^^MORTE D'ARTHUR
(Anne Lister copyright 1995)

After the battle the daylight faded
Darkness fell, not a word was spoken
I stood by the king awhile and waited
The sword in his hand, like his heart, was broken
And what did he say but to throw the sword away
Throw it in the water that ever runs deep
What did he say but to throw the sword away
And then, he said, then he could sleep.

By the lakeside the seabirds were calling
I stood by the water with the sword in my hand
And all around me the shadows were falling
Darkness fell on all the green land
And what could I do but to walk back to the king
The broken sword hanging more heavy than gold
But how could I throw the sword into the lake?
May God forgive me the lies that I told.

Again he looked at me, his eyes as dark as pain
told me to take the sword to the lake
Told me to throw it till it flew home again
Told me to be sure and make no mistake
And down by the lakeside once more the seabirds called
The still waters lying as heavy as death
But I took the sword and threw it towards the sky
And as it fell I heard a soft sighing breath.

(BREAK)
In the lake rose an arm clothed in samite
In the lake rose an arm clothed in white
The hand caught the sword and waved it three times round
And darkness fell, darker than midnight.


When I reached the battlefield the king was no longer there
I ran to the cliff top and looked to the sea
A ship on the water with sails of silver
And four ladies standing their backs turned to me
And Arthur between them, sailing to Avalon
The coastline of Albion slowly turned black
And I walked homewards into the darkness
To wait for the day when the king will come back.

For there's no end now to my story
There's no end to the tale that I've told
The hand caught the sword and waved it three times round
The time will come when the dark will turn gold.