Translation2

Segment 2: The Emergence of the Island and the Descent of the Goddess

(Segment 1 is here)

Catastrophic events take place.

Chinese transcription (1)	Translation
於茲人王三十代欽明天皇第十三年壬申四月十二日戌尅、至同申廿三日辰尅、當江野之南海湖水之水門、雲霞暗蔽海上、日夜大地振動。	In the 13th year (552 A.D. by traditional dating) of the reign of Emperor Kinmei, dark clouds covered the sea at the watergate (entrance) to the lake from the estuary of the Southern Sea (Sagami Bay) at Eno. The clouds lasted from around 8:00 pm of the 12th day to 8:00 am of the 23rd day of the fourth month (2). Large earthquakes shook the earth day and night.

Notes/Comments

(1) I have generally followed the transcription of 「江島縁起」考：服部清道：横浜商大論集　別冊 (An Investigation of the Enoshima Engi, by Seido Hattori), except where there are obvious errors.

(2) Assuming that this year corresponds to the second year of YuZhang Wang (King of Yuzhang) of the Southern Liang Dynasty in China (南梁豫章王天正2年), the first year of Emperor Yuan (承聖元年), and the third year of Emperor Wenxuan of the Northern Qi Dynasty (北齊文宣帝天保3年), the earthquake swarm took place from Monday, May 20 to Friday, May 31, 552, according to the online western calendar to lunar calendar conversion application at Academia Sinica (in Chinese).

Mount Haruna (榛名山) in Gunma Prefecture (群馬県) had a major explosive eruption (with VEI = 5) at 550 AD ± 10 years, Jun 1 ± 30 days, according to the Global Volcanism Program of the Smithsonian Institution here. Mt. Haruna is less than 150km from Enoshima. Kokei's dates above for the events at Enoshima certainly fit within the ± year and month of this eruption at Haruna. It is especially noteworthy that Kokei's dates (20 May-early June) fit well within the month-window of the eruption (2 May-1 July). However, that does not necessarily indicate a connection.

(This paragraph added in July 2007.)

Chinese transcription

Translation

天女雲上顕現、童子左右侍立、諸天龍神水火雷電山神鬼魅夜叉羅刹従雲上降盤石、自海底挙沙石、電光耀天、火焔交雑白浪、

Then the goddess appeared above the clouds, with servants at her left and right. The myriad spirits — dragon-spirits, the spirits of water, fire, thunder, and lightning, as well as mountain spirits, ghosts, spirits of the dead, and demons — made great boulders descend from above the clouds and rocks and sand spurt up from the bottom of the sea. Lightning bolts flashed, and flames flickered amidst the white-tipped waves. (2)

Notes/Comments

(1) It is worth noting that a comet was observed in Europe in AD 552 (I. Hasegawa, Catalog of Ancient and Naked-Eye Comets, Vistas in Astronomy, 24 (1980), p. 70). Newton (Newton, Robert R., Medieval chronicles and the rotation of the earth, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1972) reports an aurora on 25 July AD 552 (see here). However, the date is uncertain. Whether these events were associated with the events at Enoshima is unknown.

Some of the descriptions in western sources of auroras around this time resemble Kokei's description of Benzaiten above the clouds surrounded by servants and spirits. See, for example, the years 523 ("strange sights were seen of Dragons, Lions and other furious wild Beasts Fighting in the Air"), 540 ("Battles in the Air"), and so on in the link above.

(These two paragraphs were added in August 2006.)

(2) The flames on the waves may be an instance of outgassing due to tectonic disturbance. M. G. L. Baillie relates several cases of this in "Putting Abrupt Environmental Change Back into Human History," Environments and Historical Change, Oxford University, Oxford, 1999, pgs. 61-62. In at least one instance, "it appears that the gas was ignited." Another possibility is a case of bioluminescence in connection with a "red tide." I myself have seen this phenomenon at Enoshima. However, it is common and well-known to local residents, who are unlikely to mistake it for flames amidst waves.

(This paragraph was added in March 2006.)

The island of Enoshima rises.

Chinese transcription	Translation
同廿三日及辰剋(尅)、雲去霞散見、海上顕出嶋山蒼波之間、神現山新也。	On the 23rd day of the month at the hour of the dragon (around 8:00 am) the clouds disappeared, the haze dispersed, and an island was seen to have emerged in the sea amidst the blue waves — a new mount made by the spirits. (1)

Notes/Comments

(1) The text exaggerates here. The island existed before this time, as indicated by the presence of Jomon- (8,000-300 BC) and Yayoi-era (300 BC-300 AD) artifacts on the highest point of today's Enoshima island (see 藤沢市史、第４巻, pg. 26 and 252; also noted here). What possibly happened is that the formerly low-lying island rose substantially at the time of the swarm of earthquakes. The History of Fujisawa City (藤沢市史、第４巻, pg. 250-251) suggests that in the ancient past a natural phenomenon may have taken place in which the island did suddenly emerge or rise substantially, that this phenomenon was observed by inhabitants on near-by shores, and the memory of these events was passed on orally, forming the basis of the story of Enoshima's sudden emergence from the sea.

