Read, reflect, pray
Example Prayer for a Local Tutelary Deity’s Festival (1897)
産土神例祭一例
A historical model of a community festival, with offerings, sacred music, gratitude and petitions for the village. Names and dates remain the original placeholders.
English meaning and source text
English meaning
About this English rendering
This site’s English rendering of the Japanese meaning guide, aligned with this edition. It is separate from the source words for recitation and is not an official liturgy. Sacred sounds are explained where possible, not given speculative literal translations. Historical beliefs, royal authority, illness and protection claims belong to the text; they are not present-day judgments, medical advice or guarantees of results.
An independent rendering of this historical model. Its period institutions and ritual details are not a universal present-day prescription.
Before the deity who has presided over this village through the generations, enshrined in a quiet sanctuary with firmly planted pillars where the morning and evening sun shines, the serving officiant respectfully speaks. Place names, the deity’s name and the officiant’s name are placeholders in the original.
The model gives a date in the Meiji era as the yearly festival day and describes a three-day celebration, for which the local community has prepared early. The era name and festival duration belong to this historical model.
At the gates, torii and around the shrine, sacred bamboo is erected, fiber streamers hung on sakaki, sacred ropes stretched and offerings arranged. Textiles and offerings cooked from freshly polished rice are presented with song and dance.
Sweet sake, mild and pungent greens from the fields, fish large and small, seaweed from offshore and the shore, and seasonal fruits are among the abundant offerings arranged.
Sacred music and the maidens’ dance are performed, decorated objects brought out, and drums, flutes, song and dance offered to gladden the deity’s heart. The prayer asks that all be graciously received.
It prays for a long, stable imperial reign now and in the future; for peace extending to mountain recesses and island headlands; and for the well-being of princes, nobles, ministers and officials. This portion reflects the court-centered form of the period prayer.
It asks that service to the imperial court flourish like abundant mulberry branches, and that crops grown by people throughout the land, from the five grains to each blade of grass, escape destructive wind and water and ripen richly.
It asks the deity to protect every member born into the community, without omission, free of calamities attributed to heavenly deities, and that each may work diligently at their livelihood as the place grows increasingly prosperous.
It asks for the peace of the serving priests and their households, for disasters to be kept far away before they arise, and for protection by night and day. Bowing low like quails and sitting humbly together like a flock of sparrows, the worshippers conclude their reverent praise.
Source text and reading aid
Roman letters are provided for every line of this source text.
How to use the Roman letters
Roman letters follow the kana displayed in this site’s Japanese reader; some readings are editorial additions documented on the Japanese page. These are a reading aid, not restored Sanskrit or a recording of a temple’s chanting. Historical spellings (such as wo, wi, we and ha used as a particle) are kept. Double vowels and repeated vowels mark the written kana; rhythm and pronunciation can differ by tradition.
You can simply read the meaning or sit quietly. No recitation is required. For a temple or shrine’s own recitation, follow that tradition’s published guidance.
産土神の例祭を祝う
是の何郡何の里は朝日の直刺処夕日の伊照処の大宮柱太しく立て静宮に鎮り給いて世々此里を領坐す掛けまくも畏き何大神の大前に仕奉る神官何某畏み畏みも白さく。
koreno naninokoorinanino satoha asahino tadasasu tokoro yuuhino iterasu tokorono oomiyabashirafutoshiku tate shizumiyani shizumari tamaite yoyo konosatowo ushihakimasu kakemakumo kashikoki naninoookamino oomaeni tsukaematsuru kamutsukasananigashi kashikomi kashikomimo mousaku.
今いや明治何年何月何日は毎年の御祭日なるを以て三日の御祭仕奉るの氏子産子の輩は夙くも其設を営み。
imaiya meijinanitoshinanitsukinaninohiha toshigotono mimatsuribinaruwo mochite mikano mimatsuri tsukaematsuruno ujikoubukono tomogaraha tokumo sonomoukewo itonami.
