qi (氣)

卒然遭邪風之氣嬰非常之疾患及禍至而方震慄降志屈節欽望巫祝告窮歸天束手受敗

Then, without warning, they meet the qi of harmful winds and fall ill with some grave and unusual disease. Only when trouble comes and disaster strikes do they start to tremble. Swallowing their pride, they bow low and look up hopefully to shamans and priests. When they have nothing left to try, they leave it all to Heaven, fold their hands, and accept defeat.

建安二十二年癘氣流行

In the twenty-second year of the Jian'an era [217], a pestilent qi spread through the land.

○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。

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.”

○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。[...]

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.”

○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.”