災厄ー

解説

付記

「なぜこの笑いが起こるのか？」と問うなら―― この声に出す大きな微笑み、 唇の伸び、顎の歪み、 横隔膜の律動は、 海のうねり、絨毯の揺れのよう。 私は答える――魂の深奥から湧き出すのだ。 測り知れぬ深淵から、 泉のように、ゴボゴボと溢れ出す。 峡谷を流れる河のように。 それはただ一つを示す―― 私の気分は陽光に満ちている、と。 さらに問うなら―― なぜ魂の深奥から、 なぜその深淵からこの笑いがあふれるのか？ この大きな笑みが響き渡るのか？ 私は白き心で答えよう、 タンピタンピと鼓動する舌で、 誠実に、正直に。 ウィリアム・ブライアンが捕まえたのだ。 ――ホワングデプーテナワーを！ それは湿地に立つツルではない。 膝まで浸かり、 翼を背で交差させ、 首を折り畳み、 嘴を胸の羽毛に埋め、 頭を内に引き込み、 肩越しに覗くツル――それではない。 北風に灰色に震え、 「小さなうちに死んでおけばよかった」と 雀のように嘆くツルではない。 違う――湿地に灰色に立ち尽くすシャンクではない。 無比のウィリアム・ブライアンが―― ついにそれを捕らえたのだ。 ホワングデプーテナワーを！

管理人コメント

Original

In the Ojibwa tongue, disaster; an unexpected affliction that strikes hard.

Additional notes

Should you ask me whence this laughter, Whence this audible big-smiling, With its labial extension, With its maxillar distortion And its diaphragmic rhythmus Like the billowing of an ocean, Like the shaking of a carpet, I should answer, I should tell you: From the great deeps of the spirit, From the unplummeted abysmus Of the soul this laughter welleth As the fountain, the gug-guggle, Like the river from the canon, To entoken and give warning That my present mood is sunny. Should you ask me further question— Why the great deeps of the spirit, Why the unplummeted abysmus Of the soule extrudes this laughter, This all audible big-smiling, I should answer, I should tell you With a white heart, tumpitumpy, With a true tongue, honest Injun: William Bryan, he has Caught It, Caught the Whangdepootenawah! Is't the sandhill crane, the shankank, Standing in the marsh, the kneedeep, Standing silent in the kneedeep With his wing-tips crossed behind him And his neck close-reefed before him, With his bill, his william, buried In the down upon his bosom, With his head retracted inly, While his shoulders overlook it? Does the sandhill crane, the shankank, Shiver grayly in the north wind, Wishing he had died when little, As the sparrow, the chipchip, does? No 'tis not the Shankank standing, Standing in the gray and dismal Marsh, the gray and dismal kneedeep. No, 'tis peerless William Bryan Realizing that he's Caught It, Caught the Whangdepootenawah!