A poem composed by Hitomaro, Lord Kakinomoto, when Prince Takechi was lying in state at Kinoe.
かけまくも ゆゆしきかも 言はまくも あやに畏き 明日香の 眞神の原に ひさかたの 天つ御門を 畏くも 定めたまひて 神さぶと 磐隱ります やすみしし 我が大君の きこしめす 背面の國の 眞木立つ 不破山超えて 高麗劍 和射見が原の 假宮に 天降りいまして 天の下 治めたまひ 食す國を 定めたまふと 鷄が鳴く 東の國の 御いくさを 召したまひて ちはやぶる 人を和せと 奉ろはぬ 國を治めと 皇子ながら 任けたまへば 大御身に 大刀取り佩かし 大御手に 弓取り持たし 御軍士を 率ひたまひ 整ふる 鼓の音は 雷の 聲と聞くまで 吹き鳴せる 小角の音も 敵見たる 虎か吼ゆると 諸人の おびゆるまでに ささげたる 幡の靡きは 冬ごもり 春さり來れば 野ごとに つきてある火の 風の共 靡かふごとく 取り持てる 弓弭の騷き み雪降る 冬の林に つむじかも い卷き渡ると 思ふまで 聞きの畏く 引き放つ 矢の繁けく 大雪の 亂れて來たれ まつろはず 立ち向ひしも 露霜の 消なば消ぬべく 行く鳥の 爭ふはしに 渡會の 齋きの宮ゆ 神風に い吹き惑はし 天雲を 日の目も見せず 常闇に 覆ひ賜ひて 定めてし 瑞穗の國を 神ながら 太敷きまして やすみしし 我が大君の 天の下 申したまへば 萬代に しかしもあらむと 木綿花の 榮ゆる時に 我が大君 皇子の御門を 神宮に 裝ひまつりて 使はしし 御門の人も 白栲の 麻衣着て 埴安の 御門の原に あかねさす 日のことごと 獸じもの い匍ひ伏しつつ ぬばたまの 夕になれば 大殿を 振り放け見つつ 鶉なす い匍ひもとほり 侍へど 侍ひえねば 春鳥の さまよひぬれば 嘆きも いまだ過ぎぬに 思ひも いまだ盡きねば 言さへく 百濟の原ゆ 神葬り 葬りいませて あさもよし 城上の宮を 常宮と 高く奉りて 神ながら 鎭まりましぬ しかれども 我が大君の 萬代と 思ほしめして 作らしし 香具山の宮 萬代に 過ぎむと思へや 天のごと 振り放け見つつ 玉たすき 懸けて偲はむ 畏かれども
kakemaku mo yuyusiki ka mo ipamaku mo aya ni kasikoki asuka nö makamï nö para ni pisakata nö ama tu mikado wo kasikoku mo sadametamapite kamu sabu tö ipagakurimasu yasumi sisi wa ga opokimi nö kikösimesu sötömo nö kuni nö makï tatu pupa yama koete köma turugi wazami ga para nö karimiya ni amoriimasite amë nö sita wosametamapi wosu kuni wo sadametamapu tö töri ga naku aduma nö kuni nö mi-ikusa wo mesitamapite tipayaburu pitö wo yapase tö maturopanu kuni wo wosame tö miko nagara maketamapeba opomimi ni tati toripakasi opomite ni yumi törimotasi mi-ikusa wo adömopitamapi tötönöpuru tudumi nö otö pa ikaduti nö kowe tö kiku made puki naseru kuda nö otö mo ata mitaru tora ka poyuru tö moröpitö nö obiyuru made ni sasagetaru pata nö nabiki pa puyugömori paru sarikureba no götö ni tukite aru pï nö kaze nö muta nabikapu götöku törimoteru yupazu nö sawagi mi-yuki puru puyu nö payasi ni tumuzi ka mo imakiwataru tö omopu made kiki nö kasikoku pikipanatu ya nö sigeku opo-yuki nö midarete kitare maturopazu tatimukapisi mo tuyu simo nö kenaba kenubëku yuku töri nö arasopu pasi ni watarapi nö ituki nö miya yu kamukaze ni i pukimadopasi ama kumo wo pi nö me mo misezu tököyamï ni opopitamapite sadametesi midupo nö kuni wo kamu nagara puto sikimasite yasumi sisi wa ga opokimi nö am&ieuml; nö sita mawositamapeba yöröduyö ni sikasi mo aramu tö yupu pana nö sakayuru töki ni wa ga opokimi miko nö mikado wo kamumiya ni yösöpimaturite tukapasisi mikado nö pitö mo sirotapë nö asagörömo kite paniyasu nö mikado nö para ni akane sasu pi nö kötögötö sisizi monö ipapi pusitutu nubatama nö yupupe ni nareba opotönö wo purisake mitutu udura nasu, ipapi motöpori samorapedö samorapieneba paru töri nö samayopinureba nagëki mo imada suginu ni omopi mo imada tukineba kötö sapeku kudara nö para yu kamupaburi paburiimasete asa mo yösi kinope nö miya wo tökömiya tö takakumaturite kamu nagara sidumarimasinu sikaredömo wa ga opokimi nö yöröduyö tö oposimesite tukurasisi kagu yama nö miya yöröduyö ni sugimu tö omope ya amë nö götö purisake mitutu tama tasuki kakete sinopamu kasikoku aredömo |
