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A Japanese miscellany - University of Oregon

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200 <strong>Japanese</strong> Miscellany<br />

{Ball-song— Province <strong>of</strong> Shinano.)<br />

Daikoku-Sama, to iu hito wa, —<br />

Ichi-ni, tawara wo funmaHte<br />

Ni-ni, nikkori warote<br />

San-ni, sakazuki itadaite<br />

Yotsu de, yo no naka yoi yo ni<br />

Itsutsu de, izumi no waku yo ni<br />

Mutsu, mubyo sokusai ni<br />

Nanatsu, nanigoto nai yo ni<br />

Yatsu de, yasliiki wo tairagete<br />

;<br />

; ; ;<br />

; ; ; ;<br />

Kokonotsu, ko-kura wo oshitatete<br />

To de, tokkuri osamatta.<br />

[Praying to'] the person called Daikoku-Sama, — firstly,<br />

as he treads upon the rice-bales, — secondly, as he laughs<br />

with pleasant countenance, — thirdly, taking the sake-c\x^<br />

respectfully in hand,— fourthly,— [we beseech him] that all<br />

the world may prosper, — fifthly, that the springs may<br />

purely flow, — sixthly, that the people may be free from all<br />

sickness and calamity, — seventhly, that all evils may cease,<br />

— eighthly, that our house may be victorious [in war] — ,<br />

ninthly, that treasure-houses maybe erected, — tenthly,that<br />

universal peace may continue to prevail.<br />

This last is a curious example <strong>of</strong> a prayer trans-<br />

formed into a ball-song. Excepting the first four<br />

lines the text is almost, word-for-word, the text<br />

<strong>of</strong> an old samurai-prayer, — the household prayer

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