Mark the Rich

In a country, in a kingdom far away, once upon a time there lived a merchant, Mark the Rich; and, what with all his estates and revenues, you couldn’t count them. He lived, and was merry, and never suffered the poor man to come to his door, so ungracious was he.

Di sebuah negeri, di sebuah kerajaan yang jauh, pada zaman dahulu kala hiduplah seorang saudagar bernama Mark si Kaya; dan dengan segala tanah dan penghasilannya, kau tak akan sanggup menghitungnya. Ia hidup, dan bersenang-senang, dan tak pernah membiarkan orang miskin sampai ke pintunya, begitu kikirnya ia.

One day he had a dream: “Make ready, Mark the Rich, and wait. God Himself will be thy Guest!” In the morning Mark got up, called his wife, and bade her make a banquet. He covered all of his courtyard with scarlet velvet and golden brocade, and at every side-path he posted journeymen and servants to keep out all the hunger-brothers and scare them outside.

Suatu hari ia bermimpi: "Bersiaplah, Mark si Kaya, dan tunggulah. Tuhan sendiri akan menjadi Tamumu!" Keesokan paginya Mark bangun, memanggil istrinya, dan menyuruhnya menyiapkan perjamuan. Ia menutupi seluruh halamannya dengan beludru merah tua dan sulaman emas, dan di setiap jalan samping ia menempatkan tukang dan pelayan untuk mengusir semua saudara kelaparan dan menakut-nakuti mereka agar menjauh.

Then Mark the Rich came, and sat awaiting the Lord. The hours went by, and never a guest. And then the poor heard that there was a great feast at the house of Mark the Rich. They all gathered round for the hallowed gifts; but the journeymen and servants drove them all away.

Lalu Mark si Kaya datang, dan duduk menantikan Sang Tuan. Berjam-jam berlalu, namun tak seorang tamu pun datang. Dan kemudian orang-orang miskin mendengar bahwa ada pesta besar di rumah Mark si Kaya. Mereka semua berkumpul demi mengharap pemberian yang penuh berkah; tetapi para tukang dan pelayan mengusir mereka semua pergi.

But one poor beggar, bent with age, and all in rags, went up to the door of Mark the Rich. And as Mark the Rich saw him from the window, he cried out in a fierce voice: “Hi, you sluggards and louts! Eyes and no eyes? Look at the beast that is traipsing up and down our courtyard: get rid of him.”

Tetapi seorang pengemis miskin, bungkuk oleh usia, dan compang-camping pakaiannya, mendekati pintu rumah Mark si Kaya. Dan ketika Mark si Kaya melihatnya dari jendela, ia berteriak dengan suara garang: "Hai, kalian pemalas dan berandal! Punya mata tapi tak melihat? Lihat binatang yang berkeliaran di halaman kita itu: usir dia."

And all the servants scampered up, laid hold of the poor old fellow, and rushed him out the back way. One good old woman saw him, and said: “Come to me, you poor old beggar; I will feed and rest you.” She took him in, fed him, gave him to drink, and laid him to sleep; and thus Mark the Rich had never found the Lord for whom he was waiting.

Maka semua pelayan berlari mendatanginya, menangkap pengemis tua yang malang itu, dan menyeretnya keluar melalui pintu belakang. Seorang nenek baik hati melihatnya, dan berkata: "Kemarilah, pengemis tua yang malang, akan kuberi makan dan kuistirahatkan kau." Ia membawanya masuk, memberinya makan, memberinya minum, dan membaringkannya untuk tidur; dan demikianlah Mark si Kaya tak pernah menemukan Sang Tuan yang ia nanti-nantikan.

At midnight the lady had a dream, and heard some one knock at the window and ask: “Old and righteous man, are you sleeping here to-night?” “Yes,” said the old man. “In a village near by a poor peasant has had a son; how will you reward him?” The poor man said: “He shall be lord of all the domains of Mark the Rich!” Next day the poor old man left his hostess and went forth to roam. The old peasant woman went to Mark the Rich and told him of her dream.

Tengah malam nenek itu bermimpi, dan mendengar seseorang mengetuk jendela dan bertanya: "Orang tua yang saleh, apakah kau tidur di sini malam ini?" "Ya," kata orang tua itu. "Di sebuah desa dekat sini seorang petani miskin baru saja mendapatkan seorang putra; bagaimana engkau akan membalasnya?" Orang tua miskin itu berkata: "Ia akan menjadi tuan atas seluruh tanah milik Mark si Kaya!" Keesokan harinya orang tua miskin itu meninggalkan tuan rumahnya dan pergi mengembara. Nenek petani itu pergi menemui Mark si Kaya dan menceritakan mimpinya.

