翻刻
にてはおかるまし急き国主へ参夜前夕暮にまゑん
けしやうのわさやらん姫をつかんても候かなしきかなや
命もたへて候長者夫婦も姫もろ共￣ニと存共家来
の者共引分￣ケて只今野辺に送り申候と申上へき
なり跡にて高￣キ所￣ニ高￣サ壱丈斗に綿をつみさて
つなし【「ツナシ」はコノシロの関西での呼び方】と申魚を入￣レ火を付焼上￣ケよと申付長者は
国玉へ出給ふ御前にも成しかは涙【「泪」でしょうか】なからに此由かくと
申上給へは国主おとろきこはいか成者のしわさとて
深￣キ涙にむせひ給ふか御涙のひまより仰けるは
今迄も仏神三宝を祈る【「祷」】たのみを掛￣ケしも姫にあ
わんとは祈しに物に取られて候かと今一入の御なけき
よその見る目も哀成斯て長者は御いとま申上￣ケ
なく〳〵家に帰り女房にかたりまつ〳〵御前は首尾
よしと一首の歌をそよみ給ふ
鳥辺野ゝ煙ともなれ頼みつる
我この代につなしやくらん
か様に詠して又衣引かつき伏￣シ給ふ去程に長者
北の方に申さるゝは国主をたはかり申て候へとも
現代語訳
このままにはしておけない。急いで国主のもとへ参り、「夕べの夕暮れに、前世の業か何かが姫に取り憑いたものでしょうか。悲しいことに、命も絶えてしまいました。長者夫婦も姫もろともに、と存じますが、家来の者共を引き分けて、ただいま野辺に送り申し上げたところでございます」と申し上げるべきである。その後で、高い場所に高さ一丈ほどに綿を積み、さらにコノシロ（ツナシ）という魚を入れて火をつけて焼き上げよ、と申し付け、長者は国主の館へ出かけなさった。御前にも参られたので、涙ながらにこの事情をかくかくしかじかと申し上げると、国主は驚き、「これはいかなる者の仕業か」と深い涙にむせびなさった。その御涙の合間より仰ったのは、
「今まで仏・神・三宝を祈り祈願をかけていたのも、姫に会いたいと祈ったのに、何かに取られてしまったのか」と、いっそう深くお嘆きになるのは、傍から見ても哀れに感じられた。こうして長者は御暇を申し上げ、泣く泣く家に帰り、女房に話して、まず「御前へのことはうまくいった」と言って、一首の歌を詠みなさった。
鳥辺野の煙ともなれ、頼みつる
我この世にコノシロ焼くらん
このように詠んで、また衣を引きかぶり伏してしまわれた。さて、長者が北の方（奥方）に申されたのは、「国主をうまく欺き申したけれども、
英語訳
"Things cannot be left as they are. I must hurry to the lord and report: 'Last evening at dusk, perhaps due to karma from a past life, something seems to have taken hold of the princess. Tragically, her life has come to an end. Though I had thought to send off the wealthy man and his wife together with the princess, I have dismissed the servants and have just now conducted her funeral procession to the fields.' This is what I shall say." He then ordered that cotton be piled up to a height of about one jō in an elevated place, and that a fish called *tsunashi* (konoshiro) be placed within it and set alight and burned. The wealthy man then departed for the lord's residence. Upon being admitted to his presence, he tearfully reported the matter in full. The lord was astonished and, asking "What manner of person could have done this?", broke down in deep tears. Between his sobs, he lamented:
"All this time I prayed to the Buddhas, gods, and the Three Treasures, and my prayer was to meet the princess — yet she has been taken from me by something." His grief deepened all the more, and it was a pitiful sight to all who witnessed it. The wealthy man then took his leave and returned home weeping, told his wife, and first said, "The matter before the lord went smoothly," and then composed a poem:
*Let it become the smoke of Toribeno —*
*In this world I burn the konoshiro fish, once my hope.*
Having composed this poem, he once again pulled his robes over himself and lay prostrate. Now, the wealthy man said to his wife (the mistress of the north quarters), "Though I have successfully deceived the lord..."