The Song of the Dwarves

The Song of the Dwarves
by Canu

This Song won the honor of third place;in the first Bardic competition of our time, sponsored by the House Scrimm,;back in 348, it would have been. It is meant to be performed with a drum, or other traditional percussive instrument, and is chanted rather than sung.

Canu says, "Close yer eyes now. Think with my words."

Canu says, "Close your eyes and imagine with me. See what lies behind the lids. See what Canu's people saw at the beginning. See..."

"Darkness"

"A Nothing so full of itself
That dark becomes taste,
And emptiness rings loud in ears

See what the first dwarves saw
Deep in the World Dragon's bed."

Canu closes his eyes and exhales slowly. A simple rhythm begins to sound from the instrument, persistent and thorough, much like a slowly beating pulse.

"Dark..."

Canu suddenly opens her eyes now, and in a mystical voice continues the chanting under the rhythm.

And yet the emptiness has bounds,
Walls, felt but not seen"

"The Emptiness has breadth and depth,
With knowledge of its limits,
Sense it as a place.
A place of utter blackness,
Utter silence."

Canu stills the instrument for a dramatic pause.

Canu's fingers click on the side of the instrument in a quick pattern, resembling the tinkling sound of ice falling.

"Move through the Darkness
Following sound without sighted clue,
Following the slightest sounds"

Canu whistles softly, creating a sound like wind rushing through far off tunnels.

"Or the loudest noise!" Canu smashes down suddenly with a booted foot, making a loud BOOM echo.

Canu keeps up the strange rhythm of his words with a quiet tap TAP taptap TAP tap on the instrument.

"Light!;And Color,
Formless,
Brilliant in eyes too long
With nought but the Dark"

"Such color!
Yellows to make the sun weep in shame,
Reds that rival the rose's fame,
And greens, blues, purples pure,
A feast of color after a Dark without."

"Riches these.
Riches all,
From the smallest spark of phospor glow,
All the gems and all the jewels,
And the colors of the finest rainbow."

"Imagine the beauty in this light,
From finest gems lit by lanterns fire,
To the duller shades of poorest stone,
All color,
All light on Dark, and dark on Light,
All beauty in the depths"

"And hear now a new sound.
A new music weaving softly through
The Dark's natural symphony."

Canu taps the drum slightly, just out of tune - a sound almost like hammers on stone.

Or older"

"Hammers,
Picks,
Tools
To bring gems from stone,
And stone to art..."

"See it in your mind's eye,
Hear it with your soul,
Through ages old
And caverns new,
We delved."

"From empty Dark,
From soundless void,
We discovered the music
And the Light"

"Gems fit for queenly hand,
From caverns knowing only - Nothing.
Unknown,
Until the first Dwarf awoke."

"What the first dwarf saw,
What all dwarves see.
At night,
In the silence"

"And the Darkness."

Canu lets the drumming fade away and bows his head quietly as the full breadth of the song's power finishes.

Editor's Note - The verses in italics are meant to be recited, rather than sung.

A special note to Dreamheart, for making sure this song is remembered.