Kojiki (Chamberlain, 1882)/Section 120

by Ō no Yasumaro

[Sect. CXX.—Emperor Nin-toku (Part II.—Various Deeds).]

In the august reign of this Heavenly Sovereign the Kadzuraki Tribe^[1] was established as the august proxy of the Empress, Her Augustness Iha-no-hime. Again the Mibu Tribe^[2] was established as the august proxy of the Heir Apparent, His Augustness Izaho-wake. Again the Tajihi Tribe^[3] was established as the august proxy of His Augustness Midzuha-wake. Again the Oho-kusaka Tribe^[4] was established as the august proxy of King Oho-kusaka, and the Waka-kusaka Tribe^[5] was established as the august proxy of King Waka-kusaka-be. Again people from Hada were set to labour, and the embankment at Mamuta^[6] and also the granaries of Mamuta were made. Again the Pool of Wani^[7] and the Pool of Yosami were made. Again the Naniha Channel^[8] was dug, and [the waters of the rivers] led to the sea. Again the Wobashi Channel^[9] was dug. Again the port of the inlet of Sumi^[10] was established.

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1. Kadzuraki-be. For Kadzuraki see Sect. LV, Note 1.
2. Mibu-be. Motowori quotes approvingly a derivation of the “gentile name” of Mibu from Bi-fuku-mon (美福門), the name of a gate which the first bearer of the name is related to have constructed. Taking into account the letter-changes which occurred in older times in the passage of words from Chinese into Japanese, the etymology is plausible enough.
3. Tajihi-be. Tajihi is the name of a place in Kahachi, and is of uncertain origin.
4. Oho-kusaka-be. This tribe of course took its name simply from that of Prince Oho-kusaka.
5. Waka-kusaka-be. A similar observation to that in the last applies to this name.
6. See Sect. LIII, Note 1.
7. Wani no ike, in the province of Kubachi. Wani signifies “crocodile,” and it was also the name of the Korean personage mentioned in Sect. CX (Note 6). But the reason why the Pool here spoken of was so called does not appear. The Pool of Yosami has already been mentioned in Sect. LXII. (Note 85). Motowori supposes that it must have dried up during the interim.
8. Naniha no hori-ye. Motowori tells us that the regularization of the channels of the Yodo and Yamato Rivers, whose mouths nearly meet at this point with various intersecting branches, is what is here intended to be referred to.
9. Wobashi no ye. Wo-bashi (“little bridge”) is the name of a village in the province of Settsu.
10. Suminoye no tsu. Close to Naniha; it is the modern Sumiyoshi. Conf. Sect. X, Note 22.