Japon - 日本
Spanish Transcription
/153/ El rey que ahora reina entre estos xapones se llama Çavacundono, dicen que su origen fue que éste servÃa a Nobunanga, tÃo de otro prÃncipe que poseÃa parte deste ymperio o reino de Xapon, de manera que entre ellos estaba dividido. El sobrino con deseo de señorearlo todo y ser solo en el mundo determinó hacer guerra al tÃo Nobunanga y juntó su ejérçito contra él y sitiole en una çiudad suya entrándole por la fuerça hasta matarle a él. En este tiempo este Cavacundono era ido por capitán con una armada a pelear en defensa de su amo Nobunanga con otros enemigos y habiendo vencido los tornando supo la muerte de su señor Nobunanga y con la gente de guerra que tenÃa a su cargo y la demás que pudo juntar hizo guerra al sobrino de su señor en vengança de su muerte. Y vino a tomarla matándole a él y a todos sus ca- pitanes y gente habiéndolo esperado en cierto paso en emboscada a donde le rompió y vençió y hecho esto sin aguardar más se hizo rey de lo que era su amo Nobunanga y el sobrino a quien venció luego sin dilación dio en hacerse señor absoluto de otros munchos reinos que estaban en su tierra e que nunca habÃan tributado a sus antecesores; antes eran de por sÃ. Y diose tan buena maña que en tres años después de haberse hecho rey señoreó y venció a todos los demás reinos y reyes que habÃa haciéndose señor absoluto de todo. Fue a conquistar un gran reino y tierra de Core [Corea] frontera del China, éste temiendo el poder de Cabacundono pagole panal y habiéndoselo rendido este rey volviose a su
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/153v/ tierra y reino de Xapon donde dicen está haciendo grandes aparatos de guerra para entrar en tierra de China haciendo osucala [sic] en Core y tiene apercibidos 2 500 y quinientos navÃos con otras munchas prevençiones de guerra. A esta naçión de China han hecho ellos de munchos años atrás y haciendo ordinario grandes robos en las partes marÃtimas de la costa saqueándoles munchos lugares y çiudades y encontrándose navÃos en la mar de japones y chinas, luego se acometen llevando siempre lo mejor los xapones por ser muncho mejor gente y más animosa que ellos y asà los temen tanto los chinas que aun de paz entrando un navÃo de japones todos los que estuvieren en el puerto sangleyes, por otro nombre chinas, le hacen salva a su uso con unos atabales dando golpes en unas como calderas o sarte açófar poniéndose dos o tres hombres en la popa del navÃo y al son destos atabales o caçuelos hacen sus reverençias con todo el cuerpo hasta el suelo; y luego ha de responder el navÃo que entra y si no es señal que viene de guerra y asà unos como otros se aperciben a pelear. También dicen conquistó otra ysla grande comarcana a Xapon que se llama Madiuyn. DÃcese de él ser hombre pequeño de cuerpo y flaco, los ojos redondos pero muy graves en el mirar, es muy temido y respetado de los suyos. Dicen es amigo de cristianos y que antes que fuese rey lo era y cuéntase de él que un dÃa estando en çierta junta vino allà un padre de
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/154/ la CompañÃa a exhortar al rey e pedirle les diese licençia para predicar el evangelios, que no fuesen perseguidos los cristianos que lo eran y hay los que de allà adelante lo quisiesen ser y estando el rey con alguna manera de ynclinaçión a conceder lo que se le pedÃa un sobrino o pariente muy cercano temiendo no se le concediese quiso estorbarlo con matalle; y asà poniendo mano al espada le tiró un golpe con que le quitara la cabeza si Bacabundono se abrazaba con él, estorbándole este yntento dicen que el mismo Bocabundono lo refirió después a el mismo padre siendo el rey a propósito de que se enojó con los cristianos y padres de la CompañÃa y les desterró de su reino. Mandó expresamente que dentro de 10 dÃas saliesen de toda su tierra y que nadie fuese cristiano y aunque esta prosecuçión y trabajo fue muy te- mida de los padres al fin con su muncha discreçión y cristiandad por cierta yndustria que tuvieron y ayudados con la señora de nuestro señor la vençieron y volvieron a gracia de Bacabundono. Fue pues le envien por ** porque Bacabundono es muy dado a ddeleites y sensualidades y aunque tiene su mujer mayor en su casa, digo consigo tiene otras 80 en otra casa diputada para esto solo y diesen de cada mes a cada mujer para su vestido y sus afeites 10 taes de oro y éstas son las más hermosas y principales de su reino. Fuera desto tiene sus criados que le sirven de sólo ir por todos sus reinos mirando las mujeres doncellas más hermosas de todas; y éstas se las llevan para que las corrompa pues siendo ministro de este abominable ofiçio un viejo sacerdote de Bacabundono y mayor
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/154v/ privado suyo tuvo encuentro con los padres de la CompañÃa sobre algunas doncellas cristianas que quiso llevar y como ellas se resistieron a esta abominable ley, por consejo de los padres, fue tanto el enojo de este mal- dito viejo que se fue a Bacabundono y la yndino [sic] de suerte contra los padres y cristianos que fue la causa de promulgar aquella sentençia de destierro. Estos xapones son en sà gente bizarra y animosa y tienen en alguna manera aquella bestialidad antigua que usaban los romanos por bizarrÃa de matarse a sà mismos antes de venir a manos de sus enemigos, pero éstos aun se aventajan a estotros en esto porque no sólo tienen por deshonra morir a manos de sus enemigos pero qualquiera muerte tienen por afrentosa si no se la da él mismo con sus manos. Y aquà se vio por experiencia ser esto asà en un xapon que pasando un trecho o braço de mar tuvo un poco tormenta y por ser navichuelo ruin de los que acá usan que llaman chanpan se trastornó y él viéndose asà sacó una catana que son las armas que de ordinario ussan como nosotros las espadas y se abrió la barriga con ella y tras esto dio munchas puñaladas con todo le sacaron y preguntando la causa de haber hecho aquello respondió que no querÃa morir si no por su mano y no en agua y no me alargo en esta relación porque ya allá por la vÃa de los padres de la ConpañÃa la hay muy larga y amplia de las cosas deste reyno, constumbres y ceremonias.
