抱きしめてあげればよかった

幼い子供が走りよってきた

友人の葬儀の日

私の楽屋で　酒に震えて笑っていたその人

残された幼い子供は　どんな気持で

走りよってきたのだろう

抱きしめてあげればよかった

しかし私はしなかったのだ

話しかければよかった

ある日　その老人は絶望的にうつむきながら

私の前から歩いてきた

絶望に落ちた顔が　私の横を通り過ぎた

あの　どうしました、

それでいい　ちょっとでいい　話しかければ

もしかしたら何かが　変わったかもしれない

しかし私は話しかけられなかったのだ

話しかけられなかった

真夏のある日　その人は

渋谷の　そう　宮益坂方面に出るガードの下だ

傷痍軍人などという言葉がもうすでに忘れ去られ

話しの淵にも出ない　今のほんの少し前

その人は　ガードの下で四つんばいになり

白い木綿の傷痍軍人の服に　片手がなく　無言のまま

汗が　顔からボトボト　ボトボト　舗道にたれる

無言のまま　叫び声が聞こえて来る

私達に　何かを　必死に　そんなふうにしか思えなかった

話しかければよかった

何故　どうして　あなたは　このまったく平和な時代に

こんなことをしているのですか　聞きたかった

何故　何を

しかし私は出来なかった　話しかけられなかった

ある日　あの時　私は　何も出来なかったのだ

--------------------------------------------------

Could Not

I should have held the child.

A small child came running toward me.

It was the day of my friend's funeral.

The child he had left behindー

the man who had once been in my dressing room,
laughing and trembling with drinkー

what could the child have been feeling
as he came running toward me?

I should have held the child.

But I did not.

I should have spoken to him.

One day, an old man came walking toward me,
his head bowed in despair.

A face fallen into despair
passed right beside me.

Excuse me.
What is wrong?

If only I had spoken to him,
even just a little,
perhaps something might have changed.

But I could not speak to him.

I could not speak to him.

One midsummer day, there was that manー

yes, beneath the underpass
that leads toward Miyamasuzaka in Shibuya.

It was not so long ago,
though the words war veteran
had already been forgotten,
no longer even reaching the edge of conversation.

There he was, beneath the underpass,
on all fours,

wearing the white cotton uniform
of a wounded veteran,

one hand missing,

silent.

Sweat fell
from his face
drop by drop,
drop by drop,
onto the pavement.

Silent,
and yet a cry seemed to come from himー

as if he were desperately trying
to say something to us.

That is how it seemed to me.

I should have spoken to him.

Why?
Why are you doing this
in this completely peaceful time?

I wanted to ask him.

Why?

What?

But I could not.

I could not speak to him.

One day, back then,
I could do nothing.

I could do nothing.