寒山拾得森鴎外

Part 2 of 5 · JLPT N2

寒山拾得 Kanzanshūtoku, part 2: A Cure with a Bowl of Water

by Mori Ōgai · 1,329 characters · from The Governor Goes Looking for Sages

In this part

Ryo, trusting the impressive-looking monk Bukan and thinking a water spell harmless, lets him treat his headache. Bukan spits a mouthful of water onto Ryo's head, and Ryo, startled and distracted, loses the headache. Bukan refuses payment, says he comes from Kokuseiji on Mount Tendai, and before leaving tells Ryo that Jittoku is really Fugen and Kanzan is really Monju.

AI translation · independently checked

「いかにも言いわれる通とおりで、その頭痛ずつうのために出立しゅったつの日ひを延のばそうかと思おもっていますが、どうして直なおしてくれられるつもりか。何なんか薬方やくほうでもご存ぞんじか」"It is indeed just as you say. Because of this headache I have been thinking of putting off the day of my departure. How do you intend to cure it for me? Do you know some sort of remedy?"

「いや。四大しだいの身みを悩なやます病やまいは幻まぼろしでございます。ただ清浄せいじょうな水みずがこの受じゅ糧りょう器きに一いっぱいあればよろしい。咒まじないで直なおして進しんぜます」"No. The illnesses that trouble this body of the four elements are illusions. All I need is this alms bowl filled with clean water. I shall cure you with a spell."

「はあ咒まじないをなさるのか」こう言いって少すこし考かんがえたが「仔細しさいあるまい、一ひとつまじなって下ください」と言いった。"Ah, so you work spells?" Having said this, he thought for a moment, then said, "I suppose there's no harm in it. Please do cast one for me."

これは医道いどうのことなどは平生へいぜい深ふかく考かんがえてもおらぬので、どういう治療ちりょうならさせる、どういう治療ちりょうならさせぬという定見ていけんがないから、ただ自分じぶんの悟性ごせいに依頼いらいして、その折おり折おりに判断はんだんするのであった。Ryo had never given matters of medicine much serious thought, and so had no settled view on which treatments he would allow and which he would not; he simply relied on his own judgment and decided each case as it came.

もちろんそういう人ひとだから、かかりつけの医者いしゃというのもよく人選じんせんをしたわけではなかった。Naturally, being that sort of man, he had not taken any particular care in choosing even his regular physician.

素問そもんや霊枢れいすうでも読よむような医者いしゃを捜さがしてきめていたのではなく、近所きんじょに住すんでいて呼よぶのに面倒めんどうのない医者いしゃにかかっていたのだから、ろくな薬くすりは飲のませてもらうことが出来できなかったのである。He had not sought out and settled on a doctor who read the Somon or the Reisū; he went to a doctor who lived nearby and was no trouble to call, so he had been unable to get any decent medicine.

今いま乞食こじき坊主ぼうずに頼たのむ気きになったのは、なんとなくえらそうに見みえる坊主ぼうずの態度たいどに信しんを起おこしたのと、水みず一いっぱいでする咒まじないなら間違まちがったところで危険きけんなこともあるまいと思おもったのとのためである。That he now felt inclined to rely on this begging monk was due partly to the faith inspired by the monk's somehow impressive manner, and partly to the thought that a spell performed with a single bowl of water could hardly be dangerous even if it went wrong.

ちょうど東京とうきょうで高等官こうとうかん連中れんちゅうが紅療治べにりょうじや気合きあい術じゅつに依頼いらいするのと同おなじことである。It was exactly the same as when high officials in Tokyo put their trust in the rouge cure or in spirit-force healing.

閭りょは小女こおんなを呼よんで、汲くみたての水みずを鉢はちに入いれて来こいと命めいじた。Ryo called a young maid and ordered her to bring freshly drawn water in a bowl.

水みずが来きた。The water came.

僧そうはそれを受うけ取とって、胸むねに捧ささげて、じっと閭りょを見みつめた。The monk took it, held it up before his chest, and gazed steadily at Ryo.

