一粒万倍 ― 子供たちと迎えた稲刈りの日 A Grain Becomes Ten Thousand — Harvest Day with the Kids
黄金色の穂が風に揺れる田んぼに、子供たちとスタッフの笑い声が広がった。
The golden rice swayed in the breeze as the laughter of children and staff filled the fields.
今日は、待ちに待った米の収穫の日。
It was finally harvest day — the moment we had all been waiting for.
鎌を握るのは大人たち。一本一本を丁寧に刈り取り、束ねていく。
The adults held the sickles, carefully cutting and gathering each stalk by hand.
その横で、子供たちは小さな手で稲の束を運び、汗をぬぐいながら何度も往復していた。
Beside them, the children carried bundles of rice with their small hands, wiping sweat from their faces as they went back and forth again and again.
「一粒万倍」とは、ほんとうによく言ったものだ。
The saying “Ichiryūmanbai” — “a single grain multiplies ten thousandfold” — could not be more true.
たった一つの苗から、こんなにも多くの米が育つ。
From just one tiny seedling, so many grains are born.
自然の力と、人の手の積み重ねが生んだ、まさに奇跡。
It’s a miracle born of nature’s power and the patience of human hands.
一粒の米ができるまでに、どれだけの日々があるのかと思うと、
When I think of how many days and efforts it takes to grow a single grain of rice,
「食べる」ということの尊さを改めて感じる。
I’m reminded how precious it truly is to eat, to receive life.
子供たちもスタッフも、きっとこの体験を通して“命をいただく”意味を感じてくれたと思う。
I believe both the children and the staff felt, through this experience, what it means to receive the gift of life.
ふと、田んぼの向こうを見ながら思った。
As I looked out over the fields, I thought to myself—
親父は昔からずっと農家をしてきた。
My father has been a farmer all his life.
けれど、俺たち息子はその世界をほとんど知らなかった。
But we, his sons, hardly knew that world at all.
実際にやってみると、親父が積み上げてきた知識や経験の多さに、ただただ驚く。
Now that I’ve tried it myself, I’m overwhelmed by how much knowledge and skill he’s built over the years.
親父ももう七十代後半。
My father is now in his late seventies.
その背中は少し小さくなったけれど、今も変わらず格好いい。
His back may have grown smaller, but he’s still the coolest man I know.
俺もあんな親父のように、自分の生き方で語れる男になりたい。
I want to be like him — a man whose life speaks louder than words.
今日のこの収穫が、きっと未来への一粒になる。
This day’s harvest will surely become a seed for the future.
親父の背中を追いながら、命の恵みをしっかりと繋いでいこう。
As I follow in my father’s footsteps, I’ll carry forward the blessings of life with gratitude and pride.