Mark went to the peasant and asked for the baby. “Give him to me—I will adopt him; he shall grow up; I will teach him well; and when I die he shall have all my wealth.” This was what he said, but his thoughts were quite different. He took the little boy, went home, and threw him into a snow-drift. “Lie there and freeze; that’s the way to become master of Mark’s wealth!” But that same night hunters, passing by, hunting for hares, found the boy, took him home, and brought him up.

Mark pergi menemui petani itu dan meminta bayinya. "Berikan padaku—akan kuangkat ia sebagai anak; ia akan tumbuh besar; akan kudidik ia dengan baik; dan bila aku mati kelak, ia akan mewarisi seluruh kekayaanku." Begitulah yang ia katakan, tetapi pikirannya sungguh berbeda. Ia mengambil bayi kecil itu, pulang ke rumah, dan melemparkannya ke dalam tumpukan salju. "Berbaringlah di situ dan bekulah; begitulah caranya menjadi penguasa kekayaan Mark!" Tetapi malam itu juga para pemburu yang sedang lewat, memburu kelinci hutan, menemukan bayi itu, membawanya pulang, dan membesarkannya.

Many years passed by, and much water flowed in the river, and one day Mark the Rich went out with those huntsmen, saw the young boy, heard his story, and spoke about him, and knew it was the same he had cast forth.

Bertahun-tahun berlalu, dan banyak air mengalir di sungai, dan pada suatu hari Mark si Kaya pergi bersama para pemburu itu, melihat pemuda itu, mendengar kisahnya, dan berbicara dengannya, lalu tahulah ia bahwa itulah bayi yang dahulu ia buang.

So Mark the Rich asked the youth to go home and take a letter to his wife; but in that letter he bade her poison the boy like a dog. The poor foundling set out on his road; when on his way, he met a poor man with nothing on but a shirt; but this beggar was Christ Himself. He stopped the wayfarer, took the letter, and held it for one minute, and the letter was changed in all it said. The wife of Mark the Rich was to receive the bearer with all honour, and marry him to her daughter. It was said, and it was done.

Maka Mark si Kaya meminta pemuda itu pulang dan mengantarkan sepucuk surat kepada istrinya; tetapi dalam surat itu ia menyuruh istrinya meracuni pemuda itu seperti seekor anjing. Anak pungut yang malang itu berangkat dalam perjalanannya; di tengah jalan, ia berjumpa dengan seorang pengemis yang hanya berpakaian baju dalam saja; tetapi pengemis ini adalah Kristus sendiri. Ia menghentikan pengembara itu, mengambil surat itu, dan memegangnya sejenak, dan surat itu pun berubah seluruh isinya. Istri Mark si Kaya diperintahkan untuk menyambut pembawa surat itu dengan segala kehormatan, dan menikahkannya dengan putrinya. Demikianlah dikatakan, dan demikianlah pula dilaksanakan.

Mark the Rich returned home; and was very wroth at seeing his new son-in-law, and said: “In the evening go to my distillery and look after the work”; whilst he secretly told the men to hunt him into the burning cauldron as soon as ever he appeared. So the boy made ready to go to the distillery; but a sudden sickness befell him, and he had to go back home. Mark the Rich waited his time, and went to see what had become of his son-in-law, and tumbled into his own distillers’ clutches, into the burning cauldron!

Mark si Kaya pulang ke rumah; dan sangat murka melihat menantu barunya itu, dan berkata: "Pada malam hari pergilah ke tempat penyulinganku dan awasi pekerjaan di sana"; sementara secara diam-diam ia menyuruh orang-orangnya untuk menghalau pemuda itu ke dalam kuali yang mendidih segera setelah ia muncul. Maka pemuda itu bersiap pergi ke tempat penyulingan; tetapi sebuah penyakit mendadak menimpanya, dan ia terpaksa kembali pulang. Mark si Kaya menunggu waktunya, dan pergi untuk melihat apa yang telah terjadi pada menantunya, lalu jatuh sendiri ke dalam cengkeraman penyulingnya, ke dalam kuali yang mendidih itu!