翻刻
さてうらしまはつるになりてこ
くうにとびのほりけるそも〳〵
このうらしまがとしをかめがはから
ひとしてはこの中にたゝみいれに
けりさてこそ七百ねんのよはひをた
もちけるあけて見るなとありしを
あけにけるこそよしなけれ
君にあふよはうらしまがたまてばこ
あけてくやしきわかなみたかな
とうたにもよまれてこそ候へ。し
やうあるもの。いづれもなさけをし
らすといふ事なしいはんやにんげん
におゐてをやおんを見ておんをしらぬ
はぼくせきにたとへたりなさけふか
きふうふは二せのちぎりと申がまこ
とにありかたき事ともかなうらしまた
らうはつるになりほうらいの山にあひ
をなすかめはかうに三せきのいはゐ
をそなへよろづ代をへしとなり
さてこそめてたきためしにもつる
かめをこそ申候へたゞ人はなさ
けあれなさけある人はゆくすゑめで
現代語訳
さて浦島は鶴になりて虚空に飛び昇りけり。そもそもこの浦島が年を、亀が謀りとして箱の中に畳み入れにけり。さてこそ七百年の齢を保ちけれ。「開けて見るな」とありしを開けにけるこそよしなけれ。
君に逢う夜は浦島が玉手箱
開けて悔しき我が涙かな
と歌にも詠まれてこそ候え。情あるもの、いずれも情けを知らずということなし。いわんや人間においてをや。恩を受けて恩を知らぬは木石に例えたり。情け深き夫婦は二世の契りと申すが、誠にありがたきことどもかな。浦島太郎は鶴になり蓬莱の山に相を成す。亀は甲に三石の岩居を備え万代を経しとなり。さてこそめでたき例えにも鶴亀をこそ申し候え。ただ人は情けあれ。情けある人は行く末めでたし。
英語訳
Then Urashima became a crane and flew up into the void. Indeed, this Urashima's years had been cunningly folded up and placed inside the box by the turtle. Thus he had maintained his life for seven hundred years. Though he was told "Do not open it and look," how foolish it was that he opened it.
On the night I meet you, Urashima's jeweled box—
How regretful are my tears for having opened it
So it has been sung in poetry. Among all beings with emotions, none fail to know compassion—how much more so for human beings. Those who receive kindness but know no gratitude are likened to trees and stones. The deep affection between husband and wife is called a bond of two lifetimes, and truly these are precious things. Urashima Tarō became a crane and took form on Mount Hōrai. The turtle, with three rocky dwellings on its shell, came to span ten thousand generations. Thus, as auspicious symbols, we speak of the crane and turtle. Simply put, people should have compassion. Those with compassion will have an auspicious future.