清浄せいじょうな水みずでもよければ、不潔ふけつな水みずでもいい、湯ゆでも茶ちゃでもいいのである。It does not matter whether it is clean water or dirty water; hot water or tea will do just as well.

不潔ふけつな水みずでなかったのは、閭りょがためには勿怪もっけの幸さいわいであった。That it was not dirty water was, for Ryo, an unexpected stroke of luck.

しばらく見みつめているうちに、閭りょは覚おぼえず精神せいしんを僧そうの捧ささげている水みずに集注しゅうちゅうした。As the monk went on gazing for a while, Ryo, without realising it, focused his whole mind on the water the monk was holding.

このとき僧そうは鉄鉢てっぱつの水みずを口くちにふくんで、突然とつぜんふっと閭りょの頭あたまに吹ふきかけた。At that moment the monk took a mouthful of water from the iron bowl and suddenly blew it, with a puff, onto Ryo's head.

閭りょはびっくりして、背中せなかに冷ひや汗あせが出でた。Ryo was startled, and a cold sweat broke out on his back.

「お頭痛ずつうは」と僧そうが問とうた。"And your headache?" the monk asked.

「あ。癒なおりました」実際じっさい閭りょはこれまで頭痛ずつうがする、頭痛ずつうがすると気きにしていて、どうしても癒なおらせずにいた頭痛ずつうを、坊主ぼうずの水みずに気きを取とられて、取とり逃にがしてしまったのである。"Ah. It's cured." In fact, Ryo had been fretting, telling himself over and over that he had a headache, and so had been unable to get rid of it; now, with his attention captured by the monk's water, he had let it slip away.

僧そうはしずかに鉢はちに残のこった水みずを床ゆかに傾かたむけた。The monk quietly tipped the water left in the bowl onto the floor.

そして「そんならこれでお暇いとまをいたします」と言いうや否いなや、くるりと閭りょに背中せなかを向むけて、戸口とぐちの方ほうへ歩あるき出だした。Then, no sooner had he said, "In that case, I shall take my leave," than he turned his back on Ryo and walked off toward the door.

「まあ、ちょっと」と閭りょが呼よび留とめた。"Now, just a moment," Ryo called after him.

僧そうは振ふり返かえった。The monk turned around.

「何なんかご用ようで」"Is there something you require?"

「寸志すんしのお礼れいがいたしたいのですが」"I should like to offer you a small token of thanks."

「いや。わたくしは群生ぐんしょうを福利ふくりし、憍慢きょうまんを折伏しゃくぶくするために、乞食こつじきはいたしますが、療治りょうじ代だいはいただきませぬ」"No. I go begging for alms in order to benefit all living beings and to break down pride, but I accept no fee for healing."

「なるほど。それでは強しいては申もうしますまい。あなたはどちらのお方かたか、それを伺うかがっておきたいのですが」"I see. Then I shall not press you. But I should like to ask where you come from."

「これまでおったところでございますか。それは天台てんだいの国清寺こくせいじで」"You mean where I have been living until now? That would be Kokuseiji on Mount Tendai."

「はあ。天台てんだいにおられたのですな。お名なは」"Ah. So you were at Tendai. And your name?"

「豊干ぶかんと申もうします」"I am called Bukan."

「天台てんだい国清寺こくせいじの豊干ぶかんとおっしゃる」閭りょはしっかりおぼえておこうと努力どりょくするように、眉まゆをひそめた。"Bukan of Kokuseiji on Mount Tendai, you say." Ryo knitted his brows, as if making an effort to fix it firmly in his memory.

「わたしもこれから台州たいしゅうへ往ゆくものであってみれば、ことさらお懐なつかしい。ついでだから伺うかがいたいが、台だい州しゅうには逢あいに往いってためになるような、えらい人ひとはおられませんかな」"Since I, too, am about to go to Taishū, I feel all the more drawn to you. While I am about it, may I ask: are there any great men in Taishū whom it would be worthwhile to go and meet?"

