Four Black Dragons

[FISHERMAN]
I was standing on the beach
Near the cliffs
Of Oshima
I was spreading out the nets
For the morning sun
It was early in July
And the day was getting hot
And I stopped to wipe my eyes
And by accident I turned
And looked out to sea...

And there came
Breaking through the mist
Roaring through the sea
Four black dragons
Spitting fire
And I ran
Cursing through the fields
Calling the alarm
Shouting to the world
"Four black dragons
Spitting fire!"

And the earth trembled
And the sky cracked
And I thought it was the end of the world

[THIEF]
I was rifling through the house
Of some priests
In Uraga
It was only after dawn
They were sleeping still
I had finished with the silks
I was hunting for the gold
When I heard them getting up
So I bolted through a door
Which looked out to sea...

[FISHERMAN]
And there came...

[THIEF]
And there came...

[FISHERMAN]
Breaking through the mist...

[THIEF]
Boiling through the mist...

[FISHERMAN]
Roaring through the sea...

[THIEF]
Rising from the sea...

[FISHERMAN]
Four black dragons...

[THIEF]
Four volcanoes...

[FISHERMAN]
Spitting fire...

[THIEF]
Spitting fire!
And I ran...

[FISHERMAN]
And I ran...

[THIEF]
Cursing down the halls …

[FISHERMAN]
Cursing through the fields …

[THIEF]
Shouting to the priests...

[FISHERMAN]
Shouting to the world...

[FISHERMAN & THIEF]
"Notify the gods!"

[FISHERMAN]
Four black dragons

[THIEF]
Four volcanoes

[FISHERMAN & THIEF]
Spitting fire!

[RECITER]
And the feet pattered
And the men came down to stare
And the women started screaming
Like the gulls

[TOWNSPEOPLE]
Hai! Hai!

[RECITER]
And the crowded into temples
And they flapped about the square—

[TOWNSPEOPLE]
Hai!

[RECITER]
Like the gulls

[TOWNSPEOPLE]
Hai!
Hai! Hai!
Four black dragons
Spitting fire!

[RECITER]
Then the hooves clattered
And the warriors were there
Diving quickly through the panic
Like the gulls

[TOWNSPEOPLE]
Hai! Hai!

[RECITER]
And the swords were things of beauty
As they glided through the air

[TOWNSPEOPLE]
Hai!

[RECITER]
Like the gulls

[TOWNSPEOPLE]
Hai!
Hai! Hai!
Four black dragons
Spitting fire!

[FISHERMAN]
I had seen
Dragons before
Never so many
Never like these

[THIEF & ENSEMBLE]
And the sun darkened
And the sea bubbled
And the earth trembled
And the sky cracked
And I thought it was the end
Of the world!

[FISHERMAN, THIEF & ENSEMBLE]
And I thought it was the end
Of the world!

[RECITER, spoken]
And it was