Empress Suiko推古天皇

Empress Toyomikekashikiyahime (豊御食炊屋姫天皇) was the middle daughter of Emperor Amekuni Oshiharaki Hironiwa, and the younger sister by the same mother of Emperor Tachibana no Toyohi. In her childhood she was called Princess Nukatabe. Her form and color were upright and beautiful, and her going and staying kept to rule.

At the age of eighteen she was set up as the empress of Emperor Nunakura no Futotamashiki. At thirty-four Emperor Nunakura no Futotamashiki died.

At thirty-nine, in the eleventh month of the fifth year of Emperor Hatsusebe, the emperor was killed by the great minister Umako no Sukune, and the succession was already empty. The many ministers asked Princess Nukatabe, the empress of Emperor Nunakura no Futotamashiki, and would have her ascend the throne. The empress declined. When all the officers sent up a memorial urging her to come forward, and did so three times, she followed it. Thereupon she received the seal of the emperor.

In winter, the twelfth month, the first day being an imsin day, on the gimyo day, the empress ascended the throne of emperor at the palace of Toyura.

In spring, the first month, the first day being an imin day, on the byeongjin day, relics of the Buddha were placed within the foundation stone of the central pillar of Hōkōji. On the jeongsa day the central pillar was raised.

In summer, the fourth month, the first day being a gyeongo day, on the gimyo day, Prince Umayado no Toyotomimi was set up as crown prince, and his regency was entered in the record, and all the affairs of government were committed to him.

He was the second son of Emperor Tachibana no Toyohi, and his mother the empress was called Princess Anahobe no Hashihito. On the day the empress was with child and her time came, she went about within the palace and looked into the various offices. When she came to the office of horses, she reached the door of the stable, and without labor she bore him of a sudden.

From his birth he could speak, and he had holy wisdom. When he was grown he heard the pleas of ten men at once, and he could tell them apart and lose nothing, and he knew besides what had not yet come to pass.

He learned the inner teaching from the Goryeo monk Hyeja (慧慈) and studied the outer writings under the scholar Gakga (覺哿), and he mastered them both.

His father the emperor loved him and had him live in the upper hall south of the palace. Therefore his name is called Prince Kamitsumiya no Umayado no Toyotomimi.

In autumn, the ninth month, Emperor Tachibana no Toyohi was moved and buried in the tomb of Shinaga in Kawachi.

In this year Shitennōji was first built at Arahaka in Naniwa. In this year the year sign was gyechuk.

In spring, the second month, the first day being a byeongin day, a decree was given to the crown prince and the great minister to raise up the three treasures and make them flourish. At this time the various Omi and Muraji, each for the sake of the favor of lord and parent, vied with one another in building halls of the Buddha, and these are what are called temples.

In summer, the fourth month, a piece of aloeswood drifted ashore on the island of Awaji. It was one armspan around. The people of the island did not know it was aloeswood, and they mixed it with firewood and burned it in the hearth. Its smoke was fragrant far off, and they thought it strange and presented it.

In the fifth month, the first day being a muo day, on the jeongmyo day, the Goryeo monk Hyeja came over and submitted, and the crown prince made him his teacher.

In this year the Baekje monk Hyechong (慧聰) came. These two monks spread abroad the teaching of the Buddha, and together they became the ridgepole and the beam of the three treasures.

In autumn, the seventh month, the generals arrived from Tsukushi.

In winter, the eleventh month, the building of Hōkōji was ended, and Zentoku no Omi, the son of the great minister, was made the officer of the temple. On this day the two monks Hyeja and Hyechong first dwelt in Hōkōji.

In summer, the fourth month, the first day being a jeongchuk day, the king of Baekje sent Prince Ajwa (阿佐) to bring tribute.

In winter, the eleventh month, the first day being a gyeyu day, on the gapja day, Kishi no Iwakane was sent to Silla.

In summer, the fourth month, Naniwa no Kishi Iwakane arrived from Silla and presented two magpies. They were given to be reared at the shrine of Naniwa, and there they made a nest in a branch and bred.

In autumn, the eighth month, the first day being a gihae day, Silla presented one peacock.

In winter, the tenth month, the first day being a musul day, on the jeongmi day, the land of Koshi presented one white deer.

In summer, the fourth month, the first day being an eulmi day, on the sinyu day, the earth shook and the houses were all broken. A command was then given to the four quarters to sacrifice to the god of earthquakes.

In autumn, the ninth month, the first day being a gyehae day, Baekje presented one camel, one donkey, two sheep and one white pheasant.

In spring, the second month, Silla and Imna attacked each other. The empress wished to save Imna.

In this year Sakaibe no Omi was commanded and made great general, and Hozumi no Omi was made second general, and they led a host of more than ten thousand to attack Silla for the sake of Imna.

They went straight toward Silla and set sail upon the sea. They came to Silla and attacked five castles and took them.

At this the king of Silla was afraid. He raised a white flag and came before the standard of the general, and he gave up six castles, Dadara (多多羅), Sonara (素奈羅), Buljigwi (弗知鬼), Wita (委陀), Namgara (南加羅) and Arara (阿羅々), and asked to submit.

Then the generals took counsel together. "Silla knows its guilt and submits. It would not be right to press the attack." They reported it to the throne.

Thereupon the empress sent Naniwa no Kishi Kami to Silla again, and sent Naniwa no Kishi Itabi again to Imna, to look into the state of things in both.

Then the two lands, Silla and Imna, sent envoys to offer tribute, and they sent up a memorial. "Above in heaven there is a god, and on earth there is the emperor. Apart from these two gods, what else is there to fear? From this time on we shall not attack each other, and we shall not let the rudders of our ships grow dry, but every year we shall come to court without fail."

Messengers were then sent to call the generals back. When the generals arrived from Silla, Silla at once fell upon Imna again.

In spring, the second month, the crown prince first raised a palace at Ikaruga.

In the third month, the first day being a gapsin day, on the muja day, Ōtomo no Muraji Kui was sent to Goryeo and Sakamoto no Omi Nukate to Baekje, and a decree was given. "Save Imna quickly."

