山月記 Sangetsuki, part 1: A Poet Vanishes, a Tiger Speaks

隴西ろうせいの李徴りちょうは博学はくがく才穎さいえい、天宝てんぽうの末年まつねん、若わかくして名なを虎榜こぼうに連つらね、ついで江南尉こうなんいに補ほせられたが、性せい、狷介けんかい、自みずから恃たのむところ頗すこぶる厚あつく、賤吏せんりに甘あまんずるを潔いさぎよしとしなかった。Ri Chō of Rōsei was a man of wide learning and brilliant talent; in the last years of the Tianbao era, while still young, he had his name entered on the roll of successful candidates, and was then appointed a district officer in Kōnan; but he was proud and unbending by nature, had great faith in himself, and would not stoop to be content with the post of a lowly official.

いくばくもなく官かんを退しりぞいた後あとは、故山こざん、虢略かくりゃくに帰臥きがし、人ひとと交まじわりを絶たって、ひたすら詩作しさくに耽ふけった。Before long he resigned his office, and afterwards he withdrew to his old home in Kakuryaku, cut off all dealings with others, and gave himself up entirely to writing poetry.

下吏かりとなって長ながく膝ひざを俗悪ぞくあくな大官たいかんの前まえに屈くっするよりは、詩家しかとしての名なを死後しご百ひゃく年ねんに遺のこそうとしたのである。Rather than become a petty official and bend his knee for years before vulgar high-ranking men, he meant to leave a name as a poet that would last a hundred years after his death.

しかし、文名ぶんめいは容易よういに揚あがらず、生活せいかつは日ひを逐おうて苦くるしくなる。His literary fame, however, did not come easily, and his life grew harder day by day.

李徴りちょうは漸ようやく焦躁しょうそうに駆かられて来きた。Little by little, Ri Chō came to be driven by restless anxiety.

この頃ころからその容貌ようぼうも峭刻しょうこくとなり、肉にく落おち骨ほね秀ひいで、眼光がんこうのみ徒いたずらに炯々けいけいとして、曾かつて進士しんしに登第とうだいした頃ころの豊頬ほうきょうの美少年びしょうねんの俤おもかげは、何処どこに求もとめようもない。From about this time his features grew sharp and severe, the flesh fell away and the bones stood out, and only his eyes burned with a fierce but useless light; of the handsome, full-cheeked youth he had been when he passed the imperial examination, no trace could be found anywhere.

数すう年ねんの後あと、貧窮ひんきゅうに堪たえず、妻子さいしの衣い食しょくのために遂ついに節せつを屈くっして、再ふたたび東ひがしへ赴おもむき、一いち地方ちほう官吏かんりの職しょくを奉ほうずることになった。After some years, unable to bear his poverty, he at last swallowed his pride for the sake of feeding and clothing his wife and child, went east once more, and took up a post as a provincial official.

一方いっぽう、これは、己おのれの詩業しぎょうに半なかば絶望ぜつぼうしたためでもある。At the same time, this was also because he had half despaired of his own work as a poet.

曾かつての同輩どうはいは既すでに遥はるか高位こういに進すすみ、彼かれが昔むかし、鈍物どんぶつとして歯牙しがにもかけなかったその連中れんちゅうの下命かめいを拝はいさねばならぬことが、往年おうねんの儁才しゅんさい李徴りちょうの自尊心じそんしんを如何いかに傷きずつけたかは、想像そうぞうに難かたくない。His former fellows had already risen far above him to high rank, and it is not hard to imagine how deeply it wounded the pride of Ri Chō, once so gifted, to have to receive orders from the very men he had long ago dismissed as dullards, not worth a moment's notice.

彼かれは怏々おうおうとして楽たのしまず、狂悖きょうはいの性せいは愈々いよいよ抑おさえ難がたくなった。He was sullen and joyless, and his wild, perverse temper grew more and more difficult to hold in check.

一いち年ねんの後あと、公用こうようで旅たびに出で、汝水じょすいのほとりに宿やどった時とき、遂ついに発狂はっきょうした。A year later, when he set out on official business and lodged beside the river Josui, he finally went mad.

或ある夜半やはん、急きゅうに顔色かおいろを変かえて寝床ねどこから起上おきあがると、何なにか訳わけの分わからぬことを叫さけびつつそのまま下したにとび下おりて、闇やみの中なかへ駈出かけだした。One night, at midnight, his expression suddenly changed; he sprang up from his bed and, shouting something no one could make out, leapt straight down outside and ran off into the darkness.

彼かれは二に度どと戻もどって来こなかった。He never came back.

附近ふきんの山野さんやを捜索そうさくしても、何なんの手掛てがかりもない。Though the surrounding hills and fields were searched, not a single clue was found.

その後あと李徴りちょうがどうなったかを知しる者ものは、誰だれもなかった。No one knew what had become of Ri Chō after that.

翌年よくねん、監察御史かんさつぎょし、陳郡ちんぐんの袁傪えんさんという者もの、勅命ちょくめいを奉ほうじて嶺南れいなんに使つかいし、途みちに商於しょうおの地ちに宿やどった。The following year, an imperial censor named En San, of Chingun, was sent to Reinan on the emperor's orders, and on the way he lodged at a place called Shōo.

