We Stand

From The Known Words 1, long out of print and replaced by The Known Words, which doesn’t include this (among others) due to it being not of sufficiently high standard:

Here’s another tune I always thought needed words: Boadicea by Enya, from her self-titled album. For reasons too tedious to relate, it always reminds me of Rowany Festival, so I thought a sad song about honour and death was just about right.

[1994]

Where the war cries fade, where the daylight dies to gold,
There alone, where the star-lit land lies cold,
We stand, we wait the dawn,
We stand.

Where the child and bride mourn their hearts in sacred song,
All may know, those who fall fight still as strong;
We stand, we guard their love,
We stand.

Wars fly, wars die, life grows new;
No man’s bold plans stand so true: stand.

Where the ages wait, where they mark our searching souls,
None so great, as the men whose hearts are whole,
Who stand, with honour’s might;
We stand.

All who live must die, but a life is still as true;
We bear the faith, that your honour lives in you,
To stand, when all is past,
We stand.
There, when all is past,
We stand.