[ p. 50 ]
¶ SECT. XI.—INVESTITURE OF THE THREE DEITIES; THE ILLUSTRIOUS AUGUST CHILDREN.
At this time His Augustness the Male-Who-Invites greatly rejoiced, saying; “I, begetting child after child, have at my final begetting gotten. three illustrious children,” [with which words,] at once jinglingly taking off and shaking the jewel-string [^303] forming his august necklace, he bestowed it on the Heaven-Shining-Great-August-Deity, saying: “Do Thine Augustness rule the Plain-of-High-Heaven.” With this charge he bestowed it on her. Now the name of this august necklace was the August-Store-house-Shelf-Deity. [^304] Next he said of His Augustness Moon-Night-Possessor: “Do Thine Augustness rule the Dominion of the ”Night.“ [^305] Thus he charged him. Next he said to His-Brave-Swift-Impetuous-Male-Augustness: ”Do Thine Augustness rule the Sea-Plain." [1]
¶ SECT. XII.—THE CRYING AND WEEPING OF HIS IMPETUOUS-MALE-AUGUSTNESS.
So while [the other two Deities] each [assumed his and her] rule according to the command with which [their father] had deigned to charge them, His-Swift-Impetuous-Male-Augustness did not [assume the] rule [ p. 51 ] [of] the dominion with which he had been charged, but cried and wept till his eight-grasp beard [2] reached to the pit of his stomach. [3] The fashion of his weeping was such as by his weeping to wither the green mountains into withered mountains, and by his weeping to dry up all the rivers and seas. [4] For this reason the sound of bad Deities was like unto the flies in the fifth moon [5] as they all swarmed, [6] and in all things [7] every portent of woe arose. So the Great August Deity the Male-Who-Invites said to His Swift-Impetuous-Male-Augustness: “How is it that, instead of ruling the land with which I charged thee, thou dost wail and weep?” He replied, saying: “I [8] wail because I wish to depart to my [45] deceased mother’s [9] land, to the Nether Distant Land.” [10] Then the Great August Deity the Male-Who-Invites was very angry and said: “If that be so, thou shall not dwell in this land,” [11] and forthwith expelled him with a divine expulsion. So the Great Deity the Male-Who-Invites dwells at Taga [12] in Afumi. [13]
[ p. 52 ]
¶ SECT. XIII.—THE AUGUST OATH
So thereupon His-Swift-Impetuous-Male-Augustness said: “If that be so, I will take leave [14] of the Heaven-Shining-Great-August-Deity, and depart.” [With these words] he forthwith went up to Heaven, whereupon all the mountains and rivers shook, and every land and country quaked. So the Heaven-Shining-Great-August Deity, alarmed at the noise, said: 'The reason of the ascent hither of His Augustness my elder brother [15] is surely no good intent. [16] It is only that he wishes to wrest my land from me.“ And she forthwith, unbinding her august hair, twisted it into august bunches; and both into the left and into the right august bunch, as likewise into her august head-dress and likewise on to [46] her left and her right august arm, [17] she twisted an augustly complete [string] of curved jewels eight feet [ p. 53 ] [long],—of five hundred jewels, [18] and slinging on her back a quiver holding a thousand [arrows], and adding [thereto] [19] a quiver holding five hundred [arrows], she likewise took and slung at her side a mighty and high [-sounding] elbow-pad, [20] and brandished and stuck her bow upright so that the top [21] shook, and she stamped her feet into the hard ground up to her opposing thighs, [22] kicking away [the earth] like rotten snow, [23] and stood valiantly like unto a mighty man, and waiting, asked: ”Wherefore ascendest thou hither?“ Then His-Swift-Impetuous-Male-Augustness replied, saying: ”I have no evil intent. It is only that when the Great-August-Deity [our father] spoke, deigning to enquire the cause [47] of my wailing and weeping, I said 'I wail because I wish to go to my deceased mother’s land, Thereupon His-Swift-Impetuous-Male-Augustness replied, saying: “Let each of us swear, [24] and produce children.” So as they then swore to each other from the opposite banks of the Tranquil River of Heaven. [25] the august names of the Deities that were born from the mist [of her breath] when, having first begged His-Swift-Impetuous-Male-Augustness to hand her the ten-grasp sabre which was girded on him and