Chinese transcription	Translation
十二鵜降居嶋上、依之忽云鵜来嶋。	Twelve cormorants descended to perch on the island. This is why it then was also dubbed "Island to Which Cormorants Come" (1)

Notes/Comments

(1) Cormorants are sometimes said to be the messengers of Benzaiten, as related in Kamakura Shi (鎌倉志, a work created in 1685 AD, quoted in 藤沢風土記, pg. 6).

The goddess Benzaiten appears.

Chinese transcription	Translation
々上天女降、形貌殊妙耀麗質於金窟(1)、是即辨才天女之應作、無熱池(2)龍王第三之娘也。	Displaying her exquisite, brilliant charms, the goddess descended into the Golden Grotto (1). It was none other than Benzaiten, the third daughter of the dragon-king of Munetsuchi (2), manifesting herself in the flesh.

Notes/Comments

(1) The Golden Grotto (金窟) is often identified as the main grotto of Benzaiten, or Iwaya cave (岩屋洞窟). The Anzenki (安然記), a Buddhist work quoted by Seido Hattori (藤沢風土記, pg. 9), says the Golden Grotto was a southwest-facing stone cave from which a golden light issued from time to time, hence the name.

(2) The transcription writes 魚熱池, an error for 無熱池. Munetsuchi (無熱池), which is said to be located to the north of India, is the abode of Zennyo dragon-king. It is mentioned in the Taiheiki. See 太平記巻第十二, 但（ただし）北天竺（てんじく）の境（さかひ）大雪山（だいせつせん）の北に無熱池（むねつち）と云（いふ）池（いけ）の善女（ぜんによ）竜王、独（ひとり）守敏（しゆびん）より上位の薩■（さつた）にて御坐（おはしまし）ける <http://j-texts.com/taihei/tk012.html> This is a reference to Lake Anavatapta ("The Lake Without Heat") in the Himalayas, which was said to be 800 li in circumference. It is sometimes identified with Lake Manasarovar.

Kokei apparantly had the source of ancient India's legendary Sarasvati River in mind. He was very close to the mark (see here). Also see Parallels between the Celestial and Terrestrial Phenomena at Enoshima and Similar Phenomena Associated with the Sarasvati River of Ancient India.

(This paragraph added in April 2006)

The corresponding passage of the Japanese text expands on the description of Benzaiten.

Japanese manuscript	Japanese transcription	Translation
	この嶋の上に天女降居したまへり。これ弁才天女の応作無熱池龍王第三の娘、閻羅大王の姉、婆蘇大王の妹也。鞘々たる(1)璲(2)の佩、鏖々たる朱の賁(3)。秋月霧をまひて朗かなり。春花露をふくんて鮮かなり(4)。	Manifesting herself in the flesh, the goddess, the third daughter of the benevolent dragon-king of Munetsuchi, the elder sister of Lord Enma (also Yama), ruler of Hades, the younger sister of [Dragon-]King Baso, descended upon that island. Adorned with a long jade pendant (2) and a blood-red ornament (3), and making a strumming (1) [or slapping] sound, she shined like the autumn moon enveloped in mist and sparkled like spring flowers dripping with dew (4).

Notes/Comments

(1) The descriptive phrases 鞘々たる and 鏖々たる are spelled as さくさくたる and ろくろくたる, respectively, in the kanabon gloss. Sakusaku-taru is a reduplicated syllable describing a strumming or slapping sound, like that made by the strings of a musical instrument, or a rustling sound, like the wind passing through twigs on the branches of trees. As reference, see The Tale of Genji, where the following phrase appears: 第一第二絃の声は索々たり (源平盛衰記、巻第十二). Also see the Kaidokudari chapter of Heikeimonogatari, where the following phrase appears: 北には青山峨々として、松吹く風索々たり。(平家物語卷第十、海道下). The Enoshima Engi manuscript uses the kanji 鞘 (meaning "sheath" or something worn at the belt), spelled しょう in modern Japanese but which would probably have been spelled しやう in Kamakura-era Japanese.

