1 THE STORY OF PRINCESS HASE. A STORY OF OLD JAPAN
1 長谷姫=中将姫物語
2 Many, many years ago there lived in Nara, the ancient Capital of Japan, a wise State minister, by name Prince Toyonari Fujiwara. His wife was a noble, good, and beautiful woman called Princess Murasaki (Violet). They had been married by their respective families according to Japanese custom when very young, and had lived together happily ever since. They had, however, one cause for great sorrow, for as the years went by no child was born to them. This made them very unhappy, for they both longed to see a child of their own who would grow up to gladden their old age, carry on the family name, and keep up the ancestral rites when they were dead. The Prince and his lovely wife, after long consultation and much thought, determined to make a pilgrimage to the temple of Hase-no-Kwannon (Goddess of Mercy at Hase), for they believed, according to the beautiful tradition of their religion, that the Mother of Mercy, Kwannon, comes to answer the prayers of mortals in the form that they need the most. Surely after all these years of prayer she would come to them in the form of a beloved child in answer to their special pilgrimage, for that was the greatest need of their two lives. Everything else they had that this life could give them, but it was all as nothing because the cry of their hearts was unsatisfied.
2 何年も前、日本の古都である奈良に、藤原豊成公という賢明な大臣が住んでいました。彼の妻は紫姫（ヴァイオレット）と呼ばれる高貴で善良で美しい女性だった。彼らは幼い頃に日本の慣習に従ってそれぞれの家族と結婚し、それ以来幸せに暮らしていました。しかし、彼らには大きな悲しみの原因が 1 つあります。それは、年月が経っても子供が生まれなかったからです。これは彼らを非常に不幸にしました.2人とも自分の子供が成長して老年を喜び、家名を引き継ぎ、亡くなった後も先祖代々の儀式を続けることを切望していたからです。王子と美しい妻は、長い話し合いと熟考の末、長谷観音 (長谷の慈悲の女神) の寺院への巡礼を決意しました。慈悲の母、クワノンは、彼らが最も必要とする形で人間の祈りに答えるようになります。確かに、これらすべての年月の祈りの後、彼女は彼らの特別な巡礼に応えて、最愛の子供の形で彼らのところに来るでしょう。この人生が彼らに与えることができる他のすべてのものを持っていましたが、彼らの心の叫びが満たされていないので、それはすべて何もありませんでした.
3 So the Prince Toyonari and his wife went to the temple of Kwannon at Hase and stayed there for a long time, both daily offering incense and praying to Kwannon, the Heavenly Mother, to grant them the desire of their whole lives. And their prayer was answered.
3 そこで、豊成公夫妻は長谷の観音堂に行き、そこに長くとどまり、毎日香を供え、天母である観音様に一生の望みをかなえてくださるように祈った。そして彼らの祈りは聞き届けられました。
4 A daughter was born at last to the Princess Murasaki, and great was the joy of her heart. On presenting the child to her husband, they both decided to call her Hase-Hime, or the Princess of Hase, because she was the gift of the Kwannon at that place. They both reared her with great care and tenderness, and the child grew in strength and beauty.
4 ついに紫姫に娘が生まれ、彼女は心から喜びました。夫に子供を贈ったとき、二人は彼女を長谷姫、または長谷の王女と呼ぶことにしました。二人とも細心の注意と優しさで彼女を育て、その子は力強く美しく成長しました。
5 When the little girl was five years old her mother fell dangerously ill and all the doctors and their medicines could not save her. A little before she breathed her last she called her daughter to her, and gently stroking her head, said:
5 少女が 5 歳のとき、母親が危険な病気にかかり、医者も薬も彼女を救うことができませんでした。息を引き取る少し前に、彼女は娘を呼び寄せ、優しく頭を撫でながら言った。
6 “Hase-Hime, do you know that your mother cannot live any longer? Though I die, you must grow up a good girl. Do your best not to give trouble to your nurse or any other of your family. Perhaps your father will marry again and some one will fill my place as your mother. If so do not grieve for me, but look upon your father’s second wife as your true mother, and be obedient and filial to both her and your father. Remember when you are grown up to be submissive to those who are your superiors, and to be kind to all those who are under you. Don’t forget this. I die with the hope that you will grow up a model woman.”
6「長谷姫、お母さんがもう生きられないって知ってる？私が死んでも、あなたはいい子に育ってね。看護師や他の家族に迷惑をかけないように最善を尽くしてください。おそらくあなたのお父さんは再婚し、誰かがあなたのお母さんの代わりをしてくれるでしょう。もしそうなら、私のために悲しむのではなく、あなたの父の後妻をあなたの本当の母と見なし、彼女とあなたの父の両方に対して従順で親孝行してください.大人になったら、目上の人には服従し、部下には親切にすることを忘れないでください。これを忘れないでください。あなたがモデルの女性に育ってくれることを願って死にます。」
7 Hase-Hime listened in an attitude of respect while her mother spoke, and promised to do all that she was told. There is a proverb which says “As the soul is at three so it is at one hundred,” and so Hase-Hime grew up as her mother had wished, a good and obedient little Princess, though she was now too young to understand how great was the loss of her mother.
7 長谷姫は母親が話している間、敬意を持って耳を傾け、言われたことはすべてやると約束した。 「魂は三時、百時」ということわざがあるように、長谷姫は母親の望み通りに育ち、優しくて従順な小さなお姫様になりました。彼女の母親の喪失は大きかった。
8 Not long after the death of his first wife, Prince Toyonari married again, a lady of noble birth named Princess Terute. Very different in character, alas! to the good and wise Princess Murasaki, this woman had a cruel, bad heart. She did not love her step-daughter at all, and was often very unkind to the little motherless girl, saying to herself:
8 最初の妻の死後まもなく、豊成王は照手姫という高貴な生まれの女性と再婚しました。ああ、性格が全然違う！善良で賢明な紫姫にとって、この女性は残酷で悪い心を持っていました.彼女は義理の娘をまったく愛していなかったし、母親のいない小さな娘にとても不親切だった。
9 “This is not my child! this is not my child!”
