The Empress made a song in reply, saying:—
The Emperor again made a song, saying:—
Even the traveller,
Who with unshared tears
Toils over the little pass of Hika
In Asatsuma[3]—
Well for him had he a companion!
The Empress finally refused her consent. Therefore she was silent, and answered not again.
A.D. 342. 30th year, Autumn, 9th month, 11th day. The Empress made an excursion to the land of Kiï. She went as far as Cape[4] Kumano, and was coming back with leaves of the mitsuna,[5] which she had gathered there. On this day the Emperor, espying the Empress's absence, wedded the Imperial Princess Yata, and placed her in the Palace. Now the Empress, when she arrived at the Naniha ferry, heard that the Emperor had become united to the Imperial Princess Yata, and was very wroth. She flung into the sea the mitsuna leaves which she had gathered, and would not land. Wherefore the men of (XI. 18.) that day called the sea where the leaves were scattered Kashiha no Watari, or the Kashiha ferry. Now the Emperor, unaware that the Empress was angry and would not land, went in person to the Great Harbour,[6] and while awaiting the Empress's ship, made a song, saying:—
- ↑ Wings?
- ↑ The meaning is here somewhat doubtful.
- ↑ Asatsuma is the name of a mountain in Yamato. It means "morning-wife."
- ↑ This is properly not a cape, but only a spur of a hill.
- ↑ In the original mitsuna-kashiha. Kashiha is the Quercus dentata, a kind of evergreen oak, the leaves of which were used as drinking-cups. But this term was also applied to any leaves used for this purpose. Here the leaves of another tree—the mitsuna—seem to be intended. Chamberlain makes it the aralia. See Ch. K., pp. 248–273.
- ↑ No doubt Naniha or Osaka.
