forth its claws, and a heavenly sabre was obtained at Takakura.[1] They with tails obstructed the path, and a great crow guided him to Yeshinu.[2] Dancing in rows they destroyed the brigands, and listening to a song they vanquished the foemen.[3] Being instructed in a dream, he was reverent to the Heavenly and Earthly Deities, and was therefore styled the Wise Monarch;[4] having gazed on the smoke, he was benevolent to the black-haired people, and is therefore remembered as the Emperor-Sage.[5] Determining the frontiers and civilizing the country, he issued laws from the Nearer Afumi;[6] reforming the surnames and selecting the
- ↑ For the mention of the bear, whose appearance caused the Emperor Jim-mu and his army to faint away, see commencement of Sect. XLV. Motowori thinks that the character 瓜, “claws,” is a copyist’s error for 山, “mountain” or 穴, “hole,” (Conf. Sect. XLV, Note 2). For the curious legend of the sabre see the same Section, and for the name of Takakura see more especially Note 3 to that Section.
- ↑ For the gods with tails who met and conversed with the Emperor Jim-mu in Yamato, see the latter part of Sect. XLVI, a perusal of which will however show that the phrase “obstructed the path,” which is here used of them, is not exactly applicable. The miraculous crow, which was sent down from Heaven to assist Jim-mu in his conquests, is mentioned at the commencement of the same Section and again at the commencement of Sect. XLVII. For Yeshinu (modern Yoshino) see Sect. XLVI, Note 3.
- ↑ The word “dancing” in this sentence must not be too closely pressed, as it is used simply to balance the word “song” in the parallel clause,—which clause itself does but echo the sense of that which precedes it. The reference is to the song which Jim-mu sang as a signal to his followers to destroy the “earth-spiders” (see Sect. XLVIII), and perhaps also to the songs in Sect. XLIX.
- ↑ “The Emperor Sū-jin” must be mentally supplied as the logical subject of this clause. For the story of his dream see Sect. LXIV, and for the origin of the laudatory designation here mentioned see the end of Sect. LXVII, which is however obscure.
- ↑ “The Emperor Nin-toku” must be supplied as the logical subject of this clause. The allusion to the smoke and the laudatory designation here mentioned will be understood by reference to Sect. CXXI. The “black-haired people” is a common Chinese phrase for the peasantry or the people in general.
- ↑ “The Emperor Sei-mu” must be supplied as the logical subject of this
this sentence alludes to the Emperor Jim-mu’s victorious progress from Western Japan to Yamato in the centre of the country, which he is said to have subdued, and where it is related that he established his capital (see Sects. XLIV–L).
