kwaidan-第18部分

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flowers！　＇8＇＇



　　　　　Chocho　ya！

Onna　no　michi　no

　　　　　Ato　ya　saki！







＇See　that　butterfly　on　the　woman's　path；　now　fluttering　behind　her；　now

before！＇



　　　　　Chocho　ya！

Hana…nusubito　wo

　　　　　Tsukete…yuku！







＇Ha！　the　butterfly！　　it　is　following　the　person　who　stole　the　flowers！＇



　　　　　Aki　no　cho

Tomo　nakereba　ya；

　　　　　Hito　ni　tsuku







＇Poor　autumn　butterfly！　when　left　without　a　comrade　（of　its　own　race）；

it　follows　after　man　（or　〃a　person〃）！＇



　　　　　Owarete　mo；

Isoganu　furi　no

　　　　　Chocho　kana！







＇Ah；　the　butterfly！　Even　when　chased；　it　never　has　the　air　of　being　in　a

hurry。＇



　　　　　Cho　wa　mina

Jiu…shichi…hachi　no

　　　　　Sugata　kana！







＇As　for　butterflies；　they　all　have　the　appearance　of　being　about　seventeen

or　eighteen　years　old。＇9＇＇



　　　　　Cho　tobu　ya　

Kono　yo　no　urami

　　　　　Naki　yo　ni！







＇How　the　butterfly　sports；　just　as　if　there　were　no　enmity　（or　〃envy〃）

in　this　world！＇



　　　　　Cho　tobu　ya；

Kono　yo　ni　nozomi

　　　　　Nai　yo　ni！







＇Ah；　the　butterfly！　　it　sports　about　as　if　it　had　nothing　more　to　desire

in　this　present　state　of　existence。＇



　　　　　Nami　no　hana　ni

Tomari　kanetaru；

　　　　　Kocho　kana！







＇Having　found　it　difficult　indeed　to　perch　upon　the　（foam…）　blossoms　of

the　waves；　alas　for　the　butterfly！＇



　　　　　Mutsumashi　ya！　

Umare…kawareba

　　　　　Nobe　no　cho。　＇10＇







＇If　（in　our　next　existence）　we　be　born　into　the　state　of　butterflies　upon

the　moor；　then　perchance　we　may　be　happy　together！＇



　　　　　Nadeshiko　ni

Chocho　shiroshi　

　　　　　Tare　no　kon？　＇11＇







＇On　the　pink…flower　there　is　a　white　butterfly：　whose　spirit；　I　wonder？＇



　　　　　Ichi…nichi　no

Tsuma　to　miekeri　

　　　　　Cho　futatsu。







＇The　one…day　wife　has　at　last　appeared　　a　pair　of　butterflies！＇



　　　　　Kite　wa　mau；

Futari　shidzuka　no

　　　　　Kocho　kana！







＇Approaching　they　dance；　but　when　the　two　meet　at　last　they　are　very

quiet；　the　butterflies！＇



　　　　　Cho　wo　ou

Kokoro…mochitashi

　　　　　Itsumademo！







＇Would　that　I　might　always　have　the　heart　（desire）　of　chasing　butterflies！＇12＇＇



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　*　　　　　*　　　　　*







Besides　these　specimens　of　poetry　about　butterflies；　I　have　one　queer

example　to　offer　of　Japanese　prose　literature　on　the　same　topic。　The

original；　of　which　I　have　attempted　only　a　free　translation；　can　be　found

in　the　curious　old　book　Mushi…Isame　（〃Insect…Admonitions〃）；　and　it　assumes

the　form　of　a　discourse　to　a　butterfly。　But　it　is　really　a　didactic

allegory；　suggesting　the　moral　significance　of　a　social　rise　and　fall：







〃Now；　under　the　sun　of　spring；　the　winds　are　gentle；　and　flowers　pinkly

bloom；　and　grasses　are　soft；　and　the　hearts　of　people　are　glad。　Butterflies

everywhere　flutter　joyously：　so　many　persons　now　compose　Chinese　verses　and

Japanese　verses　about　butterflies。





〃And　this　season；　O　Butterfly；　is　indeed　the　season　of　your　bright

prosperity：　so　comely　you　now　are　that　in　the　whole　world　there　is　nothing

more　comely。　For　that　reason　all　other　insects　admire　and　envy　you；　there

is　not　among　them　even　one　that　does　not　envy　you。　Nor　do　insects　alone

regard　you　with　envy：　men　also　both　envy　and　admire　you。　Soshu　of　China；　in

a　dream；　assumed　your　shape；　Sakoku　of　Japan；　after　dying；　took　your

form；　and　therein　made　ghostly　apparition。　Nor　is　the　envy　that　you　inspire

shared　only　by　insects　and　mankind：　even　things　without　soul　change　their

form　into　yours；　witness　the　barley…grass；　which　turns　into　a　butterfly。

＇13＇





〃And　therefore　you　are　lifted　up　with　pride；　and　think　to　yourself：　'In　all

this　world　there　is　nothing　superior　to　me！'　Ah！　I　can　very　well　guess　what

is　in　your　heart：　you　are　too　much　satisfied　with　your　own　person。　That　is

why　you　let　yourself　be　blown　thus　lightly　about　by　every　wind；　that　is

why　you　never　remain　still；　always；　always　thinking；　'In　the　whole　world

there　is　no　one　so　fortunate　as　I。'





