全部で七人よ -- ワーズワス

「今日の詩」の選者が送ってきたのはワーズワスの詩 “We Are Seven” 「全部で七人よ」である。ワーズワスは以前にも自然に生きる少女を登場させた。

We Are Seven

--A Simple Child,
That lightly draws its breath,
And feels its life in every limb,
What should it know of death?

I met a little cottage Girl:
She was eight years old, she said;
Her hair was thick with many a curl
That clustered round her head.

She had a rustic, woodland air,
And she was wildly clad:
Her eyes were fair, and very fair;
--Her beauty made me glad.

"Sisters and brothers, little Maid,
How many may you be?"
"How many? Seven in all," she said
And wondering looked at me.

"And where are they? I pray you tell."
She answered, "Seven are we;
And two of us at Conway dwell,
And two are gone to sea.

"Two of us in the church-yard lie,
My sister and my brother;
And, in the church-yard cottage, I
Dwell near them with my mother."

"You say that two at Conway dwell,
And two are gone to sea,
Yet ye are seven!--I pray you tell,
Sweet Maid, how this may be."

Then did the little Maid reply,
"Seven boys and girls are we;
Two of us in the church-yard lie,
Beneath the church-yard tree."

"You run above, my little Maid,
Your limbs they are alive;
If two are in the church-yard laid,
Then ye are only five."

"Their graves are green, they may be seen,"
The little Maid replied,
"Twelve steps or more from my mother's door,
And they are side by side.

"My stockings there I often knit,
My kerchief there I hem;
And there upon the ground I sit,
And sing a song to them.

"And often after sun-set, Sir,
When it is light and fair,
I take my little porringer,
And eat my supper there.

"The first that died was sister Jane;
In bed she moaning lay,
Till God released her of her pain;
And then she went away.

"So in the church-yard she was laid;
And, when the grass was dry,
Together round her grave we played,
My brother John and I.

"And when the ground was white with snow,
And I could run and slide,
My brother John was forced to go,
And he lies by her side."

"How many are you, then," said I,
"If they two are in heaven?"
Quick was the little Maid's reply,
"O Master! we are seven."

"But they are dead; those two are dead!
Their spirits are in heaven!"
'Twas throwing words away; for still
The little Maid would have her will,
And said, "Nay, we are seven!"

William Wordsworth

全部で七人よ

― 素朴な子
軽く息をつき
全身に生命を感じ
死など知らないみたい。

私は小屋の娘に会った。
娘は七才だと言った。
髪はふさふさとして
豊かな巻き毛。

田舎の娘という感じで
衣服も無造作。
目は澄んで青かった。
― 私は嬉しかった。

「お嬢ちゃん、兄弟は
何人いるの？」
「何人？全部で７人よ」
考えながら娘は答えた。

「どこにいるか言ってよ」
娘の答えは「七人よ
二人はコンウェイにいて
二人は海にいるわ。

二人は教会のお墓に
妹と弟よ。
お墓の近くの小屋には
私と母さんが住んでいるわ」

「二人はコンウェイにいて
二人は海にいる、と言ったね。
でも七人だって！―言ってよ
お嬢ちゃん、どうしてかい」

だが娘の答えは
「全部で七人よ。
二人は教会のお墓の
樹の下で眠っているの」

「お嬢ちゃん君は走り
生きているけど
二人はお墓で眠っていれば
全部で五人じゃない」

「二人のお墓は緑だから見えるわ」
と娘は答えた。
「母さんは扉から二、三歩で
二人は一緒にいるわ」

「靴下はそこで編むし
ハンカチも縫うわ。
そこに座って
二人に歌ってあげるの」

「日が沈んでも
明るいときは
おかゆをもって
そこで食べるの」

「最初に死んだのは妹のジェーンで
ベッドで泣いていて
神様が苦しみから救ってくださり
死んでしまったの」

「教会のお墓に眠っているの。
それから草が乾いて
お墓のまわりでみんな遊んだの
弟のジョンと私で」

「土が雪で白くなると
滑って遊べたの
弟のジョンも召されて
となりで眠っているわ」

「では何人になる
「二人が天国にいれば？」と言うと
娘の答えは速かった
「全部で七人よ」

「二人は死んでしまった！
魂は天国だよ！」
そういって立ち去った。
娘はなおも頑張って
言ったはず「全部で七人よ」

ワーズワス