文鳥 Bunchō, part 3: Feeding the New Bird

自分じぶんは静しずかに鳥籠とりかごを箱はこの上うえに据すえた。I quietly set the birdcage on top of the box.

文鳥ぶんちょうはぱっと留とまり木ぎを離はなれた。The Java sparrow sprang off its perch.

そうしてまた留とまり木ぎに乗のった。Then it settled on a perch again.

留とまり木ぎは二本にほんある。There were two perches.

黒味くろみがかった青軸あおじくをほどよき距離きょりに橋はしと渡わたして横よこに並ならべた。They were green stems with a blackish tinge, laid side by side across the cage like bridges, a nicely judged distance apart.

その一本いっぽんを軽かるく踏ふまえた足あしを見みるといかにも華奢きゃしゃにできている。Looking at the feet that rested lightly on one of them, I saw how very delicately they were made.

細長ほそながい薄紅うすくれないの端はしに真珠しんじゅを削けずったような爪つめが着ついて、手頃てごろな留とまり木ぎを甘うまく抱かかえ込こんでいる。At the tips of the long, slender, pale crimson toes were claws like shavings of pearl, and they clasped the perch, which was just the right size, very neatly.

すると、ひらりと眼め先さきが動うごいた。Then something flickered before my eyes.

文鳥ぶんちょうはすでに留とまり木ぎの上うえで方向むきを換かえていた。The sparrow had already turned round on its perch.

しきりに首くびを左右さゆうに傾かたぶける。It kept tilting its head from side to side.

傾かたむけかけた首くびをふと持もち直なおして、心持こころもち前まえへ伸のしたかと思おもったら、白しろい羽根はねがまたちらりと動うごいた。It suddenly straightened its half-tilted head and stretched it a little forward, and the next moment its white wings flicked again.

文鳥ぶんちょうの足あしは向むこうの留とまり木ぎの真中まんなかあたりに具合ぐあいよく落おちた。The sparrow's feet came down neatly on about the middle of the other perch.

ちちと鳴なく。It chirped, 'chi-chi'.

そうして遠とおくから自分じぶんの顔かおを覗のぞき込こんだ。Then it peered into my face from a distance.

自分じぶんは顔かおを洗あらいに風呂場ふろばへ行いった。I went to the bathroom to wash my face.

帰かえりに台所だいどころへ廻まわって、戸棚とだなを明あけて、昨夕ゆうべ三重みえ吉きちの買かって来きてくれた粟あわの袋ふくろを出だして、餌壺えつぼの中なかへ餌えさを入いれて、もう一ひとつには水みずを一杯いっぱい入いれて、また書斎しょさいの縁側えんがわへ出でた。On the way back I went round by the kitchen, opened the cupboard, took out the bag of millet that Miekichi had bought for me the evening before, put seed into one of the dishes, filled the other with water, and went out once more onto the veranda of my study.

三重吉みえきちは用意ようい周到しゅうとうな男おとこで、昨夕ゆうべ叮嚀ていねいに餌えをやる時ときの心得こころえを説明せつめいして行いった。Miekichi was a man who thought of everything, and the evening before he had carefully explained the points to bear in mind when feeding the bird.

その説せつによると、むやみに籠かごの戸とを明あけると文鳥ぶんちょうが逃にげ出だしてしまう。According to his account, if you opened the cage door carelessly, the sparrow would get out and fly away.

だから右みぎの手てで籠かごの戸とを明あけながら、左ひだりの手てをその下もとへあてがって、外そとから出口でぐちを塞ふさぐようにしなくっては危険きけんだ。So it was dangerous unless, while opening the cage door with your right hand, you held your left hand underneath and blocked the opening from outside.

餌壺えつぼを出だす時ときも同おなじ心得こころえでやらなければならない。The same care had to be taken when taking the dishes out.

とその手てつきまでして見みせたが、こう両方りょうほうの手てを使つかって、餌壺えつぼをどうして籠かごの中なかへ入いれる事ことができるのか、つい聞きいておかなかった。He had even shown me the motions with his hands, but I had somehow failed to ask him how, with both hands occupied like that, one could get the dish into the cage.

自分じぶんはやむをえず餌壺えつぼを持もったまま手ての甲こうで籠かごの戸とをそろりと上うえへ押おし上あげた。Having no choice, I kept hold of the dish and gently pushed the cage door upwards with the back of my hand.

同時どうじに左ひだりの手てで開あいた口くちをすぐ塞ふさいだ。At the same moment I blocked the opening with my left hand.

鳥とりはちょっと振ふり返かえった。The bird glanced round.

そうして、ちちと鳴ないた。Then it chirped, 'chi-chi'.

自分じぶんは出口でぐちを塞ふさいだ左ひだりの手ての処置しょちに窮きゅうした。I was at a loss what to do with the left hand that was blocking the opening.

