文鳥 Bunchō, part 2: The Cage Arrives, and a Late Morning

三重吉みえきちは大だい得意とくいである。Miekichi was immensely pleased with himself.

まあ御覧ごらんなさいと云いう。"Now, just take a look," he said.

豊隆とよたかその洋灯らんぷをもっとこっちへ出だせなどと云いう。"Toyotaka, bring that lamp further over this way," and so forth.

そのくせ寒さむいので鼻はなの頭あたまが少すこし紫色むらさきいろになっている。And yet the cold had turned the tip of his nose slightly purple.

なるほど立派りっぱな籠かごができた。It was, to be sure, a handsome cage he had had made.

台だいが漆うるしで塗ぬってある。The base was finished in lacquer.

竹たけは細ほそく削けずった上うえに、色いろが染つけてある。The bamboo had been whittled fine and then stained.

それで三さん円えんだと云いう。And all of it, he said, for three yen.

安やすいなあ豊隆とよたかと云いっている。"Cheap, eh, Toyotaka?" he was saying.

豊隆とよたかはうん安やすいと云いっている。"Yes, cheap," Toyotaka was saying.

自分じぶんは安やすいか高たかいか判然はんぜんと判わからないが、まあ安やすいなあと云いっている。I could not tell for certain whether it was cheap or dear, but I, too, was saying, "Well, that is cheap."

好よいのになると二十にじゅう円えんもするそうですと云いう。"I'm told a good one can cost as much as twenty yen," he said.

二十にじゅう円えんはこれで二返目にへんめである。This was the second time twenty yen had come up.

二十にじゅう円えんに比くらべて安やすいのは無論むろんである。That it was cheap compared with twenty yen went without saying.

この漆うるしはね、先生せんせい、日向ひなたへ出だして曝さらしておくうちに黒味くろみが取とれてだんだん朱しゅの色いろが出でて来きますから、――そうしてこの竹たけは一返いっぺん善よく煮にたんだから大丈夫だいじょうぶですよなどと、しきりに説明せつめいをしてくれる。"This lacquer, sir, if you set it out in the sun and let it weather, the blackness wears off and little by little the vermilion comes through — and this bamboo has been well boiled once, so it'll be quite all right," he went on, explaining away earnestly.

何なんが大丈夫だいじょうぶなのかねと聞きき返かえすと、まあ鳥とりを御覧ごらんなさい、奇麗きれいでしょうと云いっている。When I asked him back, "What will be all right?", he said, "Now, just look at the bird. Isn't it pretty?"

なるほど奇麗きれいだ。It was pretty, certainly.

次つぎの間まへ籠かごを据すえて四よん尺しゃくばかりこっちから見みると少すこしも動うごかない。When the cage was set down in the next room and I looked at it from about four feet away, the bird did not stir in the least.

薄暗うすぐらい中なかに真白まっしろに見みえる。In the dimness it showed pure white.

籠かごの中なかにうずくまっていなければ鳥とりとは思おもえないほど白しろい。It was so white that, had it not been crouching in a cage, one could hardly have taken it for a bird.

何なんだか寒さむそうだ。Somehow it looked cold.

寒さむいだろうねと聞きいてみると、そのために箱はこを作つくったんだと云いう。When I asked, "It must be cold, mustn't it?", he said that was why he had made the box.

夜よるになればこの箱はこに入いれてやるんだと云いう。At night, he said, you put it into this box.

籠かごが二ふたつあるのはどうするんだと聞きくと、この粗末そまつな方ほうへ入いれて時々ときどき行水ぎょうずいを使つかわせるのだと云いう。When I asked what the two cages were for, he said you put the bird into this plainer one and let it take a bath now and then.

これは少すこし手数てすうが掛かかるなと思おもっていると、それから糞ふんをして籠かごを汚よごしますから、時々ときどき掃除そうじをしておやりなさいとつけ加くわえた。While I was thinking that this would be rather a nuisance, he added, "And then it makes droppings and dirties the cage, so you should clean it out for it every so often."

三重吉みえきちは文鳥ぶんちょうのためにはなかなか強硬きょうこうである。Where the Java sparrow was concerned, Miekichi was quite unbending.

それをはいはい引受ひきうけると、今度こんどは三重吉みえきちが袂たもとから粟あわを一袋ひとふくろ出だした。When I had readily taken all this on with a "Yes, yes," Miekichi in his turn produced a bag of millet from his sleeve.

これを毎朝まいあさ食くわせなくっちゃいけません。"You must feed it this every morning.

もし餌えをかえてやらなければ、餌壺えつぼを出だして殻からだけ吹ふいておやんなさい。If you don't change the seed, take out the seed dish and just blow away the husks.

