XIV. The Third Lament: For the Seven Hills of Jade

Seven hills, unmatched in beauty,
Were not marred by ancient battles
When the Stars rained down from heaven,
Shook the earth with sound of falling,
Scorched the Southlands with their burning.

They scorched the Southlands with their burning,
Filled the airs with reeking vapors.
Underneath a starless heaven
Vishnarr built his seat of empire:
Tall that tower, grasping upwards.

Tall that tower, grasping skyward
To the heavens now denied him,
Since he raged in fierce contention—
Raged against the Mighty Maker.
Long he brooded on his downfall.

Marred the world was in that downfall—
But not the Seven Jade-stone hilltops,
Nor their green and pleasant valleys.
There Orusena led the Treians
To their long-awaited homeland.

Seven hills like emeralds gleaming:
None had named, or claimed, or built them.
Long they stood and watched the heavens,
Long they listed to the waters—
Clear and undefiled waters.

Seven cities Lanenomen
Founded on those seven hilltops.
Legend now recalls those cities
Which Time has from the Children sundered.
We sing their names, recall their greatness:

Lanenomen’s seat, first-founded
Lanenmkarr where the throne of Treians
Sat beneath a sky of diamonds.
There he sat and dealt out justice.
Bright that throne, and great its glory.

Yalethkarr, its wide arms outstretched
Guarded the paths to the seven cities.
Yaleth, mighty warrior-woman,
Built that city, a watch unceasing
To keep upon the seven cities.

Sothalkarr, the place of Stone-trees
Highest stood upon those mountains.
High above the line of treetops,
Her trees were carved of living granite,
Carved by ancient Treian craftsmen.

Yithalbkarr, the verdant city,
The Treians built with emerald towers—
Built its gates of carven jewels
Green as all those seven hilltops
Strewn with jade as green as sea foam.

Palgeimor did Lanenomen
Build to ward the Treian harbor.
There the shore was strewn with amber—
Gems which fell from shattered heavens
In the Southern Stars’ rebellion.

Feioreis the Treians too had founded
To bring to mind the ancient city
Where the first of Treian monarchs
Sat and dealt out laws and justice
To the Star-born sons of Feihoth.

Kheithlakarr, the last of Seven,
Northernmost of Treian cities,
Built of basalt black, and onyx,
Glittered darkly at the moonrise
When high above the Hunter wandered.

These were mighty, ancient cities,
And over them for generations
The seed of mighty Lanenomen
Sat and ruled—those days were blissful!
How then did they fall to darkness?

First Yalethkarr, so songs tell us,
Fell, when the long and ceaseless vigils
Which they kept upon those pathways
Wavered, and promises of power
Orkon made, and bought their silence.

Then the seat of Lanenomen,
Lanenkarr—her gates were open.
Unsuspecting, that mighty city
Was overthrown by foulest treachery.
The nations wept to hear her downfall.

Then in darkness, bitter battles
Raged among the Seven Cities.
Everywhere the wealth and splendor
Of that people was despoiled.
Horned things howled in hellish fury.

Last of all, Kheithlakarr,
Stood upon the northern marches,
Watched the burning of her sisters.
Alone of seven, wicked traitors
Were not found to dwell within her.

The air is full of scarlet banners,
Reeking vapors, bat-nosed monsters.
So last of all, the northern fortress
Falls beneath the hooves of horned-things,
Nevermore to hear a harp-string.

Mighty in his generation
Was Lanenomen, last of Treians.
Mighty were his seven cities—
Great the reek they made in burning
Like a second war in Heaven.

Only hook-nosed, howling monsters,
Bats and bat-nosed Arjagbori
Dwell there, and the cursed traitors—
Nalshbori, who sold their people
For the promises of Orkon.

Nevermore will any city,
Save the one the world’s first waters
Hallowed from among the nations,
Match the beauty of those seven
Which have passed now into darkness.