nntsuzu/KFTT huggingface dataset:
English: TAIRA no Masamori and TAIRA no Tadamori of the Ise-Heishi (Taira clan), who had a connection with Insei, or the administration of the Retired Emperor, in the days of Yorimasa's father Nakamasa, gradually increased their power; the Kawachi-Genji (Minamoto clan) (the family line of MINAMOTO no Yorinobu, brother of Yorimitsu), who had begun to increase power through their connection with the Sekkan regent families, repeated internal strife among themselves and eventually decreased their power.
Japanese: 父仲政の頃から院政と結びついた伊勢平氏の平正盛、平忠盛が次第に台頭し、一方、摂関家と結びつき台頭していた河内源氏（頼光の弟源頼信の系統）は同族の内紛を繰り返して勢力を後退させている。
English: Although there was no sufficient historical evidence about Yorimasa in his youth, it was recorded that he went to Shimosa Province together with his father Nakamasa when Nakamasa was assigned to govern that province.
Japanese: 青年期の頼政について史料は乏しいが、父の仲政が下総国受領に赴任した時に、これに同行している。
English: He inherited his family estate from his father in the Hoen period (1135 to 1140), was granted Jugoinoge (Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade) and was appointed as Kurodo (Chamberlain) in 1136.
Japanese: 保延年間（1135年-1140年）頃に家督を譲られ、保延2年（1136年）に従五位下蔵人に補任された。
English: Yorimasa served the retired Emperor Toba and had connections with Bifukumon-in, wife of the retired Emperor, and FUJIWARA no Ienari, a close aides to the retired Emperor.
Japanese: 頼政は鳥羽院に仕え、寵妃の美福門院や院近臣の藤原家成と交流を持っている。
English: At the late period of the government by a Cloistered Emperor Toba, Emperor Goshirakawa and the Retired Emperor Sutoku conflicted with each other; when the Cloistered Emperor Toba was in a grave condition, one of the samurai he gave to Bifukumon-in to rely upon was Yorimasa.
Japanese: 鳥羽院政末期、後白河天皇と崇徳上皇が対立、鳥羽法皇が重篤に陥った際、美福門院へ頼りにすべき武士として名を挙げた一人に頼政の名がある。
English: After the demise of the Cloistered Emperor Toba, Hogen Disturbance took place in 1156, and Yorimasa took sides with the Emperor supported by Bifukumon-in and successfully remained on the winner's side.
Japanese: 鳥羽法皇崩御後、保元元年（1156年）に保元の乱が起こると、頼政は美福門院が支持する天皇方に与し、勝者の側となれた。
English: The Kawachi-Genji suffered devastating damage; MINAMOTO no Tameyoshi and his son and heir MINAMOTO no Yoshitomo broke up, and Tameyoshi and many of his children were executed.
Japanese: 河内源氏は源為義と嫡男の源義朝が分裂し、為義とその子供の多くが処刑される大打撃を受けた。
English: In 1157, an incident occurred in which MINAMOTO no Yoriyuki, a brother of Yorimasa, was suddenly accused, banished and committed suicide.
Japanese: 保元2年（1157年）には頼政の兄弟の源頼行が、突然罪を受けて流罪となり自害する事件が起きた。
English: He also adopted MINAMOTO no Nakaie (elder brother of MINAMOTO no Yoshinaka), son of MINAMOTO no Yoshikata who was killed in action in a battle against MINAMOTO no Yoshihira, son and heir of Yoshitomo, in the Kanto region before Hogen Disturbance; the reason for his adoption was unknown.
Japanese: また、経緯は不明だが、保元の乱以前に関東で義朝の嫡男源義平と戦い討ち死にした源義賢の子の源仲家（源義仲の兄）を養子にしている。
English: The Retired Emperor Goshirakawa, who was enthroned as a makeshift emperor until Emperor Nijo, was not powerful enough as the leader of a Retired Emperor's administration, and the power of the Sekkan-regent families was almost lost as a result of Hogen Disturbance.
