The bonny light in the dawning of the springtime
Touches the land with a green so sweet.
Midsummer's song fills all life with a joy
That spreads across the fields on our dancing feet.
The harvest moon calls us home in the evening,
The fruits of our labour to enjoy at our ease.
Winter's touch brings the stillness of night
And the restful dreams of waking from a peaceful sleep.
Come to the lands of the good folk.
Feast on sweet wine and song.
Dance to the rhythm of life
And the beating of your heart as the world turns on.
And when twilight spreads its blanket 'cross the sky,
And Sleep knocks at the door as the fire burns low,
Greet her with a smile and a loving, warm embrace,
For all dreaming comes of sleep
And the reaped will grow.
Audio Clip of Turning of the Seasons
Miserlou
(traditional)
Misirlou
My dear Misirlou, your sweet eyes,
Have burned a flame in my heart.
Ah ya habibi, ah ya leleli, ah
Honey drips from your lips.
Ah Misirlou, (your) magical fairy beauty,
Will drive me crazy, I can't stand anymore,
Ah I will steal you from Arabia.
My black-eyed crazy Misirlou
My life changes with a kiss,
Ah ya habibi, with a little kiss, ah
From the little mouth of yours.
Ah Misirlou, (your) magical fairy beauty,
Will drive me crazy, I can't stand anymore,
Ah I will steal you from Arabia.
Matty Groves
(traditional)
A holiday, a holiday, and the first one of the year,
Little Matty Groves came to the church, the gospel for to hear.
And then came in Lord Donald's wife and she never looked so fine,
And as she caught Little Matty's eye, she fair could read his mind.
The parson he was long of tooth and longer in the wind
As he preached of virtues chaste and dull and wages had from sin.
And when the sermon it was done the lady looked about,
And again she saw Little Matty Groves walking in the crowd.
"Come home with me Little Matty Groves, come home with me tonight.
Come home with me Little Matty Groves and lay with me till light."
"Oh I can't go home, I won't go home and lay with you tonight.
By the rings on your fingers I can tell, you are Lord Donald's wife."
"Well may I be Lord Donald's wife, but Lord Donald's not at home.
He is gone in the far cornfields and has left me all alone."
And a servant who was standing by and hearing what was said,
He swore Lord Donald he would know before the sun would set.
And in his haste to tell the tale he rent his breast and ran.
And when he came to the broad mill stream he took off his shoes and swam.
"Lord Donald, sir, I chanced to hear your lady on this day.
She's bedded down with Matty Groves while you a far away."
Lord Donald called his servants by, "Fetch to me my horse!
If you speak the truth great reward you'll have, if lies it'll be the worse."
Little Matty Groves he laid down to take a little sleep.
When he awoke Lord Donald was standing at his feet
Saying, "How do you like my feather bed? How do you like my sheets?
How do you like my lady chaste who lies in your arms asleep?"
"Oh well I like your feather bed and well I like your sheets.
But better I like your lady gay who lies in my arms asleep."
"Get up, get up!" Lord Donald cried, "Get up as quick as you can.
For it won't be said in fair England that I slew a naked man."
"Oh I can't get up, I won't get up. I can't get up for my life.
For you have two long beaten swords and I not a pocket knife."
"Well it's true I have two beaten swords and they cost me deep in the purse.
But you will have the better of them and I will have the worse."
"And you will strike the very first blow and strike it like a man.
And I will strike the very next blow and I'll kill you if I can."
So Matty struck the very first blow and he hurt Lord Donald sore.
Lord Donald struck the very next blow and Matty struck no more.
And then Lord Donald took his wife and set her on his knee,
Saying, "Who do you love the best of us, Matty Groves or me?"
And then up spoke his own sweet wife, never heard to speak so free,
"I'd rather a kiss from dead Matty's lips than you and your finery."
Then Lord Donald he jumped up and loudly he did bawl.
He struck his wife right through the heart and pinned her 'gainst the wall.
"A grave, a grave" Lord Donald cried, "to put these lovers in.
But bury my lady at the top for she was of noble kin."
La Chanson d'amour
(Roxanna Bruscha)
Où devrais-je regarder pour trouver mon coeur? (Where should I look to seek for my heart?)
Est-il dans un pays éloigné? (is it in a distant country among strangers?)
Est-il dans les livres de philosophie? (is it in books of philosophy written by wise men?)
Non. Je dois seulement te regarder aux yeux. (No. I must look only into your eyes.)
Où devrais-je regarder pour trouver mon coeur? (Where should I look to seek for my heart?)
Quand je te regarde aux yeux (When I look into your eyes)
Je sais que j'ai trouve ce que j'avais cherche. (I know I have found what I sought.)
La, c'est où je sais ce qui est vraiment l'amour. (There is where I know what love is truly.)