Luis Barandica Martínez. El Códice Boxer. Edición moderna de un manuscrito del siglo XVI. 2019.
English Translation
[153r] The current ruler of these Japanese people is called Kubo-sama. It is said that he became king after serving under Nobunaga, the uncle of another prince who ruled over a portion of this empire, or kingdom, of Japan, the empire being divided between them. The nephew, desiring to be the exclu- sive ruler, decided to wage war against his uncle Nobunaga. Gathering his forces, he stormed one of his uncle’s cities and slew him. This Kubo-sama had commanded a fleet to come to the defense of his master Nobunaga against some other enemies. After defeating them, he learned of the death of his lord Nobunaga on the return voyage, and with the fighting-men he had at his com- mand, and joined by other forces, he attacked his lord’s nephew to avenge the death of Nobunaga, which he did by slaying the nephew, together with all of his captains and men. He accomplished this by ambushing them in a certain pass, delivering them a crushing defeat. Immediately afterwards, he declared himself king over the lands formerly ruled by his master Nobunaga and the latter’s nephew, whom he had defeated in battle. Subsequently, without hes- itation, he succeeded in declaring himself absolute ruler of the many other kingdoms in the land that had never paid tribute to his predecessors, which had been independent to that point. He proved himself so capable that three years after becoming king he vanquished all the other kings and kingdoms, taking complete control over them, thus becoming absolute ruler over all the land. He set out to conquer the vast territory and kingdom of Korea, which borders on China. Fearing the power of Kubo-sama, they paid him tribute, and after receiving it, this king returned
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[153v] to his own land and kingdom of Japan where it is said that he is preparing his armies to invade China after first marching through Korea. It is also rumored that he has readied 2,500 troops, 500 ships and made many other preparations for war against the nation of China. For many years now, the Japanese have regularly plundered the coast, sacking many of their villages and cities. When Japanese and Chinese ships encounter each other and engage in combat, the Japanese always best their adversaries because they are much better fighters and more spirited. They are so feared by the Chinese that when a Japanese vessel8 enters Sangley Bay, it is hailed in the traditional manner with drumming; an instrument resembling a kettle or a tin frying pan is struck while two other men station themselves on the stern of the ship and bow completely to the ground to the sound of these drums or kettles. Failure on the part of the entering vessel to respond means it has come to wage war, in which case both parties prepare for battle. It is also reported that he has taken over another large island close to Japan, known as Madiuyn. He is said to be a small, gaunt man with round eyes, yet with a very solemn expression. He is greatly feared and respected by his men. It is also said that he is friendly to Christians, and was even one himself before becoming king. The following story is related about him: One day, while the king was present at a certain gathering, one of the fathers of the Company approached him
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[154r] and asked permission to preach the gospel, requesting that those who had already become Christians, or those who chose to become Christians in the future, should not be persecuted. The king was on the verge of agreeing to this petition when one of his nephews or close relatives, fearing lest the petition would be granted, sought to thwart it, threatening that he would lop off his head with one swipe of his sword if Kubo-sama took up his cause, thus obstructing the attempt. It is said that Kubo-sama himself related these events to the same father on a certain occasion when, annoyed at the Christians and the fathers of the Company, he had exiled them from his kingdom, expressly ordering that they leave all of his lands within ten days and that no one be allowed to become a Christian. And although the fathers feared this persecution and tribulation, in the end they conquered their fear through their industry, aided by the grace of our Lord, and entered again into the good graces of Kubo-sama. The latter lived in luxury, for Kubo-sama is much given to pleasures and sensuality. And although he has his principal wife at home— that is to say that he lives with her—he has eighty more in another house des- ignated solely for this purpose. Each woman is allotted ten taels per month for clothing and adornment. And these are the leading ladies in his kingdom, and the most beautiful. He also has servants whose exclusive responsibility is to search the kingdom for the most beautiful young maids, whom they bring to him so he can corrupt them. One of Kubo-sama’s aged priests and court favorites,
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[154v] a minister of this abominable practice, had a run-in with the fathers of the Company over some Christian maids whom he had attempted to carry off. Heeding the counsel of the fathers, the maids refused to submit to this abominable law. This so perturbed the accursed old man that he reported the incident to Kubo-sama, whose rage against the fathers and Christians was why he decreed they be banished. These Japanese are by nature spirited and fearless. They have something of that ancient ferocity of the Romans, who in their valor would take their own lives before falling into the hands of their enemies. But in this the Japanese surpass the Romans because they not only consider it dishonorable to die at the hands of their enemies, but they also consider it an indignity to die in any manner that is not killing themselves with their own hands. This was confirmed to be the case by actual experience. A Japanese man, while sailing through a stretch or channel of the sea, was caught by a minor storm. And because his was no more than a small boat of the sort people use here, called a sampan, it capsized. Realizing what was happening, he drew his katana, which are the weapons they normally use, much like our swords, and cut his belly open. He then stabbed himself numerous times. But he managed to be rescued, and when he was asked why he had done what he did, he answered that he did not wish to die unless it was by his own hand, and not in the water. I have made this digression because over on the street of the fathers of the Company there is a very long and full account of the affairs of this kingdom, its customs and its ceremonies.
