24. The Cup Pledge

1Again this Deity’s Chief Empress, Her Augustness the Forward-Princess, was very jealous. So the Deity her husband, being distressed, was about to go up from Idzumo to the Land of Yamato; and as he stood attired, with one august hand on the saddle of his august horse and one august foot in the august stirrup, he sang, saying:

2Then his Empress, taking a great august liquor-cup, and drawing near and offering it to him, sang, saying:—

3She having thus sung, they at once pledged [each other] by the cup with [their hands] on [each other’s] necks, and are at rest till the present time. These are called divine words.