Hi, all. I have never filked (and there's a reason I don't sing when other people are around), but recently I couldn't help finishing a lyric from /Malafrena/, by Ursula Le Guin. It's described as "the ballad of Death who carries the girl away."

The title could be "Orsinian Ballad" or for greater obscurity "Polana Ballad", or just the first line. The first verse is from the book.

From out my tower window
I saw the red rose and the may,
From out my tower window
I saw the red rose and the thorn.
Who rides beneath my window
Before the break of day,
Who rides beneath my window
Before the morn?

Below me in the courtyard,
The huntsman saddled up his bay.
Below me in the courtyard
I heard the huntsman wind his horn.
Who else walks in the courtyard
Before the break of day,
Who else walks in the courtyard
Before the morn?

The maids are on my staircase
With clothes in colors rich and gay.
The maids are on my staircase
With clothes to warm me and adorn.
Whose boots are on the staircase
Before the break of day,
Whose boots are on the staircase
Before the morn?

A knock is at my door now,
That holds all enemies at bay.
A knock is at my door now.
I laugh all enemies to scorn.
Who passes through my doorway
Before the break of day,
Who passes through my doorway
Before the morn?

Now here within my chamber
I hear the chaplain kneel and pray.
Now here within my chamber
I hear the chaplain, fat and shorn,
And Death is in my chamber
To carry me away.
As one we leave my chamber
Before the morn.

On 2/22/2022 12:02 PM, Jerry Friedman wrote:
> Hi, all. I have never filked (and there's a reason I don't sing when other people are around), but recently I couldn't help finishing a lyric from /Malafrena/, by Ursula Le Guin. It's described as "the ballad of Death who carries the girl away."

Nicely done.

Do you have any idea of a tune for it, or are you looking for suggestions?

No need to apologize. There have been many filkers who don't feel
comfortable singing their own work in public (or at all), and who ask
others to sing for them. On the other hand, the filk community is
generally pretty good about listening for what you're trying to sing
whether you actually hit it or not, so filk is one of the safer places
to make the attempt if you do want to work on your singing skill.

>
> The title could be "Orsinian Ballad" or for greater obscurity "Polana Ballad", or just the first line. The first verse is from the book.
>
> From out my tower window
> I saw the red rose and the may,
> From out my tower window
> I saw the red rose and the thorn.
> Who rides beneath my window
> Before the break of day,
> Who rides beneath my window
> Before the morn?
>
> Below me in the courtyard,
> The huntsman saddled up his bay.
> Below me in the courtyard
> I heard the huntsman wind his horn.
> Who else walks in the courtyard
> Before the break of day,
> Who else walks in the courtyard
> Before the morn?
>
> The maids are on my staircase
> With clothes in colors rich and gay.
> The maids are on my staircase
> With clothes to warm me and adorn.
> Whose boots are on the staircase
> Before the break of day,
> Whose boots are on the staircase
> Before the morn?
>
> A knock is at my door now,
> That holds all enemies at bay.
> A knock is at my door now.
> I laugh all enemies to scorn.
> Who passes through my doorway
> Before the break of day,
> Who passes through my doorway
> Before the morn?
>
> Now here within my chamber
> I hear the chaplain kneel and pray.
> Now here within my chamber
> I hear the chaplain, fat and shorn,
> And Death is in my chamber
> To carry me away.
> As one we leave my chamber
> Before the morn.
>

On Tuesday, February 22, 2022 at 1:54:28 PM UTC-7, Joe Kesselman wrote:
> On 2/22/2022 12:02 PM, Jerry Friedman wrote:
> > Hi, all. I have never filked (and there's a reason I don't sing when other people are around), but recently I couldn't help finishing a lyric from /Malafrena/, by Ursula Le Guin. It's described as "the ballad of Death who carries the girl away."

> Nicely done.
>
> Do you have any idea of a tune for it, or are you looking for suggestions?
>
> No need to apologize. There have been many filkers who don't feel
> comfortable singing their own work in public (or at all), and who ask
> others to sing for them. On the other hand, the filk community is
> generally pretty good about listening for what you're trying to sing
> whether you actually hit it or not, so filk is one of the safer places
> to make the attempt if you do want to work on your singing skill.
..
Thanks for the compliment and the encouragement.

It's for anyone to performs who wants to. I'd appreciate credit. I have
some thoughts about a tune, but I'm unlikely to actually try to write one
for some time, if ever, so if anyone writes a tune for it, that's fine. I'd
also appreciate suggestions.

--
Jerry Friedman

In
Message-ID:<1347e2d8-3a67-4edf-b263-cbd80d9cf7d1n@googlegroups.com>,
Jerry Friedman <jerry_friedman@yahoo.com> wrote:

>Hi, all. I have never filked (and there's a reason I don't sing when other people are around),

I also very rarely inflict my voice on others. But I do know, as has
been pointed out, that filkers welcome *any* singers, especially if
it's to hear a song they'd never hear otherwise.

