我々は七時前に起きる習慣でした。學校は八時に始まる事が多いので、それでないと授業に間に合はないのです。下女は其關係で六時頃に起きる譯になつてゐました。然し其日私が下女を起しに行つたのはまだ六時前でした。すると奥さんが今日は日曜だと云つて注意して呉れました。奥さんは私の足音で眼を覺したのです。私は奥さんに眼が覺めてゐるなら、一寸私の室迄來て呉れと頼みました。奥さんは寐卷の上へ不斷着の羽織を引掛て、私の後に跟いて來ました。私は室へ這入るや否や、今迄開いてゐた仕切の襖をすぐ立て切りました。さうして奥さんに飛んだ事が出來たと小聲で告げました。奥さんは何だと聞きました。私は顋で隣の室を指すやうにして、『驚ろいちや不可ません』と云ひました。奥さんは蒼い顏をしました。『奥さん、Ｋは自殺しました』と私がまた云ひました。奥さんは其所に居竦まつたやうに、私の顏を見て默つてゐました。其時私は突然奥さんの前へ手を突いて頭を下げました。『濟みません。私が惡かつたのです。あなたにも御孃さんにも濟まない事になりました』と詫まりました。私は奥さんと向ひ合ふ迄、そんな言葉を口にする氣は丸でなかつたのです。然し奥さんの顏を見た時不意に我とも知らず左右云つて仕舞つたのです。Ｋに詫まる事の出來ない私は、斯うして奥さんと御孃さんに詫びなければゐられなくなつたのだと思つて下さい。つまり私の自然が平生の私を出し拔いてふら／＼と懺悔の口を開かしたのです。奥さんがそんな深い意味に、私の言葉を解釋しなかつたのは私にとつて幸でした。蒼い顏をしながら、『不慮の出來事なら仕方がないぢやありませんか』と慰さめるやうに云つて呉れました。然し其顏には驚ろきと怖れとが、彫り付けられたやうに、硬く筋肉を攫んでゐました。
translation
"We used to get up before 7:00." Schools often start at 8 o'clock, otherwise I won't be in time for class. The maid was supposed to wake up at about six o'clock in connection with that. However, it was still before six o'clock that day when I went to wake the maid. Then Okusan warned me that today was Sunday. Okusan was awakened by the sound of my footsteps. I asked Okusan, if she was awake, to come over to my room for a moment. Okusan threw her casual haori over the bed and came over after me. As soon as I entered the room, I immediately ripped the fusuma that had been open until now. I quietly told Okusan that I was able to fly. I asked what the wife was. I pointed my face at the next room and said, 'I can't be surprised. Okusan had a pale face. "Okusan, K has committed suicide," I said again. Okusan stared at me and remained silent, as if she was still there. At that time, I suddenly put my hand in front of Okusan and bowed my head. "I'm sorry. I was evil. I apologized to you and your daughter. Until I met Okusan, I had no intention of saying such words. However, when I saw Okusan's face, I suddenly left without realizing it. I couldn't apologize to K, so please understand that I had to apologize to Okusan and her daughter. In other words, my nature pushed me out of my normal life and opened my mouth with repentance. I was fortunate that Okusan did not take my words into such a deep meaning. With a blush on his face, he comforted me by saying, ``If it's an accident, it can't be helped.'' However, his face was gripped by a hard muscle, as if it were carved with surprise and fear.
