Dazaifu (大宰府, also 太宰府)

○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.”

○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。

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.

○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。

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.”

○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。

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.

○甲寅。太宰大弐従四位下小野朝臣老卒。

Eleventh day. Ono no Oyu, Senior Assistant Governor-General of the Dazaifu, died.

○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。

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.