In summer, the fifth month, the empress stayed at the temporary palace of Miminashi. At this time a great rain fell, and the streams overflowed and filled the courtyard of the palace.

In autumn, the ninth month, the first day being a sinsa day, on the muja day, a spy of Silla named Kamata came to Tsushima. He was seized and presented, and he was banished to Kōzuke.

In winter, the eleventh month, the first day being a gyeongjin day, on the gapsin day, they took counsel on the matter of attacking Silla.

In spring, the second month, the first day being a giyu day, Prince Kume was made general for the attack on Silla, and there were given to him the various Kanbe and the Kuni no Miyatsuko and the Tomo no Miyatsuko, with an army of twenty-five thousand men.

In summer, the fourth month, the first day being a musin day, the general Prince Kume reached Tsukushi. He went forward and camped in the district of Shima, and he gathered ships and carried the grain of the army.

In the sixth month, the first day being a jeongmi day, on the giyu day, Ōtomo no Muraji Kui and Sakamoto no Omi Nukate arrived together from Baekje. At this time Prince Kume fell ill and lay down, and the attack was not carried through.

In winter, the tenth month, the Baekje monk Gwalleuk (觀勒) came. He presented books of the calendar and books of the stars and of the earth, and books of the hidden arts as well.

At this time three or four men who would learn letters were chosen and set to study under Gwalleuk. Tamafuru, the ancestor of the Yako no Fubito, learned the method of the calendar; Ōtomo no Suguri Takasato learned the stars and the hidden arts; and Yamashiro no Omi Hitate learned the arts of the magician. They all learned and finished their study.

In the intercalary tenth month, the first day being an eulhae day, on the gichuk day, the Goryeo monks Seungnyung (僧隆) and Unchong (雲聰) came together.

In spring, the second month, the first day being a gyeyu day, on the byeongja day, Prince Kume died in Tsukushi. It was reported by a post messenger.

When the empress heard it she was greatly startled, and she called the crown prince and Soga no Ōomi and said, "Prince Kume, the great general for the attack on Silla, has died. He has not carried through the great work laid upon him. This is a bitter grief."

The body was laid in a temporary house at Saba in Suō, and Haji no Muraji Inote was sent to have charge of the mourning. It is for this reason that the grandsons of Inote no Muraji are called Saba no Muraji. Afterward he was buried on the hill of Haniu in Kawachi.

In summer, the fourth month, the first day being an imsin day, Prince Tagima, the elder brother of Prince Kume, was made general in his stead for the attack on Silla.

In autumn, the seventh month, the first day being a sinchuk day, on the gyemyo day, Prince Tagima set sail from Naniwa. On the byeongo day Prince Tagima reached Harima. At that time his wife Princess Toneri, who had gone with him, died at Akashi. She was buried on the hill of Hikasa at Akashi. Then Prince Tagima turned back, and in the end there was no attack.

In winter, the tenth month, the first day being a gisa day, on the imsin day, the court was moved to Oharida no Miya.

In the eleventh month, the first day being a gihae day, the crown prince said to the great officers, "I have an honored image of the Buddha. Who will take this image and worship it with reverence?"

Then Hata no Miyatsuko Kawakatsu came forward and said, "Your servant will worship it." He received the image, and for its sake he built Hachiokadera.

In this month the crown prince asked the empress, and great shields and yuki were made, and pictures were painted on the banners as well.

In the twelfth month, the first day being a mujin day, on the imsin day, cap ranks were put into use for the first time. They were daitoku (大德), shōtoku, daijin (大仁), shōjin, dairei (大禮), shōrei, daishin (大信), shōshin, daigi (大義), shōgi, daichi (大智) and shōchi, twelve grades in all.

Each was made of silk of its own color, gathered at the crown like a bag, with a border sewn on. Only on the first day of the year was the uzu worn.

In spring, the first month, the first day being a musul day, cap ranks were granted for the first time to the various ministers, to each according to his degree.

In summer, the fourth month, the first day being a byeongin day, on the mujin day, the crown prince himself made the constitution in seventeen articles for the first time.

First, hold harmony dear, and make it the chief thing that there be no opposing.

All men have their partisans, and few of them are men of understanding. For this reason some do not follow lord and father, and they fall out with the neighboring villages. But when those above are in harmony and those below are friendly, and there is accord in the weighing of affairs, then the reason of things goes through of itself, and what is there that cannot be done?

Second, revere the three treasures with your whole heart.

The three treasures are the Buddha, the law and the monks. They are the last refuge of the four kinds of birth, and the highest ridgepole of all lands. What age, what man, would not hold this law dear?

Men who are utterly evil are few, and if they are well taught they follow. If they do not turn to the three treasures, with what will the crooked be made straight?

Third, when you receive a decree, be careful without fail.

The lord is heaven and the subject is earth. Heaven covers and earth bears, and the four seasons go in their order and the breath of all things passes through. When earth would cover heaven, it comes only to ruin.

For this reason, when the lord speaks the subject receives it, and when those above act those below bend toward them. Therefore, when you receive a decree, be careful without fail. If you are not careful, ruin comes of itself.

Fourth, let the many ministers and all the officials make ritual the root.

The root of governing the people lies, in sum, in ritual. If those above have no ritual, those below are not in order. If those below have no ritual, there is guilt without fail.

For this reason, when the ministers have ritual, the order of ranks is not confused, and when the people have ritual, the land is governed of itself.

Fifth, cut off gluttony and cast away greed, and judge suits clearly.

The suits of the people are a thousand in one day. If one day is already so, how much more the years that follow?

Those who deal with suits commonly make their own gain their business, and they hear the plea after they have seen the bribe. Then the suit of a man of wealth is like throwing a stone into water, and the plea of a poor man is like throwing water at a stone.

For this reason the poor people do not know what to follow, and the way of the subject is wanting here too.

Sixth, to chastise evil and urge good is the good rule of old.

For this reason do not hide the goodness of others, and when you see evil, set it right without fail.

Those who flatter and deceive are a weapon that overturns the good of the land, and a blade that cuts off men and people.

Those who fawn, again, are glad when they meet those above to speak of the faults of those below, and when they meet those below to slander the errors of those above. Men such as these have no loyalty to their lord and no kindness toward the people. This is the root of great disorder.

