wakibitos

毎日のようにメディアがこぞって記録的な高温を報じ、室内にいてクーラーをつけ、外出しないように呼びかける。勤め先のある人々は寒いくらいの電車に乗って出勤し、勤めや外出先のない人々は冷気を求めて行く先のない電車に乗るか、クーラーの効いたお店に入ってスマホに見入る。彼らは同類で集まり時間を過ごす。そんな状況を処女作｢いつか名もない魚になる｣(縦書き文庫2021年)に書いた。

老人がひとり、梅雨つゆの合間あいまに東京西部の山岳地帯に涼りょうを求めるでもなく、炎天下の危険とされるハイキングに出かける。いったい、彼は何を求めて山に往ゆくのだろう。かつて自分にもあった若さとか熱気と呼ばれる瑞々みずみずしい生命力だろうか、数年前に亡くなったS先生あるいは父の面影おもかげだろうか。

彼はいま、小林一茶(1763-1828)の発句集を縦書き文庫にアップしている。18世紀末から19世紀前半にかけて一茶が残した2万余りの句をくり返し読み、学校で習った像と大きくかけ離れた俳人について考える。一茶ほど老いの悲哀について考え、俳句にした人はいないのではないか。その透徹した観察眼で自らと市井の人々や卑近な動植物をとらえ親しげに話しかける。そう、一茶は俳人である前に一人の孤独な老人(孤老)なのだ。

Every day the media is reporting record high temperatures and urging people to stay indoors, turn on the air conditioner, and stay out. Those who have jobs take the chilly train to work, while those who do not have place to work or go out take the train with no destination for cool air or go into air-conditioned stores to look at their mobiles. They gather and spend time with others of their kind. I wrote about such a situation in my first novel, “Someday Everyone Will Be Fish with No Names” (Tategaki bunko Library 2021).

There is an old man who, in the intervals of the rainy season, goes hiking in the mountains of western Tokyo, not to seek coolness but to take risks under the scorching sun. What in the world is he looking for when he goes hiking in the mountains? Is it the fresh and fresh vitality of youth and enthusiasm that he once had himself, or is it the shadow of Dr. S. or Father, both of whom had passed away several years ago?

The Old Man is now uploading a collection of haiku by Kobayashi Issa (1763-1828) to the Tategaki bunko Library, repeatedly reading the 20,000 or so haiku Issa had left behind from the end of the 18th century to the first half of the 19th century, and thinking about the poet, who is far removed from the conventional image taught at schools. No one has thought more about the sorrows of aging and written more haiku than Issa. With his penetrating eye for observation, he captures himself and contemporary people, as well as the animals and plants that live nearby, and speaks to them in a friendly manner. Yes, Issa was one of the lonely old men.

Translated with DeepL (Quoted/translated from a comment.)

노인이 찾는 것은 향수(郷愁)나 신선함도 아니고, 아마도 늙음을 너머간 곳에 있는 그 무엇일 것이다. 늙음의 끝에 죽음이 있는 것이 아니다. 우리는 언제나 죽음에 둘러싸여 살아가고 있기 때문이다. 아니, 잠깐만, 늙음의 끝에는 아무것도 없다. 지금까지와 마찬가지로 죽음에 둘러싸여 늙어가는 것뿐이다. 불교에서는 그 상태를 공(空)이라고 하는 모양이다. 그렇다. 우리는 공에서 태어나 공으로 돌아간다.