翻刻
よのみ待けれとも夜は明ず恰も冬至比の夜よりも
猶長し漸して翌八日己刻に計にしらみかゝりたり
しかば何れ共霜ありし朧（オボロ）月夜のことし恐しなんと
謂計￣リなしはや午ノ下刻にも至りぬれば雷も静￣リ
れ空も静り見へければ出て四方をかへりみるに草木は枝
をれ倒（タオレ）ならぬ有佃は埋みうづもれて眇（ヒヤラ）〳〵｜朦（モウ）々として憒（クワイ）念
燃あからず生理の事など胸にせまり物謂事を
忘れ啞（オ）のことくになるかゝる所々老｜翁（オゝ）【左ルビ：オキナ】来り右の砂を
計り見るに四方六尺の場所九斗五六升より壱石
壱斗五六升あり是は七日朝掃取￣シ跡也又ゝ段々聞
及所深谷￣ノ駅（エキ）より壱里程北は壱石三斗位￣ト云東南
行程少し西北程は強し砂に軽石の様成小石交り
本庄宿は壱石五六斗也藤岡高崎辺は弐石五六斗のよし
に聞及これゟ西程石計り坂本は厚￣サ三尺程￣ト云軽井沢
辺は六尺程人馬の通路及がたし各々｜肝（キモ）なで冶しあり
郡に厳く左農壱人爰に立て
〇奢るや打ひしがんこ石砂を
助け給はれ公の御すひ
つ引く此事かんか見る所始絡農民の及所にあらず国
主領主は扨置御旗本方の御心魂も届べきあらず評
題｜區（マチ〳〵）にしてとるに足らずとは云ながら城に天に口なふて
人を視ていわしむると感（カン）ずる者も多かり免竹木黒之
現代語訳
夜が明けるのをただひたすら待ち続けたが、夜はなかなか明けなかった。まるで冬至の頃の夜よりもさらに長く感じられた。ようやく翌八日の巳の刻（午前10時頃）になってやっと夜明けの気配が漂い始めた。それでも、どことなく霜が降りた朧月夜のようで、「恐ろしいことだ」と言うほかなかった。やがて午の下刻（正午過ぎ）になると、雷も静まり、空も落ち着いてきたように見えたので、外に出て四方を見渡してみると、草木は枝が折れて倒れているものもあり、田畑は砂に埋もれて、かすかにぼんやりとして心が乱れ、生計のことなどが胸に迫ってきて、ものを言うことも忘れ、まるで唖（おし）のようになってしまった。そうした中、各所に老翁（おきな）がやってきて、右の砂を計ってみると、四方六尺の場所において九斗五、六升から一石一斗五、六升ほどあった。これは七日の朝に掃き取った跡（から再び積もった量）である。さらに次々と聞き及んだところでは、深谷の宿場より一里ほど北では一石三斗ほどとのこと。東南方向よりも西北方向の方が（降灰が）多く、砂に軽石のような小石が交じっていた。本庄宿では一石五、六斗とのこと。藤岡・高崎あたりでは二石五、六斗ほどとのことを聞き及んだ。これより西の方は石ばかりで、坂本では厚さ三尺ほどと言い、軽井沢あたりでは六尺ほどで、人馬の通行もままならないほどであった。人々は肝を冷やしつつ、郡内では厳しく農民一人ひとりがここに立って、
○奢る者よ、打ち砕かれよ、この石砂を。
助けてください、公のお力添えを。
とつぶやくのを引き取って考えてみると、そもそもこの事は農民の及ぶところではない。国主・領主はもとより、御旗本方のお心魂も行き届くはずがない。評判は区々（まちまち）でとるに足らないとは言いながら、天が口を持たずとも人をして語らしめると感じる者も多かった。（税の）免除や竹木の黒（焼け焦げ）が……
英語訳
They waited desperately for the night to end, yet dawn would not come. The night felt even longer than the longest night around the winter solstice. Only at around the Hour of the Snake (around 10 a.m.) on the following eighth day did the faintest glimmer of light finally begin to appear. Even then, it looked like nothing more than a hazy moonlit night with frost, and there was nothing one could do but murmur, "How terrifying." By the lower part of the Hour of the Horse (just past noon), the thunder had quieted and the sky seemed to grow calm, so people ventured outside to look around in all directions. Tree branches were broken and some had toppled; the fields were buried under ash and sand. Everything appeared dim and hazy, and people's minds were thrown into confusion—thoughts of how to make a living pressed upon them, and they forgot how to speak, becoming as if mute. In the midst of this, an elderly man came to various places and measured the sand: in an area six shaku (approximately 1.8 meters) on each side, the amount ranged from nine to (nine and a half) to about one koku, one to, five or six sho. This was measured from the accumulation after the sweeping done on the morning of the seventh. Further reports gathered from various sources indicated that about one ri (approximately 4 km) north of Fukaya post-station, it was about one koku and three to. The accumulation was heavier to the northwest than to the southeast, and the sand was mixed with small stones resembling pumice. At Honjo-juku (post station), it was said to be one koku, five or six to. Around Fujioka and Takasaki, it was reported to be around two koku, five or six to. To the west of those areas, it was mostly stones; at Sakamoto, the depth was said to be about three shaku (approximately 90 cm), and around Karuizawa, about six shaku (approximately 1.8 meters), making it nearly impossible for people and horses to pass. Everyone was chilled to the bone with fear, and throughout the district, one farmer after another stood up, muttering:
○ Let the arrogant be struck down and crushed by these stones and sand.
Please save us — by the grace and power of the authorities.
Putting aside this murmuring and reflecting on it, this disaster was clearly beyond the capacity of farmers to address. It was beyond the reach not only of domain lords and landowners, but even the spirit and care of the Hatamoto (bannermen) could not extend this far. Opinions on the matter were varied and hardly worth taking at face value, and yet many felt that, even though heaven has no mouth, it causes people to speak on its behalf. As for tax exemptions and charred timber...