broken it into three fragments, and with the jewels making a jingling sound [26] having brandished and washed them in the True-Pool-Well of [ p. 54 ] Heaven, [27] and having crunchingly crunched them, the [48] Heaven-Shining-Great-Deity blew them away, were Her Augustness Torrent-Mist-Princess, [28] another august name for whom is Her Augustness Princess-of-the-Island-of-the Offing; next Her Augustness Lovely-Island-Princess, [29] another august name for whom is Her Augustness Good-Princess; next Her Augustness, Princess-of-the-Torrent. [30] The august name of the Deity that was born from the mist [of his breath] when, having begged the Heaven-Shining. Great-August-Deity to hand him the augustly complete [string] of curved jewels eight feet [long],—of five hundred jewels,—that was twisted in the left august bunch [of her hair], and with the jewels making a jingling sound having brandished and washed them in the True-Pool. Well of Heaven, and having crunchingly crunched them, His-Swift-Impetuous-Male-Augustness blew them away, was His Augustness Truly-Conquer-I-Conqueror-Conquering-Swift-Heavenly-Great-Great-Ears. [31] The august name of the Deity that was born from the mist [of his breath] when again, having begged her to hand him the [49] jewels that were twisted in the right august bunch [of her hair], and having crunchingly crunched them, he blew them away, was His Augustness Ame-no-hohi. [32] The august name of the Deity that was born from the mist [of his breath] when again, having begged her to hand him the jewels that were twisted in her august head-dress, and having crunchingly crunched them, he blew them away, was His Augustness Prince-Lord-of-Heaven. [33] The august name of the Deity that was born from the mist [of his breath] when again, having begged her to hand him the jewels that were twisted on her left august arm, [34] and having crunchingly crunched them, [ p. 55 ] he blew them away, was His Augustness Prince-Lord-of-Life. [35] The august name of the Deity that was born from the mist [of his breath] when again, having begged her to hand him the jewels that were twisted on her right august arm, [36] and having crunchingly crunched them, he blew them away, was His-Wondrous-Augustness-of-Kumanu. [37] (Five Deities in all).
[ p. 56 ]
[ p. 57 ]
[ p. 58 ]
¶ SECT. XIV.—THE AUGUST DECLARATION OF THE DIVISION OF THE AUGUST MALE CHILDREN AND THE AUGUST FEMALE CHILDREN.
Hereupon the Heavenly Shining-Great-August-Deity said to His-Swift-Impetuous-Male-Augustness: “As for the seed [38] of the five male Deities born last, their birth was from things of mine; so undoubtedly they are my children. As for the seed of the three female Deities [50] born first, their birth was from a thing of thine; so doubtless they are thy children.” Thus did she declare the division. So Her Augustness Torrent-Mist-Princess, the Deity born first, dwells in the Inner temple of Munakata. [39] The next, Her Augustness Lovely-Island-Princess, dwells in the middle temple of Munakata. The next, Her Augustness Princess-of-the-Torrent, dwells in the outer temple [40] of Munakata. These three Deities are the three Great Deities [41] held in reverence by the Dukes of Munakata. [42] So His Augustness Brave-Rustic-Illuminator, child of His Augustness Ame-no-hohi, one of the five children born afterwards ( [43] this is the ancestor of the Rulers of the Land of Idzumo, [44] of the Rulers of the Land of Musashi, [45] of the Rulers of the Upper Land of Unakami, [46] of the Rulers of the Lower Land of Unakami, [47] of the Rulers of the Land of Izhimu, [48] of the Departmental Suzerains of the Island of Tsu [49] and of the Rulers of the Land of Tohotsu-Afumi [50]). The next, His Augustness Prince-Lord-of-Heaven (is the Ancestor of the Rulers of the Land of Ofushi-kafuchi, [51] of the Chiefs of Nukatabe-no-yuwe, [52] of the Rulers of the Land of Ki, [53] of the Suzerains of Tanaka [54] in Yamato, of the Rulers of the Land of Yamashiro, [55] of the Rulers of the Land of Umaguta, [56] of the Rulers of the Land of Kine [57] in Michi-no-Shiri, [58] of the Rulers of the Land of Suhau, [59] of the Rulers of Amuchi, [60] in Yamato, of the Departmental Suzerains of Takechi, [61] of the Territorial Lords of Kamafu, [62] and of the Rulers of Sakikusabe [63]).