kanji (pronunciations & definitions)
| 我々: we (われわれ) | 七時: seven o’clock (しちじ) | 前: point (さき), tip, end, nozzle, head (of a line) | 起: source (おこり), origin, cause, beginning, genesis |
| 學校: school (がっこう) | 八時: eight o’clock (はちじ) | 事: thing (こと), thing (こん), matter, matter, incident | 多: multi- (た) |
| 間: space (between) (あいだ), space (between) (あわい), gap, gap, interval | 合: between-season wear (あい), spring and autumn clothing, spring and fall clothing, together, condition | 下女: maidservant (げじょ) | 六時: six o’clock (ろくじ), six periods of a day (morning, midday, afternoon, evening, midnight, late night) |
| 然: -like (ぜん), so (さ), like that, in that way, like that (しか) | 行: line (of text) (ぎょう), row, verse, carya (austerities), samskara (formations) | 六時: six o’clock (ろくじ), six periods of a day (morning, midday, afternoon, evening, midnight, late night) | 前: point (さき), tip, end, nozzle, head (of a line) |
| 今日: today (きょう), today (こんじつ), today (こんち), today (こんにち), this day | 日曜: Sunday (にちよう) | 注意: attention (ちゅうい), notice, heed, care, caution | 呉: go (ご), soy beans soaked and mashed to a creamy paste (ingredient of tofu and soy milk), Wu (region in China, south of the lower Yangtze), Wu (kingdom in China during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms era; 902-937 CE), Southern Wu |
| 足音: sound of footsteps (あしおと), sound of footsteps (きょうおん), sense or sign that something is approaching, sense or sign that something is approaching | 眼: eye (め), eyeball, eyesight, sight, vision | 一寸: one sun (approx. 3.03 cm) (いっすん), little bit (of time, distance, etc.), a little (ちょいと), a little (ちょっと), a little (ちょと) | 私: I (わたし), me, I (あたくし), I (あたし), I (アタシ) |
| 羽織: haori (Japanese formal coat) (はおり) | 引掛: hook (ひっかけ), gab, snare, trap, trick (question) | 後: behind (あと), rear, after, later, remainder | 室: room (しつ), wife (of someone of high rank), scabbard, Chinese “Encampment” constellation (one of the 28 mansions), greenhouse (むろ) |
| 今迄: until now (いままで), so far, up to the present | 仕切: partition (しきり), division, boundary, compartment, settlement of accounts | 襖: fusuma (ふすま), Japanese sliding screen, everyday garment worn by men in ancient Japan (あお) | 切: eager (せつ), earnest, ardent, kind, keen |
| 何: what (なに), what (ナニ), you-know-what, you-know-what, that thing | 顋: jaw (あご), jaw (がく), jaw (アゴ), chin, chin | 隣: next (to) (となり), adjoining, adjacent, house next door, neighbouring house | 指: finger (おゆび), finger (および), finger (ゆび), toe, toe |
| 蒼: blue (あお), azure, green, green light (traffic), black (horse coat color) | 顏: face (かお), face (がん), visage, visage, look | Ｋ: K (ケイ), K (ケー), k, k, kilo- | 自殺: suicide (じさつ) |
| 見: looking (み), viewing, (please) try (to), view (of life, etc.) (けん), outlook | 突然: abrupt (とつぜん), sudden, unexpected | 奥: inner part (おく), interior, back (of a drawer, one’s throat, etc.), depths (e.g. of a forest), recesses (e.g. of a cave) | 前: point (さき), tip, end, nozzle, head (of a line) |
| 突: very (とっ), much | 頭: counter for large animals (e.g. head of cattle) (とう), counter for insects in a collection, counter for helmets, masks, etc., head (あたま), head (かしら) | 下: below (した), down, under, younger (e.g. daughter), bottom | 惡: evil (あく), wickedness, (role of) the villain (in theatre, etc.), the bad guy |
| 言葉: language (けとば), language (ことば), dialect, dialect, word | 口: mouth (くち), opening, hole, gap, orifice | 氣: spirit (き), mind, heart, nature, disposition | 丸: circle (まる), circle (マル), entirety, entirety, whole |
| 我: I (あ), I (あれ), I (わ), I (わぬ), I (われ) | 知: wisdom (ち), jnana (higher knowledge) | 左右: left and right (さう), left and right (さゆう), left and right (そう), right and left, right and left | 仕舞: end (しまい), close, finish, termination, noh dance in plain clothes |
| 平生: usual (へいぜい), ordinary | 出: coming out (で), going out, outflow, efflux, rising (of the Sun or the Moon) | 懺悔: repentance (さんげ), repentance (ざんげ), confession, confession, penitence | 深: august (み), beautiful, growing late (ふけ), latening |
| 幸: good luck (こう), good luck (さき), good luck (さち), fortune, fortune | 不慮: unforeseen (ふりょ), unexpected, sudden, accidental | 仕方: way (しかた), method, means, resource, course | 怖: frightening (こわ), terrifying |
| 付: furnished with (つき), furnished with (づき), furnished with (ツキ), including, including | 硬: hardness (こう) | 筋肉: muscle (きんにく), sinewy meat (すじにく) |