○乙未。勅曰。如聞。此日、太宰府疫死者多。思欲救療疫気、以済民命。是以。奉幣彼部神祇。為民祷祈焉。又府大寺及別国諸寺。読金剛般若経。仍遣使賑給疫民。并加湯薬。又其長門以還諸国守、若介。専斎。或道饗祭祀。 ○丙午。太宰府言。管内諸国、疫瘡大発。百姓悉臥。今年之間、欲停貢調。許之。 ○戊戌。詔。以災変数見。疫癘不已。大赦天下。[...]高年百歳以上賜穀三石。九十以上穀二石。八十以上穀一石。孝子・順孫。義夫・節婦、表其門閭。終身勿事。鰥寡惸独、篤疾之徒、不能自存者。所在官司、量加賑恤。 是歳。年頗不稔。自夏至冬。天下患豌豆瘡〈　俗曰裳瘡。　〉夭死者多。 ○戊辰。詔曰、如聞。比年、太宰所管諸国。公事稍繁。労役不少。加以。去冬疫瘡。男女惣困。農事有廃。五穀不饒。宜免今年田租、令続民命。 ○辛丑。遣新羅使大判官従六位上壬生使主宇太麻呂。少判官正七位上大蔵忌寸麻呂等入京。大使従五位下阿倍朝臣継麻呂泊津嶋卒。副使従六位下大伴宿禰三中染病、不得入京。 ○辛酉。参議民部卿正三位藤原朝臣房前薨。送以大臣葬儀。其家固辞不受。房前、贈太政大臣正一位不比等之第二子也。 ○癸亥。太宰管内諸国。疫瘡時行。百姓多死。詔、奉幣於部内諸社以祈祷焉。又賑恤貧疫之家。并給湯薬療之。 ○五月甲戌朔。日有蝕之。請僧六百人、于宮中。令読大般若経焉。 ○壬辰。詔曰。四月以来。疫旱並行、田苗燋萎。由是。祈祷山川。奠祭神祇。未得効験。至今猶苦。朕以不徳、実致茲災。思布寛仁、以救民患。宜令国郡審録寃獄。掩骼埋胔。禁酒断屠。高年之徒。鰥寡惸独。及京内僧尼男女。臥疾不能自存者。量加賑給。又普賜文武職事以上物。大赦天下。[...] ○六月甲辰朔。廃朝。以百官官人患疫也。 ○癸丑。散位従四位下大宅朝臣大国卒。 ○甲寅。太宰大弐従四位下小野朝臣老卒。 ○辛酉。散位正四位下長田王卒。 ○丙寅。中納言正二位多治比真人県守薨。左大臣正二位嶋之子也。 ○秋七月丁丑。賑給大倭。伊豆。若狭三国飢疫百姓。」散位従四位下大野王卒。 ○壬午。賑給伊賀。駿河。長門三国疫飢之民。 ○乙酉。参議兵部卿従三位藤原朝臣麻呂薨。贈太政大臣不比等之第四子也。 ○己丑。散位従四位下百済王郎虞卒。 ○乙未。大赦天下。詔曰。比来。縁有疫気多発。祈祭神祇。猶未得可。而今右大臣。身体有労。寝膳不穏。朕以惻隠。可大赦天下、救此病苦。[...] ○丁酉。勅、遣左大弁従三位橘宿禰諸兄。右大弁正四位紀朝臣男人。就右大臣第。授正一位、拝左大臣。即日薨。遣従四位下中臣朝臣名代等、監護喪事。所須官給。武智麻呂、贈太政大臣不比等之第一子也。 ○八月壬寅朔。中宮大夫兼右兵衛率正四位下橘宿禰佐為卒。 ○癸卯。命四畿内二監及七道諸国。僧尼清浄沐浴。一月之内二三度、令読最勝王経。又月六斎日、禁断殺生。 ○丙午。参議式部卿兼太宰帥正三位藤原朝臣宇合薨。贈太政大臣不比等之第三子也。 ○甲寅。詔曰。朕、君臨宇内、稍歴多年。而風化尚壅。黎庶未安。通旦忘寐。憂労在茲。又自春已来、災気遽発。天下百姓、死亡実多。百官人等、闕卒不少。良由朕之不徳、致此災殃。仰天慚惶。不敢寧処。故可優復百姓使得存済。免天下今年租賦及百姓宿負公私稲。公稲限八年以前。私稲七年以前。其在諸国、能起風雨、為国家有験神、未預幣帛者。悉入供幣之例。給大宮主・御巫。坐摩御巫。生島御巫及諸神祝部等爵。 ○丙辰。為天下太平、国土安寧。於宮中一十五処。請僧七百人。令転大般若経。最勝王経。度四百人。四畿内七道諸国五百七十八人。 是年春。疫瘡大発。初自筑紫来。経夏渉秋。公卿以下天下百姓。相継没死不可勝計。近代以来、未之有也。

Eighth month, twelfth day. The emperor gave an order: “I hear that many people in the Dazaifu have lately died of the epidemic. I wish to heal those struck by the epidemic qi and so save the people’s lives. Let offerings be made to the kami of that region, with prayers on the people’s behalf. Let the great temple of the Dazaifu and the temples of its other provinces read the Diamond Sutra. Send envoys to give relief to the sick, and give them medicines as well. And let the governors of the provinces from Nagato on toward the capital, or their assistants, keep themselves strictly pure by fasting, or else perform the road-feast rites.” Twenty-third day. The Dazaifu reported: “Epidemic sores have broken out widely in the provinces under us, and the common people are all sick in bed. For this year we ask to stop sending tax goods to the capital.” The request was granted. Intercalary eleventh month, seventeenth day. The emperor decreed: “Disasters and strange signs keep appearing, and the pestilence does not end. So I declare a general amnesty throughout the realm. To the old who are one hundred or more, give three koku [large measures] of grain; to those ninety or more, two koku; to those eighty or more, one koku. For dutiful sons and obedient grandsons, devoted husbands and faithful wives, honor the gates of their homes and villages, and free them from labor duty for life. As for widowers and widows, orphans and the childless old, and the gravely ill who cannot support themselves, let the local officials give them relief as they see fit.” This year the harvest was very poor. From summer to winter, people throughout the realm suffered from pea sores (commonly called mogasa), and many died before their time. Tenth month, twenty-second day. The emperor said: “I hear that in recent years public business has grown heavy in the provinces