Japanese: 元々二条天皇の中継ぎとして即位していた後白河上皇は院としての権威が弱く保元の乱で摂関家の権威は地に落ちた。
English: Amid such a political dilemma, FUJIWARA no Nobuyori had ties with the Emperor supporters and they staged a coup d'etat during the visit of Kiyomori, who maintained the largest military power in Kyoto, to Kumano for prayer at Shinto shrines, killing FUJIWARA no Shinzai and seizing the reigns of government (Heiji Disturbance) in January 1160 (December 1159 in old lunar calendar).
Japanese: そのような中藤原信頼と天皇親政派は手を結び、平治元年（1159年）12月、都で最大の軍事力を有する清盛の熊野参詣中にクーデターを起こして信西を殺害し、政権を掌握した（平治の乱）。
English: Yorimasa decided to take sides with Nobuyori on a tentative basis as he had an obligation to support Emperor Nijo out of his support of Bifukumon-in due to his service as Ouchi Shugo.
Japanese: 大内守護の任にあり美福門院が支持する二条天皇への支援という名目で頼政はとりあえずは信頼に与する。
English: But the Emperor's supporters came to conflict with Nobuyori, allowed Emperor Nijo to escape from the Imperial Residence in the Imperial Palace, and had him settled at their base at Rokuhara, Kyoto.
Japanese: しかし、天皇親政派は信頼と反目し二条天皇を内裏から脱出させて六波羅の陣営へ迎えた。
English: On February 13, 1160 (December 27, 1159, in old lunar calendar), the decisive battle was fought between Kiyomori and Yoshitomo; Yorimasa, who found no meaning in following Nobuyori, ultimately took sides with Kiyomori who supported the Emperor.
Japanese: 12月27日、清盛と義朝の決戦が行われたとき、信頼に従う意味を失った頼政は最終的には二条天皇を擁する清盛に味方した。
English: Yoshitomo, who never left Nobuyori until the end, was killed in the battle, which marked the end of the Kawachi-Genji from the political scene.
Japanese: その一方で信頼と最後まで行動をともにした義朝は敗死して河内源氏は没落、事実上中央から消えてしまった。
English: Together with his son and heir Nakatsuna, he served three emperors, Nijo, Rokujo and Takakura; he also supported the Cloistered Emperor Goshirakawa with his military force.
Japanese: 頼政は大内守護として、嫡男の仲綱とともに二条天皇、六条天皇、高倉天皇の三代に仕え、また後白河法皇の武力として活動している。
English: In 1177, when the monks of Enryaku-ji Temple, who antagonized Saiko, a close aide to the Retired Emperor, thronged to the Imperial Palace for goso (forceful petition), he deployed his forces together with TAIRA no Shigemori to protect the Palace.
Japanese: 安元3年（1177年）、院近臣の西光と対立した延暦寺大衆が強訴に攻めよせた時には平重盛らとともに御所の警護に出動している。
English: Also known as an excellent waka poet, Yorimasa was actively engaged in waka poetry and other cultural activities, 'Gen-zanmi Yorimasa-shu' is an anthology of his poems.
Japanese: 歌人としても優れていた頼政は、和歌などの文化活動を行い、家集に「源三位頼政集」がある。
English: His rank was Shoshiinoge, but a court noble is called kugyo only when he is in the rank of Jusanmi or higher; thus, there was a big gap between Jusanmi and Shoshii.
Japanese: 頼政の位階は正四位下だが、従三位からが公卿であり、正四位とは格段の差があった。
English: Over 70 years of age, Yorimasa strongly wanted to be promoted to Jusanmi to prove the honor of his family.
Japanese: 70歳を超えた頼政は一門の栄誉として従三位への昇進を強く望んでいた。
English: According to the "Heike Monogatari " (The Tale of the Heike), Kiyomori was totally forgetful of the rank of Yorimasa; Yorimasa, trying to put Kiyomori in mind that he kept the rank of Shoshii for so many years, composed the following waka poem:
Japanese: 『平家物語』によると清盛は頼政の階位について完全に失念しており、そのため長らく正四位であった頼政が、次のような和歌を詠んだ。
English: 'There is no chance for me to climb the tree. Then, I just crawl around the tree and pick up the sweet acorns. (The sweet acorn pronounced as "shii" in Japanese has the same sound of "shii" in "shoshii.")
