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Hart Song

...her true love came a courting

Here's what we're thinking for "Hart Song". As we figure it out, feel free to share these fireside. Many of these can be found on our YouTube channel. For melodies, check it out!. All Lyrics subject to change prior to final recording. 

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Working Song List:

True Love Never Dies  |  Playing for the Soul  |  Still I Dream of Winter

Never a Finer Laddie | Fireflies | Here's to the Ladle  |  To Hunt the Huntsman's Daughter

Grace the Heroe's Graves | A Queen She is... | Thy Love is Easy | Cut a Wench

How Hathor Blessed the Hart  |  I Am But a Servant

Hart Song ~ Online Songbook

...Such joy was never meant for mortal men

True Love Never Dies

Her true love came a courting, a courting well he came
Though poor as any pauper, she loved him all the same
She loved him as the morning sun loves the early dew
He loved her as fair cupid favors well the bending yew

Her father most concerned decided wealthier she’d wed
Promised that the miller would soon share her marriage bed
So challenging the whims of fate she vowed to turn the tide
And so she took her suitors both unto the water’s side

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Chorus:
Singing Hey Ho into the spray he goes
Hey Ho into the river she flies
Hey Ho as the wind and rain and the leaves do fall
Hey Ho true love never dies

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From off her slightest finger, she pulled a silver ring
And promised he who found it first would marry her come spring
But slyly did she slip a stone into her grasp instead
And tossed it oh so cleverly into the riverbed

Then both men leapt into the spray to meet her heart’s demand
She planned to slip her silver ring into her lover’s hand
So cunningly she crafted fate toward all she could wish
And smugly watched the miller rise like some befuddled fish

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Chorus

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Her triumph all but in her grasp she thought she’d won the game
Her one true love had yet to rise so thrice she called his name
So suddenly her worry flared well fueled by her fears
In horror saw what she had done and many were her tears

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She threw her cloak from off her back and leapt into the spray
She found herself imperiled as the river had its way
The icy current dragged her down, drowning out her cry
Just then her lover caught her hands and pulled her to the sky

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Chorus

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Her true love pulled her to the shore, the mud was thick and cold
He cut the corset from her breast and kissed her full and bold
The water trapped within her rose and spared her cruel death
She slipped the ring into his hand before she drew first breath

He knew the trick at once and laughed to share their secret jest
He raised the ring to show the miller he had won the test
Come spring the two were married and they lived there till this day
And all along the river side, their clever children play

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Chorus

Chorus

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Still I Dream of Winter

Coming Soon!

Fireflies

My Soul is sickened by its weakness
His heart, cold as is the stone
I loved greater than my station
Now my tears are all that I may call my own

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Refrain:
Fireflies dance o’er the meadow
As a crimson sun sets in the sky
Fireflies dance o’er the lilies
Let them dance upon the grave where he doth lie

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His words, sweet as dripping honey
His eyes, fierce as any flame
I gave freely to my fancy
And, a fool, I witless there embraced my shame

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Refrain

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He woke too early in the morning
His eyes laughing as he rose
His words, cruel as was his beauty
And he turned to leave me unto all my woes

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Refrain

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I drew full free my lover’s dagger
And plunged it in his lying breast
Now never more shall my love wander
For none, save I, now knows where he doth rest

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FINAL REFRAIN:
Fireflies dance o’er the meadow
As a bloody sun sets in the sky
Fireflies dance o’er the lilies
Let them dance upon the grave where he doth lie

 

To Hunt the Huntsman's Daughter

Coming Soon!

A Queen

Coming Soon!

Cut a Wench

Coming Soon!

I Am But a Servant

Coming Soon!

Playin' for the Soul

I set my hat upon the floor and me fiddle to me chin
I start a lively jig to get 'em all a dancin'
For a dancin' means a drinkin' and a drinkin' means a tippin'
Tippin' keeps my purse from growin' empty

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Everyone catches their breath as I change my tune to lovin'
I sing a sad lament to get 'em all a weepin'
For a weepin' means a drinkin' and a drinkin' means a tippin'
Tippin' keeps my purse from growin' empty

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Again I change my tune to songs of fightin' and of warrin'
I sing a battle durge to get 'em all a stompin'
For a stompin' means a drinkin' and a drinkin' means a tippin'
Tippen' keeps my purse from growin' empty

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The hour is growin' late and the crowd is growin' thin
The barkeep wants a coin to buy a bit o' drinkin'
Another for me meal and another me bed
And sadly now I see me purse is empty

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But on the morn I'll travel to the nearest town I ken
I'll start a lively jig and get 'em all a dancin'
For a dancin' means a drinkin' and a drinkin' means a tippin'
Tippen keeps my purse from growin' empty
Yes, playin' keeps my soul from growin' empty

 

Never a Finer Laddie

Chorus:

There’s never a finer laddie than the laddie that I love
Never a finer laddie than the lad that I sing of
A ready smile, a cunning wit, a laugh that’s easy won
Mercy me, its plain to see my heart has been undone

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Now I’ve been known a rover and I’ve roamed by land and sea
From sailor unto noble knight, been sought most courtingly
And though a few a time or two it seems me did beguile
All were passing fancies till I saw my laddie smile

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Chorus

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Now some maids covet power, a man both keen and stern
While others crave a crafty lord, the riches he can earn
But power leaves ya sighin' and no silver buys you love
And in the end a loving friend is all that I dream of

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Chorus

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The twinkle in his eye and his roguish hand in mine
Are all I value most and will never fade with time
And when that I am old and gray and cannot rove no more
I’ll have my laughing laddie, aye, the man that I adore!

