Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
-
One day, when the old man tried to cut bamboo, he saw (there was) a
bamboo with a sparkling base.
"It is a mysterious bamboo".
The old man was surprised, and gently cut and saw the bamboo.
Then how it is!
Inside the bamboo there was a little girl.
- = cut
= let's cut
= try to cut
= the root, the base
= shiny
= sparkle, glitter
= a wonder, a mystery
= gently, quietly, lightly
= and, then
= how
page 4
-
"What a cute child!"
The old man very happily took the girl up in his arms,
he took her back home.
"I am certain this is a gift from the god."
The old woman also happily embraced the girl.
Together they treated her like a treasure and raised her very carefully.
- = how!, what!
= take up in one's arms
= take, take along
= grant
= give
= I am sure, certainly
= embrace, hug close
= like (similar)
= important, valuable, carefully
= very, much, very much
= bring up, raise
page 5
--
A strange thing from the next day
each time the old man cut bambu
gold came out.
Suddenly the old man became the richest in the village.
- = every time
= gold
= crunch (grow out sound)
= right away, at once, suddenly
= a rich man, the rich
page 6
-
The girl grew up quickly, and before long she became a maiden.
She is beautiful as if sparkling,
and pretty as if fragrant, and from this
she came to be called Kaguyahime (fragrant princess).
- = fast, quickly
= grow up
= soon, before long, by and by
= daughter, maiden, to become a young woman
= as if
= shine, glitter, sparkle
= fragrant, sweet-smelling
= about, some, or so, such
= a point
= call, named
Among them even on rainy days and windy days there came to the old man's
residence,
five persons who say that by all means they want Kaguyahime as a wife.
All of these (five) persons also have high social positions and are very rich.
"Kaguyahime is a daughter granted from the god.
I can't give her to anybody."
No matter how many times the old man refuses the five men do not give up.
The old man told Kaguyahime that he is completely at a loss.
- = which, any
= a (social) position
= not to anybody
= give, lift
= how much
= refuse, decline
= give up, abandon
= be troubled, be in trouble, be at a loss
page 9
-
"The are all only magnificent people.
Please give us piece of mind and soon also become a bride."
An then Kaguyahime said.
"In that case I will become the bride of the person who finds rare things."
- = person, like but polite
= about, always, only, just, almost
= you (down)
= we
= peace of mind, be relieved
= rare, new, strange
= find, discover
page 10
-
Then the old man told Kaguyahime's words to the five men.
"Prince Ishizukuri go to India and please bring a stone bowl which Buddha used.
Prince Kuramochi go to the mountain on the Isle of Eternal Youth,
break a branch from the golden tree that bears white fruit and bring it.
Right Minister Abe go to China and bring the skin clothing the fire mouse.
Sir Ohtomo bring the five colored jewel ball from the dragon's neck.
Mr. Isonokami please bring the shellfish that it is said was born
together with the egg of the swallow."
Such treasures do not enter the hands of normal people.
The five men looked blankly at each other's faces.
And yet if they can not somehow get it into their hands, they can
not receive Kaguyahime.
- = tell
= India
= Buddha
= stone
= bowl
= Isle of Eternal Youth
= fruit, a nut, a berry
= grow, bear
= gold
= a branch, a bough
= break, snap
= right minister
= China
= clothes, a robe
= the skin, a hide, leather
= government (court) official
= dragon
= jewel (ball)
= lower government official
= a swallow
= bear, give birth to
= shellfish
= only
= everything, all (people)
= blankly, absent-mindedly
= look at each other
= and yet, still
= somehow, manage to
= put ~ in, pour ~ in
page 12
-
Prince Isizukuri only left the capital, but told a lie that he went to India.
He went around to temples here and there,
and found and brought back an old stone bowl.
He put it into a brocade bag,
and brought it to Kaguyahime's place.
"Finally I found the bowl, and returned from India."
- = a lie
= tell a lie
= here and there
= temple
= go around (from place to place)
= find, discover
= (Japanese) brocade
= bag
= put ~ in, pour ~ in
= at last, finally
= go back, come back, return
page 13
-
But Kaguyahime looked at the dirty bowl and said.
"This a bowl that you could find and bring from any temple, isn't it.
If this was truly Buddha's bowl, it ought to shine with a more beautiful light.
Prince Ishizukuri became embarrassed, and secretly ran away
- = somewhere, anywhere
= if
= more
= light
= shine, glitter, sparkle
= be to ~, should, must
= secretly
= run away, get away
page 14
-
Prince Kuramochi said he will go to the mountain on the Isle of Eternal Youth
and boarded a ship.
he gathered some goldwork masters and had them make a golden branch.
As may be expected they are masters.
Kaguyahime also could not make such a distinction from the genuine.
Kaguyahime was trouble, and then the masters delivered a letter to her.
- = board
= then, thereupon
= secretly, in secret
= gold
= work
= an expert, a master
= gather, collect
= branch
= as may be expected
= a real thing, real, genuine
= a distinction
= such
= be troubled, be in trouble
= deliver
page 15
"In spite of our making the gold branch, Prince Kuramochi did not pay us.
Please princess pay us from your side."
Suddenly upon knowing of the counterfeit,
Prince Karamochi confusedly ran away.
- = in spite of
= pay
= do for me (us)
= please
= princess
= direction, way
= right away, at once, suddenly
= an immitation, a counterfeit, a fake
= be confused, be flurried, confusedly
= run away and go back
page 16
-
Right Minister Abe went to the harbor where the ship came from China
and paid a lot of money,
he got the skin of the fire mouse.