次つぎの朝あさ未まだ暗くらい中うちに出発しゅっぱつしようとしたところ、駅吏えきりが言いうことに、これから先さきの道みちに人喰虎ひとくいどらが出でる故ゆえ、旅人たびびとは白昼はくちゅうでなければ、通とおれない。The next morning, when he was about to set off while it was still dark, the post-station official told him that a man-eating tiger appeared on the road ahead, so travellers could not pass except in broad daylight.

今いまはまだ朝あさが早はやいから、今いま少すこし待またれたが宜よろしいでしょうと。"It is still early in the morning now, so it would be best if you waited a little longer," he said.

袁傪えんさんは、しかし、供廻ともまわりの多勢おおぜいなのを恃たのみ、駅吏えきりの言葉ことばを斥しりぞけて、出発しゅっぱつした。En San, however, trusting in the size of his retinue, brushed aside the official's words and set out.

残月ざんげつの光ひかりをたよりに林中りんちゅうの草地くさちを通とおって行いった時とき、果はたして一匹いっぴきの猛虎もうこが叢くさむらの中なかから躍おどり出でた。As they made their way through a grassy clearing in the woods by the light of the lingering moon, sure enough, a fierce tiger leapt out of the thicket.

虎とらは、あわや袁傪えんさんに躍おどりかかるかと見みえたが、忽たちまち身みを飜ひるがえして、元もとの叢くさむらに隠かくれた。The tiger seemed on the very point of springing upon En San, but in an instant it turned its body about and hid again in the thicket it had come from.

叢くさむらの中なかから人間にんげんの声こえで「あぶないところだった」と繰返くりかえし呟つぶやくのが聞きこえた。From inside the thicket, a human voice could be heard murmuring over and over, "That was close."

その声こえに袁傪えんさんは聞きき憶おぼえがあった。En San knew that voice.

驚懼きょうくの中なかにも、彼かれは咄嗟とっさに思おもいあたって、叫さけんだ。Even in the midst of his alarm and fear, it came to him in a flash, and he cried out:

「その声こえは、我わが友とも、李徴りちょう子しではないか？」袁傪えんさんは李徴りちょうと同年どうねんに進士しんしの第だいに登のぼり、友人ゆうじんの少すくなかった李徴りちょうにとっては、最もっとも親したしい友ともであった。"That voice—is it not my friend, Master Ri Chō?" En San had passed the imperial examination in the same year as Ri Chō, and to Ri Chō, who had few friends, he was the closest friend of all.

温和おんわな袁傪えんさんの性格せいかくが、峻峭しゅんしょうな李徴りちょうの性情せいじょうと衝突しょうとつしなかったためであろう。It was probably because En San's gentle character never clashed with Ri Chō's harsh and severe temperament.

叢くさむらの中なかからは、暫しばらく返辞へんじが無なかった。For a while, no answer came from the thicket.

しのび泣なきかと思おもわれる微かすかな声こえが時々ときどき洩もれるばかりである。There was only, now and then, a faint sound that might have been muffled weeping.

ややあって、低ひくい声こえが答こたえた。After a time, a low voice answered.

「如何いかにも自分じぶんは隴西ろうせいの李徴りちょうである」と。"Indeed, I am Ri Chō of Rōsei."

袁傪えんさんは恐怖きょうふを忘わすれ、馬うまから下おりて叢くさむらに近ちかづき、懐なつかしげに久闊きゅうかつを叙じょした。En San forgot his fear, got down from his horse, approached the thicket, and warmly spoke of how long it had been since they last met.

そして、何故なぜ叢くさむらから出でて来こないのかと問とうた。Then he asked why Ri Chō would not come out of the thicket.

李徴りちょうの声こえが答こたえて言ゆう。Ri Chō's voice answered him, saying:

自分じぶんは今いまや異類いるいの身みとなっている。I have now become a creature of another kind.

どうして、おめおめと故人こじんの前まえにあさましい姿すがたをさらせようか。How could I shamelessly expose this wretched form before an old friend?

かつ又また、自分じぶんが姿すがたを現あらわせば、必かならず君きみに畏怖嫌厭いふけんえんの情じょうを起おこさせるに決きまっているからだ。What is more, if I showed myself, I would surely rouse in you feelings of dread and loathing.

しかし、今いま、図はからずも故人こじんに遇あうことを得えて、愧赧きたんの念ねんをも忘わすれる程ほどに懐なつかしい。And yet now, having so unexpectedly been granted a meeting with an old friend, I am so moved that I forget even my shame.

どうか、ほんの暫しばらくでいいから、我わが醜悪しゅうあくな今いまの外形がいけいを厭いとわず、曾かつて君きみの友李徴ともりちょうであったこの自分じぶんと話はなしを交かわしてくれないだろうか。Will you not, just for a little while, overlook my hideous present shape and talk with me, who was once your friend Ri Chō?