傍観者の暴力

bōkan-sha no bōryoku

Violent Bystanders

『おいおい見知らぬ人よ、

“Oioi mishiranu hito yo,

“Hey there, stranger,

君が肩に背負ってゐる詩の袋を僕に渡してしまへ!』・・・・・・

kimi ga kata ni shotte iru shi no fukuro o boku ni watashite shimae!”

the bag of poetry hanging on your shoulder, hand it over!”

声は夜陰を劈いて私の後から追って来る。

koe wa yain o unzaite watashi no ushiro kara otte kuru.

The voice followed me from behind, splitting the darkness of night.

私は振向いて答へる、『誤解し給ふな、見知らぬ人よ、

watashi wa furimuite kotaeru,“gokai shi-kyū funa, mishiranu hito yo,

Turning around I answer, “you misunderstand, stranger,

僕は君が想像するやうな尊い袋や背負ってゐない、

boku wa kimi ga sōzō suru yō na tōtoi bukuro ya seotte inai,

I'm not bearing your imagined precious bag,

僕が担って居る袋の中は追憶の紙屑だ、君には用のないもののみだ、

boku ga ninatte iru fukuro no naka wa tsuioku no kamikuzu da, kimi ni wa yō no nai mono nomi da,

in this bag on my shoulder are memory's wastepapers; you can hardly have any use for them,

君が僕の袋に触ると、君の指は黒く汚されるであらう、

kimi ga boku no fukuro ni sawaru to, kimi no yubi wa kuroku yogosareru de arō,

and if you touch my bag, your fingers would become dirty and black,

氷のやうな冷たさで、君の全身は凍らされるかもしれない。』

kōri no you na tsumetasa de, kimi no zenshin wa kōrasareru kamoshirenai.

cold as ice, your whole body may freeze.”

不思議な声は私の後から叫ぶ、『僕は僕の指が汚れるのを恐れるものではない、

fushigi na koe wa watashi no ushiro kara sakebu,“boku wa boku no yubi ga yogoreru no o osoreru mono de wa nai,

The strange voice from behind me shouted, “I'm not afraid to dirty my fingers;

君は君の追憶が氷のやうに冷たいといふ、さうかもしれない・・・・・・

kimi wa kimi no tsuioku ga kōri no yō ni tsumetai to iu, sō kamoshirenai

you say your memories are as cold as ice, they may be so . . .

僕は傍観者の残忍な火で君の追憶を木の下で焚き、

Boku wa bōkansha no zannin na hi de kimi no tsuioku wo ki no shita de taki,

I will burn your memories under the tree in the fire of the cruel bystanders,

どんなにこの夜陰の天を焦すかを楽むであらう。』

donna ni kono yain no ten o kogasu ka o tanoshimu de arō.”

Won't it be delightful scorching the heavens in the dead of night?”

私は振向いて答へる、「ああ見知らぬ人よ、それだけは許したまへ、

watashi wa furimuite kotaeru,`ā mishiranu hito yo, sore dake wa yurushi-tamae,

Turning around I answered, “ah, stranger, please allow only that,

この袋は僕の全財産だ、過去幾十年間に書いた僕の歴史だ、

kono fukuro wa boku no zensaizan da, kako iku jū-nenkan ni kaita boku no rekishi da,

in this bag is my whole property, the history it took me so many decades to write,

たとひ君がそれを見ても、君にはそれが読めないであらう。』

tatoi kimi ga sore o mite mo, kimi ni wa sore ga yomenaide arō.”

though even if you saw it, you wouldn't be able to read it.”

声は私の後から叫ぶ、「かう聞く上は尚更君の袋を貰ひたい、

koe wa watashi no nochi ushiro sakebu,`kō kiku ue wa naosara kimi no fukuro o moraitai,

The voice behind me called, “nevertheless, all the more so, I'd like to get your bag,

僕は傍観者の暴力で君からこれを奪ってみせるからさう思へ、

boku wa bōkansha no bōryoku de kimi kara kore o ubatte miseru kara sō omoe,

I think it may be snatched from you in the bystanders' violence,

僕には君の袋を一一検査する「見知らぬ人」の特権が與へられて居る、

boku ni wa kimi no fukuro o ichi ichi kensa suru `mishiranu hito' no tokken ga ataerarete iru,

and the stranger's right to investigate one by one has been bestowed upon me,

さあ愚図愚図言はずに、さつさと袋を僕に渡してしまへ!」

sā guzuguzu gen ni, sassa to fukuro o boku ni watashite shimae!'

so then, enough with all your complaining talk, just quickly hand the bag over to me!”

 

 

 

 

Translated by Edward Marx, 2012.