翻刻
親并兄の敵覚たかといふ侭に頭ゟ鼻の下へ半分に切て落す弟
源蔵也とて肩先ゟ大袈裟に切放す某兄弟卅三才と卅才と此
日に当て年来の素意を達せり是偏に仏神の御恵之又は亡父【素意ソイ-日ごろの願い】
亡兄の草間の念力也とて手を合せ四方を拝候扨書沖し一封を
水右衛門か袴の腰に結付兄弟諸共に足早く城外さして出けり小
野郎は是に驚き囲の堀へ落しかと漸く這上り事の始終を見
たりし早速殿へ言上し件の一封を披けは大坂已来の事段〻書尽し
自分〳〵の仮名実名は不及申刀脇差の銘迄委しく記してけり追手
には誰歟誰歟と二時計案し給ひて漸被仰出候と也誠に深き御思
慮やと皆人感しあへり両人の者は兼て言合せし松山の内に三四日
ためらひ居て往還の人の噂を聞届最早追手の気遣ひなし迚
若党を本国へ帰し両人は先日上方御帳面を消さん迚行しか坂の下駅
にて五六百石も取んと覚しき武士の下向せるを見懸少し御無心の事有
か様〳〵の旨趣にて只今立去し此間三夜まとろまず殊外労れし
侭しばし御囲い有て休ませてかしといへは侍は互の事也とて茶屋の
奥の間に半日計寝させ最早晩に及し侭誰せよとて料理進め
金拾両程取出しいかゝ敷候へ共只不自由を足給へとよあれは近ころ
御志は忘かたし此方にも貯物せし迚百両計取出し見すれは頼も敷
御仕かた也いざさらは〳〵と互に礼義を伸南北へ分れてけり扨青山
因幡守殿の御子息下野守殿は遠州濱松城に今は帰りけれは両三人
立帰りしを類少なき者共とていか計歓給ひ兄半蔵に親の本
知弐百五十石弟源蔵に新知弐百石賜り屋敷厳敷囲ひ番人夫〻に
現代語訳
「親並びに兄の敵覚悟せよ」と言うや否や、頭から鼻の下へ半分に切って落とした。弟の「源蔵なり」と言って、肩先から大袈裟に切り放した。我ら兄弟三十三歳と三十歳とで、この日に当たって年来の宿願を達成した。これは偏に仏神の御恵み、又は亡父亡兄の草葉の陰の念力であると手を合わせ四方を拝んだ。さて書き置いた一封を水右衛門の袴の腰に結び付け、兄弟諸共に足早に城外に向かって出て行った。
小姓は驚いて濠の堀へ落ちそうになったが、漸く這い上がり、事の始終を見ていたので、早速殿へ言上し、件の一封を開いてみると、大阪以来の事が段々と書き尽くしてあり、自分たちの仮名実名は申すに及ばず、刀脇差の銘まで委しく記してあった。追手には誰々をと二時間ほど検討なさって漸くお命じになったということで、誠に深い御思慮であると皆人が感心し合った。
両人の者は予て言い合わせていた松山の内に三四日留まり、往還の人の噂を聞き届け、最早追手の気遣いはないとして、若党を本国へ帰し、両人は先日上方の御帳面を消そうとして行ったが、坂の下駅にて五六百石も取るであろうと思われる武士の下向するのを見かけ、「少し御無心の事があり、かような次第で只今立ち去った。この間三夜も眠らず殊の外疲れたので、しばし御囲いがあって休ませてください」と言うと、侍は「互いのことである」として茶屋の奥の間に半日ほど寝させ、最早晩に及んだので「誰かせよ」として料理を進め、金十両ほど取り出し「いかがしく候えども、ただ不自由を足してください」とよこした。そうすると「近頃の御志は忘れがたい。此方にも貯え物をした」として百両ほど取り出して見せると、「頼もしい御仕方である。いざさらば」と互いに礼儀を交わし南北へ分かれて行った。
さて青山因幡守殿の御子息下野守殿は遠州浜松城に今は帰っていたので、両三人が立ち帰ったのを類少なき者共として如何ほど歓ばれ、兄半蔵に親の本知二百五十石、弟源蔵に新知二百石を賜り、屋敷を厳しく囲い、番人をそれぞれに
英語訳
"Prepare to face the enemy of our father and elder brother!" No sooner had he said this than he cut [Mizuemon] in half from the head to below the nose. The younger brother declared "I am Genzō!" and made a dramatic cut from the shoulder. We brothers, aged thirty-three and thirty, accomplished our long-cherished desire on this day. This was entirely due to the blessings of Buddha and the gods, or perhaps the spiritual power of our deceased father and elder brother from beyond the grave, so we joined our hands and bowed in all four directions.
Then they tied the letter they had written to Mizuemon's hakama at the waist, and both brothers quickly departed toward the outside of the castle. The page was so shocked he nearly fell into the moat, but managed to crawl up and, having witnessed the entire incident, immediately reported to his lord. When the letter was opened, it detailed everything that had happened since Osaka, recording not only their false and real names, but even the inscriptions on their swords and wakizashi in great detail. [The lord] deliberated for about two hours on whom to send in pursuit before finally giving orders, which everyone admired as truly deep consideration.
The two men stayed for three or four days in the pine grove they had previously agreed upon, listening to rumors from travelers on the road. Determining that there was no longer concern about pursuit, they sent their retainer back to their home province. The two brothers had previously gone to erase their names from the official records in the Kansai region, but at Sakano-shita station they encountered a samurai who appeared to hold five or six hundred koku traveling down from Edo. They said, "We have a small request - due to such circumstances we have just departed. We haven't slept for three nights and are extremely tired, so please provide us shelter to rest for a while." The samurai replied "We are in the same situation" and let them sleep in the back room of a teahouse for about half a day. As evening approached, he ordered food and took out about ten ryō in gold, saying "Though it may seem insufficient, please use this to cover your expenses."
Then [the brothers] said "Your recent kindness is unforgettable. We also have some savings" and took out about one hundred ryō to show him. [The samurai] said "You are truly reliable in your methods. Well then," and they exchanged courtesies and parted ways, heading north and south.
Now, Shimotsuke-no-kami, the son of Lord Aoyama Inaba-no-kami, had returned to Hamamatsu Castle in Enshū province, so when the two or three men returned, he rejoiced greatly at these unparalleled individuals. He granted the elder brother Hanzō his father's original stipend of 250 koku, and the younger brother Genzō a new stipend of 200 koku, had their residences strictly enclosed, and assigned guards to each.