Kojiki (Chamberlain, 1882)/Section 56

by Ō no Yasumaro

[Sect. LVI.—Emperor An-nei.]

His Augustness Shiki-tsu-hiko-tama-de-mi dwelt in the palace of Ukiana at Kata-shiha,^[1] and ruled the Empire. This Heavenly Sovereign wedded Akuto-hime,^[2] daughter of the Departmental Lord Haye,^[3] elder brother of Kaha-mata-bime, and begot august children: His Augustness Toko-ne-tsu-hiko-irone,^[4] next His Augustness Oho-yamato-hiko-suki-tomo,^[5] next His Augustness Shiki-tsu-hiko.^[6] Of the august children of this Heavenly Sovereign,—three Deities,—His Augustness Oho-yamato-hiko-suki-tomo [was he who afterwards] ruled the Empire. There were two Kings,^[7] children of the next [brother], His Augustness Shiki-tsu-hiko. One child^[8] (was the ancestor of the Territorial Lords of Suchi in Iga,^[9] of the Territorial Lords of Nabari,^[10] and of the Territorial Lords of Minu);^[11] one child,^[12] His Augustness Wa-chi-tsumi,^[13] dwelt in the palace of Miwi in Ahaji.^[14] So this King had two daughters: the name of the elder was Hahe-irone,^[15] and another name for her was Her Augustness Princess Oho-yamato-kuni-are;^[16] the name of the younger was Hahe-irodo.^[17] The Heavenly Sovereign’s august years were forty-nine. Augustum mausoleum est in privatis partibus Montis Unebi.^[18]

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1. In Kahachi: uki-ana signifies “floating hole.” Kata-shiha is said to signify “hard rock” (kata-iha); but this seems doubtful, and the reading given by the characters in the text is not Kata-shiha, but Kata-shiho.
2. I.e., Princess of Akuto, or Akuta,—for the latter form of the name is more common. There exists a place thus called in Settsu. The derivation of the word is obscure.
3. Agata-nushi Haye. The reading of this name is obscure, and its derivation uncertain.
4. Irone signifies “elder brother” or “elder sister.” The rest of the compound is obscure.
5. The first three elements of the compound signify “Great Yamato Prince.” The last two are obscure, but Motowori identifies suki with shiki (see Note 3 to preceding Sect.)
6. I.e., “Prince of Shiki”; so called, it is supposed, with reference to the place of residence of his grandfather.
7. The character thus translated is 王, of which “King” is the original and proper signification. To judge by some other passages in the ancient histories, it had not yet in the 8th century altogether paled to the lesser meaning of “prince,” which has belonged to it in later times when denoting Japanese personages. It is still, as far as possible, used to denote the rulers of all countries excepting Japan, the zealous admirers of the native literature and institutions even designating by it the Emperor of China, who, one would have thought, had a special right to the more Honorific title of Emperor, which his own subjects were the first to invent. On the whole, therefore, “King” seems to be the most appropriate rendering. The characters 女王 are, by analogy, rendered “Queen.”
8. The text has “descendant;” but it must here be corrupt or at least faulty, as may be seen by the omission of the proper name.
9. Iga no Suchi no inaki. The etymology of Iga and that of Suchi are alike obscure. See however Motowori’s Commentary, Vol. XXI, p. 13, for the traditional derivation of the former. It is the name of a small province, which in very ancient times formed part of the province of Ise.
10. Nabari no inaki. Nabari is in Iga. The name signifies “hiding.”
11. Minu no inaki. Minu, not to be confounded with the province of the same name, is a place in Iga. The name probably signifies “three moors.”
12. I.e., the other child.
13. Motowori reads Chichitsumi. In any case, the name remains obscure.
14. For Ahaji see Sect. VI, Note 3. Mi-wi signifies “august well,” and the name is traced to the custom of bringing water from the Island of Ahaji for use in the Imperial Palace, as mentioned in Sect. CXXIX of the present work, and elsewhere in the early literature.
15. Irone means “elder sister.” Hahe is of uncertain import, it being written with completely different characters in the two histories.
16. Oho-yamato-kuni-are-hime-no-mikoto. Oho-yamato-kuni signifies “the land of Great Yamato,” and hime signifies “princess” or “maiden.” Motowori suggests that are, which is an obscure word, may signify “pure.”
17. Irodo signifies “younger sister.” For hahe conf. Note 15.
18. Scil. in interiori parte montis, e.g. in spelunca. Motowori explains the use of the terra by reference to such words as foot, where the name of a portion of the human body is applied to a mountain. In Japanese there are others besides ashi (“foot”), such as itadaki, hara, and koshi.