White Hare in Dewlight (original)

betweenthetides,themoonshimmerssoftly.
thewhiteharelongedtocrossthesea,
toreachthefarawayshorewhere,itwassaid,
thebeautifulgoddessresided-theoneheadored.

buttheharehadneitherwingsnoraboat.
facedwithanuncrossablesea,hebegantothink.
then,hespoketothesharkslivingintheocean:

"let'sseewhichofushasmore-yourkindormine.
lineupallthewaytothatisland,andI'lljumpacrossandcounty."

thesharks,amused,agreedandlinedup,
andtheharehoppedfrombacktoback,crossingthesea.
butwhenhereachedthelastone,hecouldn'thelpblurtingout:

"I'vedeceivedyou!Iusedyourbackstocrossthesea!"

enraged,thesharkstoredoffhisfur,
andthewhiteharewasleftbleedingontheshore.
thesaltfromtheseastunghiswounds,
andhecurledupinpain,weepingwithnoonetohim.

thencameagroupofgods.
theysawthehareand,amused,said:

"washyourselfinthesea-thatwillhealyou."

theharetrustedtheirwordsanddidasetold,
butthesaltonlymadehissufferingworse.
finally,hecameby.

healonespokegently:

"washyourbodyinthefreshriverwater,
andrestuponthesoftreedsofthebulrush."

theharefollowedhisadvice,
andhiswoundswerehealed.
hiswhite,softfurreturned.

throughtears,hesmiledoncemore
andsaidtothegod:

"youaretheonewhowillmarrythegoddess."

hiswordscametrue-
thekindgodwasunitedwiththegoddess.
thehare'spainandprayerbecameaprophecy,
shiningalightuponthefuture.

--thissong,"inabanoshirousagi",
isbasedonthatancientmyth,
depictingaheartthatcrossesfrompainintolight.
thoughheliedandsuffered,
thehareneverlosthispurewish.
hisspiritbecameasymbolofforgivenessandrebirth.

heentrustedhimselftothewaves,
histearsmeltingintothetide,
andintheend,hebecamethewind,returningtolight.
itspeaksofthestrengththatalllivingbeingspossess-
thepowertobeginagain