Basi Table Wine - Pride of the Ilocos Region

Growing up with Basi - a personal experience 

 Dr Abe V Rotor

  Basi and other wine products in different labels depicting important events and scenes in the Ilocos Region. UNESCO Heritage City of Vigan 

I grew up with an old local industry – basi wine making. Today there are still 18th century jars, which I use in the way my ancestors made the wine for generations.

I remember Lolo Celing (Marcelino) made basi in the cellar, the ground floor of our house made of thick brick wall. In dad's time we had around 500 jars. He was one of the biggest brewers in town in post Commonwealth era, and probably after the infamous Basi Revolt in 1807 when the Ilocanos took arms but lost to the Spaniards who took monopoly over the industry. Many were killed in that short-lived revolt along the Bantaoay River, a river where my brother Eugene and I used to fish purong (mullet) in summer.

Getting drunk at an early age

I was already a farmhand before I was of school age, but dad always warned me not to be an aliwegweg (curious at doing things), the experimenter that I was. One morning as dad went on his routine, first to hear mass in our parish church just across our residential farm, I went down to the cellar with a sumpit (small bamboo tube) to take a sip of the sweet day-old fermenting sugarcane juice. I didn't know that with a sip too many one can get drunk. And that was precisely what made me feel sick, but 1 did not tell dad. He called a doctor to find out what was the matter with me. When the doctor arrived he found me normal. What with the distance from Vigan to San Vicente - on a caleza (horse-drawn carriage)?  But the doctor was whispering something to dad.

Then it happened. Dad had left for the church, so I thought. I went to the cellar and as soon as I probed the sumpit into a newly fermenting jar and took a sip, someone tapped my shoulder in the dark. It was dad!

Imagine the expression of his face (and mine, too) in the dark. I sobbed with embarrassment while he took a deep sigh of relief. Since then the doctor never came again. And I promised dad never to taste my “beverage" again.

Sunset and revival of the basi industry

Years passed. I left home for my studies in Manila, so with my brother and sister. Dad continued the industry until he became very old. By then the demand for the local drink declined as beer and all kinds of wine and liquor, local and imported, began flooding the market. It was requiem to a sunset industry. In 1981, dad died, so with our basi home industry.

Even after finishing agriculture I did not go back to the farm. So with my brother who also became an agriculturist. Not when you are young and thinking of adventure and opportunities. I pursued advanced studies in biological science. Eugene went back to the farm later, so with our sister, Veny, who joined the Divine Word College of Vigan faculty. But the thought of reviving basi was never in our mind.

For how can a local product sell in a highly competitive market? Foreign products have been flooding the market under the import liberalization program of the government. Other questions propped up, but all boiled down to one possible solution - business viability.

As a researcher I studied the indigenous process of basi making. After I had sufficient materials about the subject I made it into a paper which I read in an ASEAN-New Zealand symposium upon the recommendation of Dr. Romualdo del Rosario, a fellow professor at the UST Graduate School. But the native product needed improvement. It was at first a losing proposition, and I realized I was blazing a lost path. But I did not give up.

Rotor Basi won the Business Incentive Development Award (BIDA 1998). 

When I opted for an early retirement from government service in 1989 I found more time with my experiments. The improved product was analyzed by the Food Development Center, a government agency that collaborates with the US Food and Drug Administration. Surprisingly the new basi product passed the European standard for champagne, sherry and port.

But it was no guarantee that it is acceptable in the market. It means that if the product is really that good, it can command a premium price. I began to standardize the product. Soon I was able to establish a consistent level of strength (proof), desired range of acidity, and crystal clear color and clarity. There was improvement in aroma, bouquet, sweetness, aftertaste, among other criteria, which constitute international standards for wine. All these were done in various experiments, often in trial and error method, in others through intricate laboratory procedures. Still in others, only after yearlong aging of the wine.

