留魂録

留魂録りゅうこんろく

松陰しょういんの遺書いしょ「留魂録りゅうこんろく」は、半紙はんしを半分はんぶんに折おったものを更さらに二ふたつ折おりにして墨すみで書かかれており、その最初さいしょに有名ゆうめいな「身みはたとひ武蔵むさしの野辺のべに朽くちぬとも留とめ置おかまし大和魂やまとだましい」という和歌わかが書かいてある。松陰しょういんは周到しゅうとうな心こころづかいをして、二通につうしたため、一通いっつうは牢役人ろうやくにんの手てを通つうじて、当時江戸とうじえどに行いっていた門人もんじんに届とどけられた。もう一通いっつうは同囚どうしゅうの沼崎吉五郎ぬまざききちごろうに託たくされた。沼崎ぬまざきはその後三宅島ごみやけじまに流罪るざいとなったが、十七年間じゅうななねんかんも肌身離はだみはなさず持もち続つづけ、釈放後明治九年しゃくほうごめいじくねん（1876）に松下村塾出身しょうかそんじゅくしゅっしんの野村靖のむらやすしを訪たずねて手渡てわたした。「留魂録りゅうこんろく」は、死しを目前もくぜんにしたとは思おもわれない澄すみきった堂々どうどうたる名文めいぶんで、松陰しょういんの真髄しんずいを伝つたえる門下生もんかせいへの遺書いしょである。

Soulful Minute

Yoshida Shoin's farewell letter, "Ryūkonroku" (Soulful Minute) was written in ink on a sheet of washi paper, which was first folded in half and then folded again into two parts. At the beginning of the letter, there is a famous waka poem that reads, "Even if my body decays in the fields of Musashi, I will leave behind the spirit of Yamato."
Yoshida Shoin took meticulous care in writing his farewell letter and wrote two copies. One copy was delivered to his disciple in Edo at the time through the hands of prison officials. The other copy was entrusted to Numazaki Kichigorou, a fellow inmate. Numazaki, who was later exiled to Miyake Island, kept the letter with him for 17 years and, after his release, in 1876 (the 9th year of Meiji era) handed it over to Nomura Yasushi, a former student of the Shokasonjuku Academy. “Ryūkonroku" is a splendid and dignified piece of writing that doesn't appear to be written by someone facing imminent death. It is a farewell letter to his disciples, conveying the essence of Yoshida Shoin's teachings.