「浦島(うらしま) 太郎(たろう)」1911

 

１昔(むかし)昔(むかし)　浦島(うらしま)は　

Once upon a time, Urashima was taken

助(たす)けた亀(かめ)に連(つ)れられて　

by the turtle he saved  　　　　　　　　　　　　　

竜(りゅう)宮(ぐう)城(じょう)に来(き)て見(み)れば 

to Ryuuguu(Dragon Palace)Castle and found      

絵(え)にもかけない美(うつく)しさ 

it was a beauty you cannot draw even in a picture　　　　　　　　　　　

  　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

２．乙姫(おとひめ)様(さま)のご馳走(ちそう)に

Princess Otohime gave him a feast,

鯛(たい)や平目(ひらめ)の舞(まい)踊(おど)り 

Sea breams and flounders danced for him.

ただ(=とても)珍(めずら)しく面白(おもしろ)く

They were so unusual and amusing

月日(つきひ)のたつのも夢(ゆめ)の中(うち) 

and the days went by in a dream

 

３．遊(あそ)びに飽(あ)きて、気(き)が付(つ)いて

(One day) he got tired of playing and came back to reality.　　　　　　

お暇(いとま)乞(ご)いも(saying good-by)そこそこに(＝急(いそ)いでhastily)  

He bade them a hasty goodbye                        　　　　　　

帰(かえ)る途中(とちゅう)の楽(たの)しみは    

His pleasure on his way home was  　

土産(みやげ)に貰(もら)った玉(たま)手箱(てばこ)

a beautiful casket given to him as a souvenir

４　帰(かえ)って見(み)れば、こは如何(いか)に(これは何(なん)だ？)

  He came back to land and said,‟What is this?”

 元(もと) 居(い)た家(いえ)も村(むら)も無(な)く  

There was no house or no village he once lived in

 路(みち)に行(い)き会(あ)う人人(ひとびと)は  

and the people he came across in the street

顔(かお)も知(し)らない者(もの)ばかり 　

were all total strangers.

                      　  

５．心(こころ)細(ぼそ)さに 蓋(ふた)取(と)れば  

From helplessness, he took the lid

あけて悔(くや)しき(悔(くや)しい)玉手箱(たまてばこ) 

How regrettable it was that he opened the casket!

中(なか)から ぱっと白(しろ)煙(けむり)

From inside,‘Puff’, burst out white smoke

たちまち 太郎(たろう)は　お爺(じい)さん

instantly turning Taro into an old man

　　                       

 

＜もう一(ひと)つの結末(けつまつ)＞ an additional ending　                                                                    

その後(ご) 太郎(たろう)は鶴(つる)になり

Afterwards Taro changed into a crane,

楽園(らくえん)で乙姫(おとひめ)に会(あ)い

and met Otohime in a paradise　　　　　　　　　　

ずっと幸(しあわ)せに暮(く)らしました 

and lived happily with her ever after.