[ p. 59 ]
[ p. 60 ]
[ p. 61 ]
[SECT XV.—THE AUGUST RAVAGES OF HIS IMPETUOUS-MALE-AUGUSTNESS]
Then His-Swift-Impetuous-Male-Augustness said to the Heaven-Shining-Great-August-Deity: “Owing to the sincerity of my intentions I have, in begetting children, gotten delicate females. judging from this, [64] I have undoubtedly gained the victory! With these words, and impetuous with victory, he broke down the divisions of the ricefields [65] laid out by the Heaven-Shining-Great-August-Deity, filled up the ditches, and moreover strewed [53] excrements [66] in the palace where she partook of the great food. [67] So, though he did thus, the Heaven-Shining-Great-August-Deity upbraided him not, [68] but said: ”What looks like excrements must be something that His Augustness mine elder brother has vomited through drunkenness. Again, as to his breaking down the divisions of the rice [ p. 62 ] fields and filling up the ditches, it must be because he grudges the land [^374]] that His Augustness mine elder brother acts thus." But notwithstanding these apologetic words, he still continued his evil acts, and was more and more [violent]. As the Heaven-Shining-Great-August-Deity sat in her awful [69] weaving-hall [70] seeing to the weaving of, the august garments of the Deities, he broke a hole in the top [71] of the weaving-hall, and through it let fall a heavenly piebald horse [54] which he had flayed with a backward flaying, [72] at whose sight the women weaving the heavenly garments were so much alarmed that impegerunt privatas partes adversis radiis et obierunt. [73]
¶ Footnotes
50:1 p. 50 I.e., “the string of jewels.” For these so-called “jewels” see Introduction, p. xxxi. ↩︎
50:2 Mi-kura-tana-no-kami. Motowori comments on this name by saying that the necklace was doubtless so precious, that it was carefully kept by the goddess on a shelf in her store-house. ↩︎
50:3 Yoru-no-wosu-kuni. ↩︎
50:4 Una-bara. ↩︎
51:1 See Sect. VIII, Note 1. ↩︎
51:2 Lit, “in front of his heart,” ↩︎
51:3 Sic in the original, to the perplexity of commentators. ↩︎
51:4 “Flies in the fifth moon” is the received interpretation of the original term sa-bahe. Conf. sa-tsuki, the old native name for the fifth moon. ↩︎
51:5 The text has here the character
, “to be full,” for which Motowori somewhat arbitrarily reads 
, “to bubble up,” taking this word in the sense of swarming. The translator has endeavoured to preserve the vagueness of the original Japanese, which leaves it doubtful at first sight whether the flies or the deities should be regarded as the logical subject of the Verb. There is an almost identical passage near the beginning of Sect. XVI. ↩︎51:6 Lit. “a myriad things,” a Chinese phrase for totality. ↩︎
51:7 The Chinese character for the First-Personal Pronoun used here p. 52 and below by this deity is the humble one
signifying literally “servant” The commentators read it simply “I.” ↩︎51:8 The Japanese authorities simply read “mother.” But the character
, which is used in this place, specially designates a mother who is deceased. ↩︎51:9 I.e., Hades. The translation follows Motowori’s explanation of the original term Ne-no-kata-su-kuni, which is obscure. ↩︎
51:10 I.e., say the commentators, “in this realm of ocean which I granted to thee as thy domain.” Probably, however, this is reading into the text more than it was meant to contain. ↩︎
51:11 Derivation unknown. ↩︎
51:12 From aha-umi, “fresh sea,” i.e., “lake.” The province of Afumi was doubtless so called from Lake Biha which occupies a great portion of its surface. It is also known as Chiku-tsu-Afumi, i.e., “the Nearer Afumi,” in contradistinction to Toho-tsu-fumi (in modern pronunciations Tōtōmi), i.e., “Distant Afumi,” a province further to the East. The modern pronunciation of Afumi is Omi. ↩︎
52:1 p. 55 The English locution “to take leave” exactly represents the Chinese character here used which, from having the sense of “asking permission,” has come to mean “bidding adieu.” ↩︎
52:2 He was her younger brother. But see what is said on the subject of names expressive of relationship on p. xxxvii of Introduction. The phonetic characters
are here used to represent 
, “elder brother.” ↩︎52:3 Literally “heart,” here and elsewhere. ↩︎
52:4 Or “hand.” ↩︎
