of the mountains and rivers, he was returning up to the capital, he, on reaching the foot of the Ashigara Pass,[1] was eating his august provisions, when the deity of the pass, transformed into a white deer, came and stood before him. Then forthwith, on his waiting[2] and striking the deer with a scrap of wild chive, the deer was hit in the eye and struck dead. So, mounting to the top of the pass, he sighed three times and spoke, saying: "Adzuma ha ya!"[3] So that land is called by the name of Adzuma.
YAMATO-TAKE WOOS PRINCESS MIYAZU
When, forthwith crossing over from that land out into Kahi, he dwelt in the palace of Sakawori, he sang, saying:
"How many nights have I slept since passing Nihibari and Tsukuha?"
Then the old man, who was the lighter of the august fire, completed the august song, and sang, saying:
"Oh! having put the days in a row, there are of nights nine nights, and of days ten days!"
Therefore Yamato-take praised the old man, and forthwith bestowed on him the rulership of the Eastern lands.
Having crossed over from that land into the land of Shinanu and subdued the deity of the Shinanu pass, he came back to the land of Wohari, and went to dwell in the house of Princess Miyazu, to whom he had before plighted his troth. Hereupon, when presenting to him the great august food, Princess Miyazu lifted up a great liquor-cup and presented it to him.
After this, placing in Princess Miyazu's house his august sword "the Grass-Quelling Saber," he went forth to take the deity of Mount Ibuki.
- ↑ Ashigara-zaka, one of the passes from Sagami into Suruga leading toward Mount Fuji.
- ↑ I.e., lying in ambush.
- ↑ I.e., "My wife!" Adzuma is still used as a poetical designation of Eastern Japan. The translator doubts the correctness of the derivation of it given in the text, although it is universally accepted and certainly fits in well with the graceful legend by which it is here accounted for.
