1. |
Three Ways
04:09
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Three Ways
(music & lyrics by CHUR, liner notes and editing by AR)
Over the profound seas, the World Tree stands. Falcon-Kin sits on its top. Falcon-Kin has been waiting for His children’s return to Him for two thousand years. There is a stone beyond high mountains. A small path leads to it, then this path forks in three ways. They lead to the World Tree. The first path is hard, it passes through wind-fallen trees, ravines, and mountains. It is the path of hardship and victories. It is the path of warriors. The second path is narrow and stony, it passes through gorges and precipices. One could not surmount it without equilibrium and equanimity. It is the path of wise men. The third path is wide and facile. But ones, who are eager to go this way, need to forget their ancestors. It is pleasant to go this way, but it leads to nothingness.
Beyond the high mountains and wide seas
The White Oak stands.
There is, so high, in the blue sky,
The Falcon’s nest.
He’s sitting and waiting, not sleeping
For two thousand years.
He’s looking for his little children
When they will appear
Beyond the green valleys and dark woods
The Great Stone lies
It lies at the crossroads
Of four sides
The first one for coming and others
For choosing to go
So where will be Mara and
Where will be Fathers and Gods?
CHORUS:
Short, hard and thorny the
Way of the Warriors.
Narrow and rocky the
Way of the Saints.
But so broad and so easy the
Way to Oblivion
For those who rejected
The Ways of the Gods
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2. |
Oldman
03:40
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Oldman
(music & lyrics by CHUR, liner notes, and editing by AR)
A traveler meets a strange old man on the journey. The old man claims that this world belongs to him. If anyone wants to live there, he should render tribute to him… by his soul and conscience. The hero laughs and replies: “I recognized you, Morok, the god of lie and fear! Your speeches are for fools. But it is right that you stand here on the road leading to the Truth, and don’t pass unworthy ones!”
One day I met an old man
With curly hair and a big mouth
He said: "The world is mine
So, you have to bow!
Die, as you seek the Truth -
Or live, but make a vow
And now you have to choose -
Die or serve me now!"
CHORUS:
My mother is Earth
My shrine is the Forest
God is the Sun – high in the sky
Freedom’s for the strong
Slaves can’t enter Vyriy
And I am not afraid to die
He said: "You’re unprotected -
Your ancient Gods are dead.
Play by my rules, enjoy
Everything you get!
The lad is not a warrior,
Fair isn’t a mother anymore!
They live to eat and drink -
Nothing left to die for!"
CHORUS
I said to him: "Stop talking,
I recognized you, Black God!
Go test the people walking
this way who’s unworthy!
I know you for a long time
You’re Keeper of the Truth -
I bless you to protect the
Knowledge from the fools!"
CHORUS
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3. |
Fight With Me!
05:44
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Fight With Me!
(music & lyrics by CHUR, liner notes, and editing by AR)
In the field, oh, in the valley
The white horse is stomping
King is ruining the nest of snakes –
Smoking and burning
They will taste no more
The blood of our children
They won’t sell anywhere
Our daughters and wives
From the Black Sea to Northern
It’s heard up to the stars:
CHORUS:
Fight with me!
They can’t hide from our sacred anger!
Fight with me!
Our blood is on their golden coins!
Fight with me!
Flaming Sun against the Scrolls of Darkness!
Fight with me!
Let them pray to their Dead God!
Once a black snake reached the King
And lay on his body
She gave birth to Serpent Prince
Of the alien blood
The Prince took the throne
The truth isn’t known:
CHORUS
On the hill, oh, on the mountain
There the lights are burning high
Sons of King cry for their father,
Sharpen their swords
Mother Earth is crying badly
From the Kin of Snakes.
Good people don’t see the light
Spending a life of slaves
Equip me, oh, Mother!
Where’s my father's armor?
CHORUS
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4. |
Brother Wind
04:56
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Brother Wind
(music & lyrics by CHUR, liner notes, and editing by AR)
The soul of a dying one flies with the smoke of his funeral pyre to the skies. Gods and Ancestors meet him there. His relatives collect the ashes of his burnt body into a little urn and bury it in their field. Or build a small hut and put the urn there. Or send ashes down the river to the Underground Realm. But relatives always keep together and help each other. Indeed, some of them live on the earth, others live in the sky, the third ones live in the ground, and the fourth ones live under the ground. People, Gods, spirits... All of them are Kin. It is a song of the person lying on the funeral pyre. He appeals to people, animals, grasses, the wind, and the river. He asks them to help him to finish another circle of life.
Fly, brother Wind, my unstoppable friend!
Fly, brother Wind, so high over the clouds!
Far the horizon, where Vyriy is shining,
Oh, take my dove and bring it there on your wings!
Wings of white
Are dropping our tears
On grasses of light -
The dew is salty
Flow, sister River, so fast and so clean
Into Nava’s World, deep under the ground,
Beyond the horizon, where the Black Sun’s shining,
Oh, take my raven and show it the right way to fly!
Raven wings
Are dropping our blood
On withered grasses
The dew is so red
I will go out to the field
I’ll see the path of the Old
There on the shoulders of Grandma
I will see both of my birds
So mournful eyes I will look into
She won't say a single word
Only the way she will show
Where everyone’s waiting for me
Fly, brother Wind, my unstoppable friend!
Fly, brother Wind, so high over the clouds!
Up to heaven, where the Sun reigns,
The smoke of my fire, oh, carry there!
Flow, sister River, so fast and so clean
Under the ground to the darkness of roots
Beyond the horizon, where the Black Sun’s shining
Ashes of sadness, oh, carry there on your palms!
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5. |
Mara
06:25
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Mara
(music & lyrics by CHUR, liner notes, and editing by AR)
It is a conversation of a dead man with Mara, the Goddess of Death. He asks her: “Did I live in the right way? Did I live defending the interests of my Kin indeed?” Mara replies, that he spent too much time and power fighting against enemies, and as a result, he managed to learn enemy customs and culture thoroughly, and at the same time he gave nothing to the culture of his own nation, and he created nothing for his progeny to be proud of.
Why are you, guelder rose, bent so low?
Why are you, mother, so sad, may I know?
Why is the Sun above me shines by black?
Why I walk barefoot and leave no tracks?
Mara, Eternal Grandmother,
Covered with a black shawl, can you talk to me?
Tell me, oh, The Grey, tell me, oh, The Wise,
How good I was fighting, how fair I lived?
CHORUS:
With no hope and no gold
With no sword and no light
For the Truth or Fraud
How well did I fight?
Did I pay my price?
Did I try to the end?
Can I look into the eyes
Of the Gods of my land?
Mara, you know everything,
So, say what is stronger - the Truth or the Lie?
The gold in our hands or the light in our hearts?
Should I obey or fight and die?
CHORUS
"Long time ago a glorious warrior fought
Against the snake with one hundred heads.
When the knight cut off one of them
Another two grew instead.
Why did you give your soul to your enemies?
Why did you sing about them?
Where’s your temple? I see only ruins
What’s left for your children?"
Mara, let me go back!
To the bright Sun, to our land!
I’ll start to build, I’ll stop to hate!
From my first day and till the end!
CHORUS
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CHUR Ukraine
CHUR is a Ukrainian Folk Metal band with many folk instruments and mostly clean vocals.
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