Crow on the Cradle

Original Song by Sydney Carter (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8x0uMV1EsY)

New lyrics by David Proctor

The summer is ending, the brokers weigh corn Now is the time for a child to be born She'll laugh at the trees and cry without fear And if she's a Thorn she'll carry a spear Sang the crow on the cradle

And if it should be that this baby's a Vate Never you mind if she shares Navarr's fate With blood on her fingers and and a knife in her hands And the Vallorn behind her wherever she stands Sang the crow on the cradle

And when it should be that the child takes the Brand They'll dance along with her and with her they'll stand With a scar on her cheekbone And a suit of dark maille And before her the ruins of Terunael Sang the crow on the cradle

The crow on the cradle, the husks in the night Somebody's baby is born to our fight The crow on the cradle, the green and the black Somebody's baby is not coming back Sang the crow on the cradle

Your striding or steading will sweat and they'll fight To hold back the vines that creep in the night Hush-a-bye little one, never you weep The corpse glade is ready for when you should sleep Sang the crow on the cradle

Bring me my bow, and I'll shoot that bird dead That's what Navarr and Thorn long ago said The crow on the cradle, what can we do? Ah, this is a thing that I'll leave up to you Sang the crow on the cradle

The crow on the cradle the husks in the night Somebody's baby is born for our fight The crow in the cradle, the cities of dust One day we'll take back all that we have lost Sang the crow on the cradle