翻刻
大こく天の仰にまかせむすこ七才より
こうきやう#1大がく#2をよませてまへも
そばにてしやうばんのがくもん今
まではわればかりよかれと思ひしを
われよりひとをよかれとおもふ
今まで金銀でなければ世は
わたれぬものとおもひとかく
せにをもうけて〳〵とうぬが
かまの下のやうじんばかりして
ゐるをとくのやうにおもふたが
それは一たんのりじゆんにて
ついにはほろぶるぞと大神宮
さまも御いましみなされ又せい
じんもたからさかつているときは
さかつて出る#3とおしへをかれた
なんとけつかうなことか新右衛門は
むすこのあまりがくもんなれ
ばとうしせん#4とやらを書た
あふきなどはよむことも
ならねとてまへの身を
おさむることはのみこみ
その上犬ねことひからす【犬猫鳶烏】
の心つきまでしやうちし
ければしまやのいんきよの
あとつぎとせけんでも
用ひられけるほとに
むすこはがくもんする上に
それをみならひ上々の
人となりさうなれはふうふ
のよろこひこれも大こくさまの
御つげといつ〳〵よりも又めでたく
春を
むかへけり
御れい
から
かへつ
たら
くさ
さうし
をかつ
て
やり
ま
し
や
ふ
通笑作
現代語訳
大黒天の仰せに従い、息子を七歳より孝経・大学を読ませ、前（新右衛門）もそばにて商売の学問（を始めた）。今まで自分だけが良ければと思っていたのを、自分よりも人を良くしようと思うようになった。今まで金銀がなければ世は渡れぬものと思い、とにかく銭を儲けよう儲けようと、自分の竈（かまど）の下の用心ばかりしているのを得のようように思っていたが、それは一旦の利潤にて、ついには滅ぶるぞと大神宮様もお戒めなされ、また聖人も「宝が盛んな時は、盛んに出る（使われる）」とお教えをかかれた。なんと結構なことか。新右衛門は息子があまり学問に馴れないので、「唐詩選」とやらを書いた扇などは読むことも叶わねど、前（自分）の身を修めることは飲み込み、その上に犬・猫・鳶・烏の心遣いまで承知しければ、「島屋の隠居のあとつぎ」と世間でも用いられけるほどに、息子は学問するうえに、それを見習い、上々の人となりそうなれば、夫婦の喜びこれも大黒様のお告げと、いつもよりもまた目出度く春を迎えけり。
【息子の言葉】
「お礼から帰ったら草双紙を買ってやりましょう。」
通笑 作
英語訳
Following the words of Daikoku-ten, they had their son read the Xiaojing (Classic of Filial Piety) and the Daigaku (Great Learning) from the age of seven, and Shinemon himself studied alongside him in the learning of commerce. Whereas until now he had thought only of his own well-being, he came to think of benefiting others before himself. Until now he had thought that without gold and silver one could not get through the world, and had considered it a virtue to constantly think only of accumulating money and looking after his own hearth — but the Great Shrine (Daijingū) had warned that such a way of thinking brings only short-term profit and ultimately leads to ruin, and the sages too had written the teaching: "When treasure is flourishing, it flourishes by flowing out." What a fine thing this was! Shinemon's son was not yet very accustomed to learning, so books such as fans inscribed with verses from the "Tōshisen" (Tang Poetry Anthology) were beyond his reading, yet the boy grasped the teaching of self-cultivation, and moreover came to understand even the natural instincts of dogs, cats, kites, and crows — so much so that the world around them recognized him as a worthy successor to the retired head of the Shimaya household. As the son continued his studies and modeled himself upon these lessons, it seemed he would grow into a person of the highest character, and the joy of the husband and wife — regarding this too as a divine message from Daikoku-sama — was such that they welcomed the New Year with even greater celebration than ever before.
[Son's words:]
"When I return from paying our respects, I'll buy you some kusazōshi (illustrated storybooks)!"
*Written by Tsūshō*