Page:The Spirit of Japanese Poetry (Noguchi).djvu/90

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Thine arms white as rope of paper-mulberry bark, Shall softly pat my breast soft as melting snow; Patting each other interlaced, Stretching out, pillowing us on each other’s arms, on true jewel-arms, With outstretched legs, oh, will we sleep. So speak not too lovingly, Thine Augustness the Deity-of-Eight-Thousand-Spears!”

The Chief Empress, Her Augustness the Forward-Princess, got very jealous; His Augustness the Deity-of-Eight-Thousand Spears was greatly distressed when he was about to go from Izumo to the Land of Yamato; as he stood attired, with one hand on the saddle of his horse and one foot in his stirrup, he sang, saying: I take and carefully attire myself In my garments black as the jewels of the moor; Like the birds of the offing I look at my breast, I find these are not good, And cast them off on the waves of the beach. I take and carefully attire myself In my garments green as a kingfisher; Like the birds of the offing, I look at my breast, I find these too are not good, And cast them off on the waves of the beach. I take and carefully attire myself In my raiment dyed in the sap of the dye-tree, The pounded madder sought in the mountain fields; Like the birds of the offing, I look at my breast, I find they are good. My dear Younger sister, Thine Augustness! Though thou say thou wilt not weep, If, like the flocking birds, I flock and depart, If, like the led birds, I am led away and depart, Thou wilt hang down thy head