翻刻
時【俗字の「時」】弘化四丁未載三月廿四日會晴暖氣に而到而穏成其夜亥刻頃信濃国七郡雷鳴の如く響
大地震にて城下在町民家即時に震潰し所々に出火して焼死即死数万人同刻犀川筋
更級郡山平林岩倉孫瀬山櫻井虚空蔵山高さ六十丈余横幅二十丁程の場所抜崩れ犀川江【え】
押出し埋立川幅を〆切流水を留水湛川上江【え】水開き湖水のことし丹波島渡し場
水渇て陸のことし渉るに踵をぬらさす其外山々平地迄も震われ通路難成場所有
猶亦数ヶ所山沢崩れ落て水行不通然るに数日水湛一時に押破り候はゞ川下民家水難の
憂難斗御上様より水切の節しらせのため所々に狼煙御覚悟有之所
四月十三日申下刻一時に水抜出し浪高き事数十丈水声雷鳴の如く
天地に響き大山の崩るゝが如し虚空一面雲霧のことく狼煙発すと
いへとも更に黒白不分川中島より千曲川越後国迄民家悉く
漂流し溺れ死すもの幾万といふをしらす扶桑略記に曰
光孝天皇仁和三丁未載七月晦日信濃国六郡大地震に而大山
抜崩れ城盧仏地男女牛馬に到まて流死成丘【丘を成す】云々自仁和三
丁未至弘化四丁未にこゝに九百六十一年亦如斯天災を
見る唯当国の人而已にあらす善光寺如来開扉によりて
諸国の旅人数を尽して死失す嗚呼時なるかな異変有事
亦こゝに善光寺如来御本堂無難にして其夜に通夜するもの一人も
無恙是仏徳の験し難有事霊瑞感応逐一に不遑誠に三国無
双の霊仏仰て可信給逸々筆にまかせかたきを以あら
ましを験す尚足らざるは見る人ゆるしたまへ
現代語訳
時は弘化四年丁未（1847年）三月二十四日、快晴で暖かく、すべてが穏やかであった。その夜、亥の刻頃（午後10時頃）、信濃国七郡で雷鳴のような響きとともに大地震が発生し、城下や在町の民家が即座に倒壊し、所々で出火して焼死・圧死者は数万人に及んだ。同じ刻、犀川筋の更級郡山平林、岩倉、孫瀬山、桜井、虚空蔵山で、高さ六十丈余り、横幅二十町程の場所が崩れ落ち、犀川に押し出して川を埋め立て、川幅を塞いで流水を止めた。水が溜まり、川上に水が広がって湖水のようになった。丹波島の渡し場は水が枯れて陸地のようになり、歩いて渡っても足を濡らすことがなかった。その他、山々や平地まで震動し、通行困難な場所もあった。
さらに数ヶ所で山沢が崩れ落ちて水の流れが止まった。もし数日間溜まった水が一時に決壊すれば、川下の民家が水害に遭う心配があり、その被害は計り知れない。そのため御上（幕府）より、水が切れる時の知らせのために所々に狼煙の準備があった。
四月十三日申の下刻（午後4時頃）、一時に水が抜け出し、波の高さは数十丈、水音は雷鳴のように天地に響き、大山が崩れるようであった。空一面が雲霧のようになり、狼煙を上げようとしても黒白の区別もつかない。川中島から千曲川、越後国まで民家はことごとく流され、溺死者は何万人かわからない。
扶桑略記によれば、光孝天皇の仁和三年丁未（887年）七月晦日、信濃国六郡で大地震があり、大山が崩れて城郭・仏寺・田地、男女・牛馬に至るまで流死して丘を成したという。仁和三年丁未から弘化四年丁未まで、ここに九百六十一年、また同様の天災を見ることになった。ただ当国の人だけでなく、善光寺如来の開扉により諸国からの旅人も数多く死没した。ああ、時の運であろうか、異変のあることよ。
また、善光寺如来の御本堂は無事で、その夜に通夜した者は一人も無事であった。これは仏徳の験であり、ありがたいことで、霊験と感応は逐一述べる暇もない。まことに三国無双の霊仏であり、仰いで信じ給うべきである。思いのままに筆に任せて書くことは困難なので、あらましを記す。なお不足なところは見る人にお許しいただきたい。
英語訳
It was the 24th day of the third month of Kōka 4, year of the Fire Sheep (1847), a clear and warm day when all was peaceful. That night, around the hour of the Boar (around 10 PM), a great earthquake struck the seven districts of Shinano Province with thunder-like roaring. Houses in the castle town and rural towns collapsed instantly, fires broke out in various places, and tens of thousands died from burns and crushing.
At the same time, in the Sai River area of Sarashina District—at Yamahirabayashi, Iwakura, Magose-yama, Sakurai, and Kokūzō-yama—an area about sixty jō high and twenty chō wide collapsed and was pushed into the Sai River, burying and blocking the river width, stopping the flow of water. Water accumulated, spreading upstream like a lake. The Tanba Island ferry crossing dried up and became like dry land, allowing people to cross on foot without wetting their heels. Mountains and even flatlands shook elsewhere, creating places difficult to traverse.
Furthermore, mountain valleys collapsed in several locations, blocking water flow. If the water that had accumulated for days were to burst through all at once, houses downstream would suffer flood damage beyond measure. Therefore, the authorities prepared signal fires at various locations to announce when the water would break through.
On the 13th day of the fourth month, during the late hour of the Monkey (around 4 PM), water suddenly burst out. Waves rose several dozen jō high, and the sound of water roared like thunder across heaven and earth, as if great mountains were collapsing. The entire sky became like clouds and mist, and though signal fires were attempted, black and white could not be distinguished. From Kawanakajima to the Chikuma River and Echigo Province, all houses were swept away, and the number of drowning victims was beyond counting.
According to the Fusō Ryakki, on the last day of the seventh month of Ninwa 3, year of the Fire Sheep (887), during Emperor Kōkō's reign, there was a great earthquake in six districts of Shinano Province. Great mountains collapsed, and castles, Buddhist temples, fields, men, women, cattle, and horses were all swept away and piled up like hills. From Ninwa 3 (887) to Kōka 4 (1847)—961 years—we witness a similar natural disaster again. Not only people of this province, but also travelers from various provinces who had come for the opening of the Zenkō-ji Nyorai temple died in great numbers. Alas, was this fate? What a strange calamity!
However, the main hall of Zenkō-ji Nyorai remained unharmed, and not one person who kept vigil there that night was injured. This was a manifestation of Buddhist virtue, a truly grateful thing. The miraculous responses are too numerous to recount individually. Truly this is a sacred Buddha without equal in the three countries, who should be revered and believed in. It is difficult to write freely as the brush moves, so I record only the outline. Please forgive any inadequacies, you who read this.