minore sorore Augustâ Feminâ-Qui-Invitat: “Tuum corpus quo in modo factum est?” Respondit dicens: “Meum corpus crescens crevit, sed una pars est quæ non crevit continua.” Tunc dixit Augustus Mas-Qui-Invitat: “Meum corpus crescens crevit, sed est una pars quæ crevit euperflua. Ergo an bonum erit ut hanc corporis mei partem quæ crevit superflua in tui corporis partem quæ non crevit continua inseram, et regionea procreem?” Augusta Femina-Quæ-Invitat respondit dicens: “Bonum erit.” Tunc dixit Augustus Mas-Qui-Invitat: “Quod quum ita sit, ego et tu, hanc cœlestem augustam columnam circumenutes mutuoque occurrentes, augustarum [i.e. privatarum] partium augustam coitionem faciemus.”[1] Hâc pactione factâ, dixit [Augustus Mas-Qui-Invitat]: “Tu a dexterâ circumeuns occurre; ego a sinistrâ occurram.” Absolutâ pactione ubi circumierunt, Augusta Femina-Qui-Invitat primum inquit: “O venuste et amabilis adolescens!” Deinde Augustus Mas-Qui-Invitat inquit: “O venusta et amabilis virgo!” Postquam singuli orationi finem fecerunt, [Augustus Mas-Qui-Invitat] locutus est sorori, dicens: “Non decet feminam primum verba facere.” Nihilominus in thalamo [opus procreationis] inceperunt, et filium [nomine] Hirudinem[2] [vel Hirudini similem] pepererunt. This child they placed in a boat of reeds, and let it float away. Next they gave birth to the Island of Aha.[3] This likewise is not reckoned among their children[4].
[Sect. V.—Birth of the Eight Great Islands.]
Hereupon the two Deities took counsel, saying: “The children to whom we have now given birth are not good. It will be best to announce this in the august place[5] of the Heavenly Deities.” They ascended
- ↑ This is Hirata’s view of the import of the somewhat obscure original (see his “Exposition of the Ancient Histories,” Vol. II, pp. 61–64). Motowori’s interpretation is: “auguste in thalamo coibimus.”
- ↑ The name in the original is Hiru-go, an instance of the fortuitous verbal resemblances occasionally found between unrelated languages.
- ↑ Literally “foam.” It is supposed to have been an islet near the island of Ahaji in the province of Sanuki.
- ↑ Hiru-go was not so reckoned, because he was a failure.
- ↑ The characters 御所, here translated “august place” (the proper Chinese signification is “imperial place”) are those still in common use to denote the Mikado’s palace.
