1. The Arrival and the Reunion
2. Saltarello
   Instrumental Dance: Anonymous: Italian 14th Century
3. Mephisto
4. The Song of the Sibyl
   Traditional Version: Catalan: 16th Century
5. Fortune Presents Gifts not According to the Book
6. As the Bell Rings the Maypole Spins
7. The End of Words
8. Black Sun
9. Wilderness
10. The Promised Womb
11. The Garden of Zephirus
12. Radharc

The Song of the Sibyl dedicated to the Memory of Jamie Salas

Produced by Dead Can Dance

Musicians:
John Bonnar: Keyboards on Band No 5 and Co-arrangements on Band Nos 2 and 5
David Navarro Sust: Vocals on Band Nos 1 and 7
Robert Perry: Bagpipes on Band No 6

Band No 10
Andrew Robinson: Bass Viol
Lucy Robinson: Tenor Viol
Anne Robinson: Bass Viol
Honor Carmody: Tenor Viol

All other Instruments and Voices Performed by Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerrard

Recorded and Produced in Ireland
With the Exception of Band Nos 1 and 7
Recorded and Produced at Woodbine Studios, Leamington Spa

Cover Design by Brendan Perry

Detail from 'The Garden of Delights'
A Painting by Hieronymus Bosch
(Courtesy of "The Prado Museum" Madrid)

5. Fortune Presents Gifts not According to the Book
Fortune presents gifts not according to the book
Fortune presents gifts not according to the book

When you expect whistles it's flutes
When you expect flutes it's whistles

What various paths are followed in distributing honours and possesions
She gives awards to some and penitent's cloaks to others

When you expect whistles it's flutes
When you expect flutes it's whistles

Sometimes she robs the chief goatherd of his cottage and and goatpen
And to whomever she fancies the lamest goat has born two kids

When you expect whistles it's flutes
When you expect flutes it's whistles

Because in a village a poor lad has stolen one egg
He swings in the sun and another gets away with a thousand crimes

When you expect whistles it's flutes
When you expect flutes it's whistles


8. Black Sun
Murder
Man on fire
Murder
I've seen the eyes of living dead

It's the ??? survival
The great mask, their waiting game
Embalmed, crippled
Dying in fear of pain
All sense of freedom gone

Black sun in a white world
Like having a black sun in a white world

I have a son
His name is Eden
It's his birthright
Beyond the strange...???

Give me sixty-nine years
Another season in this hell
There's all sex and death
As far as eyes can tell
Like Prometheus we are bound
Chained to this rock
Of a brave new world
Our god-forsaken lot
And I feel it's all we ever needed to know
Till world's end and the seas run cold

Give me sixty-nine years
Another season in this hell
There is sex and death
In Mother Nature's plans
Like Prometheus we are bound
Chained to this rock
Of a brave new world
Our god-forsaken lot

The Song of the Sibyl
Original Catalan version
Al jorn del Judici
parra` qui haura` fet servici.

Un rei vendra` perpetual
vestit de nostra carn mortal;
del cel vindra` tot certament
per fer del segle jutjament.

Ans que el Judici no sera`
un gran senyal se mostrara`:
lo sol perdra` lo resplendor,
la terra tremira` de por.

Apre`s se badara` molt fort
amostrant-se de greu conhort;
mostrar-se han ab crits i trons
les infernals confusions.

Del cel gran foc davallara`,
com a sofre molt pudira`;
la terra cremara` ab furor,
la gent haura` molt gran terror.

Apre`s sera` un fort senyal
d'un terratre`mol general;
les pedres per mig se rompran
i les muntanyes se fondran.

Llavors ningu' tindra` talent
d'or, riqueses ni argent,
esperant tots quina sera`
La sente`ncia que es dara`.

De morir seran tots sos talents,
esclafir-los han totes les dents;
no hi haura` home que no plor,
tot lo mo'n sera` en tristor.

Los puigs i plans seran iguals,
alli seran los bons i mals,
reis, ducs, comtes i barons,
que de llurs fets retran raons.

Apre`s vindra` terriblement
lo Fill de De'u omnipotent;
de morts i vius judicara`:
qui be' haura` fet alli es parra`.

Los infants qui nats no seran
dintre ses mares cridaran
i diran tots plorosament:
"Ajuda'ns, De'u omnipotent".

Mare de De'u, pregau per no's,
puix so'u mare de pecadors,
que bona sente`ncia hajam
i paradis possejam.

Vosaltres tots qui escoltau,
devotament a De'u pregau
de cor ab gran devocio',
que us porte a salvacio'.


The Song of the Sibyl
English translation of original Catalan version
An eternal king will come
Dressed in our mortal flesh:
He will come from heaven certainly
To pass judgement on the century.

Before judgement is passed
A great sign will show itself:
The sun will lose its shine
The earth will tremble with fear.

After will come mighty thunder
A sign of great wrath:
In an infernal confusion
Lightning and cries will resound.

A great fire will come down from heaven
In a stink of sulphur
And the earth will burn furiously
And great terror will afflict people.

After will come the terrible signal
Of a great earthquake
As rocks shatter
And mountains collapse.

Then no-one will have pieces of gold
Silver or riches,
And everyone will await
The sentence.

Death will leave them without a penny,
And will crush them all:
There will remain only men in tears,
And sadness will cover the world.

The plains and peaks will be all the same,
Good and evil will reach them both,
Kings, dukes, counts and barons
Will have to account for their actions.

And then will come impressively
The Son of God omnipotent,
He will judge the dead and the living,
The good will go to Heaven.

Children not yet born
Will cry from their mother's wombs,
And with the crying say:
"Help us, God, omnipotent".

Mother of God, pray for us,
You, the Mother of sinners,
May the sentence be merciful,
May Paradise be open to us.

You, who listen to everything,
Pray God with all devotion,
With all your heart and fervour,
That we should be saved.


---

The Catalan version is the one which has lingered through time despite a ban imposed upon it in the 16th century. It is one of the most ancient songs in the Catalan region, dating from the 10th century. In the 13th century the refrains of the Sibyl began to to be sung in polyphony. The chant was performed mainly during the feasts of Christmas but was also, in some places, performed during holy week, particularly on Good Friday.


Fortune Presents Gifts Not According to the Book
Original Spanish version
Da bienes Fortuna
que no esta'n escritos:
Cuando pitos flautas,
cuando flautas pitos.

Cua'n diversas sendas
se suelen seguir
en el repartir
honras y haciendas!
A unos da encomiendas,
a otros sambenitos.
Cuando pitos flautas,
cuando flautas pitos.

A veces despoja
de choza y apero
al mayor cabrero;
y a quien se le antoja
la cabra ma's coja
pare dos cabritos.
Cuando pitos flautas,
cuando flautas pitos.

En gustos de amores
suele traer bonanza
y en breve mudanza
los vuelve en dolores.
No da a uno favores,
y a otro infinitos.
Cuando pitos flautas,
cuando flautas pitos.

Porque en una aldea
un pobre mancebo
hurto' so'lo un huevo,
al sol bambolea;
y otro se pasea
con cien mil delitos.
Cuando pitos flautas,
cuando flautas pitos.


---

The original Spanish version of Fortune Presents Gifts Not According to the Book is from the poem 'Letrillas' (1581) by the priest Luis de Gongora. The interesting thing about this piece is that Dead Can Dance changed "a hundred-thousand crimes" into "a thousand crimes" in their version.

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