Seventh, every man has his charge; let the ordering of it not overflow.

When the wise and the clear-sighted hold office, the sound of praise arises. When the crafty hold office, calamity and disorder are many.

In this world those who know from birth are few; it is by being able to think that a man becomes a sage. In affairs there is no great or small, and if the right man is found they are governed without fail. In times there is no urgent or slow, and if a worthy man is met they become easy of themselves. By this the land endures long, and the altars of the land are not in danger.

Therefore the holy kings of old sought men for office, and did not seek office for men.

Eighth, let the many ministers and all the officials come early in the morning and withdraw late.

The business of the land leaves no leisure for looking to it, and a whole day is hardly enough to finish it. For this reason, if you come late you do not reach the urgent matter, and if you withdraw early the work is not finished.

Ninth, good faith is the root of right; let there be good faith in every matter.

Good and evil, success and failure, lie in sum in good faith. If the ministers keep faith together, what is there that cannot be done? If the ministers have no faith, all things fail.

Tenth, cut off wrath and cast away anger, and do not be angry when another differs from you.

All men have hearts, and every heart holds to something. What he holds right, I hold wrong. What I hold right, he holds wrong. I am not surely a sage, nor is he surely a fool. We are both of us only common men.

Who can settle the reason of right and wrong? We are wise and foolish by turns, like a ring that has no end.

For this reason, though that man be angry, rather fear your own fault, and though you alone have found the way, follow the many and act together with them.

Eleventh, look clearly at merit and fault, and let reward and punishment be fitting without fail.

In these days reward does not fall upon merit, and punishment does not fall upon guilt. Let the many ministers who hold affairs make reward and punishment clear.

Twelfth, let the Kuni no Tsukasa and the Kuni no Miyatsuko not levy upon the people.

A land has not two lords, and the people have not two masters. The people of all the land, in their myriads, have the king for master. The officials in charge are all the king's subjects. How should they dare to levy upon the people along with the land?

Thirteenth, let those who hold office know together what is in their charge.

Some fall ill and some go as envoys, and there are gaps in the work. But on the day you come to know of it, be in accord as if you had known it long before. Do not block the affairs of the land on the ground that you did not know.

Fourteenth, let the ministers and all the officials be without envy.

If I envy another, then another envies me also. The trouble that comes of envy has no end that can be known.

So when another is greater in wisdom we are not glad, and when another is beyond us in talent we envy him. For this reason it is only after five hundred years that we meet a wise man, and in a thousand years it is hard to wait for one sage. If the wise and the holy are not found, with what will the land be governed?

Fifteenth, to turn your back on what is private and face what is public is the way of the subject.

When a man has private ends there is resentment without fail, and when there is resentment there is no working together. When there is no working together, the private blocks the public, and when resentment rises it breaks the rule and harms the law.

Therefore the first article said, "Let those above and those below be in harmony and accord." Is this not the same meaning?

Sixteenth, to employ the people in season is the good rule of old.

Therefore in the months of winter there is leisure, and the people may be employed. From spring to autumn is the season of farming and of silkworms, and the people cannot be employed. If they do not farm, what will they eat? If they do not tend silkworms, what will they wear?

Seventeenth, matters cannot be decided alone; they must be weighed together with many.

Small matters are light, and there is no need that many be there. But when great matters are weighed, if there is doubt that there may be error, then judge them together with many. Then the words come to reason.

In autumn, the ninth month, the ceremony of the court was changed. Thereupon a decree was given. "Whenever you go in and out of the palace gate, put both hands to the ground and kneel on both knees. When you have passed the threshold, rise and walk."

In this month the Kibumi no Eshi and the Yamashiro no Eshi were appointed for the first time.

In summer, the fourth month, the first day being a sinyu day, the empress gave a decree to the crown prince and the great minister and the various princes and ministers to make a vow together, and the making was begun of two sixteen-foot images of the Buddha, one of copper and one of embroidery. Kuratsukuri no Tori was then commanded and made the master of the images.

At this time King Daeheung (大興王) of the land of Goryeo heard that the emperor of the land of Japan was making images of the Buddha, and he presented three hundred taels of gold.

In the intercalary seventh month, the first day being a gimi day, the crown prince commanded the various princes and ministers to wear pleated garments.

In winter, the tenth month, the crown prince dwelt in Ikaruga no Miya.

In summer, the fourth month, the first day being an eulyu day, on the imjin day, the sixteen-foot images of copper and of embroidery were both finished. On this day the sixteen-foot copper image was seated in the golden hall of Gangōji (元興寺).

At that time the image was higher than the door of the golden hall, and it could not be brought into the hall. Then the workmen took counsel. "Let us break down the door of the hall and bring it in."

But by the rare skill of Kuratsukuri no Tori it could be brought into the hall without breaking down the door.

On that very day a fast was held. Those who gathered for it could not be counted. From this year on, a fast was held at every temple on the eighth day of the fourth month and the fifteenth day of the seventh month.

In the fifth month, the first day being a gabin day, on the muo day, a command was given to Kuratsukuri no Tori.

"I wished to raise up the inner teaching and make it flourish, and I was about to set up a temple, and I first sought relics. At that time your grandfather Shiba Datto presented relics.

There were no monks and nuns in the land, and then your father Tasuna took orders for the sake of Emperor Tachibana no Toyohi and revered the law of the Buddha. Your aunt Shimame also took orders first of all, and she became the leader of the nuns and practiced the teaching of the Buddha.

Now I would make a sixteen-foot image, and I sought a good image, and the model of the image you presented was just what was in my heart. When the image was finished, moreover, it could not be brought into the hall, and the workmen were at a loss and would have broken down the door of the hall, and you were able to bring it in without breaking the door. All this is your merit."

The rank of daijin (大仁) was then given to him, and with it twenty chō of rice land in the district of Sakata in the land of Ōmi. With this land Tori built Kongōji (金剛寺) for the empress, and this is what is now called the Sakatanidera of Minabuchi.

In autumn, the seventh month, the empress asked the crown prince to expound the Shōman sutra (勝鬘經), and he finished the exposition in three days.

