KAMIYA SOTAN
神屋宗湛
Kamiya Sotan was another great merchant of Hakata.
神屋宗湛はもう一人の博多豪商でした。
He had a Tea-caddy called Hakata Bunrin which was as famous as Soshitsu's Narashiba.
彼は博多文林茶入を所有し、宗室の楢柴肩衝と並んでとても貴重な物でした。
Hideyoshi coveted this also and tried to get it through the good office of Rikyu, but Sotan declined to part with it.
秀吉はこれも熱望し、利休を通じて交渉を持ちましたが断られています。
When Hideyoshi invited Soshitsu to Cha-no-yu at Hakozaki after he had received this Narashiba from Akizuki Tanezane, Sotan had been invited with him, and since Soshitsu decline on the plea of illness Sotan went alone.
秀吉が秋月実種から楢柴肩衝を入手した後、宗室を箱崎の茶の湯に招待し宗湛も呼ばれていて、しかし、宗室が病気を理由に断ってしまい彼一人で出席しています。
Hosokawa Yusai and Sen-no-Rikyu were also there.
細川幽齋と千利休もそこに居ました。
“Ah, Tsukushi Bozy, so you've come, have you,” said Hideyoshi, “and how about Hakata Bozu?” for so he always called these two.
「筑紫坊主、そちは来たか」っと秀吉は言い、「博多坊主はどうしたのじゃ」。秀吉は二人をいつもこう呼びます。
“Soshitsu is ill, my lord,” replied Sotan.
「宗室は病気にございます、殿」っと宗湛。
“What's the matter with him?” enquired Hideyoshi.
「何が原因じゃ」っと秀吉が尋ね。
“The Narashiuba disease, I think,” was the ready answer.
「楢柴病と思います」っと直ぐ返答し。
A smile spread over Hideyoshi's face.
秀吉の顔に笑みがこぼれました。
“Ah, Hakata Bozu is a sharp fellow! I've got something here I wanted to show him but he seems to have smelt it out and kept away.
「博多坊主は鋭い奴よ！ワシが手に入れた物を見せようと思ったが、嗅付けた様で逃げおったわ
You'd better take care that your Bunrin isn't stolen too.”
おぬしも文林を盗まれぬ様に気付けた方が良いぞ」。
“Exactly,” thought Sotan to himself, and tapping his neck he replied, “I'll stake this that it isn't stolen.”
「おおしゃる通り」宗湛は自分に言い聞かせる様に言いました。そして首を軽くたたきながら「盗まれない様に檻にでも入れておきます」っと答えました。
Hideyoshi looked at Rikyu and laughed.
秀吉は利休を見て笑いました。
Sotan had obtained through his trading a lot of knowledge of the Southern Barbarians as the Portuguese and Spanish were then called, and Hideyoshi thought of giving him a province in Kyushu as commander of the front gate of the Empire.
宗湛はポルトガルやスペインとの交易を通し、南蛮人（彼らをそう呼ぶ）との知識経験が豊富でした。秀吉は彼をこの帝国の玄関役としての九州、その司令官としての地位を与えようと思っておりました。
So he said to him one day, “You would make a good warrior, I think ; I will give you a province in Kyushu .”
ある時秀吉は言いました、「そちは立派な武人である、で、九州を任せようと思うが」。
“Oh no, thank you, your Lordship,” replied Sotan very decidedly, “I am a merchant. That is enough. I don't want to be a soldier.”
宗湛は「めっそうもございません殿下」と頭を床にこすり、「私は一介の商人、お武家さまは無理でございます。今のままで充分でございます。」っと固辞しました。