【JP/EN】阿部一族The Abe Clan(2/8) Japanese/English Weekly Bilingual  Version by Nikhil/Tomoko (English Version below)初めに日本語版、スクロールダウンして英語版が続きます。Mataitokos' blog (Cousins' Blog) is published every Sunday. Cousins' Blog またいとこのブログ (日曜発信）  第 1 章 2020 疫病の年 11月の放談  Chapter 1: 2020 Year of  the Epidemy / November  Talk  

阿部一族 The Abe Clan   (2/8) 

 by 森鴎外 Ogai MORI(1862－1922)

 二キル・ライ/ ブヴィエ・友子による日英抄訳  English excerpted translation by Nikhil Ray/Tomoko 

 　 

2020.11.15 Tomoko 前書き :【奥深くひそみたりしまことのわれは、ようよう表にあらわれて－『舞姫』より】

最近の日本の新聞に、''没後５０年、三島の生と死　50年後も色あせぬ警鐘''というような題目の耕論が載っていた。三島由紀夫は、果たして近代日本の在り方に警鐘を鳴らした作家と言えるだろうか。ドラマティックに人前(自衛官たち）で自決したことで、三島由紀夫は森鴎外より海外でも知名度が高い。しかし、海外生活の長い私の捉え方としては、三島由紀夫より森鴎外の方が早くから文学作品において、明治以降の日本の民主主義の歪みに警鐘を鳴らしていた作家である。

明治天皇が崩御した1912年、日露戦争で功績をあげたとされる乃木希典陸軍大将が妻静と共に自決した。乃木の殉死に関しては、称賛する者たちと、殉死は封建制の遺習であり、時代遅れの行為とする見方とがあった。

鴎外は、この翌年に、’’阿部一族’’を著し、殉死をテーマにしている。乃木と鴎外は、同じ時期にドイツに留学していたことがあり、親交があった。留学中のドイツの踊り子との恋愛を主題にした『舞姫』(1890）に、日本の官僚社会での形式を重んじる立場を離れて初めて知った、自由で人間的な鴎外の姿を見ることができる。

明治・大正期において軍医、官僚、文学者のどの道にも優れていた鴎外であるが、西洋文化に触れた後戻った日本社会に身を置いた時の葛藤は大きかっただろうと思う。（Tomoko)

                                                                                森鷗外 Ogai MORI

例えば、五助は忠利の犬牽きであったが、いつも鷹狩のお供をし、気に入られていた。身分が低いにも拘らず、殉死のお許しを得た。

五助は五月のある日に、いつも牽いてお供をしていた犬を連れて、死所と決めた高琳寺へ出かけた。見送りに出た女房は、「お前も男じゃ、お歴々の衆に負けないように、立派に死になされ」と励ました。

寺の墓地まで来ると、五助は弁当を開けた。なかには握り飯が二つ入っている。五助は、「己が腹を切って死んだら、おぬしは今から野良犬になるのだ。それでも生きていたいのならこの握り飯を食え、己といっしょに死にたいと思うなら、食うな」と言った。

犬は一向に握り飯を食べようとしなかった。「それならおぬしも死ぬか」。犬は一声鳴いて尾を振った。

五助は犬を抱き寄せて、脇差を抜き、一気に犬を刺し殺した。そして、「御鷹衆はどうした。お犬牽きは恐れず参りますぞ」と声高に言い、腹を十文字に切った。介錯の松野が後ろから首を落とした。

その後、五助の後家は家屋敷をもらい、長く存命した。

忠利の許しを得て殉死した十八人の他に、阿部弥一右衛門という家臣がいた。相当な身分で、家中の者が殉死する筈と思っていたし、本人も当然殉死を願い出た。しかし、忠利は「生きていて光尚に仕えてくれ」と言ってどうしても許さない。

忠利は弥一右衛門の言うことを聞かない癖がついている。この男の顔を見ると、反対したくなるのである。それでいて、叱るわけではない。弥一右衛門ほど精勤するものはなく、万事に気がついて、手抜かりがない者はいなかったから、叱りようもなかったのである。

弥一右衛門は他の人だったら言いつけられてすることを、言い付けられずにした。また、他の人なら殿様に報告するところを報告しないで行動した。しかしすることはいつも的を得ており、批判する所がない。

