Thursday, September 3, 2020

XIII. The Second Lament: For the Island of the Stars

Ode I: For the Isle of Feihoth


I will sing a song of Starland—
Blissful Feihoth, Isle of Heroes—
Starland, where the Treian people
Down from heights of Middle Heaven
Came down to dwell Under Starlight.

When first their dwelling Under Starlight
Feihoth’s people made, no shadow
Dimmed the shining of their glory.
Many nations paid them homage—
Dalian kings and lords of Giants.

Many nations paid them homage.
Seven monarchs a mighty empire
Ruled in those days of glory.
Seven monarchs well remembered
All the gifts of Nankeinela.

All the gifts of Nankeinela
Seven monarchs well remembered.
Then in envy Peiboth rose up—
Slew the seventh, built a city,
Sat in glory o’er the Treians.

He sat and ruled o’er the Treians—
He the dark and bloody Vulture
Worshipped in the murky darkness
Of the hills, and mankind feared him.
Giants went to war against him.

Giant-folk made war upon him—
But no Giant cast down Feihoth.
In its wrath the rule of Heaven
Cleaned the Isle with might of Ocean—
Outer Ocean, lost to Children.

Of the Ocean lost to Children,
And the jeweled Isle of Feihoth,
Now we sing, recall their wonders
Which the Children of the Water
Will not see, until the Judgment.

Ode II: For the Coral-gardens of Feihoth


In the pools of ancient Starland
Feihoth made his Coral-gardens—
Worlds of wonder, under water,
Under mirrored crystal waters,
No kings of men have matched their beauty.

No kings of men have matched the beauty
Of those pools, hidden kingdoms,
Which still are resting under heaven,
For the Sea did not destroy them
When it rose to cleanse the Island.

The Sea which rose to cleanse the Island
Guards the beauty of those gardens
Where the crystal spheres of Heaven
Are mirrored in the living coral.
When will Heaven’s justice flourish?

When will Heaven’s justice flourish,
Grow among us, found our cities?
When will earthly monarchs image
Nankeinela’s perfect justice
Which holds sway above the Heavens?

Ode III: For the Cherry Orchards of Aralatha


Aralatha many orchards,
Many groves of blooming fruit trees,
Planted in the Isle of Feihoth
When the Stars of Middle Heaven
Nearer stood to mortal peoples.

Many groves of blooming fruit trees
Aralatha wisely planted.
But the sweetest were the cherries,
Groves of thickly blossomed cherries,
Round his palace, like an army.

Round his palace, like an army,
Fragrant cherries stood to ward it.
Fearless then was Aralatha,
For as yet no son of Starland
Raised his sword against another.

Fearless then was Aralatha—
But in later times usurpers
Cut the groves of blooming cherries,
Burned the sacred wood on altars
To the One Who Goes in Darkness.

They cut the groves and burned the cherries—
Burned the fragrant wood and blossoms.
Only stumps remained around it—
Round the seat of Aralatha.
Stumps may blossom under Heaven.

Stumps may blossom under Heaven
When the ancient Isle of Feihoth
Was scoured clean by Outer Ocean.
Cherry trees, unpruned and wild,
Flourish now, untouched by mortals.

Ode IV: For the Alabaster Tower of Vianera


Vianera built a tower,
Built an alabaster tower
Tall and gleaming in the moonlight
On the ancient Isle of Feihoth.
Nations came to see its beauty.

Nations came to see its beauty—
See the beauty of the tower
When the ancient kings of Feihoth
Ruled the nations with their splendor,
Little knew of bitter warfare.

Little knew of bitter warfare
Did the ancient kings of Feihoth,
Of towers standing under starlight
Built by kings, Vianera’s
Last was built alone for beauty.

Peace no longer rules the nations
As it did when Feihoth’s children
Feared no war or bitter conquest.
Empty stands what Vianera
Carved from whitest alabaster.

Ode V: For the Library of Queen Artakamu


Artakamu, queenly monarch,
Built a library, book-house famous.
There the wisdom of the ages
Once was stored; all is empty,
Books were lost amid the deluge.

Books were lost amid the deluge:
Tomes of wisdom, stores of learning,
Lore was kept there, words of Feihoth—
Words of those who heard the singing
Which the mortal worlds created.

Lore was kept there, words of Feihoth;
Who can tell what ancient learning
Now is ever lost to mortals?
Wisdom mankind much desires,
Treasures of the Middle Heavens.

Ode VI: For the Pleasure Groves of Anertsuan


The pleasure groves of Anertsuan
First the Star-kin, Sons of Feihoth,
Planted when the cart of morning
South had turned upon their people.
Their doom was closing fast upon them.

Their doom was closing fast upon them,
Yet they tarried by the waters
Of the garden Anertsuan
Made to sate his love for pleasure.
Many beauties there were gathered.

Many beauties there were gathered,
And the air was full of spices—
Spices brought from eastern kingdoms,
Where the giants ruled the peoples,
Ruled over mortal kingdoms.

All those gardens in the deluge
Heaven’s anger on the Isle
Loosed to wash away pollution—
All those gardens, lost forever,
Barren stand beneath the Starlight.

Ode VII: For the Hippodrome of Alasujar


Alasujar an arena,
Hippodrome for running horses,
Built to show the wealth the peoples
Brought into the monarch’s coffers
When the Treians first took tribute.

Alasujar’s wide arena,
Filled with statues carved of onyx,
Its walls were raised from ancient marble.
For Many turnings of the Lotus
Sounds of chariots filled that circus.

Alasujar’s wide arena
Empty stands now Under Starlight.
Its bowl has cracked, it statues tumbled.
No voice of man is heard there cheering—
Only white gulls faintly crying.

Ode VIII: For the Palace of Swords which Inyangar made


In the day when Treian monarchs
First made war upon the giants—
Kodihan, the sons of mankind
Who the lies of Ancient Vishnarr
First believed, and him they worshipped—

Inyangar, last of Monarchs,
(Last of right-born sons of Feihoth,
Ere usurpers built their city)
Made a place, built a temple,
To his victories in warfare.

To his victories in warfare
Inyangar raised a palace
From the beaten blades of weapons—
Swords of Giants without number.
Bright they dazzled in the sunlight.

Bright they dazzled in the sunlight—
Long ago those swords were rusted,
Crumbled into dust, and washed clean
By the Mighty Outer Ocean;
Lost to mankind, lost to ages.

Ode IX: For the Island of the Stars


We have sun a song of Starland—
Blissful Feihoth, Isle of Heroes—
Starland, where the Treian people
Down from heights of Middle Heaven
Came to sojourn Under Starlight.

Long they sojourned Under Starlight
While the glory of their monarchs
Blazed in beauty like the morning.
Then the mighty line of Feihoth
Fell to darkness, down to shadow.

Down to darkness, veiled in shadows,
So the splendor slowly faded.
Then one Peiboth, fell usurper,
Took the throne of ancient Feihoth,
Overthrew its rightful rulers.

Overthrow its rightful rulers—
Then the weak-willed sons of Peiboth
Brought their doom upon the Island.
Then the waves of Mighty Ocean
Cleansed it, washed it clean of evil.

Cleansed and scoured clean of evil,
Now the shining Isle of Heroes
In memory alone we visit.
There the hollow shells of glories
Stand—and wait the Day of Judgment.

Til that day of awful judgment
Water’s Children, folk of starlight
Sing of all the bliss denied us—
Sing of swan-prowed ships and banners,
And the glories of their conquests.

All the glories of their conquests
Long-since crumbled into ashes.
But the Word of Nankeinela,
Making-song before the ages,
Still remains, if men will heed it.

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