DATE MASAMUNE
伊達政宗
When Hideyoshi was besieging Odawara, Date Masamune made up his mind to surrender, and rode in to Sagami with about ten retainrs, leaving them there and going on to the Taiko's camp alone.
秀吉の小田原攻めの折、伊達政宗はその忠誠を誓うために十人ほどの家来を従えやって来ました。そして、部下を残し一人で本陣へと向かいました。
When he arrived there Hideyoshi refused to see him for some time, as a mark of his displeasure at Masamune's dilatoriness.
彼が到着すると、秀吉は正宗のぐずぐずした態度に対し不信感を持っていて面会を拒みました。
Hearing that Sen-no-Rikyu was in the camp, Date resorted to him and studied Cha-no-yu.
千利休が陣にいると聞きつけた正宗は、茶の湯を学びに彼の元へ行きます。
When the Taiko heard about this he seemed surprised that, since he came from a far and rather wild country, for he was lord of Sindai in Mutsu, he was so far polished that he cared about the elegant arts, and in consequence he determined to receive him.
それを聞いた太閤殿下は驚きました。陸奥の国仙台と言う未開の原野の大将、芸術や雅とかけ離れた彼が茶の湯に興味が有ると、、。 その事によって、ついに目通りを許したのです。
Masamune was renowned for his unbending disposition as well as for his boldness and originality.
正宗は頑固な性格と元来の図太さで有名でした。
More than anything else he despise being taken aback or losing self-control.
何よりも増して撤退や狼狽を軽蔑。
One of his eyes had been in some way injured and hung out on his cheek, the appearance of his face in cosequence being by no means pleasant.
片目を損傷していて眼帯を掛け、お世辞にも好感の持てる顔とは言えませんでした。
So one of his friends recommended him to cut it out, because if he came to graple with an enemy on the battle-field it might be seized and he would be in a very awkwarde position.
友人の一人が、戦場において敵と戦った時に不利になるので外した方が良いと忠告しました。
Date accordingly took the short knife from his sword scabbard and cut it out, but as he did so he gave an involuntary exclamation.
正宗はいやいやながら脇差しを抜き眼帯を切りましたが、悔しさの雄叫びを上げました。
"That will never do", said to his companion, "if you have no more self-control than that you will never become a great general."
「やめじゃやめじゃ」家来に言いました。「偉大な大将に成らぬならこれ以上の自己統制は不要である。」
Msamune felt very much ashamed of himself and swore that it shoud never occur again.
正宗は二度とこの様な行いをすまいと恥じ誓いました。
Once he was admiring a famous Tea bowl, turing it over caressingly in his hands, when it almost fell to the ground and he gave an imvoluntary start.
ある時、彼は有名な茶碗を入手にする機会がありました。手に取り拝見していると、不注意で下に落としそうになりました。
"Ah," he said "though I have learned never to flinch on any occasion in battle, not to speak of other occasions, yet I find myself starting like this from fear of smashing a Tea bowl because it may be worth a thousand kwan.
「おう」と彼は言い、「ワシは今まで戦において怯まぬ事を学び、あらゆる場面で実践してきた。しかし、この千石価値の茶碗にびびってしまうとは情けない。」
This will never do!"
「これは無用じゃ！」
And he took the bowl and flung it down on the stones, smashing it into a hundred fragments.
そう言うと、その茶碗を庭の砂利に向かって投げつけて粉々にたたき割ってしまいました。
Data Masamune was noce invited to a Cha-no-yu by Tokugawa Ieyasu.
伊達政宗は一度、徳川家康の茶の湯に招かれたことがあります。
The latter did not see that the lid of the kettle was hot, and went to take it off, when a jet of steam shot out and he involumtarily drew back his hand, whereupon Date burst out laughing.
家康は釜の蓋が熱いのに気付かずに手に取ると、蒸気が噴き出してしまい彼の手にかかってしまいました。すると正宗、大きな声で笑いました。
But Ieyasu quietly took the scalding hot lid into his hand and kept it there and went on to make the tea, wich the remark, "It would need more than stream to make me anything."
しかし家康は、その火傷しそうな蓋を持ち冷静に茶を点て言いました。「拙者にはこの熱以上の思いがござる」。
On another occasion he was invited Sakai Sanuki-no-kami Tadakatsu, one of Ieyasu's Roju.
