Part Eight竹取物語 8
さてかぐや姫かたち世に似ずめでたきことを、帝聞しめして、内侍中臣のふさ子にの給ふ、「多くの人の身を徒になしてあはざンなるかぐや姫は、いかばかりの女ぞ。」と、「罷りて見て參れ。」との給ふ。ふさ子承りてまかれり。竹取の家に畏まりて請じ入れてあへり。嫗に内侍のたまふ、「仰ごとに、かぐや姫の容いうにおはすとなり。能く見て參るべきよしの給はせつるになん參りつる。」といへば、「さらばかくと申し侍らん。」といひて入りぬ。かぐや姫に、「はやかの御使に對面し給へ。」といへば、かぐや姫、「よき容にもあらず。いかでか見ゆべき。」といへば、「うたてもの給ふかな。帝の御使をばいかでか疎にせん。」といへば、かぐや姫答ふるやう、「帝の召しての給はんことかしこしとも思はず。」といひて、更に見ゆべくもあらず。うめる子のやうにはあれど、いと心恥しげに疎なるやうにいひければ、心のまゝにもえ責めず。嫗、内侍の許にかへり出でて、「口をしくこの幼き者はこはく侍るものにて、對面すまじき。」と申す。内侍、「『必ず見奉りて參れ。』と、仰事ありつるものを、見奉らではいかでか歸り參らん。國王の仰事を、まさに世に住み給はん人の承り給はではありなんや。いはれぬことなし給ひそ。」と、詞はづかしくいひければ、これを聞きて、ましてかぐや姫きくべくもあらず。「國王の仰事を背かばはや殺し給ひてよかし。」といふ。この内侍歸り參りて、このよしを奏す。帝聞しめして、「多くの人を殺してける心ぞかし。」との給ひて、止みにけれど、猶思しおはしまして、「この女のたばかりにやまけん。」と思しめして、竹取の翁を召して仰せたまふ、「汝が持て侍るかぐや姫を奉れ。顔容よしと聞しめして、御使をたびしかど、かひなく見えずなりにけり。かくたい〴〵しくやはならはすべき。」と仰せらる。翁畏まりて御返事申すやう、「この女の童は、絶えて宮仕つかう奉るべくもあらず侍るを、もてわづらひ侍り。さりとも罷りて仰せ給はん。」と奏す。是を聞し召して仰せ給ふやう、「などか翁の手におほしたてたらんものを、心に任せざらん。この女もし奉りたるものならば、翁に冠をなどかたばせざらん。」翁喜びて家に歸りて、かぐや姫にかたらふやう、「かくなん帝の仰せ給へる。なほやは仕う奉り給はぬ。」といへば、かぐや姫答へて曰く、「もはらさやうの宮仕つかう奉らじと思ふを、強ひて仕う奉らせ給はゞ消え失せなん。御司冠つかう奉りて死ぬばかりなり。」翁いらふるやう、「なしたまひそ。官冠も、我子を見奉らでは何にかはせん。さはありともなどか宮仕をし給はざらん。死に給ふやうやはあるべき。」といふ。「『なほそらごとか。』と、仕う奉らせて死なずやあると見給へ。數多の人の志疎ならざりしを、空しくなしてしこそあれ、昨日今日帝のの給はんことにつかん、人ぎきやさし。」といへば、翁答へて曰く、「天の下の事はとありともかゝりとも、御命の危きこそ大なるさはりなれ。猶仕う奉るまじきことを參りて申さん。」とて、參りて申すやう、「仰の事のかしこさに、かの童を參らせんとて仕う奉れば、『宮仕に出したてなば死ぬべし。』とまをす。造麿が手にうませたる子にてもあらず、昔山にて見つけたる。かゝれば心ばせも世の人に似ずぞ侍る。」と奏せさす。 帝おほせ給はく、「造麿が家は山本近かンなり。御狩の行幸し給はんやうにて見てんや。」とのたまはす。造麿が申すやう、「いとよきことなり。何か心もなくて侍らんに、ふと行幸して御覽ぜられなん。」と奏すれば、帝俄に日を定めて、御狩にいで給ひて、かぐや姫の家に入り給ひて見給ふに、光滿ちてけうらにて居たる人あり。「これならん。」とおぼして、近くよらせ給ふに、逃げて入る、袖を捕へ給へば、おもてをふたぎて候へど、初よく御覽じつれば、類なくおぼえさせ給ひて、「許さじとす。」とて率ておはしまさんとするに、かぐや姫答へて奏す、「おのが身はこの國に生れて侍らばこそ仕へ給はめ、いとゐておはし難くや侍らん。」と奏す。帝「などかさあらん。猶率ておはしまさん。」とて、御輿を寄せたまふに、このかぐや姫きと影になりぬ。「はかなく、口をし。」とおぼして、「げにたゞ人にはあらざりけり。」とおぼして、「さらば御供には率ていかじ。もとの御かたちとなり給ひね。それを見てだに歸りなん。」と仰せらるれば、かぐや姫もとのかたちになりぬ。帝なほめでたく思し召さるゝことせきとめがたし。かく見せつる造麿を悦びたまふ。さて仕うまつる百官の人々に、あるじいかめしう仕う奉る。帝かぐや姫を留めて歸り給はんことを、飽かず口をしくおぼしけれど、たましひを留めたる心地してなん歸らせ給ひける。御輿に奉りて後に、かぐや姫に、
Now the Emperor heard that the form of Kaguya-hime was lovely beyond any in the world, and he said to the lady-in-waiting Nakatomi no Fusako, "What manner of woman is this Kaguya-hime, who has brought the lives of many men to nothing and still will not meet them?" And he said, "Go and see her and come back."
Fusako received the command and went. At the house of the bamboo cutter they received her with awe, invited her in, and met her. The lady-in-waiting said to the old woman, "In his command he says that the form of Kaguya-hime is surpassing. He told me to see her well and come back, and so I have come." At that she said, "Then I shall go in and tell her so," and went in.
