By Candle-light - Allacan’s Songs and Poetry

[Allacan ob Burzum]

By candle-light, I find my words,
By candle-light they come.
Not in the deepest dark of night
Nor burning light of sun.

No shine of moon or stars above
cold lamp or fire-light warm
The simple flame of candle-light
Does bring my thoughts to form.

The flicker flames of candles
As they sit upon my sill,
Five shapes and names, these candles
Say what my words never will.

And so I write by candle-light,
And seek the words to share
My hope and pain, my endless shame
My joy and my despair.

(I’ll edit this post as soon as I remember how that poem ends. Curse the Wayback Machine for being so unreliable.)

The reason for this thread

Apparently I have a lot of poems and parody songs running through my head that I want to post on the plaza, so it seems wise to have somewhere to index and collate them before they get out of hand!

Additionally, I want to help bring the singing back into Rohan to reflect its vocal history. I have various ideas of how to do that, and listing those ideas here (without too many spoilers) will help me remember to post them at the right time in the right thread.

This thread will be mostly for my own purposes, but by all means if it brings you joy then I am very happy to have entertained you!

Index (with links)

- By Candle-light (poem)
- By Candle-light - Reprise (poem)
- My Marshal Fair (song)
- Rohir Lullaby (song)
- A Prayer for Good Hunting (song)
- Riddermark! (song)
- I’m Not that Orc; A Song for Zarâm (song)
- Hurricane (song)
- I Can Hear the Bells (song)
- Westmark Boys (song)
- I See Fire (song)
- What'd I Miss? (song - incomplete adaptation)
- No more grief (poem)
- No pain. No more. (poem)
- The Ballad of Rustbucket Bluey (song, incomplete)

Non-original works

- Found/Tonight, a duet performed by Shadowfox and Walpurga in Throne Room - Eomer's Back!

Content not yet posted/written

- Arod’s training song for Montage RPG (2/3 completed)

[Allacan ob Burzum]

My Marshal Fair
(song)

♫ "A maiden of such joy and beauty galore
Did capture my eye as I marched out to war.
When battle was over and I came back that route, ♫
I found her enlisted and Marshal to boot.

♫ Oh marry me, marry me, my Marshal fair.
A veil on your helm with that bright blonde horse-hair
You can wear all your armour and a bouquet of spears. ♫
But don’t turn too quickly or you’ll chop off my ears.

♫ I re-did my training so she'd be my Larm
I tried to seduce her with cunning and charm ♫
Then she told me I'd done and could go join the men
So I went back to square one and started again ♫

(chorus)

Down in the stables I heard her pass by ♫
♫ I caught her attention with one lovelorn sign
Then my ear, it was nibbled with passion and greed
But it wasn’t my Marshal, it was only her steed. ♫

(chorus)

Then once in the Aethelmund I got my chance ♫
♫ The drink made her open to love and romance
So I let her have one more for great potency
But she ordered bilewitdox and puked on my knee ♫

(chorus)

I stared at the roster for more than a year ♫
♫ And dreamed of becoming her Feldmarshal dear
And then one day she told me she'd found me the job
It was down in the Westmark with old Marshal Bob ♫

Song in Role-play Context (partial references only):-

Cavalry RPG - Lost and Found
The Tower's Ascent

[Allacan ob Burzum]

Rohir Lullaby
(a song)

♫ The sun has set behind the hill
The stars come out to greet you.
And though the dark of night is still ♫
The moon is there to meet you.

Across the plains the shadows fall
The herds are gently sleeping ♫
As lonesome owl lets out his call
To those in darkness creeping.

As badger leaves him solemn set
♫ The fox hears growing thunder.
The dark, although not overset.
Becomes alive with wonder.

