The Spider’s Thread
a certainある day日 ofの matter事 isで (polite)ございます。 Lord Buddha御釈迦様 (topic)は Paradise極楽 ofの lotus pond蓮池 ofの edgeふち (object)を、 alone独り (means)で leisurelyぶらぶら walking (hon.)御歩き (to)に doingなって was (honorific)いらっしゃいました。 pond池 ofの middle中 inに blooming咲いて areいる lotus蓮 ofの flowers花 (topic)は、 allみんな jewels玉 likeの mannerよう (adv.)に pure whiteまっ白 andで、 theirその centerまん中 inに beingある golden金色 (adj.)の stamens蕊 fromから (topic)は、 indescribably何とも inexpressible云えない fine好い fragrance匂 (subject)が、 ceaselessly絶間なく surroundingsあたり toへ overflowing溢れて is (polite)居ります。 Paradise極楽 (topic)は just丁度 morning朝 isな (nominalizer)の (copula)で probably (polite)ございましょう。
It happened one day. Lord Buddha was strolling alone along the edge of the lotus pond in Paradise. The lotus flowers blooming in the pond were all jewel-white, and from the golden stamens at their centers an indescribably fine fragrance flowed ceaselessly over the surroundings. It must have been just morning in Paradise.
presentlyやがて Lord Buddha御釈迦様 (topic)は thatその pond池 ofの edgeふち atに standing still (hon.)御佇み (to)に doingなって、 water水 ofの surface面 (object)を covering蔽って areいる lotus蓮 ofの leaves葉 ofの gap間 throughから、 by chanceふと below下 ofの the state容子 (object)を looking (hon.)御覧 (to)に didなりました。 thisこの Paradise極楽 ofの lotus pond蓮池 ofの bottom下 (topic)は、 exactly丁度 Hell地獄 ofの depths底 ontoに corresponding当って is (polite)居ります becauseから、 crystal水晶 (adj.)の likeような water水 (object)を seeing through透き徹して、 River of Three Crossings三途の河 andや Mountain of Needles針の山 ofの scenery景色 (subject)が、 just丁度 peep-box覗き眼鏡 (object)を looking at見る as ifよう (adv.)に、 clearlyはっきり (adv.)と is visible見える (nominalizer)の (copula)で is (polite)ございます。
Presently Lord Buddha paused at the edge of the pond and, through a gap in the lotus leaves covering the water, happened to glance at what lay below. The bottom of this lotus pond of Paradise lies just above the depths of Hell, so that through the crystal-clear water the scenery of the River of Three Crossings and the Mountain of Needles could be seen as clearly as through a peep-box.
thenすると thatその Hell地獄 ofの depths底 inに、 Kandata犍陀多 (called)と named云う man男 (subject)が one (person)一人、 otherほか (adj.)の sinners罪人 withと together一しょ (adv.)に writhing蠢いて beingいる figure姿 (subject)が、 his eye (hon.)御眼 toに caught止まりました。 thisこの Kandata犍陀多 (called)と named云う man男 (topic)は、 people人 (object)を killing殺したり houses家 toに fire火 (object)を settingつけたり、 variousいろいろ evil deeds悪事 (object)を committed働いた great robber大泥坊 wasで (polite)ございます butが、 even soそれでも justたった one一つ、 good善い deed事 (object)を did致した memory覚え (subject)が there isございます。 (quote)と saying申します (nominalizer)の (topic)は、 a certainある time時 thisこの man男 (subject)が deep深い forest林 ofの middle中 throughを passing通ります whenと、 small小さな spider蜘蛛 (subject)が one (animal)一匹、 roadside路ばた alongを crawling這って going行く (nominalizer)の (subject)が was seen見えました。 thereuponそこで Kandata犍陀多 (topic)は at once早速 foot足 (object)を raising挙げて、 to trample to death踏み殺そう (quote)と was about致しました butが、 no「いや、 noいや、 thisこれ tooも small小さい thoughながら、 life命 (subject)の havingある creatureもの (copula)に no doubt違いない。 thatその life命 (object)を wantonly無暗に to takeとる (quote)と called云う thing事 (topic)は、 howeverいくら much何でも is pitiful可哀そうだ。」 (quote)と、 thusこう suddenly急に reconsidering思い返して、 in the endとうとう thatその spider蜘蛛 (object)を without killing殺さず (adv.)に sparing助けて did (for it)やった becauseから (copula)で it is (polite)ございます。
Then, in the depths of Hell, one man — Kandata by name — writhing together with the other sinners, caught his eye. This man Kandata was a great robber who had done many evil deeds — killed people, set fire to houses — yet he had to his memory just one good act. Once, passing through a deep forest, he saw a little spider crawling along the roadside. He raised his foot at once to trample it to death, but suddenly reconsidered: “No, no — small as it is, it too surely has a life. To take that life wantonly — however you look at it, it is a pity.” And so in the end he spared the spider and did not kill it.
