犬の聖歌  

The best friend a man has in this world may turn against him and become his enemy.
この世では、親友でさえ貴方を裏切り敵となる事がある。
His son or daughter that he has reared with loving care may prove ungrateful.Those who are nearest and dearest to us,
愛すべき我が子も深い親の愛を忘れてしまうも知れない。
those whom we trust with our happiness and our good name, may become traitors to their faith.
貴方が最も愛しい信ずるべき人もその信用を裏切るかも知れない。

The money that a man has, he may lose.
富はいつか失われるかも知れない。
It flies away from him, perhaps when he needs it most.
あるいは、最も必要な時に貴方の手にあるとは限らない。
A man's reputation may be sacrifices in a moment of ill-considered action.
名声は一瞬の浅はかな行動によって地に堕ちてしまう事もある。

The people who are prone to fall on their knees to do us honor when sucess is with us may be the first to throw the
stone of malice when failure settles its clouds upon our heads.
膝まずいて敬ってくれた人々もつまずきの暗雲を曇らせた途端に豹変し、貴方に悪意の石つぶてをなげつけるかも知れない・・・。

The one absolutely unselfish friend that a man can have in this selfish world,the one that never deserts him and the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous is his dog.
こんな利己的な世の中で決して裏切らなく、恩知らずでもなく、不誠実でもない絶対不変しないのは貴方の犬だ。

Gentlemen of the jury, a man's dog stands by him in prosperity and in poverty, in health and in sickness.
貴方の犬は富める時も貧しき時も、健やかなる時も病める時も常に貴方の見方である。
He will sleep on the cold ground, where the wintry winds blow and the snow drives fiercely,if only he may be near his master's side.
冷たい風がふきつけても、雪が激しく降っていても貴方のそばならば眠るだろう。

He will kiss the hand that has no food to offer.

彼は与える食べ物が何一つなくても、手をさしのべればキスをしてくれ、
He will lick the wounds and sores that come in encounters with the roughness of the world.
彼は、世間の荒波にもまれひどい目にあった傷や貴方を優しく舐めてくれるだろう。
He guards the sleep of his pauper master as if he were a prince.

彼は貧しい貴方の眠りを王子様の様に守ってくれる。

When all other friends desert, he remains.
友が一人残さず貴方を見捨て、去っても、
When riches take wings and reputation falls to pieces, he is as constant in his love as the sun in its journey through the heavens.
富や名声が地に堕ちても、彼は絶え間なく天空を旅する太陽の様に絶え間なく貴方を愛する。

If fortune drives the master forth an outcast in the world, friendless and homeless,the faithful dog asks no higher privlege than that of
accompanying him to guard against danger,to fight against his enemies,

もし、運命で友も住む家のない貴方になっても忠実な犬は貴方と共にいる事意外何も望まず貴方を危険から守り、敵と戦う。

and when the last scene of all comes and death takes the master in
そして貴方にすべての終わりがきて、
its embrace and his body is laid away in the cold ground,no matter if all other friends pursue their way, there by his graveside will
the noble dog be found,his head between his paws,

死が貴方を抱き骸が冷たい土の下に葬られ、人々が去った墓の傍には前足の間に頭が垂れた気高い犬がいる、
his eyes sad but open in alert watchfulness, faithful and true even to death.
彼の目は悲しみに曇りながらも油断なく死者(貴方)に対してさえも忠実と真実に満ちている・・・。


和訳 HIROKO・M
Special thanks  miyoko