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I see the callous plumes rise high
And wonder why they have to die
Why the city’s end is nigh
Into the sky the embers fly
The jewel of Allano’s crown
Once home to those who lived and laughed
Now martyr for the nation’s pride
The vipers savaged in their wrath
I look beside the river deep
The maiden falls upon the shore
Prostrate floored and softly weeps
Softly weeps to cry no more
A fury like I’ve never known
Shines burning zealous in her eyes
I think her shaken to the bone
Until I see her gently rise
In righteous rage she then declares
To gouge an eye demands their own
Her figure lights with blessed power
As now my eyes grasp heaven’s throne
She flares in a celestial flash
I cower from the blinding light
Long-suffered trek resolved at last
Allano’s queen ascends tonight
She then appears beside the worms
Who persist cruelly in their sins
With no reluctance she affirms
And eyes ignite with ire again
Thunder cracks and lightning strikes
I see the demons try to fight
To wail like children in such fright
And enter the eternal night
The vipers sowed and reaped in kind
In mortal arms they put their trust
Her will imposed on those maligned
Turns spears to ash, their bones to dust
Allano’s vengeance is resolved
The smoke dispels – she stands alone
She gives to me a final pause
As I again behold the throne
I see her fade – and I implore
She cannot leave this mortal shore
My one strong arm and bedrock floor
The pearl queen whom I adore
The maiden stands no longer confined
A last look behind to me and the shore
Til finally she immortally shines
And smiles resigned – she cries no more
Many thanks to Ishfe Tarco for his rendition of the old Allano poem. Our condolences as to the unfortunate circumstances of his displacement.
Farning hymn of war, -0y. Translated by Adtne of Kwawha.
Black sky! They cry.
Black moon! They cry.
For we are the ones who wrestled the rings
And we are the ones who tackle the beast.
Gaze upon the walls of Farning and despair!
Cower under the fury of our arrows!
Those serpents cry in fear of our strength,
Cry out, like a woman in labor.
The flame burns bright into the night,
The songs sound long.
None can best the greatest of men,
None can sing our song.
The Maiden looks upon her city and smiles,
Like a mother looks upon her sleeping child.
She’ll let no harm come to him,
And any who try will face the burn of her javelin!
Interlude
Under her care we grow strong,
Shoot up fast like the crops of spring.
Grow nourished like the crops of summer,
To bring great pride upon the harvest.
Like the dew we’ll appear suddenly on our foes.
They shall be drenched in blood.
Her war mask shall shine red.
The harvested will harvest the world.
The might of the greatest of men
Will blow like a hurricane
Will flood like the Mandara
Will uproot like the quake.
Tremble, enemies. wail!
Every limb will be broken by the sword,
Or yoke,
Or plow!
We have been delivered,
but you cannot say the same!
Despite its popularity, great debate surrounds this song. Many Allanos hold it as unduly influenced by Rabanti notions, and view it as heretical and dangerous to their faith to view Oraq as ‘protecting’ any anchor of the mortal realm. The lyrics are set to the traditional Allano tune of Indina. For an attempted translation in the spirit rather than the letter, please see addendum 4.25.60.100d.
The thunder of the plains, so deep, so loud
Who could make such force that quakes the soul?
I look to the horizon that once seemed so far
And now there is only blackness underneath the heavy sky.
Pressures of the deep under the ocean I see above.
Who can conquer this open sky?
Who can best nature?
Many have tried, but man is just a vapor in the wind
And they only flatter themselves.
Only one is the master of the expanse and it serves him the same as all other things.
The heavens are all the same to him,
There is no difference between the sky and the stars to the infinite.
And the one who tames the constellations can tame the sky
And the one who tames the sky can tame any turbulence in any man.
Every storm will pass,
And there is beauty to be found in any storm,
For the storm echoes the might of the almighty,
Just as the breeze after does his gentle mercy.
I have no reason to fear any storm,
Clouds or not, thunder or not,
I know who calls down the rain or causes it to cease.
Poem or song, rambling or inspired,
The truth is in who we trust instead of any thunder.
Transcribed from a song performed by a traveler near Tharman, Avato.