And so, sweet child, lay down your head
♫ Fear not the shadows falling.
For though the dark be full of dread.
The sun will soon be dawning. ♫

Song in Role-play Context:-

Månsken ängar (Moonlight Meadows Stables)

[Allacan ob Burzum]

A Prayer for Good Hunting
(A song)

♪ Oh, the hunter hurled
And threw with grace
His voice was heard
O'er great stag's pace ♫

'Bema, fly this spear so true, ♪
For home and house
♫ And great returnings

Song in Role-play Context:-

Throne Room of Edoras (Old Plaza - 2009)

[Bereth]

*a joyful little mouse in the corner, wistfully wishing for more! *

[Taethowen]

LOL, I hope you can piece together the missing bits of My Marshal Fair. It looks like it will be hysterical when complete.

Is there... is there a melody to go with the Rohir Lullaby? Because I need one. If there's not, I may have to haphazardly pick something out on my out-of-tune piano.

One comment on that one, in this line - As lonesome own lets out his call. Is 'own' supposed to be 'owl'?

[Allacan ob Burzum]

As you wish, Lady Mouse-@Bereth, more incoming shortly.

Thanks @Taethowen; ‘My Marshal Fair’ is coming back to me in snippets; I sang it as my Feldmarshal NPC to Shivased in either a Dragon Room or Throne Room to intentionally embarrass her. There is a tune to the lullaby, but I kinda made it up myself inspired by the song from Pippin to Denethor in the films. I can sing it on Discord next Story-time if you like? And thanks for the typo spot, all edited now.

[Allacan ob Burzum]

Riddermark!
(To the tune of “Camelot” from “Monty Python and the Holy Grail”)

Riddermark!
Riddermark!
Riddermark!
(“It’s only a kingdom!” “Shh!”)

Guests, I bid you welcome to the After-Party, let us drink to the Riddermark!

♫We're Riders, strong and stable
We dance whene’er we're able
We do routines and chorus scenes
With footwork impeccable
We dine well here in Riddermark
We chew badger steaks and willow bark♫

♫We're horse-lords, like in fable
Our shows... are for... midable
But many times we're given rhymes
That are quite unsingable
We're opera mad in Riddermark
We sing use words like ‘well met’, 'hail' and 'haaaaaaaaark!’♫

♫War we're tough and able
Quite indefatigable
In our off weeks we sequin cheeks
And elect a team that’s stable
It's a busy life in Riddermark
♫I have a horse-shaped biiiirth-maaaark!

Song in Role-play Context:-

Summer Festival - The After-Party

[Allacan ob Burzum]

I’m Not that Orc; a Song for Zarâm
(To the tune of “I’m not that Girl” from the musical ‘Wicked’)

♪ Hands touch, eyes meet
Sudden silence, sudden heat
My heart leaps in a giddy whirl
She could be that orc
But I'm not that girl ♫

Don't dream too far ♪
Don't lose sight of who you are
Don't remember her every quirk
♫ She could be that orc
But I'm not that girl

Every so often we long to steal
To the land of what-might-have-been ♫
But that doesn't soften the ache we feel
♪ When reality sets back in

♫ Cruel smile, thick limb
She may win some but not Campian
Blue eyes with a Frost-like whirl

An orc she surely chose ♪
And Melkor knows
I'm not that girl

♪ Don't wish don't start
Wishing only wounds the heart
I wasn't born with the brawl and burl ♫

There's an orc I know
I could love her so ♪
But I'm not that girl

Song in Role-play Context:-

Fields and Forests of Rohan - The Incendiary Interactions (Allacan’s first internal monologue)

[Allacan ob Burzum]

Hurricane
(To the tune of “Hurricane” from the musical ‘Hamilton’)

♪ In the eye of a hurricane there is quiet
For just a moment
A yellow sky ♫
Stood alone when my daughter came and destroyed it all
And though I’d fall
♫ I couldn’t seem to die

♫ I crawled my way
Crawled out from the pits where they tortured me
I crawled my way out ♪
I looked up and Sauron had his eye on me ♫

♪ So I came to Rohan
Sworn to murder
Only faltered
♫ For my friend Shiva
And I vowed once more to pledge my sword in service to my old homeland ♪

♪ I fought my way back from hell
I fought my way from sacrifice ♫
I was damned when Cuthbert died in his cell
I fought as whim unfettered the beast within
♪ I fought as every dream I had of peace and happiness fell
And in the face of my thoughts dissemination sought to erase all this deception of my creation
♫ And as my prayers to gods are met with indifference
I’ll take up my blade
I’ll craft my own deliverance ♪