Japanese: 「のぼるべきたよりなき身は木の下に　椎（四位）をひろひて世をわたるかな」
English: Kiyomori was then reminded that Yorimasa was long kept in the rank of Shoshii and decided to promote him to Jusanmi.
Japanese: 清盛は初めて頼政が正四位に留まっていたことを知り、従三位に昇進させたという。
English: Even in the actual historical record, his promotion to Jusanmi was so unprecedented that Kanezane KUJO recorded this as 'the most unusual occurrence' in his journal "Gyokuyo."
Japanese: 史実でもこの頼政の従三位昇進は相当破格の扱いで、九条兼実が日記『玉葉』に「第一之珍事也」と記しているほどである。
English: In December of the following year, 1179, Yorimasa entered priesthood and officially had his son and heir Nakatsuna succeed the family.
Japanese: 翌治承3年（1179年）11月、頼政は出家して家督を嫡男の仲綱に譲った。
English: In 1177, the Conspiracy of Shishigatani occurred, and the involvement of the Cloistered Emperor was suspected.
Japanese: 治承元年（1177年）に鹿ヶ谷の陰謀事件が起きて法皇の関与が疑われた。
English: In December 1179, Kiyomori, at odds with the Cloistered Emperor, brought his army from Fukuhara-kyo to Kyoto, staged a coup, suspended the cloistered administration, and incarcerated the Cloistered Emperor (Coup of the Third Year of Jisho).
Japanese: そして、治承3年（1179年）11月、法皇と対立した清盛は福原京から兵を率いて京へ乱入してクーデターを断行、院政を停止して法皇を幽閉する挙に出る（治承三年の政変）。
English: In March 1180, Kiyomori forced Emperor Takakura to abdicate the throne and enthroned a three-year-old son born between Emperor Takakura and Kiyomori's daughter TAIRA no Tokuko as Emperor Antoku.
Japanese: 翌治承4年（1180年）2月、清盛は高倉天皇を譲位させ、高倉と清盛の娘平徳子との間に生まれた3歳の安徳天皇を即位させた。
English: It was Prince Mochihito (also known as Takakura-no-miya or Sanjo-no-miya), the third son of Cloistered Emperor Goshirakawa that did not willingly accept Kiyomori's action.
Japanese: これに不満を持ったのが後白河法皇の第三皇子の以仁王（高倉宮・三条宮）である。
English: He became an adopted son of Hachijoin Akiko, sister of the Cloistered Emperor, as the only hope for his possible route to the Imperial throne, but Emperor Antoku's ascension to the throne completely extinguished his hope.
Japanese: 彼は法皇の妹八条院暲子内親王の猶子となって皇位への望みをつないでいたが、安徳天皇の即位でその望みが全く絶たれてしまった。
English: According to the "Heike Monogatari," Yorimasa decided to stand against Kiyomori because TAIRA no Munemori, third son of Kiyomori, severely insulted Yorimasa on a matter related to a horse of Nakatsuna; Yorimasa decided to raise an army against the Taira clan out of the pride of samurai and visited Prince Mochihito's residence during the night to encourage him to stand up against Kiyomori.
Japanese: 挙兵の動機について、『平家物語』では仲綱の馬を巡って清盛の三男の平宗盛がひどい侮辱を与えたことが原因であるとし、頼政は武士の意地から挙兵を決意して夜半に以仁王の邸を訪ね、挙兵をもちかけたことになっている。
English: Another theory says that Yorimasa, who served Emperor Konoe and Emperor Nijo, both in the blood line of the Retired Emperor Toba, as Ouchi Shugo, the role his family had served for generations, did not willingly accept Emperor Takakura and Emperor Antoku, who were different from the former blood line, and felt opposed to them.
