翻刻
久信か了戒と銘をうちてにせたる太刀
おゝし父子の間にてきたひの心をし
るにや然而能にたりされ共めいのた
かねつかひ中このしゝおき以下かはる所多
し其上父はふかし久信のにせ作は刃ふ
ちもきつしかねのきたひなともこわき
色也けんほんしをきる太刀多しおや
子なから樋きり物上手也猶口伝有之
一信国《割書:下|》後円融院御宇應永比了戒孫
太刀姿みしかくそり高しきたひ柾目也板
目のことくにもく目のはたも有いほりあさ
し地色しろくけふりたつやうにうろめく色
あり大乱をものたり乱にも焼也にへ多し
すく刃は地こまやか也地色も黒みあり刃
いろも黒しかたきかな色也然に乱刃のにへ
心あしあひのほそき所はあらくにへたり乱
現代語訳
久信(ひさのぶ)が了戒(りょうかい)と銘を打って偽った太刀が多い。父子の間柄であるから、鍛えの心得を知っているのであろう。しかしながら(出来は)よく似ている。されども、銘の鑿(たがね)使い、中心(なかご)のしし置き(肉置き)以下、異なる点が多い。その上、父(了戒)の(中心は)深い。久信の偽作は、刃縁(はぶち)もきつく、鉄の鍛えなども硬い色合いである。剣本(けんほん)を区(しきり)とする太刀が多い。親子ながら、樋切り(ひきり)の細工は上手である。なお口伝がある。
一、信国(のぶくに)【割書:下(下位)】後円融院(ごえんゆういん)御代(みよ)、応永(おうえい)(1394〜1428年)の頃。了戒の孫。
太刀の姿は短く、反りが高い。鍛えは柾目(まさめ)で、板目(いため)のようにもあり、杢目(もくめ)の肌(はた)も見られる。庵棟(いほりみね)は浅い。地色は白く、煙が立つように、うろめく(霞がかかったような)色合いがある。大乱(おおみだれ)をも、のたり乱(乱れ)にも焼く。沸(にへ)が多い。直刃(すぐは)は地(じ)が細やかである。地色にも黒みがあり、刃色も黒く、堅い鉄の色合いである。しかるに、乱刃(みだれは)の沸の心(ころ)、足合い(あしあい)の細い所は、荒く沸立っている。乱(みだれ)……
英語訳
There are many tachi in which Hisanobu (久信) forged blades and struck the mei (signature) "Ryōkai" in imitation (forgery). Being father and son, he likely understood the essence of the forging techniques. And yet (the forgeries) resemble (the originals) well. Nevertheless, there are many points of difference in the use of the tōgane (chisel) for the mei, the treatment of the nakago (tang), the shishi-oki (flesh placement on the tang), and other details below. Moreover, the father's (Ryōkai's) nakago is deeper. Hisanobu's forgeries have a sharp and tight habuchi (hamon edge), and the kitae (forging texture) of the steel also has a stiff, hard quality. There are many tachi in which the kenpon (sword base) serves as a dividing point (kiri). Though father and son alike, both are skilled in the carving of hi (grooves). Further oral transmission exists.
One entry: Nobukuni (信国) [interlinear note: lower (rank)] — active during the reign of Go-en'yū-in (Emperor Go-en'yū), around the Ōei era (1394–1428). He is the grandson of Ryōkai.
The sugata (form) of the tachi is short, with a high sori (curvature). The kitae (forging) is masame (straight grain), though there are also areas resembling itame (wood-grain pattern), and mokume-hada (burl wood-grain pattern) is also present. The iori-mine (ridged back) is shallow. The ji color is white, with a hazy, swirling (urometaku) quality, as though smoke were rising. The hamon is tempered in both ō-midare (large irregular pattern) and notari-midare (gentle undulating irregular pattern). Niē (hard martensite crystals) are abundant. In suguha (straight hamon), the ji is fine and refined. The ji color also has a darkish hue, the hamon color is likewise dark, with the hard quality of steel. However, in the midare-ha (irregular hamon), the areas of the niē and the narrow sections of the ashi-ai (foot interactions) show rougher niē activity. The midare (irregular hamon)...
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