Three hundred years ago, in the village called Asamimura, in the district called Onsengōri, in the province of Iyō, there lived a good man named Tokubei. This Tokubei was the richest person in the district, and the muraosa, or headman, of the village. In most matters he was fortunate; but he reached the age of forty without knowing the happiness of becoming a father. Therefore he and his wife, in the affliction of their childlessness, addressed many prayers to the divinity Fudō Myō Ō, who had a famous temple, called Saihōji, in Asamimura.
三百年前のことである。伊予の国の温泉郡（おんせんごおり）、朝美村（あさみむら）という村に、徳兵衛という善い人が住んでいた。徳兵衛は郡でいちばんの金持ちで、村の村長（むらおさ）でもあった。たいていのことには恵まれていたが、四十になっても、まだ父親になる喜びを知らなかった。子がないことを嘆いた徳兵衛と妻は、不動明王に何度も祈りをささげた。朝美村には、西法寺という、不動明王をまつる名高い寺があったのである。
At last their prayers were heard: the wife of Tokubei gave birth to a daughter. The child was very pretty; and she received the name of Tsuyu. As the mother's milk was deficient, a milk-nurse, called O-Sodé, was hired for the little one.
ついに二人の祈りは届いた。徳兵衛の妻が、女の子を産んだのだ。たいそうかわいらしい子で、露（つゆ）と名づけられた。母親の乳の出が少なかったので、赤ん坊のために、お袖という乳母がやとわれた。
O-Tsuyu grew up to be a very beautiful girl; but at the age of fifteen she fell sick, and the doctors thought that she was going to die. In that time the nurse O-Sodé, who loved O-Tsuyu with a real mother's love, went to the temple Saihōji, and fervently prayed to Fudō-Sama on behalf of the girl. Every day, for twenty-one days, she went to the temple and prayed; and at the end of that time, O-Tsuyu suddenly and completely recovered.
お露は、たいそう美しい娘に育った。ところが十五のとき病にかかり、医者たちはもう助からないと考えた。乳母のお袖は、本当の母親のようにお露をかわいがっていた。お袖は西法寺へ行き、お露のために、不動様に一心に祈った。二十一日のあいだ、毎日寺へ通って祈った。そして二十一日目が来ると、お露は急に、すっかり元気になった。
Then there was great rejoicing in the house of Tokubei; and he gave a feast to all his friends in celebration of the happy event. But on the night of the feast the nurse O-Sodé was suddenly taken ill; and on the following morning, the doctor, who had been summoned to attend her, announced that she was dying.
徳兵衛の家は喜びにわいた。徳兵衛はこのめでたいことを祝って、知り合いをみな招いて宴を開いた。ところがその宴の夜、乳母のお袖が急に病に倒れた。翌朝、呼ばれて診に来た医者は、お袖はもう長くないと告げた。
Then the family, in great sorrow, gathered about her bed, to bid her farewell. But she said to them:—
家の人々は深く悲しみ、別れを告げようと、お袖の床のまわりに集まった。するとお袖は、みなに向かってこう言った。
"It is time that I should tell you something which you do not know. My prayer has been heard. I besought Fudō-Sama that I might be permitted to die in the place of O-Tsuyu; and this great favor has been granted me. Therefore you must not grieve about my death... But I have one request to make. I promised Fudō-Sama that I would have a cherry-tree planted in the garden of Saihōji, for a thank-offering and a commemoration. Now I shall not be able myself to plant the tree there: so I must beg that you will fulfill that vow for me... Good-bye, dear friends; and remember that I was happy to die for O-Tsuyu's sake."
「みなさまのご存じないことを、もうお話ししなければなりません。わたくしの祈りは、聞き届けられたのでございます。わたくしは不動様に、お露様の身代わりに死なせてくださいとお願いいたしました。その大きなお恵みを、授けていただいたのです。ですから、わたくしが死ぬのを悲しまないでくださいまし……。ただ、一つだけお願いがございます。わたくしは不動様に、お礼と記念のしるしとして、西法寺のお庭に桜の木を植えるとお約束いたしました。けれども、もう自分では植えることができません。どうかわたくしに代わって、その願をはたしてくださいまし……。さようなら、みなさま。わたくしがお露様のために喜んで死んでいったことを、どうか覚えていてくださいまし」
After the funeral of O-Sodé, a young cherry-tree,—the finest that could be found,—was planted in the garden of Saihōji by the parents of O-Tsuyu. The tree grew and flourished; and on the sixteenth day of the second month of the following year,—the anniversary of O-Sodé's death,—it blossomed in a wonderful way. So it continued to blossom for two hundred and fifty-four years,—always upon the sixteenth day of the second month;—and its flowers, pink and white, were like the nipples of a woman's breasts, bedewed with milk. And the people called it Ubazakura, the Cherry-tree of the Milk-Nurse.
お袖の葬式がすむと、お露の両親は、探しうるかぎりいちばん見事な若い桜の木を、西法寺の庭に植えた。木はすくすくと育った。翌年の二月十六日、お袖の命日に、その木は見事な花を咲かせた。それから二百五十四年のあいだ、桜はいつも二月十六日に花を咲かせ続けた。花は薄紅と白で、乳にぬれた女の乳首のようだった。人々はこの木を、乳母桜（うばざくら）と呼んだ。
