Hyougemono 4

This translation is reserved for Kotonoha.

- 95 -

1580年４月
京・大徳寺
（京都府京都市）
April, 1580
Daitoku Temple, Kyoto
(Kyoto City, Greater Kyoto)

一度しか面識のない俺を茶に招くとは……
To be inviting me, who he has only met the one time, to tea...

たかが商人とはいえ……
Granted that he's no more than a merchant,

何か度胸で負けた気がする
I'm impressed by his courage.

- 96 -

第四席　茶室のファンタジー
The Fourth Ceremony: Tea Room Fantasy

- 97 -

お招きかたじけのうござる　千宗易殿
I am grateful for the invitation, Soueki Senno-dono.

それがし茶の湯のほうは幼き頃に習った程度……粗相があれば何とぞ……
The extent that I learned the ways of the Tea Ceremony as a youth... If I should make a mistake, please...

よくお越しくださいました
Thank you for accepting my invitation.

ひ……
May...

ひとつ尋ねてよろしいか？
May I ask you one thing?

用意されたものを履いたのだが……
I wore the things that were prepared, but...

これでよろしいのか……？
Are these okay...?

通常下駄では？
How about ordinary geta*?
{*Geta are Japanese style wooden clogs.}

それは私が考え出しました「雪駄」というものです
Those are something that I invented, called "setta*."
{*Setta are leather-soled sandles.}

下駄では音が邪魔になりましょう
If you wear geta, the sound becomes annoying.

- 98 -

たしかに……
Certainly...

この静寂に「カランコロン」はうるさい……
"Karan-koron*" would be noisy in this stillness...
{*Karan-koron - the sound of geta}

…しかし…
...However...

それでいいのか……？
Would that be okay...?

茶の湯とは……
The tea ceremony is...

決められた物事や所作に美しさを見いだすことではないのか……？
Isn't it a matter of discovering the beauty in the designated things and actions...?

……ん！？
...Hm!?

- 99 -

と……
The...

飛び石はたしかにここヘ続いている……
The stepping stones certainly continue this way...

まさか……
Could it be...?

ここから茶室へ入れと……！？
He's telling me to enter the tea room here...!?

こんな小さな入り□では
The entrance is so small,

帯刀したまま入れぬではないか!!
I couldn't enter it while wearing a sword!!

- 100 -

か……刀をあれに置けと……！？
Is... is he telling me to put the katana there...!?

武人の証たる刀をあれに!!?
Put the katana that is proof I am a warrior there!!?

宗易殿は武人をなめているのか……！？
Is Soueki-dono treating warriors with contempt...!?

……それとも……
...Or...

茶の湯に身分は関係なしとでも……申す気か！？
Is he saying... that the Tea Ceremony has no connection to rank!?

よかろう……
Very well...

どうせ俺は武人としての意志を貫けぬ男……
Anyway, I am a man who can not carry through on a resolution to be a military man...

この試み付き合おうぞ
Let's get on with this test.

だが　それがくだらぬものであれば……
But, if that is a worthless object...

首の心配をしてもらうぞ宗易殿
Worry about your head, Soueki-dono.

- 104 -

な……
Wha...

なんだこの茶室は……！？
What is this tea room...!?

たった三畳の室内が
The inside of the room is only 3 jo*, but...
{*Jo - the size of a tatami mat, approximately 3 x 6 feet/ 1 x 2 meters}

無限の空間に感ずる！！
it feels like it goes on forever!!

そ……
Is...

そうか……
Is that it...

- 105 -

室内に一切無駄がないからだ……
It's because there is nothing useless in the room...

あらゆる風情が溶け込んで……
Everything melts into elegance...

眼がとっかかる場所を失い「空」を見るかのようになっている……!!
It's as if the you lose the place where your eyes start, and see "space"...!!

あ……
A...

新しい……
A new...

俺が体験してきた様式美とはまるで異なる……！！
It's completely different from the style of beauty I have experienced up to now...!!

