琴姫伝説 - The Legend of Koto Hime

Once upon a time, a young girl of 18 lived with her father, who was as blind as a bat. He was an excellent koto (Japanese harp) player, and taught it to his daughter when he lost his wife. They enjoyed a little happiness in this way until the war of the Genji and Heike, took place.

その昔、若い娘が父親と暮らしていました。娘は18で、父親はまったく目が見えませんでした。妻を失くしてから、優れた琴の弾き手であった父親は娘に琴を教えました。こうして二人はささやかな幸せの中にいました。源氏と平家の戦いが始まるまでは。

A Genji attack on their city, separated them, and the father wandered alone over the countryside, searching for his daughter. Koto Hime went with the army of the Emperor Antoku, who was only five years old at that time. As we all know, according to our history books, the Heike lost that battle due to having few soldiers and ships. This battle was the famous battle of Dan no Ura. The survivors of the battle escaped to the mountains and formed their own villages, or joined other small country hamlets. These refugees were mostly of the Taira Family. It’s a sad story.

二人の住む町に源氏が攻めてきました。二人ははなればなれとなり、父親は娘の姿を求め町の外れをひとりさまよい歩きました。 琴姫は当時わずか5歳だった安徳天皇の軍と行動を共にしていました。不十分な兵と船のため平家が敗れたことは歴史書などから皆さん周知の通りです。この戦こそ有名な壇ノ浦の戦でした。生き残った者たちは、山中に逃れ自分たちの村を作ったりほかの小さな集落にまぎれ込みましたが、こうして避難した者の多くは平一族の人間でした。悲しい物語ですね。

Koto Hime was saved by a young man in a small boat, which also contained her koto. The young man’s name was Kichita, and he sailed with her for three days, until they were struck by a storm and washed up on the shore at Maji Village, in the Sanin Area. The young man had drowned, and only Koto Hime was left in a very weakened condition, due to exposure. The townspeople cared for her very kindly, as was the custom in those days, and after she revived, she tried to thank them by playing her koto for them. The villagers came to love her very much, and when she suddenly died, they tenderly buried her under a pine tree which overlooked the Japan Sea.

琴姫は小さな舟に乗った若い男に助けられます。舟には姫の琴がありました。男は名を吉太といい、二人は3日にわたり舟でさまよった後嵐に見舞われ山陰の馬路海岸に流れ着きました。吉太はおぼれて亡くなり、厳しい寒さのため衰弱し切った姫だけが一人残されました。村人たちは当時のしきたりに倣い、とても親切に姫を看病しました。回復した姫はお礼に琴を弾こうとします。姫を愛するに至った村人たちは、姫が突然亡くなった時その亡骸を日本海を見渡すことのできる松の木の下に丁重に葬りました。

Since that time, the sands of the beach have produced sound and the story says that it is the sound of Koto Hime playing her koto. As a kind of sequel, or addition to the foregoing story, there is mention of Koto Hime’s father at the end of the whole passage. After her burial, and the sound of the singing sand being related to her koto playing, an old blind man came to the town one day. He heard the sound of the sand, and learned of the death of the dearly loved Koto Hime. That night, he calmly walked into the sea at that point. Only later was it discovered that he had been her father, who had suffered great sadness at the death of his daughter. He, therefore, sought death on the beach of singing sand, to join her in the Land of Shadows.

以来、砂浜の砂は音を出しています。それは姫のかなでる琴の音色であると物語は伝えています。 この物語の最後には琴姫の父親に関する話が後日談、または追加された部分として出てきます。 琴姫が埋葬された後、歌う砂は姫の弾く琴と結びつけられました。ある日、一人の盲目の男が町を訪れます。男は砂の鳴るのを耳にし最愛の娘の死を知ります。その夜、男は静かに海の中へと入っていきました。男が、娘を亡くし悲しみに打ちひしがれた琴姫の父親であることがわかったのは、彼が亡くなってから後のことでした。父親は、黄泉の国で娘に出会うため歌う砂浜の上で死を求めたのでした。

This type of story is very sad, but also very beautiful in the poetic sense. It also shows the Japanese heart, and the loyalty and love they feel for people, friends, and family. The people of the Sanin District, still retain many of the old ways, and I like that!

こうした物語はたいへん悲しくはありますが、同時に詩趣に富んだ美しい物語でもあります。この物語はまた、日本人の心、他者や友人、あるいは家族に対する忠誠、愛情を上表しています。 山陰の人々は多くの面で昔ながらのやり方を保持しています。私はそれが好きです。