miércoles, 8 de agosto de 2018

A FLOWER AND A HUFFLEPUFF


A Flower and a Hufflepuff


by Swedish filker Karl Johan,
on the 18th of May, 2018

Karl Johan writes on the making of the lyrics:
For a very long while, I have tried to write a proper filk about the redshirt. I first had my eyes on Evert Taube's "Balladen om briggen 'Bluebird' av Hull" in the Star Trek environment, but never could get a suitable scenario.

Then, a few days ago, the fate of Cedric Diggory and Dan Andersson's masterpiece "En spelmans jordafärd" (Youtube, and an English translation) met each other, and this was the result.


As the evening sun is shining on the tow'r of Ravenclaw
see, a body cold lies on the Quidditch field
Is slowly carried off the field amid shouts from voices raw
with the last few rays of sun the day will yield
Heavy feet are walking down over flowers as they tread
heavy heads are bowing down as if to pray
From what should be victory a Hufflepuff is carried dead
over green that night is turning into gray

He was bold and he was mighty, says the noble Gryffindor
he was barely as a Hufflepuff at all
He was resourceful and pure-blood, so the Slytherin implore
our champion despite his house so small
He was wise and studious, says the ready Ravenclaw
he had a mind that could rival one of ours
Slowly walk and speak with care, whispers loyal Hufflepuff
so you do not tread on and wound the flowers

He is gone, say the four, tell the father what has become
Albus Dumbledore then tells his last adieu:
Remember Cedric Diggory, remember if time should come
when you have to make a choice between the two:
what is right and what is easy, remember then the boy,
the Hufflepuff who was good and kind and brave.
But a heavy foot treads down and a flower is destroyed
on the field where boots the sorrow do engrave

Over grass and over huts the night whispers as it flies
and pale stars are looking sadly from the sky
From the moor and from the west a poor light it lonely shines,
tells a song to the black water of the lake
And the storm sings wild and bold and in froth around the shores
sings the waves of those who wear the shirts of red
Over black and angry waters the night plays up a song
for a flower and a Hufflepuff is dead


There are some passages that could need future polishing and are slightly tricky to sing, but I think I've hit diminishing returns right now.

ETA: I found the notation for Dan Andersson's melody at a local library, and have fixed most of the scansion issues now.

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