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We recieve many wonderous works of art written in our honor
and we
would like to share these works with the populous of the East Kingdom
so that
all may enjoy!
The Tournament of Dragons (Fall Crown Tournament
XXV October AS XXXVIII)
-- An Eastern Crown Tournament poem in Nibelungen Stanza
Hear now, my friends, the story of how a crown was won.
Hear how the heir was chosen at autumn's setting sun.
Two doughty dragons battled, the Eastern crown to gain.
Before the coming darkness, they fought with all their might and main.
The trees still bore October's fine brilliant gold on high
in Bergental's famed foothills against a bright blue sky.
Such brave and gallant fighters did show their mettle there,
contending for their ladies' sweet sakes to win a crown so fair.
Before the day was over, two worthy men alone
would fitly face each other to win the Orient's throne.
The gentles in their finest did watch in stiffest breeze.
The waning day grew chilly. The sun sank low behind the trees.
Duke Tarragon's blue dragon did brightly grace his shield.
Sir Gaufred Kelson's sable and gold was on the field.
The wise good Duchess Anna, Geneviere of hair red-gold
were by Queen Luna standing in cloaks to ward against the cold.
The two first fought with axes, and many blows did trade,
but Kelson slipped and stumbled, and knelt by fate unmade.
He wrenched the ax from Brion by lev'ring with his own,
then gave it back to Brion, who quick to Kelson's neck struck home.
The bastard swords came second, and deadly grace did show,
the two contenders' movements deliberate and slow.
They danced around each other, with barely moving steel,
then Kelson darted forward and Brion's face that force did feel.
The third and final battle was fought with shield and sword,
Sir Kelson's doughty David to Brion's tow'ring lord.
The shield of Gaufred Kelson did angle back to hide.
His helmet thus protected, he struck at Brion's helm's left side.
May Kelson and sweet Geneviere soon rule in peace and grace.
May Eastern fame and honor and valor grow apace.
May they serve well in wisdom and for the kingdom's good
from far Ruantallan's shoreline to southern Montvale's dark green wood.
--Dona Ana Raquel de Guzman, Troub., OM, Seahorse, QHD
About the Poem
This poem is a sample of the Nibelungen stanza, used in Middle High German epic poetry, named for its use in the Nibelungenlied (ca. 1200-1204). It is composed of two pairs of lines, with the rhyme scheme aabb. The first three lines are each made of two half-lines, the first half containing four stresses, with the last two stresses on the same word, and the second half with three stresses and a pause. The last line has four stresses in the first half like the previous three, but four stresses in the second half. The last word of the first half-lines should be at least two syllables, then, with the major stress on the next-to-last syllable. The stanzas are usually self-contained units, with the last line inviting reflection, and sometimes dark and gnomic utterance, before the measure renews its force at the beginning of the next stanza.
I chose this form for the winner's Germanic name, and because such a rhythm lends itself to telling tales of deeds of arms and battles. If it reads with a borderline sing-song effect, it is because the English language is less suited to such a form. Recent translations of the Nibelungenlied are in prose, for the most part, while Victorian ear translations attempt the emphasis on the stresses. I could not attend that tournament because a sudden fever stole my voice, so I thank Peregrine the Illuminator for providing such great detail for me to do my work.
Sources:
Hatto, A.T., tran. The Nibelungenlied. New York: Penguin Putnam, Inc.,
1969.
ISBN: 0-14-044137-9
Preminger, Alex, ed. The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics.
Princeton University Press, 1965.
I'm Too Sexy
by Lady Eleanora (Brynn) Pryn and Baronessa Rainillt Leia de Bello
Marisco
Sung to the tune of I'm Too Sexy by Right Said Fred
I'm too sexy for my mantle too sexy for my hosen
Love's going to leave me
I'm too sexy for my cotte too sexy for my tunic
So sexy it hurts
And I'm too sexy for Midrealm too sexy for Trimaris
Atlantia and Outlands
And I'm too sexy for your court
Too sexy for your party
No way I'm Maltez dancing
I'm a king you know what I mean
And you can watch me walk the list field
Yeah on the list field on the list field yeah
I do my little turn on the list field
I'm too sexy for my sword too sexy for my shield
Too sexy by far
And I'm too sexy for my mantle
Too sexy for my mantle what do you think about that
I'm a king you know what I mean
And you can watch me walk the list field
Yeah on the list field on the list field yeah
I shake my little touche on the dias
I'm too sexy for my too sexy for my too sexy for my
'Cos I'm a king you know what I mean
And you can watch me walk the list field
Yeah on the list field on the list field yeah
I shake my little touche on the dias
I'm too sexy for my cotte too sexy for my hosen…..
This song was written for His Majesty after Coronation. It was sung to him by the Queen's Bard Lady Sioban at the Royal State Dinner at Pennsic
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