In a time when gods strolled with men,
And Ibalong's colonies, free from monstrous den,
Lived a bronzed fisherman, youth in his prime,
Kind and robust, under the sun's golden climb.
One day, amidst fishing with comrades so true,
His net entwined a mermaid, a breathtaking view.
Beautiful, yet fierce, the sea's creature rare,
Spears poised to strike, a perilous affair.
But the young fisherman, brave in his stand,
Halted the others, a decision unplanned.
Into the waves, he leapt without fear,
Freed the mermaid, as her eyes held a tear.
Weeks passed, a storm arose, skies turned gray,
Boats overturned, a dire display.
The fisherman, trapped, saw a familiar face,
The mermaid saved him, in that storm's embrace.
Vicious Magindara, flesh-eating and cruel,
Devoured his comrades, a fate so cruel.
He, the lone survivor, fate turned his way,
Bountiful catches, each and every day.
Under the moon's gentle, silvery gleam,
He met his mermaid by the ocean's soft seam.
But envy and suspicion, like shadows, crept near,
As rumors spread, whispered words in the ear.
Another storm struck, wrath upon the land,
Seeking blame, torches flared in the hand.
The young fisherman, his mermaid so fair,
Accused of dealings with Asuang's dark lair.
Torches ablaze, weapons raised high,
The mob sought vengeance, to make them both die.
Unaware, on a nearby island's shore,
Bulan, the lunar god, heard the uproar.
Luminous and fair, he descended with grace,
A celestial presence, radiance in his face.
Wind nymphs followed, in the moonlit night,
As the people bowed, in awe and in fright.
"Why harm a mermaid and this mortal so dear?"
Bulan inquired, his voice pure and clear.
Explanations given, jealousy laid bare,
He declared innocence, the couple to spare.
Released by the lunar god's divine decree,
The fisherman pleaded, his heart filled with plea.
He begged to depart, from this hateful abode,
To live in peace, away from envy's cruel code.
Bulan smiled, granted their plea so sweet,
Turned them to milkfish, a fate replete.
In a bubble of water, they joyfully swam,
Protected by wind nymphs, in their newfound realm.
Promising bountiful harvests, storms they'd repel,
If the villagers vowed, their secret to quell.
As Bulan departed, in grace and delight,
The milkfish guardians embraced their new night.
In the lake of Matukad, their haven so fair,
Tiny milkfish transformed, water they'd share.
Bulan wished them joy in their aquatic embrace,
Guardians of his lagoon, in their watery grace.
Centuries passed, memories faded away,
Bulan in slumber, in a mountain's stay.
The pact forgotten, greed took its toll,
A fisherman discovered, the lake's hidden soul.
One milkfish captured, a triumph declared,
But greed's consequence, a fate they shared.
The village feasted, unaware of the cost,
For those who partook, in death were lost.
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