英語訳
**Title**
The Regret of the Banzairaku Catfish
**Main Text**
"Come on, everyone, come here! Listen, boss, we've all gathered here in great numbers for no other reason than this: on the night of October 2nd, when the bell struck four (whether from Ueno or Asakusa), signaling your fateful act—listen well to this! We catfish have been living peacefully in the depths of the earth, growing fat on the drippings from the meals that humans eat three times a day. Out of courtesy to our fellow fish, we even suppress our farts lest they might shake the world. But now, because of the great debt we owe to humans, and the suffering they've endured, the wheel of karma has turned upon us. In their anger, humans have vowed to catch every last catfish alive and subject us to the torments of hell—forests of kitchen knives, mountains of bamboo skewers, the scorching heat of charcoal fires, being chopped up with leeks in pots over stoves. Unable to bear such threats, we fled to our native rivers and ponds, hiding with seventeen kappa companions, disguising ourselves among water plants, lotus roots, and other aquatic vegetation. Everywhere with water is under investigation..." "Hey, chin chin!"
"You're talking nonsense lately." "Listen here, Magoemon, when you're done with your speech, I'll voice my complaints too!" "Hey, boss, don't call this greedy catfish 'Banzairaku Catfish'—listen well! Don't you know the origin of the Banzairaku Catfish?"
"Well, Banzairaku is a spell that brings... if they come, I come too, ke-te-ke-te-ke-te, let's settle this! But the main problem is that I don't have legs, which is troubling." "What, no legs? If you don't have legs, I'll take over your lines: chin-tsu-tsu-tsu, chin-tsu-tsu-tsu. Though I lack legs, this young Ebisu dwells here. By that virtue, I humbly request prosperity, and for the people, ten-thousand-koku ships—truly auspicious indeed!" "One more time: don, if you kick it, it meows nyan, dodo no don, if you kick it, nya-nya-nyan it meows. There, my role is finished! Hurry up and come out from behind!" "Alright, here I come, here I come! I've come out, but I don't look very fierce, so this time I'll do it in the ditty style, with this dodo-face..."
"The catfish must be sent back home. Even worse than the horse drivers who sing about fertilizer being late, what a mess this has been! Even if we don't eat catfish, we can get saury and stay with smelt. Loaches, mullet, all small horse mackerel—destroying homes and becoming flounder, showing all the world's Hikozos our movements, suffering hardships, with strength in our bodies, people suffering great innocent hardships—they say it gives stomachaches and such suffering to the people. Strengthening our resolve, when we face the samurai's punishment, everyone rises with sharp vigor, pressing forward to crush and overwhelm, holding down the great catfish as it breathes heavily in distress..."
"Though this resembles an excuse, let me explain the earthquake of the fourth day. Listen please—the night before, I parted from Lord Goro and returned with my group..." "Damn this beast! Instead of joking around shamelessly like that, if you're going to talk such nonsense, you might as well rot away completely!" And once again they all attack together, but the great catfish holds its head and says: "Wait, wait, I apologize! This time I'll make a serious excuse. Indeed, when everyone puts it that way, I'm utterly ashamed. I don't understand why I did such a foolish thing—even I can't figure it out. Please forgive me for losing our dwelling place and causing all this trouble. In compensation for this mess, I will grant humans peace in the land, abundant harvests of five grains, profitable money-making, prosperity for families, long life, and freedom from illness and disaster. Moreover, I'll cast spells so that women will fall in love with men and men with women. Please forgive me!" And thus the catfish apologized and prostrated himself.