Kojiki (Chamberlain, 1882)/Section 127

by Ō no Yasumaro

[Sect. CXXVII.—Emperor Nin-toku (Part VIII.—Queen Medori’s Armlet).]

Chief Ohotate of Yamabe,^[1] who was the generalissimo of that army, took the jewelled armlet which was wound round Queen Medori’s august arm, and gave it to his own wife. After this time, when a copious feast^[2] was to be held, the women of the various families all went to court. Then the wife of Chief Ohotate came with that Queen’s jewelled armlet wound round her own arm. Thereupon the Empress, Her Augustness Iha-no-hime, herself took the oak-leaves^[3] [full] of great august liquor and graciously gave them to the women of the various families. Then the Empress, recognizing the jewelled armlet, gave [the wearer] no oak-leaf [-full] of great august liquor, hut forthwith sent her away;^[4] and sending for the husband, Chief Ohotate, said: “Owing to that King and Queen’s impropriety, [the Emperor] deigned to send them away. This was nothing strange. And a slave such as thou despoils of the jewelled armlet that was wound round her august arm the body of his lady [that was still] warm, and gives it to his own wife!”—and forthwith he was condemmed to death.^[5]

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1. Yamabe no Ohotate no murazhi. The “gentile name” was Yamabe no murazhi, and the personal name Ohotate, though the confused wording of this passage does not make it appear so. Yama-be signifies mountain (i.e., hunters’) tribe. Oho-tate is “big shield.”
2. See Sect. CVII, Note 7.
3. Or, perhaps rather “aralia-leaves” (Conf. Sect. CXXIII).
4. Or, “had her dragged away.”
5. Literally, “was granted the punishment of death,” or “[the Emperor] deigned to condemn him to death.”