♪ In the eye of a hurricane there is quiet
For just a moment
A yellow sky ♫
Something broke deep inside my heart
When Bead’cyrm died
When his heart gave out
♪ I lost my guide
I couldn’t seem to die ♫

I’ll cut my way out ♪
♫ Cut out all the torment that tortures me
I’ll cut my way out
Show them all what they took from me
♪ This is the eye of the hurricane
This is the only way to protect my legacy! ♫

Song in Role-play Context:-

Fields and Forests of Rohan - The Incendiary Interactions (Allacan’s second internal monologue)

[Allacan ob Burzum]

I Can Hear The Bells
(to the tune of “I Can Head the Bells” from the musical ‘Hairspray’)

♪ I can hear the bells
Well, don't you hear 'em chime? ♫
Can't you feel my heartbeat keeping perfect time?
♫ And all because she

Touched me ♪
She looked at me and stared, yes she
Bumped me
My heart was unprepared when she
Tapped me
And knocked me off my feet ♫
One little touch
♫ Now my life's complete 'cause when she

Nudged me
Love put me in a fix, yes she
♪ Hit me
Just like a ton of bricks, now my
Heart’s burst
And I know what life's about ♫
One little touch
And love's knocked me out and ♪

♫ I can hear the bells
This room is spinning
I can hear the bells
The fire’s beginning
♪ Everybody thinks
That a girl who looks like thee ♫
Can't win my love
Well, just wait and see 'cause

♫ I can hear the bells
Just hear ‘em chiming
I can hear the bells
The temperature's climbing ♫
My heart is in a whirl
'Cause I finally found the girl
I've been missin' ♪
Listen!
I can hear the bells

♪ Post one
The lantern hits the floor and then
Post two
The flames begin to soar because ♫
Post three's
♫ When we wrestle in the mud
The Rohir cry havoc
They’re baying for bloo-ood ♪
Post four
She’ll grab me by my hand then by
Post five
♪ The fire claims Campian stands so by
Post six
Bema, much to minion glee
This city will burn as we ars’nists flee and ♫

I can hear the bells ♪
Alarm chimes are warning
I can hear the bells
♫ The Rohir come running
Everyone depends
On the oath of cav’lry men
To keep them in line ♫
♪ Well the laughs on them ‘cause

I can hear the bells
I made no such promise ♪
I can hear the bells
They can’t claim I was dishonest
♪ I skipped out on my oath
But they don’t see 'cause they don’t look for what’s missing!
Listen!
I can hear the bells ♫

♪ I can hear the bells
The Marshals are reeling
I can hear the bells
They can't stop the peeling ♪
♫ Nobody was warned
That I’m not what I appear
They called me for help ♫
♪ So we ended here and

I can hear the bells
There’s no need to mourn cos’ ♪
I can hear the bells
♫ Cuthbert’s death it did part us

♪ And even when I’m gone
They’re remember me with sighs ♫
Regretful of the night
That the flames climbed the skies ♪
They’ll maybe shed a tear
♫ Or they’ll whisper as they’re reminiscin'
Listen!

♪ I can hear the bells
I can hear the bells
I can hear the bells ♪

Song in Role-play Context:-

Fields and Forests of Rohan - The Incendiary Interactions (Allacan’s third internal monologue)

[Allacan ob Burzum]

Westmark Boys
(a song)

From games of glory, heroes bold
To dreams of honour played in jest
Now summoned to their nation’s call
Serve us proud
Do your best

Oh Westmark boys, take up your spear
Proud and stoic, stand your ground
No games of childhood find you here
Boys no more
Boys no more

Though helm may rest poor on your brow
Though sword weigh heavy in your hand
Take up your shield to serve your Lord
Join us now
Take your stand

Oh Westmark boys, take up your spear
Proud and stoic, stand your ground
No games of childhood find you here
Boys no more
Boys no more

