Tuesday, April 26, 2011

The Legend of Mizukasami (Water Mirror) a.k.a. The Silver Moon Fish

This is a legend that was told to me while I was in Sinai by the Reed Sea. Looking out into the gulf, I saw the moon in the sky like an eye and the reflection wavered and stretched from the horizon to the shoreline before me. While looking upon this natural image I noticed how there was a gestalt of a fish connected from head (the moon) to tail (the shoreline). What was the most amazing part was watching how the light danced and swiveled off the water making it look like a fish with scales swimming to the heavens.

* * *

Beneath O'sky so blue and embedded with white wisps

In waters cool and deep

Where the glass eye reflects her magnificent beauty

Tsyukuyomi, goddess of tsuki (moon), stares into the depths of umi (sea)

Caught by rays of metallic allure, a sparkle beneath the mizu (water)

Kinginrin, with silver scales radiant from golden flecks, swims with kinkou (balance)/kaikatsu (cheerful)

Here, a call(ing) to the tsuki hikari (light)

Kinjareta ai (forbidden love)

A fish ascends from depths above

Uniting illumination with luminance

* * *

Tho, halt, for treacherous times brought perilous winds – the Senka Shiryu had soon begun (Dragon Wars)

As Ao Guang from the East, whirled past cold and bitterly

And of the South, Ao Qin's fangs bit tenderly and sharply

Smacked malevolently blow after blast Ao Run, of the West

While the Northern Ao Shun hurled heavy gusts that tore/ tearing through the air

* * *

So, up came the winds rage and the rushing of storm-waves rolls

A torturous swirl of a waterspout; forks of lightning flashing

The present uprising quickly engulfed Ginrin

By hurricane belching forth terrific kazi (winds) and foreboding clouds

Now preventing him to further his reach to the sora (skies)

* * *

Lo, Tsyukuyomi not once brooded over the restless seas

From lute and flute, (floated) faint harmonies float

From out of the lowering sky

Inspiring song through a grim and somber scene

A melody breaks through sinking to the blue of the deep

Not one, but two, drops of tears

To break through the behemoth breaths of the Shiryu

One Shinju Manju (Pearl of Flow) to climb to tengoku

The other; Shinju Kanju (Pearl of Ebb) to return to umi

For waves are tides and shall either fall or grow

But forewarning takes comfort to the dangers if they may unite

Terrible chaos would bring pain, suffering and fright

* * *

Tis the black dragon breathing pearls

Looming out of the darkness from the halls of Ryugu-jo (Dragon Palace/Bottom of the Sea)

Ryujin catches the secrets that whisper, trickling down through the currents

And with heart full of envy, heavy with spite

Unwinds himself straight to arise

Directly mounting the veiled and somber skies

Triumphant he bears the celestial treasures

Through treachery and stealth of the Akai Sazanami (Scarlet Waves)

Unbeknown to the effects of combining the separate shinju's

Ryujin causes a sudden imbalance of the manakan (high and low tides)

While Ginrin is left caught above the surface/on the nami (waves);

Flipping and flopping, slipping and sloshing on the rise and fall of mizu (water)

* * *

Despair pulls at Tsukuyomi's heart watching Ginrin's last attempts for air

Tho his spirit strong, as he stands firm in the shifting tides of change

Time pulls the teeth

In so, she brings forth her tsukinowa (ring about the moon)

And as a calm eminates from around her corona

So too slips back the water to an eventide


Moishe Pipik © 2011

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