蠅 Hae, part 1: A Fly, a Coachman and Anxious Travellers

一いちOne

真夏まなつの宿場しゅくばは空虚くうきょであった。In the height of summer the post station was empty.

ただ眼めの大おおきな一疋いっぴきの蠅はえだけは、薄暗うすぐらい厩うまやの隅すみの蜘蛛くもの巣すにひっかかると、後肢あとあしで網あみを跳はねつつ暫しばらくぶらぶらと揺ゆれていた。Only one large-eyed fly, caught in a spider's web in a corner of the dim stable, hung there swaying for a while, kicking at the threads with its hind legs.

と、豆まめのようにぼたりと落おちた。Then it dropped with a plop, like a bean.

そうして、馬糞ばふんの重おもみに斜ななめに突つき立たっている藁わらの端はしから、裸体らたいにされた馬うまの背中せなかまで這はい上あがった。And from the end of a straw that stuck up at a slant under the weight of the horse dung, it crawled up onto the back of the horse, which had been stripped of its harness.

二にTwo

馬うまは一条ひとすじの枯草かれくさを奥歯おくばにひっ掛かけたまま、猫背ねこぜの老おいた馭者ぎょしゃの姿すがたを捜さがしている。With a single blade of dry grass still caught in its back teeth, the horse was looking around for the stooped old coachman.

馭者ぎょしゃは宿場しゅくばの横よこの饅頭屋まんじゅうやの店頭みせさきで、将棋しょうぎを三さん番ばんさして負まけ通とおした。In front of the bun shop beside the post station, the coachman had played three games of shogi and lost every one.

「何なに？　文句もんくをいうな。もう一番いちばんじゃ。」"What? No complaining. One more game."

すると、廂ひさしを脱はずれた日ひの光ひかりは、彼かれの腰こしから、円まるい荷物にもつのような猫背ねこぜの上うえへ乗のりかかって来きた。Then the sunlight, slipping out from under the edge of the eaves, climbed from his waist up onto his stooped back, which was as round as a bundle.

三さんThree

宿場しゅくばの空虚くうきょな場庭ばにわへ一人ひとりの農婦のうふが馳かけつけた。A farm woman came running into the empty yard of the post station.

彼女かのじょはこの朝あさ早はやく、街まちに務つとめている息子むすこから危篤きとくの電報でんぽうを受うけとった。Early that morning she had received a telegram saying that her son, who worked in town, was close to death.

それから露つゆに湿しめった三里さんりの山路やまみちを馳かけ続つづけた。Since then she had run without stopping along seven miles of mountain road wet with dew.

「馬車ばしゃはまだかのう？」"Isn't the coach ready yet?"

彼女かのじょは馭者ぎょしゃ部屋へやを覗のぞいて呼よんだが返事へんじがない。She looked into the coachmen's room and called out, but there was no answer.

「馬車ばしゃはまだかのう？」"Isn't the coach ready yet?"

歪ゆがんだ畳たたみの上うえには湯飲ゆのみが一ひとつ転ころがっていて、中なかから酒色さかいろの番茶ばんちゃがひとり静しずかに流ながれていた。On the warped tatami a teacup lay on its side, and sake-coloured coarse tea was trickling out of it, quietly, all by itself.

農婦のうふはうろうろと場庭ばにわを廻まわると、饅頭まんじゅう屋やの横よこからまた呼よんだ。The farm woman wandered aimlessly around the yard, then called again from beside the bun shop.

「馬車ばしゃはまだかの？」"Isn't the coach ready yet?"

「先刻さっき出でましたぞ。」"It left a while ago."

答こたえたのはその家いえの主婦しゅふである。The one who answered was the woman of the house.

「出でたかのう。馬車ばしゃはもう出でましたかのう。いつ出でましたな。もうちと早はよ来くると良よかったのじゃが、もう出でぬじゃろか？」"It's gone, then? The coach has gone already? When did it go? If only I'd come a little sooner. Will there be no more going today?"

農婦のうふは性急せいきゅうな泣なき声ごえでそういう中うちに、早はや泣なき出だした。Even as she said this in a hurried, tearful voice, the farm woman had already begun to cry.

が、涙なみだも拭ふかず、往還おうかんの中央ちゅうおうに突つき立たっていてから、街まちの方ほうへすたすたと歩あるき始はじめた。But without even wiping away her tears, she stood rooted in the middle of the highway for a moment, and then set off at a brisk pace toward the town.

「二に番ばんが出でるぞ。」"The second one's going."

猫背ねこぜの馭者ぎょしゃは将棋盤しょうぎばんを見詰みつめたまま農婦のうふにいった。The stooped coachman said this to the farm woman with his eyes still fixed on the shogi board.

