Page:Kojiki by Chamberlain.djvu/185

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Vol. XIV.]

Vol. I. Sect. XXXII.

99

Divine-Keen-Sabre.^[1] So when the Deity Aji-shiki-taka-hiko-ne flew away in his anger, his younger sister Her Augustness the High-Princess in order to reveal his august name, sang, saying:

“Oh! ’tis the Deity Aji-shiki-Taka-Hiko-Ne traversing two august valleys with the refulgence of august assembled hole-jewels, of the august assembled jewels worn round her neck by the Weaving Maiden in Heaven!”^[2]

This Song is of a Rustic Style.^[3]

[Sect. XXXII.—Abdication of the Deity Master-of-the-Great-Land.]

Hereupon the Heaven-Shining-Great-August-Deity said: “Which Deity were it best to send on a fresh mission?”^[4] Then the Deity

↑ Kamu-do-tsurugi.
↑ The meaning of the Song is: “Oh! this is Aji-shiki-taka-hiko-ne, whose refulgence, similar to that of the jewels worn by the Weaving Maiden in Heaven, shines afar across hills and valleys.”—The translator does not follow those commentators who emend ana-dama, “hole-jewels” to aka-dama, “red,” i.e. “resplendent jewels,” as the frequent reference in this and the other ancient books to the string on which beads were strung, and the presence in ancient tombs, etc. of numbers of such beads with holes drilled through them (they are now known by the name of kuda-tama, i.e. “tube-jewels”) renders such an emendation unnecessary. The “Weaving Maiden in Heaven” is evidently, notwithstanding Motowori’s endeavour to disprove the fact, the Chinese Chih Nü, a personification of α Lyræ, to whom there are countless allusions in Chinese literature, and who also became a frequent theme of the later Japanese poets.
↑ Or, “barbarous style.” Motowori endeavours to explain away the various names of styles of Songs found in the early literature by asserting that they are simply derived from the initial words of the Song in question, and that, for instance, in the present case, the title of Rustic Song was bestowed on the poem only because in the “Chronicles” it is coupled with another which lends itself to such an interpretation. Moribe gives his sanction to this view; but, though it is difficult to explain many of the titles on any other theory, the translator thinks that it cannot be accepted as generally satisfactory in the face of the numerous cases which contradict it, and of which its supporters can give no satisfactory explanation. The whole subject of the titles, of the manner of singing, etc., of the ancient poems is indeed involved in obscurity.
↑ Literally, “to send again.”

[1] Kamu-do-tsurugi.

[2] The meaning of the Song is: “Oh! this is Aji-shiki-taka-hiko-ne, whose refulgence, similar to that of the jewels worn by the Weaving Maiden in Heaven, shines afar across hills and valleys.”—The translator does not follow those commentators who emend ana-dama, “hole-jewels” to aka-dama, “red,” i.e. “resplendent jewels,” as the frequent reference in this and the other ancient books to the string on which beads were strung, and the presence in ancient tombs, etc. of numbers of such beads with holes drilled through them (they are now known by the name of kuda-tama, i.e. “tube-jewels”) renders such an emendation unnecessary. The “Weaving Maiden in Heaven” is evidently, notwithstanding Motowori’s endeavour to disprove the fact, the Chinese Chih Nü, a personification of α Lyræ, to whom there are countless allusions in Chinese literature, and who also became a frequent theme of the later Japanese poets.

[3] Or, “barbarous style.” Motowori endeavours to explain away the various names of styles of Songs found in the early literature by asserting that they are simply derived from the initial words of the Song in question, and that, for instance, in the present case, the title of Rustic Song was bestowed on the poem only because in the “Chronicles” it is coupled with another which lends itself to such an interpretation. Moribe gives his sanction to this view; but, though it is difficult to explain many of the titles on any other theory, the translator thinks that it cannot be accepted as generally satisfactory in the face of the numerous cases which contradict it, and of which its supporters can give no satisfactory explanation. The whole subject of the titles, of the manner of singing, etc., of the ancient poems is indeed involved in obscurity.

[4] Literally, “to send again.”

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]