Celtibeerian : lyrics for Tirikantam album
Release : Tirikantam
Thanks to David García and the band for the sharing.
Additional note : "Tirikantam" (pronounced /Trri 'kantam/ ) is a celtiberian word for "to the assembly". The album has two storylines, which are introduced and explained in the booklet before any lyrics of the song,
Tracklist :
01. Tirkantam (instrumental)
02. The Path
03. Praise to the Vineyards
04. Sacred Wine
05. The Great Feast
06. An Dro (instrumental)07. Warrior's Sorrow (full moon is rising) (instrumental)
08. Full Moon
09. Riding Home
01. Tirkantam (instrumental)
Additional note : Somewhere, in the Iberian Peninsula, several towns are gathering on the Tirikantam to decide where they should celebrate their summer feasts this year. They rejoice when this assembly is set, and sing and drink together to honour both their friendship and their gods.
The scripture you can see in the booklet beside the title is celtiberian scripture, this scripture is read aloud by me at the end of the song: "Tirikantam aiuizas, kombalkores aleites iste ires ruzimuz".
Celtiberian language is almost unknown and long discussed, and I built this sentence from bits of other sentences which are roughly known (or supposed to mean that). The intended meaning is "Assembly validated, all the assembly members will now sign it below"
02. The Path
The host town was just selected
by the council yesterday.
The party's gonna be started,
we only think about that day.
Grab some wine and a horn for ale,
we'll need them for our epic tale.
For those who lit the great fires
to satisfy our gods' desires.
Take the horse and saddle it,
after that get something to eat.
Don't forget to buy some mead,
'cause our elders sure will need.
[chorus]
We only wanna go to get drunk at your town
during a hard path across dust and vegetation.
We wanna go to get drunk at your town
that is the best way to make our celebration.
We're approaching the host town
just passing that hill down.
Here there is a huge crowd,
this feast will sound so loud.
Once we meet here all our brothers
we'll search for all the others.
We'll rejoice all together,
this feast is bigger than ever!
Additional note : The first time the five of us listened and played this entirely song was when we were recording it at the studio... This track was the [very] last composition for this album.
03. Praise to the Vineyards
At the heart of Celtiberia
you can taste our finest grapes.
The best wine of all the area
and not worse are our ales!
Hear us now, while we sing
and we fill our wineskins.
We are all just human beings
and sometimes we need to drink.
Now are coming summer times,
all fruits grow and grass is high.
The sun above the field shines,
we must thank Her for her light.
In the summer will work hard
on our fine and vast vineyards
the vintager under the sun
once the harvest has begun.
[chorus]
Gods of ages, keep our health,
one thing we want to beg:
give us your blessing with this praise
and let's drink to celebrate!
Creels of grapes from the harvest past
the vintagers will step on and smash
let the juice of the fruits pass
through your feet while you step on fast.
Take a pint and taste this wine,
take some more and drive you wild.
Careful not to get too ill
or you'll fall to the green field!
Additional note : Although the wine tradition came through Rome and Greece to the peninsula, in our region, at the heart of the country, it has a very long tradition and our landscape features lots of vineyards. The stanzas have some mix of celtic culture/religion with traditional vintaging/wine creation techniques, like smashing the fruit by stepping on them in the creels
I think this melody was the first of all melodies composed for Celtibeerian, before it was actually born. Julián wrote the melody draft in 2010 with an accordion in mind... then when we founded Celtibeerian I re-wrote the accordion line for a bagpipe and a violin, and did some flute arrangements while in the studio recording it..
04. Sacred Wine
When I drink some sacred wine
I feel in peace while it goes down,
when I drink some sacred wine
It feels like a peace vow.
Singing and drinking, praise for wealth to your home.
Sharing this wine is our way to avoid war.
Additional note : This song is based in a kinda famous french song from the 14th century called 'Tourdion", which music is anonymous, it has french lyrics by a known composer, but normally the covers the bands do are just instrumental. I decided to put lyrics and change the measure and pitch, Tourdion is in 3/4 and every band choose a different pitch, Sacred Wine is in 4/4, and the pitch is D.
05. The Great Feast
Hey! Hey! Hey!
The feast needs our biggest table,
all the drink that we are able,
lots of people, lads to hire,
and hunted meat by the bonfire.
[chorus]
Wanna drink beer?
Wanna eat meat?
What a great feast!
Wanna drink some wine?
That will sure be fine!
Let's keep on this line!
Strong men carry heavy wood,
and pretty women cook the food.
All children playing together,
the long war's gone forever!
Bellies full of hunted meat,
and rising pints all full of beer.
The table plenty of wine and ale,
let's drink till we feel like we sail!
Now everybody is getting drunk,
with shining eyes and smiling mouths.
People lie down under the trees,
they do not care, 'tis the great feast!
08. Full Moon
In a forest, to the north,
in a vast land without lord,
there's a group of warriors
that marches for others' war.
Night falls and they set camp
in a clear where they can stand.
They're here for lord's demand,
just for greed upon these lands.
There's a man that stands aside
beyond the camp and the fire light
The captain walks to his side
and asks him if he's feeling fine.
"No, my captain, all is wrong
as I'm thinking of my love:
the day I marched to war
was the day of our sacred bond"
[chorus]
Under this full moon you must leave this war
and meet your wife.
Take your horse and saddle it to ride so far
and go to live your life.
In the forest, the moonlight
reminds my marrying day
and I cry for I can't stay this night
close to my wife.
But the war is something bad
and we can win with one less man.
Take your horse and saddle it to ride so far
and go to live your life.
09. Riding Home
Dawn is breaking,
I'm riding home.
My good captain released me from war.
Soon enough
I'll meet my wife,
but this old forest I need to pass by.
In this clearing
Behind the trees
There's a gathering of goblins with beers
“For seven years
Stay with us
Or you’ll die if you try to escape fast”
[chorus]
Deep inside this forest
all goblins gather
in a big party
dancing. But you can't
chase me, damn dwarves,
I know your desires:
you wanna cheat me,
I’m out of here
[post-chorus]
Why me?
Stay still! [x4]
Why me?
My wife awaits
I must go home
Is a good girl, I can't leave her alone
If I drink all
You’ll set me free,
for I can drink more than you in seven years!
Additional note : These lyrics are quite funny 😀 they're based on a common legend from viking and celtic mythology. Gus and I wanted to make our own version of this legend applied to our pityful warrior from full moon as main character, and putting some humour note both with the goblins and with an open end of the story.
10. Gallaecia (instrumental)
Additional note : Song based on a medley of “muiñeiras” (in galician “millers”), a kind of traditional songs
from galician folklore :
– Muiñeira de Pontesampaio (Pontevedra)
– Muiñeira de Cabana de Bergantiños (A Coruña)
– Muiñeira de Lugo (Lugo)
– Muiñeira de Chantada (Lugo)
– Muiñeira de Malpica (A Coruña)
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