adolescens facta est, qui cito pulchram puellam sibi in matrimonio junxit, et filiam procreavit nomine Hoto-tatara-i-susugi-hime;[1] et est nomen alternativum Hime-tatara-i-suke-yori-hime.[2] (Id est posterior mutatio nominis, quoniam abhorruit facere mentionem privatarum partinm). So therefore she is called the august child of a Deity. Hereupon seven beauteous maidens were out playing on the moor of Takasazhi,[3] and I-suke-yori-hime[4] was among them. His Augustness Ohokume, 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?”[5]
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[6] 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.”[7]
Then His Augustness Ohokume informed I-suke-yori-hime of the
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ I.e., Princess Tatara-Startled-Good-Princess.
- ↑ Etymology obscure.
- ↑ An abbreviated form of the princess’s alternative name.
- ↑ 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 maku, 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.
- ↑ I.e. “having a presentiment.”
- ↑ 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.
