The Sun is also a Warrior, by Leslie Fish

Two men walked on the beach in the sun.
One left footprints, the other left none.
One was a man who no man obeys;
The other a god from the ancient days.

"Look," said the man, "how my kind make war.
I summoned you here to ask what for."
"for wealth or land," the god replies,
"For life, or freedom, or some king's lies."

CHORUS:
The sun is also a warrior.
Knowledge can also destroy.
Nor can the kindest will,
preserve you from the kill.
Not all of wisdom brings joy."

"Four of those five," the first one said,
"Are not enough to appease the dead.
To save my world all this strife must cease,
So now I bid you to conjure peace."

The god said "Yes. Though it grieves me sore.
For I was also a god of war.
And I recall what you forget,
Four of those five you may still regret."

CHORUS

He raised his voice and he raised his hand.
All strife stopped at the god's command.
No voice ventured an angry word,
No hand struck and no weapon stirred.

In time, the man called the old god back.
"Look," he cried, "what my people lack!
One lord rules over all the earth,
And we're all his slaves from the hour of birth."

CHORUS

"Look, he owns all wealth, and he owns all land,
we live and die under his command.
He speaks the truth and he gives us peace,
But all that I hope for is our release."

The old god said, "This is what you willed.
For only thus is your wish fulfilled.
War's five sources I took away,
Yet I will give four of them back today."

CHORUS

He raised his hand and his voice once more,
And all the world overturned in war.
And when the last of those fires let fall,
There was no lord in the world at all.

"Go rebuild now," the old god said,
"Feed the living and bury the dead,
And remember this when you speak of war,
And think upon what is worth fighting for."

CHORUS

The Nightingale and the Rose - Traditional

In the beginning, Allah the Ever Merciful created the Earth. In that creation, he made the plants, the animals that fly, that swim, and those that creep. His one commandment to all these, was one that they faithfully carry out to this day, which is to: "Go forth, be fruitful, and multiply".

Now, the most beautiful of all the plants was the rose. But she was not then as she is now, in the beginning, her slender stem was smooth and unmarred, and her petals were of the purest white.

Most alluring of all, was her fragrance. So sweet and delightful was it, that all of the animals would try to entice her to open her petals, that they could catch even a whiff of it.

Of all the animals, the one that had the greatest success in convincing the rose to open her petals was the nightingale. Often would he fly past her, singing a glorious song of true love, pure and without reservation, and when the rose heard it, her heart swelled and she could not help herself but open her petals to better hear the beautiful music. As the days went by the nightingale would fly closer and closer as he sang his love song for the rose, and the rose would open her petals wider and wider, until one day, they gave in to the love they both felt, and embraced.

Allah, the All-Knowing, was greatly saddened upon seeing this, as their love was not one that fit with his grand design. Seeking to return them to the path of wisdom, Allah went to the lovers and spoke unto them:

"Know my children, that there is no greater gift that two can have for each other than true love and companionship. However, this love of yours cannot be. It is the way of things that each should love best their own kind, else Creation be undone. Therefore, I must forbid this love of yours, and command you never again to attempt to consummate it, lest your suffering be even greater."

The nightingale and the rose were both heartbroken at the Word of Allah, but they could do nothing, the will of Allah is as law for us all. To ease his suffering, the nightingale took to flying at night, he still sang beautifully, but his song now was not of the joy of true love, rather it was a song of love lost, of seperation, and of yearning. The rose kept her petals tightly closed at night, to try to block out the nightingale's song of loss, that echoed so painfully in her own heart.

Days and nights went by, with the nightingale singing his song of lost love, and the rose doing her best to block out the sound of it, by staying tightly closed, until one night, she could bear it no longer, and she opened her petals wide. On smelling her sweet fragrance, the nightingale was overcome with desire and swooped down to her. The moment they embraced, sharp thorns erupted from her vines, piercing the breast of the nightingale, and spilling his heart's blood on the rose's pure white petals, staining them red.

And so it is to this day, that the nightingale flies at night, and sings of lost love; and so it is that the rose's vines are thorned as a reminder of the prohibition of Allah, and her petals are forever stained red with the blood the nightingale, who sacrificed himself for love;

For My Lord, He Calls and I Go - Lyrics and Tune by Brian C. Bertrand

The lands I now hold were my fathers' of old;
Well tended and guarded they are;
Spring planting is finished, the lambs in the fold;
The call comes, a summons to war;
For my lord, he calls and I go;

Chorus
I've left home and family to fight for my lord;
To call for my sword is his right;
I'll follow his banner whatever the toll;
For glory and honor I'll fight;
For my lord, he calls and I go;