In this year the crown prince expounded the Lotus sutra at Okamoto no Miya as well. The empress was greatly pleased and bestowed on the crown prince a hundred chō of rice land in the land of Harima. This was given to Ikarugadera.

In spring, the second month, the first day being a gyeongjin day, the Mibube were appointed.

On the muja day a decree was given. "I have heard that in days gone by, when the emperors our ancestors ruled the world, they bowed their bodies to heaven and walked on tiptoe upon the earth, and they were full in their reverence toward the gods and sacrificed everywhere on mountain and stream, and so they reached through in secret to heaven and earth. For this reason the light and the dark opened and were in accord, and the work of creation was evenly balanced. Now in my own day, how should there be sloth in sacrificing to the gods? Therefore let the ministers with one mind bow down to the gods, as is fitting."

On the gabo day the crown prince and the great minister led all the officials and sacrificed to the gods and bowed down to them.

In autumn, the seventh month, the first day being a musin day, on the gyeongsul day, Ono no Omi Imoko of the rank dairei was sent to the great Tang (大唐), and Kuratsukuri no Fukuri was made interpreter.

In the winter of this year the ponds of Takechi and Fujiwara and Kataoka and Sugawara were made in the land of Yamato. In the land of Yamashiro a great ditch was dug at Kurikuma. In the land of Kawachi the ponds of Hekari and Yosami were made. Granaries were also set up in every land.

In summer, the fourth month, Ono no Omi Imoko arrived from the great Tang. The men of Tang called Imoko no Omi Su Yingao (蘇因高).

Then the envoy of the great Tang, Pei Shiqing (裴世清), and twelve men of his following came with Imoko no Omi to Tsukushi. Naniwa no Kishi Onari was sent to call the guests of Tang, Pei Shiqing and the rest. For the guests of Tang a new guest house was built above the guest house of Goryeo at Naniwa.

In the sixth month, the first day being an imin day, on the byeongjin day, the guests reached the harbor of Naniwa. On this day thirty decked ships met the guests at the mouth of the river, and they were lodged in the new guest house. Nakatomi no Miyadokoro no Muraji Maro and Oshikōchi no Atai Nukate and Fune no Fubito Ōhira were made the officers in charge of the guests.

Then Imoko no Omi reported. "When your servant came back, the ruler of Tang gave a letter to your servant. But on the day I passed through the land of Baekje, the men of Baekje searched me and took it away. For this reason I cannot present it."

Then the ministers took counsel. "An envoy is one who, though he die, does not lose his charge. How came he to be so slack as to lose the letter of a great land?" He was set down for the punishment of banishment.

Then the empress gave a command. "Though Imoko has the guilt of losing the letter, he cannot be punished out of hand. If the guests of that great land hear of it, that too would not be well." So he was let go and not set down for punishment.

In autumn, the eighth month, the first day being a sinchuk day, on the gyemyo day, the guests of Tang entered the capital. On this day seventy-five decked horses were sent to meet the guests of Tang in the street of Tsubakichi. Nukatabe no Muraji Hirabu gave them the words of greeting.

On the imja day the guests of Tang were called to the court to report the errand of their envoy. At that time two men, Abe no Tori no Omi and Mononobe no Yosami no Muraji Aku, were the leaders of the guests.

The gifts of the land of the great Tang were set out in the middle of the courtyard. Then the chief envoy Pei Shiqing himself took up the letter, bowed twice and twice again, spoke the errand of the envoy and presented it, and stood. The letter said.

"The emperor asks after the sovereign of Wa (倭皇). The envoy, the chief officer (長吏) Su Yingao of the rank dairei, and his company have come and told your mind in full. I have reverently received the precious command and look out over all within the seas, and it is my thought to spread virtue and teaching so that it may reach to all that have breath. In my heart of love and nurture there is no barrier of far or near.

I know that the sovereign dwells apart beyond the sea, soothes and settles the people, that within the borders there is peace and gladness, and that the manners of the land are melted into harmony. With a deep spirit and the utmost sincerity you have come from afar and brought tribute, and I take pleasure in the beauty of your crimson faith.

It grows warm by degrees. Here things are as they always are. Therefore I send Pei Shiqing, the officer in charge of guests of the Honglu court, and his company, to set forth by degrees the thought that goes with them, and I send things as they are written down separately."

Then Abe no Omi came forward and took the letter and went on with it. Ōtomo no Kui no Muraji came out to meet him and took the letter and set it on a table before the great gate, and reported it. When the business was over they withdrew.

At this time the princes and the various princes and ministers all wore uzu of gold on their heads, and their garments were all of brocade and purple and embroidery and woven stuff and silk of five colors.

On the byeongjin day the guests of Tang and their company were entertained at the court.

In the ninth month, the first day being a sinmi day, on the eulhae day, the guests were entertained at Ōkori in Naniwa.

On the sinsa day the guest of Tang, Pei Shiqing, went home. Ono no Imoko no Omi was again made chief envoy and Kishi no Onari second envoy, and Fukuri was made interpreter, and they were sent with the guests of Tang.

The empress then sent greeting to the ruler of Tang, and the words said.

"The emperor of the East respectfully addresses the emperor of the West (東天皇敬白西皇帝). Pei Shiqing, the officer in charge of guests of the Honglu court, and his company have come as envoys, and a long longing has now been eased. It is late autumn and a little cool. How is your exalted person? I think you are clear and at ease. Here too things are as they always are. Now I send Su Yingao of the rank dairei and Onari of the rank dairei and their company. I address you with reverence, and do not say all."

The students sent to Tang at this time were Yamato no Aya no Atai Fukuin, Nara no Osa Emyō, Takamuko no Ayahito Genri and Imaki no Ayahito Ōkuni; and the student monks were Imaki no Ayahito Nichimon, Minabuchi no Ayahito Shōan, Shiga no Ayahito Eon and Imaki no Ayahito Kōsai, eight men in all.

In this year many men of Silla came over and submitted.

In summer, the fourth month, the first day being a jeongyu day, on the gyeongja day, the Mikotomochi of Tsukushi reported. "Ten men of Baekje headed by the monks Doheun (道欣) and Hyemi (惠彌), and seventy-five men not of religion, have come ashore at the port of Ashikita in the land of Higo."

