翻刻
してかゝる難義の節なれは後家殿へ少々
無心して見ばやとて五六人弁舌宜布
もの彼宅に行我々参る事条の義非す
御存しの通り世間一統凶年にて難義成に
別て当所は行詰り皆家財をすてゝ
何国へも立退んと思へ共銘々妻子年寄
の親共の竭仰（カツガウ）に揖（コマ）り身躰爰にきわまり
て当惑致し詮方画て我々御無心に参りたり
此節御貯ひの金子も有は何卒忍借仕り
一命をつなきたく笑止なから参たりともみ
手してそ願ける後家殿聞之て定而左様成
品も可有かと疾より待て居たりしか今迄
御沙汰も勿れは皆々如何被成候やと乍＿レ願
無覚束思ひしなり少々貯ひ置し金子
も有御入用の程御用立申さん員数何程
御望ぞやさん候六拾両程御無心申さば大概
現代語訳
このような難儀な折であるから、後家殿（未亡人）に少々お願いしてみようということで、五、六人の弁の立つ者が彼女の宅に出向き、「私どもが参りましたことの趣旨は他でもございません。ご存知の通り、世間一般に凶年にて難儀なところに、とりわけ当所はまったく行き詰まり、皆が家財を捨てて、どこへでも立ち退こうかと思うものの、めいめい妻子・年老いた親たちの負ぶさりに困り、身も心もここに行き詰まって当惑いたし、なす術もなく私どもはお願いに参りました。
この節、お貯えの金子もおありならば、何卒こっそりお借りし、一命をつなぎたく、笑止ながら参りました」と手を合わせてお願いした。後家殿はこれを聞き、「きっとそのようなことがあるだろうと、以前から待っておりましたが、今まで何もおっしゃいがなかったので、皆様どうなさっているかと、お願いされることを願いながらも、気がかりに思っておりました。少々貯えておいた金子もございます。ご入用の程、お役に立てましょう。員数はどれほどご希望でございますか」とのこと。「はい、六十両ほどお願い申し上げれば、大概（の急場は凌げましょう）」
英語訳
Since it was such a time of hardship, they decided they would try asking the widow for a small favor. Five or six people with good rhetorical skills went to her home and said: "The reason for our visit is none other than this: as you well know, the entire region is suffering from a year of poor harvest and great hardship, and our particular area is completely at an impasse. While we all think of abandoning our belongings and fleeing somewhere, each of us is burdened by wives, children, and elderly parents, leaving us stuck here in both body and spirit, utterly at a loss and with no other recourse — and so we have come to make this request of you.
If you happen to have any savings at this time, we humbly ask to borrow them in secret, as we wish to preserve our lives. Embarrassing as it is, we have come to ask this of you," and they pleaded with hands clasped together. The widow, upon hearing this, replied: "I had long expected that something like this would come to pass and had been waiting, but since no one had said anything to me until now, I had been wondering anxiously how everyone was managing, wishing that someone would come to ask. I do have a small amount of savings set aside. I shall put it at your disposal for whatever you need. How much are you hoping for?" To which they replied: "If we could ask for about sixty ryō, it would generally be enough [to get us through the worst of it]..."