9 「これは私の子じゃない！これは私の子供ではありません！
10 But Hase-Hime bore every unkindness with patience, and even waited upon her step-mother kindly and obeyed her in every way and never gave any trouble, just as she had been trained by her own good mother, so that the Lady Terute had no cause for complaint against her.
10 しかし、ハセヒメは忍耐をもってあらゆる不親切に耐え、継母を親切に待ち、あらゆる点で彼女に従い、何の問題も起こさなかった。彼女に対する苦情の理由はありません。
11 The little Princess was very diligent, and her favorite studies were music and poetry. She would spend several hours practicing every day, and her father had the most proficient of masters he could find to teach her the koto (Japanese harp), the art of writing letters and verse. When she was twelve years of age she could play so beautifully that she and her step-mother were summoned to the Palace to perform before the Emperor.
11 小さな王女はとても勤勉で、好きな勉強は音楽と詩でした。彼女は毎日数時間を練習に費やし、彼女の父親は、手紙や詩を書く芸術である箏（箏）を彼女に教えてくれる最も熟練した師匠を見つけました。彼女が 12 歳のとき、彼女は非常に美しく演奏することができたので、彼女と継母は皇帝の前で演奏するために宮殿に召喚されました。
12 It was the Festival of the Cherry Flowers, and there were great festivities at the Court. The Emperor threw himself into the enjoyment of the season, and commanded that Princess Hase should perform before him on the koto, and that her mother Princess Terute should accompany her on the flute.
12 その日は桜の節句で、宮廷では盛大な祝祭が催された。天皇は季節の楽しみに身を投じ、長谷姫に箏を奏で、母の照手姫に笛を吹くよう命じた。
13 The Emperor sat on a raised dais, before which was hung a curtain of finely-sliced bamboo and purple tassels, so that His Majesty might see all and not be seen, for no ordinary subject was allowed to look upon his sacred face.
13 皇帝は一段高くなった台座に座り、その前には細かく切った竹と紫の房でできた幕が掛けられていた。これは、陛下がすべてを見て見えないようにするためであった。
14 Hase-Hime was a skilled musician though so young, and often astonished her masters by her wonderful memory and talent. On this momentous occasion she played well. But Princess Terute, her step-mother, who was a lazy woman and never took the trouble to practice daily, broke down in her accompaniment and had to request one of the Court ladies to take her place. This was a great disgrace, and she was furiously jealous to think that she had failed where her step-daughter succeeded; and to make matters worse the Emperor sent many beautiful gifts to the little Princess to reward her for playing so well at the Palace.
14 長谷姫は幼いながらも優れた音楽家であり、その素晴らしい記憶力と才能でしばしば師匠を驚かせました。この重要な機会に、彼女は上手にプレーしました。しかし継母である照手姫は怠け者で、毎日の稽古に苦労したことがなく、伴奏に失敗し、宮廷の女性の一人に代わりを頼まなければなりませんでした。これは非常に不名誉なことであり、継娘が成功したのに失敗したと考えると、彼女は猛烈に嫉妬しました。さらに悪いことに、皇帝は宮殿でとてもうまく遊んだ彼女に報いるために、たくさんの美しい贈り物を小さな王女に送りました。
15 There was also now another reason why Princess Terute hated her step-daughter, for she had had the good fortune to have a son born to her, and in her inmost heart she kept saying:
15 照手姫が義理の娘を憎む理由は他にもありました。というのも、彼女は幸運にも息子を産むことができ、心の奥底でこう言い続けていたからです。
16 “If only Hase-Hime were not here, my son would have all the love of his father.”
16 「ハセヒメさえいなければ、息子は父の愛をすべて受けていただろうに」
17 And never having learned to control herself, she allowed this wicked thought to grow into the awful desire of taking her step-daughter’s life.
17 そして、自分自身をコントロールすることを学んだことがなかったので、彼女はこの邪悪な考えが、彼女の義理の娘の命を奪うという恐ろしい欲求に成長するのを許しました.
18 So one day she secretly ordered some poison and poisoned some sweet wine. This poisoned wine she put into a bottle. Into another similar bottle she poured some good wine. It was the occasion of the Boys’ Festival on the fifth of May, and Hase-Hime was playing with her little brother. All his toys of warriors and heroes were spread out and she was telling him wonderful stories about each of them. They were both enjoying themselves and laughing merrily with their attendants when his mother entered with the two bottles of wine and some delicious cakes.
18 それで、ある日、彼女は密かに毒を注文し、甘酒に毒を盛った。彼女がボトルに入れたこの毒ワイン。彼女は別の同様のボトルに良いワインを注ぎました。五月五日の端午の節句で、長谷姫は弟と遊んでいた。彼の戦士と英雄のおもちゃはすべて広げられ、彼女は彼にそれぞれについて素晴らしい話をしていました。彼の母親が2本のワインといくつかのおいしいケーキを持って入ってきたとき、彼らは両方とも楽しんでいて、付き添いたちと陽気に笑っていました.
19 “You are both so good and happy.” said the wicked Princess Terute with a smile, “that I have brought you some sweet wine as a reward—and here are some nice cakes for my good children.”
19 「あなたはとても良くて幸せです。」邪悪な照手姫は微笑みながら言いました。
20 And she filled two cups from the different bottles.
20 そして、彼女は別のびんから 2 つのカップを満たした。