Appendix 2:

Excerpt from Donald L. Philippi’s

Norito: A New Translation of the Ancient Japanese Ritual Prayers

XXVIII. Congratulatory Words of the Nakatomi

(Nakatomi no Yogoto)

Before the Emperor Oho-yamato-neko,

Who rules the Great Eight-Island Land as an incarnate deity,
I [speak] the congratulatory words of the heavenly deities
An fulfill his praises. Thus I humbly speak.


By the command of the Sovereign Ancestral Gods and Goddesses,

Who divinely remain in the High Heavenly Plain,
The eight myriad deities were convoked, [and the command given]:
‘From the beginning in the High Heavenly Plain,

‘The Sovereign Grandchild is commanded to rule

‘The Land of the Plentiful Reed Plains and of the Fresh Ears of Grain

‘Tranquility as a peaceful land.

‘Abiding upon the heavenly high seat of the heavenly sun-lineage,

‘He is to partake tranquilly and peacefully in the sacred ceremonial place

‘Of the fresh ears of grain for a thousand autumns, for five hundred autumns

‘As his heavenly food, his eternal food, his everlasting food.’

Receiving this trust,
He descended from the heaven.
After this, Ame-no-ko-yane-no-mikoto,
 
The distant ancestor of the Nakatomi,
Served before the Sovereign Grandchild
And sent [his son] Ame-no-osi-kumo-ne-no-kami up to the heavenly double-peaked

[mountain]

And had him speak humbly before the Ancestral Gods and
Goddesses in order to receive [their words].
He instructed him to speak humbly:
‘We wish to present to the Sovereign Grandchild at his meals

‘Water of the visible lands, to which heavenly water has been added.’

In accordance with this, Ame-no-osi-kumo-ne-no-kami, riding on a heavenly floating cloud,
Went up to the heavenly double-peaked [mountain]

And spoke humbly before the Ancestral Gods and Goddesses.

Then they entrusted him with a heavenly jeweled comb [and commanded]:
‘Stand this jeweled comb up,

‘And from the time that the waning sun goes down until the morning sun shines

‘Recite the heavenly ritual, the solemn ritual words.

‘If you thus recite,

‘As a sign, sacred manifold bamboo shoots will sprout forth like young water plants,
‘And from underneath many heavenly springs will gush forth.

‘Take this water and have him partake of it as heavenly water.’

Thus it was entrusted.


In accordance with this trust, he partakes of the fresh ears of grain in the sacred ceremonial place:

The diviners of the four lands have divined by means of the grand divination

And have ceremonially determined as the Yuki [the county of]
Yasu in the land of Afumi
And as the Suki [the county of] Higami in the land of Tanhiha.
Those in charge of the ceremonial paddy:
The saka-tu-ko,

The saka-nami,

The ko-basiri,

The hahi-yaki,

The kamagi-kori,

The ahi-dukuri,

And the ina-no-mi-no-kimi

Have all [performed their duties] and brought [the rice] to the sacred ceremonial place of the banquet of the first fruits.

Thus, on the second day of the Hare of the eleventh month of this year,
[The rice] has been solemnly and strictly,

Fearfully and reverently purified and presented,

And a day in the month chosen and de termined
For the great wine, the black wine and the white wine of the Yuki and the Suki,

To be consumed by the Emperor Yamato-neko

With a ruddy countenance As his heavenly food, his eternal food, his everlasting food,
                                                    In liquor and in fruit,

                            And for him to feast with ruddy countenance at the abundant banquet.
 

May the Sovereign Deities also,

Whose praises are fulfilled with these congratulatory words of the Heavenly Deities,

Concur together in this common first-fruit banquet of a thousand autumns and five hundred autumns,

Bless him as unmoving and eternal,

And cause [his reign] to flourish as an abundant reign;

 And from this first year of Kôdi [1142]
May he, together with heaven and earth, with the sun and the moon,

Continue to give out light and radiance.

[With this prayer] as an intermediary,
As if grasping­not the top or bottom­
But the middle of an awesome spear,
I, the Nakatomi head-priest, Nakatomi no asomi Kiyotika, greater fourth court rank, higher official rank, assistant minister of the Office of Rites,

Fulfill your praises with congratulatory word.

Thus I humbly speak.
 

 Again I humbly speak:
You princes of the blood, princes, court nobles, many officials,
Who serve at the Emperor’s court,
As well as the common people of the lands of the four quarters of the kingdom,
Assemble all together and see,

Feel reverence,

Rejoice,

And hear.

May these words, Praying that the Emperor’s court will flourish as an abundant reign, like luxuriant trees,                             Be heard. Thus do I fearfully and reverently pray.

                                            Thus I humbly speak.