Prose

England has sonnet, rondel and limerick. Japan has haiku, tanka, renga, and katuata. And Philippines has tanaga, dalit, and pisiya.
 
If you are familiar with Filipino poetry, then you might be wondering, "Uhm, Yehoshua, pardon please? What in the world is pisiya?" Well if you do, I'm not surprised. Pisiya is not yet recognized by the Philippine National Commission of the Arts. It was created just this March (Year 2012) by (believe it or not) me.
 
Combining a Japanese poetry features and Hebrew *numerology, I created this poetical feature in order to enrich the Filipino poetry. It started with my creation of the first poem written in one of its forms called kadasa ("Kadasa 1 - Kabanalan At Biyaya/Holiness and Grace") and another poem written in another form of pisiya called takasa ("Takasa1 Kapakumbabaan ni Cristo/Humility Of Christ).
 
Pisiya is actually a set of new Filipino poetical forms that consists of **heptasyllabic and ***enneasyllabic lines (from which the term "pisiya" is coined; the Filipino words "pito" meaning seven and "siyam" meaning nine). The currently existing pisiya forms are kadasa, takasa, stauric a, and stauric b.
 
1. Kadasa - a form of pisiya having a 7-9-7 -9-7-7-9-9 syllabication and follows an ABABCAC rhyming pattern. It was so called because the theme of the first poem I've written in this form (Holiness and Grace) was God in His Holiness (Hebrew 'HaKodesh' Holy One).
 

 Example:Yehoshua Ben Peleh Shim'yonay's Kadasa 1 - Kabanalan At Biyaya (Holiness And Grace)

 
Rhyming key A (-os),7 syllables- Dakila ka, O Diyos,
Rhyming key B (-o), 9 syllables - Ako'y namamangha sa Iyo!
Rhyming key A (-os),7 syllables- Pinuno mo'ng ouranos
Rhyming key B (-o), 9 syllables - Ng kadak'la't kabanalan mo
Rhyming key C (-i), 7 syllables - At tulad ko'y marumi;
Rhyming key A (-os),7 syllables- O aba sa'king lubos!
Rhyming key C (-i), 9 syllables - Sa biyaya Mo, Ikaw pa ri'y
Rhyming key B (-o), 9 syllables - Nagmamahal sa isang tulad ko! 
 
(How great are You, O Most High
O how I am so amazed by You!
For Your glory fills the sky
And so does the holiness of You
And such like me is undone;
O how so woeful am I!
But still Your grace reached out to this man,
Your love - the greatest - brought me to You!)
 
2. Takasa - a pisiya contains three poetic form fixed together as one stanza, namely:
 

Tanaga - a form of Filipino poem that contains four heptasyllabic lines and traditionally follows an AAAA rhyming scheme. In a takasa, it follows an AABB rhyming scheme and functions as an introduction for the theme.

 

Kadasa - a new form of Filipino poem that contains eight lines having 7-9-7-9-7-7-9-9 syllabication. As an independent poem, it follows an ABABCACB rhyming scheme but in a takasa, it follows CDCDABAB pattern. Kadasa functions in a takasa as the "body" or expounder of the theme.

 

Siyamin (from Tagalog word "siyam" meaning nine) - a Filipino term for a poem having enneasyllabic lines. In a takasa, contains four lines and functions as the conclusion.

 
A takasa follows an A-A-B-B (for tanaga) - C-D-C-D-A-B-A--B (for kadasa) - C-C-D-D (for siyamin) rhyming scheme.
 

Example: Yehoshua Ben Peleh Shim'yonay's Takasa 1 - Kapakumbabaan Ni Cristo (Humility Of Christ)

 
Rhyming key A (-a), 7 syllables - Dapat magpakababa
Rhyming key A (-a), 7 syllables - At maglingkod sa iba,
Rhyming key B (-o), 7 syllables - Pasanin 'yong kalbario
Rhyming key B (-o), 7 syllables - At tularan si Cristo, (tanaga)
Rhyming key C (-os),7 syllables- Tunay at likas na Dios
Rhyming key D (-an),9 syllables- Ngunit 'di inari'ng kadaklan,
Rhyming key C (-os),7 syllables- Ang Hari ng ouranos
Rhyming key D (-an),9 syllables- Na hinubad kalwalhatian,
Rhyming key A (-a), 7 syllables - Sia na Dios na bumaba
Rhyming key B (-o), 7 syllables - Bilang Anak ng Tao,
Rhyming key A (-a), 9 syllables - Hirap ng alipi'y kinuha
Rhyming key B (-o), 9 syllables - At sumunod hanggang napako (kadasa)
Rhyming key C (-os),9 syllables- Kaya't Sia'y dinakilang lubos
Rhyming key C (-os),9 syllables- At sa lahat Sia ay inungos
Rhyming key D (-an),9 syllables- Na ang lahat Sia'y luluhuran
Rhyming key D (-an),9 syllables- At si Cristo'y pananambahan. (siyamin)
 
(Meekness must be accepted
And into serving be led,
Carry your cross, you Christian
And imitate Christ the Son,
Though, in being, God truly
But His glory He did not held on,
Reigned over heavens Kingly
But His majesty He abandoned,
God Himself who descended
To become a son of man,
Grasped servant-hood to be afflicted
And up to the cross was compliant
Therefore, He was glorified greatly
And o'er all, given authority
That for Him, to knees, all will be on
And to Christ be all adoration.)
 
