Romaji — rectitude “kako ni atta jiko no kouishou kara, yomei ikubaku mo nai josei. me no mienai kanojo ga yuiitsu jiyuu ni de-arukeru hiroi teien. itsumo no you ni kigi no koe ni mimi wo katamukete iru to, karuyaka na seinen no utagoe ga mimi ni tobi-konde kita. kare wa ikutsumo no kuni wo tabi suru tabibito de, mori kara tsunagaru kono teien ni mayoi-konde shimatta no da to iu”
‘gokigenyou, utsukushii ojou-san. yoroshikereba, kono mama tsuzukete mo kamaimasen ka?’
shizuka na teien sono naka dake ga kanojo no souzou no oyobu totemo chiisana torikago no you
me no mienu Eve yume miru no wa tooi soto no sekai tatta ippo ga fumi-dasenai kyoufu ga kesezu ni…
‘moshi kimi ga kokoro hareru to iu nara, ikurademo motomu mama ni, tabi de mita ikutsumo no monogatari, kimi e to utau yo’ mokuteki naku tabi wo shite kita keredo adokenaku hohoemu Eve ah… sekai meguri kimi wo mitsuketa. kono deai unmei da to omoeru kara…
‘kimi ni sekai wo miseyou. toki ni wa uta de, toki ni wa kotoba de. mienai nante koto wa nai sa... ikurademo egakeru darou? ima, kimi no atama no naka ni hirogatta mono. sore ga, sekai da’
kanojo no yashiki de, arata na kisetsu mukaete itsushika futari wa kokoro tashika ni hikare atta
‘watashi no tame ni tabi wo yamete koko ni ite kureru no?’ fuan kakusezu tou kanojo ni waratte kotaeru
‘moshi kimi ga issho ni iku to iu nara, mou ichido tabi suru darou’ demo ne hora omou n da. koko ni kite Eve ni deau tame boku wa tabi wo shite’ta no kamoshirenai dakara zutto soba ni ite kimi no tame no uta, utai-tsuzukeyou. kisetsu ga nando kawatte mo…
futari ni nokosarete’ru jikan wa ookunai to shitte mo… tozasareta teien de, konyaku wo chikai sasae-atta
“keredo, Eve ni saigo ga otozureru no wa amari ni mo toutotsu datta”
‘anata no yasashii koe ga suki. kitto, yawaraka na egao de utatte kurete ita no deshou’
“Eve wa sou itte, shiryoku wo nakushita mama seinen no kao wo miru koto mo kanawazu ni kono yo wo saru koto wo nageita. seinen wa tada ochi-konda. yagate, tabi no tochuu de kiita monogatari wo omoidasu”
‘dokoka ni aru to iu “shisha ni aeru basho”. soko ni ikeba, kitto mou ichido Eve ni aeru’
‘mada kikasetai monogatari wa musuu ni aru. zutto zutto, tonari de yori-sotte ite mo tarinai kurai ni…’
07. rectitude
“There was a girl who, as a result of a past accident, did not have long left to live. She was blind, and her only freedom was strolling about in her vast garden. She was listening to the voices of the trees as usual, when the song of a light-hearted young man found its way to her ears. He told her he was a traveler that had been to many countries, and that he had gotten himself lost in the forest connected to her garden.”
‘Good day to you, beautiful lady. If it’s no trouble, may I continue on this way?’
The girl’s imagination went only as far as the reaches of her small garden. It was like a very small birdcage.
What sightless Eve dreamt of was the distant outside world. Yet she could not set a single step out there, for her fear of it was great…
‘If you would like to clear your doubts, you may request as many songs as you like. On my travels I’ve heard countless tales that I can sing to you.’ Even though my travels had no real purpose, it is by traveling the world that I found you, my innocent, smiling Eve. It seems it was fate that we should meet…
'I’ll show you the world, at times in song, at times in words. It has nothing to do with not being able to see… You can imagine it all, right? Now, imagine something vast. That is the world.’
They welcomed the new season at the girl’s estate. Before they knew it, they had become enamoured with each other.
'Will you quit your travels and stay here for me?’ she asked, unable conceal her anxiety. Smiling, he answered:
'I would only set out on my travels again if you were to come with me.’ But see, I’ve been thinking. To come here and meet you, Eve; that might have been the reason I’ve been traveling. That’s why I’ll be by your side always. For you, I’ll keep singing my songs, no matter how many times the seasons change…
Though they knew that the time the two had left together was not long… They were comforted by their betrothal in their enclosed garden.
“However, Eve’s time came all too suddenly.”
'I love your soothing voice. I’m sure you’ve always sung for me with a gentle smile on your face.’
“Eve left the world lamenting having been unable to see his face because of her blindness. The young man despaired. Before long, he remembered a story that he had heard during his travels.”
'They say that, somewhere, there is a place where one can meet the dead. If I go there, I’m sure I will be able to see Eve once again.’
'There are still countless stories I want to tell to her. Though we could huddle together forever and ever, it would still not be enough…’