53:5 The original is here obscure, but the translator has, as usual. followed the Chinese characters as far as possible, and has been chiefly guided by Moribe’s interpretation. According to this, the “eight feet” (which Moribe takes to mean simply “several feet”) must be supposed to refer to the length of the necklace which, he says, probably resembled a Buddhist rosary, only that the beads were somewhat larger. For a discussion of the various interpretations to which this phrase descriptive of the Sun-Goddess’s ornaments may be subjected, see Note 4 to Mr. Satow’s third paper on the “Rituals” in Vol. IX Pt. II, p. 198 of these “Transactions,” and Moribe’s “Examination of Difficult Words,” Vol. II. pp. 4-5, s.v. Ya-saka-ni no iho-tsu no mi sumaru no tama. Mr. Satow, adopting some of the bolder etymologies of the Japanese commentators, translates thus: “the ever-bright curved (or glittering) jewels, the many assembled jewels,” and concludes that “a long string of, perhaps, claw-shaped stone beads” was what the author meant to describe. ↩︎
53:6 Hirata supposes this additional quiver to have been slung in front. ↩︎
53:7 Motowori’s long note on the expression taka-tomo, to be found in Vol. VII, pp. 39-40 of his “Commentary” seems to prove that “high-low-sounding elbow-pad” (
being written phonetically for 
) is the most likely meaning,—these pads, of which one was worn on the left elbow, having been made of skin. Arawi Hakuseki however takes 
in its p. 56 literal sense of “bamboo” and Moribe suggests the ( 
) which occurs so often in proper names with the signification of “bold,” “brave,” or “stout.” ↩︎53:8 The reading yu-hara, here rendered “top [of the bow]” is doubtful, and yu-hadsu, “bow-notch,” has been proposed as an emendation. ↩︎
53:9 I.e., “both legs penetrated into the ground up to the thigh,” a proof of the vigour with which she used her limbs in stamping. ↩︎
53:10 Lit. “bubble-snow.” ↩︎
53:11 I.e., “pledge our faith,” “bind ourselves,” in order to show forth the sincerity of our intentions.—Hirata has a long note on the word ukehi, here rendered “swear” (elsewhere as a Substantive, “oath,”) which the student will do well to consult. It is contained in his “Exposition of the Ancient Histories,” Vol. VII, pp. 61-63. ↩︎
53:12 Ame-no-yasu-kaha (according to Motowori’s reading Ame-no-yasu-no-kaha), our Milky Way. The “Chronicles of Old Matters of Former Ages” perhaps preserve the true etymology of the word by writing it Ama-no-ya-se-kaha, i.e., “the Heavenly River of eight currents (or reaches).” This would mean simply “a broad river.” The text literally says: “having placed the Tranquil River of Heaven in the middle,” etc.; but the sense of the clause is that given in the translation. ↩︎
53:13 These words seem, as Motowori says. to have been erroneously brought in here from the next sentence, where they come in appropriately. ↩︎
54:14 Ame-no-ma-na-wi. The interpretation adopted is that which has the authority of Motowori and Hirata. Perhaps only “Heavenly Well” is intended. The above authorities warn us that the word wi, “well,” was not in ancient days restricted to its modern sense, but was used to designate any place at which water could be drawn, and Motowori thinks that Heaven contained several such. That mentioned in the text seems to have been a pool in the bed of the Tranquil River of Heaven. ↩︎
54:15 This is the interpretation of the original name Ta-kiri-bime-no-mikoto which is proposed by Moribe. It is less far-fetched, and agrees better with the name of the sister deity Princess-of-the-Torrent, than do the other explanations that have been attempted. The alternative name is Oki-tsu-shima-no-mikoto. ↩︎
54:16 Ichiki-shima-hime-no-mikoto, ichiki being an unusual form of itsuki. The island, which is in the Inland Sea, is still celebrated, but bears in common parlance the name of Miya-shima, i.e., “Temple Island.” p. 57 The alternative name is Sa-yori-bime-no-mikato, in which sa is an Ornamental Prefix not calling for translation. ↩︎
54:17 Tagi-tsu-hime-no-mikoto. ↩︎
54:18 Masa-ka-a-katsu-kachi-hayabi-ame-no-oshi-ho-mimi-no-mikoto. The word mimi (
“ears”) forms part of a large number of Ancient Japanese proper names. Motowori, who of course passes over in silence the fact that large ears are considered lucky, not only in Japan, but also in China and Korea, suggests the etymology hi hi or bi bi ( 
