名人伝 Meijinden, part 3: The Shot That Needs No Bow

紀昌きしょうはすぐに西にしに向むかって旅立たびだつ。Kishō set out at once, heading west.

その人ひとの前まえに出でては我々われわれの技わざのごとき児戯じぎにひとしいと言いった師しの言葉ことばが、彼かれの自尊心じそんしんにこたえた。His teacher's words, that in that man's presence an art like theirs was no better than child's play, had stung his pride.

もしそれが本当ほんとうだとすれば、天下てんか第だい一いちを目指めざす彼かれの望のぞみも、まだまだ前途ぜんと程遠ほどとおい訳わけである。If that were true, then his ambition to be the greatest in the world still had a long, long way to go.

己おのが業わざが児戯じぎに類るいするかどうか、とにもかくにも早はやくその人ひとに会あって腕うでを比くらべたいとあせりつつ、彼かれはひたすらに道みちを急いそぐ。Whether his own skill was no better than child's play or not, he was impatient to meet the man as soon as possible and match his skill against him, and he hurried single-mindedly along the road.

足裏あしうらを破やぶり脛すねを傷きずつけ、危巌きがんを攀よじ桟道さんどうを渡わたって、一月ひとつきの後のちに彼かれはようやく目指めざす山顛さんてんに辿たどりつく。Splitting the soles of his feet and cutting his shins, scaling perilous crags and crossing plank roads along the cliffs, after a month he at last reached the summit he was seeking.

気負きおい立たつ紀昌きしょうを迎むかえたのは、羊ひつじのような柔和にゅうわな目めをした、しかし酷ひどくよぼよぼの爺じいさんである。The one who greeted the eager, bristling Kishō was an old man with gentle eyes like a sheep's, but terribly frail and doddering.

年齢ねんれいは百ひゃく歳さいをも超こえていよう。He must have been well over a hundred years old.

腰こしの曲まがっているせいもあって、白髯はくぜんは歩あるく時ときも地ちに曳ひきずっている。Partly because his back was bent, his white beard trailed along the ground even as he walked.

相手あいてが聾ろうかも知しれぬと、大声おおごえに遽あわただしく紀昌きしょうは来意らいいを告つげる。Thinking the old man might be deaf, Kishō hurriedly announced the purpose of his visit in a loud voice.

己おのが技わざの程ほどを見みてもらいたいむねを述のべると、あせり立たった彼かれは相手あいての返辞へんじをも待またず、いきなり背せに負おうた楊幹麻筋ようかんまきんの弓ゆみを外はずして手てに執とった。Having said that he wished to have the measure of his skill judged, he was so impatient that he did not even wait for an answer, but abruptly took down the bow of willow and hemp sinew he carried on his back and held it in his hands.

そうして、石碣せきけつの矢やをつがえると、折おりから空そらの高たかくを飛とび過すぎて行いく渡わたり鳥どりの群むれに向むかって狙ねらいを定さだめる。Then, fitting an arrow tipped with stone, he took aim at a flock of migrating birds that happened just then to be passing high across the sky.

弦つるに応おうじて、一箭いっせんたちまち五羽ごわの大鳥おおとりが鮮あざやかに碧空へきくうを切きって落おちて来きた。At the twang of the string, a single arrow sent five great birds cleanly cutting through the blue sky and falling to earth.

一通ひととおり出来できるようじゃな、と老人ろうじんが穏おだやかな微笑びしょうを含ふくんで言いう。"It seems you can manage well enough," said the old man with a gentle smile.

だが、それは所詮しょせん射之射しゃのしゃというもの、好漢こうかんいまだ不射之射ふしゃのしゃを知しらぬと見みえる。"But that, after all, is only the shooting of shooting; it appears, my fine fellow, that you do not yet know the shooting of not-shooting."

ムッとした紀昌きしょうを導みちびいて、老隠者ろういんじゃは、そこから二百歩にひゃっぽばかり離はなれた絶壁ぜっぺきの上うえまで連つれて来くる。Leading the offended Kishō, the old hermit brought him to the top of a cliff some two hundred paces away.

脚下きゃっかは文字通もじどおりの屏風びょうぶのごとき壁立千仭へきりつせんじん、遥はるか真下ましたに糸いとのような細ほそさに見みえる渓流けいりゅうをちょっと覗のぞいただけでたちまち眩暈めまいを感かんずるほどの高たかさである。Below their feet the rock wall dropped a thousand fathoms, as sheer as a folding screen in the most literal sense, and the height was such that merely glancing down at the stream far below, which looked as thin as a thread, was enough to make one dizzy at once.

その断崖だんがいから半なかば宙ちゅうに乗出のりだした危石きせきの上うえにつかつかと老人ろうじんは駈上かけあがり、振返ふりかえって紀昌きしょうに言いう。The old man strode briskly up onto a precarious rock that jutted halfway out into the air from the precipice, then turned and spoke to Kishō.

どうじゃ。"Well, now?"