Naniwa no Kishi Tokumaro and Fune no Fubito Tatsu were then sent to ask them. "How is it that you have come?"

They answered. "The king of Baekje commanded us and sent us to the land of Wu. There was disorder in that land and we could not enter it, and we turned back toward our own home. Of a sudden we met a fierce wind and drifted about in the midst of the sea. But by great good fortune we have come to the borders of a holy ruler, and we are glad."

In the fifth month, the first day being a jeongmyo day, on the imo day, Tokumaro and his company reported again. Tokumaro and Tatsu, the two of them, were then sent back to see the men of Baekje as far as their own land.

When they came to Tsushima, eleven of the men of religion all asked to stay. A memorial was sent up and they were allowed to stay, and they were given a dwelling at Gangōji.

In autumn, the ninth month, Ono no Omi Imoko and his company arrived from the great Tang. Only the interpreter Fukuri did not come.

In spring, the third month, the king of Goryeo presented the monks Damjing (曇徴) and Beopjeong (法定). Damjing knew the five classics, and he could make colors and paper and ink, and he made a millstone mill. Perhaps the making of such mills began at this time.

In autumn, the seventh month, the envoy of Silla, Juksesa (竹世士) of the rank namal of the Satak district, and the envoy of Imna, Sujimae (首智買) of the rank daesa of the Tak district, came to Tsukushi.

In the ninth month, messengers were sent to call up the envoys of Silla and Imna.

In winter, the tenth month, the first day being a gichuk day, on the byeongsin day, the envoys of Silla and Imna reached the capital. On this day Nukatabe no Muraji Hirabu was commanded to be master of the horse trappings for receiving the guests of Silla, and Kashiwade no Omi Otomo master of the horse trappings for receiving the guests of Imna. They were lodged in the guest house by the river of Ato.

On the jeongyu day the guests bowed at the court. Then Hata no Miyatsuko Kawakatsu and Haji no Muraji U were made the leaders of the men of Silla, and Hashihito no Muraji Shiobuta and Ahe no Omi Oko the leaders of the men of Imna. They led them in together through the south gate and set them in the middle of the courtyard.

Then Ōtomo no Kui no Muraji and Soga no Toyura no Emishi no Omi and Sakamoto no Nukate no Omi and Abe no Toriko no Omi rose together from their seats, went forward and knelt in the courtyard.

The guests of the two lands each bowed twice and reported the errand of their envoy. The four great officers then rose and went forward and reported it to the great minister. At that time the great minister rose from his seat, stood before the hall and heard it. Presently gifts were given to the guests, to each according to his degree.

On the eulsa day the envoys were entertained at the court. Kawachi no Aya no Atai Nie was made the one to eat with the men of Silla, and Nishigori no Obito Kuso the one to eat with the men of Imna.

On the sinhae day the guests finished the ceremony and went home.

In summer, the fifth month, on the fifth day, there was a medicine hunt on the moor of Uda. They gathered above the pond of Fujiwara at cockcrow, and went out when the day grew light.

Awata no Hosome no Omi was master of the leading company, and Nukatabe no Hirabu no Muraji master of the following company.

On this day the colors of the garments of the ministers were all made to follow the colors of their caps, and each wore an uzu. Those of daitoku and shōtoku used gold, those of daijin and shōjin used the tail of a leopard, and those below dairei used the tail of a bird.

In autumn, the eighth month, Silla sent Bukjilji (北叱智) of the rank namal of the Satak district, and Imna sent Chinjijuji (親智周智) of the rank daesa of the Seup district, and they brought tribute together.

In spring, the first month, the first day being a sinsa day, on the jeonghae day, a feast of wine was held and the many ministers were entertained. On this day the great minister offered a wish for long life.

He sang.

"Yasumishishi wagaohokimino kakurimasu amanoyasokage idetatasu misoraomireba yorozuyoni kakushimogamo chiyonimo kakushimogamo kashikomite tsukahematsuramu orogamite tsukahematsuramu utazukimatsuru (夜須瀰志斯。和餓於朋耆瀰能。訶勾理摩須。阿摩能椰蘇河礙。異泥多多須。彌蘇羅烏瀰禮麼。豫呂豆余珥。訶勾志茂餓茂。知余珥茂。訶勾志茂餓茂。訶之胡瀰弖。莬伽陪摩都羅武。烏呂餓瀰弖。莬伽倍摩都羅武。宇多豆紀麻都流)"

— This sets down sounds only, and is not turned into meaning.

The empress answered in song.

"Masogayo soganokorawa umanaraba himukanokoma tachinaraba kurenomasahi ubeshikamo soganokorao ohokimino tsukahasurashiki (摩蘇餓豫。蘇餓能古羅破。宇摩奈羅麼。譬武伽能古摩。多智奈羅麼。勾禮能摩差比。宇倍之訶茂。蘇餓能古羅烏。於朋枳瀰能。莬伽破須羅志枳)"

— This sets down sounds only, and is not turned into meaning.

In the second month, the first day being a sinhae day, on the gyeongo day, the imperial great lady Kitashihime was moved and buried in the Ōno tomb at Hinokuma.

On this day eulogies were read in the street of Karu. First Abe no Uchi no Omi Tori read a eulogy by command of the empress, and fifteen thousand kinds of sacred bright vessels and bright garments were offered. Second the various princes read eulogies, each in his turn. Third Nakatomi no Miyadokoro no Muraji Omaro read a eulogy in the words of the great minister. Fourth the great minister led the Omi of the eight clans, and had Sakaibe no Omi Marise read out as a eulogy the roots of the clan and the surname.

The men of that time said, "Marise and Omaro, the two of them, read the eulogies well. Only Tori no Omi could not read a eulogy."

In summer, the fifth month, on the fifth day, there was a medicine hunt. They gathered at Hata and went on to the court one after another. Their array was as at the hunt of Uda.

In this year there was one who came over and submitted from the land of Baekje. His face and his body were all blotched and white, as if he had the white leprosy. They hated him for being unlike other men and would have cast him away on an island in the sea.