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Basi Revolt, 1807 

Rotor Basi back label

The revolt took place 400 km north of Manila where Diego and Gabriela Silang heroically fought Spanish rule 50 years earlier. It was ignited by the declaration of Wine Monopoly by the Spanish government, depriving the natives of their centuries old cottage industry. Basi was among the goods exported through the Galleon Trade plying Ciudad Fernandina (now Vigan City) and Europe via Acapulco, Mexico (1565-1815). The final battle took place along the Bantaoay River that runs through the town of San Vicente where scores of Spanish soldiers and natives were killed. It culminated on September 29, 1807. Fourteen big oil paintings depicting the Basi Revolt are displayed at the Vigan Ayala Museum, housed in the original residence of Filipino martyr, Fr. Jose Burgos. The painter, Don Esteban Villanueva was an eyewitness of this historic event. Today, the basi industry is being revived by Ilocano entrepreneurs whose ancestors may be traced to the heroes of the Basi Revolt of 1807 (Dr. A.V. Rotor)

Product Guarantee: Basi is brewed and aged in the traditional way in glazed earthen jars (burnay) from upland sugar cane, glutinous rice, and botanical ingredients – Pithecolobium dulce, Macaranga tenarius, and Syzygium cumini. The final product is harvested directly from the jar one to three years after aging. No flavoring and coloring added, no filter and plastic containers used. The product meets the European Standard for grape wine – Champagne, Port and Sherry. (Reference: PFDCS 2498 and PFDCS 9429, Food Development Center, National Food Authority) Approximately 21 proof. (Reference: 01-00-0CL-0017, Industrial Technology Development Institute, Department of Science and Technology) A product of NACIDA Home Industry, San Vicente, Ilocos Sur, Philippines. Content 750 ml /375 ml.

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Lastly, I began working on product presentation. The labels I developed are a series of color photographs of historical places of the Ilocos Region, and the story of the Basi Revolt of 1807.

A breakthrough came after receiving the Business Idea for Development and Achievement (BIDA) Award, and a favorable product endorsement by the Department of Agriculture (MARID). Other than the Ilocano balikbayan, the market expanded to include tourist shops, wine connoisseurs, and even church groups.

I am sure Dad must be smiling up there. Here is a toast for you, Dad.

 

 

Author shows golden leaves of samat (Macranga tenarius), and bubod  (local yeast complex culture), which are principal 

ingredients in basi making.

 

Basi is ideally aged from 2 to 5 years in earthen jar 

sealed hermetically with clay.~  

Graduation Follow up (Folk Wisdom for Growing Up Summer Workshop for Children)

Dr Abe V Rotor

In view of the coming election, the workshop graduation was held Wednesday, instead of Friday.  Participants who failed to attend must get in touch with LAHA, or the instructor. 

Make up assignment for those who lack attendance and have not received their certificate: download all workshop lessons and compile them in a folder with table of contents.  

  Features of the Summer Workshop

April 17  – May 13, 2013

1. Summer workshop for children of school age - 7 to 12

2. Recommended and sponsored by officers of Lagro homeowners Association

3. Class size: 25 to 30, preferably of equal gender

4. Venue and facilities: Laha Conference Hall, with working tables, blackboard,
proper ventilation. (Multi media and sound system, optional)

5. Attendance: ten sessions, three hours each, thrice a week; in addition  field trip, exhibition of selected works, and graduation.

6. Class rules: same as in school, on grooming, attendance, performance

7. Recognition: Grading and ranking, citations, exhibit award.

8. Lessons in 6 parts or chapters (list below).

9. Teaching method: Lecture-demo, hands-on, team work, field lecture,
tutoring if needed.

10. Broadcast Link: 738 DZRB Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid, 8 to 9 evening class, Monday to Friday

11. Internet Link: avrotor.blogspot.com Living with Nature, School on Blog

12. Accreditation: Certificate of participation, UST Faculty of Arts & Letters faculty outreach program

13. Field lecture and on-the spot painting: La Mesa Eco Park

14. Special project: Exhibit of selected work, and graduation

15. Cooperating organizations: LAHA, LGU, UST, others

MWF 8 to11 AM, April 17 start of classes

  

 

 

Background

Children come every Sunday afternoon to the house in Lagro. At first there were six, then two dozens -  children ages 7 to 13 years from the neighborhood. They call me Lolo Abe, their mentor.

They are in the grades and in high school and they are intelligent. And they are a happy lot. They like to come and want to know what I am doing with the microscope, how I mix colors and paint on canvas, play the violin, feed the fish in the aquarium. Or visit an mongrel dog I gave a home.

