弘化４年信州地震[27冊-12] - 翻刻

翻刻

かゝる目出度御代に天命のなす
処是非なき珍事おこりし
爰に弘化四未年三月廿四日夜四ツ
時頃より信州水内郡ゑん近大
地震細末抑善光寺を初めつよく
くゆりうこき堂塔伽羅かん堂末　　　　　　善光寺境内
社寺院其外人家夥しくゆり崩
れ村里類焼川々のこう水あん
夜の事ニ而夜もすからしんどうし
然は人馬に損毛も有り
東は丹波嶋川田■【記号】松代屋代
戸倉坂木■【記号】上田此辺殊につよく
してかい道筋大石道にゆり出
大地さけ田中■【記号】小諸追分くつかけ
かるい沢上州口辺まで
南は稲荷山青柳会田刈屋原
岡田■【記号】松本辺是亦殊外しん
どうし人家中焼失してさうとふ　　　　　　たすけ廻杖
大かたならす近へんの大川水夥しく

是が為に人馬の損毛有り
西ハ長沼へん村々あら町柏原
野尻越後口まで其外遠近
之村里其数あげてかそへか
たし貴賤の男女老たるを
助け幼をいたいてなけきかな
しむこへ野にみつ山にひゞき
あはれにも亦あまりあり
されは善光寺本堂は聊
破損のうれいなく安泰なる
は三国一の霊仏の
威徳誠に尊き事
ともなり然に御代官亦は
御領主の御手配り殊外
行届類焼洪水のふせきもよく
よく朝六ツ時頃にはこと〳〵く止ぬ
兎角人馬の死亡なきは
是其治る御代印なるへし
他国の親族此書を見て安堵成へし

現代語訳

このような目出たい御代に、天命のなすところ、是非もない珍事が起こった。

ここに弘化四年未年三月二十四日夜四つ時頃より、信州水内郡およびその近辺に大地震が細かく揺れ始め、そもそも善光寺をはじめとして激しく揺れ動き、堂塔・伽藍・観堂・末社・寺院、その他人家が夥しく揺れ崩れ、村里は類焼し、川々は洪水となり、暗夜のことであったため、夜もすがら震動が続いた。そのため人馬に損害も生じた。

東は丹波島・川田・松代・屋代・戸倉・坂木・上田、この辺りは特に激しく揺れ、街道筋には大石が道に転がり出て大地が割れ、田中・小諸・追分・沓掛・軽井沢・上州口あたりまで及んだ。

南は稲荷山・青柳・会田・刈谷原・岡田・松本あたりも、これまた格別に激しく震動し、人家が中焼失して、その騒動は並大抵ではなかった。近辺の大川の水が夥しく溢れ、これがために人馬に損害が生じた。

西は長沼あたりの村々・荒町・柏原・野尻・越後口まで、その他遠近の村里は、その数を挙げて数えきれないほどであった。

貴賤の男女、老いたる者を助け、幼い者を抱いて、嘆き悲しむ声は野に満ち、山に響き渡り、哀れなことこの上なかった。

しかしながら、善光寺本堂はわずかな破損の憂いもなく安泰であったのは、三国一の霊仏の威徳によるものであり、誠に尊いことであった。

また、御代官あるいは御領主の御手配りが格別に行き届き、類焼・洪水の防ぎもよく行われ、朝六つ時頃にはことごとく収まった。

とにかく人馬に死亡がなかったのは、これぞ治まった御代の証であろう。

他国の親族はこの書を見て安堵されよ。

英語訳

In this auspicious reign, an extraordinary and unavoidable event occurred, as decreed by Heaven.

On the night of the 24th day of the 3rd month of the 4th year of Kōka (1847), the Year of the Sheep, starting around the Hour of the Boar (around 10 PM), a great earthquake struck Mizuuchi District in Shinano Province and its surrounding areas. Beginning with Zenkoji Temple, everything shook violently — temple halls, pagodas, monastery buildings, sub-shrines, temples, and countless private residences were shaken and collapsed. Villages were consumed by spreading fires, rivers flooded, and since it occurred in the dead of night, the shaking continued through the night. As a result, there were casualties among people and horses.

To the east, the areas of Tabajima, Kawada, Matsushiro, Yashiro, Togura, Sakaki, and Ueda were particularly severely shaken. Large boulders rolled out onto the roads, the earth cracked open, and the damage extended as far as Tanaka, Komoro, Oiwake, Kutsukake, Karuizawa, and the entrance to Kōzuke Province.

To the south, areas including Inariyama, Aoyagi, Aida, Kariyahara, Okada, and Matsumoto were also extraordinarily violently shaken, many houses were burnt in the middle and the turmoil was beyond ordinary. The rivers nearby flooded greatly, causing further casualties among people and horses.

To the west, the damage extended through the villages around Naganuma, Aramachi, Kashiwabara, Nojiri, and as far as the entrance to Echigo Province. The number of villages, near and far, that were affected was too great to count.

People of all social standings — men and women, old and young — helped the elderly and carried the young in their arms, weeping and lamenting. Their cries filled the fields and echoed through the mountains, a scene of profound sorrow.

Nevertheless, the main hall of Zenkoji Temple remained safe with barely any damage, which speaks to the sacred virtue of the most venerable Buddha enshrined there, said to be the greatest holy image in the three countries (Japan, China, and India). Truly, this was a wondrous thing.

Furthermore, the magistrates and domain lords directed relief efforts with exceptional thoroughness, managing well to contain the spreading fires and flooding, and by around the Hour of the Hare (around 6 AM), everything had completely settled down.

In any case, the fact that there were no deaths among people and horses is surely a testament to this era of good governance.

Let those relatives in other provinces who read this letter be reassured.