2. The Taketori Monogatari, Story of the Old Wicker-worker. The text used is that of Tanaka Daishiu, published about 1838. 3. The Preface of Ki no Tsurayuki to his famous Anthology--the second of the old anthologies--known as Kokinwakashiu--Anthology of Japanese Verse Old and New--written about 922 A.D. The text is that of Kaneko Genshin in his edition of 1903. 4. The _utahi_ of Takasago, perhaps the earliest of the medieval miracle-plays (Nô), composed in the fifteenth century. The text used is that of the Yôkyoku Tsûge, edited by Ohowada Kenjiu, and published by the Hakubunkwan in 22 Meiji (1889). Appended to 1. are some _tanka_ from the Kokinshiu and the Hyakunin Isshiu (1214 A.D.), and in the volume of translations examples of _hokku_ or the half-stanza, the so-called Japanese epigram, are given with their translations. A careful perusal, twice or thrice repeated, of the short grammar and the following section on the Language of the Manyôshiu comprised in the Introduction, with the aid of the List of Makura Kotoba, the Glossary, and the companion volume of translations, will meet nearly all the difficulties of the _romanized_ texts, and enable the reader to appreciate sufficiently the charm of these ancient lays, of which the more unique elements escape translation. TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE PREFACE v EMENDATIONS viii INTRODUCTION (Short Grammar, Language, Script) ix SPECIMEN OF SCRIPT xxxv MAP OF THE WORLD, AS KNOWN TO THE JAPANESE OF THE MYTHICAL ERA xxxvi (By kind permission of Professor Chamberlain, from his translation of the Kozhiki, being the Supplement to vol. x of the Transactions of the Asiatic Society of Japan.) MOTTO OF THE AUTHOR OF THE KOGI PREFIXED TO THAT WORK _to face page_ 1 MANYÔSHIU 1 KOZHIKI UTA 194 NIHONGI UTA 194 KOKINSHIU UTA 195 HIYAKUNIN UTA 196 INTRODUCTION TO TAKETORI 198 TAKETORI 200 KOKINSHIU ZHIYO 240 TAKASAGO 246 MAKURA KOTOBA 257 GLOSSARY 279 APPENDIX I. 333