She said to Kaguya-hime, "Go at once and meet the one who has come on this errand." Kaguya-hime said, "My face is not a good one. How should I let her see me?" "You speak in a way that is hard to hear. How should we make light of the Emperor's messenger?" Kaguya-hime answered and said, "Though the Emperor summon me and give me his word, I do not think it a thing to be feared," and she showed no sign at all of letting herself be seen. The old woman thought of her as a child of her own body, yet the girl spoke so abashingly and so coldly that she could not press her as she wished.
The old woman came back out to the lady-in-waiting and said, "It is a sad thing, but this young one is stubborn, and she will not meet you." The lady-in-waiting said, "The command was, 'See her without fail and come back.' How should I go back without having seen her? Can one who lives in this world not receive the command of the sovereign? Do not do what has no reason in it." She said it in words that put them to shame, and hearing this, Kaguya-hime was less willing than ever to listen. "If I disobey the command of the sovereign, then let him kill me quickly," she said.
The lady-in-waiting went back and reported this. The Emperor heard it and said, "It is indeed the heart of one who has killed many men," and he let the matter drop. Yet it stayed in his mind, and he thought, "Shall I be beaten by this woman's scheming?" He summoned the old bamboo cutter and commanded him, "Give up to me this Kaguya-hime whom you keep. I heard that her face was fair and sent a messenger, but it came to nothing and she was not seen. Should such insolent ways be allowed to take root?"
The old man, in awe, made answer and said, "This girl child is in no way one who could serve at the palace, and I am troubled with her. Even so, I shall go back and tell her your command."
Hearing this, the Emperor said, "Why should you not have your way with one you have raised with your own hands? If you give this woman up to me, why should I not grant the old man a rank at court?"
The old man was glad and went home and spoke to Kaguya-hime. "This is what the Emperor has commanded. Will you still not go and serve him?"
Kaguya-hime answered and said, "I have no mind at all to enter such service at the palace. If you force me into it, I shall vanish away. I shall win you office and rank, and then only die."
