[ p. 179 ]
¶ SECT. LI.—EMPEROR JIM-MU (PART. VIII.—HE WEDS I-SUKE-YORI-HIME).
So when he dwelt in Himuka, [His Augustness Kamu-yamato-ihare-biko] wedded [^985] Princess Ahira, [^986] younger sister of the Duke of Wobashi [^987] in Ata, [^988] and begot children: [146] there were two, [1]—His Augustness Tagishi-mimi, [2] next His Augustness Kisu-mimi. [3] But when he sought for a beautiful maiden to make her his Chief Empress, [4] His Augustness Oho-kume said: "There is here a beauteous maiden who is called the august child of a Deity. The reason why she is called the august child of a Deity is that the Princess Seya-datara, [5] daughter of Mizokuhi [6] of Mishima, [7] was admired on account of her beauty by the Great-Master-of-Things the Deity of Miwa, [8] qui, quum pulchra puella oletum fecit, in sagittam rubro [colore] fucatam se convertit, et ab inferiori parte cloacae [ad usum] faciendi oleti virginis privatas partes transfixit. Tunc pulchra virgo consternata est, et surrexit, et trepide fugit. Statim sagittam attulit, et juxta thalamum posuit. Subito [sagitta] formosus adolescens facta [147] est, qui cito pulchram puellam sibi in matrimonio junxit, et filiam procreavit nomine Hoto-tarara-i-susugi-hime; [9] et est nomen alternativum Hime-tatara-i-suke-yori-hime. [10] (Id est posterior mutatio nominis, quoniam abhorruit facere mentionem privatarum partium). So therefore she is called the august child of a Deity. Hereupon seven beauteous maidens were out playing on the moor of Takasazhi, [11] and I-suke-yori-hime [12] was among them. His Augustness Ohokume, [ p. 180 ] seeing I-suke-yori-hime, spoke to the Heavenly Sovereign in a Song, saying:
“Seven maidens on the moor of Takasazhi in Yamato:—which shall be interlaced?” [13]
Then I-suke-yori-hime was standing first among the beauteous maidens. Forthwith the Heavenly Sovereign, having looked at the beauteous maidens, and knowing in his august heart [14] that I-suke-yori-hime was standing in the very front, replied by a Song, saying:
“Even [after nought but] a fragment[ary glimpse], I will intertwine the lovely [one] standing in the very front. [15]
Then His Augustness Ohokume informed I-suke-yori-hime [148] of the Heavenly Sovereign’s decree, whereupon she, seeing the slit sharp eyes [16] of His Augustness Ohokume, sang in her astonishment, saying:
“
?
?
“
?
?
“Wherefore the slit sharp eye? [17]
Then His Augustness Ohokume replied by a Song, saying:
“My slit sharp eyes [are] in order to find the maiden immediately.” [18]
So the maiden said that she would respectfully serve [the Heavenly Sovereign]. [19] Hereupon [20] the house of Her Augustness [21] I-suke-yori-hime was on [the back of] the River Sawi. [22] The Heavenly Sovereign made a progress to the abode of I-suke-yori-hime, and augustly slept [149] [there] one night. [23] (The reason why that river was called the River Sawi was that on the River’s banks the mountain-lily-plant grew in abundance. So the name of the mountain-lily-plant was taken, and the designation [ p. 181 ] of River Sawi [bestowed]. The name by which the mountain-lily-plant was originally called was sawi). Afterwards, when I-suke-yori-hime came and entered into the palace, the Heavenly Sovereign sang augustly saying:
“In a damp hut on the reed-moor having spread layer upon layer of sedge mats, we two slept! [24]
The names of the august children thus born were: His Augustness Hiko-ya-wi, [25] next His Augustness Kamu-ya-wi-mimi, [26] next His Augustness Kamu-nuna-kaha-mimi" [27] (Three Deities.) [28]
[ p. 182 ]
[ p. 183 ]
[ p. 184 ]
¶ SECT. LII.—EMPEROR JIM-MU (PART. IX—TROUBLES WHICH FOLLOWED HIS DECEASE).