Japanese: 一方で、代々の大内守護として鳥羽院直系の近衛天皇、二条天皇に仕えた頼政が系統の違う高倉天皇、安徳天皇の即位に反発したという説もある
English: In May of the same year, Yorimasa and Prince Mochihito prepared a message to all the Minamoto clan samurai as well as main temples and shrines throughout the whole country to call for a battle against the Taira clan.
Japanese: 同年4月、頼政と以仁王は諸国の源氏と大寺社に平氏打倒を呼びかける令旨を作成し、源行家（為義の子）を伝達の使者とした。
English: But already in June, their insurgence plan was exposed to the Taira clan, who then ordered Kebiishi-cho (Imperial police force) to arrest Prince Mochihito, but the fact that the dispatched force included Kanetsuna, adopted son of Yorimasa, indicates that the Taira clan did not notice Yorimasa's involvement in the insurgence yet.
Japanese: だが5月にはこの挙兵計画は露見、平氏は検非違使に命じて以仁王の逮捕を決める、だが、その追っ手には頼政の養子の兼綱が含まれていたことから、まだ平氏は頼政の関与に気付いていなかったことがわかる。
English: On June 22, the Taira clan attacked Onjo-ji Temple, and the attack team also included Yorimasa.
Japanese: 5月21日に平氏は園城寺攻撃を決めるが、その編成にも頼政が含まれていた。
English: On the night of that day, Yorimasa burned his residence and entered Onjo-ji Temple together with his family members including Nakatsuna and Kanetsuna to join the force of Prince Mochihito.
Japanese: その夜、頼政は自邸を焼くと仲綱、兼綱以下の一族を率いて園城寺に入り、以仁王と合流。
English: Their insurgent plan envisioned that Enryaku-ji Temple and Kofuku-ji Temple would also join them in addition to Onjo-ji Temple, but the Taira clan appeased Enryaku-ji Temple into taking a neutral stance.
Japanese: 挙兵計画では、園城寺の他に延暦寺や興福寺の決起を見込んでいたが、平氏の懐柔工作で延暦寺が中立化してしまう。
English: On the night of the 26th, as the insurgent forces felt danger even at Onjo-ji Temple, Yorimasa headed for Kofuku-ji Temple in Nanto (Nara) together with Prince Mochihito, but the prince fell off from the horse out of fatigue during a retreat in the night, and they stopped at Uji Byodoin Temple to rest on their way.
Japanese: 25日夜、園城寺も危険になり、頼政は以仁王とともに南都（奈良）興福寺へ向かうが、夜間の行軍で以仁王が疲労して落馬し、途中の宇治平等院で休息を取った。
English: On the 27th, the battle began, and Yorimasa's army dropped deck plates of the Uji-bashi Bridge for opposition, but they failed to prevent the Taira forces from crossing the Uji-gawa River.
Japanese: 26日に合戦になり、頼政軍は宇治橋の橋板を落として抵抗するが、平氏軍に宇治川を強行渡河されてしまう。
English: Yorimasa and his forces barricaded themselves in Byodoin Temple to oppose the attacking forces in order to let Prince Mochihito flee, but the Taira forces far outnumbered Yorimasa's, with his son Nakatsuna as well as Munetsuna and Kanetsuna being killed in action or having committed suicide one after another; Yorimasa finally committed suicide with WATANABE no Tonau serving as his suicide assistance.
Japanese: 頼政は以仁王を逃すべく平等院に籠って抵抗するが多勢に無勢で、子の仲綱や宗綱や兼綱が次々に討ち死にあるいは自害し、頼政も渡辺唱の介錯で腹を切って自害した。
English: The insurgence of Yorimasa and Prince Mochihito failed, but the message of the prince had so great repercussions that MINAMOTO no Yoritomo, MINAMOTO no Yoshinaka, and other Minamoto clan families as well as major temples rose in revolt, which led to Jisho-Juei War and ultimately ended up with the destruction of the Taira clan.