弥一右衛門は意地ばかりで奉公するようになっていた。それを知って、忠利はこの男を憎いと思い始めた。聡明な忠利は、なぜ弥一右衛門がそうなったのか考えてみて、それは自分がそう仕向けたということに気がついた。反対する癖を改めようと思いながら、かえって改めにくくなった。

人には誰でも好きな人、厭な人がいる。何故そうか理由はつけがたい。忠利が弥一右衛門を好かないのも、同様なわけである。弥一右衛門はどこかに人と親しみにくい所があう。それは親しい友達の少ないことでわかる。立派な侍として尊敬はされているが、近づこうとするものが無かった。人は「阿部は付け入る隙がない」と言って敬遠した。

殉死を許されなかった弥一右衛門は、つくづく思った。自分の身分で今殉死せずに生き残ったら、家中の者に合わせる顔がない。犬死としって切腹するか、浪人して熊本を去るかしかない。だが己は己だ。好い。武士は妾とは違う。主人の気に入らぬからといって、立場が無くなる筈はない。こう思って、弥一右衛門は勤めを続けた。

そのうち五月六日が来て、十八人の者が皆殉死した。熊本中、殉死した者の死に様を称える話で一杯である。弥一右衛門は、御殿の詰め所で、人々が自分の顔を見ないようにして見るのに気がついた。それでも、己が命が惜しくて生きているとはまさか思うまい。弥一右衛門は昂然としていた。

二三日たつと、弥一右衛門にとって怪しからぬ噂が聞こえ始めた。「阿部はお許しのないのを幸いに生きている。お許しはなくても、追い腹はできる筈、瓢箪に油でも塗って腹の皮を切ればよいのに」というのである。

これは、弥一右衛門には思いがけないことであった。悪口など何とでも言え。しかし、自分を命の惜しい男と見ようとは。よし、そんならこの腹の皮を瓢箪に油を塗って切って見せよう。

弥一右衛門はその日詰め所から引き下がると、山崎の邸の座敷で、威儀を正して五人の息子を待ち受けた。嫡子権兵衛、二男弥五兵衛、まだ前髪のある五男七之丞に、三男市太夫、四男五太夫も加わった。障子が開け放してあっても、蒸し暑く風がない。(続く）

…………………………………………………...

The Abe Clan (阿部一族）

by Ogai MORI

 English excerpted translation by Nikhil Ray and Tomoko  

(2/8)

15.11.2020 Tomoko's Preface :【I who was hidden deep inside myself, at last appeared outwardly - From 'Maihime' - 'The Dancing Girl'】

I read an article in a recent Japanese newspaper  entitled ’’Yukio Mishima's Life and Death - his warning remains even fifty years after his death. ’’ Can we really say that it is the writer Yukio Mishima who  sounded a warning bell about the state of modern Japan? Because of his dramatic suicide in front of people (the Self-Defense Force), Yukio Mishima is more famous abroad than Ogai Mori. However, for me who have lived abroad for a long time, it is Mori Ogai, earlier than Mishima Yukio, who, in his literary works, warned against the distortions of Japanese democracy after the Meiji era.

In 1912, following the fall of Emperor Meiji, General Maresuke Nogi  who was credited with the Russo-Japanese War, committed suicide along with his wife Shizu. There were those who praised Nogi's death, while others considered his death to be a legacy of the feudal system and an outdated act.

The following year, Ogai wrote ''The Abe Clan,'' in which Junshi was the theme. Nogi and Ogai had studied in Germany at the same time and were close friends. In "Maihime," about his love affair with a German dancer during his study abroad, we see a free and humanistic Ogai, that he first knew about after leaving the formalistic position in Japanese bureaucratic society.

In the Meiji and Taisho periods, Ogai excelled in all aspects of his life as a military doctor, bureaucrat, and literary scholar, but he must have had great conflicts when he returned to Japanese society after being exposed to Western culture. (Tomoko)

For instance, there was Tadatoshi’s attendant Gosuke, who would always attend to his master's hawking with his dog. Gosuke was Tadatoshi's favourite and in spite of his low status, he received permission to commit junshi.