Takasa is the Tagalog pronunciation of TKS which stands for Tanaga, Kadasa, and Siyamin.
 
3. Stauric A (or, in Filipino, Estauriko A) - a pisiya that that consists of two heptasyllabic lines plus two enneasyllabic lines forming a four-lined stanzaic verse that follows an ABAB rhyming scheme. This form is taken from the lower verse of kadasa. It's name in Greek means "of the cross", after the theme of the first poem I've written in this form entitled "The Cross" (Greek word "stauros" meaning cross/intersecting beams). 
 

Example: Yehoshua Ben Peleh Shim'yonay's Estauriko 1 - Ang Krus (The Cross)

 
Rhyming key A (-o), 7 syllables - Ang estauro ni Cristo
Rhyming key B (-aw),7 syllables- Ay hindi pagkasaw
Rhyming key A (-o), 7 syllables - Ngunit sa *Seol ay pagtalo
Rhyming key B (-aw),7 syllables- At sa kasalana'y paggapi.
 
(The wooden cross of Jesus
Is not a sign of defeat
But a victory over Hades
And a triumph over sin is it.)
 
4. Stauric b (or, in Filipino, Estauriko A) - a pisiya that consists of two heptasyllabic lines and two enneasyllabic lines arranged alternately and follows an AABB rhyming scheme. It is taken from the upper verse of the kadasa.
 

Example: Yehoshua Ben Peleh Shim'yonay's Estauriko B 1 - Sa Krus (On the Cross)

 
Rhyming key A (-o), 7 syllables - Kasama ko si Cristo,
Rhyming key A (-o), 7 syllables - Sa estauro, ako'y napako
Rhyming key B (-ay),7 syllables- Na sa 'ki'y bagong buhay
Rhyming key B (-ay),7 syllables- Sa pagbangon Niya sa patay.
 
(With the Savior Christ Jesus
I am already nailed on the cross
A new life's what I'm living
When He rose up again from dying.)
 
5. Pisiyang Rondo - A pisiya having combined features of the Filipino pisiya and the French rondeau. It contains a series of stanzas, each having tanaga (4 lines heptasyllablic lines) as its body and 2 enneayllabic lines as its refrain.
 

Example: Yehoshua Ben Peleh Shim'yonay's Pisyang Rondo 1 - Sa Mga Kalalakihan

Gaano man kahirap (7 syllables)
Sa pagsubok humarap, (7 syllables)
Gaano man katuso (7 syllables)
Bumayubay ang diablo - (7 syllables)
Tunay na lalaki ang sa Dios (9 syllables)
Nagpapakatatag ng lubos. (9 syllables)
 
Gaya'ng mga propeta
Na tumindig sa tama,
Siya'y naninindigan
Kahit mapahiya man - 
Tunay na lalaki ang sa Dios
Nagpapakatatag ng lubos.
 
Damdamin nia'y matibay
Sa iisang maybahay
Puso'y 'di maligaw ng
Ibang kababaihan - 
Tunay na lalaki ang sa Dios
Nagpapakatatag ng lubos.
 
'Sang gabay na butihin
Sa kanyang mga supling;
Ang Salita ng Dios sa
Kan'la'y pinamamana - 
Tunay na lalaki ang sa Dios
Nagpapakatatag ng lubos.
 
Salita nia'y may diwa,
Wika'y sinasagawa;
Dangal nia'y walang pilat
Sa dila niang matapat - 
Tunay na lalaki ang sa Dios
Nagpapakatatag ng lubos.
 
Umaapaw sa pag-ibig
Kahit sa umuusig,
Dalangi'y pagpapala
Kahit sa sumusumpa - 
Tunay na lalaki ang sa Dios
Nagpapakatatag ng lubos.
 
Sia'y puno ng pag-asa
Lahat man ay mawala,
Patuloy na nananalig
Mabigat ma'ng pagliglig - 
Tunay na lalaki ang sa Dios
Nagpapakatatag ng lubos.
 
Sa 'Spiritu'y nanggaling
Kanyang taglay na galng,
Lakas ni Jesu-Cristo
Sa kanya'y nagtatayo - 
Tunay na lalaki ang sa Dios
Nagpapakatatag ng lubos.
 
'San na'ng mga lalaki
Na tunay at mabuti?
Saan nga ba lumikas
Tunay na malalakas?
Tunay na lalaki ang sa Dios
Nagpapakatatag ng lubos.
 
Bangon, kalalakihan!
Bangon sa katuwiran;
Bumangon kang matibay
Mula sa pagkatamlay - 
Tunay na lalaki ang sa Dios
Umiibig ng lubos-lubos!
 
 
*Numerology for me is just a study of symbolical essences of numbers. I don't believe that a certain value is auspicious. (Sorry if this offends you. I'm not a skeptic. I do believe in God but I just don't believe in luck.)
**Meaning seven-syllables
***Meaning nine syllables
 
-Yehoshua ben Peleh Shim'onai
 
(Please like my FB page for this: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pisiya-New-Filipino-Poetry-Forms/272630466147306)