Before the turn of yesterday

That Bright Blaze found its birth.

When Moon was not yet in its place

nor was each day the same as last

there was a place where back we’d go

if we had mind or chance.

While time has passed us ever by

and winds out of the west have blown

away all trace of That Old Grace

so all that’s left is stalk and chaff

the mightiest of monuments have crumbled into dust.

Beyond the shortening of the days,

when folly not each day did guide,

did mortal lives stretch ever long

spent underneath Caeolimon.

What mighty deeds on their behalf

mortals have forgotten.

Gather now from That Weary Cold

bring all who Uloth reins in mind.

Day grows dark and fires flicker,

Deci-Arlo ever closer,

songs of might and of the mighty

oh! what sweet songs we will make.

-Opening of the Origiri Morning Song

The Origins of the Song

There was never nothing, for there was always Mako the Creator.  Of the Maker little is known, but what origin he did or may have had are not known, or not told.

From Mako came the Lords and with the Lords all that is or was or will be was made.  To the Lords was given the task of ordering and developing all that is.  The Lords were not in the Void, but neither in Place.  So Umro said “Our Master has shown us the way.  As there is ‘Song,’ and ‘Not Song’ let ‘Place’ be separate from ‘Void.’” And All agreed that which was not “Void” should be “Place.” And so it was.

None really had gender yet as there was no gender to compare them to.  Even so, those who might become one or another or no gender, were already grouped of like minds and “will” and thoughts.  So those who would become the neuter Lords spoke together and said “It is obvious to Us that Light should issue from one Place or another, as it may be and from these places, proceed into space unabated. A system we imagine.  So if the humor of the Assembly be kind, let us aim to please.” And the other Lords agreed. The neuter Lords tipped their fingers together and made stars which were bright.  Also they gathered light from empty space so that these stars they had made could be seen unhindered.  Then they cupped their hands and the darkness flowed into them, and they placed it around the stars and in all the places where light did not come from, and the darkness fled the light as it could.  They placed solid parts around the stars.  Also they swept together warmth and the cold into separate piles. Where light fell upon these solid parts they made piles of heat.  When light did not fall on a place, wherein darkness also hid, they placed the cold, and the darkness hated the cold, but it bore it, as it could not bear the light.  The cold they also placed in rings like halos far around the stars so that cold and darkness might have places to be separate and not only be siblings in hate.  Quickly and with delicate planning did the systems of the neuter Lords spread in space.  They moved the planets with their hands and by their “will” the systems worked.  At length the neutral Lords grew tired.  When their hands and minds became idle, their work became still.  Then the Assembly grew somber.

Omra’eh then said, “In Stillness you seek to move.  Instead let these things have motion of their own accord.  Let them change as they move so that all things shall be unto one another as the planets are to the stars.  All part and all separate and all changing, each unto their own kind.”  The Assembly saw this wisdom and agreed and so it was.

The planets spun and the comets flew and the stars glowed, but being only things they did not “know” the Lords. Planets sailed the void and light stayed in the stars, but the stars became pieces and changes happened and unhappened and all was chaos that had not been proscribed by the Lords.  Again the Lords were worried as their “will” was not have things happen as they were.

Perhaps long or perhaps short they pondered the problem.  Then Umro lifted his face again and said “Is not ‘all’ our ‘will?’  Can we not say ‘You planet, be here?’ And yet the later tell it ‘Now be there!’ as we will?  So then let us go to each of these places and as we have told Place and Void to be apart, and so they remain, so too shall we say to all things what they are to do.  In this way our “will” shall extend even beyond our very hands.”

But Haseleth, who was even then as wise as Umro is strong, arose from where he sat.  While all were amazed by what Umro had said, Haseleth spoke thus, “Wise words indeed the Namer has spoken.  All things in a system unto another.  All changing and moving by our “will” beyond the acts of our very hands.”  These words seemed strange to all, for yet naught had been said that was of low importance, and this thing seemed to be a nothing.  Haseleth went on, “But let us not, to one thing and another, tell each as it would do, saying ‘You be like this, and you other as it is, but not the same, and you third, you shall be more the same, but also different, just so!’  What weary work you put us to!  I am old and my heart could not bear such labor.  I do not have your youth or your Names and would fail long before my share of the task would be complete.  Instead let us tell all things a like phrase, or at least alike so as they are alike.  Let us first tell all things they must obey us, for while they obey because it is their nature, they do not know they must obey us except by our prod and lash.  Then we will further tell stars to be stars, and comets to be comets, and planets to be planets, and we shall then tell all things what a star is like and a comet is like and a planet is like.  Then a star will “know” us and will obey us.  Thus shall one planet be like all other planets and not like stars, unless planets and stars be alike, all things unto another, each unto their own kinds, separate, but together, and chaos shall be diminished.”  This shone as further wisdom to the Lords and they saw it as a growing of the Namer’s ideas, but Umro secretly hid anger in his heart.  That is how, even as all began, there was the first fault.