御門鳥居及び大宮の回里に忌竹を立て真榊に由布取垂で天大御縄小御縄引亘し千緒高緒立列ね奉る幣帛は明妙照妙和妙荒妙の新磨の米以て炊ぎたる宇豆の大御饌歌い津つ舞い津つ。
mikadotorii oyobi oomiyano motoorini imidakewo tate masakakini yuutorishide amenooominawaominawa hikiwatashi chiotakaotatetsurane tatematsuru miteguraha akarutaeterutaenigitaearataeno niisurino yone mochite kashigitaru uzuno oomike utai tsutsu mai tsutsu.
天甜酒大野原に生出る物は甘菜辛菜青海原に生る物は鰭の広鰭の狭奥津海藻菜辺津海藻菜時の菓に至る祝も繋け置足わし。
amanotamuzake oonuharani oiizuru monoha amanakarana aounaharani oru monoha hatano hirohatano sa okitsume hetsume tokino konomini itaru hafurimo kake okitarawashi.
天御神楽八少女の舞仕奉り又飾物を引出でて天鼓打笛吹謡て踊り享る神慮を和め奉らくを平けく安けく所聞食受給いて。
amamikagura yaotomeno maitsukaematsuri matakazarimonowo hikiidete amatsuzumiuchifuefukiutaite odori matsuru mikokorowo nagome matsurakuwo tairakeku yasukeku kikoshimeshiuketamaite.
今も往前も天津日嗣の高御座に顕津御神の天下所知食す皇美麻命の大御世を足永の御世の堅磐に常磐に斎奉り国中には道速振る荒振事無く山の奥島の岬に不落令治坐給い親王諸王諸臣等を始め仕う仕える百官の人等を平に安に守給いて。
imamo yukusakimo amatsuhitsugino takamikurani akitsumikamino amenoshitashiroshimesu sumemimanomikotono oomiyowo taranagano miyono kakiwani tokiwani iwaimatsuri kunuchiniha chihayaburu araburukoto naku yamano okushimano sakini ochizu wosameshimetamai mikoookimimaetsugimitachiwo hajime tsukau tsukaeru momonotsukasano hitorawo tairani yasuni mamoritamaite.
天皇我大朝廷に茂の八桑枝の如く立栄え令仕奉給い四方の国の蒼生等が取作れる五穀を始め天草の片葉に至る作の作物を悪風荒水に不令会給八束穂の茂穂に成幸給い。
sumeraga oomikadoni ikashino yakuwaeno gotoku tachisakae tsukaematsurashimetamai yomono kunino aohitokusaraga tsukureru itsukusawo hajime amakusano kakihani itaru tsukuno tsukurimonowo ashikikazearakimizuni awaseshimetamawazu yatsukahono ikashihoni nashisakiwaitamai.
大神の敷坐す此里に生出る氏子産子等を漏事無く堕事無く守給い祐給いて天神の枉事不令有其持分る家業をも勤み結きて弥向栄に立栄の繁きはぶる地となり幸給い。
ookamino shikimasu konosatoni oiizuru ujikoubukorawo morurukoto naku otsurukoto naku mamoritamai tasuketamaite amatsukamino magagotoarashimezu sonomochiwakeru nariwaiwomo isomi hatarakite iyamukaeni tachisakaeno shigekihaburu tokorotonari sakiwaitamai.
此御社に仕奉る神司等我家内安く穏に諸の災は不萌ず前に遠く令避給いて夜の守日の守に護り幸え給わんと祈み白す事の由を平けく安けく所聞食し鶉成伊這回り村雀宇須々岐利居て畏み畏みも称辞竟奉らくと白す。
konomiyashironi tsukaematsuru kamutsukasara wagayanuchi yasuku odaini moromorono wazawaiha kizasazu sakini tooku sakeshimetamaite yono mamori hino mamorini mamori sakiwae tamawanto nomi mousu kotono yoshiwo tairakeku yasukeku kikoshimeshi uzuranasuihaimotoori murasuzume ususugiriite kashikomi kashikomimo tataegotooematsurakuto mousu.
Sources and edition (1)
English explanations on this page were prepared by Inori no Mori from the cited text and its Japanese explanations. They are not an official translation or a prescribed liturgy.