But the man said. "If you hate your servant's blotched skin, then you must not rear cattle and horses with white blotches within the land either. Your servant has besides a small skill, and he can build the shapes of hills and mountains. If you keep your servant and use him, there will be profit to the land. Why cast him away for nothing on an island in the sea?"

Then they listened to his words and did not cast him away, and they had him build the shape of Mount Sumeru (須彌山) and a bridge of Wu in the south courtyard. The men of that time named him Nonoko no Takumi (路子工), and his other name was Shikimaro.

A man of Baekje, Mimaji (味摩之), also came over and submitted and said, "I learned in Wu and have the gigaku dance (伎樂儛)."

He was given a dwelling at Sakurai, and young men were gathered and set to learn the gigaku dance. Then two men, Mano no Obito Deshi and Imaki no Aya no Saimon, learned it and handed the dance down. These are the ancestors of the Ōichi no Obito and the Sakita no Obito of today.

In winter, the eleventh month, the ponds of Wakinokami and Unebi and Wani were made. A great road was also laid from Naniwa to the capital.

In the twelfth month, the first day being a gyeongo day, the crown prince went out to Kataoka. At that time a starving man lay by the roadside. He asked his surname and his name, but the man did not speak.

The crown prince saw him and gave him drink and food, and he took off his own garment and covered the starving man with it, and said, "Lie at ease." Then he sang.

"Shinateru kataokayamani ihiniete koyaseru sonotabito aware oyanashini narenarikemeya sasutakeno kimiwayanaki ihiniete koyaseru sonotabitoaware (斯那提流。箇多烏箇夜摩爾。伊比爾惠弖。許夜勢屡。諸能多比等。阿波禮。於夜那斯爾。那禮奈理鷄迷夜。佐須陀氣能。枳彌波夜那祗伊比爾惠弖。許夜勢留。諸能多比等阿波禮)"

— This sets down sounds only, and is not turned into meaning.

On the sinmi day the crown prince sent a messenger to look at the starving man. The messenger came back and said, "The starving man is already dead."

Then the crown prince grieved greatly, and the man was buried in that place and the tomb was firmly closed.

Some days later the crown prince called one who waited near him and said, "The starving man who lay by the road the other day was no common man. He was surely a true man." He sent a messenger to look.

The messenger came back and said, "I came to the tomb and looked, and what was closed and buried had not been moved. I opened it and looked, and the body and the bones were gone, and only the garment lay folded upon the coffin."

Then the crown prince sent the messenger back again to bring the garment, and he wore it again as he had been used to do. The men of that time marveled greatly and said, "It is true that a sage knows a sage." And they feared him the more.

In summer, the fifth month, on the fifth day, there was a medicine hunt.

In the sixth month, the first day being a jeongmyo day, on the gimyo day, Inukami no Kimi Mitasuki and Yatabe no Miyatsuko were sent to the great Tang.

In autumn, the eighth month, the great minister fell ill and lay down. For the sake of the great minister a thousand persons, men and women together, took orders.

In autumn, the ninth month, Inukami no Kimi Mitasuki and Yatabe no Miyatsuko arrived from the great Tang. An envoy of Baekje came with Inukami no Kimi and made his visit to the court.

In the eleventh month, the first day being a gichuk day, on the gyeongin day, the guests of Baekje were entertained. On the gyemyo day the Goryeo monk Hyeja returned to his own land.

In spring, the first month, the peach and the plum bore fruit.

In the third month three men of Yaku came over and submitted. In summer, the fifth month, seven men of Yaku came. In autumn, the seventh month, twenty more men of Yaku came. First and last they were thirty in all. They were all given a dwelling at Enoi, and they all died before they could go home.

In autumn, the seventh month, Silla sent Juksesa of the rank namal and presented an image of the Buddha.

In summer, the sixth month, the land of Izumo reported. "In the district of Kanbe there is a melon as large as a water bucket."

In this year the five grains ripened well.

In autumn, the eighth month, the first day being a gyeyu day, Goryeo sent an envoy and presented the produce of the land. Thereupon they said.

"Emperor Yang (煬帝) of Sui (隋) raised a host of three hundred thousand and attacked us, and he was turned back and broken by us. Therefore we present two prisoners we took, Jeonggong (貞公) and Botong (普通), and ten things such as drums and flutes and crossbows and engines for throwing stones, and with them one camel of the produce of our land."

In this year Kawabe no Omi was sent to the land of Aki to have a ship built. He came to the mountain and looked for timber for the ship, and he found good timber and was about to cut it.

Then a man said. "It is a tree of the thunder, and it cannot be cut."

Kawabe no Omi said, "Though it be the god of thunder, how should it go against the command of the ruler?"

He offered many gifts of cloth and sent the workmen to cut it. Then a great rain fell and thunder and lightning struck.

Then Kawabe no Omi laid his hand on his sword and said, "God of thunder, do not touch the workmen. Harm my own body, as is fitting." And he looked up and waited.

Though the lightning struck more than ten times, it could not touch Kawabe no Omi. Then it turned into a small fish and was caught in the branches of the tree. The fish was taken and burned, and the ship was built in the end.

In summer, the fourth month, the first day being a gihae day, on the imin day, the land of Ōmi reported. "In the river of Kamo there is a thing whose shape is like a man."

In autumn, the seventh month, there was a fisherman in the land of Settsu who let his net down in Horie, and a thing came into the net. Its shape was like a child. It was not a fish and it was not a man, and they did not know what to call it.

In autumn, the eighth month, two men of Yaku drifted ashore on the island of Izu.

In winter, the tenth month, the top of the tomb at Hinokuma was covered with gravel, and earth was piled outside the bounds to make a hill. Then each clan was set its measure and made to raise a great pillar upon the hill of earth.

At that time the pillar raised by Yamato no Aya no Sakanoue no Atai was far higher than the rest. Therefore the men of that time named him Ōhashira no Atai.

In the twelfth month, the first day being a gyeongin day, there was a red vapor in the sky, more than ten feet in length, and its shape was like the tail of a pheasant.

In this year the crown prince and Shima no Ōomi took counsel together, and they wrote the record of the emperors (天皇記) and the record of the land (國記), and the fundamental records (本記) of the Omi and the Muraji and the Tomo no Miyatsuko and the Kuni no Miyatsuko and the hundred and eighty be and the free people.