under the Dazaifu, and the people have had much labor to do. On top of that, the epidemic sores of last winter left men and women alike in distress. Farm work was neglected, and the five grains did not grow well. Let this year’s rice-field tax be waived, so that the people can go on living.” First month, twenty-seventh day. Mibu no Utamaro, senior secretary of the embassy to Silla, and Ōkura no Maro, junior secretary, entered the capital with the others. The ambassador, Abe no Tsugumaro, had died while the ship lay at anchor at Tsushima. The vice-ambassador, Ōtomo no Minaka, had fallen ill and could not enter the capital. Fourth month, seventeenth day. Fujiwara no Fusasaki, Councilor and Minister of People’s Affairs, died. He was to be given a minister’s funeral, but his family firmly declined it. Fusasaki was the second son of Fuhito, who was named Chancellor after his death. Nineteenth day. In the provinces under the Dazaifu the epidemic sores were spreading, and many of the common people died. The emperor ordered offerings to be made at the shrines of the region, with prayers. Relief was also given to poor households struck by the sickness, along with medicines to treat them. Fifth month, first day. There was an eclipse of the sun. Six hundred monks were invited into the palace to read the Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra. Nineteenth day. The emperor said: “Since the fourth month, epidemic and drought have come together, and the rice seedlings in the fields have scorched and withered. So we have prayed to the mountains and rivers and made offerings to the kami. But we have seen no result, and even now the people are suffering. Truly it is my lack of virtue that has brought this disaster. I wish to spread kindness and mercy, to save the people from their troubles. Let the provinces and districts review the cases of people wrongly imprisoned. Let them cover exposed bones and bury the rotting dead. Let wine be forbidden and the slaughter of animals stopped. As for the aged, widowers and widows, orphans and the childless old, and the monks, nuns, men, and women of the capital who lie sick and cannot support themselves, give them relief as each one needs. Let gifts also be given to all civil and military officials who hold posts. I declare a general amnesty throughout the realm.” Sixth month, first day. Court was suspended, because the officials of all the government offices were sick with the epidemic. Tenth day. Ōyake no Ōkuni, who held rank but no post, died. Eleventh day. Ono no Oyu, Senior Assistant Governor-General of the Dazaifu, died. Eighteenth day. Prince Nagata, who held rank but no post, died. Twenty-third day. Tajihi no Agatamori, Middle Counselor, died. He was the son of Shima, Minister of the Left. Autumn, seventh month, fifth day. Relief was given to the common people suffering from famine and epidemic in three provinces: Yamato, Izu, and Wakasa. Prince Ōno, who held rank but no post, died. Tenth day. Relief was given to the people suffering from epidemic and famine in three provinces: Iga, Suruga, and Nagato. Thirteenth day. Fujiwara no Maro, Councilor and Minister of War, died. He was the fourth son of Fuhito, who was named Chancellor after his death. Seventeenth day. Kudara no Konikishi Rōgu, who held rank but no post, died. Twenty-third day. A general