It is possible that some word-play is taking place. The kanji 鞘 belongs to a family of characters such as 削, some of which are read as さく . To the Japanese of that time, the kanji 鞘 could have been read as さく, which would have yielded the reduplication さくさくたる (as in the gloss). To the eyes, the kanji would have conjured up the image of a long belt pendant, while to the ears, the phrase would have conveyed a sound like the strumming of strings or the slapping of a girdle pendant against clothing.

Note that classical Indian literature contains a reference to comets adorned with ornaments. Here is an excerpt from an article by R. N. Iyengar, Some Celestial Observations Associated With Krishna-Lore.

Broomstick mega-comet (mahā-ketuḥ) with hibiscus flowers as his ear ornament, having observed the houses of Vrṣṇīs, did not appear again.

(as of March 2006)

The phrase 鏖々たる is not attested in literature, to my knowledge. The kanji 鏖 is associated with blood and killing. Here the phrase roku roku-taru probably functions like adding "blood" to "red" in English, i.e., "a blood-red ornament." Note that the term 賁 is often associated with a transient glow, as in the Yi-Jing (易經), where 山火賁 (associated with hexagram 22) is sometimes interpreted as the last glow of the sun on a mountain at sunset.

(2) Error in the transcription, which has 遂 in place of 璲 (だま, meaning long jade belt pendant).

(3) Error in the transcription, which reads 蕢 in place of 賁.

(4) Note that this passage is not part of the Chinese version written by Kokei. Instead, it is from the Japanese version. Nonetheless, it does suggest there was some tradition according to which the goddess, or whatever phenomenon the people saw, was brilliant, sparkled, and her/its descent onto the island was accompanied by a sound of some sort, perhaps a music-like sound. After all, she was the goddess of music.

Thanks mainly to the work of Colin Keay, it is now known that some meteors can make electrophonic sounds. See this bibliography and Colin Keay's website.

The dragon falls in love with the goddess.

Chinese transcription	Translation
於茲五頭龍見是天女之麗質、為通志於天女、凌波渡嶋、到天女所ト欲念。	Upon seeing the charms of the heavenly goddess, the five-headed dragon of the lake wanted to tell her of his deepest desire. Riding the waves, he came to the island and sought to tell her of his love.

The goddess rebuffs the dragon.

Chinese transcription	Translation
天女答云、我有本誓、愍念有情、汝無慚愧横害於生命、形与心共我不相似、更不可通。	The goddess replied, "I have made a pledge of compassion and pity [for all creatures]. But you mercilessly and rapaciously end their lives. In body and heart we are complete opposites. And that is all the more reason that your desire makes no sense!"

The dragon is persuaded to follow her teachings.

Chinese transcription	Translation
龍言、我随教命、自今以後永停凶害、心禁断殺。願垂哀愍令我得遂宿念。	The dragon spoke, "I will follow your teachings. From now on, I will refrain forever from harboring a heart set on destruction and from harming living beings. Instead, I ask you to make me compassionate, able to follow and carry out your will." (1)

Notes/Comments

(1) Among other accomplishments, Benzaiten is the goddess of persuasive eloquence, a skill that enables her to immediately convince the dragon of the truth of her words.

Chinese transcription	Translation
于時天女肯。爰龍随順天女教誡、發誓向南成山。	The goddess then consented. Thereupon, the dragon pledged to follow her teachings and faced south, becoming a large hill (1).

Notes/Comments

(1) This hill still exists. It runs roughly north to south, and the head of the dragon is said to be at the foot of its southernmost part. Today, that location is the site of Dragon's Mouth Temple (龍口寺). Fittingly enough, the head of the dragon lies looking toward Enoshima Island, which is the abode of the goddess.

Chinese transcription	Translation
世人是名龍口山(1)、又号子死方明神。	The people of that time named the hill "Tatsu-no-kuchi-yama" (1) (Dragon's Mouth Hill). It was also called "Benevolent Spirit-Guardian of the Dead Children."

Notes/Comments

(1) The hill is still known by that name.

Benzaiten is praised for her saving grace.

Chinese transcription	Translation
弁才天以方便之力為降伏龍之猛悪、救護衆生故所化作嶋也。垂権迹(1)天女也。是号江嶋明神。	This is the island transformed and created by the goddess Benzaiten, using her expedient powers [to lead beings to the truth] in order to save sentient beings from the savagery and evil of the dragon. As a goddess who manifested herself as a savior, she is thus is known as the beneficial spirit enshrined at Enoshima.

Notes/Comments

(1) Suijaku (垂迹) refers to a bodhisattva or holy person who may temporarily manifest himself/herself as a savior in order to free people from some evil.

This concludes the translation.
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