「さようでございます。国清寺こくせいじに拾得じっとくと申もうすものがおります。実じつは普賢ふげんでございます。それから寺てらの西にしの方ほうに、寒巌かんがんという石窟せっくつがあって、そこに寒山かんざんと申もうすものがおります。実じつは文殊もんじゅでございます。さようならお暇いとまをいたします」こう言いってしまって、ついと出でて行いった。"Let me see. At Kokuseiji there is one called Jittoku. He is in truth Fugen. And to the west of the temple there is a stone cave called Kangan, where there lives one called Kanzan. He is in truth Monju. And now I take my leave." Having said this, he swiftly went out.

Vocabulary

WordMeaningJLPT
出立しゅったつdeparture, setting out on a journeyFormal or literary equivalent of 出発.—
咒まじないspell, charm, incantationdictionary form: 呪いUsually written 呪い today. The same kanji read のろい means 'curse'. The verb まじなう appears later in the passage.—
仔細しさいreasons, circumstances; hindrance, objection (仔細あるまい = there should be no objection/harm)仔細あるまい: 'there should be no harm in it'. Old-fashioned.—
平生へいぜいordinarily, usuallyLiterary word for 普段.—
定見ていけんsettled opinion, firm view—
乞食坊主こじきぼうずbegging monk坊主 is a casual, slightly disparaging word for a monk, which reflects Ryo's point of view.—
紅療治べにりょうじthe 'rouge cure', a folk remedy of rubbing red pigment on the skinA healing fad in Taishō Japan, mentioned ironically alongside 気合術, a 'spirit-force' healing method using shouts and concentration.—
勿怪の幸いもっけのさいわいan unexpected stroke of luck, a windfallFixed idiom; also written 物怪の幸い.—
冷や汗ひやあせcold sweat—
お暇いとまleave, farewelldictionary form: 暇お暇をいたします / お暇します is a polite way to say 'I'll take my leave'. Read ひま, the same kanji means 'free time'.N1
寸志すんしa small token of gratitudeA humble word for one's own gift; still written on envelopes today.—
折伏しゃくぶくto break down someone's pride or error (a Buddhist term)Special Buddhist reading; it is not read せつぶく.—
強いてはしいてforcibly, insistentlydictionary form: 強いて強いては申しますまい: 'I won't press you'.N1
懐かしいなつかしいdear, drawing one's affectionHere it expresses a feeling of closeness toward someone, not nostalgia for the past.N2

Grammar

〜(よ)うかと思う N4 to be thinking of doing

The volitional form plus か and 思う expresses an intention that is still under consideration. Ryo has not yet decided to delay his departure.

その頭痛のために出立の日を延ばそうかと思っていますが

because of this headache I have been thinking of putting off the day of my departure

〜たところで N2 even if ...

The past form plus ところで means 'even if that happened', and the result that follows is minor or does not matter. Ryo reasons that a failed water spell would be harmless.

水一ぱいでする咒なら間違ったところで危険なこともあるまい

a spell performed with a single bowl of water could hardly be dangerous even if it went wrong

〜まい N2 probably not; will not

まい is a literary negative. After ある it expresses a negative guess ('surely not'), as here. In 申しますまい, used in a later line, it expresses the speaker's resolve not to do something.

危険なこともあるまいと思った

he thought it could hardly be dangerous

〜うちに N3 while ...; in the course of ...

Attached to a continuing action (〜ている), うちに shows that something else happens gradually or unnoticed during that time.

しばらく見つめているうちに、閭は覚えず精神を僧の捧げている水に集注した

as the monk went on gazing for a while, Ryo, without realising it, focused his whole mind on the water the monk was holding

〜や否や N1 as soon as, no sooner ... than

The dictionary form plus や否や shows that the second action follows the first immediately. It is a written, literary pattern.

「そんならこれでお暇をいたします」と言うや否や、くるりと閭に背中を向けて

no sooner had he said, "In that case, I shall take my leave," than he turned his back on Ryo