So when, after the decease of the Heavenly Sovereign, [29] [150] the elder half-brother, His Augustness Tagishi-mimi, [30] wedded [31] the Empress I-suke-yori-hime, he plotted how he might slay his three younger brethren, pending which their august [32] parent I-suke-yori-hime lamented, and made [the plot] known to her august children by a Song. The song said:
“From the River Sawi the clouds have risen across, and the leaves of the trees have rustled on Mount Unebi: the wind is about to blow.” [33]
Again she sang, saying:
“Ah! What rest on Mount Unebi as clouds in the day-time, will surely blow as wind at night-fall, [whence] the rustling of the leaves!” [34]
When hereupon her august children, hearing and knowing [of the danger], were alarmed and forthwith were about to slay Tagishi-mimi, His Augustness Kamu-nuna-kaha-mimi said to his elder brother His Augustness Kamu-ya-wi-mimi: “Thy dear Augustness, [do thou] take a weapon, and go in and slay Tagishi-mimi.” So he took a weapon and went in, and was about to slay him. But his arms and legs trembled so, that he was [ p. 185 ] unable to slay him. So then the younger brother His Augustness Kamu-nuna-kaha-mimi begged [to be allowed] to take the weapon which his elder brother held, and [151] went in and slew Tagishi-mimi. So again, in praise of his august name, he was called His Augustness Take-nuna-kaha-mimi. [35] Then His Augustness Kamu-ya-wi-mimi resigned [in favour of] the younger brother His Augustness Take-nuha-kaha-mimi, saying: “I could not slay the foeman; but Thine Augustness was at once able to slay him. So, though I be the elder brother, it is not right that I should be the superior. [36] Wherefore do Thine Augustness be the superior, and rule [all] beneath the Heaven. I [37] will assist Thine Augustness, becoming a priest, [38] and respectfully serving thee.”
[ p. 186 ]
¶ SECT. LIII.—EMPEROR JIM-MU (PART X.—GENEALOGIES).
So His Augustness Hiko-ya-wi (is the ancestor of the Chieftains of Mamuta, [39] and of the Chieftains of Teshima.) [40] His Augustness Kamu-ya-wi-mimi (is the ancestor of the Grandees of Oho, [41] of the Chieftains of the Tribe of Chihisako, [42] of the chieftains of [152] the Tribe of Sahahi, [43] of the Dukes of Hi, [44] of the Dukes of Ohokida, [45] of the Dukes of Aso, [46] of the Chieftains of the Granaries of Tsukushi, [47] of the Grandees of the Sazaki Tribe, [48] of the Rulers of the Tribe of Sazaki, [49] of the Rulers of Wo-Hatsuse, [50] of the Suzerains of Tsuke, [51] of the Rulers of the land of Iyo, [52] of the Rulers of the land of Shinanu, [53] of the Rulers of the land of Ihaki in Michinoku, [54] of the Rulers of the Land of Naka [153] in Hitachi, [55] of the Rulers of the land of Nagasa, [56] of the Suzerains of Funaki in Ise, [57] of the Grandees of Niha in Wohari, [58] and of the Grandees of Shimada.) [59]
[ p. 187 ]
[ p. 188 ]
¶ SECT. LIV.—EMPEROR JIM-MU (PART XI.—HIS AGE AND PLACE OF BURIAL).
His Augustness Kamu-nuna-kaha-mimi ruled the Empire. Altogether the august years of this Heavenly Sovereign Kamu-yamato-ihare-biko were one hundred and thirty-seven. [60] His august mausoleum is on the top of the Kashi Spur on the northern side of Mount Unebi. [61]
[ p. 189 ]
¶ SECT. LV.—EMPEROR SUI-ZEI.