We gather full armed, mighty knights some ten score;
We each swear that we go to fight;
To bring sword and bow to the Holy Land far;
To free it from seracens' blight;
For my lord, he calls and I go;

Chorus

For a year we traveled along the hard road;
Through battle and illness and grief;
We stand before Acre, a siege we do hold;
To seize her and take her in fief;
For my lord, he calls and I go;

Chorus

The dead lie scattered, faces ashen and cold;
Fair Acre is now held in thrall;
The fall of Jerusalem thus is foretold;
As life fades, I hear Heaven's call;
For my Lord, he calls and I go;

Final Chorus
I left home and family to fight for my lord;
To call for my sword was his right;
Though I fell in battle, fear not for my soul;
I stand now before Heaven's light;
For my Lord, he calls and I go;

For my Lord, he calls and I go;

A Servant When He Reigneth - Words by Rudyard Kipling, Arrangement by Leslie Fish

Three things make the earth unquiet, four she cannot brook
The godly augur counted them and put them in a book
Those four tremendous curses with which mankind is cursed
But a servant when he reigneth, old augur entered first

A handmaid that is mistress we need not call upon
A fool when he is full of meat will fall asleep anon
An odious woman married may bear a babe and mend
But a servant when he reigneth is confusion to the end

His feet are swift to tumult, his hands are slow to toil
His ears are deaf to reason, his lips are loud and roiled
He knows no use for power except to show his might
He gives no heed to judgment, unless it prove him right

Because he served a master before his kingship came
He hid in all disaster behind his master’s name
So when his folly opens the unnecessary hells
A servant when he reigneth, throws the blame on someone else

His vows are lightly spoken, his faith is hard to bind
His trust is easy broken, he fears his fellow kind
The nearest mob will move him to break the pledge he gave
Oh a servant when he reigneth is more than ever a slave
Aye a servant when he reigneth is more than ever a slave

Crusader's Prayer - Words and Arrangement by Master Niall Townly

Chorus
Bless me my God as I go to war,
for Thee and my King are what I’m fighting for
I’ll be showered with glory or be seen no more
and die on the Holy Land’s shore

Richard our King has called for our swords
To fight in Outremer to tame the pagan horde
In serving my King I too serve the Lord
In Heaven shall be my reward

Chorus

Our horses and men in such fine array
For Christ and God’s Kingdom we soon sail away
The cross on my shoulder won’t lead me astray
As I take my vows on this day

Chorus

Crusader's Song - Words and Arrangement by Sir Conn MacNeill

Chorus
I'm for the Holy Land sailing
To win back Jerusalem's walls
I'm for the Holy Land sailing
And i'll win a fortune or a martyr I'll fall

As my ship sails out I watch the far coastline
For leaving of kinsmen my heart is full pained
And I've traded all for a cross on my shoulder
No land for a third son, so I'm away

Chorus

As I look around me at the men on the benches
Their eyes are like mine so I know their heart's pain
I sing them a song of bravery and battle
And now their eyes shine liek their keen polished blades

Chorus

I followed King Richard to Sicily Island
For Johanna's dowry 'gainst Tancred prevailed
Now a fortune in silver and a new wife have Richard
And I've a swift horse and a new coat of mail

Chorus

At landfall in Cyprus they refused Barengaria
And Richard in anger has answered in steel
Now the crown of Cyprus he's added to England
And I've added knighthood's gold spurs to my heels

Chorus

I followed the Banner to battle at Acre
And held it aloft when its bearer was slain
Now we've given Richard a tower of the city
He's given me rank and a full captain's pay

Chorus

At Arsouf on the coastline we met with the Paymin
We won the battle though many were slain
And one was a Baron with lands that need tending
Now they are mine and I'll tend them well

Chorus

Now I sit in court over Christian and Muslim
And I've a strong keep and soldiers ten-score
King Richard's army has sailed back to England
And I've said farewell for I'll see them no more

For I'm in the Holy Land staying
To guard my own castle walls
I'm in the Holy Land staying
For I've won my fortune so farewell to all

The Water is Wide - Traditional

The water is wide, I cannot cross o'er;
Neither have I the wings to fly;
Give me a boat that can carry two;
And we both shall row, my love and I;

There is a ship that sails the sea;
She's loaded deep, as deep can be;
But not so deep as the love I'm in;
I know not if I sink or swim;

The water is wide, I cannot cross o'er;
Neither have I the wings to fly;
Give me a boat that can carry two;
And both shall row, my love and I;

I leaned my back against an oar;
Thinking it was a mighty tree;
But first it bent, and then it broke;
And such did my first love treat me;

The water is wide, I cannot cross o'er;
Neither have I the wings to fly;
Give me a boat that can carry two;
And both shall row, my love and I;