In spring, the second month, the first day being a gichuk day, on the gyesa day, in the middle of the night, Prince Umayado no Toyotomimi no Mikoto died in Ikaruga no Miya.

At this time the various princes and the ministers and the people of all the land, the old as though they had lost a beloved child, could not taste the taste of salt and vinegar in their mouths, and the young as though they had lost a loving parent filled the roads with the sound of their weeping and wailing.

The plowman stopped his plow and the woman pounding grain laid down her pestle, and they all said. "The sun and the moon have lost their light. Heaven and earth are already broken down. From now on, in whom shall we trust?"

In this month the crown prince Kamitsumiya was buried in the tomb of Shinaga.

At that time the Goryeo monk Hyeja heard that the crown prince Kamitsumiya had died, and he grieved greatly, and for the sake of the crown prince he called monks together and held a fast.

On the day he himself expounded the sutra, he made a vow.

"In the land of Japan there was a sage, and he was called Prince Kamitsumiya no Toyotomimi. Truly he was one whom heaven had sent forth, and with the secret virtue of a sage he was born in the land of Japan. He wrapped and threaded together the three lines of rule, he carried on the great designs of the sages before him, he revered the three treasures and he saved the people from their suffering. This was truly a great sage.

Now the prince has died. Though I am a man of another land, my heart was one with his, strong enough to cut through iron. What profit is there if I live on alone? On the fifth day of the second month of the coming year I shall surely die, and so I shall meet the crown prince Kamitsumiya in the pure land, and together we shall teach and convert living beings."

And Hyeja died on that very day.

For this reason the men of that time said with one voice, on this side and on that. "Not the crown prince Kamitsumiya alone was a sage. Hyeja also was a sage."

In this year Silla sent Imimae (伊彌買) of the rank namal to bring tribute, and he set down a memorial in writing and reported the errand of the envoy. Perhaps the sending up of memorials by Silla began at this time.

In autumn, the seventh month, Silla sent as chief envoy Jisei (智洗爾) of the rank namal, and Imna sent Namalji (奈末智) of the rank dalsol, and they came together to the court. They presented one image of the Buddha and a golden pagoda, and relics with them, and also one great kanjō banner (觀頂幡) and twelve small banners.

The image of the Buddha was placed in Hatadera at Kadono, and the rest, the relics and the golden pagoda and the kanjō banners, were all given to Shitennōji.

At this time the monks Hyeje (惠齊) and Hyegwang (惠光), who had been studying in the great Tang, and the physicians Hyeil (惠日) and Bogin (福因) and their company came with Jisei and the others.

Then Hyeil and his company reported together. "Those who stay in Tang to study have all learned and finished their study, and they should be called home. That land of the great Tang, moreover, is a land of rare worth, where rule and form are complete and settled, and there should be constant going and coming with it."

In this year Silla attacked Imna, and Imna submitted to Silla.

Then the empress would attack Silla, and she planned it with the great minister and asked the many ministers.

Tanaka no Omi answered. "There must be no hasty attack. It will not be too late to attack after we have first looked into the state of things and know how they have turned against us. I ask that messengers be sent for a trial, to see how matters stand."

Nakatomi no Muraji Kuni said. "Imna was from the first a land of our inner domain. Now the men of Silla have attacked it and taken it. I ask that the army be made ready to attack Silla, and that Imna be taken and given to Baekje. Would that not be better than leaving it to Silla?"

Tanaka no Omi said. "Not so. Baekje is a land given to turning about, and it deceives even in the space of a road. Whatever they ask for is false, and Imna cannot be given to Baekje."

So in the end there was no attack.

Then Kishi no Iwakane was sent to Silla and Kishi no Kurashita to Imna, to ask about the affairs of Imna.

At that time the ruler of Silla sent eight great officers to report the affairs of the land of Silla to Iwakane, and the affairs of the land of Imna to Kurashita. Thereupon they promised. "Imna is a small land and a land that belongs to the emperor. How should Silla take it out of hand? It shall be set down as an inner domain as before, and we ask that you be not troubled."

Then Jiseji (智洗遲) of the rank namal was sent with Kishi no Iwakane, and a man of Imna, Namalji of the rank dalsol, was sent again with Kishi no Kurashita, and they offered the tribute of the two lands.

But before Iwakane and his company had come back, in that same year Sakaibe no Omi Omaro of the rank daitoku and Nakatomi no Muraji Kuni of the rank shōtoku were made great generals, and Kawabe no Omi Nezu of the rank shōtoku and Mononobe no Yosami no Muraji Oto of the rank shōtoku and Hata no Omi Hironiwa of the rank shōtoku and Ōmi no Asakura no Omi Ihikai of the rank shōtoku and Heguri no Omi Ushi of the rank shōtoku and Ōtomo no Muraji of the rank shōtoku and Ōyake no Omi Ikusa of the rank shōtoku were made second generals, and they led a host of tens of thousands to attack Silla.

At that time Iwakane and his company met together at the harbor and were about to set sail, and they watched the wind and the waves.

Then the ships and the soldiers came on in great numbers and filled the sea. The envoys of the two lands looked out and were startled, and they turned back and stayed. They put Gamji (堪遲) of the rank daesa in their place as the envoy to offer the tribute of Imna, and the tribute was offered.

Then Iwakane and his company said to one another. "This raising of an army goes against what was agreed beforehand. For this reason the business of Imna will now come to nothing after all." And they set sail and crossed over.

But the generals came first to Imna and took counsel to fall upon Silla. Then the king of Silla heard that the army had come in great numbers, and he was afraid beforehand and asked to submit. At that time the generals took counsel together and sent up a memorial, and the empress allowed it.

In winter, the eleventh month, Iwakane and Kurashita and their company arrived from Silla. Then the great minister asked how matters stood there, and they answered.

"Silla received the command and was afraid, and they were about to send envoys of their own for each land and offer the tribute of the two lands with them. But when they saw the ships and the soldiers coming, the envoys who were to visit the court turned back again. Only the tribute they still offered."

Then the great minister said. "I repent. The army was sent too soon."

