written by the runner of ちょっと訳して.com
本日のイキイキ英語フレーズ： 「あ、そーですか。」／「～に突き動かされる」
14日にお水取りのお松明を見に行ったら終わっていた、
という話なのだ。
季節行事が大好物の筆者、お松明はもう10年ぐらい連続で
行っているが、お松明の最終日である14日に行くのは初めてだったらしく、
14日だけ早く始まって早く終わるとか知らなくて、友人と二人連れだって
二月堂にあと200mぐらいのとこまで接近した頃に
二月堂の方から降りてくる人の大群とぶつかってしまった。
「なにコレどーゆーこと？なにコレどーーーゆーーーこと？！？！？！？！」
と、動揺しながらも、それはもうあんた激流を遡る二匹のアユのように
苦労して上って、やっとこさ二月堂が見えてきたとこらへんで
「今年のお松明はこれで全部終わったから、押し合わずけーれ。」
とかいう、筆者たちの気持ちには微塵の配慮も感じられないアナウンスを
浴びせかけられてしまったのさ。（って、あたりまえだが。）
そんなとき、「あそ。」とかいってクルリと向きを変えて
帰れる人もいるかもしれないが、筆者と友人”バリィさん（仮名）（*瓜二つ）”
はそういうタイプではなく、
「と、とにかく、せめて、せめてこの目ですべて終わった様を確認せぬうちは、
死んでも死にきれぬッ・・・・！！」
という、理論的には何の意味もなさないモチベーションに突き動かされるように
二月堂に到達したのだった。
そしたら、いつもは終わるや否や帰っていたので知らなかったのだが、
お松明の匂いがだんだんと舞台から下の広場に降りてきて、
現地一帯が杉の葉の燃えたさわやかな心地よい香りに満たされているではないの。
「ひいぃ！！終わってる！ホントに終わってる！！・・・けど、いいニオイ！！」
と、近鉄に払った電車賃をただのムダで終わらせてなるものか、とばかりに
ありがたい香りを肺の最大キャパまで吸いこむバリィさんと筆者。
そのうちに筆者ら気が付いた。
大半の見物客が帰っていくのに反し、どんどんと二月堂へ
上っていく一群がいることに。
しかも自分たちがすでにその上りの波に乗ってしまっていることに・・・！
初めて知ったのだが、お松明がすべて終了すると、
二月堂に参拝することができるのだ。
そんなわけで、図らずも筆者ら二人とも、生まれて初めて夜の二月堂に上って参拝し、
おまけに奈良市街の夜景を見下ろすことができてしまった。
そして、下りはつい先ほどお松明が上ったであろう屋根付きスロープを降り、
すばらしい残り香をたのしみつつ、縁起がいいとかいうお松明のくずをちゃっかり
拾うことにまで成功。
イエー、観音様、ナイス！！なんか、いつもより良かったかも！！
その後は東向商店街にてカエルなどを食べ、
大満足で家路につくバリィさんと筆者なのだった。
潔いのもいいが、いさぎ悪いのもいいことあるな～。
記 ネット翻訳サービス ちょっと訳して.com 運営者
I went to see the torch ritual in Todaiji's Nigatsu-do Hall on the 14th.
Let me talk about what happened to us there.
I love seasonal events, and I've already seen it like 10 times before,
but I had no idea that, on the 14th, which is the last day of the 14-day ritual period
that starts on the 1st of March, the event starts earlier than other 13 days
and also ends earlier.
When my friend and I reached at the point about 200m from Nigatsu-do Hall,
we confronted the swarm of people coming down from the direction of Nigatsu-do.
"What's this?! What the heck is this?!?!?!?!"
Being pretty confused by the unexpected situation, we kept on going.
Our way upward however was a hard one as if a torrent before two sweetfish.
When we came to the point where Nigatsu-do was visible, a merciless announce hit us:
"This year's torch ritual has been all completed.
Please don't push each other on your way out."
The announce was done without making even a nano gram of consideration
for our feeling. (naturally enough)
Some people are capable of instantly making a 180-degree turn saying
"Oh, okay," or something, but that's not the case for us.
Not for me and my friend Barysan (pseudonym) (amazing look-a-like).
We reached Nigatsu-do, driven by some totally irrational motivation;
"We can't die without seeing with our own eyes.....!! We need to see ourselves!!"
And there, something we didn't expect was happening.
Since until last year, we left the place as soon as the ritual for the day was over,
we didn't know that after some while, the smell of the torch comes down from
the terrace above to where we usually stand to see the spectacle, filling the entire
atmosphere with pleasant and soothing smell of burnt cedar leaves.
"Oh, no!! It's over! It's really over!! ......But, it, it smells so good!!"
Barysan and I inhaled the smell as much as our lung capacity allowed to make it
compensate the price we paid Kintetsu Railways to get there.
After a little while we noticed something.
As majority of people were going away from the place, one crowd of people were
actually going upward, to Nitatsu-do. And we were already in that trend!
I didn't know this; After the torch ritual period is over, the temple allow
worshipers to come inside to make their prayers.
And so, for the first time in our lives, we went up to Nigatsu-do at nighttime,
made our prayer, and also saw the night view of Nara City from above.
Then we went down the slope where the torches had just passed.
While enjoying the blessed smell, I even could pick up pieces of cedar leaves,
which is said to bring good luck.
Yeah, Kan-non! Thanks!! It was better than usual after all!!
After that Barysan and I ate frog and other things in Higashimuki Arcade,
and went home truly satisfied.
Being quick to snap out of a failure is important, but
sometimes being unable to control your impulse can bring you
something nice, hmmm.
written by the runner of ちょっと訳して.com