翻刻
後ニ留ル人夫ヲ郷村ニ募リ荷物ヲ天神山ニ運バ
シメテ此地ヲ発ス〇和道等二人山ヲ越エ長岡新
田ニ下ラントスルトキ仝村ノ役人数名カ更ニ高遠
藩ノ兵士五百名ノ来ルヲ待ツニ逢ヘリ我等奇怪
ニ堪ヘサレバ尚能ク之ヲ子細ニ問フ彼等答ヘテ曰ク
前刻野木隊長ノ率フル一隊此地ヲ通過セラレタリ
其時兵士言ヘルモノアリ後ヨリ五百ノ兵士ガ沢底
村ヨリ来リ此地ヲ又通過スヘキ筈ナエイト堅ク之ヲ
信ジテ村ニハ食ヲ備ヘシメ我等ハ此処ニ出迎フナリ
ト我等之ヲ推シテ心竊ニ驚ク是レ或兵士ノ悪
戯ナラント然レドモ我等ハ村民ノ篤信ヲ尊ビ藩ノ
名誉ヲ重ズレハ是レ兵士ノ悪戯ナリト何ゾ軽言
スルコトヲ得ンヤ故ニ臨機応変答ヘテ曰ク前後出
発ノ後別隊ハ俄ニ模様変ジテ下街道ヲ帰レリ
我等之カ為メニ来ルト彼等快諾共ニ居村ニ至ル
見レバ果シテ村民打チ集ヒ上ヲ下ヘノ騒動ヲ洿ネ
兵士五百ノ食ヲ備ヘリ飯アリ菜汁アリ酒アリ
牡丹餅アリ積ンテ山脈ノ如シ是ニ於テ我等両
人ハ五百ノ兵士ニ代リ之ヲ皷腹シテ食ヘリ噫是
レ彼等ハ皆他領ノ民ナリ其好意ノ存スル所
深ク謝礼セズンバアル可カラス依テ懇ニ事実ヲ
調ヘ之ヲ詳記シテ当所ヲ発セリ〇日暮レ山深
シ故ニ和道等長岡村ノ本道ニ出デタリ依テ村民
ニ浪士ノ通過ヲ問ヘバ浪士東西ノ軍ハ今朝松嶋
現代語訳
後に残る人夫を郷村で募り、荷物を天神山へ運ばせてからこの地を出発した。
〇和道ら二人が山を越えて長岡新田へ下ろうとしたとき、同村の役人数名が、さらに高遠藩の兵士五百名が来るのを待っているのに出くわした。我らはいぶかしさに堪えられず、さらによくこれを詳しく問いただした。彼らは答えて言うには、「先ほど野木隊長の率いる一隊がこの地を通過された。その際、兵士の中に言う者があって、『後から五百の兵士が沢底村より来て、この地をまた通過するはずだ』と」。彼らはこれを固く信じて、村には食事を準備させ、自分たちはここで出迎えているのだという。我らはこれを推し量って、心の中ひそかに驚いた。これはおそらくある兵士のいたずらであろうと。しかしながら、我らは村民の篤い信義を尊び、藩の名誉を重んじるからには、「これは兵士のいたずらである」などとどうして軽々しく言うことができようか。それゆえ臨機応変に答えて言った。「出発の前後に、別隊は急に模様が変わって下街道を帰った。我らはそのために（知らせに）来たのだ」と。彼らは快く承知し、共に居村へ至った。見れば果たして村民が打ち集まり、上を下への大騒動の末、兵士五百の食事を用意していた。飯あり、菜汁あり、酒あり、牡丹餅あり、積み上げて山脈のようであった。ここにおいて我ら両人は、五百の兵士に代わってこれを腹いっぱい食べた。ああ、これら村民は皆、他領の民である。その好意の深いところに対し、深く謝礼せずにはいられない。そこで懇切に事実を説明し、これを詳しく記録してから当所を出発した。
〇日が暮れて山が深いため、和道らは長岡村の本道に出た。そこで村民に浪士の通過について問えば、「浪士の東西の軍は今朝、松嶋（へ向かった）——」
英語訳
They recruited porters remaining behind from the villages, had the baggage carried to Tenjinyama, and then departed from the area.
〇 When Kazumichi and his companion were about to descend from the mountain to Nagaoka Shinden, they came upon several village officials of that same village who were waiting for an additional five hundred Takatō domain soldiers said to be coming. Unable to contain their bewilderment, they questioned the officials closely about the matter. The officials answered: "A short while ago, a unit led by Commander Nogi passed through this place. At that time, one of the soldiers said, 'Five hundred soldiers will come from Sawazoko village and pass through this place as well.'" The villagers had firmly believed this, had the village prepare food, and were themselves waiting here to greet the soldiers. Kazumichi inwardly marveled at this, privately surmising that it must have been some soldier's prank. However, since they respected the villagers' sincere good faith and held the honor of the domain in high regard, how could they casually say, "This is a soldier's prank"? Therefore, they answered with presence of mind: "After the departure of the main unit, the separate unit suddenly changed course and returned by way of the lower highway. We have come to inform you of this." The villagers readily accepted this explanation, and together they proceeded to the village. Upon arrival, they found that the villagers had indeed gathered together in great commotion and had prepared a meal for five hundred soldiers. There was rice, there was vegetable soup, there was sake, there were botamochi rice cakes — all piled up like a mountain range. And so the two of them, in place of the five hundred soldiers, ate their fill. Ah — these villagers were all people of another domain's territory. Their goodwill was so profound that it was impossible not to express deep gratitude to them. Accordingly, they explained the true situation kindly and in detail, recorded it carefully, and then departed from the place.
〇 As dusk had fallen and the mountains were deep, Kazumichi and his companion came out onto the main road at Nagaoka village. When they asked the villagers about the passage of the rōshi, the answer was: "The eastern and western forces of the rōshi headed this morning toward Matsushima——"