We meet under a covered front yard and under the trees. It is sort of extension class. Lessons were compiled and became a source book.  It has six chapters with thirty  articles.

1.    Keeping Tradition Alive

2.    Appreciating Nature’s Beauty and Bounty

3.    Building Good Health and Lifestyle

4.    Developing Practical Skills and Self-Reliance

5.    Tapping Talents in the Humanities

6.    Emulating Models of Greatness

Some have attended as many as 12 sessions, three hours each.  They started talking about school projects, home remedies, and things about growing up – or at least, not cartoon characters, computer games, or frequenting the malls. But what happens after?  

The lessons are taken up on  Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid hosted by Ms Melly C Tenorio and myself as the instructor. The program is linked up with School on Blog [avrotor.blogspot.com], broadcast simultaneously every 8 to 9 in the evening, Monday to Friday on 738 DZRB AM.

The children simply open the Blog and read the lessons. They can download and print them. New lessons are posted regularly to keep the program going. They join the viewers on the Internet (500,000 pageviews to date), and the audience of  the radio program. On PBS and Bureau of Broadcast  network nationwide and on [www.pbs.gov.ph] worldwide

Learning can be simplified with today’s technology and vast networking. Education can be made available to everyone.  Lessons become practical, literacy functional with the least cost. Let us start with the kids in the neighborhood.  ~

Folk Wisdom for Growing Up Workshop: Arch of the Setting Sun - Lagro QC (A Lesson on poetry writing)

Dr Abe V Rotor
Write a short poem on this topic. Follow the conventional rhythm-rhyme-meter style.  If you find it difficult, write in free verse. 

Sunset is captured by the Lagro Arch, its golden rays turning into amber, leaving  the arch a silhouette with a neo-Greco-Roman touch. The arch never sleeps, it is a gateway to a big subdivision.    

I watch the sun set from where I live, 

under an arch splashed 

in gold and amber in peaceful repose 

as each day comes to pass.  

With the horizon melting with the sky, 

and memories of the day - 

into the darkness of night sleep -

save the spirits to stay. 

Life with the arch of the setting sun 

gets nearer to the Creator,        

each pass a notch of time and beauty

to the Angelus hour.  

Folk Wisdom for Growing Up Workshop: Arch of the Setting Sun - Lagro QC (A Lesson on poetry writing)

Dr Abe V Rotor
Write a short poem on this topic. Follow the conventional rhythm-rhyme-meter style.  If you find it difficult, write in free verse. 

Sunset is captured by the Lagro Arch, its golden rays turning into amber, leaving  the arch a silhouette with a neo-Greco-Roman touch. The arch never sleeps, it is a gateway to a big subdivision.    

I watch the sun set from where I live, 

under an arch splashed 

in gold and amber in peaceful repose 

as each day comes to pass.  

With the horizon melting with the sky, 

and memories of the day - 

into the darkness of night sleep -

save the spirits to stay. 

Life with the arch of the setting sun 

gets nearer to the Creator,        

each pass a notch of time and beauty

to the Angelus hour.  

Folk Wisdom for Growing Up Lesson: Gandhi - Model for all ages, for all faiths, for all times. And for all Humanity

Folk Wisdom for Growing Up Lesson: Gandhi - Model for all ages, for all faiths, for all times.  And for all Humanity

Dr Abe V Rotor

Gandhi, the Guru (regarded as father of his country,

the enlightened, wise man, hero, short of being a god)

As a model of simple and righteous living among his people

Gandhi as a young lawyer, educated in England
Gandhi in his early adolescence

Gandhi: Model for all ages, for all faiths, for all times. And for all Humanity

Mahatma Gandhi, Man of the Millennium, interprets the Seven Deadly Sins as follows:

1. Wealth without Work
2. Pleasure without Conscience
3. Science without Humanity
4. Knowledge without Character
5. Politics without Principle
6. Commerce without Morality
7. Worship without Sacrifice
After viewing the film, Gandhi, with my students, I presented a comparison of Gandhi's interpretation with Vatican's Seven Cardinal Sins, which are as follows:

1. Anger
2. Gluttony
3. Wrath
4. Sloth
5. Lust
6. Greed
7. Envy

Gandhi has built a bridge of understanding not only between the Christians and the non-Christians - but among different faiths - that goodness is universal. His way to the Truth, his way to Peace through non-violence, in fact the way he lived and died - truly make him the Man of the Millennium (Time).