I do speak these words, though They may profane what’s holy; I speak them Filled with awe: At Asuka, On the field of Makami, Our eternal, Divine Emperor, Awesome, Decided, As would a god, To rest within stone halls. All knowing and all powerful, Our Emperor Ruled The northern provinces. Wooded Fuwa mountain crossing, To Koryo-bladed, Wazami field, To a new palace He came down from heaven; The state, He governed; The land, he ruled. That was his decision. From the cock-crowing Eastern provinces, His warriors He called. “The rough Folk, pacify; and The unruly Lands, control,” said he to His son, my prince, And fitting to that state. To your mighty body, You strapped your sword; In your hand, You held your bow; Your warriors, You summoned: The call to arms Drums’ roar The thunder Spoke; The sounding of The battle horns were as At the foe A tiger roaring. Many folk Were thus struck with fear. High flying Banners snapping? Buried in winter, With the spring The fields Are set ablaze; Fire with the wind Blows back and forth? Held, The snap of bowstrings: As a snow-covered Winter woodland Rent by a whirlwind, Twisting round and over, It sounded, Terrifying: Loosing, shooting A multitude of arrows, A blizzard, Confused and falling; The unruly Foe stood fast As dew and frost, “If we die then so be it!” Like flocking birds. Then amidst the battle, From Watarai, From the holy shrine, The gods’ own wind Blew down confusion, Heaven’s clouds, Hid the sunlight; Utter darkness Covered all, And overwhelmed them. In this Land of Bounteous Grain My prince was a god, Ruling Every corner; My great prince The state, Commanded; For a myriad reigns It would be so, we thought; But when bright as mulberry-cloth flowers He flourished, My dear prince, His palace, As a god’s shrine, Was garlanded and He was laid within; The prince’s servants White hempen Mourning dress put on; At Haniyasu, On the field before the palace, Glowing madder red The sunlight; Like beasts, They trailed in and laid them down; With lily seed Dusk’s arrival, On the great hall They fixed their gaze; As peeping quail, Crawled they on their bellies. They served you but, Now there is no point: As birds of spring, They moaned; Our grieving too Is not yet done; Our sorrow too Is not exhausted; Mangled words From the field of Kudara In a god’s funeral We interred you. As goodly flax, Your shrine at Kinoe: An eternal palace, Built high for you. As a god Are you enshrined. Though that be so, My great prince, Would live a myriad years, I thought. You had built A palace at Mt Kagu. For a myriad years There you would endure, I thought. As does the sky, It fills my gaze, A jeweled sash Holding my thoughts Full of awe. |