Manawydan was one of the finest bards, a true friend to elder bards, and a paragon for younger ones to aspire to. Perhaps one of his best remembered lyrics is this one, a tale of gambling and adventure with a little lechery thrown in for spice...
This was another of the songs performed at the "Old Bards' Night" concert, verses in italics are choral.
"Roll the die and seal your fate!
He's bound to win again
Surely Luck is by his side
His old and longtime friend!"
"Every night he'd take the game
And fill his purse with gold
He'd smile and buy them all a drink
They'd glare at him, so cold!"
"Every night he'd take the game
And soon his smile grew smug
And all who lost would curse at him
Vile thief! or Blackguard thug!"
"Roll the die and seal your fate
The bastard's won again!
Oh look, he's taken all our gold
My patience wears so thin!"
"Again he'd won, the night was his
He'd taken all their gold
But then a lass came through the door
Her smile so soft yet bold"
"'They tell me so, a man near here
Whose luck is solid rock
I'd challenge him, this man of wealth
And knock him off his block!'"
"Roll the die and seal your fate
Well, look what's staggered in!
She looks as though she knows just how
To play his game and win"
"And so he rose to meet her gaze
A piercing stare of green
He went to her and kissed her hand
And leered at things unseen"
"'Yes my love, I'll place my bet
I'll wager all I've got!
And if I win a night with me
You'll spend upon my cot!"
"Roll the die and seal your fate!
Oh lass, you know he'll win!
So walk along and leave him be
With his sagging chin"
"The rules were lain and how it went
This game of wagered gold
Whoever rolled the lowest mark
The victory would hold"
"The man went first and threw the die
Across the tavern floor
And up it came - a single pip!
She'd not win now for sure!"
"Roll the die and seal your fate!
No way she'll ever win!
He's rolled himself the lowest low
He's beaten us again!"
"He laughed and bent to take the die
Then tossed it back to her
She nodded curt and grined so sly
Straight at that drunken cur"
"In a blink the die was cast
He thought he'd make the gain
But Gods above! A wonderous thing!
The die was split in twain!"
"Roll the die and seal your fate!
We'll not see that again!
The die is split, it's insides blank
A zero - that beats him!"
"He dropped his jaw and worked his mouth
He lost his shattered pride
She took his purse, she took his gold
She took his shattered pride"
"And so the man who loved to sing
And play his game of chance
Was left with no more purse of gold - Was left without his pants!"
"Roll the die and seal your fate!
Take heed lest you should win
Just take your gold and move along
Or lose your pants, like him!"