Heaven and the ruler’s virtue

○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。

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.”

○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。[...]

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.”

○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。

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.”