History of Man

History of Man October 2002

Defending the land can ye hold back the sea?

For they come in their swarms and droves

Wave after wave wash over me

Taking our shores and our groves

Your people have overrun all of my own

And pushed our pyres down

Burnt our dwellings and cut our trees

Your cruelty knew no bound

But I have not fallen in battle or slaughter

Nor by sword been down swept 

I have fallen in love with your daughter

My heart all she has kept.

We have buried our blades, our parchments and kilts

Still here we stand on the land

Blood of our brothers all spilt

The call of the ancient brand

Oh the history of man violence it yields

Grief of Eve over Cain

Who slew his own brother in the field

Thinking he would gain

But I have not fallen in battle or slaughter

Nor by sword down swept

I have fallen in love with your daughter

My soul all she has kept

Neither sword nor your crown nor your hammer nor frown

But the dove in her breast I praise

Her hand and her veil, her sight and her sound

These I serve all the days 

The justice of war is kinship of blood

And the one who first comes killing 

with shout and sword and shield and skullbones

Is overtaken by kindred come tilling

No I have not fallen in battle or slaughter

Nor by sword been down swept

I have fallen in love with your daughter

My soul all she has kept

Single strands that once were, now are wound into yarns

All sewn into robes that we wear

Skeins all mingled, skin and hair

Warships scavenged for barns

One people, one family one blood in us all

Hear the Bards sing the ancient pages

For I have fallen in love with your daughter

All along the ages