翻刻
読￣マ＿中重￣ンシ＿レ恥軽￣ンスル＿レ死￣ヲ之書￣ヲ＿上。不＿二亦￣タ善￣カラ＿一乎。然￣カリ而￣カレトモ
余無￣シ＿下勇￣ノ之可￣キ＿二以￣テ語￣ル＿一レ 人￣ニ者＿上。漫￣リニ書￣セハ＿二此￣ノ事￣ヲ＿一。
聞￣ク者皆笑￣ヒ。必￣ス為￣メニ＿二郷党子弟￣ノ＿一所￣レン＿レ咲￣ハ焉。【注】
幸大笑￣シテ曰￣ク。善哉。題言既￣ニ成￣レリト矣。余亦
笑￣テ而遂￣ニ把￣ル＿レ筆￣ヲ。
嘉永辛亥初冬 海西漁夫識
半嶺樵者書
【注：訓点に違和感有り】
現代語訳
恥を重んじ死を軽んずる書を読ませるのも、また善いことではないだろうか。しかしながら、余には勇について人に語るべき者が無い。漫然とこの事を書けば、聞く者皆笑い、必ず郷党の子弟に笑われることとなろう。
菊幸は大いに笑って曰く「善い哉。題言は既に成った」と。余もまた笑って遂に筆を執る。
嘉永辛亥初冬 海西漁夫識
半嶺樵者書
【注：訓点に違和感有り】
英語訳
Would it not also be good to have them read books that honor shame and treat death lightly? However, I have no heroic deeds that I could speak of to others. If I were to write carelessly about such matters, all who hear it would laugh, and I would surely become a laughingstock among the youth of my community.
Kikuyuki laughed heartily and said, "Excellent! The preface is already complete." I too laughed and finally took up the brush.
Early winter of Kaei 4, year of the Metal Boar [1851] Written by Kaisei Gyofu
Copied by Hanrei Shōsha
[Note: There are inconsistencies in the kunten (reading marks)]