Admiral Bendu (song)
- For the individual, see Bendu Olo.
"Admiral Bendu" is a traditional Cyrodilic song about Bendu Olo, the leader of the All Flags Navy. The song, probably written centuries later, presents a romantic version of Olo's life and deeds.
Lyrics
Come all you seamen bold,
And draw near, and draw near;
Come all you seamen bold,
And draw near.
'Tis of an admiral's fame,
Brave Bendu was his name;
How he sailed upon the main,
You shall hear, you shall hear!
In Anvil he was born,
One fine day, one fine day;
In Anvil he was born,
One fine day.
In Anvil he was born,
On a fair and pleasant morn,
When the trumpet and the horn
Both did play, both did play!
His mother was a mage
By degree, by degree;
His mother was a mage
By degree.
His mother was a mage,
The greatest of her age,
But his father spent his days,
On the sea, on the sea!
To Anvil's golden coast
Came a foul pestilence;
To Anvil's golden coast,
Flew pestilence.
Poor masses it made ill,
And full families did kill,
Who left no written will
For their mense, for their mense!
In twenty-two-and-three,
Mother died, mother died;
In twenty-two-and-three,
Mother died.
All the healers did agree,
She had but ceased to be,
"No magic could save she,"
Bendu cried, Bendu cried!
In twenty-two-and-four,
Father died, father died;
In twenty-two-and-four,
Father died.
They brought him onto shore,
By sail and then by oar,
"He'll go to sea no more,"
Bendu cried, Bendu cried!
Now, looking out to sea,
Bendu said, Bendu said;
While looking out to sea,
Bendu said:
"I'll end this wretched thing,
And my people's suffering,
Shall unto Arkay bring
No more dead, no more dead!"
A thousand banners then
Came unfurled, came unfurled;
The flags of mer and men
Came unfurled.
For the fleet he did command
Was crewed by diverse hand:
A captain from each land
In the world, in the world!
They crossed the deathly sea
To the west, to the west;
They crossed the deathly sea
To the west.
They crossed the deathly sea,
Toward the grim country
Of sluggish enemy
And cruel pest, and cruel pest!
The Sload drew up a storm
Over Thras, over Thras;
The Sload drew up a storm
Over Thras.
As darkness overtook,
The sky turned black as soot,
And every timber shook
In the blast, in the blast!
All on the coral banks,
Waves were steep, waves were steep;
All on the coral banks,
Waves were steep.
All on the fatal banks,
A hundred vessels sank,
And banished Bendu's ranks
To the deep, to the deep!
But Bendu, he pressed on,
And with skill father showed;
With sailing of the kind
Father showed,
He pierced the violent gale,
With mastery of sail,
And heard at last the wail
Of the Sload, of the Sload!
Brave Bendu, he pressed on,
And with strength mother taught;
With magic of the kind
Mother taught,
He sank the wretched isles
Below a dozen miles,
And ended sluggish guiles
With the lot, with the lot!
To the sailors, Bendu spoke,
Neath blue skies, neath blue skies;
To the sailors, Bendu spoke,
Neath blue skies:
"Let a warding now in haste
On this water-patch be placed,
That the lords of want and waste
Ne'er shall rise, ne'er shall rise!"
You men of Tamriel,
Honor him, honor him;
You men of Tamriel,
Honor him!
You men of Tamriel,
I pray you listened well,
That the memory I tell
Go not dim, go not dim.
Notes
Adapted from the English folk song "Admiral Benbow".