Issunboushi Issunboshi, the Inch-High Samurai
ISBN4-591-03708-8 C8739 P1000E
Translation by Tom Ray and Sachiko Matsubara , distributed by
www.brantar.blogspot.com page 2
--
Long ago someplace, there was a very close husband and wife.
They were thinking that they want a child,
but it was never born.
Every day the couple went out to a little shrine,
they clapped their hands,
"Please grant us a child.
Even if it is a small child about the size of a thumb, it is
ok."
They asked the god.
--
= relations = very intimate, close, friendly = a married couple
~ = never ~ = small shrine = clapping sound = strike, hit = please
= us = grant = finger = thumb = = about... = good, fine, nice,
ok
page 5
--
And one day, the baby was born.
It was truly a thumb sized little boy.
"Oh, oh! It is a cute child.
Just after being born, he is so small,
I am certain that before long he will become a large healthy
boy."
The old couple, were very happy.
They gave the name Issunboushi to the boy,
and they decided to bring him up with a lot of care.
--
= and, then = ~ just ~ = like this... = soon, before long =
certainly, I am sure = plain form of = to be very certain = old
person = take = name, give a name = take (good) care of = bring up,
raise ~ = to decide on
page 6
--
Issunboushi grew up healthy.
However, his height did not increase at all.
--
= grow (up) = however, but, though = height
page 7
--
One day.
Issunboushi,
from his mother received a sewing needle in place of a
sword,
he put it in a straw sheath, worn on his waist.
After that he placed his hands on the tatami and said.
"From now I am going to the capital.
I will become magnificent, and come back."
Father and mother were surprised,
they could not change Issunboushi's determination.
--
= instead of = sewing needle = receive = straw = a sheath = put
it = waist = wear a sword = then, after that = touch, stick = to
go, to come (humble) = determination
page 9
--
To go to the capital,
you must go up a big river.
"Take care of your health, you know."
"Please don't do dangerous things."
"It's ok. Then I am going."
While Issunboushi was being seen off by his mother and
father,
he got in the soup bowl boat,
he began to row powerfully the chopstick oar.
--
= capital = go up stream verb = have to, must = take care of
your health = humble word for go or come = humble form of = see off
= while doing something else = bowl (soup) = oar = row, pedal =
begin to
page 10
--
Issunboushi put his dream on the soup bowl boat, and rowed the
oar.
--
= put (on), load
page 11
--
Floating (sound) to the capital, to the capital
--
page 13
--
It took many days, at last he arrived at the capital.
The capital is lively.
So many people, are walking with hurried steps.
Horses and cars pass by.
"Be flurried, and be completely smashed underfoot.
Be careful. Be careful."
While being careful of his surroundings, Issunboushi
went walking on the road.
And then, he came to the front of a mansion that had a
magnificient gate.
--
= many days = many people = finally, at last = with hurried
steps = horse = pass, go through = be flurried = smash ~ underfoot
= care, take care, be careful = around, surroundings = a road, a
street = and, then = a mansion, a residence = go out, come out, get
to
page 14
--
"It is the mansion of a minister.
Here I might receive work for a while."
Issunboushi entered the gate, and stood in front of the
entrance.
Then,
"Excuse me"
he said, and called around.
There was no answer.
Therefore again,
"Excuse me."
From the bottom of his chest, he called around with a big
voice.
--
= a minister = for a while, for a long time = work = recieve =
enter = the front door, the porch = stand = ask = say, speak, talk,
tell = call around = an answer
page 16
--
This time,
a magnificently dressed minister came out from within the
mansion.
"What! There is no one there! Strange!
Surely someone was calling, it seems, but......"
The minister, was looking around the area.
--
= this time, next time = dress = what!, why! = be = ~ = no one
there = strange, queer = sure, certainly = call = like, similar to,
it seems = look around = neighborhood, around, about = look
around
page 17
--
"Here. Here I am."
Issunboushi, from the shadow of the footwear waved his hand.
"Ooh. What is this! Who are you?"
--
= footwear = in the shadow = What ~ ! = you
page 19
--
The minister picked up Issunboushi, and put him on the palm of
his hand.
"I am called Issunboushi.
Please let me work in this mansion.
Please (do)."
Issunboushi politely bowed his head.
"Good, all right! Your are a cute child. It is good for you to
stay here forever."