His Augustness Kamu-nuna-kaha-mimi dwelt at the palace of Takawoka in Kadzuraki, [62] and ruled the Empire. This Heavenly Sovereign wedded Kaha-mata-bime, [63] ancestress of the Departmental Lords of Shiki, [64] and begot [154] an august child: His Augustness Shiki-tsu-hiko-tama-demi [65] (one Deity), The Heavenly Sovereign’s august years were forty-five. His august mausoleum is on the Mound of Tsukida. [66]
¶ Footnotes
179:1 p. 181 Or, “had wedded”; for the episode here related must be supposed to have taken place before Jim-mu and his army started eastward on their career of conquest. ↩︎
179:2 Ahira-hime. Ahira is supposed by Motowori to be the name of a place in Satsuma. Its etymology is quite obscure. ↩︎
179:3 Wobashi no kimi. Wobashi is supposed by Motowori to be the name of a place in Satsuma. The characters with which it is generally written mean “small bridge.” ↩︎
179:4 Ata is a place in Satsuma. ↩︎
179:5 Or, “there were two Deities.” The character employed is not that which itself actually signifies “deity,” but is the Auxiliary Numeral for divine beings. ↩︎
179:6 I.e., perhaps “rudder-ears.” ↩︎
179:7 Motowori adduces good reasons for believing this name to be but a slightly altered form of the preceding one, and for holding that in the original form of the tradition there was but one child mentioned. ↩︎
179:8 See Motowori’s Commentary, Vol. XX, pp. 10-15, for the reasons for thus interpreting the characters
in the text. Elsewhere it has generally, for the sake of convenience, been simply rendered “Empress.” ↩︎179:9 Seya-dotara-hime. The signification of the name is obscure. Motowori supposes Seya to be a place and tatara (nigori’ed to datara) perhaps a plant written with the Chinese character
, said by Dr. Williams in his “Syllabic Dictionary” to be possibly a species of Heteroiropa. ↩︎179:10 It is uncertain whether this name should, or should not, be p. 182 regarded as properly that of a place. The meaning is equally obscure. The Chinese characters with which it is here written signify “ditch-eater,” whereas those employed in the “Chronicles” signify “ditch-stake.” Perhaps both transcriptions are simply phonetic. ↩︎
179:11 A district in the province of Tsu (Settsu). The name signifies “three islands.” ↩︎
179:12 Miwa-no-oho-mono-mushi-no-kami. This god is supposed to be identical with Oho-kuni-nushi (the “Master of the Great Land,” see end of Sect. XX and following Sects). The rigidly literal rendering of the name as here given would be “the Deity Great Master of Things of Miwa ”; but the more intelligible version here given represents the Japanese author’s meaning. For the traditional etymology of Miwa see the story related in Sect LXV. ↩︎
179:13 Hoto significat partes privatas. Verbi tatara sensum supra s.v. Seya-datara-hime pertractavimus. I est vox expletiva. Susugi sensus est “trepide fugiens.” Hime indicat regiam puellam. ↩︎
179:14 I.e., Princess Tatara-Startled-Good-Princess. ↩︎
179:15 Etymology obscure. ↩︎
179:16 An abbreviated form of the princess’s alternative name. ↩︎
180:17 The meaning of this Song is: “To which of the seven maidens now disporting themselves on the moor of Takasazhi shall I convey the Emperor’s command to come that he may make her his consort, and sleep with his arms intertwined in hers?”—Motowori, overlooking the difference between mart, which is the word in the text, and the nigori’ed form magu met with in some other passages, misinterprets the last clause thus: “Which shall be sought?” He makes the same mistake in his explanation of the next Song. ↩︎
180:18 I.e., “having a presentiment.” ↩︎
180:19 The translation of this Song follows Moribe’s exegesis. Motowori interprets it thus; “Well, well! I will seek the lovely one standing in the very front.” As here rendered, the little poem is quite clear,—simply a declaration on the Emperor’s part that he will make the girl standing in front his wife. ↩︎
180:20 Sakeru-to-me, the original of the phrase here rendered “slit sharp eyes,” is obscure and variously understood by the commentators. Moribe supposes the god to have worn a casque with a vizor, and the slit to have been made in the latter, and not actually in, or rather near, the eyes. It should however be observed that, though the Japanese word saku means “to slit,” the Chinese character in the text properly signifies p. 183 “to tattoo (or brand) with ink,” and is used with that meaning at the end of Sect. CXLIX, and elsewhere in the ancient books. The present writer, after comparing various passages in which the term occurs, thinks that we may understand a tattooing of the outer corners of the eyes, which would give to the latter the appearance of being long and sharp, or, if the tattooing were very dark, of being actually slit. ↩︎