The old man replied, "Do not do so. What use is any office to me if I cannot look upon my child? Yet even so, why will you not go into service? Is there any reason you should die of it?"
"If you still think it a lie, then send me into service and see whether I die or not. The hearts of many men were not shallow, and I brought them all to nothing. To follow the Emperor's word, spoken but yesterday or today, would be a shame in the hearing of others."
The old man answered and said, "Be the things of the world this way or that, it is the danger to your life that is the great hindrance. I shall go even so and tell him that you cannot serve him." So he went and said, "In awe of your command I told her I would send the child to you, and she says, 'If you put me out to service at the palace, I shall die.' She is no child born to Miyatsukomaro's own hand. Long ago I found her in the mountains. And so her temper too is not like that of the people of this world."
The Emperor said, "Miyatsukomaro's house is near the foot of the mountain, they say. What if I were to make a progress as though to hunt, and see her?"
Miyatsukomaro said, "That is a very good thing. When she is sitting with no thought of it, come suddenly on a progress and look upon her." So he said, and the Emperor at once set a day and went out to hunt. He entered the house of Kaguya-hime and looked, and there sat one filled with light, clear and lovely. "This will be she," he thought, and drew near. She fled inside, and he caught her sleeve. She covered her face and stayed so, but he had seen her well at the first, and he thought her beyond compare. "I shall not let you go," he said, and would have taken her with him. Kaguya-hime answered and said, "If this body of mine had been born in this land, then you might have me serve you. But it will be very hard for you to take me away."
The Emperor said, "Why should that be so? I shall take you nonetheless," and he had the palanquin brought near. At that this Kaguya-hime turned of a sudden into a shadow. "How fleeting, how galling," he thought, and, "Truly she was no ordinary being." He said, "Then I shall not take you with me. Become your own form again. Let me see that much at least, and I shall go." And Kaguya-hime became her own form again.
Still the Emperor could not stem the wonder he felt for her. He was glad of Miyatsukomaro, who had let him see her thus. And so he made a great feast for the hundred officers who served him. The Emperor thought it galling, and never enough, to leave Kaguya-hime behind and go home, yet he went back with the feeling of one who leaves his soul behind. After he had been borne into the palanquin, he sent to Kaguya-hime,
かへるさのみゆき物うくおもほえてそむきてとまるかぐや姫ゆゑ
The progress homeward weighs heavy on my heart, because of Kaguya-hime who turns away and stays behind
御返事を、
The answer sent back was,
葎はふ下にもとしは經ぬる身のなにかはたまのうてなをもみむ
Where the vines grow thick, this body that has passed its years beneath them, how should it ever look upon a high tower built of jewels?
これを帝御覽じて、いとゞ歸り給はんそらもなくおぼさる。御心は更に立ち歸るべくもおぼされざりけれど、さりとて夜を明し給ふべきにもあらねば、歸らせ給ひぬ。常に仕う奉る人を見給ふに、かぐや姫の傍に寄るべくだにあらざりけり。「こと人よりはけうらなり。」とおぼしける人の、かれに思しあはすれば人にもあらず。かぐや姫のみ御心にかゝりて、たゞ一人過したまふ。よしなくて御方々にもわたり給はず、かぐや姫の御許にぞ御文を書きて通はさせ給ふ。御返事さすがに憎からず聞えかはし給ひて、おもしろき木草につけても、御歌を詠みてつかはす。
The Emperor read this, and still less had he the heart to go home. His mind could in no way turn back, yet he could not pass the night there either, and so he returned. When he looked at the people who always served him, there was not one who could stand even near Kaguya-hime. Those he had thought clearer and lovelier than others were, set beside her in his mind, not people at all. Kaguya-hime alone hung upon his heart, and he passed his days alone. He found no savor in it and did not go to his ladies, but wrote letters and sent them to Kaguya-hime. Her answers, for all that, were not hateful, and they exchanged word with each other; and when a tree or a plant was fair to see, he made a poem upon it and sent it to her.