Kojiki 90

Section XC. Emperor Kei-kō (Part XV.—Yamato-take Turns into a White Bird)

Thereupon [his] Empresses and likewise [his] august children, who dwelt in Yamato, all went down and built an august mausoleum, and, forthwith crawling hither and thither in the rice-fields encompassing [the mausoleum], sobbed out a Song, saying: “The Dioscorea quinqueloba crawling hither and thither among the rice-stubble, among the rice-stubble in the rice-fields encompassing [the mausoleum] ….”

Thereupon [the dead prince], turning into a white dotterel eight fathoms [long], and soaring up to Heaven, flew off towards the shore. Then the Empresses and likewise the august children, though they tore their feet treading on the stubble of the bamboo-grass, forgot the pain, and pursued him with lamentations. At that time they sang, saying: “Our loins are impeded in the plain [overgrown with] short bamboo-grass. We are not going through the sky, but oh! we are on foot.”

Again when they entered the salt sea, and suffered as they went, they sang, saying: “As we go through the sea, our loins are impeded,—tottering in the sea like herbs growing in a great river-bed.”

Again when [the bird] flew and perched on the seaside, they sang, saying: “The dotterel of the beach goes not on the beach, but follows the seaside.”

These four Songs were all sung at [Yamato-take’s] august interment. So to the present day these Songs are sung at the great august interment of a Heavenly Sovereign. So [the bird], flew off from that country, and stopped at Shiki in the land of Kafuchi. So they made an august mausoleum there, and laid [Yamato-take] to rest. Forthwith with that august mausoleum was called by the name of the “August-Mausoleum of the White-Bird. Nevertheless the bird soared up thence to heaven again, and flew away.