180:21 The first lines of this short poem are so hopelessly unintelligible that the commentators are not even agreed as to how the syllables composing them should be divided into words. For the straits to which Motowori and his predecessors were driven in their efforts to obtain some plausible signification, see his Commentary, Vol. XX, pp. 27-29, and for Moribe’s totally divergent interpretation see “Idzu no Koto-waki,” Vol. II, pp. 30-31. It is not worth while to quote here more such conjectures.—For the doubt attaching to the precise signification of the words rendered by “slit sharp eyes,” see the preceding Note. ↩︎
180:22 The signification of his Song is as plain as that of the preceding one is obscure. ↩︎
180:23 Q.d., as his wife. ↩︎
180:24 This initial expression is meaningless. ↩︎
180:25 Having become the Emperor’s consort, this Honorific title is now prefixed for the first time to her name. ↩︎
180:26 Sawi-gaha. Sawi, as we learn from the compiler’s note below, was the name of a kind of lily. ↩︎
180:27 Literally, “one sojourn.” ↩︎
181:28 The signification of this Song is: “Now indeed thou comest to share the majesty of the palace. But the beginning of our intimacy was on that night when I came to thy humble dwelling on the reed-grown moor where, when we slept together, we had to pile mat upon mat to keep out the damp.”—The translator has followed Moribe’s interpretation throughout. Motowori takes in the sense of “ugly” the word here rendered “damp,” and all the previous commentators give a different explanation of the words iya saya shikite, here translated by “spreading layer upon layer.” They take them to mean “spreading more land more cleanly.” ↩︎
181:29 This name may signify “prince eight-wells.” But the interpretation of ya wi as “eight wells” in his and the following name is doubtful. ↩︎
181:30 This name may signify “divine-eight-wells-ears.” But see preceding Note. ↩︎
181:31 p. 184 This name may signify “divine-lagoon-river-ears.” But perhaps Nuna-kaha is the name of a place. ↩︎
181:32 The character in the text is not actually “Deity,” but
hashira, the Auxiliary Numeral for Deities, which is constantly throughout these “Records” used in speaking of members of the Imperial family. ↩︎184:1 I.e., the Emperor Jim-mu. His decease is not otherwise specially mentioned; but a formula at the end of the Section, which is repeated mutatis mutandis in the case of each Emperor, tells us the number of years he lived or reigned, and the place of his sepulture. Throughout these “Records,” much matter is often placed in the reign of a Monarch already deceased, and which, according to our ideas, would more naturally be narrated under the heading of his successor. ↩︎
184:2 Who was the deceased Emperor’s son by Princess Ahira (see Sect. LI, Note 6,) and consequently step-son to the Empress and half-brother to her three sons. ↩︎
184:3 This is the meaning of the Chinese character in the text, Motowori tries to save the Empress-Dowager’s reputation for conjugal fidelity by rendering it in his kana reading by a word signifying “raped.” ↩︎
184:4 See Sect. XXII, Note 4. ↩︎
184:5 The import of this metaphorical poem, taken in its context, is too clear to need much comment. The rising off the clouds and the rustling of the leaves may be supposed to represent the murderer’s preparations, and the blowing of the wind his actual onslaught. ↩︎
184:6 The meaning of this Song is: “The would-be murderer remains quiet during the day-time like the clouds hanging to the mountain-side; but at night he will I burst upon you like the storm-wind. Already I p. 186 hear the leaves begin to rustle; already he is gathering his men together.” ↩︎
185:7 The word take prefixed to the name of this prince signifies “brave.” ↩︎
185:8 I.e., either “superior to thee,” or as Motowori understands the phrase, “the superior of all,” scil. the Emperor. ↩︎
185:9 Though the elder brother, he here uses the humble character
“servant,” to show his respect and deference. ↩︎185:10 Literally, “a person who shuns,” q.d. who shuns all pollution, and avoids certain food at certain seasons. Conf. the gentile name Imi-be commented on in Sect. XXXIII, Note 32. ↩︎
186:1 p. 186 Mamuta no murazhi. Mamuta is said to have been a place in the province of Kahachi. The etymology of the name is obscure. ↩︎
186:2 Teshima no murazhi. Teshima is said to have been a place in the province of Tsu (Settsu). The name may signify “luxuriant island.” ↩︎
