Three songs for the dispossessed

From: robertson_at_delphi.intel.com
Date: Fri, 2 Aug 1996 12:20:02 -0700


Just to take up Nick Brooke's challange for Sartarite songs, I've transcribed two Sartari and one Tarshite song below. As a note, Scottish Jacobite songs are pretty good places to find Conquest-era Sartari songs - the situations are similar (though not identical by any means), a proud Highland people conquered and ruled by "lowlanders" and foriegners, with traitors and turncoats from their own land aiding the oppression. The problem comes in trying to find Gloranthan names that fit!

Roderick Robertson

Flower of Sartar (Tune: Flower of Scotland, Roy Williamson)

  This song was sung around clan hearths in Sartar in the period after the Lunar invasion and refers to the time of Prince Tarkalor and his raids against King Phargentes of Tarsh

O flower of Sartar,
when will we see
your like again?
That fought and died for
your wee bit hill and glen

Chorus:
and stood against him
Phartgentes' Army
and sent him homeward
to think again.

The hills are bare now
and autumn leaves lie thick and still
o'er land that is lost now
which those so dearly held

Those days are passed now
and in the past they must remain
but we can still rise now
and be the nation again

Wha wouldna fecht fer Argrath? (tune: Wha wouldna fecht for Charlie, traditional)

   Written within days of Prince Argrath's entry into Boldhome and his lighting of the Flame of Sartar, it quickly became a song of Argrath's rebellion.

Chorus:
Wha wouldna fecht for Argrath?
wha wouldna draw the sword ?
wha wouldna up and rally
at the royal princes word?

Think on Sartar's ancient heros
think on foriegn foes repelled
think on Jarolar and Starbrow
wha the proud usurper felled

See the highland clans advancing
see Culbrea, Kolymar
see the brandished broadsword glancing
allies come from near and far

Now the prince has lit the Fire
now triumphant is our cause
now the Sartar people rallies
let us fight for Prince and Laws!

I Will Go (Tune: I Will Go, traditional)   

    The Tarshite King's ability to protect his lands from Grazer raiders led by Jandetin the Outlaw (later Jandetin the Avenger) is the subject of this bitter song from southern Tarsh.

Chorus:
I will go, I will go,
when the fighting is over
to the land of my home
that I left to be a soldier
I will go, I will go

When the King's son cam along
and called us all together
saying "brave Tarshite men
will you fight for my father"?
I will go, I will go

I've a buckle on my belt
a sword in my scabbard
a red coat on my back
and a lunar in my pocket
I will go, I will go

When they marched us all awa'
the lasses were singing,
but the tears came to their eyes
when the bells started ringing
I will go, I will go

When we saw the plains of Prax,
our mouths were dry as leather
we knew that some would fall
and would stay there forever
I will go, I will go

When we came back to the glen,
the winter was turning.
Our goods lay in the snow,
and our houses were burning
I will go, I will go  


Powered by hypermail