24)挨拶し、守ってくれた木々達◆Trees greeting and protecting me

(English translation provided inbetween)

(英語訳は便宜上、これより日本語と交互に入れさせて頂きます)

その公園は前から知っている所だし、子供達が小さい時に何度か訪れていた。でも木々と交流できるようになってからは初めてだった。少し大きめの公園で、一部は子供が遊べるような公園になっていたが、元々小さな山だったのだろうか、大部分は木が沢山茂っていた。

I knew this park from long ago and have visited there a few times with my children when they were small.  It was the first time to visit, however, after I have been able to communicate with the trees. It was slightly a large park. One part of it was a place where children could play around, but since most part was covered with trees, perhaps this place was originally a very small mountain.

 

その公園に着くなり、びっくりした！他の木々から伝えられていたのだろうか？ 私が来るのを心待ちにしていたと言わんばかり、その入り口に来るや否や、「こんにちわ！」「こんにちわ～」「こんにちわ♪」と様々な木からのこんにちわ挨拶の合唱。入り口には10本位の木が植わっていたから、その木々が言ってくれたよう。

As soon as I arrived at this park, I was really surprised! Was it that they were told by other trees? As soon as I came to the entrance of this park, I was welcomed with "hello!" "hello ~" "hello♪," a chorus of hello greetings from various trees as if they were truly looking forward to my visit there. I noticed there were about 10 trees at the entrance, so the greetings were probably from them.

 

家を少し遅く出たせいか、その公園をあとにする頃にはだいぶ薄暗くなってしまった。犬は自然の中を行く方を好むので、反対側の出口から出る事にしたが、暗くなり始める頃はちょっと怖い。夫でさえも夜そこを通る時は怖いという場所。小さな神社まで伸びている木々の中を行く幅が狭目の長い階段を思い浮かべてもらえれば、その雰囲気がわかるかもしれない。しかもその階段には明かりが何もついていない  (￣◇￣;)

Because I left the house later than I expected, it was getting quite dark by the time I was leaving the park. The dog liked walking in a more natural environment so I decided to use the other exit, but that side was a little scary when it was getting dark like that, Even my husband says that he would feel scared when going that way at night, If you could imagine of a long and narrow stairway among the trees leading from a small Japanese shrine, then you might get some idea.  What is more, this stairway didn't have any lights at all !  (￣◇￣;)

 

ちょっと怖いかな～…とそっち方面に行かなくちゃいけないのだけど躊躇気味にしていると、「大丈夫だよ、私達が守ってあげるから、安心して行って」といったような気持ちが伝わって来た。その薄暗い中を続く階段は、両脇に松などの様々な木が茂っていた。それを知った途端、私は大丈夫、と分かった。木々は嘘をつく事はあり得ないし、裏切る事もしないから。 

As I was feeling hesitant thinking it could be a bit scary even though I knew I had to go that way, a feeling something like "it's OK, we will protect you, so don't worry,"  came to my mind. There were trees such as pine trees on both sides of that stairway, and as soon as I felt like that, I knew it would be OK because trees would never lie and will never forsake you.

 

50m位の階段だったが、 何かあったら(多分)吠えくれるであろう犬にエスコートされ、両脇には優しく上から枝で覆ってくれている木々に守られながら、丸で赤いカーペットの敷かれた階段をお姫様のような気分で安心して降りて行った。

It was a stairway continuing for about 50m. Being escorted by my dog which may bark (I hope) if something happened, and being protected by all the trees with their branches gently above me, I went down with peace feeling like a princess walking down the red carpet on the stairs.

 

太陽はもう沈んでしまっていたが、私がこの公園を出るまでは真っ暗にならないようにお願いしていたせいだろうか、明かりがなく、結構暗くなっていたのにもかかわらず、意外と階段や足先は見えた。

The sun had already gone down but was it because I had asked that it won't be pitch dark until I left this park? Although it was rather dark with no lights, I could still see the stairway and my feet.

 

そしてもちろん、階段を降り切った所では後ろを振り返って、守ってくれた木々にありがとう！の挨拶は忘れずに帰った。人間で言えば、木々達が微笑みながら、バイバイと優しく手を振っているような雰囲気の感覚を感じた…

And of course, I didn't forget to look back at the bottom of the stairway and say "thank you, trees for protecting me!" before I went away. I felt the trees responding as if they were waving their hands gently with a smile, if you described it in the human way.