), i.e., the word “wondrous” or “miraculous” repeated. But there are examples of such names in which the interpretation of mimi as “ears” is unavoidable. Thus Prince Umayado (commonly called Shō-to-ku Tai-shi) had also the name of Yatsu-mimi no Tai-shi 
bestowed upon him on account of his extraordinary intelligence. Is it not therefore simpler in all cases to allow to the word this its natural meaning? The proper names in mi do however undoubtedly offer some difficulty, and Motowori scarcely seems content with his own derivation of the troublesome syllable. Oshi, as in other cases, is taken to represent ohoshi, “great”; and after much hesitation the translator has followed Motowori in regarding ho likewise as an abbreviated form of that word. ↩︎54:19 Ame-no signifies “of Heaven” or “heavenly.” The syllables hohi are incomprehensible. ↩︎
54:20 Amatsu-hiko-ne-no-mikoto. ↩︎
54:21 Or “hand.” ↩︎
55:22 Iku-tsu-hiko-ne-no-mikoto. ↩︎
55:23 This god does not seem to be known by any other name: but is conjectured by Hirata to be identical with Ame-no-hohi, the second of these divine brothers. Kumanu, or less archaically Kumano, is said to be, not the well-known Kumano in the province of Kishiu, but a place in Idzumo near Suga (see Sect. XIX, Notes 1 and 2). The name is written with the characters,
, “bear moor.” The native commentators however interpret it as a corruption of Komori-nu, 
, “the moor of retirement,” on account of a tradition preserved in the “Chronicles” of Izanami (the Female-Who-invites) having been interred at the Kishiu Kumano. ↩︎55:24 There is no footnote 24—JBH. ↩︎
58:1 p. 59 I.e., the origin. ↩︎
58:2 A place in the province of Chikuzen. The name signifies either “breast-shape” or “body-shape.” ↩︎
58:3 Or “sea-shore temple.” ↩︎
58:4 Or “'the Great Deities of the three shrines.” ↩︎
58:5 Munakata-no-kimi. Remember that all the names in this and similar lists are hereditary “gentile names” (see Introduction, p. xvi), and that “Duke” and the other tides used in this translation to designate them must only be regarded as approximations towards giving the force of the Japanese originals, which are themselves by no means always clear, either etymologically or historically. Indeed Motowori in a chapter entitled “Kuni no Miyatsuko” (
) in his “Tama-Katsuma,” Vol. VI, p. 25, remarks that the distinctions obtaining between the various titles of Kimi, Wake, Murazhi, etc., are no longer to be ascertained, if indeed they were ever sharply drawn, and that Kuni no Miyatsuko (here rendered “Rulers of the Land”) seems to have been a general term including all the rest, and roughly corresponding to the modern title of Daimyo.—It must be well understood that all these names, though properly and originally denoting an office, were inherited as tides, and ended (after the custom of conferring new ones had died out) by being little more than an extra surname appended to the surname proper (uji). This kind of quasi-official quasi-titular surname is what is called by the Japanese a kabane, which the translator, for want of a better equivalent, renders, by “gentile name.” Motowori’s learned note in Vol. XXXIX, pp. 14-15 of his Commentary, should be consulted for a full exposition of this somewhat intricate subject, on which there has been much misapprehension, chiefly owing to the want of a fitting Chinese character to denote the word kabane. ↩︎58:6 Here and throughout the work passages of this nature containing genealogies are in all the editions printed small, and might therefore be supposed to be either intended as foot-notes, or to be later glosses. Motowori however rightly rejects such an inference. To an English reader the word “this” may seem, by disturbing the grammar of the sentence, to support that inference; but in Japanese construction little importance need he attached to the presence of this double Nominative.—The name in the original of the ancestral deity whose children are here enumerated is Taka-Hira-Tori-no-mikoto, and the interpretation thereof in the sense given in the translation is Motowori’s Hira-tori being supposed by him to stand for Hina-teri. ↩︎
58:7 Idzumo-no-kuni-no-miyatsuko. ↩︎
58:8 p. 60 Muzashi-no-kuni-no-miyatsuko. In classical and modern usage Musashi does not take the nigori. ↩︎
58:9 Kami-tsu-Unakami-no-kuni-no-miyatsuko. Unakami was a part of what forms the modern province of Kadzusa. The name probably signifies “on the sea.” ↩︎
