3. The Prince of Tomi and the Shiki Brethren

1After this, when about to smite the Prince of Tomi, he sang, saying:

2“The children of the augustly powerful army will smite and finish the one stem of smelly chive in the millet-field,—the stem of its root, both its root and shoots.”

3“The ginger, which the children of the augustly powerful army planted near the hedge, resounds in the mouth. I shall not forget it. I will smite and finish it.”

4“Like the turbinidæ creeping round the great rock in the sea of Ise [on which blows] the divine wind, [so] will we creep round, and smite and finish them.”

5Again when he smote Shiki the Elder Brother and Shiki the Younger Brother, the august army was temporarily exhausted. Then he sang, saying:

6“As we fight placing our shields in a row, going and watching from between the trees on Mount Inasa, oh! we are famished. Ye keepers of cormorants, the birds of the island, come now to our rescue!”