The Brave and Bonnie Host

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• The Brave and Bonny Host

The Brave And Bonny Host is considered to be the 'national anthem' of An Tir. It was written by Roger the Goliard while An Tir was still a principality of the Kingdom of the West. The lyrics are as follows:

Oh, see how the mist lies over the field;
The morning of battle has come.
Soft in the glen there's the muffled sound of men,
And the murmur of a battle drum.

Now the light of the sun spreads over the hill;
It scatters the mist from the green,
And there in the clear come the warriors of An Tir --
Their black and gold banner can be seen,

Chorus:
Fill our cups with ale or wine or beer,
We will stand together never fear;
And we'll drink down a toast
To the brave and bonny host
That fights for the banner of An Tir.

Oh, see them advance as a wall of steel,
Each man with his sword and his shield;
Now they charge with a cheer, for the honour of An Tir,
To win or to die upon the field.

Chorus

By many a fire there's a lady fair,
Who waits for her love to return;
Her needle's in her threads, or she's baking of the breads,
And dreaming of the touch for which she yearns.

Chorus

To the crest of the hill fight the brave and the bold,
Where the slain thickly lie on the field;
Now alone in the clear stand the warriors of An Tir,
And the foeman at last is forced to yield.

Chorus

Oh, strike up your lute, all ye minstrels,
Whose skill is renowned far and wide;
Come tell us again of the mighty band of men,
Who carried the battle for our side.

Chorus

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An audio recording of this is available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShObBnt5o7M&feature=youtu.be. Another is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6MRVEaVQZ4&feature=related.