 

Here's to the Ladle

Relentless the sun as we all take our ease
And the heat finds my patience is tested
The sweat on my brow and the ache in my bones
Know the day’s deeds are nearly all bested
But a whiff of the hearth is a balm for the heart
And I offer my laughter-filled greeting
For around me I spy kin who, weary as I,
For these blessings give thanks before feasting 

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Chorus:
Here’s to the ladle and here’s to the cup
And here’s to the bowl, never empty
For the love that you brew and for all that you do,
We give thanks unto you for this plenty

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So rich we have grown from the friendship we’ve known
From the last one to rest midst our number
And so lucky the lord who has sworn her his sword
And beside such a bride takes his slumber
For the rarest of gifts one may give is one’s time
It’s a coin that can ne’er be recovered
And when all here are done her works only begun
With humility few have discovered 

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Chorus

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The dawn meets my eyes and I wearily rise
For the day will be riddled with duty
I grumble a bit but then joyfully sit
For her toilsome work is a beauty
For a warm brimming cup is the finishing touch
On a table that’s laden and waiting
Oh I’ve said it before and I’ll sing it again
For a toast such as this bears restating 

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Chorus

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Bridged alter melody:

Now what e’er be the task you have only to ask
For the burdens you bare are oft' daunting
Know that those who here stand will be your many hands
For you give so that none will go wanting 

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Chorus
Repeat: We give thanks unto you for this plenty

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Grace the Heroes Graves

Coming Soon!

Thy Love is Easy

Coming Soon!

How Hathor Blessed the Hart

She watched with apprehension as great Ra did speed the day 

As every rival set before the Hart just fell away 

The rumors grew that favored of the god of war was he 

Quoth she, “Would Horus curse his own for Rome in spite of me? 

Or else could Hathor, goddess of the heart, have been so cruel, 

That unto such a Roman would be wed the Nile's Jewel?” 
 

Refrain: 

In love and war the gods know we rare finish how we start 

I sing to you the story of how Hathor blessed the hart 

 
The Hart he knelt before the king and stood again as heir 

His mind was deftly reeling from this duty he would dare 

He thought upon the works that must be wrought to right the wrong 

And knew that Rome was safer for a land secure and strong 

Then spoke the king, 'You've won the day, and here, your queen to be. 

Would you place crown upon her brow or leave that joy to me?'

 

Refrain 

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He looked upon the lotus who beside the King did stand 

A prize well won a far from Egypt’s dry and arid land 

No Venus of Britannia but a foreign flower, she 

Quothe he, ‘I’d ne'er a Roman to Egyptian bend a knee, 

But majesty, you will do as you will do this I trust.' 

By, Sol! The fire within her eyes as would burn a man to dust  

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Refrain 

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The days passed by until the coronation came at last 

But rising from her slumber found her chamber door barred-fast 

Though in a rage she summoned all her wits and all her guile 

The equal unto Isis was the maiden’s cunning smile 

She set her down upon a rug so rich inlayed with gold 

For who would guess a queen would lie in wait within its fold?  

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Refrain 

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A servant came unto her room to see her Lady shore 

But hearing not an answer had a guard unbar the door 

Before a roll of woven gold a note read, 'For the king.' 

Though no sign of the maid could roman pray-er hope to bring 

The guard was heard to wonder at the weight this tribute bore 

The maid fought off her laughter and was lifted from the floor  

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Refrain 

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Assembled in the hall were all who could get leave to be 

The new made Roman emperor looked on so pensively 

For one by one his nobles swore him oath with gift and vow 

Then came a humble guardsmen who before his king did bow 

And in his arms a treasure that like Sol did light the day 

"Pray what is this?" the Hart did ask, and this the guard did say:

 

- Instrumental refrain but no vocals - 

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"Your fair Egyptian queen is gone; it seems she loves you not 

But in her chambers found I this great tribute I have brought 

Its weight is such that none can doubt the worth sewn in its fold." 

And as the guard placed cloth to ground, his laughing bride unrolled.  

Then stood she there, the lotus like the lily, clad in white 

By Luna, not a star within the heavens shone as bright.  

 

Refrain 

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The Lotus knelt before the Hart, so humble, in her way 

And spoke this to the Emperor, “Pray heed what I would say. 

If Egypt is to raise a Roman standard to the sun 

Then Roman or Egyptian, you and I must be as one. 

For whether Sol or whether Ra burns brightest in our heart 

Divided we invite our foes to tear this land apart.” 

 

- Instrumental refrain but no vocals - 

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He heard her words and knew them for the echo of his own 

He took her hand, raised her to stand to share with him the thrown. 

No Venus of Britannia won the Roman for his bride 

But Mars and Hathor wove a cunning Isis for his side 

And though it’s said that each may have a mind of who is best 

Ha’e pity on the foeman who would put their bond to test 

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Refrain 

Refrain 

 

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Medieval Folk Music for the Current Middle Ages

Harts Haven Presents
Ravenboy Music Artist

Samantha Moore

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