Sansa Kroma

"'Akroma' is a hawk. 'Sansa' connotes a roaming/circling hawk. It is (or a least used to be) common to raise free-range chicken at home for food and chicks are a very invaluable part of that to ensure the future supply of chickens. Losing your chicks to the elusive hawk is devastating and so the hawk has developed a reputation as an opportunistic prey that does nothing but roam all day looking for innocent chicks. The reason why his mother and father are dead is a long folklore that I won't get into, but that was due to his own mischief. 'Sansa Kroma' is also a metaphor for someone who behaves like that in society." -William (from Ghana)

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Roaming hawk,
His mother is dead
He snatches chicks
He says he won't find a real job
His mother is dead
He snatches chicks
He roams, and roams, and roams,
He says he won't find a real job
His mother is dead
His father is dead
Roaming hawk,
His mother is dead
He snatches chicks.

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Aiken Drum

There was a man lived in the moon,

And his name was Aiken Drum.

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And he played upon a ladle, a ladle, a ladle,

And he played upon a ladle,

and his name was Aiken Drum.

 

And his hat was made of good cream cheese,

of good cream cheese, of good cream cheese,

And his hat was made of good cream cheese,

And his name was Aiken Drum.

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Baloo Baleerie

Baloo means "lullaby", and Baleerie is a gibberish word like lullaby. It's like singing, "Lullaby, lullaboo..."

 

Translation:

Go away little fairies, go away little fairies,

go away little fairies, from our baby now.

 

Down come pretty angels, done come pretty angels

down come pretty angels, to our baby now.

 

Sleep soft my baby.

Sleep soft my baby.

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Skye Boat Song

Sing me a song of a lass that is gone,

Merry of soul she sailed on a day over the sea to Skye

 

Mull was a stem, rum on the port, 

eigg on the starboard bow

Glory of youth glowed in his soul

Where is that glory now?

 

Sing me a song of a lass that is gone, 

say, could that lass be I?

Merry of soul she sailed on a day over the sea to Skye.

 

Give me again all that was there,

give me the sun that shone.

Give me the eyes, give me the soul,

give me the lad that's gone.

 

Billow and breeze, islands and seas,

mountains of rain and sun.

All that was good, all that was fair,

all that was me is gone

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Manx Lullaby

Oh hush thee my dove, oh hush thee my rowan, 

Oh hush thee my lapwing, my little brown bird. 

 

Oh fold thy wings and seek thy nest now, 

Oh shine the berry on the bright tree, 

The bird is home from the mountain and valley. 

Oh horo hi ri ri. Cadul gu lo.*

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Roll the Chariot

lyrics written by Consonare Youth Choir during composing workshop

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We’d be alright if the wind was in our sails

We’d be alright if the wind was in our sails

We’d be alright if the wind was in our sails

And we’ll all hang on behind!

 

And we’ll roll the old chariot along

We’ll roll the old chariot along

We’ll roll the old chariot along

And we’ll all hang on behind!

 

We’d be alright if we didn’t sink the ship

We’d be alright if we didn’t sink the ship

We’d be alright if we didn’t sink the ship

And we’ll all hang on behind!

 

We’d be alright if we didn’t go to choir

We’d be alright if we didn’t go to choir

We’d be alright if we didn’t go to choir

And we’ll all hang on behind!

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Well a batch of chocolate cookies wouldn’t do us any harm

Well a batch of chocolate cookies wouldn’t do us any harm

Well a batch of chocolate cookies wouldn’t do us any harm

And we’ll all hang on behind!

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We’d be alright if we just stayed up all night

We’d be alright if we just stayed up all night

We’d be alright if we just stayed up all night

And we’ll all hang on behind!

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We’d be alright if we just turned into frogs

We’d be alright if we just turned into frogs

We’d be alright if we just turned into frogs

And we’ll all hang on behind

 

Well another can of soda wouldn’t do us any harm

Well another can of soda wouldn’t do us any harm

Well another can of soda wouldn’t do us any harm

And we’ll all hang on behind

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And we’ll roll the old chariot along

We’ll roll the old chariot along

We’ll roll the old chariot along

And we’ll all hang on behind!