〃But　now　try　to　think　a　little　about　your　own　personal　history。　It　is

worth　recalling；　for　there　is　a　vulgar　side　to　it。　How　a　vulgar　side？　Well；

for　a　considerable　time　after　you　were　born；　you　had　no　such　reason　for

rejoicing　in　your　form。　You　were　then　a　mere　cabbage…insect；　a　hairy　worm；

and　you　were　so　poor　that　you　could　not　afford　even　one　robe　to　cover　your

nakedness；　and　your　appearance　was　altogether　disgusting。　Everybody　in

those　days　hated　the　sight　of　you。　Indeed　you　had　good　reason　to　be　ashamed

of　yourself；　and　so　ashamed　you　were　that　you　collected　old　twigs　and

rubbish　to　hide　in；　and　you　made　a　hiding…nest；　and　hung　it　to　a　branch；

and　then　everybody　cried　out　to　you；　'Raincoat　Insect！'　（Mino…mushi。）　＇14＇

And　during　that　period　of　your　life；　your　sins　were　grievous。　Among　the

tender　green　leaves　of　beautiful　cherry…trees　you　and　your　fellows

assembled；　and　there　made　ugliness　extraordinary；　and　the　expectant　eyes　of

the　people；　who　came　from　far　away　to　admire　the　beauty　of　those

cherry…trees；　were　hurt　by　the　sight　of　you。　And　of　things　even　more

hateful　than　this　you　were　guilty。　You　knew　that　poor；　poor　men　and　women

had　been　cultivating　daikon　（2）　in　their　fields；　toiling　under　the　hot

sun　till　their　hearts　were　filled　with　bitterness　by　reason　of　having　to

care　for　that　daikon；　and　you　persuaded　your　companions　to　go　with　you；　and

to　gather　upon　the　leaves　of　that　daikon；　and　on　the　leaves　of　other

vegetables　planted　by　those　poor　people。　Out　of　your　greediness　you　ravaged

those　leaves；　and　gnawed　them　into　all　shapes　of　ugliness；　caring　nothing

for　the　trouble　of　those　poor　folk。。。　Yes；　such　a　creature　you　were；　and

such　were　your　doings。





〃And　now　that　you　have　a　comely　form；　you　despise　your　old　comrades；　the

insects；　and；　whenever　you　happen　to　meet　any　of　them；　you　pretend　not　to

know　them　＇literally；　'You　make　an　I…don't…know　face'＇。　　Now　you　want　to

have　none　but　wealthy　and　exalted　people　for　friends。。。　Ah！　You　have

forgotten　the　old　times；　have　you？





〃It　is　true　that　many　people　have　forgotten　your　past；　and　are　charmed　by

the　sight　of　your　present　graceful　shape　and　white　wings；　and　write　Chinese

verses　and　Japanese　verses　about　you。　The　high…born　damsel；　who　could　not

bear　even　to　look　at　you　in　your　former　shape；　now　gazes　at　you　with

delight；　and　wants　you　to　perch　upon　her　hairpin；　and　holds　out　her　dainty

fan　in　the　hope　that　you　will　light　upon　it。　But　this　reminds　me　that　there

is　an　ancient　Chinese　story　about　you；　which　is　not　pretty。





〃In　the　time　of　the　Emperor　Genso；　the　Imperial　Palace　contained　hundreds

and　thousands　of　beautiful　ladies；　so　many；　indeed；　that　it　would　have

been　difficult　for　any　man　to　decide　which　among　them　was　the　loveliest。

So　all　of　those　beautiful　persons　were　assembled　together　in　one　place；　and

you　were　set　free　to　fly　among　them；　and　it　was　decreed　that　the　damsel

upon　whose　hairpin　you　perched　should　be　augustly　summoned　to　the　Imperial

Chamber。　In　that　time　there　could　not　be　more　than　one　Empress　　which　was

a　good　law；　but；　because　of　you；　the　Emperor　Genso　did　great　mischief　in

the　land。　For　your　mind　is　light　and　frivolous；　and　although　among　so　many

beautiful　women　there　must　have　been　some　persons　of　pure　heart；　you　would

look　for　nothing　but　beauty；　and　so　betook　yourself　to　the　person　most

beautiful　in　outward　appearance。　Therefore　many　of　the　female　attendants

ceased　altogether　to　think　about　the　right　way　of　women；　and　began　to　study

how　to　make　themselves　appear　splendid　in　the　eyes　of　men。　And　the　end　of

it　was　that　the　Emperor　Genso　died　a　pitiful　and　painful　death　　all

because　of　your　light　and　trifling　mind。　　Indeed；　your　real　character　can

easily　be　seen　from　your　conduct　in　other　matters。　There　are　trees；　for

example；　such　as　the　evergreen…oak　and　the　pine；　whose　leaves　do　not

fade　and　fall；　but　remain　always　green；　these　are　trees　of　firm　heart；

trees　of　solid　character。　But　you　say　that　they　are　stiff　and　formal；　and

you　hate　the　sight　of　them；　and　never　pay　them　a　visit。　　Only　to　the

cherry…tree；　and　the　kaido　＇15＇；　and　the　peony；　and　the　yellow　rose　you　go：

those　you　like　because　they　have　showy　flowers；　and　you　try　only　to　please

them。　Such　conduct；　let　me　assure　you；　is　very　unbecoming。　Those　trees

certainly　have　handsome　flowers；　but　hunger…satisfying　fruits　they　have

not；　and　they　are　grateful　to　those　only　who　are　fond　of　luxury　and　show。

And　that　is　just　the　reason　why　they　are　pleased　by　your　fluttering　wings

and　delicate　shape；　that　is　why　they　are　kind　to　you。





〃Now；　in　this　spring　season；　while　you　sportively　dance　through　the

gardens　of　the　wealthy；　or　hover　among　the　beautiful　alleys　of　cherry…trees

in　blossom；　you　say　to　yourself：　'Nobody　in　the　world　has　such　pleasure　as

I；　or　such　excellent　friends。　And；　in　spite　of　all　that　people　may　say；　I

most　love　the　peony；　and　the　g