38. The Horse-fly and the Dragon-fly

1When forthwith he made a progress to the Moor of Akidzu, and augustly hunted, the Heavenly Sovereign sat on an august throne. Then a horse-fly bit his august arm, and forthwith a dragon-fly came and ate up the horse-fly, and flew [away]. Thereupon he composed an august Song. That Song said:

2“Who is it tells in the great presence that game is lying on the peak of Womuro at Mi-yeshinu? Our Great Lord, who tranquilly carries on the government, being seated on the throne to await the game, a horse-fly alights on and stings the fleshy part of his arm fully clad in a sleeve of white stuff, and a dragon-fly quickly eats up that horse-fly. That it might properly bear its name, the laud of Yamato was called the Island of the Dragon-Fly.”

3So from that time that moor was called by the name of Akidzu-nu.