【JP/EN】阿部一族 The Abe Clan(5/8) 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 12月の放談 Chapter 1: 2020 Year of the Epidemy / December Talk
阿部一族 The Abe Clan (5/8)
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
ただならぬ一族の様子がお上に届いた。偵察が来たが、山崎の屋敷は、門を厳重に閉ざして、静まり返っていた。市太夫や五太夫の家は空家になっていた。
討手は四月二十一日に差し向けられることになった。表門の指揮役は竹内数馬。裏門は高見権右衛門である。
近隣の者には指令があった。討手でないのに、阿部の屋敷に入り込んで手出しをすることは厳禁である。しかし、落人は勝手に討ち取っても良い。
阿部一族は討手の向かってくる日をその前日に聞き知って、まず邸内を隈なく掃除し、見苦しいものは悉く焼き捨てた。それから老若が集まって酒宴をした。それから老人や女は自殺し、幼いものはのこらず刺し殺した。それから庭に大きい穴を掘って死骸を埋めた。
後に残ったのは屈強の若者ばかりである。
市太夫弥五兵衛、五太夫、七之丞の四人がし指図して、障子襖を取り払った広間に家来を集めて、鐘や太鼓を鳴らさせ、声高に念仏をさせて夜の明けるのを待った。
これは老人や妻子を弔うためだとは言ったが、実は下人共に臆病の念を起こさせぬ用心からであった。
阿部一族の立て籠もった山崎の屋敷の隣人に、柄本又七郎一家がいた。柄本一族は、小西行長が肥後を治めていた時残った、天草郡の家の出であり、細川家に仕えていた。
又七郎は平生、阿部弥一右衛門一族と親しくしていた。主人同士だけでなく、妻子たちも互いに行き来していた。なかでも、弥一右衛門の二男弥五兵衛は槍が得意で、又七郎も同様であったから、親しい間柄ながら、お互いに技を競い合っていた。
先代の殿様が、弥一右衛門に殉死を許さないと聞いた時から、又七郎は弥一右衛門の胸中を察して気の毒に思っていた。それから弥一右衛門の追い腹、家督相続人権兵衛の向陽院での振舞い、権兵衛の死刑、弥五兵衛以下一族の立て籠もり、といった次々の出来事のあと、阿部家がだんだん非運に傾いてきたので、又七郎は親身にも劣らぬ心痛をした。
ある日又七郎は女房に言いつけて、夜更けてから阿部の屋敷へ見舞いにやった。阿部一族は上に叛いて籠城めいたことをしているから、男同士は交通することができない。
阿部一族は不幸にして、神仏にも人間にも見放されたと感じていたから、女房の見舞いに、女達は涙を流した。
阿部の屋敷へ討手の向かう前の晩になった。又七郎はつくづく考えた。阿部一族は自分とは親しい間柄である。しかし、いよいよ明朝には上の討手がやってくる。このことは、逆賊を征伐するお上の軍も同じことである。お上からは手出しをするなと言いつけられている。武士たるものが、こんな場合に懐でをして見ていられるものではない。
情は情、義は義である。己にはやりようがある。そこで世更けてから、抜き足で裏口から庭へ出て、阿部家との境の竹垣の結び縄を悉く切っておいた。それから帰って身支度をし、長押に掛けた手槍を下ろし、鞘を払い、夜の明けるのを待った。(続く）
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06.12.2020 Tomoko's Preface :【The Abe clan who didn't conform to the times】
In France, because of the second wave of Covid19, no-going out was again imposed for the whole month of November and people's freedom was restricted. From the end of November, going out for walks etc. was moderated from 1 to 3 hours and the certificate form was modified. Retail shops have also reopened, but the State decided that restaurants will not reopen until 20 January 2021. Take-out is available now. However restaurants and other individuals running their own businesses have been badly affected.
Fearing infection, the resilient French people are wearing masks and complying with the national medical system. It is terrifying that people are tamed by this kind of routine, as if it is easier to have a leader who regulates the whole thing.
So what about Japan today? There are so many weird things going on in this country and people are being controlled. This status quo becomes so lumpy that it is difficult to loosen up and change.
