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"On a thousand. . .clear sky."] A Chinese couplet quoted from the Shih Jen Yü Hsieh ("Jade-dust of the Poets"), a Sung Dynasty work on poetry which was popular in Japan.

men unborn] Masse here means, I think, "future generations," not "this degraded age."

The bright flowers drooped and faded.] When an angel is about to die, the flowers of his crown wither, his feather robe is stained with dust, sweat pours from under the arm-pits, the eyelids tremble, he is tired of his place in heaven.

Kalavink] The sacred bird of heaven.

Two gods] Izanagi and Izanami.

the moon-tree] The "Katsura" tree, a kind of laurel supposed to grow in the moon.

the East incarnate] Lit. "dividing my body," an expression used of Buddhist divinities that detach a portion of their godhead and incarnate it in some visible form.

the mountain] Fuji.

the jewelled temple wall] The inner and outer temples at Ise.

May our Lord's life. . . angel's feather-skirt] Quoting an ancient prayer for the Mikado.

Mount Sumeru's side] Sumeru is the great mountain at the centre of the universe. Its west side is of rubies, its south side of green stones, its east side of white stones, etc.

son of Seishi Omnipotent] Called in Sanskrit Mahasthama-prapta, third person of the Trinity sitting on Amida's right hand. The Moon-God is an emanation of this deity.

vows] Of Buddha.