翻刻
負し子コダと息キ杖《割書：藁にて編し袖無し羽織様之もの｜二タ股の木の枝切詰めし杖》
年々忌月命日と新年正月上旬には床に飾りて
酒餅を備へ礼敬供養し専ら節約を守れ
る故益富有に栄へしが
親 カセグ 子 ツカウ 孫 コジキ
といへるは昔よりの諺にひとしく其子の代に至り
ては右宝物と秘蔵せし子コダも何地へ捨しや
大町人の風体に驕り勝手も衰弊之体に見聞
又孫の代にうつりては種々の物数寄に家業を転し
尚博賭の悪徒に被謀終に慶応以前の頃
家屋も不残売払何地へ行しや僅四十
有余年間に現在の盛衰を見聞せし故
後人の心得にもならはやと思ひて此類数多
ある内右一ヶ条を記し遺せり
余文化十年に生れて当明治十八迄七十一年
之内市街之表裏小路にて屈曲隅々之
町々に至迄以前之家名其侭之栄続町
毎に二軒平均は覚束なし又其内二三度
中には四五度も替れるあり乍去中古立身
出世せる家の興廃は兎まれ角まれ旧来ゟ
現代語訳
負った子籠と息杖《割書：藁で編んだ袖なしの羽織のようなもの｜二股の木の枝を切り詰めた杖》を、年々の忌月・命日と新年正月上旬には床の間に飾って、酒や餅を供えて礼敬供養し、専ら節約を守っていたので、ますます富裕に栄えた。
「親が稼ぎ、子が使い、孫が乞食」
と言うのは昔からの諺と同じく、その子の代に至っては、右の宝物として秘蔵していた子籠もどこへ捨ててしまったのか、大町人の風体に驕り、家計も衰弊の様子に見受けられた。
また孫の代に移っては、種々の物好きに家業を変え、なお博打の悪徒に謀られて、ついに慶応以前の頃、家屋も残らず売り払い、どこへ行ったのか、わずか四十有余年間に現実の盛衰を見聞したので、後人の心得にもなればと思って、この類の数多くある中から、右の一か条を記し残したのである。
余は文化十年に生まれて当明治十八年まで七十一年の間、市街の表通り・裏通り・小路において、屈曲した隅々の町々に至るまで、以前の家名がそのまま栄え続いている町は、毎町二軒平均でも覚束ない。またその内、二三度、中には四五度も替わったところもある。しかしながら、中古に立身出世した家の興廃はともかくとして、旧来からの
英語訳
He carried a child's basket and walking stick (margin note: a sleeveless haori-like garment woven from straw | a staff made from a forked tree branch cut short), and every year on the anniversary month and memorial day of his parent's death, as well as in early January of the New Year, he would display them on the tokonoma alcove, offer sake and rice cakes, pay reverent homage, and maintain strict frugality, which caused his wealth to flourish even more.
"The parent earns, the child spends, the grandchild begs"
As this old saying goes, when it came to his son's generation, the child's basket that had been treasured as a precious heirloom had been discarded somewhere unknown, he became arrogant in the manner of a great merchant, and his household finances appeared to be in decline.
When it passed to the grandson's generation, he changed occupations to pursue various hobbies and was deceived by gambling scoundrels, finally selling off all his house and property before the Keio era, disappearing to parts unknown. Having witnessed this actual rise and fall within merely forty-odd years, I thought it might serve as a lesson for future generations, so from among many such examples, I have recorded and left this one case.
I was born in Bunka 10 (1813) and until this Meiji 18 (1885), over seventy-one years, throughout the main streets, back alleys, and side streets of the city, even in the winding corners of every neighborhood, it would be uncertain to find an average of even two households per town where the old family names continue to prosper as before. Moreover, among them, some have changed hands two or three times, and some even four or five times. However, setting aside the rise and fall of families that achieved success in medieval times, those from ancient times...