Songs for Beltane

[crowdog66]

These have all been used in the Pagan community here, and are often sung at Beltane. :-)

Lady's Bransle (by Glenn Turner & Hope Athearn)

Oh She will bring the buds in the spring and laugh among the flowers
In summer's heat Her kisses are sweet: She sings in leafy bowers
She cuts the cane and gathers the grain when leaves (fruits) of fall surround Her
Her bones grow old in wintry cold: She wraps Her cloak around her

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Lord's Bransle (By Artemisia)

Oh He will call the leaves in the fall to dance their colors brightly
When warmth is lost He paints with frost His silver touches lightly
He greets the day of the dance of May with ribbons wound about Him
He offers corn and drink from His horn: The earth is bare without Him


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Beltane Chase Song (sung in alternating verses by the women and men of the community)

Women: I shall go as a wren in spring: With sorrow and sighing on silent wing
And I shall go in our Lady's name: Aye, till I come home again

Men: We shall follow as falcons grey: And hunt thee cruelly as our prey
And we shall go in our Master's name: Aye, to fetch thee home again

Then I shall go as a mouse in May: In fields by night and cellars by day
And I shall go in our Lady's name: Aye, till I come home again

But we shall follow as fat tom cats: And chase thee through the corn and vats
And we shall go in our Master's name: Aye, to fetch thee home again

Then I shall go as an autumn hare: With sorrow and sighing and mickle care
And I shall go in our Lady's name: Aye, till I come home again

But we shall follow as swift greyhounds: And dog thy tracks by leaps and bounds
And we shall go in our Master's name: Aye, to fetch thee home again

Then I shall go as a winter trout: With sorrow and sighing and mickle doubt
And I shall go in our Lady's name: Aye, till I come home again

But we shall follow as otters swift: And snare thee fast ere thou canst shift
And we shall go in our Master's name: Aye, to fetch thee home again

Aye, and I'll come home again


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We All Come From The Goddess/Hoof And Horn (We All Come From the Goddess by Z. Buddapest ©1971; Hoof and Horn by Ian Corrigan ©1997)

We all come from the Goddess, and to Her we shall return
Like a drop of rain, flowing to the ocean

We all come from the Horned One, and to Him we shall return
Like a spark of flame, rising to the heavens

Hoof and horn, hoof and horn: All that dies shall be reborn
Corn and grain, corn and grain: All that falls shall rise again

Some additional lyrics (source unknown):
Sage and Crone, Sage and Crone: Wisdom's gift shall be our own
Crone and Sage, Crone and Sage: Wisdom is the gift of age



And you'll find lots more lovely Pagan songs and chants at http://www.cyberus.ca/~phoenix/hedra/chart.html if you're so inclined.