1. Dust and ashes
2. Il ciliegio
3. The enchanted lake
4. By appointment
5. Lady
6. Merry we will be
7. The stolen bride
8. The hare in the moon
9. Mustapha's tale
Dust and ashes
(Peter Sinfield - Angelo Branduardi)
I am dust and ashes
My crown is worm and white bone
There’s no man-suckled milk
Though he runs I will not call him
His chains will seem as feathers
When silently I lock mine
His iron gate but cobweb come his moment
I am dust and ashes
My jewels maggots crawling
There’s no man woman loved
Will not surrender when I beckon
Sand is running my blade shining
Bend your heads why stay my welcome
The steps are worn my ferryman awaits you
Oh sir you do us honour
Attending on our humble dwelling
Lay down your glass and blade
And take a few turns with us
We beg you dance a few steps
A rondeau of remembrance
Forget a while the flesh you should have taken...
Il Ciliegio
( Luisa Zappa - Angelo Branduardi)
Reelaboration of a medieval ballad
Già ero vecchio e stanco
per prenderla con me,
ma il vecchio giardiniere
rinunciare come può
all’ultimo suo fiore,
se l’inverno viene già…
Già ero vecchio e stanco,
ma la volli per me
e il sorriso della gente
di nascosto accompagnò
il mio andare verso casa
e l’inverno viene già…
Lei era la più bella
che avessi visto mai:
sorrideva fra le ciglia
e il mio cuore riscaldava,
era l’ultimo mio fiore
e l’inverno viene già…
Poi anche il mio ciliegio
a suo tempo maturò;
lei venne un mattino
a chiedermene i frutti
“Devo avere quelle ciliegie
perché presto un figlio avrò”.
Io guardavo le sue guance
più bella era che mai,
e sentivo dentro me
già crescere la rabbia:
“Chiedi al padre di tuo figlio
di raccoglierle per te”.
Sorridendo come sempre
le spalle mi voltò
e la vidi in mezzo al prato
verso l’albero guardare:
era l’ultimo mio fiore
e l’inverno viene già…
Fu il ramo suo più alto
che il ciliegio chinò
ed il padre di suo figlio
così l’accontentò.
Già ero vecchio e stanco
per prenderla con me,
ma il vecchio giardiniere
rinunciare come può
all’ultimo suo fiore,
se l’inverno viene già.
The enchanted lake
(Peter Sinfield - Angelo Branduardi)
Close by Jakob’s fountain
Starts the strange tale I will tell
Where fair Madeleine met an enchanter
Who addressed her in a tongue few men know well
Said he all you wish
From this hour is yours for asking
Tell me all your desire
For there’s no dream I can’t fulfil it
>Sir be on your way I’ve no
time for your games
Not for you do I wait here but for another
He will come for me and bring me a velvet gown
And we’ll go hand in hand to London town
You’re fool if you think you
won’t be mine
Said the enchanter to fair Madeleine
And yet you’re young so I forgive you
If you’d lived my thousand years you’d play
Once more did he ask for a
whish from her heart
Better believe now or spells
I will use to make you mine.
You’d make a fine tree that blossomed every springtime
Shade me in the summer and be my firewood in winter
This is gone too far
Cried out the young maid
Now I see you for a liar
Full of your own wind
All this talk of spells
What nonsense a thousand years
When I see your face to be younger yet than mine
So the enchanter spun him
circles circles three
And turned her with a spell to a calm wide lake
From the top of a tower of ivory
Forever he gazes on her face
(Forever he loves fair Madeleine’s face)...
By appointment
(Peter Sinfield - Angelo Branduardi)
Through the misty realm of
morning
Came the cry of the raven’s warning
Come away there is evil around you
There is canker curse and fire
It will take out your eyes for its master
It will cut you and give him your heart sir
Now too late it is close it has found you
Beware the venomous iron
Be still I do not fear death
I now welcome the journey
But friend fly to my patron
And pluck his eyes in revenge
Go tell him that my last breathe
I spent singing an old song
His heart will burn with my heart
In the fires of hell before long
For the crab will come out
of the ocean
To be near to his mouth for the time
He can steal his soul on his dying breath
And hide it away for eternity
Oh greater the lord more the
fool
Always the same essential flaw
While his lackeys are picking my bones clean
People dance on to my songs at his back door.
Lady
(Peter Sinfield - Angelo Branduardi)
Lady I love thee
Once sang all the minstrels
On the greenbanks and meadows
In high-windowed halls
Nowadays the styles changed
It’s not the done thing
Call me old-fashioned
But I’ll still sing…
Lady I love thee
And fill your heart gladly
With sweet music and laugher
Blue skies and gold rings
Moon on the river strange sails in the bay
Lady I’ll love thee forever my way
Lady I love thee
Your white knight I would be
Who saves you from dragons
Who wakes you from spells
Long may the world stand
On my welcome mat
Its baggage unopened
While I’m sure that
Lady together
From sunrise to sunset
Your star’s bright in my night
Your heart’s close to mine
Moon on the river strange sails in the bay
Lady I’ll love thee no more can I stay…
Merry we will be
(Peter Sinfield - Angelo Branduardi)
Go light the lantern and
hang it on the gate
As a sign that all men are welcome
In this house tonight to spend Christmastide
Among friendly company
Then build the fire to a yuletide blaze
And keep the great spit turning
Send the fiddlers in give us fair young maids
And merry we will be
We’ve garlands red and
garlands green
And a tree with stars and tinsel
Where an angel blest by Father James
Looks down upon our feast
Here comes the man of God himself
Give him wine and bid him welcome
When his cheeks are red he’ll forget his bed
And merry we will be
There’s holly hung from
every beam
There’s miseltoe and ivy
If I catch you there I will take my share
Of kisses given free
There’s gifts for all both tall and small
There’s trinkets toys and baubles
So fill your dish with all your wish
And merry we will be
We’ve garlands red and
garlands green
And a tree with stars and tinsel
For its open house and open hearts
This time of year of all
So if you’re passing by and hear
The sounds of joy and laughter
Won’t you step inside this Christmastide
And merry we will be
Go light the lantern and
hang it on the gate
As a sign that all men are welcome
In this house tonight that is shining bright
With fire light and love
We’ve garlands red and garlands green
And a tree with stars and tinsel
Good friends come one come all this night
And merry we will be.
