Kojiki 124

Section CXXIV. Emperor Nin-toku (Part VI.—He Follows the Empress Into Yamashiro)

The Heavenly Sovereign, having heard that the Empress had made a progress up by Yamashiro, made a person,—a retainer called by the name of Toriyama,—give an august Song, which said: “Reach [her] in Yamashiro, Toriyama! Reach [her]! reach [her]! Ah! wilt thou reach and meet my beloved spouse?”

Again he continued by despatching Kuchiko, Grandee of Wani, and sang, saying:

“Wilt thou be without thinking even of the Heart that is in the moor of Ohowiko, the moor of Ohowiko, that is by Takaki at Mimoro?” Again he sang, saying: “If indeed I had pillowed [my head] on thy white arm like the whiteness of the roots, the great roots, that were beaten with wooden hoes by the women of Yamashiro where the seedlings grow in succession, [then] mightest thou say, ‘I know [thee] not!’ ”

So when the Grandee of Kuchiko was repeating this august Song [to the Empress], it was raining heavily. Then upon his, without avoiding the rain, coming and prostrating himself at the front door of the palace, she on the contrary went out at the back door; and on his coming and prostrating himself at the back door of the palace, she on the contrary went out at the front door. Then, as he crept backwards and forwards on his knees in the middle of the court, the streams of water reached to his loins. Owing to the grandee being clad in a garment dyed green and with a red cord, the streams of water brushed against the red cord, and the green all changed to red colour. Now the Grandee of Kuchiko’s younger sister Princess Kuchi was in the service of the Empress. So Princess Kuchi sang, saying: “Oh! how tearful is my lord elder brother, saying things in the palace of Tsutsuki in Yamashiro!”

Then when the Empress asked the reason, she replied, saying: “He is my brother, the Grandee of Kuchiko.” Thereupon the Grandee of Kuchiko and also his younger sister Princess Kuchi and likewise Nurinomi [all] three took counsel [together], and sent to report to the Heavenly Sovereign, saying: “The reason of the Empress’s progress is that there are [some] insects reared by Nurinomi,—strange insects changing in three ways, once becoming creeping insects, once becoming cocoons, and once becoming flying birds,—and it is only to go and look at them that she has entered into [Nurinomi’s house]. She has no strange intentions.” When they had thus reported, the Heavenly Sovereign said: “That being so, I want to go and see [these insects], as I think [they must be] strange;” [and with these words] he made a progress up from the great palace. When he entered into Nurinomi’s house, Nurinomi, had already presented to the Empress the three-fold insects reared by him. Then the Heavenly Sovereign augustly stood at the door of the palace where the Empress dwelt, and sang, saying: “Pure as the great roots that were beaten with their wooden hoes by the women of Yamashiro where the seedlings grow in succession:—it is because thou spokest tumultuously that I come in here [with my retainers numerous] as the more and more flourishing trees that I look across at.”

These six Songs sung by the Heavenly Sovereign and by the Empress are Changing Songs which are Quiet Songs.