Texts/Translations: October Sky

Sweet Day


Summer is Gone

Sweetheart of the Sun
She stood so fair amid the corn
Clasped by the golden light of morn
Like the sweetheart of the sun
Who many a glowing kiss had won
On her cheek an autumn flush
Deeply ripened;—such a blush
In the midst of brown was born
Like red poppies grown with corn
Round her eyes her tresses fell
Which were blackest none could tell
But long lashes veiled a light
That had else been all too bright
And her hat, with shady brim
Made her tressy forehead dim;—
Thus she stood amid the stooks
Praising God with sweetest looks:—
Sure, I said, heaven did not mean
Where I reap thou shouldst but glean
Lay thy sheaf adown and come
Share my harvest and my home
At the Round Earth's Imagined Corners
At the round earth's imagined corners,
Blow your trumpets, angels, and
Arise, arise from death,
You numberless infinities of souls,
And to your scattered bodies go,
All whom the,
All whom the flood did,
And fire shall, overthrow,
All whom war, dearth,
Age, agues, tyrannies,
Despair, law, chance, hath slain,
And you whose eyes,
Shall behold God and never taste death's woe.
But let them sleep,
Lord, and me mourn a space;
For, if above all these,
My sins abound, abound
‘Tis late to ask
Abundance of thy grace,
When we are there.
Here on this lowly ground,
Teach me how to repent;
For that's as good
As if thou'hadst seal'd my pardon
with thy blood!
Into a time

The Sun Never Says
Even
After
All this time
The sun never says to the earth,
“You owe
Me.”
Look
What happens
With a love like that,
It lights the
Whole
Sky.
Mo Ghile Mear
Curfá:
’Sé mo laoch mo ghille mear
’Sé mo Shaesar, ghille mear,
Ní fhuaras féin aon tsuan ná séan,
Ó chuaigh i gcéin mo ghille mear.
Bímse buan ar buairt gach ló,
Ag caoi go crua is ag tuar na ndeor
Mar scaoileadh uaim an buachaill beo
Is ná ríomhtar tuairisc uaidh, mo bhrón.
Ní haoibhinn cuach ba suairc ar neoin,
Táid fíorchoin uaisle ar uatha spóirt,
Táid saoithe 's suadha i mbuairt 's i mbrón
Ó scaoileadh uainn an buachaill beo
Is cosúil é le hAonghus Óg,
Le Lughaidh Mac Chéin na mbéimeann mór,
Le Cú Raoi, ardmhac Dáire an óir,
Taoiseach Éireann tréan ar tóir.
Le Conall Cearnach bhearnadh poirt,
Le Fearghas fiúntach fionn Mac Róigh
Le Conchubhar cáidhmhac Náis na nós,
Taoiseach aoibhinn Chraoibhe an cheoil.
Ó chuaigh i gcéin mo Ghile Mear.
Chorus:
My dashing darling is my hero
My dashing darling is my Caesar
I have had neither sleep nor good fortune
Since my dashing darling went far away
I am perpetually worried every day
Wailing heavily and shedding tears
Since my lively boy was released from me
And there is no word of him, alas
The pleasure of the cheerful cuckoo at noon is gone
The affable nobility are not bothered with sport
The learned and the cultured are worried and sad
Since the lively lad was taken from me
He is like Young Aonghus
Like Lughaidh Mac Chéin of the great blows
Like Cú Raoi, great son of Dáire of the gold
Leader of Éire strong in pursuit
Like Conall Cearnach who breached defences
Like worthy fair haired Feargas Mac Róigh
Like Conchubhar venerable son of Nás of the tradition
The pleasant chieftain of the musical [Fenian] Branch
Since my dashing darling went far away
Psalm 23
The Lord is my Shepard, I have all I need,
She makes me lie down in green meadows,
Beside the still waters, She will lead.
She restores my soul, She rights my wrongs,
She leads me in a path of good things,
And fills my heart with songs.
Even though I walk, through a dark & dreary land,
There is nothing that can shake me,
She has said She won't forsake me,
I'm in her hand.
She sets a table before me, in the presence of my foes,
She anoints my head with oil,
And my cup overflows.
Surely, surely goodness & kindness will follow me,
All the days of my life,
And I will live in her house,
Forever, forever & ever.
Glory be to our Mother, & Daughter,
And to the Holy of Holies,
As it was in the beginning, is now & ever shall be,
World, without end. Amen.
More Waters Rising
There are more waters rising this I know
There are more waters rising, they will find their way to me.
There are more fires burning this I know
There are more fires burning, they will find their way to me.
There are more mountains falling this I know
There are more mountains falling, they will find their way to me.
I will wade through the waters this I know
I will wade through the waters, they will find their way to me.
We will wade through the waters this I know
We will wade through the waters, they will find their way to me.
I will walk through the fire this I know
I will walk through the fire when they find their way to me.
I will rebuild the mountains this I know
I will rebuild the mountains when they find their way to me
I will rebuild the mountains this I know.
Saro writes about the song: "This is a song that I created back in March 2016 when the HB2 bill was passed here in North Carolina. Now in the early days of the Trump administration, this song feels deeply resonant. For me, this song is about seeing what's coming on the horizon: harder times that are inevitable and unavoidable. But the answer to the fear of what’s coming is resiliency and claiming a strength within ourselves that has been there all along."
We Shall Walk Through the Valley
Lord, we shall walk in peace.
We shall walk through the valley in peace
If Jesus himself shall be our leader
We shall walk through the valley in peace.
There will be no more trials there
f Jesus himself shall be our leader
We shall walk through the valley in peace.
We shall walk through the valley in peace.
Lord, we shall walk in peace.
Earth Song
Sing, Be, Live, See.
This dark stormy hour,
The wind, it stirs.
The scorched earth
cries out in vain:
O war and power,
You blind and blur,
The torn heart
cries out in pain.
But music and singing
Have been my refuge,
And music and singing
Shall be my light.
A lightof song
Shining Strong: Allelulia!
Through darkness, pain, and strife, I'll
Sing, Be, Live, See...
Peace.
All Together We are Love
I am a dreamer
I am a song
I am a mountain - tall and strong
I am song
I am a warm breeze
I am the sky
I am a bluebird
Free to fly
I am a song for all hearts
and when our spirts soar
All together we are love