One day in May, Gosuke went to the Kōrinji Temple, his designated place of death, bringing along the dog he had always taken for hawking. Seeing him off, his wife encouraged him: “You are also a man and you will die honourably, in a manner equal to that of the notables”.

When he reached the temple cemetery, Gosuke opened his lunch. He found two nigiri inside. Gosuke said to the dog: “After I commit seppuku and die, you will become a stray dog. So, if you wish to continue living, eat these nigiri. If you wish to die with me, do not eat them”.

The dog had no intention of eating the nigiri at all. “So, you would also die?” The dog gave one bark and wagged its tail.

Gosuke embraced the dog, unsheathed his wakizashi¹ and killed the dog with a single blow. Then, with a loud voice, he said: “What of the falconers? After all, the dog guard goes without fear!” and he slit his belly in a cross-shaped pattern. Matsuno, his second, decapitated him from behind.

Later on, Gosuke’s widow was granted a large estate and lived out a long life.

 ***

Besides the eighteen who Tadatoshi had authorized to commit junshi, there was a vassal named Abe Yaichiemon. Due to his considerable rank, the members of the lord’s household thought that he too should commit junshi and, naturally, he asked for permission to do so. However, Tadatoshi said, “Live on and serve Mitsuhisa”, and never granted him permission.

Tadatoshi had the habit of not listening to what Yaichiemon would say. Upon seeing the man’s face, Tadatoshi would feel the urge to oppose him. And yet this was not a case of reprimanding. Since there was no one who worked as hard as Yaichiemon, or was as attentive or as thorough as him, there was nothing to reprimand.

Where others would do something only when ordered, Yaichiemon would do it without instructions. Furthermore, where others would report to the lord, Yaichiemon would act without making any reports. Yet, as what he did was always appropriate, there were no grounds for criticism.

Yaichiemon had come to serve only for his own pride. Knowing this, Tadatoshi began to hate this man. Wise Tadatashi wondered how Yaichiemon had become this way and realised that it was he himself who had encouraged it. In spite of trying to change his habit of opposing Yaichiemon, Tadatoshi found it more difficult to change.

Everyone has people they like and those they dislike. It is difficult to give a reason for this. In the same way, there was no reason for Tadatoshi to dislike Yaichiemon. Yaichiemon had something unfriendly about him. This was obvious as he had only few close friends. Although he was respected as a fine samurai, nobody wished to approach him. People would say “Abe gives no chance for us to take advantage of him” and stayed away from him.

Yaichiemon, who had been denied permission to commit junshi, pondered deeply. ''Due to my social rank, now that I remained alive without committing junshi, I am too ashamed to face the lord’s household. There is no choice but either to commit seppuku knowing it would be a pointless death or to become a ronin² and leave Kumamoto. Yet, I can be only myself after all. Indeed. Samurai are different from  lord’s concubines. Though I am not a lord’s favour, there is no way that I can't stand by myself. '' This was how Yaichiemon continued with his duties.

Meanwhile, the 6^th of May came and all of the eighteen committed junshi. Kumamoto was full of praise for their different manners of dying. Yaichiemon was aware that people in the lord’s mansion were not looking at him straight. Yaichiemon thought that nevertheless, they must by no means think that he persisted in living, reluctant to die. Yaichiemon held his head up high and continued on.

After two or three days had passed, an unacceptable rumour began to circulate concerning Yaichiemon. It ran: “Abe rejoices at not having been allowed to commit junshi and thereby continuing to live. Even without permission, he should have been able to do it. If only he could slit his belly with a gourd covered with oil.”.

For Yaichiemon, this was an unexpected remark. People could say whatever slanders they liked. “Yet, how can people see me as man clinging to life! Well, in that case I will slit my belly with an oil-covered gourd to show them!”

That day, upon leaving his post, Yachiemon solemnly waited for his five sons in the zashiki³ of his Yamazaki residence. They were his first heir Gonbei, his second son Yagobei and his fifth son, Shichinojō, still bearing a fringe, joined by his third son Ichidaifu and his fourth son Godaifu. Even with the shōji⁴ wide open, it was hot, humid and stuffy.(to be continued)

Notes：1） Short sword　2 )A master-less samurai　3) Reception room in a traditional Japanese house　4) Sliding door in a traditional Japanese house