Lord Buddha御釈迦様 (topic)は Hell地獄 ofの the state容子 (object)を watching (hon.)御覧 (to)に doingなり whileながら、 thisこの Kandata犍陀多 forに (topic)は spider蜘蛛 (object)を saved助けた fact事 (subject)が existsある (nominalizer)の (object)を recalling (hon.)御思い出し (to)に didなりました。 and thenそうして that muchそれだけ ofの good善い deed事 (object)を having doneした reward報 asに (topic)は、 possible出来る ifなら、 thisこの man男 (object)を Hell地獄 fromから rescue救い出して let us (for him)やろう (quote)と thinking (hon.)御考え (to)に didなりました。 luckily幸い、 nearby側 (object)を looking見ます whenと、 jade翡翠 (adj.)の likeような color色 (object)を havingした lotus蓮 ofの leaf葉 ofの top上 onに、 Paradise極楽 ofの spider蜘蛛 (subject)が one (animal)一匹、 beautiful美しい silver銀色 (adj.)の thread糸 (object)を spinningかけて is (polite)居ります。 Lord Buddha御釈迦様 (topic)は thatその spider’s thread蜘蛛の糸 (object)を gentlyそっと his hand (hon.)御手 inに taking (hon.)御取り (to)に doingなって、 jewel玉 (adj.)の likeような white lotus白蓮 ofの gap間 throughから、 far遥か below下 inに lyingある Hell地獄 ofの depths底 towardへ、 straightまっすぐ (adv.)に itそれ (object)を lowering (hon.)御下し did (honorific)なさいました。
Watching this scene of Hell, Lord Buddha recalled that this Kandata had once saved a spider. And in reward for that one good deed, he thought, he would, if he could, rescue this man out of Hell. Luckily, looking beside him, he saw a spider of Paradise spinning a beautiful silver thread on a jade-colored lotus leaf. Lord Buddha took the spider’s thread gently in his hand and lowered it straight down, between the jewel-like white lotuses, toward the depths of Hell far below.
hereこちら (topic)は Hell地獄 ofの depths底 ofの Pool of Blood血の池 inで、 otherほか (adj.)の sinners罪人 withと together一しょ (adv.)に、 floating浮いたり sinking沈んだり doingして wasいた Kandata犍陀多 (copula)で it is (polite)ございます。 in any case何しろ whichever wayどちら (object)を looking見て evenも、 pitch darkまっ暗 beingで、 occasionallyたまに thatその darknessくら暗 out ofから dimlyぼんやり rising up浮き上って beingいる somethingもの (subject)が there isある (quote)と one thinks思います whenと、 itそれ (topic)は dreadful恐しい Mountain of Needles針の山 ofの needles針 (subject)が glinting光る (nominalizer)の (copula)で is (polite)ございます becauseから、 thatその desolation心細さ (quote)と speaking of云ったら is beyond words (polite)ございません。 thatその on top of上 surroundingsあたり (topic)は grave墓 ofの inside中 ofの mannerよう likeに utterlyしん (adv.)と hushed静まり返って、 occasionallyたまに audible聞える thingもの (quote)と speaking云って (topic)は、 onlyただ sinners罪人 (subject)が heaveつく faint微な sighs嘆息 onlyばかり (copula)で is (polite)ございます。 thisこれ (topic)は hereここ toへ falling落ちて come来る degreeほど ofの humans人間 (topic)は、 alreadyもう variousさまざまな Hell地獄 ofの torments責苦 byに utterly exhausted疲れはてて、 crying voice泣声 (object)を to raise出す strength力 evenさえ lostなくなって beingいる (nominalizer)の (copula)で probably (polite)ございましょう。 thereforeですから evenさすが the great robber大泥坊 (adj.)の Kandata犍陀多 tooも、 likewiseやはり Pool of Blood血の池 ofの blood血 inに choking咽び whileながら、 just likeまるで dying死にかかった frog蛙 ofの mannerよう likeに、 onlyただ strugglingもがいて onlyばかり was (polite)居りました。
Here, in the Pool of Blood at the bottom of Hell, was Kandata, floating and sinking with the other sinners. Whichever way one looked it was pitch dark, and when occasionally something rose dimly out of that darkness, it was the glint of the needles of the dreadful Mountain of Needles — the desolation of it was beyond words. And all around was hushed as the inside of a grave; if anything could be heard at all, it was only the faint sighs of the sinners. Those who had fallen this far were already so worn out by the many torments of Hell that they no longer even had the strength to cry. So even the great robber Kandata, choking on the blood of the Pool of Blood, could only writhe like a dying frog.
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