¤ milky moon ¤

sounds good! I'll post thoughts in the other thread.

I posted a set of hybrid lyrics on Unforumzed, using some of the originals that Ann posted and some of the changes I heard. Dan on our forum included some additional changes that I like, so I've highlighted those. Thanks, Dan. I'm still baffled by a couple parts.

A diver is my own love
And I am his, if I am to be deceived
Who takes one breath above for every hour below the sea

Who gave to me a jewel
Worth twice this woman's life
Though it cost her less
Than laying at low tide to see her true love phosphoresce

And in an infinite regress
Tell me why is the pain of birth
Lighter borne than the pain of death?
I ain't saying that I loved you first
But I loved you best

I know we must abide
Each by the rules that bind us here
The divers and the sailors and the women on the pier

How do you choose your form?
How do you choose your name?
How do you choose your life?
How do you choose the time you must exhale and kick and rise?

And in an infinite capsize
Like a boat tearing down the coast
Double hulls bearing double masts
I don't know if you loved me most
But you loved me last

Recall the word you gave
To count your way across the depths of this arid world
Well, you will yoke the waves that lay a bed of shining pearls

I dream it every night
The ringing of the ______
The motes of sand dislodge the shocking, _____ bright
That ______ cast-off shells reveal a single heart of white

And in an infinite backslide
Ancient boulders sink past the west
Like a sword at the bearer's fall
I can't claim that I knew you best
But did you know me at all?

A woman is a lie, a woman is a lie
You do not take her for a siren
In anchor on the stone alone, unfaceted and fine

And never will I wail
I'll hunt the pearl of death
To the bottom of my life
And ever hold my breath 'til I may be the diver's wife

See how the infinite divides
And the divers are not to blame
For the rift spanning distant shores
You don't know my name
But I know yours

Hi all, Great work. One possible difference I heard in the lyrics was "and never will I wed" before "I'll hunt the pearl of death."

I dunno, I feel like pairing that with "depths" seems strange because depths seems to fit with water. Depths of the ocean. I don't know that depths would be paired with the dry sand and an arid world. I also feel like severed works because it seems like a similar image/idea to that last stanza: "the rift spanning distant shores." Severed, rifts. But I don't know, I think that one may remain a mystery until she plays the song again or maybe until the song is actually released. It's tough to hear, and all suggested lines are somewhat awkward.

More thoughts:

Where you will yoke the waves that lay a bed of shining pearls. [Are we in agreement this is yoke? I think this line is completely accurate.]
I dream it every night,
the ringing, oh the pale. [I wish this was just the ringing of the bell, how easy that would be and it fits in Joanna's writing well, but I really don't hear anything even close to bell (I can't hear prayer either, sorry!). I do think it's probably ringing though.]
The motes of sand, dislodged,
the shucking, quick and bright, the twinned and cast-off shells reveal a single heart of white. [I'm feeling pretty good about this part too, it all sounds right and makes sense.]


A woman is a lie, a woman is a lie [Does anyone have any commentary on this? We seem to think it's either a lie, alive or a light. It sounds most like a lie, but the way it's sung, I expect any consonants at the end could easily fade out and be missed. It's interesting to me in relation to the following lines, which we are also unsure of. For instance, if the line below is about not taking her for a siren, does it make sense to say a woman is a lie before that?]
you cannot take her for a siren, [I think siren is a good guess here because of the following lines, but she sings it so fast that I hear 'sign' more than anything else, just don't think it makes much sense.]
an anchor on a stone
alone, unfaceted and fine. [Can something be unfaceted and fine? I'm sort of feeling like those are conflicting.]
And never will I wed. [I definitely think this is right-- I've been adding to my own as new ideas come up, so sorry that I don't remember who suggested this, but great job.]
I'll hunt the pearl of death
to the bottom of my life.
And ever hold my breath till I may be the diver's wife.

I'm excited how much we have completed of this, and how well it seems to fit. Some HOOM songs had huge areas of gibberish that we never got.

i dunno i think wear fits the line a lot better than wade.

@pail vs praying - do you really hear an r? I'm honestly trying to hear it and I can't at all. I am listening to wanbli's recording and there are several others around, they all sound basically the same lol. Pail also undeniably works in context better than prayer...

Thank you all, for doing such a good job trying to pin down the lyrics of this beautiful new song! Might I suggest "pang of birth"?

I hear it as 'I dream in every night the ringing of the prayer'. And then I think it's, "A woman is alive, a woman is alive, you do not take her from his side."

I also used to think it was 'the depths of the southern world' rather than 'arid world' but now I'm not too sure. And 'the divers and the seers' rather than 'the divers and the sailors'.

"Arid" makes perfect sense to me. I think "this arid world" is her world and that he promised her to do his best to find his way there with her, but he is out of his depth there, having to "count" his movements, while in the sea he is at home, he can make his way there by experience and intuition, so it will always draw him back.
I think the second line begins with "To" and not "And". Perhaps "Tonight"?

I love it!!