Beyond the walls the horde draws nigh
Form up now soldiers, young and old
This innocence of fearful youth
Banner high
Brave and bold

Oh Westmark boys, take up your spear
Proud and stoic, stand your ground
No games of childhood find you here
Boys no more
Boys no more

Against dark shadows did you stand
Beneath their onslaught did you fall
‘Ere light of Narya with the dawn
For this land
You gave your all

Oh Westmark boys, take now your rest
Where simbelmynë grace the ground
Remembered here our Bema blessed
Boys no more
Boys no more

Song in Role-play Context:-

The Horse and Rider Inn (2)

[Allacan ob Burzum]

I See Fire
(to the tune of “I See Fire" by Ed Sheeran)

♫ Oh, burning eye on the tower of coal
Keep careful watch of my peoples’ saw souls
And should the sky be filled with fire and smoke
Keep watching over all our folk ♪

♫ If this is to end in fire, then it should all burn together
Watch the flames climb high into the night
♪ Calling out Bema oh
Stand by and we will
Watch the flames burn auburn here ♫
On Edoras rise, high.

And as we have dined tonight
♫ And we have all dined together
Raise a glass of wine for the last time ♪
Calling out Melkor oh
Prepare as we will
Watch the flames burn auburn here ♫
On Edoras rise
♪ Desolation riding with the night

Now I see fire, catching on canvas
♫ I see fire, in cavalry tears
I see fire, hollowing souls
I see fire, blood in the breeze
And I hope that you remember me ♪

Oh, should my people fall, then surely I will do the same
♪ Corrupted by the call as we are drawn closer to the flame
Calling out Rohir oh
Hold fast and we will
Watch the flames burn auburn here ♫
♪ On Edoras rise
Conflagration climbing through the sky ♪

♪ Now I see fire, rise like a mountain
I see fire, burning the trees
I see fire, in loyal souls
I see Fyre, spirit at ease ♪
♫ And I hope that you remember me

And if the night is burning, I will not shield my eyes ♫
For if the dark returns, then I will welcome its cries
And as the sky is falling down, it’s burning through this lonely town
And with my shadow upon the ground ♪
♪ I hear my people screaming out

Now I see fire, reaching out skyward ♫
♪ I see fire, in Rohirric halls
I see fire, where allies gather
I see fire, purging their souls

♫ And I see fire, oh you know I see a city burning
And I see fire, feel the heat upon my skin
And I see fire, uh-uh-uh ♪
And I see fire burn auburn here on Edoras rise

Song in Role-play Context:-

The Summer Festival After-Party

[Allacan ob Burzum]

What'd I miss?
(an incomplete adaptation, to the tune of 'What'd I Miss?' from the musical 'Hamilton')

ARPY's gathering us to celebration
They put on a splendid show
But the flag goes up
And the world still spins
(Aaa-ooo!)

I had disappeared from my plaza nation
I became a real no-show
I gotta get back to the plaza
Now the journey home begins…

(Aaa-ooo!)

So what’d I miss?
What’d I miss?
Oh Rohan, my home sweet home, I wanna give you a kiss
I’ve been in RL trying get back to the Riddermark...
I guess I basic’lly abandoned my story arc
I travelled the world wide web and came back to this…
(Aaa-ooo!)...

What’d I miss?
(Wha? Wha? What’d I miss?)
What’d I miss?
(I’ve come home to this?)
Headfirst into assassin plots again!
(Wait, what! Assassin again?!)
I saw my shock ARPY win just today
(Chik-a-pow!)
I guess I better think of something to say
I’m already on my way (On my way)
To get back on with this…
What did I miss?

Song in OOC Context:-

The Golden Hall III (Meduseld OOC

[Allacan ob Burzum]

By Candle-light - Reprise

The flicker flames grow brighter
As the names again grow clear.
For Helen, bright and youthful
For Johnny, friend so dear.

A grandfather who left us,
And now a mother gone.
A single candle hopeful
That names no single one.

And still I write by candle-light,
And seek how to convey
Of grief so deep, of tears that weep
Each quiet passing day.