amnesty was declared throughout the realm. The emperor said: “Lately the epidemic qi has been breaking out widely. We have prayed and made offerings to the kami, but we have still found no relief. And now the Minister of the Right is ill, and he cannot sleep or eat in peace. Out of pity for him, I declare a general amnesty throughout the realm to save him from this suffering.” Twenty-fifth day. The emperor sent Tachibana no Moroe, Controller of the Left, and Ki no Ohito, Controller of the Right, to the house of the Minister of the Right. There they granted him the highest court rank and appointed him Minister of the Left. He died that same day. Nakatomi no Nashiro and others were sent to oversee the funeral, and the government supplied whatever was needed. Muchimaro was the eldest son of Fuhito, who was named Chancellor after his death. Eighth month, first day. Tachibana no Sai, Master of the Household of the Emperor’s Mother and Commander of the Right Watch, died. Second day. An order went out to the four Home Provinces, the two supervised districts, and the provinces of the Seven Circuits. Monks and nuns were to purify themselves and bathe, and to read the Golden Light Sutra two or three times a month. On the six fast days of each month, the killing of living things was forbidden. Fifth day. Fujiwara no Umakai, Councilor, Minister of Ceremonial, and Governor-General of the Dazaifu, died. He was the third son of Fuhito, who was named Chancellor after his death. Thirteenth day. The emperor said: “I have ruled the realm for many years now. Yet my good influence still does not reach the people, and the common folk are not at peace. I lie awake all night until dawn, and this is what weighs on me. Then, since spring, a calamitous qi has suddenly broken out. Truly many of the common people of the realm have died, and not a few officials have died too, leaving their posts empty. Truly it is because of my lack of virtue that this disaster has come. I look up to Heaven in shame and dread, and I dare not rest at ease. So let the common people be generously relieved, so that they can survive. This year’s taxes are cancelled throughout the realm. So is the rice the common people owe on public and private loans: for public rice, loans made up to the eighth year [736], and for private rice, up to the seventh [735]. Some kami in the provinces can raise wind and rain and have shown their power on behalf of the state, yet have not received offerings. All of them shall be added to the list of those that do. And let ranks be granted to the chief palace priest, the shrine maidens of the palace, of Ikasuri, and of Ikushima, and the priests of all the kami.” Fifteenth day. For the peace of the realm and the calm of the land, seven hundred monks were invited to fifteen places in the palace, where they read the Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra and the Golden Light Sutra. Four hundred people were ordained, and 578 more in the Home Provinces and the provinces of the Seven Circuits. In the spring of this year the epidemic sores broke out on a great scale. They came first from Tsukushi [Kyushu]. Through the summer and on into autumn, from the high nobles down to the common people of the realm, people died one after another, more than could be counted. Nothing like it had happened in recent times.