Japanese: 頼政と以仁王の挙兵は失敗したが、以仁王の令旨の効果は大きく、これを奉じて源頼朝、源義仲をはじめとする諸国の源氏や大寺社が蜂起し、治承・寿永の乱に突入し、平氏は滅びることになる。
English: MINAMOTO no Hirotsuna, the youngest son of Yorimasa, and MINAMOTO no Aritsuna and MINAMOTO no Naritsuna, children of Nakatsuna, survived the series of clashes because they were in the Izu Province, their chigyo-koku (provincial fiefdom), and joined the army of MINAMOTO no Yoritomo who stood up against the Taira clan in Izu.
Japanese: 頼政の末子の源広綱や、仲綱の子の源有綱・源成綱は知行国の伊豆国にいたため生き残り、伊豆で挙兵した源頼朝の幕下に参加している。
English: One of the tales recorded in the classic epic, "Heike Monogatari" is about his extermination of a monster called nue.
Japanese: 古典『平家物語』には鵺（ぬえ）と呼ばれる怪物退治の説話が記されている。
English: Then he plucked the string of the bow three times, and that cured the disease, and the condition of the Emperor rapidly improved.
Japanese: 弓の弦を三度鳴らしたところ病魔が退散し、帝の容態はみるみる回復した。
English: The entourage of Emperor Konoe decided to have samurai stand guard for the Emperor again, and MINAMOTO no Yorimasa, also a member of the Minamoto clan and known for his valor, was chosen.
Japanese: そのため此度も武士を警護につけるがよかろうということになり、同じ源氏の一門で武勇の誉れ高かった源頼政が選ばれた。
English: One night, Yorimasa was patrolling the garden of the Palace and saw black cloud spring up from the Ushi-tora direction (northeast) and a monster called 'nue' emerged from the cloud, which had the head of a monkey, the abdomen of a raccoon dog, the limbs of a tiger, and the tail of a snake.
Japanese: そして深夜、頼政が御所の庭を警護していたところ、艮（うしとら）の方角（＝北東の方角）よりもくもくと黒雲が湧き上がり、その中から頭が猿、胴が狸、手足が虎、尾が蛇という「鵺」と呼ばれる怪物が現れる。
English: Yorimasa shot the nue with an arrow, and his retainer, I no Hayata, who ran to join him, killed the monster with his sword.
Japanese: 頼政は弓で鵺を射、駆けつけた郎党・猪の早太（いのはやた）が太刀で仕留める。
English: Then Yorimasa cut the body of nue into pieces, put each piece on a bamboo leaf ship and flew them away into the sea, according to the legend.
Japanese: その後、頼政は仕留めた鵺の体をバラバラに切り刻み、それぞれ笹の小船に乗せて海に流したという。
English: There is a legend that one of Yorimasa's retainers I no Hayata brought the head of Yorimasa after his suicide to Yamagata-gun, Mino Province, where Yorimasa's uncle MINAMOTO no Kuninao had his fief, and buried it at Renge-ji Temple, Seki City, Gifu Prefecture.
Japanese: その他、頼政自害後に郎党の猪早太らが頼政の叔父源国直の領地がある美濃国山県郡に首を持ち運び葬ったとの伝承がある岐阜県関市の蓮華寺がある。
English: Yorimasa-jinja Shrine is also where his burial mound is located (the venue of another legend on the mound where his head was buried); it is traditionally believed that Yorimasa's vassal of the Shimokobe clan enshrined their master.
Japanese: 郎党下河辺氏が主を祭った伝わる茨城県古河市の頼政神社（こちらにも頼政の首塚伝説が存在）。
English: Shinto shrines dedicated to Yorimasa as a Shinto deity include Toyoki-jinja Shrine, Toyohashi City, Aichi Prefecture, where MINAMOTO no Yorimasa is enshrined as the ancestor of the Okochi clan.
