Tanaka[1] in Yamato, of the Rulers of the Land of Yamnshiro,[2] of the Rulers of the Land of Umaguta,[3] of the Rulers of the Land of Kihe[4] in Michi-no-Shiri,[5] of the Rulers of the Land of Suhau,[6] of the Rulers of Amuchi,[7] in Yamato, of the Departmental Suzerains of Takechi,[8] of the Territorial Lords of Kamafu,[9] and of the Rulers of Sakikusabe[10]).
[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,[11] I have undoubtedly gained the victory.” With these words, and impetuous with victory, be broke down the divisions of the rice-fields[12] laid out by the Heaven-Shining-Great-August-Deity, filled up
- ↑ Tanaka-no-atahe. The word ta-naka signifies “in the middle of the rice-fields.”
- ↑ Yamashiro-no-kuni-no-miyatsuko. Yama-shiro signifies “behind the mounains,” though it is now, by a play upon words, written with characters signifying “mountain-castle.”
- ↑ Umaguta-no-kuni-no-miyatsuko. Umaguta is a portion of the modern province of Kadzusa. The etymology of the name is not known.
- ↑ Kihe-no-kuni-no-miyatsuko. The etymology of the name and the position of the place are equally obscure.
- ↑ The modern province of Echigo, or perhaps any not well defined district in the north of the Main Island. (See Section LX. Note 20.)
- ↑ Suhau-no-kuni-no-miyatsuko. The etymology of Suhau is not known; but the name sounds Chinese.
- ↑ Amuchi-no-miyatsuko. The derivation of Amuchi is unknown.
- ↑ Takechi-no-agata-nushi. Takechi means “high market” or “high town.”
- ↑ Kamafu-no-inaki. Kamafu was a portion of Afumi. Motowori’s suggestion that the name may be derived from kama (gama), “a bull-frog,” does not seem a happy one.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Literally “if one speak from this.”
- ↑ The character used is 田, 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.