The minister,
with pleasure granted Issunboushi's wish.
--
= pick up = palm of hand = put (on), load = say, speak, talk,
tell, call (humble) = please = causative form of work = do (humble)
= careful, polite = head = lower, get down = Good!, All right! =
forever, ever = wish, hope = a wish, a hope = accept, take,
follow
page 21
--
The minister
took Issunboushi to the place of the princess.
The princess came to love Issunboushi.
Because he is cute,
they are playing together in the room all day long.
--
= take = take, take along = because, since = all day long
page 23
--
What happened one day,
Issunboushi was an attendant of the princess,
they went out to visit the shrine of Kannon.
It was on their way home.
From within the woods, suddenly two devils came running out,
and tried to kidnap the princess.
"What are you doing?
I do not forgive the guy who does violence to the princess you
know!"
Issunboushi drew his needle katana,
and threw himself upon the devil.
"What are you. Don't say a shameless thing.
I will completely eat you!"
When the devil picked Issunboushi up in his fingers,
he put Issunboushi in his wide open mouth, and completely
swallowed him.
--
= an attendant = Kannon, the Goddess of Mercy = visit a shrine
(temple) = visiting = on one's way home = a wood = run out, fly out
= suddenly = counting suffix for animals = go away with, sweep
away, kidnap plain "let's form" + = to try to do ... = a guy, he
(for lower person) = forgive, excuse = draw out = throw oneself
upon = you (for lower thing, especially devils) = shameless plain
non-past + = negative command: do not! A negative command sounds
very harsh, and is used by men or on certain signs (devils, yakuza,
police) = eat, have = pick up in one's fingers, take a pinch of =
snap at, snap up, open mouth widely = swallow, understand = put ~
in, pour ~ in
page 24
--
The inside of the devil's stomach, is quite dark.
He could not see anything.
Issunboushi swung up his needle katana,
the running around while pricking the inside of the devil's
stomach,
was unbearable.
--
= quite dark, pitch-dark = swing up = prick, bite, sting =
running around = unbearable
page 25
--
"Oh, it hurts, it hurts......"
The devil came to hurt and roll around,
confusedly he threw up Issunboushi.
--
= painful = rolling over = turn, go around ~ = be confused, be
flurried = throw up
page 26
--
(the other devil says) "If you don't eat him, I will eat
him."
The other devil, picked Issunboushi up in his fingers,
and again tried to put him in his mouth.
When Issunboushi smoothly escaped from the devil's hand,
he pricked the devil's eye with his katana.
"Ouch! This is unbearable."
The devils ran away in confusion.
--
= in the case of = already, yet, now, soon, another, more = slip
into ~, slip off ~ = onomatapia for smoothly slipping away = prick,
stab = = run away
page 28
--
"Princess. What would this be?"
After the devil ran away, a small hammer was fallen.
"This is the devil's treasure, it is a magic hammer (from which
things comes out).
It is said, if you say your wish while shaking, anything will
come true."
"Princess. In that case, so that my height should grow,
please shake the hammer."
--
= conditional = what would this be? = a hammer = fall, drop =
shake, swinging = while = a wish, a hope = can, = come true, be
realized = anything = in that case = height = grow = so that
page 29
--
When Issunboushi said that,
the princess immediately shook the hammer for him.
"Issunboushi, become big.
Issunboushi, become big."
Then, Issunboushi's body rapidly grew, and
he became a magnificent young man.
--
= rapidly, fast, by leaps and bounds
page 30
--
Being small, no one understood well,
but when they looked, the more they looked, the more beautiful
his face was.
Besides, he is such a strong young man, that he can get rid of
the terrible devil.
About Issunboushi,
the minister came to completely like him,
and chose Issunboushi as the groom of the princess.
"Happy. Happy.
Congratulations. Congratulations."
--
= includes the cause of being small = such, about, some, the
more ~ the more ~~ = besides = terrible, fearful = get rid of =
strong = all, quite, completely = a son-in-law, bridegroom = meet,
welcome = to decide upon, to choose = happy = a celebration,
congratulations
page 31
--
Issunboushi happily got married,
invited his old mother and father to the capital.
And then together with the beautiful princess,
lived happily ever after, it is said.
That's the end of the Issunboushi story.
--
= old (age) = call, send for, invite = and, and then = make a
living, live, get along, live a happy live = a story = finish,
end