>It's described as "the ballad of Death who carries the girl away."

I'm glad I somehow missed reading that before reading your filk. I
think it's much more powerful not knowing what's going on until the
last verse.

OTOH, it's still quite good after knowing. But, (unless you have a
bad memory) you can only once read something for first time. And this
way I got to experience it both ways.

--
Arthur T. - ar23hur "at" pobox "dot" com

On Tuesday, February 22, 2022 at 10:11:30 PM UTC-7, Arthur T. wrote:
> In
> Message-ID:<1347e2d8-3a67-4edf...@googlegroups.com>,
> Jerry Friedman <jerry_f...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> >Hi, all. I have never filked (and there's a reason I don't sing when other people are around),

> I also very rarely inflict my voice on others. But I do know, as has
> been pointed out, that filkers welcome *any* singers, especially if
> it's to hear a song they'd never hear otherwise.

Which is very good of you folks.

> >It's described as "the ballad of Death who carries the girl away."

> I'm glad I somehow missed reading that before reading your filk. I
> think it's much more powerful not knowing what's going on until the
> last verse.
>
> OTOH, it's still quite good after knowing. But, (unless you have a
> bad memory) you can only once read something for first time. And this
> way I got to experience it both ways.

Thanks! I just wanted to say why I continued it the way I did, and I
didn't think about the "spoiler", but I will in the future if the occasion
comes up.

--
Jerry Friedman

On Tuesday, February 22, 2022 at 1:54:28 PM UTC-7, Joe Kesselman wrote:
> On 2/22/2022 12:02 PM, Jerry Friedman wrote:
> > Hi, all. I have never filked (and there's a reason I don't sing when other people are around), but recently I couldn't help finishing a lyric from /Malafrena/, by Ursula Le Guin. It's described as "the ballad of Death who carries the girl away."

> Nicely done.
>
> Do you have any idea of a tune for it, or are you looking for suggestions?
....

OK, here's what you make me do. This version plays right, though it doesn't quite
look right. All comments and criticisms are welcome.

If this is plagiarized from somewhere, maybe that would make a good tune instead.

X:1
T:Orsinian Ballad
M:C
C: First verse of the lyrics, Ursula K. Le Guin. Music and additional lyrics, Jerry Friedman.
K:E minor
Q:108 " Freely"
B2 |"Em" B2>A2 G2>F2 | "Bm7"F2 A2 z F ED |"Am"D2 A4 GF |"Em"E4 z2
A2 |"D"A2>G2 F2>E2 | "Am7"E2 G2 z E DC |"G"C2 G4 AG |"Bm"F4 z2
F2| "Em"G2>G2 A2>B2|"Am"c2 A2 z3 B | "Am"c5 c Ac| "Bm"B4 z2
B2 |"Em"B2>A2 G2>F2 | "B7"A2 (F E D) C B,^D |"Em"E8 | "B7"z4
B2 |"Em"B2>A2 G2>F2 | "Bm7"F2 A2 z F ED |"Am"D2 A2 A2 GF |"Em"E4 z2
A2 |"D"A2>G2 F2>E2 | "Am7"E2 G2 z E DC |"G"C2 G4 AG |"Bm"F4 z2
F2| "Em"G2>G2 A2>B2|"Am"c2 A2 z3 B | "Am"c5 c Ac| "Bm"B4 z2
B2 |"Em"B2>A2 G2>F2 | "B7"A2 F2>C2 B,^D ][E,5G,5B,5,E5 z3]]

> > The title could be "Orsinian Ballad" or for greater obscurity "Polana Ballad", or just the first line. The first verse is from the book.
> >
> > From out my tower window
> > I saw the red rose and the may,
> > From out my tower window
> > I saw the red rose and the thorn.
> > Who rides beneath my window
> > Before the break of day,
> > Who rides beneath my window
> > Before the morn?
> >
> > Below me in the courtyard,
> > The huntsman saddled up his bay.
> > Below me in the courtyard
> > I heard the huntsman wind his horn.
> > Who else walks in the courtyard
> > Before the break of day,
> > Who else walks in the courtyard
> > Before the morn?
> >
> > The maids are on my staircase
> > With clothes in colors rich and gay.
> > The maids are on my staircase
> > With clothes to warm me and adorn.
> > Whose boots are on the staircase
> > Before the break of day,
> > Whose boots are on the staircase
> > Before the morn?
> >
> > A knock is at my door now,
> > That holds all enemies at bay.
> > A knock is at my door now.
> > I laugh all enemies to scorn.
> > Who passes through my doorway
> > Before the break of day,
> > Who passes through my doorway
> > Before the morn?
> >
> > Now here within my chamber
> > I hear the chaplain kneel and pray.
> > Now here within my chamber
> > I hear the chaplain, fat and shorn,
> > And Death is in my chamber
> > To carry me away.
> > As one we leave my chamber
> > Before the morn.
> >