Japanese: また、頼政を祭神とする神社は大河内氏が源頼政等を祖先として祀る豊城神社（とよきじんじゃ、愛知県豊橋市）などがある。
English: It is widely known that while Yorimasa's uncle family inherited Tada-no-sho, the base of the Settsu-Genji, he had as his base an area near Watanabe, Settsu Province (the area near today's Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture).
Japanese: 頼政は摂津源氏の本拠地多田荘を伯父の系統が相続したのに対し、摂津国渡辺付近（現在の大阪府大阪市付近）を本拠としたとされている。
English: The Watanabe Party, who was a united samurai group in that area, served Yorimasa as his major retainer group.
Japanese: 同地に武士団を形成する渡辺党を主力の郎党としていたことが広く知られている。
English: It is also known that the Shimokobe clan, who developed Shimokobe-no-sho in the Hachijo-in Manor, in the Province of Shimosa, also served Yorimasa as his retainer.
Japanese: そのほか、下総国の八条院領下河辺荘の開発領主である下河辺氏一族もその郎党としていたことが知られている。
English: Regarding his relationship with Shimokobe clan, which is defined as a group of samurai in the eastern part of Japan, it is believed that the master-retainer relationship was established in the background of the establishment of Shimokobe-no-sho after Yorimasa went to the Shimosa Province together with his father Nakamasa who was appointed as Shimosa no kami (Governor of Shimosa Province).
Japanese: 東国武士である下河辺氏との関係については、下総守に任じられた父仲政が頼政を伴い任国に下った際、下河辺荘の成立を背景として主従関係を結んだと考えられている。
English: Descendants of the Ota clan include Sukeie OTA, a nephew of Dokan, who served the Ogigayatsu-Uesugi clan, and his son Sukeyori OTA.
Japanese: 太田氏からは道灌の甥で扇谷上杉氏に仕えていた太田資家その子太田資頼。
English: Descendants of the Ota clan include Sukemoto OTA, who became a Roju (the highest ranking government official) of the Edo bakufu (Japanese feudal government headed by a shogun), and Seizaemon OTA, a chief retainer of the Mito clan.
Japanese: さらに、太田氏の子孫からは江戸幕府老中太田資始や幕末の水戸藩家老太田誠左衛門などが出る。
English: The Shimotsuma clan served Hongan-ji Temple as main retainers and played a core role in Ikko sect's revolt in the Sengoku period (period of warring states) (Japan); later in the Edo Period, Shigetoshi IKEDA, one of the descendants of the Shimotsuna clan, was awarded a ten-thousand goku (enfeoffment) as a daimyo or feudal lord.
Japanese: 下間氏は本願寺の重臣となり、戦国時代(日本)には一向一揆において中心的役割を果たし、さらに降って江戸時代には一族から池田重利が出て一万石を領し、大名になる。
English: Akitsuna, son of Yorimasa's adopted son MINAMOTO no Kanetsuna, came to use the clan name Okochi; Nobutsuna MATSUDAIRA was an outstanding offspring of the clan; he had the nickname Chie-Izu (wisdom of Izu) for his brilliancy, during the Edo period.
Japanese: 養子源兼綱の子顕綱は大河内氏を称し、江戸時代には知恵伊豆と呼ばれた松平信綱が出る。
English: One of Yorimasa's grandchildren is Naritsuna OIKAWA (also known as. Izu-kanja Naritsuna or Saemon-no-jo Moritsuna, who is a younger brother of MINAMOTO no Munetsuna and MINAMOTO no Aritsuna); it is known that Naritsuna owned Oikawa-no-sho Manor in Kizaki-gun, Tajima Province, and started to use the name Oikawa clan.
Japanese: 遺児（孫）の一人に及川成綱（伊豆冠者成綱または左衛門尉盛綱とも称し、源宗綱・源有綱の弟に当たる）あり、但馬国木崎郡及川荘を領しはじめて及川氏を称したという。
English: War lord brothers Kazutoki INOKO and Hyosuke INOKO in the Sengoku period (Japan) claimed they were descendants of Yorimasa.