この石いしの上うえで先刻せんこくの業わざを今いま一度いちど見みせてくれぬか。"Will you not show me that feat of yours once more, here on this rock?"

今更いまさら引込ひっこみもならぬ。It was too late now to back down.

老人ろうじんと入代いれかわりに紀昌きしょうがその石いしを履ふんだ時とき、石いしは微かすかにグラリと揺ゆらいだ。When Kishō stepped onto the rock in the old man's place, it wobbled slightly beneath him.

強しいて気きを励はげまして矢やをつがえようとすると、ちょうど崖がけの端はしから小石こいしが一ひとつ転ころがり落おちた。As he forced his courage up and tried to fit an arrow to the string, a pebble just then tumbled off the edge of the cliff.

その行方ゆくえを目めで追おうた時とき、覚おぼえず紀昌きしょうは石上せきじょうに伏ふした。As his eyes followed its fall, Kishō, without meaning to, threw himself flat upon the rock.

脚あしはワナワナと顫ふるえ、汗あせは流ながれて踵かかとにまで至いたった。His legs shook and trembled, and sweat ran down until it reached his heels.

老人ろうじんが笑わらいながら手てを差さし伸のべて彼かれを石いしから下おろし、自みずから代かわってこれに乗のると、では射しゃというものをお目めにかけようかな、と言いった。Laughing, the old man reached out a hand and helped him down from the rock, then stepped onto it himself in his place and said, "Now then, shall I show you what shooting is?"

まだ動悸どうきがおさまらず蒼あおざめた顔かおをしてはいたが、紀昌きしょうはすぐに気きが付ついて言いった。Though his heart was still pounding and his face was pale, Kishō noticed at once and said:

しかし、弓ゆみはどうなさる？"But what will you do for a bow?"

弓ゆみは？"Your bow?"

老人ろうじんは素手すでだったのである。For the old man was empty-handed.

弓ゆみ？"A bow?"

と老人ろうじんは笑わらう。laughed the old man.

弓矢ゆみやの要いる中なかはまだ射之射しゃのしゃじゃ。"So long as one needs a bow and arrows, it is still the shooting of shooting."

不射之射ふしゃのしゃには、烏漆うしつの弓ゆみも粛慎しゅくしんの矢やもいらぬ。"For the shooting of not-shooting, one needs neither a bow of black lacquer nor the arrows of the Shukushin."

ちょうど彼かれ等らの真上まうえ、空そらの極きわめて高たかい所ところを一ひと羽わの鳶とびが悠々ゆうゆうと輪わを画えがいていた。Directly above them, very high in the sky, a single kite was leisurely tracing circles.

その胡麻粒ごまつぶほどに小ちいさく見みえる姿すがたをしばらく見上みあげていた甘蠅かんようが、やがて、見みえざる矢やを無形むけいの弓ゆみにつがえ、満月まんげつのごとくに引絞ひきしぼってひょうと放はなてば、見みよ、鳶とびは羽はばたきもせず中空なかぞらから石いしのごとくに落おちて来くるではないか。Kan'yō gazed up for a while at its form, which looked as small as a sesame seed; then at last he fitted an invisible arrow to a bow that had no shape, drew it back like the full moon, and let it fly with a whistle, and behold! the kite, without even a flap of its wings, came falling like a stone out of the middle of the sky.

紀昌きしょうは慄然りつぜんとした。Kishō shuddered.

今いまにして始はじめて芸道げいどうの深淵しんえんを覗のぞき得えた心地ここちであった。He felt that only now, for the first time, had he been able to glimpse the depths of the art.

九きゅう年ねんの間あいだ、紀昌きしょうはこの老ろう名人めいじんの許もとに留とどまった。For nine years Kishō remained with this old master.

その間あいだいかなる修業しゅぎょうを積つんだものやらそれは誰だれにも判わからぬ。What training he went through during that time, no one knows.

九きゅう年ねんたって山やまを降おりて来きた時とき、人々ひとびとは紀昌きしょうの顔付かおつきの変かわったのに驚おどろいた。When he came down from the mountain after nine years, people were astonished at how his face had changed.

以前いぜんの負まけず嫌ぎらいな精悍せいかんな面魂つらだましいはどこかに影かげをひそめ、なんの表情ひょうじょうも無ない、木偶でくのごとく愚者ぐしゃのごとき容貌ようぼうに変かわっている。The fierce, competitive spirit that had once shown in his features had vanished somewhere, and his face had become expressionless, like a wooden doll's or a simpleton's.

久ひさしぶりに旧師きゅうしの飛衛ひえいを訪たずねた時とき、しかし、飛衛ひえいはこの顔付かおつきを一見いっけんすると感嘆かんたんして叫さけんだ。Yet when, after a long absence, he visited his old teacher Hiei, Hiei took one look at this face and cried out in admiration:

これでこそ初はじめて天下てんかの名人めいじんだ。"Now, at last, you are truly the master of the world."

我儕われらのごとき、足下あしもとにも及およぶものでないと。"The likes of us cannot even come close to you!"