A.D. 422. 11th year, Spring, 3rd month, 4th day. The Emperor made a progress to the Palace of Chinu. Sotohori Iratsume made a song, saying:—
For ever and ever,
Oh! that I might meet my Lord!
As often as drift beachward
The weeds of the shore of ocean
(Where whales are caught).
Then the Emperor spake to Sotohori Iratsume, saying:—"No other person must hear this song. For if the Empress heard it, she would surely be greatly wroth." Therefore the men of that time gave a name to the shore-weed and called it Na-nori-ahi-mo.[1]
(XIII. 13.) Before this time, when Sotohori Iratsume dwelt in the Palace of Fujihara, the Emperor commanded Ohotomo Muruya no Muraji, saying:—"Of late we have gotten a beautiful woman, the younger sister of the Empress by the same mother.[2] In Our heart we dearly love her, and it is Our desire that her name should be handed down to after ages. How can this be done?" In accordance with the Imperial command, Muruya no Muraji proposed a plan for the Emperor's approval. Consequently the Miyakko of the various provinces were charged to establish Fujihara Be on behalf of Sotohori hime.
A.D. 425. 14th year, Autumn, 9th month, 12th day. The Emperor hunted in the island of Ahaji. Now the deer, monkeys, and wild boar, like dust-clouds, confusedly, filled the mountains and valleys. They sprang up like flames of fire, they were dispersed like flies. And yet all day long not a single beast was caught. Herewith the hunt was suspended, and divination was made anew. Then the God of the Island[3] gave an oracular utterance,
- ↑ Na-nori-ahi means "mutually to tell one's name," and mo is the general word for seaweed. There is a seaweed so called, but what this circumstance has to do with the story is not clear.
- ↑ The traditional kana has haha-hara-kara. As hara-kara by its derivation means "of the same womb," it is needless to prefix haha, mother. But this shows that when these kana glosses were written, hara-kara had come to mean simply brother or sister, as it does at present.
- ↑ Izanagi.