Japanese: 戦国時代(日本)の武将、猪子一時・猪子兵助兄弟は頼政の後裔を称している。
English: The Baba clan, which produced Nobuharu BABA, one of the four wise retainers of Takeda, under the feudal lord Shingen TAKEDA of Kai Province, today's Yamanashi Prefecture, is also said to have come from Yorimasa.
Japanese: 甲斐の武田信玄の武田四名臣の一人とされる馬場信春の馬場氏もまた頼政の子孫であるという。
English: Musashibo Benkei (birth date unknown; died on June 15, 1189) was a monk-soldier at the end of the Heian period.
Japanese: 武蔵坊弁慶（武藏坊辨慶、むさしぼうべんけい、生年不詳-文治5年閏4月30日(旧暦)（1189年6月15日））は、平安時代末期の僧衆（僧兵）。
English: According to the tourist literature of Tanabe city in Wakayama Prefecture, Benkei was born there.
Japanese: なお、和歌山県田辺市は、弁慶の生誕地であると観光資料などに記している。
English: "Azuma Kagami," a history book of the Kamakura period, writes 'and Benkei squired' in its description dated December 3, 1185 and 'Only four retainers squired Yoshitsune. They were Izu Uemon-no-jo, Yataro HORI, Musashibo Benkei and...' in its description dated December 6, 1185; almost no other facts other than these are known about his life.
Japanese: 『吾妻鏡』には文治元年（1185年）11月3日(旧暦)に「辨慶法師已下相從」11月6日(旧暦)に「相從豫州之輩纔四人所謂伊豆右衛門尉堀弥太郎武藏房辨慶」と記されているだけで、その生涯についてはほとんど判らない。
English: But he is a great hero in fictional stories including "Gikeiki," a military epic about the life of Yoshitsune, and he is as popular as his master Yoshitsune as a leading role.
Japanese: しかし、『義経記』を初めとした創作の世界では大活躍をしており、義経と並んで主役格の人気がある。
English: It is said that Kumanobetto Tanzo (or Bensho in "Gikeiki" and Benshin in "Benkei Monogatari," one of the stories in the Otogi Zoshi picture storybook) abducted a daughter of a noble having a rank of Nii Dainagon (Second Rank, chief councilor of state), and Benkei was the boy born to her and Tanzo.
Japanese: 熊野別当湛増（『義経記』では「弁しょう」、『弁慶物語』では弁心）が、二位大納言の姫を強奪して生ませたとされる。
English: The stories say that Benkei stayed in the womb of his mother for 18 months (or three years according to "Benkei Monogatari"), and when he was born, he was already as large as a two- or three-year-old boy with his hair long down to the shoulders and all back teeth and front teeth fully grown.
Japanese: 母の胎内に18ヶ月（『弁慶物語』では3年）いて、生まれたときには2、3歳児の体つきで、髪は肩を隠すほど伸び、奥歯も前歯も生えそろっていたという。
English: His father attempted to kill him because he thought his son was a changeling, but the baby was taken away by his aunt, named Oniwaka, and raised in Kyoto.
Japanese: 父はこれは鬼子だとして殺そうとしたが、叔母に引き取られて鬼若と命名され、京で育てられた。
English: Benkei went to Shikoku and then to the Harima Province, but he also acted wild and caused the temple building of Engyo-ji Temple to burn down.
Japanese: その後、四国から播磨国へ行くが、そこでも乱暴を繰り返して、播磨国の圓教寺の堂塔を炎上させてしまう。
English: He attacked passers-by, fought samurai with his swords and collected 999 swords.
Japanese: 弁慶は道行く人を襲い、通りかかった帯刀の武者と決闘して999本まで集めたた。
English: Benkei came across Yoshitsune, who was walking on the Gojo-Ohashi Bridge (or in the temple ground of Kiyomizu Kannon according to "Gikeiki") while playing a flute when there was only one sword left to get until his wish was to be made.
