Fortleben

Suppertranslated from the Japanese

by Shiraki Shizu 素木しづ, 1917.
English by keikaku.

The workShiraki Shizu's short story Supper, first published in 1917.
Languages
AppendixHow keikaku read the book: the analysis it wrote before drafting, which helped steer the translation.

Outside the door, darkened before they knew it, there was the sound of hard wind and rain. A storm.

いつか暗くなった戸の外に、激しい雨風の音がする、嵐だ。

The parents and child had gathered at the table under the dim electric light hanging close to the wall of the narrow room, about to take their supper. The father and the mother were both still truly young. And the child was a plump little girl, just able to stand by holding to the table.

親子は、狭い部屋の壁際にぶらさがった、暗い電燈の下の卓テーブルに集まって、今夜食をしようとしてゐた。まだ本当に父も母も若かった。そして子供は漸く卓につかまって、立ってる事が出来る程の、くりくりと肥ってる女の子だった。

Neither the man nor the woman had yet a single wrinkle in the face. But in the man's hollowed, kindly eyes in the shadow of his thick eyebrows there was to be seen a weary colour of tiredness. And in the colour of the woman's dark hair and about her slender shoulders there was to be seen a still deeper, sunken tiredness, and a drowsy peace.

男も女も、その顔にはまだ少しの皺もよってなかった。しかし男の濃い眉毛の陰のくぼんだ優しさうな瞳には、だるさうな疲れの色が見えてゐた。そして女の濃い髪のいろや、細やかな肩のあたりには、なほ打沈んだやうな深い疲れと、まどろむやうな安らかさとが見えてゐた。

The day had ended. The sorrow and the suffering of that day were about to flow into the peace of the night. And they smiled in silence and fixed their eyes on all of the child.

一日が終ったのであった。その日の悲しみも苦しみも、夜の安らかさに流れやうとしてゐるのだった。そして、彼等は黙って微笑しながら、その子供のすべてに瞳を注いだ。

Standing unsteadily, the child was trying with fat, round hands, short as balls to stir everything on the table, leaving not a moment's gap, and far too fast. So, smiling, they put everything, the tea-bowls and the earthen teapot and the aluminium pot, under the table. On the table there remained only the small spoon the child held and a single small plate.

子供は、あぶなさうに立ちながら、肥えてまるく鞠のやうに短い両手で、すこしのすきまもなく、そしてあまりに早くテーブルの上のものを掻き廻さうとしてゐた。それで彼等は微笑みみながら、すべて茶碗や土瓶、アルミ鍋などを、テーブルの下に置いた。テーブルの上には、わづか子供の持つ小さなスプーンと小皿が一枚残されたばかりであった。

  • aluminium pot: An aluminium pot, a Western-style table, and beef stewed with potato mark a poor but modern city household of the period.

But the child gave a noisy cry full of small joy and banged the spoon and the plate down upon the table.

けれども子供は、さわがしい、小さなよろこびに満ちた叫声を上げて、スプーンと皿をテーブルの上にたゝきつけた。

"You won't listen, you." The young father gazed steadily at the small round arms and at her eyes with their rather dark, long lashes, darting nimbly and shrewdly without pause, as if at a loss what to do, and then with a smile over his whole face, pinching lightly with his finger the child's round, thrust-out cheek, he took a large tea-bowl as if groping for it from under the table and put it in her hand.

『きかない奴だな。』若い父親は、その小さなまるい腕や、敏捷に怜悧れいりにすきもなく動いてる、黒みがちの睫のながい子供の瞳をぢっと見てゐると、どうしたらいゝだらうといふやうに、やがて顔一ぱいな微笑ほゝゑみを持って、子供のまるくつき出た頬を指で一寸つまみながら、大きな茶碗をテーブルの下から探すやうにしてとると、彼女の手に渡した。

The mother served the hot, freshly cooked rice, its white steam rising thick, from the pot and handed it to him. And her own young, large eyes, too, full of a mother's gladness, gazed at the child, never still for a moment, lovely as a little bird. And as if unable to bear it, murmuring within her mouth, wondering whatever was the matter with this child, with a look of finding her so dear there was nothing to be done about it, she said strongly, "Bōya," but the smile overflowed from her face, and she looked at the man's face as if asking for help. And as if having forgotten everything, the three smiled at one another as if wondering what to do for the child. And for the child they set about their meal with a warm bustle and with smile and gladness welling up of itself besides. And in the clatter and noise, they did not hear the sound of the wind and rain.

