蛇の寝姿に見えるところから
村人ら、この川を蛇寝川と呼べり。
尻尾は遠く、山の麓へ消え
脱ぎし万年雪の皮、白く霞む。
頭は遥か、海原まで届き
顎はずして鯨の腹に喰らいつく。
稲穂の垂れる村々は
さしずめ大蛇の首飾りならん。
さて、蛇寝川にゃ橋がない。
いくら架けても流されるとや。
かような光景、たまに見らるる。
村の若者、土手の上にて叫ぶ。
向こう村の娘、対岸で手を振る。
しかして、対岸は遠し。
若者は裸となり、蛇寝川に入る。
もしも大蛇が寝ておれば
若者、運よく対岸まで泳ぎ着く。
されど、この川の主どの嫉妬深し。
ときおり鎌首もたげたり。
村の古老の言うことにゃ
この川こえて恋などせぬことじゃ。
Snake Sleeps River
The villagers call this river 'Snake Sleeps River'
because it looks like a snake's sleeping appearance.
The tail is far away, disappears to the foot of the mountain,
and the skin of a year-round snowfall
that has been taken off, it blurs white.
Its head reaches far beyond the ocean,
it takes off his chin and eats it on the belly of the whale.
The villages where the rice plants drift,
if they say it will be the snake necklace.
Well, Snake Sleeps River has no bridge.
It seems that it will be washed away
no matter how much it bridges.
Such a sight, sometimes seen.
A young man in the village cries out on the bank.
A young woman in the other village,
waving at the other side.
However, the other side is far away.
Even if they repeatedly build a bridge,
they will be washed away.
If the snake is asleep,
the young man luckily swim to the other side.
But the Lord of this river is jealous.
Occasionally he gets his head.
What the old village says
is not to fall in love with this river.