The men of that time said. "This business of the army came about because Sakaibe no Omi and Azumi no Muraji had received many gifts from Silla before, and they urged it on the great minister for that reason. For this the attack was made too soon, without waiting for the word of the envoys."

At the first, on the day Iwakane and his company crossed over to Silla, as they were coming to the harbor, one decked ship met them by the shore. Iwakane asked, "Whose land is this ship that comes to meet us?"

They answered, "It is a ship of Silla."

Iwakane said again, "Why is there no ship of Imna to meet us?"

Then at that time one ship more was added for Imna. Perhaps the coming of Silla to meet with two ships began at this time.

From spring to autumn the long rains made a great flood, and the five grains did not ripen.

In summer, the fourth month, the first day being a byeongo day, on the musin day, there was a monk who took an axe and struck his grandfather.

When the empress heard of it she called the great minister and gave a decree. "One who takes orders turns straightway to the three treasures and holds the rules of the precepts in full. How is it that without repentance or fear he does an evil deed out of hand? Now I hear that a certain monk has struck his grandfather. Therefore gather all the monks and nuns of the temples and question them. If the thing is true, punish him heavily."

Then the monks and nuns were gathered and questioned, and the monk who had done the evil deed and the other monks and nuns with him were all about to be punished.

Then the Baekje monk Gwalleuk sent up a memorial and said.

"The law of the Buddha came from the lands of the west to Han (漢), and after three hundred years it was handed on and came to the land of Baekje, and that was but a hundred years ago. Then our king heard of the goodness and the clear wisdom of the emperor of Japan, and it is not a full hundred years since he presented images of the Buddha and the inner writings.

Therefore the monks and nuns of this time have not yet learned the rules of the law, and they do evil deeds out of hand. For this reason all the monks and nuns are afraid and do not know what to do. I look up and ask that, apart from the one who did the evil deed, the monks and nuns be all let go and not punished. This would be a great merit."

The empress allowed it.

On the muo day a decree was given. "If even those who follow the way break the law, with what shall those who are not of religion be taught? Therefore from this time on let a sōjō (僧正) and a sōzu (僧都) be set up, who shall look to the monks and nuns and examine them, as is fitting."

On the imsul day the monk Gwalleuk was made sōjō and Kurabe no Tokushaku was made sōzu. On that same day Azumi no Muraji was made hōzu (法頭).

In autumn, the ninth month, the first day being a gapsul day, on the byeongja day, the temples and the monks and nuns were examined, and it was written down in full how each temple had been built, and how each monk and nun had entered the way, and the year and the month and the day of their taking orders.

At this time there were forty-six temples and eight hundred and sixteen monks and five hundred and sixty-nine nuns, one thousand three hundred and eighty-five in all.

In winter, the tenth month, the first day being a gyemyo day, the great minister sent two ministers, Azumi no Muraji and Abe no Omi Maro, to report to the empress.

"The district of Katsuragi was from the first the place where your servant's house dwelt. Therefore the surname and the name were taken from that district. For this reason I ask that I may have that district always, and make it the district granted to your servant."

Then the empress gave a decree.

"I myself came forth from Soga, and the great minister is my mother's brother besides. Therefore, if the great minister speaks by night the night does not pass, and if he speaks by day the day does not darken. What word of his would not be used?

But if in my own day I lose this district out of hand, the rulers after me will say, 'A foolish woman came to rule the world and lost that district out of hand.' Would it be my own want of goodness alone? The great minister too would be wanting in loyalty. This is an evil name for the ages to come."

And she did not allow it.

In spring, the first month, the first day being an imsin day, on the muin day, the king of Goryeo presented the monk Hyegwan (惠潅). He was thereupon charged with the office of sōjō.

In spring, the first month, the peach and the plum blossomed. In the third month it was cold and frost fell.

In summer, the fifth month, the first day being a muja day, on the jeongmi day, the great minister died. He was buried in the tomb of Momohara.

The great minister was the son of Iname no Sukune. He had the spirit of arms and counsel in his nature, and he had skill in speech besides, and he revered the three treasures. He built a house beside the river Asuka, and in the middle of the garden he dug a small pond and raised a small island in the middle of the pond. Therefore the men of that time called him Shima no Ōomi (嶋大臣).

In the sixth month snow fell.

In this year the long rains fell from the third month to the seventh month, and there was a great famine in the world. The old chewed the roots of plants and died by the roadside. The young took the breast, and mother and child died together. Robbers and thieves also rose up greatly, and they could not be stopped.

In spring, the second month, in the land of Mutsu a badger turned into a man and sang.

In summer, the fifth month, flies gathered together, and the mass of them floated in the air more than a hundred feet high and passed over the ridge of Shinano. The sound of their humming was like thunder. They went eastward as far as the land of Kōzuke and there scattered of themselves.

In spring, the second month, the first day being a muin day, on the gapjin day, the empress fell ill and lay down.

In the third month, the first day being a jeongmi day, on the musin day, the sun was wholly eaten.

On the imja day the empress's sickness was heavy and it could no longer be hidden. She called Prince Tamura and said. "To rise to the seat of heaven and rule the great foundation, to drive all the affairs of government and nourish the people, is from the first not a thing to be spoken of lightly, but a thing always to be held weighty. Therefore look to it with care, and do not speak lightly."

On that same day she called Yamashiro no Ōe and taught him. "You are young in heart. Though there be something your heart desires, do not speak of it loudly. You must wait for the words of the many and follow them, as is fitting."

On the gyechuk day the empress died. Her body was laid in a temporary house in the south courtyard.

In summer, the fourth month, the first day being an imo day, on the sinmyo day, hail fell, and it was as large as a peach. On the imjin day hail fell, and it was as large as a peach. From spring to summer there was drought.

In autumn, the ninth month, the first day being a gisa day, on the muja day, the funeral rites of the empress were begun. At this time the ministers each read a eulogy at the temporary palace of mourning.

Before this the empress had given her last command to the ministers. "In these days the five grains have not ripened and the people are in great hunger. Do not raise a tomb for me and bury me richly. Bury me in the tomb of Prince Takeda, as is fitting."

On the imjin day she was buried in the tomb of Prince Takeda.