half-brother, His Augustness Tagishi-mimi,[1] wedded[2] the Empress I-suke-yori-hime, he plotted how he might slay his three younger brethren, pending which their august[3] 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.”[4]
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!”[5]
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 unable to slay him. So then the younger brother His Augustness Kamu-nuna-kaha-mimi begged [to be allowed]
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 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.”
- ↑ See Sect. XXII, Note 4.
- ↑ The import of this metaphorical poem, taken in its context, is too clear to need much comment. The rising of 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.
- ↑ 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 burst upon you like the storm-wind. Already I hear the leaves begin to rustle; already he is gathering his men together.”
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.