= China
= port, harbor
= get, acquire
= India
= monk
= all the way
= proud
= proudly
page 17
-
"Then let's put it in the fire and see.
If it is the skin of the fire mouse it will not burn."
-
Sir Ohtomo got on a ship by himself and went out to search for a dragon.
As soon as he set off, it became terribly stormy.
The ship shook like a leaf, and was about to sink.
"Because I tried to catch a dragon the dragon king got angry."
The boatmen also trembled violently.
Sir Ohtomo didn't feel alive any more.
Without thinking he put his hands together in prayer and shouted.
"Dragon king please forgive me.
I no longer dare to want a dragon's ball."
And yet the sea remained rough for three days and three nights,
finally they floated to the beach.
After that Sir Ohtomo did not return to the place of Kaguyahime.
--
= dragon
= look for, search for
= the offing
= leave
= as soon as ~, at the very moment
= storm
= a leaf
= shake, wave
= be ready to ~
= sink, go down
= is about to (for verbs), looks as if (for adjectives)
= catch, catch hold
lets + = to try to
= get angry
= boatman
= tremble violently
= a feeling
= already, another, not ~ more
= live, be alive
= in spite of oneself, unconciously
= put hands together to prey
= cry (out), shout
= forgive
= please
= ball (in this case, transparent)
= want
~ (~ ) = don't do anything such as ~
= be rough, be stormy
= continue, last, follow
verb + = to continue verb-ing
= finally
= flow, stream, run
= since then
page 21
--
Mr. Osonokami was very pleased.
In the case of swallow's nests, they are everywhere.
One day he found a swallow's nest under the eaves of the storehouse
of the emperor's mansion.
Right away he had his men make a scaffolding, and hang a basket.
Mr. Osonokami got in the basket and put his hand in the nest and the
shellfish was there.
"I found it! Quickly bring down the basket."
While his men hurriedly let the rope up, the basket fell,
Mr. Osonokami also fell down on his back.
He was still holding the shellfish firmly.
But, when they looked closely, there was a swallow's dropping.
- = be very pleased
= swallow (bird)
= nest
= are everywhere
= emperor
= mansion
= a storehouse
= under the eaves
= find
= right away
= his men
= a footing, scaffolding
= palanquin
= hang
= put ~ in
= shellfish
= rope
= lift, hold up
= fall, drop
= on the back
= fall down
= firmly
= grasp firmly
= dropping
= well
page 22
-
Kaguyahime who nobody could make their bride became increasingly beautiful.
However, it happened about when the Spring came in the fourth year after that.
= bride
= increasingly
~ = nobody
= however, but
= four
# = nth
= past of
= about when, approximately when
= it was about when
= look
= tear
= shed
= becomes a custom, or habit, a reccurent event
~ + * = whenever doing ~ do *
= something
= like , making a question, more informal
= ask (question, not request)
= smile
= turn
= only, just
= but
= round
= as
= feel, want, desire
= weep
page 24
......
-
"It also makes me sad to see your sad appearance."
"No matter who comes we will not hand you over,"
the old woman said while crying.
- = make a person ~, let a person ~
= very strong negation (informal form)
= very strong negation (polite form)
= hand (over), give
= cry
page 26
-
The old man decided to ask the emperor to protect Kaguyahime.
When the day of the full moon came,
as many as 2000 of the emperor's attendants
came and surrounded the old man's home.
The attendants holding bows and arrows are even lined up on the roof,
Kaguyahime was put in the deepest room of the house, and
the old man and woman held her firmly in their arms.
Before long it became evening,
the full moon began to rise and,
the sky became bright like high noon.
- = emperor
= ask (a request)
= protect, defend
= following expresses gratitude
~ = decide to do ~
= an attendant
= home (large)
= surround
= around something
= surround
# = as many as #
= roof
= bow and arrow
= hold
= in a row, sit in a row, be lined up
= everybody (in a group)
= slay, kill
= be ready for
= deep
= put something in
= firmly
= hold in one's arms
= before long
= it becomes evening
= full moon
= rise
= high noon
= like
= light, bright
page 28
-
And then a large cloud came down slowly.
Above the cloud, there stood a great many people from heaven,
as if surrounding the cart.
The attendants who were looking absorbedly, hastily fixed their bows.
However, what happened to them?
The power went out from all of the attendants,
and they could not move their bodies at all.
The cloud on which the people from heaven were riding stopped a little
above the garden.
A very clear voice sounded all over.
"Old man bambu cutter, we came for Kaguyahime.
Thank you for raising the princess until now."
At that moment,
the completely closed door of the house opened without a sound,
Kaguyahime departed from the company of her parents.
- = cloud
= slowly
= enclose, surround
= many, a great number of
= absorbedly, be charmed
= look
= hastily
= bow
= fit, fix
= come out, be missing
= by all means (positive sentence), will not (negative sentence)
= move
= give a ride, pick up
= very clear (eg. water, voice)
= sound
= cross, go across, go over, come over
= meet, welcome
= until now
= raise
= as soon as, immediately after, at the very moment
= completely closed, locked
= door (sliding)
= open
= by, beside, neighborhood
= leave
page 30
Kaguyahime went out to the garden and she wore a heavenly woman's robe of
feathers.
"Father, mother, it is farewell.
-
"Sayonara."
Kaguyahime surrounded by the heavenly people
went up up in the shining light of the full moon.
- = surround
= light (visible)
= shine
= go up