Traditional Songs of Tamriel
Forward by Erdiwen of Many Tongues
I have traveled to some of the strangest corners of Nirn; feasted with Bosmer in the remote forests of Vallenwood, entertained an Orcish chieftain in temporary bondage and even helped a Redguard scholar translate an ancient tome. But these are not my only stories to tell. I would have to write another tome to inform the reader of my life story, though it is an indulgent thing to acknowledge. What is important is that I am getting old and weak. My travels as a bard have given me the knowledge of songs from all of the races of Tamriel.
Many of these songs are rarely written down, if at all. Most will be unusual to the average reader. If my travels have proven anything to me, it is that music is a constant among all peoples. The most common subject matter in songs is unhappy love.
Despite fifty years of travel, my knowledge barely scratches the surface.
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I Turn Away
Originated in Morrowind
Serjo walks towards me, I turn away.
Will he ask me for gold or another way?
Will he follow? Will he follow?
I don't know why, but he always lies...
Somehow I love him still, still.
Does he love me still, still?
Don't forget me, Azura.
Don't forget my desperate prayer.
Don't forget my hopeless, hopeless love.
End notes: I first heard this beautifully haunting song in the Retching Netch of Solstheim. It is mostly sung by a woman about a man, to the point where a male bard can effectively amuse an audience by singing a modified version of it. Nevertheless, I won't ever forget the lilting cadence of the song.
Suggestions? Male singers outside of Morrowind can get the same effect as a traditional female singer, so don't be afraid to introduce this to your musical repertoire. Unless you're in the Grey Quater, of course. If you are in Morrowind or Solstheim, read the crowd - it's either very well loved or will be met with groans and sighs. Sober Dunmer tend to react with heckling, but drunken Dunmer will start singing along.
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Zatrana
Of Khajiit Origin
Zatrana, Zatrana, Zatrana...
What you mean to me.
Zatrana, Zatrana, Zatrana...
this one cannot see.
She has the fur of a silver moon,
the eyes of precious gold.
And when she smiles, keeps her head up,
causes thoughts untold.
Zatrana, Zatrana, Zatrana...
She does these things to me.
Zatrana, Zatrana, Zatrana...
But where could she be?
She leaves me at the break of night,
lonely oh, so lonely,
she leaves out this one's line of sight,
so cold, she is, so cold!
Zatrana! Zatrana!
*Optional Ending
But she's abandoned me, the last time,
This one's settling for Dro'Khana.
End notes: I actually did not hear this song in Elsweyr, but in a caravan's camp on the Hammerfell border. A performer traditionally will read the atmosphere to decide which ending to use. If the audience is mostly morose or drinking bitterly, the singer will use the 'joke ending'. If the audience is worked up and jovial, the singer will leave them with the bitter ending. The joke relies on the name - Dro is an honorific for an old khajiit.
Suggestions? Sing this to a louder audience. It's most effective when sung with a booming voice and will quiet crowds, if only for a moment (every bard should prepare for a potentially hostile or indifferent audience). Starting with the original and changing it a little bit each time you repeat the verse is a tradition among the khajiit, but they often end up with a silly, nonsensical version of the song by about the third round.
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Flip The Coin
Drinking Song Unique to the Reachmen of Skyrim
Three gold pieces from the street,
one for you, one for me.
And with the third, who shall it be?
How will we solve this mystery?
Flip the coin!
Flip the coin!
Dance around our good luck.
But when the guards do come around,
be sure, my friend, to duck!
Cause a coin is only worth so much,
so little compared to you or me.
Flip the coin, then!
Flip the coin!
And let's go buy a drink.
End notes: This song is usually sung by multiple people. It enjoys popularity among the prisoners of Markarth's infamous Cidhna Mine, but groups of (non-convict) miners have been known to sing this during working hours. Interesting enough, as miners have been coming in from other areas of the world to mine silver, this song has simply been adopted by the immigrants working among the Reachmen.
Suggestions? A crowd favorite if you're singing in the Reach. The words are easy to pick up on and meant to be repeated, so use it to build up the energy of a sleepy tavern. Do not attempt this if there are few people in the audience. It'll fall flat very quickly without other people to sing it - I have personally seen that happen.
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Girl of Stros M'Kai
Skyrim Folk Song
Once was a woman, fair as evening,
in Springtime of Stros M'kai.
Like a rose, her lips were red,
And for a moment she was mine.
She tended a tavern, carefully,
with a home right by the sea.
And folk did come to hear her sing,
listenin' wistfully.
But one day there came a sailin' orc,
and a pirate elf.
Who had no good intentions for
that springtime girl of mine.
She knew it wasn't safe,
but couldn't bring herself to leave-
she was far too brave to flee.
But with four beers down, the orc did frown,
and bid the elf goodbye,
for none could know, twas not for show
that someone had to die.
And so ended the life,
and blotted the light
of my girl of Stros M'kai.
End notes: This is a song sung almost exclusively by bandits and other elements of the criminal underworld. That said, the full variant of it has a pretty melody. The story itself doesn't have the best plot (it definitely doesn't have the same detail as say, The Epic of Niben), but the vocals are what carries it. I had to spend far too much time among banditry against my will to get the full record of the song, so I don't much care for it myself.
Suggestions? Be very careful. Someone may mistake you for a person with criminal past or connections. If that kind of thing doesn't bother you, try to sing it at later hours of the night. Use a subtle volume so that people have to be quiet to hear you. Most effective when singing around a campfire, due to the narrative nature of the song. As said before, be careful among mixed company.
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I Listen For You
Altmeri
You are light I cannot hold,
a gleam of the stars.
A flower I can't see,
among many wars.
And now I can't smell
anything but fresh blood.
On my tongue I am smothered
with tears.
But one thing they can't take,
and I keep it here,
is the music I know of your voice.
At the tallest of mountains,
I listen for you,
When the rocks crumble downward,
I'll listen anew.
For the only thing I can sense
anymore -
Is the sound of your breathing,
the sound of home shores.
End note: Tradition holds that this song was written during a time of great strife. It's often used as a funeral song for Altmer soldiers. I had the privilege of listening to an authentic version of it sung in the original Altmeri tongue, after I had befriended an elderly healer (unfortunately employed by the Thalmor) who then died after being attacked by locals. It's held a special place in my heart ever since.
Suggestions? Sing with a light cadence and very softly. Use head voice and let notes soar on their own (it's very tempting to try to force the sound). Sometimes it's better to vaguely say it's a song from the elves, rather than reveal that it's an Altmeri song if you're performing in certain areas of Tamriel.
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Steel Song
Orsimer
Fire! Forge! Molten steel!
Like the pounding of the rain,
the hammer falls upon the heat,
to a tool of dealing pain.
Water! Iron! Solid steel!
Like the hissing of a snake,
the blade sizzles deadly,
if it bends, it means it's fake.
Earth! Wood! Clashing steel!
Like the groaning of a tree,
the post will be the test
to see how strong a blade is he.
Air! Flesh! Bloodied steel!
Like the death song of our foes,
the blade protects us from enemies
and brings to them their woes.
End note: A rather intense song of the Orsimer, sometimes sung before raids, other times simply as a working song for blacksmiths. If you ever, for some reason, need to entertain a band of orcs, this is a good song for that. They will likely enjoy it ironically if you are not an orc yourself, but it's still a fine choice. You'd be surprised at their sense of humor, actually.
Suggestions? This is likely to scare most tavern patrons, but if you happen to be in Skyrim or Orsinium, you're in luck. Nords will be more likely to appreciate the song and you're also more likely to find Orcs (to whom the song will likely be familiar) in Skyrim.
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