[26] 木曽の最後（上） DEATH OF KISO (1)

　　　　　　南山高等学校　２年　日英バイリンガル通信　NO. 26　October 18, 1991

　諸君は古文の授業で「平家物語」を勉強しましたが、ここでその復習をしましょう。

　今井四郎・木曾殿、主従二騎になつてのたまひけるは、「日ごろは何ともおぼえぬ鎧が、今日は重うなつたるぞや。」今井四郎申しけるは、「御身もいまだ疲れさせたまはず。御馬も弱り候はず。何によつてか、一領の御着背長を重うは思しめし候ふべき。それは味方に御勢が候はねば、臆病でこそ、さは思しめし候へ。兼平一人候ふとも、余の武者千騎と思しめせ。矢七つ八つ候へば、しばらく防ぎ矢つかまつらむ。あれに見え候ふ、粟津の松原と申す。あの松の中で御自害候へ。」とて、打つて行くほどに、また新手の武者五十騎ばかり出で来たり。「君はあの松原へ入らせたまへ。兼平はこの敵防ぎ候はむ。」と申しければ、木曾殿のたまひけるは、「義仲、都にていかにもなるべかりつるが、これまで逃れ来るは、汝と一所で死なむと思ふためなり。ところところで討たれむよりも、ひと所でこそ討死をもせめ。」とて、馬の鼻を並べて駆けむとしたまへば、今井四郎、馬より飛び降り、主の馬の口に取りついて申しけるは、（続く）

　　　　　　　　　　DEATH OF KISO (1)

　　You studied “The Tale of Heike” during your classical Japanese lesson. Let’s review it here.

　　 When Kiso found himself alone with his retainer, Shiro Imai, he said, “Usually I am unaware of the weight of my armor, but today I feel it is heavy.”
　　Imai said, “You are not tired yet. Nor is your horse. Why do you feel one suit of armor is heavy? It is because you have few forces on your side, and have lost your courage. Though I am only one warrior, imagine that you have 1,000 horsemen. I have seven or eight arrows. I can manage to defend you for a while. Look at the pine grove over there. That is Awazu no Matsubara. Please commit harakiri there.”
　　Saying so, Imai gave his horse a cut, when another 50 horsemen or so appeared. Imai said to his master, “Please run your horse into the grove. I will stop this enemy.”
Kiso said, “I should have fought the last battle in Kyoto, but I have come here only because I wanted to die with you at the same place. Let’s die together rather than separately.
Just as Kiso was about to ride his horse abreast with Imai’s, Imai got off his horse, held his master’s, and said,
　　　　　(To be continued)