1 The sole reason why the second and third lines are introduced is to bring in tare, “to hang down.” The same word is repeated in the fourth line with the meaning “who,” thus producing a word-play, of which Japanese poets are fond.
2 This poem contains a succession of plays on words, some of which are very obscure, and all are lost in an English version. Komo-makura means a matting pillow, i.e. a roll of matting used as a pillow. Makura is frequently followed by takaku, high, in the phrase makura takaku suru, “to make high MURETSU. 403 Hereupon. Kagehime, when the funeral was over, and she was about to return home, said, with an utterance choked by grief:—‘ Alas! to-day I have lost my beloved husband.” So she burst into tears of sorrow, and in a state of distraction made a song, saying:— Like a deer That, drenched with water, hides In the valley of Nara,— (Of fertile soil)— Is the young lord of Shibi— Make him not thy prey. Oh! thou wild boar!
Winter, t1th month, 11th day. Ohotomo no Kanamura no Muraji spake to the eldest son, saying:—‘* The rebel Matori ought to be slain. I pray thee let me attack him.” The eldest son said:—‘‘ We are about to have civil war in the Empire, and without a rare warrior, we shall be unable to accomplish anything. When I consider this well, I find that thou art the man.”? So he laid his plans in concert with him.
Hereupon Ohotomo no Ohomuraji,” in personal command of the troops, led them to besiege the house of the Oho-omi, and setting fire to it, burnt it. His style of command was like the scattering of clouds.
Matori no Oho-omi, resenting the failure of his enterprise, and feeling that his life was doomed, that his designs had reached a limit, and that his hopes had vanished, cursed the salt (sea) far and wide, and at length was put to death along with his people. When he uttered the curse, the only place which he forgot was the sea-brine of Tsunoga, and this he did one’s pillow.” This is probably why makura is here associated with Taka- hashi. Oho-yake means great storehouse. Hence the epithet attached to it. “Of the spring-day” is a regular makura-kotoba or pillow-word of Kasuga, because kasuga is like kasumeru, to be hazy, and the weather is hazy in spring. Wosaho contains wo, male, which accounts for the epithet ““spouse-retiring” in the next line. The commentators have much more to say about these verses. The metre is irregular.
1 This line has reference to the meaning of Shibi, viz. tunny-fish.
? This speech is adapted from a Chinese author.
3 He was not Ohomuraji till afterwards. See below.
arco ae XVI.
Vel 7.
404 NIHONGI.
not curse. Therefore the Emperor eats salt from Tsunoga, and avoids eating the salt of other seas.’”?!
izth month. Ohotomo no Kanamura no Muraji having completely suppressed the insurrection, and restored the Government to the eldest son, asked permission to offer him the August Title, saying:—‘‘ Now there are no sons left of the Emperor Ohoke but Your Majesty, nor is there any second person to whom the people can give allegiance. Moreover, relying on the support of Supreme Heaven,’ thou hast cleared away the wicked bands. By thy wise counsels and thy manly determination thou hast made the Celestial authority and the Celestial revenues to flourish. Japan must have a ruler, and who is there but thee to rule over Japan? I humbly pray Your Majesty reverently to respond to the Divine Spirit of Earth by giving development to the luminous commands, casting a lustre on Japan, and widely taking over charge of the silver region.” * Hereupon the eldest-son commanded the functionaries to prepare a sacred terrace at Namiki‘ in Hatsuse, where he ascended to the Imperial Dignity, and at length established his capital. On this day, Ohotomo no Kanamura no Muraji was made Ohomuraji. 7 Ist year, Spring, 3rd month, 2nd day. Kasuga no Iratsume was appointed Empress. [It is not clear who her father was.]
This year was the year Tsuchinoto U (16th) of the Cycle.
and year, Autumn, gth month. The Emperor ripped up the belly of a pregnant woman and inspected the pineee womb.’
3rd year, Winter, roth month. He plucked out men’s nails. and made them dig up yams.° t1th month. He commanded Ohotomo no Muruya‘ no " Compare above, p. 337, where the water of a well was cursed.
* Motoori objects to this phrase as Chinese. 3 Viz. Corea.
* Namiki means a row of trees, an avenue lined with trees.
® This is a charge made against Show, King of Shang, in the “Shoo- king.” See Legge’s “ Chinese Classics,” Vol. III. p. 285.
° Dioscorea Japonica.
7 There is something wrong here. Ohotomo no Muruya was Prime Minister (see p. 322) in the 7th year of Ingio Tenno (A.D. 418). Muruya is no doubt a slip for Kanamura.
MuRETSU. 405 Ohomuraji to make a levy of labourers of the province of Shinano, in order to build a castle in the village of Minomata. It was called Kinouhe.
In this month, Wi-ta-nang’ of Pékché died and was buried on the top of the hill of Takada.
4th year, Summer, 4th month. He pulled out the hair of men’s heads, made them climb to the tops of trees, and then cut down the trees, so that the men who had climbed were killed by the fall. This he took a delight in.