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Savage Daughter****

I am my mother's savage daughter,

the one who runs barefoot cursing sharp stones.

I am my mother's savage daughter,

I will not cut my hair, I will not lower my voice.

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We are the wildfires lit by our mothers

The fast moving force clearing the trees

After the smoke, new seeds awaken

A brave world emerges, ferocious and free

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Now we all are brought forth out of darkness and water,

Brought into this world through blood and through pain,

And deep in our bones, the old songs are wakening,

So sing them with voices of thunder and rain.  

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We are our mother's savage daughters,

the ones who run barefoot cursing sharp stones.

We are our mother's savage daughters,

We will not cut my hair, we will not lower my voice.

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She's Like the Swallow

1 She’s like the swallow that flies so high,

She’s like the river that never runs dry,

She’s like the sunshine on the lee shore,

I love my love and love is no more.

 

2 ’Twas out in the garden this fair maid did go

Picking the beautiful prim-e-rose;

The more she plucked the more she pulled

Until she got her a-per-on full

 

3 It is out of those roses she made a bed,

A stony pillow for her head,

She laid her down, no word did say

Until this fair maid’s heart did break.

 

4 She’s like the swallow that flies so high,

She’s like the river that never runs dry,

She’s like the sunshine on the lee shore,

I love my love and love is no more.

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The Little Creek

​Come with me to the little creek
Where my thoughts are running free.
They might run swift or they might run deep,
But these waters wind their way through me.

When we reach the hill, we'll follow it down.
Cross the rough and rocky ground.
Get a little bit lost and a little bit found,
But it evens out when we hear that sound.

Why are we so scared to search our centers?
It may seem so, but every door you enter
You find a piece of something inside you never knew.
Keep moving through.

You've got your pain, I've got mine.
It's hard to say it'll work out fine.
But we can share the load when we share a sigh.
At the creek our dreams are by design.

It flows in you, and it flows in me.
Some days you will find it, some days it's hard to see.
There's twists and there's turns and there's lessons to learn by the creek.
Take a breath and think.

Please don't be so scared to search your center.
Let those seeds grow, 'cause every door you enter
You find a piece of something inside you never knew.
Keep moving through.
Believe it's true
I know that you
Will keep moving through.

Make a little change at the little creek.

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Sigue

Walk traveler, continue walking;

Walk and do not stop, continue walking.

When you pass by her house

do not tell her that you saw me,

walk traveler, continue walking.

Continue and do not stop, continue walking.

Do not look if she calls out for you, continue walking.

Remember that she is bad, continue walking.

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Bendik og Arolilija

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Translation:

Bendik rode to Sølondo,

He wished to see the maid.

He wasn't allowed to visit (her),

And therefore he had to die.

- Åroililja, why do you sleep so long?

 

He was not in the kings guard

for more than two months

He slept with the kings daughter

in such great love

- Åroililja, why do you sleep so long?

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It was the king of Sølondo

Slams his fist in the table:

[He will die]

Bendik will not enjoy life

For anything (valuable) in the world"

- Åroililja, why do you sleep so long?

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South of the church

there he took Bendiks' life

And up in the attic

the [maidens] heart burst

- Åroililja, why do you sleep so long

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Up from the two graves grows

the two beautiful lily flowers:

that intertwine above the church roof

there they stood to judge the king

- Åroililja, why do you sleep so long

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Will the Circle

Refrain:

Will the circle be unbroken by and by, Lord, by and by?

There’s a better home a-waiting if we try, Lord, if we try.

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1. I was singing with my sisters (and my brothers)

I was singing with my friends

And we all can sing together,

‘Cause the circle never ends.

 

2. I was born down in the valley

Where the sun refuse’ to shine

But I’m climbing up to the highland

Gonna make that mountain mine

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