それから約一ケ月程經ちました。御大葬の夜私は何時もの通り書齋に坐つて、相圖の號砲を聞きました。私にはそれが明治が永久に去つた報知の如く聞こえました。後で考へると、それが乃木大將の永久に去つた報知にもなつてゐたのです。私は號外を手にして、思はず妻に殉死だ殉死だと云ひました。
translation
"It's been about a month since then." On the night of the funeral, as usual, I sat at the desk and listened to the bells being played. To me, it sounded like the announcement that the Meiji era was gone forever. Thinking about it later, it was also the news that Daisho Nogi had left for good. I took the knife in my hand and unexpectedly told my wife that it was martyrdom.
kanji (pronunciations & definitions)
| 御大: boss (おんたい), governor, headman | 葬: funeral (そう) | 大葬: imperial funeral (たいそう) | 何時: when (いつ), at what time, how soon, normal times, ordinary days |
| 私: I (わたし), me, I (あたくし), I (あたし), I (アタシ) | 明治: Meiji era (1868.9.8-1912.7.30) (めいじ) | 永久: eternity (えいきゅう), eternity (とこしえ), eternity (とわ), permanence, permanence | 報知: information (ほうち), news, intelligence |
| 後: behind (あと), rear, after, later, remainder | 考: thought (こう), report on one’s investigation into …, deceased father | 手: hand (て), arm, forepaw, foreleg, handle | 妻: wife (つま), garnish (esp. one served with sashimi), trimmings, accompaniment, side (remark) |