走れメロス Hashire Merosu, part 4: The Flooded River at Midday

眼めが覚さめたのは翌あくる日ひの薄明はくめいの頃ころである。It was in the grey light of the following dawn that he awoke.

メロスは跳はね起おき、南無三なむさん、寝過ねすごしたか、いや、まだまだ大丈夫だいじょうぶ、これからすぐに出発しゅっぱつすれば、約束やくそくの刻限こくげんまでには十分間じゅうぶんまに合あう。Melos sprang up. Heaven help me, had he overslept? No, there was still plenty of time; if he set out at once, he would reach the city well before the appointed hour.

きょうは是非ぜひとも、あの王おうに、人ひとの信実しんじつの存そんするところを見みせてやろう。Today, without fail, he would show that king that true faith does exist among men.

そうして笑わらって磔はりつけの台だいに上のぼってやる。And then he would climb onto the cross with a smile.

メロスは、悠々ゆうゆうと身仕度みじたくをはじめた。Melos began, unhurried, to make ready.

雨あめも、いくぶん小降こぶりになっている様子ようすである。The rain, too, seemed to have eased a little.

身仕度みじたくは出来できた。He was ready.

さて、メロスは、ぶるんと両腕りょううでを大おおきく振ふって、雨中うちゅう、矢やの如ごとく走はしり出でた。And so Melos swung both arms wide with a great shake and dashed off into the rain like an arrow.

私わたくしは、今宵こよい、殺ころされる。Tonight I shall be killed.

殺ころされる為ために走はしるのだ。I run in order to be killed.

身代みがわりの友ともを救すくう為ために走はしるのだ。I run to save the friend who stands hostage in my place.

王おうの奸佞かんねい邪智じゃちを打うち破やぶる為ために走はしるのだ。I run to shatter the king's treachery and cunning.

走はしらなければならぬ。I must run.

そうして、私わたくしは殺ころされる。And then I shall be killed.

若わかい時ときから名誉めいよを守まもれ。Guard your honour from your youth.

さらば、ふるさと。Farewell, my homeland.

若わかいメロスは、つらかった。It was hard for young Melos.

幾度いくどか、立たちどまりそうになった。More than once he almost stopped.

えい、えいと大声おおごえ挙あげて自身じしんを叱しかりながら走はしった。He ran on, scolding himself with loud cries of "Come on! Come on!"

村むらを出でて、野のを横切よこぎり、森もりをくぐり抜ぬけ、隣村りんそんに着ついた頃ころには、雨あめも止やみ、日ひは高たかく昇のぼって、そろそろ暑あつくなって来きた。He left the village, crossed the fields, and passed through the woods, and by the time he reached the next village the rain had stopped, the sun had climbed high, and it was beginning to grow hot.

メロスは額ひたいの汗あせをこぶしで払はらい、ここまで来くれば大丈夫だいじょうぶ、もはや故郷こきょうへの未練みれんは無ない。Melos brushed the sweat from his brow with his fist. Having come this far, he was safe; he had no more lingering ties to his home.

妹いもうとたちは、きっと佳よい夫婦ふうふになるだろう。His sister and her husband would surely make a fine couple.

私わたくしには、いま、なんの気きがかりも無ない筈はずだ。Now there should be nothing left to trouble me.

まっすぐに王城おうじょうに行いき着つけば、それでよいのだ。All I need do is go straight to the royal castle.

そんなに急いそぐ必要ひつようも無ない。There is no need to hurry so.

ゆっくり歩あるこう、と持もちまえの呑気のんきさを取とり返かえし、好すきな小歌こうたをいい声こえで歌うたい出だした。I shall walk slowly, he thought, and, recovering his natural easygoing spirit, he began to sing a favourite little song in a fine voice.

ぶらぶら歩あるいて二に里り行いき三さん里り行いき、そろそろ全ぜん里程りていの半なかばに到達とうたつした頃ころ、降ふって湧わいた災難さいなん、メロスの足あしは、はたと、とまった。He strolled along two ri, then three, and just as he was nearing the halfway point of the whole journey, disaster struck out of nowhere, and Melos's feet stopped dead.

見みよ、前方ぜんぽうの川かわを。Behold the river ahead!

きのうの豪雨ごううで山やまの水源地すいげんちは氾濫はんらんし、濁流だくりゅう滔々とうとうと下流かりゅうに集あつまり、猛勢もうせい一挙いっきょに橋はしを破壊はかいし、どうどうと響ひびきをあげる激流げきりゅうが、木葉微塵こっぱみじんに橋桁はしげたを跳はね飛とばしていた。Yesterday's torrential rain had made the springs in the mountains overflow; the muddy flood had poured in great masses down to the lower reaches and, in one mighty surge, destroyed the bridge, and the roaring torrent had smashed its girders to splinters and flung them away.