別の機会、家康老中の酒井讃岐守忠勝の茶の湯に招かれました。
The tea spoon was one make by Sen-no-Rikyu, and Date took it in his hand and looking at it remarked, "It is rather a silly thing," and spapped it in two.
茶杓を拝見し千利休作だとわかると、「愚かな者め」と言い投げ捨ててしまいました。
Tadakatsu was naturally very surprised at this, but showed no sign of it and continued as thogh nothing had occurred.
忠勝はもちろん驚きましたが、ですが何事も無かった様に茶会は続けられました。
When Masamune went home again he sent Tadakatsu a tea spoon by Sho-o with this note, "Very many thanks for your kind entertainment, which I enjoyed so much that I was unable to control my self and did a very clumsy thing, so I hope you will accept this as a slight token of my regret."
正宗は後日忠勝に紹鴎の茶杓と手紙を送り、そこには「過日の茶の湯はお心使いありがとうございます。にもかかわらず、無作法をしてしまい申し訳ござらぬ、お詫びのしるしとしてこれをお受け取り下さい」と書いてありました。
These audacious pranks were characteristic of the 'One-eyed Dragon' as Data was usually called, but would have been neither safe nor advisable for anyone else to imitate.
これらの大胆不敵な悪ふざけは、伊達政宗を「独眼竜」と呼ばしめ他が彼の真似をすることなく、ある意味では安全を確保していたと言えます。
But Masamune was most punctilious about ceremony when occasion demanded it, for onec when the Shogtun Iemitsu, wishing to show him especial favour, invited him to the Casle to a Tea ceremony, befor he entered the Shogun's presence one of the officials, Sakuma Shogen, met him in the outer Tea Utensil Chamber and placed before him a Tea-caddy in a box which Iemitsu wished to present to him. But Date would not recieved and after three refusals, Sakuma took it back again to his master. "Quite right," said the Shogun, "leave it here," aqnd when Date was ushered into his presence he took the box out of his sleeve and gave it to him with his own hand. Masamune thanked him most respectfully and said: " Sakuma brought me this just now I declined, because I did not think it proper to receve a present from the Shogun on the mats of the Utensil Chamber." Iemitsu was very pleased with this courtly speech and the fine discrimination it revealed.
しかし、正宗は他方で細心で厳格な茶の湯を求める事も有ります。 将軍家光が彼をもてなす為に城での茶会に招待した折、正宗は先に茶道具棚の前に促されました。佐久間勝元と言う将軍家来が正宗に、殿から進呈させる名物茶入を差し出しましたが彼は受け取りを拒否しました。何度か押し問答の後勝元は家光に報告、「あい分かった、ここへ」と将軍は言い、正宗を茶室へ促し自らの袖から茶入を取り出し彼にわたしました。 正宗は心よりの感謝をのべ受け取りながら言いました、「先ほどの勝元殿から進呈の申し出をお断りしましたが、殿のお心を畳の上から頂戴するのは失礼至極と存じました。」 それを聞いた家光は、彼の見識に感服したのでした。
During the protracted negociations that took place during the Winter Campain before Osaka Castle the Comanders of the various armies used to foregther and while away the time by Incense Smelling Compatitions for prizes.
大阪冬の陣において多くの武将軍団が集まり対峙している間、つかの間の余興としてお香の会が催されました。
Data Masamune happened to drop in during one of these meetings and was induced to take part.
伊達政宗もその中にいて、発起人の一人にになりました。
The other generals contributed bows and arrows and horse trappings and saddles and other equally valuable things as prizes, but Masamune only offered the gourd he had hanging at his side.
大将達は弓矢や馬鞍などそれなりの懸賞を拠出しましたが、正宗は腰に下げていた瓢箪を提供しました。
The others laughed at this and no one was at all anxious to receive it , but eventually a retainer of the host took it.
誰もが失笑しほしがる者はいませんでしたが、徳川家の侍の一人がそれを勝ち取りました。
But when the party was over and Masamune was about to go back to his quarters he took the horse he had been riding and give it to this man.
お香の会が終わると、正宗は陣地に戻り一頭の馬に乗り戻ってくるとそれを彼に与えました。
"There," he said "a horse has come out of the gourd."
「ほら！瓢箪から駒が出た」と彼は言いました。
And those who had been so amused at first were now envious.
皆驚き羨望のまなざしを向けたそうです。
* This is a proverbial saying signifying something surprising.
ことわざの一つで良い意味でびっくりするお話。