GOSHO 上野尼御前御返事 Wu-lung and I-lung 6

然(しか)して後、五根より血の出(い)ずる事、泉(いずみ)の涌(わ)くが如し、

Thereupon blood spurted like fountains from his five sense organs.

Shortly thereafter, his five sense organs began gushing blood as if they were fountains.

舌八つにさけ・身くだけて十方にわか(分)れぬ。

His tongue split into eight pieces, and his body fell apart in ten directions.

His tongue split into eight pieces and his body scattered to the ten directions.

然(しか)れども一類の人人も三悪道を知らざれば地獄に堕(お)つる先相ともしらず。

　Yet his relatives, ignorant of the three evil paths, did not realize that this was an omen that he would fall into hell.

But his relatives, ignorant of the three evil paths, did not realize that these events were portents of his imminent fall into hell.

其の子をば遺(い)竜(りょう)と申す、又漢土第一の手跡なり。

The son’s name was I-lung. He, too, proved to be the best calligrapher in China.

Like his father before him, the son named Yi-long, proved to be the greatest calligrapher in China.

親の跡(あと)を追うて法華経を書かじと云う願を立てたり。

Obedient to his father’s will, he pledged that he would never transcribe the Lotus Sutra.

And in accordance with his father’s final will, he vowed never to transcribe the Lotus Sutra.

其の時大王おはします司馬(しば)氏(し)と名く、

The ruler of the time was named Ssu-ma.

The great king reigning at that time was named Ssu-ma.

仏法を信じ殊(こと)に法華経をあふ(仰)ぎ給いしが、同じくは我が国の中に手跡第一の者に此の経を書かせて持経とせんとて遺竜を召(め)す。

He believed in Buddhism and held the Lotus Sutra in especially high regard. He desired to have this sutra transcribed by an excellent calligrapher—none but the most skilled in all the country—so that he could have a copy of his own. So he summoned I-lung.

He was a believer in Buddhism, and because he held the Lotus Sutra in particular reverence, the king wished to own the Sutra, written in the hand of the finest calligrapher of his kingdom. He therefore summoned Yi-long to commission the work.


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　つづく　Next
解　説　　目次　Index