Page:The Sacred Books and Early Literature of the East, Volume 13.djvu/79

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
LITERATURE OF THE EAST
61

dren, though they tore their feet treading on the stubble of the bamboo-grass, forgot the pain, and pursued him with lamentations. At that time they sang, saying:

"Our loins are impeded in the plain overgrown with short bamboo-grass. We are not going through the sky, but oh! we are on foot."

Again when they entered the salt sea, and suffered as they went, they sang, saying:

"As we go through the sea, our loins are impeded tottering in the sea like herbs growing in a great river-bed."

Again when the bird flew and perched on the seaside, they sang, saying:

"The dotterel of the beach goes not on the beach, but follows the seaside."

These four songs were all sung at Yamato-take's august interment. So to the present day these songs are sung at the great interment of a Heavenly Sovereign. So the bird flew off from that country, and stopped at Shiki in the land of Kafuchi. So they made an august mausoleum there, and laid Yamato-take to rest. Forthwith that august mausoleum was called by the name of the "August-Mausoleum of the White-Bird." Nevertheless the bird soared up thence to heaven again and flew away.

[From here onward the "Kojiki" becomes more strictly historical and more like the "Nihongi," only less expanded and detailed.]