The Lament of Sidhelagh
Was it so long ago
We danced in the early dew
Loving the dawning
With everything new
Was it so far from here
We danced in the dawning
now ‘tis the gloaming
and darkness is near
where now the singing
or melodies ringing
horses are screaming
eagles on the wing
to battle to battle
so sound the Horns
bells add their crying
darkness draws nigh
where now hearth-home
where our sweet bairns
where our true mates
ah – we mourn
grieving and fighting
no new daylighting
side by side fighting
holding the day
holding and holding
holding lest faith should fall
where now the future
for which we risk all
we fall and we fall
who now to stand
tomorrow tomorrow
now in your hand
I fall oh I fall
Hear now my voice
Hard in your ear
Stand you must stand
Kiss now my daughters
Hold close my own
Tell them their mother
Has gone down
Give them big boots
tell them they must grow the feet
to stand in those boots proud and tall
and to hold
to hold
to hold
These words came to me when I could not manage to get this message to come out right.
I finally gave up, closed my eyes, and just blind-wrote whatever came, having no idea what words I would find when I opened my eyes.
The back story here is that (in the very first book of the series) Sidhelagh dies in battle, fighting for the safety of her family. Her husband Danann has just died in her arms. Fury and grief vie for dominance as she takes out after the ones who have come to kill those she loves. She knows she's going to die; knows also that her daughters are NOT going to die - the torch passes into their keeping, to keep safe for the next generations.
Perhaps I shouldn't be too shocked to find that these words can be sung to the melody of *The Flo'ers o' the Forest*. Reference to the ancient lament shows up fairly regularly in the books of *They Are My Song*, as our fictional family seems to always be fighting for elusive peace. It is a haunting melody, filled with grief but also, inexplicably, carrying hope - and love immeasurable. Because without deep love there would be no deep mourning.
The battle that takes Danann and Sidhelagh is the first one I had to write. It doesn't get any easier to write those scenes.