彼女は鍋から熱い炊たき立ての、白い湯気が一ぱい立ち上ってる御飯をついで彼に渡した。そして彼女の若い大きな瞳も、母親らしい嬉しさにみちて子供の瞬間もぢっとしてない、小鳥のやうに愛らしい様子を見つめた。そして、たまらなささうに、この子はどうしたといふんだらう、とふと口の中うちに独言を云ひながら、どうにも仕方がない程可愛いといふやうな様子で、『坊や、』と強く云ったけれども、笑ゑみが顔からあふれて了って、彼女は助をかりるやうに男の顔を見た。そして三人は、すべての事を忘れてしまった様に、子供の為めに互にどうしようかといふ様に笑ひ合った。そして子供の為めに、彼等は暖かい賑かさと、其上に自然ひとりでに溢れる笑ひと嬉しさを持って食事にとりかゝったのであった。また彼等は、ごたごたした騒がしさの為に、雨風の音を耳にしない。

  • "Bōya,": Bōya is an affectionate way of addressing a very small child, though literally it suggests a boy; the child here has been introduced as a little girl.

The young father kept his big red hand spread busily over the table. And his eyes, holding back the smile that welled up helplessly because of the child, as he steadied the child he put a little food into that small red mouth. In between, hastily opening his own big mouth, he pushed rice into it.

若い父親は、彼の赤く大きな片手を忙しくテーブルの上に拡げてゐた。そしてその眼は子供によって仕方がなく湧き出た笑ゑみを堪こらへながら、子供をさゝへて、その小さな赤い口に僅の食物を入れてやった。そのすきに彼は、あわたゞしく大きな口を開けた、彼は彼自身の口のなかに御飯を押し込んだ。

The mother, silent with bowed head close by the wall, was serving onto a white plate the beef and onion, the carrot and potato stewed in the deep blue pot. And about to say something, she put into her mouth a potato stewed sweet and soft, and looked at the man's face, but as if she had noticed something, she shut her mouth and gazed vacantly at a far place.

母親は、壁によって黙ってうつむきながら藍色の深い鍋に煮た牛肉と玉葱と、人参とジャガ芋とを白い皿に盛ってゐた。そしてなにか云はうとして、甘く柔かく煮たジャガ芋を口のなかに入れて、男の顔を見たが、彼女はなにかに気がついたやうに、ふと口を閉ぢて茫然ぼんやりと遠い所を見た。

The potato in her mouth was hard and gritty between the teeth, as if it had frozen, and thoroughly nasty. As if startled, she said nothing and bit it again with her front teeth, but her heart had already, before she knew it, bowed down in loneliness.

彼女の口のなかのジャガ芋が、丁度凍ったかのやうに固くざくざくしてゐて、非常に不味かったのだった。彼女はふと驚いたやうに黙って前歯でかみなほしたが、彼女の心は、いつか淋しくうつむいてしまってゐた。

She recalled the suffering and sorrow and tiredness of each day. And the tasteless, indifferent, cold nastiness of the potato gave her a quiet, lonely, far-removed heart. She pictured the poor, sorrow-filled, real life since her marriage.

彼女は日々の苦しみや悲しみ疲れを思出したのであった。そしてジャガ芋の無味な、かゝはりのない冷やかな不味まづさが、彼女に静かな淋しい遠くはなれた心を与へた。彼女は結婚後の貧しい悲しみにみちた現実の生活を思ひ浮べたのであった。

And it seemed to her like a life that had gone on far too long. She found herself thinking, all at once, as if she had grown quite old. And her far heart quietly remembered days filled with quiet tears, and days threatened and spent in fear for material things, and each and every day grieved and suffered through sickness. Yet to her remembering now, all of it was like a dream. Suffering and sorrow, too, were like a fond dream.

そして、それがあまりに永く引きつゞいた生活のやうにも思はれた。彼女はふと自分がすっかり老いてしまったかのやうに考へられた。そして静かに涙にみちた日のことや、物質の為めに脅かされ恐れてすごした日々や、病の為めに悲しみ苦しんだその日その日のことを遠い心が静かに思出してゐるのだった。けれどもいま思出してる彼女には、すべてが夢のやうであった。苦しみも悲しみもなつかしい夢のやうであった。

And when she thought, it was no more than barely three years of life since her marriage.