Here are beautiful passages from the Man of the the Millennium.

1. "Nonviolence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man."

2. "Truth is what the voice within tells you."

3. "Truth is the right designation of God."

4. "Truth and nonviolence will never be destroyed."

5. "Truth is like a vast tree which yields more and more fruit the more you nurture it."

6. "Truth alone will endure, all the rest will be swept away before the tide of time."

7. "Truth is self-evident, nonviolence is its maturest fruit, it is contained in Truth, but is not self-evident."

8. "Truth is the first to be sought for, and Beauty and Goodness will then be added unto you."

9. "Nonviolence is a weapon of the strong"

10. "The essence of all religions is one. Only their approaches are different."

11. "Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever."

12. "We must become the change we want to see in the world."

13. "Intellect takes us along in the battle of life to a certain limit, but at the crucial moment it fails us. Faith transcends reason. It is when the horizon is the darkest and human reason is beaten down to the ground that faith shines brightest and comes to our rescue."

14. "No culture can live if it attempts to be exclusive."

15. "Men often become what they believe themselves to be. If I believe I cannot do something, it makes me incapable of doing it. But when I believe I can, then I acquire the ability to do it even if I didn't have it in the beginning."

16. "Nearly everything you do is of no importance, but it is important that you do it."

17. "I have nothing new to teach the world. Truth and Non-violence are as old as the hills. All I have done is to try experiments in both on as vast a scale as I could."

18. "Man should forget his anger before he lies down to sleep."

19. "Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will."

20. "My imperfections and failures are as much a blessing from God as my successes and my talents and I lay them both at his feet."

21. "Human kind has to get out of violence only through nonviolence. Hatred can be overcome only by love. Counter-hatred only increases the surface as well as the depth of hatred."

22. "Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed."

23. "Consciously or unconsciously, everyone of us does render some service or another. If we cultivate the habit of doing this service deliberately, our desire for service will steadily grow stronger, and it will make not only for our own happiness, but that of the world at large."

24. "Men say I am a saint losing himself in politics. The fact is that I am a politician trying my hardest to become a saint."

25. "Prayer is a confession of one's own unworthiness and weakness."

26. "Justice that love gives is a surrender, justice that law gives is a punishment."

27. "You can chain me, you can torture me, you can even destroy this body, but you will never imprison my mind."

28. "The badge of the violent is his weapon, spear, sword or rifle. God is the shield of the non-violent."

29. "All faiths constitute a revelation of Truth, but all are imperfect and liable to error"
"My religion is based on truth and non-violence. Truth is my God. Non-violence is the means of realising Him."

30. "If Christians would really live according to the teachings of Christ, as found in the Bible, all of India would be Christian today."

31. "There is a higher court than courts of justice and that is the court of conscience. It supersedes all other courts."

32. "Exercise of faith will be the safest where there is a clear determination summarily to reject all that is contrary to truth and love"

33. "Joy lies in the fight, in the attempt, in the suffering involved, not in the victory itself"

34. "Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony."

35. “The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”

36. “The law an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.”

37. “There is nothing that wastes the body like worry, and one who has any faith in God should be ashamed to worry about anything whatsoever”

38. “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”

39. Whenever you have truth it must be given with love, or the message and the messenger will be rejected.”40. “When I admire the wonder of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in worship of the Creator”

41. “The law of love could be best understood and learned through little children.”42. “Faith... Must be enforced by reason...When faith becomes blind it dies.”

43. “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”44. “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

45. “The most heinous and the most cruel crimes of which history has record have been committed under the cover of religion or equally noble motives”

46. “The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world's problems”

47. “If I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning.”

48. “A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave.”

49. “An error does not become truth by reason of multiplied propagation, nor does truth become error because nobody sees it.”

50. “A man is but the product of his thoughts what he thinks, he becomes.”

NOTE: In response to the increasing abuses and excesses of postmodernism and capitalism, three cardinal sins have been proposed to be added to the original seven, namely, indifference, particularly towards the needy; environmental degradation leading to ecological disaster; direct intervention to life, such as cloning, and embryonic stemcell therapy. Gandhi's interpretation of the cardinal sins provide precaution and moderation to these scourge of the so-called Good Life.

