On Traveling to Mournhold
An excerpt.
...I had never seen such destruction. The swordsman I had hired collapsed in horror and he prayed for such things to not befall Blacklight. We decided to search for survivors. There was only one and he was so covered with burns and injuries that he asked the mercenary to kill him. Despite our adventures before and even a little while after this, I have never sought the man out. No amount of dialogue could have provided closure for what we had witnessed and we went our separate ways.
...
Unknown "Wait Thankfully"
Dunmeri Origin
Does the ash move with the wind of the storm?
Or do I sit here so still, so graced, so warm?
And if the mount erupted again,
I would be content to wait for the rain.
Someone looks kindly upon us, somewhere,
but I have not seen it, nor ground, nor air.
So I wait. So I wait.
For to move will go nowhere,
except away from the kind look of the distant.
In the ash the blind see.
In the ash we're all blind.
Sing praises for the rain that will be here someday.
End notes: I found this in a Morrowind ruin, scratched into a stone obelisk. It took several hours to decipher it, even with the help of a man who spoke the modern form of the same language. The mercenary I traveled with was a bit fascinated by it, saying there was something magical about its nature. Never have and never will understand magic. I wrote it down at his encouragement.
Suggestions? I couldn't bring myself to sing it out loud. When I've whispered it, something seems to whisper back - that's enough of a deterrent for me. If you're adventurous and have an unnatural penchant for disturbing the unknowable void, the closest category I can put this in is perhaps a funeral song. We did find skeletons in this ruin, but they weren't properly buried. My only suggestion is to not sing it at all.
...
Hunting Day
Bosmeri Origin
There's water flowin' from the ice
and flowers in the field.
Weather's lookin' very nice,
the bow is mine to wield.
It's a day for us, it's that kind of day,
Do we really need to say?
It's time for a hunt in the forest!
It's time to storm through the green.
There's game and frivolity to find,
though the badger's lookin' mean!
Let's put our skill to the test,
and don't let the badgers rest,
because our soup bowl's empty
and they're otherwise a pest.
Let's hunt!
End notes: On a much lighter note, this is a fun song I picked up on in Valenwood. It's not even only used for certain occasions - bards there (or the Bosmer equivalent of bards) will sing it in the dead of Winter for it's bouncy rhythm. Not the instant crowd-pleaser that something like 'Ragnar the Red' is, but definitely something that people never complain about.
Suggestions? Have fun with it. Feel free to make exaggerated hand motions and act out the lyrics. The song is over-the-top and has little pretense of seriousness. It's likely better to sing this in an area where the people hunt, though.
...
Woman of Stros M'Kai
Unknown
Haer fase was as te eventide
with haer te sweet aere of the Seede in haer eye
ahn it wuld be known, thou shae be shied
that shae be from te isles of Stros M'kai.
Be what with te opened eares
ahn see te tale of woe
thou shae be nouwh with noing cares
shae was taken thun ahn showe.
End notes: It's very difficult to tell where the original song came from, but the oldest parchments I've seen are from the Reach. This version also comes with primitive directions for tune, which shows that the original also had a very different sound. This old parchment is incomplete and damaged, but there's a strong indication that the story itself was also different - possibly modified over the years, like Zatrana.
Suggestions: Pronunciations were very strange back then! It's less intimidating if read aloud first. I'm far less offended by this older version, myself, and it's a shame it's incomplete.
...
To Those Who Oppose Us
Renrijra Krin
Hear a sound, oppressors?
Don't you get caught!
Don't be brave or rash,
it's not a day for drinking.
Just sneak away,
make it to day.
And make love to the lady
who loves you!
Because she doesn't break the rules,
she just knows that there's none.
Leave behind the fools
that would enslave the fun.
And who has the soul of Khajiit
but your lady?
No one, we say!
It's shameful, what a shame,
that the cutter of heads
would lose his own...
We cut for our name!
We cut for freedom!
End Notes: This is a rallying song of the Renrijra Krin. Like many of their anthems, it's jokey and unusually like a tavern song. Despite their reputations of being thieves, smugglers and other unsavory characters being true, in my experience they aren't the worst group to be captured by. Mostly I recited poetry and played a strange instrument (very badly) for their amusement. And they got tired of me and let me go. One of their ranks stole a gold necklace for me, I still have it, somewhere... but that was long ago.
Suggestions? For love of the Nine, don't sing this in Cyrrodil, Black Marsh, Morrowind, or Summerset Isles. It's just a bad idea. Like, a really bad idea. In Cyrrodil, it will get attention from the guards. In the Summerset Isles or Black Marsh, it can get you arrested and thrown in prison. It's a hopelessly catchy song, unfortunately. I found myself humming it for months after they let me go.
...
Little Scales
Argonian
Little scales, little scales, I was there when
you saw the first light.
Little scales, little scales, I will be there when
you wake up at night.
Just don't cry my little scales, I will make sure
that everything's right.
Your soul came to you out of everyone else,
little scales, you shine so bright.
So promise you won't be led astray,
don't go away, don't grow up or grow old.
For now just sleep, little scales...
End Notes: A soft lullaby sung often by the descendants of Argonian slaves on the Morrowind coast. In it's original language (which differs from the dialect spoken in Black Marsh - or so I've heard) it is much sadder. The Argonians in Morrowind formed tightly knit communities that don't trust outsiders, too often for good reason. I unfortunately did not get to know the particular settlement I passed by. It was spared the raiding by Black Marsh soldiers, but the people were frequently harassed by them.
Suggestions: A beautiful song. Sing it towards the end of the night, before everyone goes home. It's very good at reducing nostalgic warriors to tears.
...
Author Notes: Wow. I just want everyone (who has been following this) that my computer literally fell apart, so I couldn't update this. I have a new one, so I'm hoping to continue where I left off.