truly as the old man had said, and immediately dipped a head into each vat, and drank the liquor. Thereupon it was intoxicated with drinking, and all the heads lay down and slept. Then His-Swift-Impetuous-Male-Augustness drew the ten-grasp saber, that was augustly girded on him, and cut the serpent in pieces, so that the River Hi flowed on changed into a river of blood. So when he cut the middle tail, the edge of his august sword broke. Then, thinking it strange, he thrust into and split the flesh with the point of his august sword and looked, and there was a great sword within. So he took this great sword, and, thinking it a strange thing, he respectfully informed the Heaven-Shining-Great-August deity. This is the Herb-Quelling Great Sword.
THE PALACE OF SUGA
So thereupon His Swift-Impetuous-Male-Augustness sought in the land of Idzumo for a place where he might build a palace. Then he arrived at a place called Suga, and said: "On coming to this place my august heart is pure" and in that place he built a palace to dwell in. So that place is now called Suga. When this great deity first built the palace of Suga, clouds rose up thence. Then he made an august song. That song said:
"Eight clouds arise. The eightfold fence
of Idzumo makes an eightfold fence for
the spouses to retire within. Oh! that
eightfold fence."
- ↑
This difficult song has been rather differently rendered by Mr. Aston in the Second Appendix to his "Grammar of the Japanese Written Language." Mr. Aston translates it thus:
"Many clouds arise:
The clouds which come forth are a manifold fence:
For the husband and wife to retire within
They have formed a manifold fence:
Oh! that manifold fence!"
