翻刻
内蔵介承引不仕是非共に能時節を待可申とて見合居申候夫故勇気
たるみ候哉上方に而は必死と極め江戸迄一緒に参候者共之内親子兄弟
立別臆病心も出来霜月中に上方江逃帰候者も弐三人有之候
尤書【置】等も有之候《割書：【此節連中之住宅かうし町二三四丁之内又は浜町】｜【米沢町源介町抔に打寄〳〵罷在候なり】》
〇一右之通に而延引心を附候得共彼屋敷用心故様子聢と知不申候間
何とそ能手筋聞出し可申と毎日一味之内弥近辺徘徊仕試候得共
能事も無之心配仕候
●一堀部弥兵衛は息安兵衛励廻るを悦ひ其身は蟄居して知略肺
肝をくたき候なり弥兵衛午の十二月十二日にあらたに霊夢を蒙り
現代語訳
内蔵助は承知しなかった。「是非とも良い時節を待つべきだ」として見合わせていた。そのため勇気が衰えたのか、上方では必死と決めて江戸まで一緒に来た者どもの中で、親子兄弟が離ればなれになり臆病心も生じて、霜月中に上方へ逃げ帰った者も二三人いた。
もっとも置き書きなども残していった。《割書：【この節仲間の住宅は格子町二三四丁目の内または浜町】｜【米沢町源介町などに寄り集まって滞在していた】》
○一、右のとおりで延期を心がけたが、彼の屋敷は用心深いため様子がはっきりと分からない。何とか良い手立てを聞き出そうと、毎日仲間の内で近辺を徘徊して試したが、良い方法もなく心配していた。
●一、堀部弥兵衛は息子安兵衛が励んで回るのを喜び、その身は蟄居して知略を肝胆にくだいていた。弥兵衛は午年の十二月十二日に改めて霊夢を受けた。
英語訳
Kuranosuke would not agree. He said "We must by all means wait for a good opportunity" and held off. Perhaps because of this their courage waned - among those who had resolved to die in Kamigata and came together to Edo, some became separated from parents, children, and brothers, developed cowardly hearts, and two or three fled back to Kamigata during the eleventh month.
They naturally left behind farewell letters as well. 《Marginal note: [At this time the group's residences were within Kōshi-machi 2nd, 3rd, 4th districts or in Hama-machi] | [They gathered and stayed in places like Yonezawa-machi and Gensuke-machi]》
○1. As described above, they were cautious about delaying, but because that mansion was well-guarded, they could not clearly discern the situation. Trying somehow to discover good methods, members of the group wandered the vicinity daily and made attempts, but found no good approach and were worried.
●1. Horibe Yahee was pleased that his son Anbee was working hard and making rounds, while he himself remained in seclusion, racking his brains with strategies. On the twelfth day of the twelfth month of the horse year, Yahee received a new prophetic dream.