We can understand how Japan has evolved into the kind of Japan it is today from the changes in the circumstances of the times. Having not lived in Japanese society for more than 40 years now, it is difficult for me to understand the changes in the Japanese society during these years.
Watching many of the comedy sketches on YouTube of actor Ken Shimura, who died of corona, I can see the inherent national character of the Japanese people. The way they were back in the 1970s and 80s is very pure and innocent. They are totally different from the digital humans of today.
I'm not particularly interested in the Imperial Family, but I would like to praise Princess Aiko for making a very wise choice to study Japanese literature at university. It would be presumptuous to think that history and literature are of no use to the world. History and literature are deeply interconnected and it is through them that one can see things perspectively and make the right decisions on issues. We also need to be willing to doubt what is already in place.
The Abe's are a rebellious, freedom-seeking people of the feudal era, although their willingness to commit suicide is antiquated. In this day, freedom is guaranteed, but there seems to be few who truly strive for it. (Tomoko)
The news of the unusual state of the family reached the authorities. A scouting mission arrived, but the Yamazaki residence was silent, with the gates tightly closed. The houses of Ichidaifu and Godaifu were empty.
The attacking force was to be sent on the 21st of April. The front gate was commanded by Takeuchi Kazuma, and the rear gate by Takami Gon'emon.
The order was given to the neighbours. Those who were not in the assault force were strictly forbidden to enter Abe's residence to intervene. However, they were allowed to kill the fleeing enemies on their own accord.
When the Abe family learnt of the attack on the day before, they cleaned every corner of the residence and burnt all unsightly objects. Then the old and the young gathered for a banquet. Then the old men and women killed themselves and the young children were stabbed to death without exception. Then they dug a large hole in the garden and buried these bodies.
Those remained were only strong young men.
The four of them, Ichidaifu, Yagobei, Godayu and Shichinojo, ordered their retainers to gather in the hall, where the shōji and fusuma1 were removed, to ring the bells and drums and to chant the nenbutsu2 aloud, waiting for dawn to break.
They said all this was to mourn the old and the wives and the children, but in fact it was a precaution so that the servants would not be tempted to be cowardly.
Among the neighbours of the Abe clan, now fortified in their Yamazaki residence, was Tsukamoto Matashichiro's household. They were descendants of a family in Amakusa County that had remained behind during Konishi Yukinaga's reign in Higo province, and were in the service of the Hosokawa clan.
Matashichiro was so far close to the Abe Yaichiemon clan. Not only were their masters close to each other, but also were their wives and children. Among those, Yagobei, Yachiemon's second son, who was particularly skilled in spear combat, and Mashichiro, also good in the combat was competing with each other in spite of their close relationship.
When Matashichiro heard that the previous lord would not allow Yaichiemon to commit junshi, he sympathized with Yaichiemon, knowing what was going through his mind. Then with the succesive events such as Yaichiemon's suicide, the outburst of his heir, Gombei at the Koyoin Temple, his subsequent execution, and the confinement of Yagobei and the rest of the family, the Abe family was gradually turning towards bad luck, and Matashichiro was no less than sympathetic.
One day Matashichiro ordered his wife to go to Abe's house late at night. The Abe clan had disobeyed the Lord and were holed up in a residence so that men could not communicate with each other.
The women of the Abe family shed tears when Matashichiro's wife visited them to console, as they were feeling abandoned by gods and humans, unfortunately.
It was the night before the attackers left for Abe's residence. Matashichiro thought deeply. '' The Abe clan and I are close to each other. But finally, tomorrow morning, the Lord's attacking force will arrive. They will attack the Abe clan in the same way as they conquer the rebels. We are ordered not to interfere. However, a warrior cannot just stand by idly watching in such a situation.''
''Empathy is one thing, justice is another. I have my own ways to do it. '' Accordingly, after dark, he went out of the back door of the house into the garden and cut all the knots of the ropes which were binding the bamboo fence that bordered two residences. Then he went back home, prepared himself by taking down his hand spear on the nageshi3, drew it from its scabbard and waited for the dawn to break. (to be continued)
Notes:1)Sliding screen in a traditional Japanese house2)Invocation to the Amida Buddha 3)Hooks on the crossbeam to hold a sword or spear
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