The stolen bride
(Peter Sinfield - Angelo Branduardi)
Three long nights and sleep
eludes me
Wait and watch and listen
But all I hear is the viper sliding
And hissing along the river
There I wrote this song I sing now
Darkly dressed with sorrow
About the bride who left her wedding
Slipped out…none saw none followed
No one saw the extra guest
Beguile her to the threshold
With smiles and pretty words about the beauty of her dress
And persuade her from the feasting
So naive she followed him
She bought but for a moment
We waited her return till the candles burnt away
We searched…but none could find her
A fiddler present at the
wedding
Was walking out next morning
When the strange guest appeared before him
Good day musician said he
I know you search for one who’s missing
Vanished from her wedding
If you have a brave heart walk behind me
And I will lead you to her
A boat as black as fishes bowels
He rode cross-shrouded waters
Until they came upon the waxen bride
In a dress of gold and silver
She bade the fiddler take
her ring
Back safe to her beloved
And said here I remain and suffer not the world
No pain desire or hatred
The fiddler took the ring and turning
Had hardly walked but one step
When he heard her stifled cry “Forgive me”
As the misty waters took her
Shining bright as summer light
The morning that she married
What unholy place was she taken to that day
And by what cold of darkness
The hare in the moon
(Peter Sinfield - Angelo Branduardi)
Once upon a time when all
the world was young
There lived three friends so the legend runs
There was a monkey called eyes and a fox called nose
And a hare called ears and the story goes
Up hill and down dale forever together
Exploring their green world, discussing the weather
And every night when all the stars where shining
Each one held two more close until the morning
You’ll never guess what happened next though
Well, wait just a minute and I’ll tell you
One summers day up to those there
Came a white haired sage and friends said he
I will pay with gold for some well-cocked meat
I have travelled far and fain would eat
The fox and the monkey went whispering off together
While the hare went on playing as carefree as ever
And little did suspect what evil they planned
That she would be the meal to feed the old man.
You’ll never guess what happened next though
Well, wait just a minute and I’ll tell you
The fox ran swift and caught the hare
While the monkey built a roasting fire
But said the old man wait, with a tear in his eyes
These sad betrayals changed my mind
Come with me now here leave your two false friends
No more man will trust them
But you’ll have a fine end
When man look up into the moon’s right corner
They will see you running happy ever after
And now they’ll know just how you got there
Yada di di….
Once upon a time when all the world was young
There lived three friends so the legend runs
There was a monkey called eyes and a fox called nose
And a hare called ears and the story goes
But two betrayed one so she left to run
High in the sky as the moon’s right eye
And if you look and she’s not running for you
Half close your eyes you’ll see her I assure you
Beware the fox, beware the monkey
They might just betray you as they did her….
Mustapha's tale
(Peter Sinfield - Angelo Branduardi)
Mustapha the silver bit and
stoked up the fire
Began his tale once in the blue hills so tired
I found a cave to shelter in, the entrance was low
If its fable or fantasy the desert wind knows
If its fable or fantasy the desert wind blows
Suddenly awakened with a
black chill of terror
I saw twelve hooded figures in graveyard apparel
Who shuffling towards me where I crouched by the wall
Said Mustapha you’re now of us, we have need of one more
Yes joining hands they left a place and called for one more
Thirteen we must be tonight
for conjure and scheme
My limbs gave me to them I prayed that I dreamed
My hands held fast by other hands the circle was closed
If its fable or fantasy the desert wind knows
If its fable or fantasy the desert wind blows
A pentagram of Caldea was
drawn in vermillion
Where five lamps were a’ flickering to foul incantation
When all at once sulphurous vapours did rise
A cloud, a shape, a form, a face with tapers for eyes
Never was a gargoyle more
hideously moulded
Or a voice heard more of snake fit
Which that awful head issued
No greather riches offered for a small sacrifice
A name in blood, a promised soul, the unholy price
A name in blood, a promised soul, the unholy price
It offered me all women both
living and dead
Palaces and flower a crown for my head
But from somewhere deep inside me came the strength to scream no
If its fable or fantasy the desert wind knows
If its fable or fantasy the desert wind blows
Mustapha the silver bit and
stoked up the fire
Began his tale once in the blue hills so tired
I found a cave to shelter in and the rest I’ve disclosed
Fable or fantasy the desert wind blows
Fable or fantasy the desert wind blows
If its fable or fantasy the desert wind blows
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