そうしないと文鳥ぶんちょうが実みのある粟あわを一々いちいち拾ひろい出ださなくっちゃなりませんから。Otherwise the bird will have to pick out the full grains one at a time.

水みずも毎朝まいあさかえておやんなさい。Change its water every morning too.

先生せんせいは寝坊ねぼうだからちょうど好よいでしょうと大変たいへん文鳥ぶんちょうに親切しんせつを極きわめている。You're a late riser, sir, so that ought to suit you nicely," he said, being kindness itself towards the bird.

そこで自分じぶんもよろしいと万事ばんじ受合うけあった。So I, too, said "Very well" and undertook the whole business.

ところへ豊隆とよたかが袂たもとから餌壺えつぼと水入みずいりを出だして行儀ぎょうぎよく自分じぶんの前まえに並ならべた。At this point Toyotaka produced a seed dish and a water pot from his sleeve and set them out neatly in front of me.

こういっさい万事ばんじを調ととのえておいて、実行じっこうを逼せまられると、義理ぎりにも文鳥ぶんちょうの世話せわをしなければならなくなる。When everything has been arranged like this and one is pressed to carry it out, one finds oneself obliged to look after a Java sparrow, if only out of duty.

内心ないしんではよほど覚束おぼつかなかったが、まずやってみようとまでは決心けっしんした。Inwardly I had grave doubts, but I went so far as to resolve that I would at least give it a try.

もしできなければ家うちのものが、どうかするだろうと思おもった。If I could not manage, I thought, the household would see to it somehow.

やがて三重吉みえきちは鳥籠とりかごを叮嚀ていねいに箱はこの中なかへ入いれて、縁側えんがわへ持もち出だして、ここへ置おきますからと云いって帰かえった。Presently Miekichi put the cage carefully into the box, carried it out onto the veranda, said, "I'll leave it here," and went home.

自分じぶんは伽藍がらんのような書斎しょさいの真中まんなかに床とこを展のべて冷ひややかに寝ねた。I laid out my bedding in the middle of my study, vast as a temple hall, and went coldly to sleep.

夢ゆめに文鳥ぶんちょうを背負しょい込こんだ心持こころもちは、少すこし寒さむかったが眠ねぶってみれば不断ふだんの夜よるのごとく穏おだやかである。In my dreams the feeling of having been saddled with a Java sparrow was a little chilly, but once I was asleep the night was as peaceful as any other.

翌朝よくあさ眼めが覚さめると硝子戸がらすどに日ひが射さしている。When I woke the next morning, the sun was shining on the glass doors.

たちまち文鳥ぶんちょうに餌えをやらなければならないなと思おもった。At once I thought that I must feed the bird.

けれども起おきるのが退儀たいぎであった。But getting up was a bother.

今いまにやろう、今いまにやろうと考かんがえているうちに、とうとう八はち時じ過すぎになった。While I kept thinking I would do it in a moment, in a moment, it was at last past eight o'clock.

仕方しかたがないから顔かおを洗あらうついでをもって、冷つめたい縁えんを素足すあしで踏ふみながら、箱はこの葢ふたを取とって鳥籠とりかごを明海あかるみへ出だした。There being nothing else for it, I took the chance while washing my face, and, treading the cold veranda boards with bare feet, took the lid off the box and brought the cage out into the light.

文鳥ぶんちょうは眼めをぱちつかせている。The bird was blinking.

もっと早はやく起おきたかったろうと思おもったら気きの毒どくになった。When I thought how it must have wanted to be up earlier, I felt sorry for it.

文鳥ぶんちょうの眼めは真黒まっくろである。The bird's eyes were jet black.

瞼まぶたの周囲まわりに細ほそい淡紅色ときいろの絹糸きぬいとを縫ぬいつけたような筋すじが入はいっている。Around the lids ran a line, as though a fine thread of pale pink silk had been stitched there.

眼めをぱちつかせるたびに絹糸きぬいとが急きゅうに寄よって一本いっぽんになる。Each time it blinked, the silk thread drew suddenly together into a single line.

と思おもうとまた丸まるくなる。But no sooner does it seem to have become one line than it goes round again.

籠かごを箱はこから出だすや否いなや、文鳥ぶんちょうは白しろい首くびをちょっと傾かたぶけながらこの黒くろい眼めを移うつして始はじめて自分じぶんの顔かおを見みた。The moment I took the cage out of the box, the bird, tilting its white head slightly, turned those black eyes and looked at my face for the first time.

そうしてちちと鳴ないた。And it gave a little "chi, chi."