The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1875-09-01

At this time Buddhism was making great
progress in Japan. One priest brought from
China 5000 Buddhist books. In 74s an edict
was issued forbidding the slaughter of any
animal in Japan. Previously to the removal
of the court from Nara, an immense wooden
magazine, had been erected there, in which i'm
plements, furniture and property of all kinds,
were deposited. This building exists to this
day, in perfect integrity. 1t is Of massive
timber laid horizontally; being raised from
of trees. 1t is said to have been examined every
6lst year, and repaired when necessary. And
most astonishing it is said, the articles de-
posted there by Mikados, have been kept per-
fectly safe from the sth century to this time;
fire, robbery and turbulent times notwithstand-
ing. Some fresh articles have been added;
but those belonging TO the first depositors are all
named in inventory, made and deposited with
them; and they can be identified. The temple Of
Daibuts affords convenient place for the display
of these curos of the eighth century and they have
recently been exhibition during which the writer
in the Nail says he saw them. Among them may
be mentioned, scenes, pictures, books, masks,
sculpture, pottery, glass. copper.bowls, dishes,
spoons, soap, in large cakes tortoise. shell back
scntchers, beads, ornaments, weapons. utensils,
dresses, hats &c, aordDg, il is said fine study
for the antiquarian.
Although Japanese seem to have but little
taste for the POETRY, and almost none for music,
they have a collection of short poems, called
1.-THE hundred 0des," which, II is said, are familiar
in every household, and that every Japanese child
has his memory stored, with at least some Of them
Each oil them to consist of single stanza,
and that usually very brief. They have very little
poetic merit, are in kind Of blank verse, and are
chanied in monotonous style, similar 10 the
Chinese method Of reading An English lawyer
has made, what he says, is pretty free translation
of the hundred odes.
The following are specimens of his work. Al
though there Is very little poetic merit In the org-
nal, yet tue frequent illusions to Important places,
persons and events, render them extremely popular
with the Japanese. The author of the Ode lived
early in tue eighth century:
"From where my house,
My lonely house on lagos shore
Doth stand, the wandering eye may roam
Der Fusiyama's summit boar,
Whose lofty brow
Is whitened by the new fallen snow"
The author of Ode dates from the eighth century:
"On every side the vaulted sky
view; will the have peered,
1 trow above Mikasa high,
In Kasuaga's far of land, uprsared.'
The author of the ninth Ode was a female, and
may have fiourished early in the fifth century:
"Thy love hath passed away froms me,
Left desOlate, forlorn,-
In winter rains how YEARLY
The summer past mourn.
The author of Ode 20 died A. D. 94S:
50 Distracted by my misery
How utterly f0rlorn am I
Oh that might thee. see
Tho it should cost my life to me-"
Ode IS is inscribed on serene in the palace Of an
Empress, at Nara:
For Nzra's streamlet sofly blow
The winds in the dim twilight
The Misogi% thereby yet show,
That summer has not yet gvne quite"
They have some poetic fancy, shown In calling
snow, Angels rohes' Yours truly, Pic.
The Msog short bits OF bamboo split at the top.
and having inserted in them piece Of which s
written prayer sacred sentence, are stuck up by
stream. This always done the last DAY VI