Kojiki 106

Section CVI. Emperor Ō-jin (Part III.—He Wooes Princess Miya-nushi-ya-kaha-ye)

One day the Heavenly Sovereign, when he had crossed over into the land of Afumi, augustly stood on the moor of Uji, gazed on the moor of Kadzu, and sang, saying:

“As I look on the Moor of Kadzu in Chiba, both the hundred thousand-fold abundant house-places are visisble, and the land’s acme is visible.”

So when he reached the village of Kohata, a beautiful maiden met him at a fork in the road. Then the Heavenly Sovereign asked the maiden, saying: “Whose child art thou?” She replied, saying: “I am the daughter of the Grandee Wani-no-Hifure, and my name is Princess Miya-nushi-ya-kaha-ye.” The Heavenly Sovereign forthwith said to the maiden: “When I return on my progress to-morrow, I will enter into thy house.” So Princess Ya-kaha-he told her father all that [had happened]. Thereupon her father replied, saying: “Ah! it was the Heavenly Sovereign! [His commands are] to be respected. My child, respectfully serve him!”—and so saying, he grandly decorated the house, and awaited [the Heavenly Sovereign’s return], whereupon he came in on the next day. So when [the father] served [the Heavenly Sovereign] a great august feast, he made his daughter Her Augustness Princess Ya-kaha take the great august liquor-cup and present it. Thereupon, while taking the great august liquor-cup, the Heavenly Sovereign augustly sang, saying:

“Oh this crab! whence this crab? [It is] a crab from far-distant Tsunuga. Whither reaches its sideward motion? [It has] come towards Ichiji-shima and Mi-shima. It must be because, plunging and breathless like the grebe, I went without stopping along the up and down road by the wavelets, that the maiden I met on the Kohata road has a back oh! like a small shield, a row of teeth like acorns. Oh! the earth of the Wani pass at Ichihiwi! Owing to the skin of the first earth being ruddy, to the last earth being of a reddish black, she, without exposing to the actual sun that makes one bend one’s head the middle earth like three chestnuts, draws thickly down her drawn eye-brows;—the woman I met, the child I saw and wanted in this way, the I child I saw and wanted in that way, oh! she is opposite to me at the height of the feast! oh! she is at my side!”

Ita auguste coivit [cum illâ], et procreavit filium Uji-no-waki-iratsuko.