[Allacan ob Burzum]

No more grief

Stop your smiles.
Stop your laughter and your joy,
Just stop.
Can’t you understand,
Can’t you see?
Why don’t you feel afraid?
The world is changed
And there is only pain,
Why don’t you feel it?

Enough, no more
No more words, no more lies,
No more pretending it will be all right because it won’t

It can’t and it never will be.

Shut up!
Shut up and listen.
I hate this world.
I hate that it takes what I love most;
Those closest to me.
Make the mountains boil with grief.
Force the seas to cry themselves dry, and
Scorch the earth in an eternity of agony.
Show everyone the pain that is held in my heart.
Make them understand why there is no hope.
They are dead – and that is all.

Please don’t smile,
Please don’t laugh, don’t be happy.
I need you to help me, I need you to change the world.
Make me see the beauty again,
Without thinking of when I will have to say goodbye.
Let me know love, without pain.

It takes time, they say.
Time is a healer?
No, its not.
Time numbs!
It puts shadows across your pain.
With time I will smile, and laugh and be happy -
Just not yet!

If it could happen now, happen quickly,
I would let it.
I would let myself feel again.
Oh let me mourn swiftly.
Let the years pass in an instant that I might not remember this pain.

Let the clock count down the seconds,
Let the days pass into nights
I will cry, I have to mourn, I must grieve,

But please, do one thing for me…

Let the world turn.

[Allacan ob Burzum]

@Taethowen I finally found the old lyrics to 'My Marshal Fair' and updated the post here

@Shivased do you remember this one being sung to Shiva in Dragon Room just to make her blush? Its a shame I never got a chance for Grimthain to sing it to @Gwai, although maybe someday...

[Shivased]

@Allacan ob Burzum oooh, yes I remember that one! It was a lot of fun!

[Allacan ob Burzum]

No pain. No more.

Please no more anguish, no fear or despair.
My heart is too broken, I've no hope to share.
For what you don't see on my other side
Another heart broken who heightens the tide.
They cry and my shoulder, while you do the same;
One grieving, one heart-broken, calling my name.
And there in the distance, just waiting for me
Another friend troubled seeks my company.
For those that I reach to when I need support
Have too many burdens to give me a thought.
Each time that I turn to them, seeking relief
It's I that must comfort while hiding my grief.
Some are too weary, others too vain,
To take a few moments to notice my pain.
They move far too quickly to take in the slack
And left in their shadows, I'm starting to crack.

So come to me now, and I'll listen with care,
When inside my own pain is screaming to share.
Lean on me then, if you feel that you must,
But don't be surprised if I crumble to rust.
You know I have been there, I've broken my heart.
I've struggled to grieve, I've fallen apart.
I've seen my life shattered, and hit the rock floor,
And crawled through the pieces and cut my hands raw.
You seek out my knowledge of when things go wrong.
And look for some wisdom, some help to grow strong.
I'll tell you, but listen - these words are not free;
They come with a sacrifice only I see.
You feel not my weakness, my pain or despair,
When everyone clamours to cry with me there.
If you need me strong now, then that's what I'll be.
But who do I turn to, when all turn to me?

Your burden feels heavy, and mine's heavy too.
The pain that you bear belongs not just to you.
You ask me to help you, I'll take on the load
And hope I don't stumble along the hard road.
You cry on my shoulder, I cry to the night.
The dark gives no comfort to I in my plight.
The words I am offered are only my own.
It's hard to stay strong when you feel so alone.
So don't be surprised when I crumble once more,
I fall into pieces, I hit the rock floor.
I ask only that what I give, you return,
You wear the strong face and let me take my turn.
The person you come to, the brave one you seek,
Still needs that one moment when she can be weak.

[Allacan ob Burzum]

The Ballad of Rustbucket Bluey
(A song, incomplete)

"So bold was he, and brave and strong, but senses slowed by liquor.
And though he tried to 'scape their hand, the Dunlendings were quicker
They daubed him then in blue and fat, and 'neath the bright sun's ire
As sweat bejewelled his weathered skin, it turned a glorious sapphire"

Song in Role-play Context:-

The Eallníwe Inn