NAGAI NAOKATSU AND I I NAOMASA
永井直勝と井伊直政
Nagai Ukondaiyu Naokatsu was a retainer of Tokugawa Ieyasu.
永井直勝は徳川家康の家来でした。
His original name was Osada, but as he thought it ill-omened he changed it to Nagai.
元々は長田姓でしたが、縁起が悪いと言う事で永井姓に変えました。
He took the head of Ikeda Shonyu at the battle of Nagakude.
長久手の戦いで池田恒興の首を上げました。
After the battle of Sekigahara, Ii Naomasa and Honda Tadakatsu were indignant at the smallness of their rewards and sent back to Ieyasu the documents they had received from him granting them increases in their fiefs.
関ヶ原の戦い後、井伊直政と本多忠勝は報償の少なさに腹を立て、家康にその報償を突っ返し、領地の増額を得ました。
• Honda Tadakatsu received the fief of Kuwana, 150,000 koku, and Ii Naomasa received Sawayama 180,000 koku, after Sekigahara.
関ヶ原後、本多忠勝は桑名一万五千石、井伊直政は沢山一万八千石を得ています。
Compared with e.g. Kuroda's 520,000 koku at Fukuoka and Fukushima 's 498,000 at Hiroshima this may have seemed small.
福岡の黒田五十二万石と広島の福島四十九万八千石と比較してそれは些少でした。
When Naokatsu heard of it he said to Naomasa : “You are one of the pillars of the Tokugawa house ; it is not becoming of you to seem so greedy of large revenues. You certainly ought to receive the increase politely.”
直政からそれを聞いた直勝は「徳川家臣として強欲になるのはよろしくない、感謝をもってご加増を受けるべきであった。」と言いました。
“You don't know what you are talking about,” answered Naomasa, “Here are lords who have given comparatively little assistance lately getting large fiefs and province, while we, who have fought for our chief ever since he was only a small Daimyo in Mikawa, are given small pittances like these. Who wouldn't resent such poor recognition of their services?”
「そなたは分かってはいない」っと直政、「首領と言うのは働きによって公平に分配するのであって、我々は、三河の頃から殿の為に働いて来た。我々は雀の涙ほどしか与えられず。」
“I don't see that,” replied Naokatsu, for retainers like ourselves should not grumble whatever they are told to do.
「ワシはそうは思わぬ」っと直勝、「我々の様な家臣が不平を言うってはいかんよ。
As for these other lords, they owe their positions and their allegiance to someone else, but without their forces, however valiantly we might have fought, there would have been little chance of this success.
多くの大名達は、他と違う働きをしてその地位を得ている。彼らの軍隊なくして、又果敢な戦いなくして、我々の勝利は無かったのだから。
But when you think of the large number of men you were given the honor of commanding, I don't see how you can complain that your merit was not recognized.
彼ら武将があるからこそ戦いに勝利した、不平はそなたにとって何の得も御座らん。
However brave you may be you could have done little without the armies entrusted to you.”
とにかく、戦った軍勢の勇気があってこそ、個々の貢献など小さいわ。」
At this Naomasa lost his temper and replied.
直政はかんしゃくを起こして反論しました。
“Why, you don't compare yourself to me, do you?”
「なぜそなたはワシと比較しないのだ？」
“What a stupid remark,” returned Nagai with a sarcastic smile, “If I had been entrusted by our lord with as many men as you were, there is no reason to think I should have done any worse.
「なんと愚かなことを」永井は皮肉を込めた笑みを浮かべ「もしワシがそなたと同じように殿に仕事を任せられたら、考える余地など無く邁進いたすよ。
All I have to regret is that I had not the scope to do more.
後退しなければならない時、それは、ワシの能力を超えた時である。
But I thought you had more sense and I am really sorry that I have been friendly with you thus far.
そちの方がワシよりも判断力があったとすれば謝る、そなたの事を友と思えばこその忠告である。
In future I shall not trouble you further.”
先々、もめ事を起こしたくは御座らぬのでな。」