人ひとの隙すきを窺うかがって逃にげるような鳥とりとも見みえないので、何なんとなく気きの毒どくになった。It did not look like the kind of bird that would watch for a careless moment and escape, and I felt somehow sorry for it.

三重吉みえきちは悪わるい事ことを教おしえた。Miekichi had taught me something bad.

大おおきな手てをそろそろ籠かごの中なかへ入いれた。Slowly, slowly, I put my big hand into the cage.

すると文鳥ぶんちょうは急きゅうに羽搏はばたきを始はじめた。At once the sparrow began to beat its wings.

細ほそく削けずった竹たけの目めから暖あたたかいむく毛げが、白しろく飛とぶほどに翼つばさを鳴ならした。It flapped them so hard that its warm down went flying out, white, through the gaps in the finely shaved bamboo.

自分じぶんは急きゅうに自分じぶんの大おおきな手てが厭いやになった。Suddenly I loathed my own big hand.

粟あわの壺つぼと水みずの壺つぼを留とまり木ぎの間あいだにようやく置おくや否いなや、手てを引ひき込こました。The moment I had managed to put the millet dish and the water dish down between the perches, I drew my hand back.

籠かごの戸とははたりと自然ひとりでに落おちた。The cage door dropped shut of its own accord with a soft clap.

文鳥ぶんちょうは留とまり木ぎの上うえに戻もどった。The sparrow went back up onto its perch.

白しろい首くびを半なかば横よこに向むけて、籠かごの外そとにいる自分じぶんを見上みあげた。Turning its white neck half sideways, it looked up at me outside the cage.

それから曲まげた首くびを真直まっすぐにして足あしの下もとにある粟あわと水みずを眺ながめた。Then it straightened its bent neck and gazed at the millet and water beneath its feet.

自分じぶんは食事しょくじをしに茶ちゃの間まへ行いった。I went to the living room to eat.

その頃ころは日課にっかとして小説しょうせつを書かいている時分じぶんであった。At that time I was writing a novel as my daily task.

飯めしと飯めしの間あいだはたいてい机つくえに向むかって筆ふでを握にぎっていた。Between meals I generally sat at my desk with a pen in my hand.

静しずかな時ときは自分じぶんで紙かみの上うえを走はしるペンの音おとを聞きく事ことができた。When all was quiet, I could hear for myself the sound of the pen running over the paper.

伽藍がらんのような書斎しょさいへは誰だれも這入はいって来こない習慣しゅうかんであった。It was the custom that no one came into my study, which was as vast and empty as a temple hall.

筆ふでの音おとに淋さびしさと云いう意味いみを感かんじた朝あさも昼ひるも晩ばんもあった。There were mornings, afternoons and evenings when I felt in the sound of the pen something that meant loneliness.

しかし時々ときどきはこの筆ふでの音おとがぴたりとやむ、またやめねばならぬ、折おりもだいぶあった。But there were also a good many times when the sound of the pen would stop dead, or had to be stopped.

その時ときは指ゆびの股またに筆ふでを挟はさんだまま手ての平ひらへ顎あごを載のせて硝子越ガラスごしに吹ふき荒あれた庭にわを眺ながめるのが癖くせであった。At such times it was my habit, with the pen still held between my fingers, to rest my chin on my palm and gaze through the glass at the wind-ravaged garden.

それが済すむと載のせた顎あごを一応いちおう撮つまんで見みる。When that was done, I would give the chin I had been resting a pinch, just to see.

それでも筆ふでと紙かみがいっしょにならない時ときは、撮つまんだ顎あごを二本にほんの指ゆびで伸のして見みる。If pen and paper still refused to come together, I would stretch the pinched chin with two fingers, just to see.

すると縁側えんがわで文鳥ぶんちょうがたちまち千代ちよ千代ちよと二声ふたこえ鳴ないた。Then, out on the veranda, the sparrow suddenly sang out twice: 'chiyo, chiyo'.

筆ふでを擱おいて、そっと出でて見みると、文鳥ぶんちょうは自分じぶんの方ほうを向むいたまま、留とまり木ぎの上うえから、のめりそうに白しろい胸むねを突つき出だして、高たかく千代ちよと云いった。I put down my pen and slipped out quietly to look, and there was the sparrow, still facing me, thrusting out its white breast from the perch so far it seemed about to topple forward, and it called 'chiyo' in a high voice.

三重吉みえきちが聞きいたらさぞ喜よろこぶだろうと思おもうほどな美いい声こえで千代ちよと云いった。It said 'chiyo' in a voice so lovely that I thought how delighted Miekichi would be to hear it.

三重吉みえきちは今いまに馴なれると千代ちよと鳴なきますよ、きっと鳴なきますよ、と受合うけあって帰かえって行いった。Before he went home, Miekichi had assured me: 'Once it gets used to you, it'll sing "chiyo", it will, you'll see.'