9/22/25 - Eru and Melkor's Songs

 The Song of Eru: The Song of Creation

With breath before all being,
I shaped the stars in thought.
A melody of timeless grace,
With love and purpose wrought.

Let peace be born in golden chords,
And wisdom in each line,
Let beauty rise with every note,
In harmony divine.

O voices pure, arise and sing,
Let joy your music bring.
Together we shall weave the light,
And set the world to wing.

One theme, one will, in unity,
A song of sacred harmony.

Instrumental and Explanation:

    I chose “Tavern” by Jan Valta (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vExdKZ0Lby4) as the instrumental component to Eru’s song of creation, and I did so because of the joyous and peaceful nature of the song. I felt that this piece of music was a good representation of how a song of creation, a music meant to be made completely of goodness and to not have been touched by the evils yet to come, might sound. I had some trouble in coming up with the lyrics, as this was the more difficult component, though I decided to write with words that would convey a sense of harmony, peace, and joy, since Eru is responsible for the goodness and light present in middle earth, and his song, in both lyric and instrumental components, should represent in such respects.

 

The Song of Melkor: The Rebellious Discord
I will not follow silence,
Nor bow to any fate.
My voice will twist the heavens,
My power shall allow me to create.

I’ll cast a storm of fire,
Against their gentle sea.
What is their dream of order,
Compared to the majesty of me?

Their chords are weak and narrow,
I’ll shape a darker tune,
And set my throne in shadow,
And blot the stars and moon.

Let chaos be my kingdom’s crown,
And pull their music down.

Instrumental and Explanation:

    For Melkor's Song, I wanted something with a more jagged, aggressive tone that conveyed anger, rebellion, and chaos. For this, I chose Fritz Sotke’s 1919 instrumental composition of "Wir sind des Geyers schwarzer Haufen" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxIzN1eHpj0), since I felt that the music, just as the lyrics absent in this instrumental version, very much so conveyed the feelings of malice, resentment, and rebellion. The song represents a turbulent and violent time in history as it was set during the 1525 German Peasants' War, an extremely violent conflict spurred on by the Lutheran reformation. In developing the lyrics for both songs, I kept the idea of contrast in mind, as Eru’s song represents creation, peace, and unity, while Melkor’s represents conflict, rebellion, and destruction. The lyrics and instrumentals for Melkor’s song show a genuine feeling of resentment and a wish for change, though the change is brought by violent and evil means.