Once upon a time I promised the person who answers a rather difficult question in the "World Mythology Trivia" quiz a bunch of virtual cookies and a poem. The virtual cookies have been gone long since. But the poem is here.
It is a song sung by Mrs. Swimmer when she is gathering treestars at dawn for her children's breakfast. The song is a sort of a swimmer folk song, designed to lift boredom while doing the rather time-consuming and mundane task of gathering food. It is quite long and archaic, showing that Mrs. Swimmer didn't invent it, but as is customary among swimmers, she improvises considerably upon an old theme. Even the grammar has been corrupted slightly over time. I also have a specific rhythm and tune in mind for the song, but I don't know how to write it in musical script (actually I do, but I don't know how high I should put the notes in the script without a piano or keyboard), so I was thinking about improvising with accent marks.
So anyways, compliments are welcome, and critiques are even more welcome.
I hope you'll enjoy it!
THE SWIMMER'S TREESTAR GATHERING SONG
Where arest thou,
Where arest thou?
Oh juicy treestar calling,
Shinerays through trees looming.
Oh morning dew,
Oh morning dew,
My legs in thee are bathing,
My lips thy juice are seeking.
Oh sweetest thing,
Little red leafling,
Lighten my children's day,
Reward after daytime's play.
Come out leafling,
In a coupling,
Darkness thy kin hidding,
Shy of the Circle's crossing.
I found some of you!
You shined of through.
Water from your dripping,
Greenfood fresh and tempting.
It is begun,
My gathering run,
Now let us see
How long it will be.
Oh gather though
Shall I as much as you give,
Oh Valley woods,
Your gifts and goods!
And may your seeds
Grow strong and plenty in all,
So that my Seeds
Grow seeds of their own.
Oh Circle, thou rise!
Warmth toucheth my eyes,
The heart had touched been too,
Pour thy golden dew!
Oh morning dew,
Both gold and cold,
Sky colors, your work, are playing,
Twirling, twisting, fraying.
In leafs they are,
On stones they shine!
Sky colors in tree oils,
All capture my mind.
Threehorns awake,
Just hear their roar!
My fellow swimmers
Still gather some more.
Oh gather though,
Shall I as much as you give,
Oh Valley woods,
Your gifts and goods!
And may your seeds
Grow strong and plenty in all,
So that my Seeds
Grow seeds of their own.
I need some more,
I still need more
Treestars to be taken,
Valley will soon awaken.
The morning dew
Is all but gone.
A flyer passing by,
Coming from clear sky.
I feel not sore,
Not now, not before.
I stand strong on my toes,
Wind won't break my bones!
My pile has grown
So much had been sown.
Treestars, grow with speed,
A big mouth's no joke to feed!
Ah fine smells breeze,
Ah fine smells breeze,
By the waterway groweth golden fruit,
Under it a bush of longneck's youth.
My run is long
I still remain strong,
Oh, please run not short,
Of food of all sort!
Oh gather though
Shall I as much as you give,
Oh Valley woods,
Your gifts and goods!
And may your seeds
Grow strong and plenty in all,
So that my Seeds
Grow seeds of their own!
By the waterway
Young longnecks play.
The bush had been nibbled,
Most leafs had been gobbled.
I don't really care,
Since the real prize's there,
Red treestar, thou shinest through,
But I shall pick only some of you!
The prize must remain,
Don't bow to one's greed!
Reward your children
When they've done a great deed.
But what is great?
One might as well ask.
Oh greater the person,
The greater the task.
Oh gathered though
Have I as much as you gave,
Oh Valley woods,
Your gifts and goods!
And may your seeds
Grow strong and plenty in all,
So that my children
Build lives of their own!