In this year, King Malta’ of Pékche, for his lawless oppres- sion of his subjects, was at length deposed by the people of that country and King Shima raised to the throne. He was made King Munyong.
The Pékché “ Shinsen” says:—“ King Malta lawlessly oppressed the subjects, and the people united to remove him. Munyéng was set up. His sobriquet was King Shima. Hewastheson of Prince Konchi, and therefore the elder brother of King Malta by a different mother. When Konchi went to Wa, he arrived at an island in Tsukushi where King Shima was born to him. He was sent back from the island, and did not reach the capital (of Japan). Owing to his having been born on an island, he received the name of Shima. There is now in the sea of Kawara ° an island called Nirim Shima‘ which is the King’s birth- place. Therefore the Pekché people call this island Nirim Shima. Considering that King Shima was King Keéro’s son, and King Malta King Konchi’s son, the expression ‘elder brother by a different mother’ is not clear.” * * This is the Corean pronunciation of the characters given, but very likely these are not the proper characters for his name, and are only a phonetic Japanese rendering of the sound. The traditional Kana rendering is Otara.
* Or Mata if the Japanese pronunciation is taken. His real name was Muté.
3 The traditional Kana pronunciation.
4 The traditional Kana has sema, for the Corean syém, island. Nirim means Lord.
*> The “ Tongkam” (Vol. V. 4) account of these events is as follows:— “Autumn, 8th month (A.D. 501). Pékché built the Castle of Karim (in Chollado), which was occupied by a garrison under a military officer named Chak Ka.
Winter, 11th month. Chak Ka of Pékché slew his Lord Muté. Before De Vilro' DONA ano 406 NIHONGI.
5th year, Summer, 6th month. The Emperor made men lie down on their faces in the sluice of a dam and caused them to be washed away: with a three-bladed lance he stabbed them. In this he took delight.
6th year, Autumn, gth month, 1st day. The Emperor made a decree, saying:—‘‘ As a measure for transmitting a kingdom, a son is raised up to honour.’ But we have no successor: wherewithal shall we hand down our name to posterity? In accordance, therefore, with old Imperial precedents, we establish the Wohatsuse Toneri and make them assume the designation of this nEIen> so that it may not be forgotten for ten thousand years.’
Winter, roth month. The Land of Pékché sent Lord Mana with tribute. The Emperor, considering that for many years Pékché had not sent tribute, detained him, and would not let him go.
7th year, Spring, 2nd month. He made men climb up trees and then shot them down with a bow, upon which he laughed.
Summer, 4th month. The King of Pekché sent Lord Shika with tribute, and a separate memorial, saying:—‘‘ Mana, the previous tribute-messenger, was no relation of the Sovereigns of Pékché. Therefore I humbly send Shika to wait upon the Court.” He eventually had a son named Lord Pop-sa. He was the ancestor of the Kimi of Yamato.
8th year, Spring, 3rd month. Nudas feminas super latas this when the King appointed Chak Ka commandant of the garrison of Karim, he did not wish to go, and declined on the score of ill-health. The King would not listen to his excuse, and he therefore hated the King. Upon this the King went a-hunting on the plain east of Sachha. Again he hunted in the plain north of Ung-chhén. Again he hunted in the plain west of SaAchha. Being prevented from returning by a great fall of snow, he stayed for the night at the village of Mapho, where Chak Ka sent a man to assassinate him. A month later he was buried and received the name of Tong-syOng. His son Shima, otherwise called Y6ryung, came to the throne.
Spring, 1st month (A.D. 502). Chak Ka of Pékché was executed. He had taken position in the castle of Karimand rebelled. The King proceeded with an army to the city of Utu and ordered an attack upon him. Chak Ka came out and surrendered. He was put to death and his body flung into the River Pék-Kang.”
* Is made Prince Imperial.
MUuRETSU. 407 tabulas imposuit et, equis adhibitis, fecit ut coirent cum eis. Tum, examinatione habita, quarum pudenda madida erant, eas interfecit, quarum autem madida non erant, eas fecit servas publicas. These things he took a pleasure in.
At this time he dug a pond and made a park which he filled with birds and beasts. Here he was fond of hunting, and of racing dogs and trying horses. He went out and in at all times, taking no care to avoid storms and torrents of rain.
Being warmly clad himself, he forgot that the people were’ starving from cold; eating dainty food, he forgot that the Em- pire was famishing. He gave great encouragement to dwarfs and performers, making them execute riotous music. He prepared strange diversions, and gave licence to lewd voices. Night and day he constantly indulged to excess in sake in the company of the women of the Palace. His cushions were of brocade, and many of his garments were of damask and fine white silk.
Winter, 12th month, 8th day. The Emperor died in the Palace of Namiki.
BND OF VOly 1.
Si eee Nee oes tan ij Lae ee = wet wai