農婦のうふは歩あゆみを停とめると、くるりと向むき返かえってその淡あわい眉毛まゆげを吊つり上あげた。The farm woman stopped walking, spun round, and raised her thin eyebrows.

「出でるかの。直すぐ出でるかの。悴せがれが死しにかけておるのじゃが、間まに合あわせておくれかの？」"It's going? Going straight away? My boy is dying. Will you get me there in time?"

「桂馬けいまと来きたな。」"So it's the knight, is it?"

「まアまア嬉うれしや。街まちまでどれほどかかるじゃろ。いつ出だしておくれるのう。」"Oh, oh, I'm so glad. How long will it take to the town? When will you be setting off?"

「二に番ばんが出でるわい。」と馭者ぎょしゃはぽんと歩ふを打うった。"The second one's going, I said," said the coachman, and slapped down a pawn.

「出でますかな、街まちまでは三さん時間じかんもかかりますかな。三さん時間じかんはたっぷりかかりますやろ。悴せがれが死しにかけていますのじゃ、間まに合あわせておくれかのう？」"It's going, then? Does it take as much as three hours to the town? A good three hours, I'd say. My boy is dying, you see. Will you get me there in time?"

四よんFour

野末のずえの陽炎かげろうの中なかから、種蓮華たねれんげを叩たたく音おとが聞きこえて来くる。From the heat haze at the far edge of the fields came the sound of seed clover being threshed.

若者わかものと娘むすめは宿場しゅくばの方ほうへ急いそいで行いった。A young man and a girl hurried toward the post station.

娘むすめは若者わかものの肩かたの荷物にもつへ手てをかけた。The girl put her hand on the bundle on the young man's shoulder.

「持もとう。」"Let me carry it."

「何なんアに。」"Nah, it's nothing."

「重おもたかろうが。」"But it must be heavy."

若者わかものは黙だまっていかにも軽かるそうな容子ようすを見みせた。Without a word, the young man made a show of finding it perfectly light.

が、額ひたいから流ながれる汗あせは塩辛しおからかった。But the sweat running down from his forehead tasted of salt.

「馬車ばしゃはもう出でたかしら。」と娘むすめは呟つぶやいた。"I wonder if the coach has gone already," the girl murmured.

若者わかものは荷物にもつの下したから、眼めを細ほそめて太陽たいようを眺ながめると、From under the bundle the young man narrowed his eyes and looked up at the sun.

「ちょっと暑あつうなったな、まだじゃろう。」"It's got a bit hot. Not yet, I reckon."

二人ふたりは黙だまってしまった。The two of them fell silent.

牛うしの鳴なき声ごえがした。A cow lowed.

「知しれたらどうしよう。」と娘むすめはいうとちょっと泣なきそうな顔かおをした。"What will we do if they find out?" said the girl, and for a moment she looked close to tears.

種たね蓮華れんげを叩たたく音おとだけが、幽かすかに足音あしおとのように追おって来くる。Only the sound of the clover threshing followed them, faintly, like footsteps.

娘むすめは後あとを向むいて見みて、それから若者わかものの肩かたの荷物にもつにまた手てをかけた。The girl turned to look behind her, then put her hand on the bundle on the young man's shoulder again.

「私わたくしが持もとう。もう肩かたが直なおったえ。」"I'll carry it. My shoulder's better now."

若者わかものはやはり黙だまってどしどしと歩あるき続つづけた。The young man still said nothing and kept tramping on.

が、突然とつぜん、「知しれたらまた逃にげるだけじゃ。」と呟つぶやいた。But suddenly he muttered, "If they find out, we'll just run away again."

五ごFive

宿場しゅくばの場庭ばにわへ、母親ははおやに手てを曳ひかれた男おとこの子こが指ゆびを銜くわえて這入はいって来きた。A little boy, led by the hand by his mother and sucking his finger, came into the yard of the post station.

「お母かア、馬々ばば。」"Mama, horsie, horsie."

「ああ、馬々ばば。」男おとこの子こは母親ははおやから手てを振ふり切きると、厩うまやの方ほうへ馳かけて来きた。"Yes, horsie, horsie." The boy shook his hand free of his mother's and came running toward the stable.

そうして二に間けんほど離はなれた場庭ばにわの中なかから馬うまを見みながら、「こりゃッ、こりゃッ。」と叫さけんで片足かたあしで地ちを打うった。Then, standing in the yard about twelve feet away and looking at the horse, he shouted "Hey there! Hey there!" and stamped on the ground with one foot.