On the Calligraphy of Emperor Saga

This text, written in 15 lines of standard script that was executed thinly and precisely, discusses how the Emperor Saga (r. 809–823) was the finest of the “Three Brushes” (Sanpitsu), a group of three famous calligraphers of the Heian period (794–1185). The author, Confucian scholar Ryū Kōbi, laments that it is so difficult to see his genuine works. 斯巻者 / 嵳峩天皇之聖茟而絶代之玉珍也 / 夫　天皇之於書也冢 / 大東三茟之最而糸古今山斗恁景御也 / 状世遠亗夐〇宸然之存干今者絶未之有 / 聞也矣述日公美讀盍簪録之曰　天皇哭 / 澄上人詩之宸茟一張蔵而在青遂王夜鳥 / 状〇今與新巻合〇可謂雙珠聮璧也豈不 / 奇耶豈小奇耶急斯巻我藩之夜庫韞 / 匱而蔵者有年矣今候好文之餘命臣公美 / 挙冩以上石屬諸不朽不無〇氣乎公美 / 雖老朽乎適遭斯時辱承斯命實々載之 / 一遇也輒爵躍敢従事干斯云