A Worker Reads History
（ベルトルト・ブレヒト）
七つの塔のテーベを建てたのは誰か？書物は王さまの名ばかり伝えるけれど王さまが岩を曵きずってこられたものか？
いくたびとなく崩れ去るバベルの塔を
そのたび積み上げたのは誰か？
黄金の甍のリーマで大工はどんな住居をあてがわれたか？
万里の長城完成の宵、石積職人たちはいずこの方へ姿を消したか？
大いなるローマのここかしこそびえる凱旋門に、
皇帝たちは誰のおかげで凱旋できたか？
歌にきこえるビザンチウムの都は
どこも王者の宮殿ばかりだったか？
伝説の島アトランティスさえ
波の底から夜ごと奴隷を罵る声をひびかせている。
若きアレクサンダーはインドを制圧したが
彼一人でか？
ケーザルはガリアを討ったがせめて自分で飯ぐらい炊いたか？
スペインのフェリペ王は艦隊を失くして泣いたが、
他には泣いた者はないか？
フリードリヒ二世は七年戦役に勝ったが
勝ちを助けたひとの名前は誰か？
どの頁にも勝利の話。
けれど勝利の宴（うたげ）を調えたのはいったい誰か？
どの時代にも英雄のこと。
けれど偉業の経費（かかり）を払ったのはいったい誰か？
記録は数多（あまた）、疑問も数多。
A Worker Reads History
Who built the seven gates of Thebes?
The books are filled with names of kings.
Was it the kings who hauled the craggy blocks of stone?
And Babylon, so many times destroyed.
Who built the city up each time?
In which of Lima's houses, That city glittering with gold, lived those who built it?
In the evening when the Chinese wall was finished Where did the masons go? Imperial Rome Is full of arcs of triumph.
Who reared them up? Over whom Did the Caesars triumph?
Byzantium lives in song.
Were all her dwellings palaces?
And even in Atlantis of the legend The night the seas rushed in, The drowning men still bellowed for their slaves.
Young Alexander conquered India.
He alone?
Caesar beat the Gauls.
Was there not even a cook in his army?
Phillip of Spain wept as his fleet was sunk and destroyed.
Were there no other tears?
Frederick the Greek triumphed in the Seven Years War.
Who triumphed with him?
Each page a victory
At whose expense the victory ball?
Every ten years a great man,
Who paid the piper?
So many particulars.
So many questions.
Bertolt Brecht
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