Japanese: あと一本ということろで、五条大橋（『義経記』では清水観音境内）で笛を吹きつつ通りすがる義経と出会う。
English: As his eye was riveted to an excellent sword worn by Yoshitsune on the waist, he charged at the young noble.
Japanese: 弁慶は義経が腰に佩びた見事な太刀に目を止め、太刀をかけて挑みかかった。
English: Their duel is a story that was created in later years, and in those days, there was no bridge known as Gojo-Ohashi yet.
Japanese: しかしこの決闘は後世の伝説で、当時、五条の大橋はまだなかったとされている。
English: The site of the encounter is also not on the Gojo-Ohashi Bridge, but somewhere between Horikawa-Koji street to Kiyomizu-dera Temple according to the Gikeiki.
Japanese: 決闘の場所も、義経記では、五条の大橋ではなく、堀川小路から清水寺での出来事とされている。
English: Another theory says that the present Matsubara-dori Street was the former 'Gojo-dori' Street; Gojoten-jinja Shrine was located at former Gojo-dori Nishino-toin, and a bridge was there for the fight to take place.
Japanese: また現「松原通」が当時の「五条通り」であり、旧五条通西洞院に五条天神社が存在し、そこに架かる橋であったとも言われている。
English: The venue of their fight at Gojo-Ohashi Bridge was first created in 'Nihon Mukashibanashi' (the Ancient Tales of Japan), authored by nursery tale writer Sazanami IWAYA in the Meiji period.
Japanese: 決闘の場所の場所を五条の大橋とするのは、明治の伽噺作家の巌谷小波（いわやさざなみ）の書いた「日本昔噺」によるものである。
English: Later, Benkei made a great performance as a royal retainer of Yoshitsune and made a name in the battle against the Taira clan.
Japanese: その後、弁慶は義経の忠実な家来として活躍し、平家討伐に功名を立てる。
English: Yoshitsune and his entourage were in disguise as mountain priests as they fled away from Kyoto, and Benkei helped them with his wisdom and herculean power.
Japanese: 山伏に姿を変えた苦難の逃避行で、弁慶は智謀と怪力で義経一行を助ける。
English: Their identification was almost revealed by Saemon TOGASHI (or Togashi-no-suke according to "Gikeiki") at Ataka no Seki or Ataka Checking Station, Kaga Province.
Japanese: 一行は加賀国安宅の関で、富樫左衛門（『義経記』では富樫介）に見咎められる。
English: Benkei read a fake kanjincho, a statement to explain reasons to gather donations for Buddhist activities, and beat Yoshitsune, who was suspected as a fugitive, with his kongozue (a big walking stick used by a mountain priest in his training).
Japanese: 弁慶は偽の勧進帳を読み上げ、疑われた義経を自らの金剛杖で打ち据える。
English: Although Togashi knew Benkei was lying, he understood the sentiments of Benkei, pretended he didn't notice the fraud, and let them go through the Check Station.
Japanese: 富樫は弁慶の嘘を見破りながら、その心情を思い、あえて騙された振りをしてくれる。
English: But when Hidehira died, his son FUJIWARA no Yasuhira violated the will of his father out of fear of the power of Yoritomo and attacked Yoshitsune and his entourage at Koromogawa no Tachi (residence of the Oshu-Fujiwara clan).
Japanese: だが、秀衡が死ぬと、子の藤原泰衡は頼朝の威を恐れて、父の遺言を破り、義経主従を衣川館に襲った。
English: According to the epic stories, although desperately outnumbered, Benkei valiantly defended his master in front of the compound swirling his naginata, a long-handled swordlike weapon, and was killed as he stood his ground against a barrage of the enemy's arrows.
Japanese: 多数の敵勢を相手に弁慶は、義経を守って堂の入口に立って薙刀を振るって戦い、雨の様な敵の矢を受けて立ったまま死んだとされている。
English: He still kept defending Yoshitsune even after he died--this death is counted as one of the most memorable deaths in the Japanese history.
Japanese: 死してもなお、義経を守りつづけたと言えるこの往生は、史上屈指の名往生とされる。