Lullaby

Music: Dmitri Petras
Lyrics: Andrew Sokolov
©2004 Wolfsangel/Fono

Comment

Just a lullaby. Calm and quiet, at least the most of it. Two players in a ruined tavern. Dice and ale to fight. One-eyed old man in white cloak with a hat on and someone with a number of faces or without face. So, please read the lyrics, everything is clear. I would like only to mention that only verse in different meter is about the Baldur’s death. Nevertheless, let me note that this song is the only song in the album whose charaters do not die. Indeed, one just disappears and another falls asleep. And they are wolves and ravens who sing a lullaby for him. And she who weaves the fates just turns her spindle. Life is not over, dear sirs. And who are those two men? I hope you know. (A.S.)

One of the old songs that have been an instrumental before I noticed a poem by Andrew that was also written long ago. The central part of lyrics was added after the music was complete. Although the song is rather Celtic (6/8 measure and tin whistle playing the main tune), the lyrics are still Scandinavian. This is a good example of how we create the songs: each of us do something by his own and the song once born lives by its own life. (D.P.)

Lyrics

In a rusty ruined tavern
Face to face they sat all night
One was good, another evil,
They had dice and ale to fight

Good was dressed in long white cloak,
Red coat wore another man
Wolves a-howled and ravens croaked
Three eyes watched at dice as one

In a rusty ruined tavern
Face to face they sat all night
One was good, another evil,
They had dice and ale to fight

Many bets were made by players
Many crowns were spent that night
One was good, another evil,
Thus they had a lot to fight

Final round - they’re to throw
Once and winner takes the bank
Only one appeared for old man
But another’s dice was blank

Evil looked with growing hatred,
Heat was both in air and mind
So he turned into the fire
Good had vision of a kind

One was thrown for eye and water
One - the water rears the vine
One - the rival is immortal
One - we have one face and sign

Nothing thrown for tree of wisdom
Nothing - arrow mistletoe
Nothing - is the evil guilty?
Nothing - is he friend or foe?

Fire vanished, empty chair
Was aside of good old man
Void in jug and void in memory
Were there three of eyes or one?

So the good rose up his brimmer,
Drained it dry and fell asleep
Ravens croak and wolves a-howling
Were enough for dreams to keep

Weaver smiled and turned the spindle
And a day replaced the night
One was good, another evil,
But there’s nothing more to fight