Great harmony, willing, able,
Red string of fate, towing cable
Her worries, fears, she left behind
The visionary class is blind
So armed, greatest, fighting spirit
Argues case with bullet and wit
At first hidden, bored and sullen
Experience shrugged off, ungiven
Purpose questioned, dissent silenced
No one expects hotels violent
Yet faith and confidence to bring
And Eastern bells of victory ring
—!
Oh— a message
"Not here to say, we need a tug
Not shooting nets, for fish to lug
But memory, Tsushima Strait
The channel too defend, no wait
So! let each man do his utmost
For he watches, yes, Tōgō's ghost!"
That ghost nobody there could see
Nor the albatross hanging slyly
Nor this red line, said hitherto
Destiny lies in climes of blue
To say nothing of her sister
Foregoing trinity over
Need of a carrier, nevertheless
Examine no pressure, no stress
Up the mountain, down in the plain,
Shade for the heroes of old slain
While archetypes we walk present
The dock reflects, its image bent
Trials gone through, ready to fight
Though rising sun, future not bright
Was much too far, would not need see
Red castle, province, lost to sea
And dragons that would no more fly
Drink to the moon, reckoning nigh
Followed, running, and back and forth
And back and forth, after time fourth
Union would likely sympathize
No bullets of adequate size
Christmas one eve, the skate ray's gift
Blasted the armor, answer swift
More used, the bathhouse, than her guns
And soon more often, transport runs
Turkeys were shot, wishes to cry
Watching a hawk and a crane die
No rising for the phoenix either
Chance to avenge was denied her
Ventured for once into the fray
Ack, fateful that October day
Alone was left, her sister gone
How could anyone carry on?
Now time to go! Time to attack!
The tin cans come, all fears must lack!
She showed them all, what she could do
But one display? More needed, true
Torpedoes sailed, while history shaped
She had to live, so she escaped.
The tin cans fought like she should have
The number of her friends would halve.
A great trap sprung, soon smoking wrecks
Would make for naught the Emperor's checks
Lost her escorts, tore through her heart
Why had she to with many part?
The pride of her land, more a bane
New plans through minds no longer sane
And to speak of her origin
Its door, enemies barging in
So traditional suicide
So said they that fate on her lied
The codes revealed all needed for
The Americans to raise their score
She sallied on, ready to die
And soon the planes dotted the sky
Her beehive shells lit up the air
The planes too many, was it fair?
The deck was bombed, the deck they'd strafe
No place on deck ever was safe
Listing to port, place often seen
Not the right time, to right self keen
Fireroom, aft, and any hope hit
Memories, wants with mother to sit
She could not fire, steering starboard
Each bomb, another slash of the sword
The flooding merciless, fires raged
Never more to enjoy wine aged
The order every captain should hate
"Abandon ship", it came too late
The self-same moment she could pray;
Capsized, and from her body so free
The great gun mount fell off, and sank
Like lead into the sea.
When our Savior accepted the cup
He foresaw that she would blow up.
So sank with the island country's hopes of victory, its great harmony
But nevertheless, the sun would rise another day, and thereafter, day after day.