てんまそ
Tenmaso

ウェイス卜ランド•イッボンマツ
Weisutorando ipponmatsu (A Solitary Pine Tree Amid a Wasteland)


昔ここらで大きな地震があってね
直後の大津波で沢山の人が亡くなったって
そんな中、力強く流されず耐えた一本松を
復興の象徴として人工的に保護したんだ

特定の信仰を持たなかったこの国の人達は
いつしかこの一本松を信仰の象徴として
より強く、より大きく
何物よリも優位の存在であるべし、と……

結果、この一本松はあるべき植物固体の枠から外れた何かとして、今もここにある
これを造った彼らは死んだ
これを信仰した彼らも死んだ

ここいらの土地に伝わる昔話さ。
ほんとの話かもしれないけど、いまいち信用できないね。そんな馬鹿げた信仰をするような連中がこんな凄いものを造れたとは、私には到底想像がつかないから。


It is said that there was once a great earthquake,
Followed immediately by a tsunami that killed lots of people.
A single pine tree withstood the powerful currents
and was later artificially preserved as a symbol of regeneration.

The people of this country did not have any particular religion,
but over the years, this solitary pine became a religious symbol,
people prayed that it would become stronger, bigger,
and take predominance over all things.

As a result this solitary pine become more than simply an individual tree and remains here to this day.
The people who created it have all died.
The people who worshiped it have all died.

This is a folk tale that has been passed down in this area.
It may be true, but it is hard to believe. I cannot imagine that people who would follow such a ridiculous religion could make something as amazing as this.