It happened they say many years ago on the night of a midsummer's eve. A young man and

むかし、真夏の前夜に起こったと言われる出来事です

woman had plighted their troth and been married that same afternoon. And now with their guests

その日の午後　若い男女は婚約を誓い結婚しました

they determined to dance til the rise of the midsummer moon. They'd hired a harper and

招待客はみんなで　真夜中の月が昇るまで 踊り祝おうと決めました

offered them coin if merry dance tunes they would strum. So the harper he played and the

ハープ奏者を雇い　賑やかに弾いてくれるなら　 演奏料金の上乗せを申し出ました

hours flew by 'til the poor harper's fingers were numb. Tomorrow's the Sabbath the harper

楽しい時間はあっという間で 気の毒に　ハープ奏者の指はしびれてきました

cried out. You should go to your home and your bed! Or the Devil will come here and

明日は安息日だよ　ハープ奏者は声をかけました 君たちは家へ帰って寝なくちゃ！

make you his own. But they laughed and kept reveling instead. The

悪魔がここに来て　どんちゃん騒ぎをするよ みんなは笑い　お祭り騒ぎを続けました

bride called to a piper to play on their pipe and the poor harper left them to rest. And

休むため帰宅した　ハープ奏者のかわりに 花嫁は　笛吹奏者を呼びました

the piper piped up and the midnight hour passed and they danced on like they were possessed.

笛吹奏者は　笛を吹き鳴らし　真夜中過ぎまで とり憑かれたように　みんなを躍らせました

Next morning the harper returned to seek out a hood they'd mislaid in the night. In the

翌朝　ハープ奏者は戻り 招待客の誰かの落とした頭巾を見つけました

glow of the dawn of the midsummer sun they saw a remarkable sight.

真夏の太陽の　夜明けの輝きに照らされ 目にした光景です

Of the bride, groom and guests who but hours before had danced, there was nowhere a trace.

踊り祝っていた　花嫁と花婿 その招待客たちの痕跡は　どこにもありません

Instead where they'd capered and croused without care a stone circle stood in their place.

みんなのどんちゃん騒ぎの場所は 立石で　ぐるっと囲まれてました

A circle of stones on the undisturbed grass where no circle of stones stood before. And

立石なんかなかったその場所は　円上線に 雑草を踏み　堂々と立っています

as for the revelers who danced past the dawn they were heard of and seen of no more.

みんなの賑やかな声も姿も　忽然と消え失せました

To all wedding parties on midsummer's eve do not dance when the sabbath is due. Heed

安息日にあたる　真夏の前夜は 婚礼パーティーでダンスをしない由来です

this warning or you may find yourselves transformed like the standing stones of Stanton Drew.

この警告に耳を傾けなければ　あなたが スタントンドリューの立石になってしまいますよ

The Stanton Drew circles are supposed to be people who gathered for a wedding long, long

スタントンドリューの円卓の立石は 昔、むかしの結婚式に集まった人々と伝えられました

ago. They had the wedding on the Saturday but they didn't know when to stop. They didn't

土曜日に婚礼をしましたが 式を挙げてはならない日取りとは　知りませんでした

realise that their dances and celebrations were going on through Saturday night towards

夢中になったダンスと祝い事が 土曜から日曜の朝までとは　わからなかったのです

Sunday morning and they were encouraged by a mysterious musician who arrived from nowhere

どこからかやって来た　神秘的な音楽家に　鼓舞され

and got them to keep on dancing. But when they passed the fatal division into Sunday

踊らされていたのです 瀬戸際の土曜日を過ぎ越し

morning they were profaning the sabbath by making merry upon it and so automatically

罰当たりにも　安息日の朝まで どんちゃん騒ぎをしました

got turned to stone to punish them for their sins. All of course except the mysterious

天罰とおり　彼らの罪で　石に姿を変えられました

musician who was probably the Devil himself and vanished cackling to head on for another

ミステリアスな音楽家は　悪魔というのが通説で 他人の罪で　首を飛ばしたのです

misdeed.

最初に記録されたのは　１７世紀です 名高い創設者のひとり

The story is first recorded in the 17th century by one of the great founders of the discipline

考古学者　ジョン・オーブレィです その当時　吉凶日の結婚式は

of archaeology, a man called John Aubrey. He said that the circles were called the Wedding

踊り子たちを石に変えると言われました

in his time which commemorates the fatal wedding which ended up in the petrified dancers. There

少なくとも　スタントンドリュー地域に ３つの円卓立石があります

are no less than three magnificent stone circles at Stanton Drew and another three stones set

教会のすぐ側にです 壮大な建築の着工が広がります

in near the church so this is quite a spread-out magnificent elaborate site. They are a series

円卓立石は　儀式の記念碑になりました 神殿と呼ばれ　四世紀半にわたり

of ceremonial monuments. You can call them temples for short, built around about four

確証はないのですが　宗教的儀式に使われていた ということになってます

and a half thousand years ago to celebrate a religion of which we know absolutely nothing.

安息日まで　踊り明かす人たちは 景勝地の名物になり

To keep people from dancing on the Sabbath, to point to something in the landscape and

警告を聞かない者は　どうなってしまうか 人々の想像を　めっさ駆り立てます

say that could be you if you don't pay attention is an absolutely wonderful way of seizing

伝説は心に響き 不動の立石を見るにつけ

people's imaginations. Legends work really well if you can literally touch them, in other

スタントンドリューの伝説は

words if they're about solid objects which you can see to the present day and to which

今もなお　雄弁に語り継がれるのです

you can relate and Stanton Drew hits that one absolutely straight on.