was commanded to go with the Prince Imperial and worship the Great God of Kebi in Tsunoga.[1]
17th day. The Prince Imperial returned from Tsunoga. On this day the Grand Empress gave a banquet to the Prince Imperial in the Great Hall. The Grand Empress raising her cup wished long life to the Prince Imperial. Accordingly she made a song, saying:—
Is not my august liquor:
This prince of liquors[2]
He that dwells in the Eternal land
Firm as a rock—
The august God Sukuna,
With words of plenteous blessing,
Blessing all around—
With words of divine blessing
(IX. 25.) Blessing again and again—
Hath sent as an offering to thee.
Drink of it deeply.
Sa! Sa![3]
- ↑ Now Tsuruga in Echizen. See Ch. K., p. 237.
- ↑ In the original "Kushi no Kami." The interpretation given above is Motowori's. This line might also mean "the wondrous deity" or the "God of liquor or sake."
- ↑ An interjection of encouragement or incitement.
and having wailed bitterly, she died. She was made the Goddess' mother of this mountain, and there is now a shrine there."
This, no doubt, relates to the same events as the above passage in the "Nihongi." Ché-syang is Mo-ma-ri and Misăheun is Mi-cheul Hö-chi.
The Corean names present much difficulty. I have given the Corean pronunciation of the Chinese characters with which they are written, but there is much room for doubt whether the Japanese pronunciation would not sometimes be better. The text cannot be relied on.
The interlinear kana gives as the names of the three envoys, Ureshi-hotsu, Momari Shichi, and Furamochi, and of the hostage, Mishi Kochi hotsu-kan. Here shichi is probably for 舎知 (sya-chi), the 13th official rank in Silla.
A Chinese authority quoted by Parker, in "Race Struggles in Corea," gives one or two examples of Kilin (Kélin or Silla), words which show that 1000 years ago the language was the same as modern Corean. But I cannot recognize anything of the modern language in the Corean names of the "Nihongi." Later, all proper names in Corea are of Chinese derivation. Many of the Corean words in the "Nihongi" are names of offices, all of which are replaced in modern Corean by words of Chinese derivation.