Angelos
(traditional)
Angelos Ise (You are an Angel)
Onde segenna i mana sou, (When your mother gave birth to you,)
O ilios ekatevi (The sun came down)
Ke soudose tine omorfia (And gave you beauty)
Ke pali matanevi. (And then rose again.)
Ksatha mallia stin kefali, (Blonde hair on her head,)
Plemena me tin taksi, (Braided very neatly,)
Triha ke triha ginete (Hair by hair becomes)
Meheri na me sfaksi. (A knife to pierce me.)
Angelos ise, mathia mou (You are an angel, my sweet eyes,)
Kiangelika horevis, (And like an angel you dance,)
Kiangelika patis sti gi (And like an angel you walk on earth)
Kiemena me pedevis. (And torment me.)
To ema mou da valo go, (I will put my blood,)
Mikri mou, sto potiri, (My little one, into a glass)
Na sou to doso na to pis, (And give it to you to drink)
Na mou vastas hatiri. (So that you will desire me.)
Ela nallaksome kardies (Come let us exchange hearts)
Na paris ti diki mou, (That you may take mine,)
Na katalavis ke na dis (To understand and see)
Pos sagapo mikri mou. (How much I love you, little one.)
Ithela nasoun lemonia (I wish you were a lemon tree)
Ke namoun potamaki, (And I a small brook,)
Na beni stin kardoula sou (Into your heart would flow)
To drosero neraki. (My cool water)
To oniro mou ise si, (You are my dream,)
Ya sena the na ziso, (For you I live,)
Kiapano is to stithos sou (And upon your breast)
Ta mathia mou da kliso. (I will close my eyes.)
Audio Clip of Angelos Ise (You are an Angel)
Ambee Dageets
(traditional)
Ambee Dageets
Ambee Dageets joor e galee
Dosh e dalee prrprroom
En oom yarun e nustadz lalee
Hongoor hongoor en saroom
Aee bagh jurer zoolal jurer
Vor galees ex jarereets
Galees antsnoom hand oo choler
Yarus el khumets ed jureets
Aghcheek koyarun yegav antsav
Varvadz darvadz ko seerov
Ervadz jeegyarun yegav antsav
Chu hovatsav bagh juro
Mary McGee and the Fae on the Hill
(Roxanna Bruscha)
Mary McGee and the Fae on the Hill
One moonless night near the old standing stones
Young Mary McGee made her lonely way home.
When a music so sweet in the dark caught her ear
And she strayed from her path the better to hear.
She stole up the hill where the stones made a ring,
Drawn by the voice that so sweetly did sing.
And she stood still in awe of what she did see.
And the spell of the song caught young Mary McGee.
Turn, turn, let the world burn.
The better to live and the better to learn.
Heart to heart and skin to skin,
Forget your fears and let me in.
His hair was coal black, and his arms they were strong,
And naked he danced as his voice wove the song.
The song was so pure, Mary fell into trance,
And without her will her feet joined in the dance.
She spun in a circle, her arms flung out wide,
And under the spell felt no reason to hide.
But as her eyes met the eyes of the man
His song it did cease and in terror she ran.
Burn, burn, let the world turn.
The better to live and the better to learn.
Heart to heart and skin to skin,
Forget your fears and let me in.
Safe in her house, the bar on the door
Young Mary drew breath and thought nothing more.
Until a knock came and a voice sounded clear,
And Mary McGee felt a trembling fear.
And as she moved forward to unlock her door,
Her feet moving slowly of their own accord,
She knew her fate sealed by what she had seen,
And with trembling heart let her spirit love in.
Turn, turn, let the world burn.
The better to live and the better to learn.
Heart to heart and skin to skin,
Unbar your door and let me in.
La Voie Gitane (The Gypsy Road)
(Roxanna Bruscha)
Voie sans fin, (Endless road,)
Nous ne sommes chez nous qu'ici (The only home we will ever know.)
La lune nous allume (The moon guides our way)
Sur un voyage de joie sans confort a la fin de la journee. (On a journey of comfortless cheer at the end of the day.)
Voyagez. (Journey on.)
Dansez a la melodie d'une chanson eloignee. (Dance to the tune of a distant song.)
La lune conte (The moon tells our tale)
De la douleur et la joie et l'espoir pour une voie facile. (Of the sorrow and joy and the hope for an easy trail.)
Vivez, aimez, sans contrainte de la crainte. (Live, love, without the restraint of fear.)
Chantez vos desires pour que le monde entend. (Sing your desires in a voice for the world to hear.)
Riez. Criez. Rendez nouveau chaque moment. (Laugh. Cry. Make every moment new.)
Puisque la mort nous attend, avec un baiser, a la fin de la voie (For death waits at the end of all roads with a kiss both for me and you.)
