Kojiki 122

Section CXXII. Emperor Nin-toku (Part IV.—He Loves Princess Kuro)

His Empress, Her Augustness Iha-no-hime, was exceedingly jealous. So the concubines employed by the Heavenly Sovereign could not even peep inside the palace; and if anything happened, [the Empress] stamped with jealousy. Then the Heavenly Sovereign, hearing of the regular beauty of Princess Kuro, daughter of the Suzerain of Ama in Kibi, and having sent for her, employed her. But she, afraid of the Empress’s jealousy, fled down to her native land. The Heavenly Sovereign, gazing from an upper story upon Princess Kuro’s departure by boat upon the sea, sang, saying: “In the offing there are rows of small boats. My wife Masadzuko of Kurozaki goes down towards her [native] land.”

So the Empress was very angry on hearing this august Song, and sent people to the great strand to drive Princess Kuro ashore, and chase her away on foot. Thereupon the Heavenly Sovereign, for love of Princess Kuro, deceived the Empress, saying that he wanted to see the Island of Ahaji. And when he made his progress and was in the Island of Ahaji, he, gazing afar, sang, saying: “When, having departed from the point of wave-beaten Naniha, I look at the country,—the Island of Aha, the Island of Onogoro, and also the Island of Ajimasa are visible. The Island of Saketsu is visible.”

Forthwith passing on from that island, he made a progress to the land of Kibi. Then Her Augustness Princess Kuro made him grandly reside at a place among the mountain-fields, and presented to him great august food. When for this [purpose] she plucked cabbage in that place to boil into great august soup, the Heavenly Sovereign went to the place where the maiden was plucking the cabbage, and sang, saying: “Oh! how delightful it is to pluck with a person of Kibi the cabbage sown in the mountain fields!

When the Heavenly Sovereign made his progress up, Princess Kuro presented an august Song, saying: “Even though the west wind blow up towards Yamato, and the clouds part, and we be separated, shall I forget [thee]?”

Again she sang, saying: “Whose spouse is it that goes towards Yamato? Whose spouse is it that creeps from beneath like hidden water?”