Inori no Mori祈りの杜working title

Read, reflect, pray

Prayer to Ebisu (1890 edition)

祭恵比須大神告刀(1890年刊本)えびすのおおかみをまつるのりと・せんはっぴゃくきゅうじゅうねんかんぽん

A historical prayer naming Ebisu at Nishinomiya, in Muko district of Settsu. Its example names the twentieth day of the first month and asks for a flourishing livelihood, household harmony and the continuity of the family. The date belongs to this text’s historical example.

English meaning and source text

Text size

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.

We invoke the spirit of Ebisu, enshrined at Nishinomiya Hirota village in Muko district, Settsu, where the shrine pillars stand upon deep rock and its roof finials rise toward Takamanohara.

We welcome and worship this spirit at the sacred place in this household, and humbly address the revered presence.

We set the twentieth day of the first month this year as a life-filled, abundant day.

We hang ritual yū strips on a branch of sacred sakaki from the deep mountains and enshrine a representation of the kami.

We place a broad ritual sash across our weak shoulders and prepare ourselves with reverent restraint and purification.

Please graciously receive our offerings of food, sake, water, fish large and small, sweet and pungent greens, and other provisions.

If anything has been overlooked, through Kamunaobi and Ōnaobi, please regard and hear it anew in a favorable light.

Let our livelihood flourish increasingly, and let our household be peaceful, happy and harmonious.

Let there be no misfortune or obstacle of any kind, and let our spouses and children too be free of calamity and trouble.

Let our lives be long, our descendants continue through many generations, and our family flourish like vigorously spreading branches.

Let merchandise, gold and silver, food and clothing richly fill our storehouses.

May their roof ridges rise high and their buildings stand together like overlapping fish scales.

Guard us by night and day and grant us well-being.

Bending our knees like deer and extending our necks like cormorants, we humbly and reverently offer this prayer.

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.

摂津国(つのくに)武庫郡(むこのこほり)西宮広田村(にしのみやひろたむら)の下津磐根(しもついはね)に宮柱(みやばしら)太知(ふとしり)、高天原(たかまのはら)に千木高知(ちぎたかしり)て鎮座坐す(しづまります)恵比須大神(ゑびすのおほかみ)の御霊(みたま)を、

tsunokuni mukonokohori nishinomiyahirotamurano shimotsuihaneni miyabashira futoshiri, takamanoharani chigitakashirite shizumarimasu webisunoohokamino mitamawo,

某家(それのいへ)の神床(かむどこ)に招奉り(をきまつり)斎き(いつき)奉る(まつる)、宇頭(うづ)の御前(みまへ)に、畏み畏み(かしこみかしこみ)白さく(まをさく)。

sorenoiheno kamudokoni wokimatsuri itsuki matsuru, uzuno mimaheni, kashikomikashikomi mawosaku.

今年(ことし)正月(むつき)の廿日(はつか)の日(ひ)を生日(いくひ)の足日(たるひ)と斎ひ(いはひ)定めて(さだめて)、

kotoshi mutsukino hatsukano hiwo ikuhino taruhito ihahi sadamete,

奥山(おくやま)の真賢木(まさかき)が枝(えだ)に木綿(ゆふ)取垂て(とりしでて)、大神(おほかみ)の御形代(みかたしろ)を坐せ(ませ)奉り(まつり)て、

okuyamano masakakiga edani yufu torishidete, ohokamino mikatashirowo mase matsurite,

某(それ)が弱肩(よわかた)に太襷(ふとたすき)取掛けて(とりかけて)、持斎まはり(もちゆまはり)持斎まはり(もちいまはり)持清まはり(もちきよまはり)て、

sorega yowakatani futotasuki torikakete, mochiyumahari mochiimahari mochikiyomaharite,

御食(みけ)御酒(みき)御母比(おもひ)、鰭(はた)の広物(ひろもの)鰭(はた)の狭物(さもの)、甘菜辛菜(あまなからな)種種(くさぐさ)の多米都物(ためつもの)を、平らけく(たひらけく)安らけく(やすらけく)所聞食して(きこしめして)、

mike miki omohi, hatano hiromono hatano samono, amanakarana kusagusano tametsumonowo, tahirakeku yasurakeku kikoshimeshite,

漏落む(もれおちむ)事(こと)を、神直日(かむなほび)大直日(おほなほび)に見直し(みなほし)聞直し(ききなほし)坐して(まして)、

moreochimu kotowo, kamunahobi ohonahobini minahoshi kikinahoshi mashite,

家業(いへのなり)を弥栄(いやさか)に昌え(さかえ)しめ給ひ(たまひ)、家内安穏(やぬちやすらか)に、楽しく(たのしく)睦しく(むつしく)、

ihenonariwo iyasakani sakaeshime tamahi, yanuchiyasurakani, tanoshiku mutsushiku,

諸(もろもろ)の凶悪事(まがごと)無く(なく)、萬(よろづ)の障(さはり)無く(なく)、妻子等(めこども)に至る(いたる)まで凶禍(まが)無く(なく)事無く(ことなく)、

moromorono magagoto naku, yorozuno sahari naku, mekodomoni itarumade maga naku kotonaku,

寿命(いのち)遠長く(とほながく)しめ給ひ(たまひ)、子孫(うみのこ)の八十連属(やそつづき)弥遠長く(いやとほながく)、伊加志夜具波延(いかしやぐはえ)の如く(ごとく)立栄え(たちさかえ)しめ給ひ(たまひ)、

inochi tohonagakushime tamahi, uminokono yasotsuzuki iyatohonagaku, ikashiyaguhaeno gotoku tachisakaeshime tamahi,

売買物(うりかふもの)を始めて(はじめて)、金銀(こがねしろがね)食物(をしもの)着物(きるもの)を、蔵(くら)に弥広(いやひろ)に積充め(つみみため)給ひ(たまひ)、

urikafumonowo hajimete, koganeshirogane woshimono kirumonowo, kurani iyahironi tsumimitame tamahi,

蔵(くら)の棟(むね)弥高(いやたか)に魚鱗(いろこ)の如く(ごとく)造成しめ(つくりなしめ)給ひ(たまひ)て、

kurano mune iyatakani irokono gotoku tsukurinashime tamahite,

夜(よ)の守(まもり)日(ひ)の守(まもり)に護幸へ(まもりさきはへ)給へ(たまへ)と、

yono mamori hino mamorini mamorisakihahe tamaheto,

鹿自物(かじもの)膝折伏せ(ひざをりふせ)、鵜自物(うじもの)頸根衝抜き(うなねつきぬき)て、恐み(かしこみ)畏み(かしこみ)も乞祈(こひのみ)奉らく(まつらく)と白す(まをす)。

kajimono hizaworifuse, ujimono unanetsukinukite, kashikomi kashikomimo kohinomi matsurakuto mawosu.

Connected kami and buddhas

These connections include figures addressed, mentioned, or associated by tradition. They do not assign a universal recitation practice.

Sources and edition (3)

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.

← All prayers and sutras