[the Heavenly Sovereign] said: “How didst thou take the trouble?”[1] He replied, saying: “In the early morning when he went into the privy, I grasped hold of him and crushed him, and, pulling off his limbs,[2] wrapped them in matting and flung them away.”
[Sect. LXXX.—Emperor Kei-kō (Part V.—Yamato-take Slays the Kumaso Bravoes).]
Thereupon the Heavenly Sovereign, alarmed at the valour and ferocity of his august child’s disposition, commanded him, saying: “In the West there are two Kumaso bravoes,[3]—unsubmissive and disrespectful men. So take[4] them,”—and [with this command] he sent him off. It happened that at this time his august hair was bound at the brow.[5] Then His Augustness Wo-usu was granted by his aunt Her Augustness Yamato-hime[6] her august [upper] garment and august skirt; and, with a sabre hidden in his august bosom, he went forth.[7] So, on reaching the house of the Kumaso bravoes, he saw that near the house there was a three-fold belt of warriors, who had made a cave[8] to dwell in. Hereupon they, noisily discussing a rejoicing for the august cave,[9] were getting food ready. So [Prince Wo-usu] sauntered
- ↑ I.e., “How didst thou do it?”
- ↑ Literally, “branches.”
- ↑ I.e., presumably “bravoes at Kumaso;” but it is to be remarked that in this and like compounds with takeru (“bravo”) the Japanese language uses no Postposition. For Kumaso see Sect. V, Note 17.
- ↑ Motowori seems right in interpreting “take” here and elsewhere in the sense of “slay.” But “take” is in the text.
- ↑ I.e., caught up from the brow and tied together on the crown of the head. This being the way in which the hair of boys was dressed, the author thus intimates that His Augustness was still a youth.
- ↑ Who was high-priestess of the temple of the Great Deity of Ise, as mentioned in Sect. LXIX (Note 44).
- ↑ The characters used for these last two words are those properly restricted to the mention of an Imperial progress, but Yamato-take is constantly spoken of as if he had actually sat on the throne.
- ↑ The character used is 室, which simply means apartment; but see Sect. XLVIII, Note 1.
- ↑ Motowori reads “New cave,” but the word “august” is in the text. At the same time we see that this feast was intended as a house-warming. Conf. the commencement of Sect. CLXIV.