そして考へて見れば、わづかに結婚後の三年ばかりの生活にすぎない。

She gazed vacantly far off, as if her attention had been caught by something before she knew it. Her quiet heart was, before she knew it, seeing a picture like a phantom.

彼女は、いつとなく何物にか気をとられたやうに、ぼんやりと遠くの方を見てゐた。彼女のその静かな心が、いつか幻のやうな絵を見てゐたのであった。

It was in a dim, faint light, and, quiet like that light, three people were drawn together with their heads together telling a long story. That story seemed to go on between them, so long and without ceasing. And in that story all seemed to be told, all the good and evil of the world, sorrow and suffering and anger and trouble, and joy, all of it. Yet those who spoke and those who listened only went on quietly and peacefully smiling, and they did not move at all. With their heads inclined and their eyes lowered, only quiet fond remembrance and forgiveness seemed to wrap them. And there too a deep, deep peace showed itself in all of them.

それは淡暗い光りのなかに、そしてその光りのやうに物静かな三人の人たちが、より合って頭をあつめてながい物語りをしてゐるのだった。その物語りは、あまりにながく絶えることなく彼等の間につゞけられてゐるやうであった。そしてその物語りのなかには、すべて世の中の善や悪や、かなしみや苦しみ怒りもなやみも、よろこびもすべてが語られてるやうだった。けれども話す人も聞く人も、たゞ静かに安らかにぢっと微笑ほゝゑみをつゞけてゐるばかりであって、彼等は少しも動かなかった。首をかたむけて眼を伏せながら、そして、そこにはたゞ静かななつかしみと、許しとが彼等をつつんでゐるやうに見えた。そしてまたそこには深い深い安らかさが彼等のすべてに表はれてゐるのであった。

  • fond remembrance: The Japanese, natsukashimi, means a warm, longing fondness for what is past, held here together with forgiveness and peace.

All things of the world, a life, would pass. And only on that day, when it had passed, would all, all things, turn to fond remembrance and forgiveness. And at that time they would be before a rest like night, forever.

世の中の總ての事、人生は過去るであらう。そして過去った其日に初めて總てが、總ての事が懐しみと許しとに変る事だらう。そして其時彼等は永久に夜の様な安息の前にあるのであった。

The far picture was mirrored darkly and quietly in the bottom of her eyes. And through the bottom of her eyes, far off in the future, with a lonely peace, that picture was to be seen. Young, she sighed a lonely, secret sigh by herself, and glanced at the littered table and at the faces of her husband and the child, and remained silent.

遠い絵が暗く静かに、彼女の眼の底に映ってゐた。また瞳の底を通して遠く未来に、淋しい安らかさを持って、その絵が見えるのであった。若い彼女は一人で淋しいひそかな溜息をついた、そして、とり散らされたテーブルの上と、夫と子供の顔をちらと見ながら黙ってゐた。

"Why are you so quiet?" the man said, looking at the woman's face in puzzlement. She hurriedly tried to say something, but unable to say anything all at once she fell silent, and her eyes again ran far off. And she saw the picture like a phantom again. Then for the first time she quietly heard the sound of the storm outside the door. She said nothing.

『どうして黙ってるの。』男は、ふと不思議さうに女の顔を見て声をかけた。彼女は、あわてゝなにかを云はうとしたが、一口には何事も云ひかねて黙ってしまふと、再びその眼が遠く走ってしまった。そして彼女は、また幻の絵を見たのだった。彼女は、その時はじめて戸の外の嵐の音を、静かに耳にした。彼女はなにも云はずにゐた。

Yes. That day was there. The day when all would turn to fond remembrance and forgiveness and peace was there. After a long life, and after a long sorrow, and after a long suffering, on the day after all of that, that peaceful day of fond remembrance and forgiveness was there. What was the suffering or sorrow of each single day? What was the tiredness or trouble of each single day? Before she knew it she had a smile on her face.

さうだ。あの日があるのだ。あのすべてがなつかしみと許しと、安らかさに変る日があるのだった。ながい生活の後に、またながい悲しみの後に、またながい苦しみのその後の日に、あの安らかななつかしみと許しの日があるのだ。一日々々の苦しみや悲しみがなんだらう。一日々々の疲れやなやみがなんだらう。彼女はいつとなしに微笑を浮べてゐた。

"Why are you so quiet?" the man spoke to her again. She raised her head as if startled and, smiling fondly, said, "Really only a little time has passed since we were married, hasn't it," as if asking him too to remember many things, even the happy things from before their marriage.

