Part 26 (1/2)
Her dear friend agreed to join in the fight, To rescue Her child from his perilous plight.”
And now the listeners say it their way, Ayla said to herself. That's how the story is supposed to be told. First the Losaduna, or the Zelandoni, narrates it, then the listeners answer or repeat it another way.
”She told of Her grief. And the dark swirling thief.”
Then it's Zelandoni's turn again.
”The Mother was tired, She had to recover, She loosened Her hold to Her luminous lover.
While She was sleeping, he fought the cold force,And for a time drove it back to the source.”
”His spirit was strong. The encounter too long.””Her fair s.h.i.+ning friend struggled hard, gave his best, the conflict was bitter, the battle hard pressed.
His vigilance waned as he closed his great eye.
Then darkness crept close, stole his light from the sky.”
”Her pale friend was tiring. His light was expiring.””When darkness was total, She woke with a cry.
The tenebrious void bid the light from the sky.
She joined in the conflict, was quick to defend, And drove the dark shadow away from Her friend.”
”But the pale face of night. Let Her son out of sight.””Trapped by the whirlwind, Her bright fiery son, Gave no warmth to the Earth, cold chaos had won.
the fertile green life was now ice and snow, And a sharp piercing wind continued to blow.”
”The Earth was bereft. No green plants were left.””The Mother was weary grieving and worn, But She reached out again for the life She had borne.
She couldn't give up, She needed to strive, For the glorious light of Her son to survive.”
”She continued the fight. To bring back the light.””And Her luminous friend was prepared to contest, The thief who held captive the child of Her breast.
Together they fought for the son She adored.
Their efforts succeeded, his light was restored.”
”His energy burned His brilliance returned.”
The Great Mother Earth and the Moon have brought the Sun back, but not all the way; Ayla was again antic.i.p.ating.
”But the bleak frigid dark craved his bright glowing heat.
The Mother defended and would not retreat.The whirlwind pulled hard. She refused to let go.
She fought to a draw with Her dark swirling foe.”
”She held darkness at bay. But Her son was away.”
Was the Zelandonii version longer than the Losadunai story? Or did it just seem that way? Maybe singing the story makes it seem longer, but I really like the singing. I wish I understood it more. I think the songs change sometimes, the singing of some verses doesn't sound the same as other verses.
”When She fought the whirlwind and made chaos flee, The light from Her son glowed with vitality.
When the Mother grew tired, the bleak void held sway, And darkness returned at the end of the day.”
”She felt warmth from Her son. But neither had won.””The Great Mother lived with the pain in Her heart, That She and Her son were forever apart.
She ached for the child that bad been denied, So She quickened once more from the life-force inside.”
”She was not reconciled. To the loss of Her child.””When She was ready, Her waters of birth, Brought back the green life to the cold barren Earth.
And the tears of Her loss, abundantly spilled, Made dew drops that sparkled and rainbows that thrilled.”
”Birth waters brought green. But Her tears could be seen.”
I really like this next part, but I wonder how Zelandoni will sing it, Ayla thought.
”With a thunderous roar Her stones split asunder, And from the great cave that opened deep under, She birthed once again from Her cavernous room, And brought forth the Children of Earth from Her womb.”
”From the Mother forlorn, more children were born.””Each child was different, some were large and some small, Some could walk and some fly, some could swim and some crawl.
But each form was perfect, each spirit complete, Each one was a model whose shape could repeat.”
”The Mother was willing. The green earth was filling.””All the birds and the fish and the animals born, Would not leave the Mother, this time, to mourn.
Each kind would live near the place of its birth, And share the expanse of the Great Mother Earth”
”Close to Her they would stay. They could not run away.””They all were Her children, they filled Her with pride.
But they used up the life-force She carried inside.
She had enough left for a last innovation, A child who'd remember Who made the creation.”
”A child who'd respect. And learn to protect.””First Woman was born full-grown and alive, And given the Gifts she would need to survive.
Life was the First Gift, and like Mother Earth, She woke to herself knowing life had great worth”
”First Woman defined. The first of her kind””Next was the Gift of Perception, of learning, the desire to know, the Gift of Discerning.
First Woman was given the knowledge within, That would help her to live, and pa.s.s on to her kin.”
”First Woman would know. How to learn, how to grow.””Her life-force near gone, the Mother was spent, To pa.s.s on Life's Spirit had been Her intent.
She caused all of Her children to create life anew, And Woman was blessed to bring forth life, too.”
”But Woman was lonely. She was the only.””The Mother remembered Her own loneliness.
The love of Her friend and his hovering caress.
With the last spark remaining, Her labor began, To share life with Woman, She created First Man.”