186:3 Oho no omi. Oho is said to have been a place in the province of Yamato. The name is mostly written with characters signifying “vast” or “numerous.” ↩︎
186:4 Chihisako-be no murazhi. Chihisako is said to have been a place in the province of Etchiū. But the name of this family has also been traced to an incident mentioned in the “Newly Selected Catalogue of Family Names ”as having occurred in the reign of the Emperor Yūriyaku, p. 187when, owing to a verbal error, a tax was collected in children instead of in cocoons. The monarch, amused at the mistake, is said to have granted to the tax-collector the “gentile name” of Chihisako, i.e., “Little Child.” ↩︎
186:5 Sakahi-be no muhazhi. Sakahi signifies “boundary,” and this “gentile name” is traced to the fact, mentioned in the “Newly Selected Catalogue of Family Names,” that the founder of the family distinguished himself by setting up boundary-marks on the frontiers of different provinces in the reign of the Emperor In-giyō (first half of the fifth century of the Christian era). ↩︎
186:6 Hi no kimi, Hi (
) is the name of a province (now two provinces) in the south-western island of Tsukushi. It is first mentioned in Sect. V, Note 17. ↩︎186:7 Ohokida no kimi. Ohokida is the name of a district in the province of Toyo. ↩︎
186:8 Aso no himi. Aso is the name of a district in Higo, containing a celebrated volcano. ↩︎
186:9 Tsukushi no miyake no murazhi. ↩︎
186:10 Sazaki-be no omi. This name is connected by the compiler of the “Newly Selected Catalogue of Family Names” with that of the Emperor Nin-toku (Oho-sazaki no Mikoto), for which see Sect. CIV, Note 18. ↩︎
186:11 Sazaki-be no miyatsuko. ↩︎
186:12 Wo hatsuse no miyatsuko. This name is connected with that of the Emperor Mu-retsu, whose name was Wo-Hatsuse no Waka-Sazaki. ↩︎
186:13 Tsuke no atahe. Tsuke is the name of a place in Yamato. ↩︎
186:14 Iyo no kuni no miyatsuko. For the province of Iyo see Sect. V, Note 26. ↩︎
186:15 Shinanu no kuni no miyatsuko. For the province of Shinanu (Shinano) see Sect. XXXII, Note 26. ↩︎
186:16 Michinoku no Ihaki no kuni no miyatsuko. A popular derivation of Michinoku is from michi no kuni, “the country of the road;” but a more likely one, sanctioned by Motowori, is from michi no oku, “the furthest or more distant part of the road.” (For the word “road,” as here used, conf. Sect. LXV, Note 2.). It was for many centuries, and is still in poetry, a vague name for the entire north of Japan. Ihaki, sometimes considered a province, and at others only ranking as a district, formed its south-eastern portion along the Pacific sea-board. The name seems to signify “rock (or hard) castle.” ↩︎
186:17 p. 188 Hitachi no naka no huni no miyatzuko. Hitachi is a province to the south of Ihaki. Motowori quotes more than one traditional derivation of its name, the best of which, taken from the old Topography of the province, is hita-michi, “plain road,” referring to the level nature of that part of the country. Naka is the name of a district. The word signifies “middle,” and may have arisen from the fact of the district bearing it being situated between two considerable rivers. ↩︎
186:18 Nagasa no kuni no miyatsuko. Nagasa is a district in that portion of the old province of Kadzusa which was in very early historical times cut off from the little province of Aha. The import of the name is not clear. ↩︎
186:19 Ise no Funaki no atahe. For Ise see Sect. XLIX, Note 4. Of Funaki nothing is known. The characters with which the name is written signify “boat-tree.” ↩︎
186:20 Ohari no Niha no omi. Wohari is one of the central provinces of Japan. The name is of uncertain origin. Niha is the name of a district, and is of uncertain origin. ↩︎
186:21 Shimada no omi. Shimada is the name of a district in Wohari, and signifies “island rice-fields.” ↩︎
188:1 p. 188 The author’s confused style must not here mislead the student. It is after the decease of the Emperor Jim-mu (Kamu-yamato-ihare-biko), who attains to the age of a hundred and thirty-seven, that the Emperor Suwi-zei (Kamu-nuna-kaha-mimi) begins to rule. ↩︎
188:2 For Unebi see Sect. LI, Note 9. Kashi signifies “oak.” The word rendered “spur ”is wo. ↩︎
189:1a p. 189 In the province of Yamato. Taka-woka signifies “high mound.” Kadzuraki means “pueraria castle,” a name accounted for by a legend in the “Chronicles,” which relates how an earth-spider was caught in this place by means of a net made of pueraria tendrils. Kadzuraki was the name, not only of a town, but of a district. ↩︎