(i.e. previous to the end of the 4th century after Christ. CHINA was heard of towards the end of the mythical era under the name of GO.)] [Illustration: kikedo akanu shizen onkyô VOX VERA NATURAE] MANYÔSHIU TEXT TRANSLITERATED MAKI I KAMI Kusagusa no uta. Hatsuse no Asakura no miya ni amenoshita shiroshimeshishi Sumeramikoto no mi-yo. 1 Ko mo yo 1 mi ko mochi fukushi mo yo fukushi mochi kono woka ni 5 na tsumasu ko ihe norase na norasane soramitsu Yamato no kuni ha 10 oshinabete are koso wore shikinabete are koso mase a wo koso 15 se to ha norame ihe wo mo na wo mo! 1 _mo yo_, interjectional phrase of mingled admiration and entreaty. 6 _na_, herbs. _ko_, girl, _ko_ in 1, 2 = basket or satchel. 7 _norase_, honour-causative imperative. 8 _norasane_, hortative form of honour-causative with particle _ne_; it implies some degree of respect. 9 A _makura kotoba_ (m. k.) applied to _yama_ (Yamato). 12 _are_ = _ware_; _koso wore_, emphatic declarative of _woru_, be, be in, at, &c. 13 Almost equivalent to 11 _oshinabete_ = _oshi nabikasete_, causing all to acknowledge my power and protection. 16 _se_ = brother, husband, lover. 17 _na_ here and in 8 = name. vv. 1-6 lead up to _ko_ the first climax; 7-14 to the second climax; 15-17 to the final climax. 1-6 furnish a good instance of the reversed order of words in the Japanese sentence. For _soramitsu_ see List m. k. Takechi no Woka no miya ni amenoshita shiroshimeshishi Sumera mikoto no mi yo. 2 Sumera mikoto no Kagu yama ni noborimashite kunimi shitamaheru toki mi yomimaseru ohomi uta. Yamato ni ha 1 mura yama aredo tori-yorofu Ame-no-kagu-yama nobori-tachi 5 kuni-mi wo sureba kuni hara ha keburi tachi-tatsu unabara ha kamome tachi-tatsu 10 umashi kuni so Akitsushima Yamato no kuni ha! 6 The logical subject is, I the Mikado. 11 _so_ is, perhaps, oftener written _zo_. For _Akitsushima_ see List m. k. 3 Sumeramikoto no Uchi no nu mi kari shitamaheru toki Nakachi Himemiko no Hashihito no Muraji Oyu wo shite tatematsurase tamafu uta. Yasumishishi 1 waga ohokimi no ashita ni ha tori-nade-tamahi yufube ni ha 5 i-yori-tatashishi mi torashi no adzusa no yumi no nari hazu no oto su nari 10 asa-kari ni ima tatasurashi yufu-kari ni ima tatasurashi mi torashi no 15 adzusa no yumi no nari hazu no oto su nari! Tamakiharu 1 Uchi no ohonu ni uma namete asa fumasuramu sono fukakusa nu. 5 6 _i_, a prefix of which the value is lost. 9 _nari_ here means sound, twang. 12 _tatasurashi_ = _tatsuramu_. 2 _Uchi_ may = _utsutsu_, or possibly _ude_, arm.