Post by jez on Oct 18, 2008 15:27:03 GMT -1
The Silver Branch
A silver branch
Is in my hand
And o'er the sea
Someone is spinning
A golden thread
To guide me home
When I reach the Isle of Women.
-
By the border of my hall
I stood and stayed beyond my wall
And heard a harping all around
But could not catch the source of sound
I spun and started here and there
No trace I found of harper fair
Behind, beyond
Beneath, between,
A music never seen.
A stealthy slumber crept on me
And bent my will, and bowed my knee
I, in a faint, fell on the ground
Enchanted by that soothing sound
A dream I had of sapphire seas
Of silver birds and golden trees
A paradise,
A land of youth,
A land met but in dreams.
When I awoke beside me, there,
All edged with apple blossom fair
A branch of silver placed so bold
Bejewelled with diamonds, pearls and gold.
I bore it thence within my hall
And there a Queen appeared to all
She sang Her song,
She laid Her chant,
Her siren spell unseen
She took the silver branch and then
She vanished from the sight of men
The air hung still and gave a sigh
Her spell, once sung, refused to die.
I gathered up my foster kin
Thrice nine I took across the main
Three swiftest ships
Six banks of oars,
We followed o'er the waves
For two long nights we rowed our best
Then, riding on the foaming crest
We spied a chariot of flame
Manawydan, the driver's name -
"All round you is my realm", He said
"You see but waves; I see land's bed
My horse herds rush
My forests lush
My fields of flowing grain."
We heaved our boats and gaped in awe
Before the god who told us more
Of islands dark and winds of ice
Where perils lurked by paradise
And then He laid a silver line
Across the waves, a vision fine
And He was gone
We rowed full long
Now guided to our dream.
Beside that silver line we spied
An island where loud laughter cried
And tempted us to set our feet -
One went ashore those folks to greet -
But as he touched that fatal shore
He knew us not, returned no more
We called him, but
He would not turn -
We left him to his fate.
Yet as the light began to fail
Another Isle we saw so pale.
The silver path touched on its strand
But we were far too feared to land.
Then there the fairy Singer came
The Queen of our enchanted game
She threw Her golden
Thread to me
And caught, I came to Her
A year we spent upon Her shore;
All we desired, she gave, and more;
The air was warm, the skies were bright
The days were long, and long each night -
A paradise beyond the seas
With lakes of wine and scented breeze
But yet we'd grown
So sick for home
At last we sailed away.
The Isle of Joy we left behind
In eagerness once more to find
Our families, our own fair dales
But no-one knew us save as tales
Five hundred years have passed, they say
While we have feasted far away
One jumped ashore -
But when he touched
His body turned to dust.
And so we'll tell our tale for you
And then I'll turn my boats and crew.
We'll row back on our silver road
And find again the Land of Gold
We'll leave our ancient hills and fells
And fade back into singers' tales
The Otherworld
Will be our home,
The land of all our dreams.
--
A silver branch
Is in my hand
And o'er the sea
Someone is spinning
A golden thread
To guide me home
When I reach the Isle of Women.
© Jezreell 2006 – given at the end of August
A silver branch
Is in my hand
And o'er the sea
Someone is spinning
A golden thread
To guide me home
When I reach the Isle of Women.
-
By the border of my hall
I stood and stayed beyond my wall
And heard a harping all around
But could not catch the source of sound
I spun and started here and there
No trace I found of harper fair
Behind, beyond
Beneath, between,
A music never seen.
A stealthy slumber crept on me
And bent my will, and bowed my knee
I, in a faint, fell on the ground
Enchanted by that soothing sound
A dream I had of sapphire seas
Of silver birds and golden trees
A paradise,
A land of youth,
A land met but in dreams.
When I awoke beside me, there,
All edged with apple blossom fair
A branch of silver placed so bold
Bejewelled with diamonds, pearls and gold.
I bore it thence within my hall
And there a Queen appeared to all
She sang Her song,
She laid Her chant,
Her siren spell unseen
She took the silver branch and then
She vanished from the sight of men
The air hung still and gave a sigh
Her spell, once sung, refused to die.
I gathered up my foster kin
Thrice nine I took across the main
Three swiftest ships
Six banks of oars,
We followed o'er the waves
For two long nights we rowed our best
Then, riding on the foaming crest
We spied a chariot of flame
Manawydan, the driver's name -
"All round you is my realm", He said
"You see but waves; I see land's bed
My horse herds rush
My forests lush
My fields of flowing grain."
We heaved our boats and gaped in awe
Before the god who told us more
Of islands dark and winds of ice
Where perils lurked by paradise
And then He laid a silver line
Across the waves, a vision fine
And He was gone
We rowed full long
Now guided to our dream.
Beside that silver line we spied
An island where loud laughter cried
And tempted us to set our feet -
One went ashore those folks to greet -
But as he touched that fatal shore
He knew us not, returned no more
We called him, but
He would not turn -
We left him to his fate.
Yet as the light began to fail
Another Isle we saw so pale.
The silver path touched on its strand
But we were far too feared to land.
Then there the fairy Singer came
The Queen of our enchanted game
She threw Her golden
Thread to me
And caught, I came to Her
A year we spent upon Her shore;
All we desired, she gave, and more;
The air was warm, the skies were bright
The days were long, and long each night -
A paradise beyond the seas
With lakes of wine and scented breeze
But yet we'd grown
So sick for home
At last we sailed away.
The Isle of Joy we left behind
In eagerness once more to find
Our families, our own fair dales
But no-one knew us save as tales
Five hundred years have passed, they say
While we have feasted far away
One jumped ashore -
But when he touched
His body turned to dust.
And so we'll tell our tale for you
And then I'll turn my boats and crew.
We'll row back on our silver road
And find again the Land of Gold
We'll leave our ancient hills and fells
And fade back into singers' tales
The Otherworld
Will be our home,
The land of all our dreams.
--
A silver branch
Is in my hand
And o'er the sea
Someone is spinning
A golden thread
To guide me home
When I reach the Isle of Women.
© Jezreell 2006 – given at the end of August