Lament for Prince Takechi

kakemaku mo
yuyusiki ka mo
ipamaku mo
aya ni kasikoki
asuka nö
makamï nö para ni
pisakata nö
ama tu mikado wo
kasikoku mo
sadametamapite
kamu sabu tö
ipagakurimasu
yasumi sisi
wa ga opokimi nö
kikösimesu
sötömo nö kuni nö
makï tatu
pupa yama koete
köma turugi
wazami ga para nö
karimiya ni
amoriimasite
amë nö sita
wosametamapi
wosu kuni wo
sadametamapu tö
töri ga naku
aduma nö kuni nö
mi-ikusa wo
mesitamapite
tipayaburu
pitö wo yapase tö
maturopanu
kuni wo wosame tö
miko nagara
maketamapeba
opomimi ni
tati toripakasi
opomite ni
yumi törimotasi
mi-ikusa wo
adömopitamapi
tötönöpuru
tudumi nö otö pa
ikaduti nö
kowe tö kiku made
puki naseru
kuda nö otö mo
ata mitaru
tora ka poyuru tö
moröpitö nö
obiyuru made ni
sasagetaru
pata nö nabiki pa
puyugömori
paru sarikureba
no götö ni
tukite aru pï nö
kaze nö muta
nabikapu götöku
törimoteru
yupazu nö sawagi
mi-yuki puru
puyu nö payasi ni
tumuzi ka mo
imakiwataru tö
omopu made
kiki nö kasikoku
pikipanatu
ya nö sigeku
opo-yuki nö
midarete kitare
maturopazu
tatimukapisi mo
tuyu simo nö
kenaba kenubëku
yuku töri nö
arasopu pasi ni
watarapi nö
ituki nö miya yu
kamukaze ni
i pukimadopasi
ama kumo wo
pi nö m&ieuml; mo misezu
tököyamï ni
opopitamapite
sadametesi
midupo nö kuni wo
kamu nagara
puto sikimasite
yasumi sisi
wa ga opokimi nö
am&ieuml; nö sita
mawositamapeba
yöröduyö ni
sikasi mo aramu tö
yupu pana nö
sakayuru töki ni
wa ga opokimi
miko nö mikado wo
kamumiya ni
yösöpimaturite
tukapasisi
mikado nö pitö mo
sirotapë nö
asagörömo kite
paniyasu nö
mikado nö para ni
akane sasu
pi nö kötögötö
sisizi monö
ipapi pusitutu
nubatama nö
yupupe ni nareba
opotönö wo
purisake mitutu
udura nasu,
ipapi motöpori
samorapedö
samorapieneba
paru töri nö
samayopinureba
nagëki mo
imada suginu ni
omopi mo
imada tukineba
kötö sapeku
kudara nö para yu
kamupaburi
paburiimasete
asa mo yösi
kinope nö miya wo
tökömiya tö
takakumaturite
kamu nagara
sidumarimasinu
sikaredömo
wa ga opokimi nö
yöröduyö tö
oposimesite
tukurasisi
kagu yama nö miya
yöröduyö ni
sugimu tö omope ya
amë nö götö
purisake mitutu
tama tasuki
kakete sinopamu
kasikoku aredömo



English Translation

I do speak these words, though
They may profane what's holy;
I speak them
Filled with awe:
At Asuka,
On the field of Makami,
Our eternal,
Divine Emperor,
Awesome,
Decided,
As would a god,
To rest within stone halls.
All knowing and all powerful,
Our Emperor
Ruled
The northern provinces.
Wooded
Fuwa mountain crossing,
To Koryo-bladed,
Wazami field,
To a new palace
He came down from heaven;
The state,
He governed;
The land, he ruled.
That was his decision.
From the cock-crowing
Eastern provinces,
His warriors
He called.
"The rough
Folk, pacify; and
The unruly
Lands, control," said he to
His son, my prince,
And fitting to that state.
To your mighty body,
You strapped your sword;
In your hand,
You held your bow;
Your warriors,
You summoned:
The call to arms
Drums' roar
The thunder
Spoke;
The sounding of
The battle horns were as
At the foe
A tiger roaring.
Many folk
Were thus struck with fear.
High flying
Banners snapping?
Buried in winter,
With the spring
The fields
Are set ablaze;
Fire with the wind
Blows back and forth?
Held,
The snap of bowstrings:
As a snow-covered
Winter woodland
Rent by a whirlwind,
Twisting round and over,
It sounded,
Terrifying:
Loosing, shooting
A multitude of arrows,
A blizzard,
Confused and falling;
The unruly
Foe stood fast
As dew and frost,
"If we die then so be it!"
Like flocking birds.
Then amidst the battle,
From Watarai,
From the holy shrine,
The gods' own wind
Blew down confusion,
Heaven's clouds,
Hid the sunlight;
Utter darkness
Covered all,
And overwhelmed them.
In this Land of Bounteous Grain
My prince was a god,
Ruling
Every corner;
My great prince
The state,
Commanded;
For a myriad reigns
It would be so, we thought;
But when bright as mulberry-cloth flowers
He flourished,
My dear prince,
His palace,
As a god's shrine,
Was garlanded and
He was laid within;
The prince's servants
White hempen
Mourning dress put on;
At Haniyasu,
On the field before the palace,
Glowing madder red
The sunlight;
Like beasts,
They trailed in and laid them down;
With lily seed
Dusk's arrival,
On the great hall
They fixed their gaze;
As peeping quail,
Crawled they on their bellies.
They served you but,
Now there is no point:
As birds of spring,
They moaned;
Our grieving too
Is not yet done;
Our sorrow too
Is not exhausted;
Mangled words
From the field of Kudara
In a god's funeral
We interred you.
As goodly flax,
Your shrine at Kinoe:
An eternal palace,
Built high for you.
As a god
Are you enshrined.
Though that be so,
My great prince,
Would live a myriad years,
I thought.
You had built
A palace at Mt Kagu.
For a myriad years
There you would endure, I thought.
As does the sky,
It fills my gaze,
A jeweled sash
Holding my thoughts
Full of awe.