彼かれは茫然ぼうぜんと、立たちすくんだ。He stood there, stunned and rooted to the spot.

あちこちと眺ながめまわし、また、声こえを限かぎりに呼よびたててみたが、繋舟けいしゅうは残のこらず浪なみに浚さらわれて影かげなく、渡守わたしもりの姿すがたも見みえない。He looked all about him and shouted at the top of his voice, but every moored boat had been carried off by the waves without a trace, and there was no sign of the ferryman either.

流ながれはいよいよ、ふくれ上あがり、海うみのようになっている。The current swelled higher and higher until it was like a sea.

メロスは川岸かわぎしにうずくまり、男泣おとこなきに泣なきながらゼウスに手てを挙あげて哀願あいがんした。Melos crouched on the riverbank and, weeping as a grown man weeps, raised his hands to Zeus and pleaded.

「ああ、鎮しずめたまえ、荒あれ狂くるう流ながれを！　時ときは刻々こっこくに過すぎて行いきます。太陽たいようも既すでに真昼時まひるどきです。あれが沈しずんでしまわぬうちに、王城おうじょうに行いき着つくことが出来できなかったら、あの佳よい友達ともだちが、私わたくしのために死しぬのです。」"Oh, calm this raging current, I beg you! The hours are slipping away moment by moment. The sun already stands at midday. If I cannot reach the royal castle before it sets, that good friend of mine will die for my sake."

濁流だくりゅうは、メロスの叫さけびをせせら笑わらう如ごとく、ますます激はげしく躍おどり狂くるう。The muddy torrent, as though sneering at Melos's cries, danced and raged ever more wildly.

浪なみは浪なみを呑のみ、捲まき、煽あおり立たて、そうして時ときは、刻こく一刻いっこくと消きえて行いく。Wave swallowed wave, churning and whipping each other up, and all the while time vanished, moment by moment.

今いまはメロスも覚悟かくごした。Now Melos steeled himself.

泳およぎ切きるより他ほかに無ない。There was nothing for it but to swim across.

ああ、神々かみがみも照覧しょうらんあれ！Oh, gods, look down and witness this!

濁流だくりゅうにも負まけぬ愛あいと誠まことの偉大いだいな力ちからを、いまこそ発揮はっきして見みせる。Now, if ever, I shall show the great power of love and truth, which not even this muddy flood can defeat.

メロスは、ざんぶと流ながれに飛とび込こみ、百匹ひゃっぴきの大蛇おろちのようにのた打うち荒あれ狂くるう浪なみを相手あいてに、必死ひっしの闘争とうそうを開始かいしした。Melos plunged into the current with a splash and began a desperate struggle against waves that writhed and raged like a hundred great serpents.

満身まんしんの力ちからを腕うでにこめて、押おし寄よせ渦巻うずまき引ひきずる流ながれを、なんのこれしきと掻かきわけ掻かきわけ、めくらめっぽう獅子しし奮迅ふんじんの人ひとの子この姿すがたには、神かみも哀あわれと思おもったか、ついに憐愍れんびんを垂たれてくれた。Putting all the strength of his body into his arms, he clawed his way through the surging, swirling, dragging current, stroke after stroke, thinking it nothing at all; and at the sight of this son of man fighting blindly with a lion's fury, perhaps even the gods felt pity, for at last they showed him mercy.

押おし流ながされつつも、見事みごと、対岸たいがんの樹木じゅもくの幹みきに、すがりつく事ことが出来できたのである。Though swept downstream, he managed, splendidly, to cling to the trunk of a tree on the far bank.

ありがたい。Thank the gods.

メロスは馬うまのように大おおきな胴震どうぶるいを一ひとつして、すぐにまた先さきを急いそいだ。Melos gave his whole body one great shake, like a horse, and at once hurried on again.

一刻いっこくといえども、むだには出来できない。He could not waste a single moment.

陽ひは既すでに西にしに傾かたむきかけている。The sun was already beginning to sink toward the west.

ぜいぜい荒あらい呼吸こきゅうをしながら峠とうげをのぼり、のぼり切きって、ほっとした時とき、突然とつぜん、目めの前まえに一隊いったいの山賊さんぞくが躍おどり出でた。Panting and gasping, he climbed the mountain pass, and just as he reached the top and breathed a sigh of relief, a band of mountain robbers suddenly leapt out before him.