Once upon a time,
Somewhere far away,
Riding through the steppe,
A horseman made his way.
Through the dust, he saw,
While he sped to fight,
A forest was emerging
Dreary, dark and wide.
His soul cried out in worry,
And his heart would race:
Tighten up your saddle,
Fear the watering-place.
But he didn’t listen,
And only gaining speed,
Straight onto the mound
He would lead his steed.
Turning from the barrow,
To an barren vale,
Past the higher ground,
Straight across the dale.
Down into the furrow
He took his horse apace
Where the trail led him
To a watering-place.
Heedless of the warning,
Quick to move, he took
His horse to drink the water
From the hidden brook.
Near the shallow water,
Where he made his way,
Sulfur flames illumined
The entrance to a cave.
In the crimson smoke
That shrouded everything,
With a distant calling
The forest seemed to ring
Straight across the ravine,
Startled and appalled,
The rider walked his horse
To the haunting call.
As he neared, a dragon
Suddenly appeared.
The rider saw its tail
And tightly gripped his spear.
The dragon breathed out fire
With a blinding light,
Thrice around a maiden
Winding his spine.
The body of the dragon,
Bending like a whip,
Held the maiden’s shoulder
With a solid grip.
A beautiful, young maiden,
By that county’s customs,
Was given to the monster
As a form of ransom.
The village folk surrendered
This beauty with high hopes
To satisfy the serpent
And to protect their homes.
The monster squeezed her arms
And coiling her throat,
He left the victim feeling
Hopeless and distraught.
The rider, with a prayer,
Gazing at the sky,
Ready for the battle,
Held his spear up high.
Eyelids tightly shut.
Summits. Clouded spheres.
Waters. Fords and rivers.
Centuries and years.
The wounded rider lies.
His body barely moves.
The loyal horse is trampling
The dragon with its hooves.
The dragon’s body’s fallen
By the watering-place.
The rider is a confounded.
The maiden’s in a daze.
The midday sky is shinning,
As azure clouds unfurl.
Who is she? A princess?
Or just a peasant girl?
Now, in joyous happiness
The soul can’t cease to weep,
And now, unable to resist,
The body falls asleep.
Now, his health’s returning
Now, he’s weak once more.
From the loss of blood,
He’s feeling weak and sore.
But their hearts are beating.
First one, then the other
Coming back to life
And falling back in slumber.
Eyelids tightly shut.
Summits. Clouded spheres.
Waters. Fords and rivers.
Centuries and years.