償い - Masashi Sada traduction en anglais

償い

月末になるとゆうちゃんは薄い給料袋の封も切らずに
必ず横町の角にある郵便局へとび込んでゆくのだった
仲間はそんな彼をみてみんな貯金が趣味のしみったれた奴だと
飲んだ勢いで嘲笑ってもゆうちゃんはニコニコ笑うばかり
僕だけが知っているのだ彼はここへ来る前にたった一度だけ
たった一度だけ哀しい誤ちを犯してしまったのだ
配達帰りの雨の夜横断歩道の人影に
ブレーキが間にあわなかった彼はその日とても疲れてた
人殺しあんたを許さないと彼をののしった
被害者の奥さんの涙の足元で
彼はひたすら大声で泣きながら
ただ頭を床にこすりつけるだけだった
それから彼は人が変わった何もかも
忘れて働いて働いて
償いきれるはずもないがせめてもと
毎月あの人に仕送りをしている
今日ゆうちゃんが僕の部屋へ泣き乍ながら走り込んで来た
しゃくりあげながら彼は一通の手紙を抱きしめていた
それは事件から数えてようやく七年目に初めて
あの奥さんから初めて彼宛に届いた便り
「ありがとうあなたの優しい気持ちはとてもよくわかりました
だからどうぞ送金はやめて下さいあなたの文字を見る度に
主人を思い出して辛いのですあなたの気持ちはわかるけど
それよりどうかもうあなたご自身の人生をもとに戻してあげて欲しい」
手紙の中身はどうでもよかったそれよりも
償いきれるはずもないあの人から
返事が来たのがありがたくてありがたくて
ありがたくて ありがたくて ありがたくて
神様って思わず僕は叫んでいた
彼は許されたと思っていいのですか
来月も郵便局へ通うはずの
やさしい人を許してくれてありがとう
人間って哀しいねだってみんなやさしい
それが傷つけあってかばいあって
何だかもらい泣きの涙がとまらなくて
とまらなくて とまらなくて とまらなくて

Atonement

At the end of each month, Yu-chan, without even opening his thin paycheck envelope,
would always rush into the post office on the corner of the side street.
Our friends, seeing him like this, all thought he was a stingy guy with a saving hobby,
and even when they mocked him drunkenly, Yu-chan would just smile.
Only I know that before coming here, just once,
just once, he made a sorrowful mistake.
On a rainy night, coming back from a delivery, he saw a figure on the crosswalk.
He couldn't brake in time. He was very tired that day.
"Murderer! I won't forgive you!" the victim's wife cursed him,
tears streaming down her face.
He just cried loudly, prostrating himself,
rubbing his head against the floor.
After that, he became a different person. Forgetting everything,
he worked and worked.
He could never atone for it, but at least,
every month, he sends her money.
Today, Yu-chan rushed into my room, crying.
Sobbing, he clutched a letter in his hands.
It was the first time in seven years since the incident,
the first letter he'd received from her.
"Thank you. I understand your kind feelings very well.
So please, stop sending the money. Every time I see your handwriting,
it reminds me of my husband and it's painful. I understand your feelings,
but more than that, I want you to get your own life back."
The content of the letter didn't matter. More than that,
the fact that she, the one he could never atone to,
replied to him, was so, so grateful,
so grateful, so grateful, so grateful,
that I cried out, "Thank God!"
Can we assume he's been forgiven?
He, who would still be going to the post office next month,
thank you for forgiving such a kind person.
Humans are sad, aren't they, darling? Everyone's so kind.
They hurt each other, they protect each other,
and somehow, my tears of empathy won't stop flowing,
won't stop, won't stop, won't stop.