HIDEYOSHI ENTERTAINS THE CHINESE ENVOYS
秀吉中国使節をもてなす
After Hideyoshi had been occupied for two years in subduing Korea the Chinese guerilla general Ch'en Wei Ching started negotiations with Konishi Yukinaga who was in command of the advanced post of the Japanese forces and terms of peace were drawn up.
秀吉は全国制覇をした二年後、朝鮮半島を支配している中国ゲリラの将軍Ｃｈ‘ｅｎ Ｗｅｉ Ｃｈｉｎｇとの交渉を小西行長に担当させました。彼は日本軍を増強する司令官であり、国内は安定していました。
Then General Ch'en with the envoy Hsieh Yung Tsu and his subordinate Hsieh Yung Tsu came to the headquarters at Nagoya in Hizen on the fifteenth day of the fifth month of the second year of Bunroku (1594), and informed the Taiko that the Chinese Emperor would affix his seal to the agreement, whereupon Hideyoshi made peace gladly.
文禄二年（１５９４）五月十五日尾張名古屋、Ｃｈ‘ｅｎ将軍の使節 Hsieh Yung Tsu と部下 Hsieh Yung Tsu は中国皇帝の承認印の手紙を携えやって来ました。その時秀吉は上機嫌でした。
His great vassals Tokugawa Ieyasu, Maeda Toshiie and Asano Nagamasa took turns to entertain the Chinese guests and then, on the twenty-third day of the fifth month, Hideyoshi received them in audience and drank their health, after which he presented them with swords, wadded garments, hempen summer suits and silver coin and entertained them to a Cha-no-yu in his golden Tea-room.
重鎮である徳川家康、前田利家、浅井長政も中国使節を迎えるため登城、五月二十五日に使節の謁見を受け歓待しました。秀吉は彼らに刀、綿の服、麻布の夏服、銀貨を進呈して黄金の茶室で茶の湯の会を催しました。
He himself sat by the side of the Tokonoma while Kyuami made tea and Amako Saburozaemon-no-jo and Mikami Saburo assisted.
秀吉が正客、 Kyuami が茶を点て Amako Saburozaemon-no-jo と Mikami Saburo が半東でした。
The great lords and high officers sat on the verandah outside.
使節とその部下はベランダ側に着座。
All the vessels used in the Sukiya were of gold as well as those in the adjoining reception room and in the Tokonoma hung a rare kakemono of Kyodo's writing which the envoys greatly admired, observing that even in China the work of this master was very rare.
数奇屋の容器類は金で隣接する応接間にも金製のモノがずらり、床の間には貴重な掛け物が飾られ使節達は感嘆、それは中国でも貴重な達人の筆でした。
When Hideyoshi asked them what artists were most admired in China they relied that Fen Yu Chien came first and then Ma Lin and Mu Ch'i.
秀吉がその書について中国でも有名ですかと尋ねると彼らも頷き、 Fen Yu Chien に続き Ma Lin と Mu Ch'i と返答しました。
.
So Hideyoshi had the pictures of Evening Rain and The Bell at Dusk by Yu Chien and Morning Hills and Green Maples by Ma Lin brought out for their inspection.
秀吉は Yu Chien の夕暮れの鐘と雨の絵、 Ma Lin の楓と朝の丘の絵を持っていて、拝見の為持ってこさせました。
The Chinese were delighted with them and promised that when they got back to their country they would procure for him the three scrolls of Yu Chien that were lacking in his set of the Eight Beautiful Scenes of the Western Lake.
中国使節は感激し祖国へ帰ったら Yu Chien の三枚の絵を送る事を約束しました。それは、秀吉の所持している絵はセットになっていて、「 Eight Beautiful Scenes of the Western Lake 」と言う題名です。
They then praised the scenery of the port of Nagoya with its splendid bay of calm deep water surrounded by hills.
彼らはそれから、名古屋港の周りの丘によって波静かな景観、設備を賞賛しました。
It surpassed the ten li scenery of Hsiao-siang, they thought, though it did not compare with the three hundred li of the Kia Ling river.
「Hsiao-siang の十の Li をもしのいでいる」っと、実は Kia Ling 河の Li は三百あるのですが、、。
So Hideyoshi entertained them in boats on the ninth of the sixth month, ordering the No masters Kwanze and Komparu to attend and give a performance of their art, and the music and the chanting echoed over the water and produced so inexpressibly beautiful an effect that the Dragon Deities of the Sea must have been tempted to emerge from the waves and take part.
秀吉は六月九日彼らを舟上で接待をしました。能の観世と金春を乗船演じさせ、音楽と詠唱は水面に響き、船首の竜神は波に揺らめき素晴らしい効果を演出しました。
The next day he invited them to take tea in a garden in the country surrounded by the fresh green of the hills and the murmur of the mountain streams, far way from everything but the calm of nature.
翌日は青葉にもゆる丘の庭園、小川のせせらぎと穏やかな自然の中、茶会を催しました。
Here was a Four-and - a half Mat Tea-room with the painting of the Reyurning Sails by Yu Chien hung in the Tokonoma.
四畳半の畳を敷き道具をしつらえ、 Yu Chien の Reyurning Sails の絵をしつらえ床に飾りました。
The Tea vessels were all masterpieces, though simple compared with the former magnificence.
茶道具はとても貴重な品々で、以前の黄金の茶室での豪奢な物とは対象的でした。
This time Hideyoshi deigned to serve the tea with his own hands, using the Temmoku cup on a stand and waiting on the guests himself to their undisguised delight.
今回は秀吉自ら茶を点て、天目茶碗での接待はとてもフランクな雰囲気で行われ、また彼らを感動させたのでした。
In the reception room attached Yuami made Tea for the feudal lords and high court nobles of his train.
応接間での Yuami の茶は、封建的であり未開国の征服者の儀式だったのです。
On the twenty-eight day the envoys started to return to China and Hideyoshi made them many presents among which he included three jars of pounds of fine leaf tea.
二十八日間ほど滞在して使節団は中国へ帰って行きました。秀吉は沢山の土産物を渡し、その中には抹茶を詰めた壺が三つありました。
This pleased the envoys exceedingly and they went up to the castle to thank the Taiko specially for it before setting sail.
使節団の皆は舟の帆を揚げる前、甲板に並び太閤へ最上の礼を尽くしたと言われています。