Acknowledgment: Famous Personalities, India, Mahatma Gandhi by சிவாஜி
Mahatma Gandhi Quotes Greatquotes.com, Sources of Insights, Internet; Gandhi the Movie

Folk Wisdom Ingenuity and Serendipity (Summer Workshop for Kids)

Dr Abe V Rotor

Summer Workshop for kids, Lagro QC

1. Sugar solution extends the life of cut flowers.

In horticulture, they call this pulsing, a technique of providing nourishment and extending the shelf life of cut flowers. This technique lengthens vase life twice as much.  It allows buds to open and postpones stem collapse, while it enhances freshness of the opened flowers.

Pulsing for roses is done by immersing the stem ends for one to three hours in 10% sugar solution, and for gladiolus 12 to 24 hours in 20% sugar solution. Daisies, carnation, chrysanthemums, and the like are better handled if harvested and transported in their immature stage, then opened by pulsing.  It is best to cut the stem at an angle, dipped 6 to 12 hours in 10% sugar solution compounded with 200 ppm of 8-hydroxyquinoline sulfate, 100 ppm citric acid.  Best results are obtained at cool temperature and low relative humidity.

  

2. Control common insect pests with red pepper (siling labuyo).

These are the ways old folks make use of red pepper or siling labuyo (Capsicum annuum) in controlling destructive insects.

·        To protect mungbeans from bean weevil (Callosobruchus maculatus), thoroughly dry some 8 to 10 ripe labuyo and place them in a tea bag.  Place the bag inside the glass jar or plastic container in which mungbean is stored.  Cover hermetically. Effective protection against the pest is from three to six months.  Just be sure the mungbean is well dried (14 percent moisture) before storage.     

·        When spraying garden plants, crush 5 to 10 pieces of ripe labuyo in one gallon of water (5 liters), and apply the solution with sprinkler like watering the plants.  Repeat every week until there are no signs of insects and other pests in your garden. You may add a pinch of powder soap, preferably natural soap (Perla) Note: Don’t apply on tomato, eggplant, potato, tobacco and pepper itself.  These belong to the same family – Solanaceae – and may be affected by the mosaic virus the labuyo may be carrying.  Use it instead on other plants.

3. Ants on the move means that a strong rain, if not a typhoon, is coming. Cockroaches come out of their abode and seek for shelter outside.

The biological clock of these creatures responds to invisible signals, which comprise decreased atmospheric pressure, high relative humidity and air temperature. Their sensitive antennae and tactile hairs covering their body pick these up these changes of the environment. Thus we find ants in exodus, they move as a colony carrying their eggs and young indoors. Cockroaches become unusually active, flying about in frenzy, in search for a new place. There is a common message, that is, to escape to safer ground, an archetype engrained in their genes passed on to them by their ancestors through evolution.

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“Rediscovering indigenous knowledge and folk wisdom enlarges and enhances our history and tradition. Even beliefs and practices, which we may not be able to explain scientifically, can be potential materials for research. And if in our judgment they fail to meet such test, still they are valuable to us because they are part of our culture and they contribute immensely to the quaintness of living.”

- A.V. Rotor

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4. If the father or mother leaves the house, place the clothes he or she last worn beside the sleeping child so that he goes into deep sleep.   

This is pheromones in action. Pheromones are chemical signals for bonding in the animal world, and among humans. Like the queen bee that keeps its colony intact through pheromones, so we are attracted by a similar odor, although of a less specific one.  People are compatible through smell. Pheromones are left in  clothes and other belongings, so that a baby may remain fast asleep as if he were in his mother’s or father’s arms.  

5.  Press the base of the nail of the large toe to wake an unconscious person.

First, place the patient in a comfortable position, loosen his clothes for better blood circulation, and be sure he gets fresh air. It is a common practice to fan an unconscious person or to keep him warm if he is cold. Using your thumb slowly press the base of the large toe and watch for signs that the patient is coming back to consciousness. First he stirs, pulls his leg away from your hold (if he senses pain), then takes a deep breath which is usually accompanied by moan. Release your hold.  Repeat until he becomes fully conscious. If he does not respond, press harder but be gentle.  Try the other large toe. If there is no response immediately sought for medical attention. Remember that prolonged unconsciousness endangers the patient to harm complications.