『なぜ黙ってるの。』男は再び声をかけた。彼女は驚いたやうに頭を上げて、なつかしさうに笑ひながら、

『まだ本当にわづかしか経ちませんのね、結婚してから。』

と男にも思出して、種々のことを、結婚前の楽しかったことまでも、思出して下さいと云ふやうに云った。

"That's so," the man too raised his eyes and said.

『さうだなァ。』男も眼を上げて云った。

"It is only three years, isn't it. And yet you and I have known a great deal of hardship."

『たった三年にしかならないんだな。けれども、俺たちはいろいろ苦労したなァ。』

"Truly." She lowered her eyes again to try to look at that picture. But at once, "But it is still only three years, you know," she said, her eyes shining as if she must tell him of some great hope, though she herself did not know what it was.

『本当にね。』彼女は、また眼を伏せてあの絵を見ようとした。が、すぐに、

『けれども、まだ三年しか経たないんですものね。』と、なにか大きな、彼女にはわからないけれども、なにか大きな希のぞみを彼に話さなければならないやうに瞳を輝かした。

"That's so. Though day by day we are tired and troubled and made to suffer by all sorts of things, two years are already past. In a little while Bōya will be walking."

『さうだ、一日々々いろいろなことに疲らされなやまされ苦しまされても、二年はもう過ぎたんだからな。もうしばらくすると、坊やも歩るくやうになるんだから。』

The man looked at the child standing with the spoon in her hand as if with nothing to do. She at once called out gladly in a loud voice, "Bōya!" and at the same moment the child gave a loud cry and, looking at her mother's face, banged the spoon upon the table, "Uma-uma-uma-uma."

男は、手持ぶさたのやうにスプーンを持って立ってる子供を見た。彼女は、すぐに嬉しさうに、

『坊や。』と大きな声を出した、子供はそれと同時に大きな叫声を上げて、母親の顔を見ながら、

『うまうまうまうま。』とスプーンをテーブルにたゝきつけた。

The father hastily put rice into the child's mouth.

父親は、あわてゝ子供の口に御飯を入れてやった。

Presently they laid down their chopsticks.

彼等は、やがて箸をおいた。

"Just a little longer," the man said firmly, as if to himself.

『もう少しの間だ。』男は強く独言のやうに云った。

"Yes, let us work," she said, calmly and at peace. And holding the child upon her knees, she bared her small nipple and began to suckle her.

『さうね、私たちは働きませうね。』彼女は、おちついて安らかに云った。そして子供を膝の上に抱きながら、小さな乳首をだして乳をのませ初めた。

"Now, let us clear away. And let us sleep; let us get up early tomorrow."

『さ、あとを片づけよう。そして寝よう、明日は早く起きようぢゃないか。』

Presently the man stood up. And when he was about to begin to clear the table, the child had already closed her eyes with her cheek against the breast. All around had fallen quite still.

やがて、男は立ち上った。そしてテーブルを片づけ初めようとした時、もはや子供は乳房に頬をつけて眼を閉ぢてゐた。あたりは静まりかへった。

"A storm," the man whispered, standing still.

『嵐だな。』男は、立ちどまってさゝやいた。

Original?
晩餐 Supper, Shiraki Shizu 素木しづ (died 1918). First published in 「文章倶楽部」1917（大正6）年2月号. Public domain. Japanese text from Aozora Bunko, typed and proofread by its volunteers.
Aozora's colophon
底本：「素木しづ作品集」札幌・北書房
　　　1970（昭和45）年6月15日発行
底本の親本：「文章倶楽部」
　　　1917（大正6）年2月号
入力：小林徹
校正：湯地光弘
1999年9月5日公開
2005年12月29日修正
青空文庫作成ファイル：
このファイルは、インターネットの図書館、青空文庫（http://www.aozora.gr.jp/）で作られました。入力、校正、制作にあたったのは、ボランティアの皆さんです。
This English?
Drafted, read and revised by keikaku on Meta's models (muse-spark-1.3, muse-wonder-1.0), in 26 model calls. keikaku raised 30 queries: 23 changed the text, 6 were declined. No person has edited it. Free to share and adapt under CC BY-SA 4.0.