poemsbyninotaziz: Ys under the seas of Brittany

Il était une fois..

Listen to the waves
Crashing against the shore
Remember Gradlon the brave
His city is no more

No one could escape the wiles
Of Malgven, Queen of the North
Her red hair flying wild
As she rode her sea horse, Morvarc’h

His shriek spewed fireworks and flame

King Gradlon forgot Cornouaille
As they stayed together at sea
The king forgot the man he used to be
Malgven and child was now his family

But soon, it was time for her to leave
For she was not of this world
Their princess, Dahut he cherished
With her, he sadly returned

Riding Morvarc’h to Cornouaille

He built the grandest city
At the edge of the wild seas
At Ys, Dahut grew up to be
Indomitable, wild and free

The sea threatened to break in
A dike kept guard night and day
Its single gate and single key
Was kept by the king always

And all came to marvel at Ys

The wild child Dahut, so fair
Grew up like an enchantress
She drew all to her lair
She killed all her lovers

Until a Red Knight came one night
Dahut could not take her eyes of him
He shone, brighter than the light
The waves came crashing

A storm, broke out, within

He taunted Dahut to take the key
He led her by the hand to the gate
So that they could walk out to sea
So that they could defy fate

The sea entered the city
Threatened to swallow Ys
Gradlon climbed his steed
To save Dahut, his one and only

But Morvarc’h trashed wildly

And Dahut fell into the sea
Back where she belonged
And there she remained free
By then, the city was gone

Dahut continued to kill
As men and ships came close
A morgen, an enchantress still
Chaos wherever she goes

And she finds her way often
To her city beneath the sea
Ys shall remain sunken
Until the bells stop pealing…

And she sings, oh! How she sings...

Le fin

Thank you Dr Georges Voisset for introducing the legend of Ys to me.