こんな感覚は初めてだ！！
This is the first time I've had a sensation like this!!

茶席を改めとう存じます
I would like to change my tea ceremony seat.

しばし庭でお待ちください
Please wait in the garden for a little while.

- 106 -

何も……
I couldn't...

何も語れなかった……
I couldn't say anything...

どうぞ
Please.

- 107 -

こ……
Th...
これは
This is...

「荒木高麗」と同じ染付茶碗！！
an ingrained tea bowl exactly like the "Araki Kourai!!"

まさか宗易殿はあのことを……！！
By the gods, Soueki-dono knows of that!!

いや……
No...

茶碗をもらい荒木を逃がしたとあらば　断罪は免れない……
If it was known that I received the tea bowl and let Araki escape, I would not escape conviction...

だから俺は誰にも口外してない……
Because I haven't revealed it to anyone...

宗易殿が知る由もない……
There is no way for Souseki to know that...

おかしい……
Strange...

- 108 -

この茶碗だけ茶室の趣から浮いている……
This tea bowl alone is set apart from the refinement of the tea room...

やはり……
Of course...

やはり宗易殿は……
Of course Soueki-dono is...

- 109 -

すまぬおせん……
Sorry, Osen...

それがしはこれと同じ茶碗を持っております
I have a tea bowl just like this one.

武人として為すべき事を果たさず欲に走り　手に入れ申した
I did things a warrior should not do and in pursuing my own interests, I obtained it.

- 110 -

よくぞ　お気付きになられました
Well done. You noticed.

荒木様にあの高麗茶碗を譲ったのは私でございます
I was the one who gave Araki-dono that Kourai tea bowl.

先日　毛利方へお逃げになった荒木様より便りが参りました
The other day, news came from Araki, who has fled to the Mouri.

己の命と引き替えにあの茶碗を目利きの織田の者に渡した…………と
He said ... that he turned over to that tea bowl to Oda's tea connoisseur in exchange for his life.

私はピンときたのです
I instantly understood.

その方とは古田様ではないかと
That person must have been Furuta-sama.

肚はくくってござる
My stomach is tied in knots.

この愚かな男のことを信長様に告げるなりなんなりと
What will happen if my foolishness is reported to Nobunaga-sama?

愚かとは滅相もございません
Foolishness is not absurdity.

私は大変感じ入っております
I am greatly impressed.

- 111 -

まず古田様は中立まで驚きを隠せないご様子でした
First of all, Furuta-sama was not not able to conceal his surprise at Nakadachi.

それは私ごときの作意を隅々まで見て取った証
That was proof that, like myself, he perceived every nook and cranny of the design.

そしてもうひとつ
And one other thing.

正直さです
He is honest.

古田様は欲を恥じそれをさらけ出された
Furuta-sama was ashamed of his greed and confessed it.

茶の湯ではその偽らざる心こそ尊いのです
A heart that does not lie at the Tea Ceremony is a precious thing.

- 112 -

かく言う私も欲の塊
Having said this, I, too, am a lump of avarice.

……ところで
...By the way

例の荒木高麗……
The Araki Kourai in question...

私にお譲り頂けませぬか
Won't you convey it to me?

荒木様に譲ってより後悔冷めやらず
The regret at selling it to Araki-sama has not abated.

やはり対で欲しくなったのでございます
As you might expect, I have come to want a matched set.

- 113 -

こ……
Thi...

この人は……
This man has...

人間としても俗物としてもはるか上をいっている……！！
Gone far above humanity and worldly matters...!!

宗易殿っ
Soueki-dono -

- 114 -

あの茶碗はお譲り致す
I will hand over that tea bowl to you.

代わりにそれがしを弟子にして頂きたい
In exchange, I wish to become your disciple.

今日はお招きした甲斐がありました
Inviting you today was worthwhile.

結構なお点前でござった
It was a splendid tea ceremony.