the letter they offer." When she looked, this is what the letter said. "For more than a thousand days the prince hid himself in one place together with us lowly craftsmen, and had that splendid jeweled branch made, and he said, 'I will give you office as well.' Thinking it over of late, we have heard that it was a thing Kaguya-hime, who was to serve the prince, was to have the use of. So we ask to be given our wages from this house, and they should be given to us."
Hearing this, Kaguya-hime, whose heart had been grieving as the day darkened, broke into a bright smile. She called the old man to her and said, "I truly thought it was the tree of Penglai. Since it is such a shameless lie, send it back at once." The old man answered, "Now that I have heard for certain that he had it made, sending it back is very easy," and he nodded. Kaguya-hime's heart was wholly at ease, and she answered the poem he had sent:
まことかと聞きて見つればことの葉を飾れる玉の枝にぞありける
Was it true? I asked, and when I heard and looked, it was a jeweled branch decked out in words.
といひて、玉の枝もかへしつ。竹取の翁さばかり語らひつるが、さすがに覺えて眠りをり。皇子はたつもはした居るもはしたにて居給へり。日の暮れぬればすべ出で給ひぬ。かのうれへせし工匠等をば、かぐや姫呼びすゑて、「嬉しき人どもなり。」といひて、祿いと多くとらせ給ふ。工匠等いみじく喜びて、「思ひつるやうにもあるかな。」といひて、かへる道にて、車持皇子血の流るゝまでちようぜさせ給ふ。祿得しかひもなく皆とり捨てさせ給ひてければ、逃げうせにけり。かくてこの皇子、「一生の恥これに過ぐるはあらじ。女をえずなりぬるのみにあらず、天の下の人の見思はんことの恥かしき事。」との給ひて、たゞ一所深き山へ入り給ひぬ。宮司候ふ人々、皆手を分ちて求め奉れども、御薨もやしたまひけん、え見つけ奉らずなりぬ。皇子の御供に隱し給はんとて、年頃見え給はざりけるなりけり。是をなんたまさかるとはいひ始めける。
So she said, and sent the jeweled branch back as well. The old bamboo cutter, who had talked with him so warmly, felt awkward after all, and lay pretending to sleep. The prince sat there, ill at ease to stand and ill at ease to sit. When the day darkened, he slipped away.
Kaguya-hime called in those craftsmen who had made their plea, and seated them, and said, "These are people to be thankful for." She had a great deal given them in wages. The craftsmen were greatly delighted and said, "It has turned out as we hoped." But on the road home Prince Kuramochi had them beaten until the blood ran. Their wages did them no good, for he had it all taken from them and thrown away, and they fled and were gone.
So this prince said, "There can be no shame in a whole lifetime greater than this. It is not only that I have failed to win the woman. It is shameful to think how the people under heaven will look at me and think of me." And he went alone into the deep mountains. The officers of his household and the people who served him all divided and went to seek him, but whether he had died there, they could not find him. It was that he had hidden himself even from his own attendants, and for years he was not seen. This is how people began to say tamasakaru.
Interlinear notes 1
"Tamasakaru" means both that the jewel goes far away and that the soul goes out of a man. — translator