58:10 Shimo-tsu-Unakami-no-kuni-no-miyatsuko. ↩︎
58:11 Izhimu-no-kuni-miyatsuko. Izhimu (given in the “Japanese Words Classified and Explained” as Izhimi) was a portion of the modern province of Kadzusa. The etymology of the name is unknown. ↩︎
58:12 Tsushima-no-agata-no-atahe. ↩︎
58:13 Toho-tsu-afumi-no-kuni-no-miyatsuko. In modern times Toho-tsu-afumi has been contracted to Tohotafumi and is pronounced Tōtōmi. The name signifies “distant fresh sea” (i.e. “distant lake”) the province which bears it being thus designated in reference to a large lagoon which it contains, and in contradistinction to Chika-tsu-afumi, “near fresh sea,” the name of the province in which lies Lake Biha. In modern times the latter has come to be known simply as Afumi (pronounced Omi), and the original connection of ideas between its name and that of Tōtōmi is lost sight of. ↩︎
58:14 Ohoshi-kafuchi-no-kuni-no-miyatsuko. Ohoshi-kafuchi (in modern times pronounced Ochikochi) signifies “within the great rivers.” ↩︎
58:15 Nukatabe-no-yuwe-no-murazhi. The meaning of this name is not certain, but yuwe seems to be the word for “bathing woman” mentioned in Sect. LXXI (Note 11). See Motowori’s remarks in Vol. XXIV, p. 56 of his “Commentary” and the story of the origin of the name given in the “Catalogue of Family Names,” Vol. II, pp. 8-9, edit. of 1834). ↩︎
58:16 Kino-kuni-no-miyatsuko. Ki signifies “tree,” and the province doubtless received this name from its forests. Motowori supposes the character
to have been lost in this place, and reads Ubaraki (the modern Ibaraki), a portion of the province of Hitachi. See Vol. VII, pp. 75-76 of his “Commentary.” ↩︎58:17 Tanaka-no-atahe. The word tana-ka signifies “in the middle of rice-fields.” ↩︎
58:18 Yamashiro-no-kuni-no-miyatsuko. Yama-shiro signifies “behind the mountains,” though it is now, by a play upon words, written with characters signifying “mountain-castle.” ↩︎
58:19 Umaguta-no-kuni-no-miyatsuko, Umaguta is a portion of the modern province of Kadzusa. The etymology of the name is not known. ↩︎
58:20 p. 61 Kiuhe-no-kuni-no-miyatsuko. The etymology of the name and the position of the place are equally obscure. ↩︎
58:21 The modern province of Echigo, or perhaps any not well defined district in the north of Main Island. (See Section LX, Note 20.) ↩︎
58:22 Suhau-no-kuni-no-miyatsuko. The etymology of Suhau is not known; but the name sounds Chinese. ↩︎
58:23 Amuchi-no-miyatsubo. The derivation of Amuchi is unknown. ↩︎
58:24 Takechi-no-agata-nushi. Takechi means “high market” or “high town.” ↩︎
58:25 Kamafu-no-inaki. Kamafu was a portion of Afumi. Motowori’s suggestion that the name may be derived from kama (gama), “a bullfrog,” does not seem a happy one. ↩︎
58:26 Sakikusabe-no-miyatsuko. Sakikusa-be means literally “lily clan,” saki-kusa, the old name for the lily (or one species of lily) being literally “the luck-plant.” The story of the origin of this cognomen is to be found in the “Catalogue of Family Names,” Vol. II, p. 9. ↩︎
61:1 p. 62 Literally “if one speak from this.” ↩︎
61:2 The character used is
, which in Chinese does not necessarily signify a rice-field. But in Japanese it seems to have been always limited to this narrower meaning, to which likewise the context here clearly points. ↩︎61:4
read oh-nihe. The word nihe now denotes “a sacrifice,” and oh-nihe no matsuri is the religious festival of the tasting of the first new rice of the season. ↩︎61:5 We might, following classical usage, translate the Verb togamezu, which is written phonetically, by the words “took no heed” or “made no observation”; but in this passage it certainly seems to have the stronger and more specialized signification of “upbraiding,” “scolding,” which attaches to it in the colloquial dialect. ↩︎
62:6 I.e., he thinks that none of the land should be wasted in ditches and embankments, but should all be devoted to the production of food. ↩︎
62:7 The character used is
“to shun,” which in Japanese has approximately the meaning of “sacred.” Thus a certain family of priests p. 63 was called by the name of Imibe, lit. “the shunning clan,” on account of the uncleanness from which they were bound to abstain. ↩︎62:8 Written with characters signifying literally “garment-house,” but the meaning, as understood by the native commentators is that given in the text. ↩︎