Empress’s jealousy, fled down to her native land. The Heavenly Sovereign, gazing from an upper story upon Princess Kuro’s departure by boat upon the sea, sang, saying:
“In the offing there are rows of small boats. My wife Masadzuko of Kurozaki goes down towards her [native] land.”[1]
So the Empress was very angry on hearing this august Song, and sent people to the great strand[2] to drive Princess Kuro ashore, and chase her away on foot.[3] Thereupon the Heavenly Sovereign, for love of Princess Kuro, deceived the Empress, saying that he wanted to see the Island of Ahaji.[4] And when he made his progress and was in the Island of Ahaji, he, gazing afar, sang, saying:
“When, having departed from the point of wave-beaten Naniha, I look at the country,—the Island of Aha, the Island of Onogoro, and also the Island of Ajimasa are visible. The Island of Saketsu is visible.”[5]
- ↑ Thus interpreted (according to Moribe), the general sense of the Song is quite clear. The word Musadzuko, considered by Moribe to be one of the names of Princess Kuro, is however not so understood by Motowori, who is inclined to see in it rather an Honorific description of her. Kurozaki likewise (i.e., “black cape,” the word kuro seemingly containing an allusion to the name of the Princess) is but the best of many emendations of the name as it stands in the text, viz., Furozaya. See Motowori’s Commentary, Vol. XXXV, p. 33, for all the possible emendations proposed by him or his predecessors.
- ↑ Scil. of the neighbourhood of Naniwa. Or possibly Oho-ura (“Great Strand”) should be taken as the name of a place, though Motowori does not suggest such a view.
- ↑ I.e., to make her perform the journey on foot.
- ↑ See Sect. V, Note 8.
- ↑ Moribe, commenting on the import of this Song, says: “Though the alleged reason was a tour of inspection, it was truly out of love for Princess Kuro that the Monarch had undertaken the journey. When her vessel could no longer be descried, he could still, alas! see the islands that remained behind,—the Island of Aha and the Island of Ajimasa; he could still, alas! see the Islands of Onogoro and Suketsu. Alas for him left alone, parted from his love! Though he