6. Lighted candles drive flies away.

Houseflies (Musca domestica) are the most popular uninvited guests during a party, especially if it is one held outdoor. Before they build into a swarm, light some candles and place them strategically where they are most attracted.   Candle smoke drives away houseflies and blue bottle flies (bangaw), keeping them at bay until the party is over. For aesthetic reason, make the setup attractive by using decorative candles and holders, especially one that can withstand a sudden gust of wind. Otherwise, just plant a large candle or two, at the middle of the serving table. If your guests ask what is this all about, blow the candle out momentarily and they will understand.

7. Gulat ang gamut sa sinok. To stop hiccup, jolt the person.

Now and then anyone may fall into a pit of hiccup for reasons not well understood even in the medical field.  But as sudden and unpredictable it came, just by jolting the person is enough to terminate hiccup. 

This is what you can do to help your friend in a pit. The first remedy is to give him water. If this does not work, gently massage the back of his head.  If still this does not work, secretly time the interval of his hiccup.  Jolt him up real good coinciding with the next hiccup.  Pronto! The hiccup is gone.

.      

8. Stop that sneeze quick!

Press the base of your nose hard and hold it there until the urge to sneeze subsides. You may do it subtlety even in the middle of a speech or conference, but don’t wait for the last minute; sneeze can’t wait.

      

9. Press the base of the jaw joint to relieve toothache.

There’s a saying that when your tooth aches, there’s nothing you can do about it except to take painkiller. Mabuti pa ang sakit ng tiyan.  At least for stomach ache you can manage to find a comfortable position, or press the painful part to secure relief.

But here is a simple remedy Dr. Vanda Hernandez, school dentist of St. Paul University QC, demonstrated which I found to be effective. There is a mass of nerve cells called Gasserian ganglion that connects the nerves of the gums and teeth, and their surroundings. Now this is how the simple remedy works.  Open your mouth wide, feel where the joint of the jaw is located. Now close your mouth and press this nerve center with the finger until you obtain relief. Do this along the side of the affected tooth. Repeat until pain subsides.  Once you have practiced the technique, you can do it discreetly even with people around when the need arises.     

10. Smoke therapy (suob) –  old folks’ aroma therapy.     

Basang, my auntie who took care of me when I was a child, was sick and dying. Doctor Catalino, our rural physician, gave her injection but her condition did not improve, and now she was in a pit of convulsion.  As a last ditch Cousin Bistra who knew something about herbal cure gathered leaves of kamias (Averrhoa balimbi) and roasted it on charcoal until a characteristic aroma began to fill the room. Fanning it over the patient face, with prayers chanted, Basang began to calm down, the color of her skin improved, and soon fell into deep sleep. 

Ms. Precila Delima who is taking her doctorate in biology in UST related in class a practice among the Ibanag of Cagayan of using suob by mothers who have just given birth. Garlic and shallot onion (sibuyas tagalog) are roasted on charcoal, and packed with cloth.  While still warm the patient sits on the pack for several minutes, with her whole body covered with blanket.  She perspires profusely, eliminating wastes and toxins from her body.  The whole procedure is closely attended to by the “olds” in the family with the direction of the village manghihilot or homegrown midwife (comadrona or  partera Ilk.). Old folks believe that this practice is important because it drives out evil spirits or wards them off in order to prepare the way the mother faces the crucial responsibility of motherhood – after child bearing follows the bigger task - child rearing. ~

Fireflies and stars are but one

Dr. Abe V. Rotor

Starry night at Mt Everest (Wikipedia)

In a dark night look at the sky. The stars
Are living gems, they’re a thousand eyes;
They soothe the soul, heal wounds into scars –
They come down to mingle with fireflies.

Fireflies and stars in the night are one,
Like flowers and bees basking in the sun.

Short is the life of man; he is but a living dust,
But many great things come to pass.
Someday you shall learn from the sages,
In a world where man through the ages
Craves for glory, yet finds emptiness;
Go light a candle and sigh in gladness.

Fireflies and stars in the night are one,
Like flowers and bees basking in the sun.

x x x