"Heather Dale's songs express something that honors tradition, but in keeping with the best of traditions they break new ground." WDVR FM (USA)
The Joyful Knight
Heather Dale Lyrics
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With spring's sweet heat around me
My fingers braiding daisy crowns
And my eyes shaded from the light.
The squire was donning armour
And she bade me stand beside her
I wondered that a woman
'Oh what a joyful life have I,'
She told me, 'neath that open sky,
'My knight is there upon the field:
How fortunate am I...
For when I think to fail and yield
One word from him inspires me.'
She bade me watch him closely
And she pointed out his shield.
I smiled then as she left me
I'd been watching him already
I'd watched that horse and rider dance
And vanquish all their foes.
I'd watched him smile like sunlight
As he led his men to battle
I laughed and watched that joy again
All morning as he rode.
'Oh what a joyful life have I,'
Some noble maid must surely cry,
'My knight is there upon the field:
How fortunate am I...
How fortunate am I.'
A squire may choose what lord she will
And pledge her faith on bended knee
Not so for those who stand and watch upon
The gallery in colours bright
But if that choice were up to me
I'd choose that joyful knight.
The song “The Joyful Knight” by Heather Dale is a beautiful tribute to a knight and his squire, told through the eyes of a bystander watching them prepare for battle. The song is set in medieval times, when knights and their squires were an integral part of the feudal system. The opening lines describe the setting, where the singer wanders by the turney side with spring’s sweet heat around her, braiding daisy crowns, and shading her eyes from the light. The squire dons her armour and invites the singer to stand beside her, and the singer wonders at the strength of a woman who could face that fight. The squire speaks of the joyful life she leads, being near her knight and hearing his inspiring words, and she points out his shield to the singer. As the squire leaves, the singer smiles, having already observed the knight and his horse vanquishing all their foes on the battlefield. She watches the knight lead his men to battle, smiling like sunlight, and marvels at the joy she witnesses.
The song is a celebration of the joy and inspiration a knight can bring to those around him. It speaks of the loyalty and devotion between a knight and his squire, where the squire finds strength and inspiration from the knight’s words. The singer is not a part of this system, standing on the gallery in colours bright, but she yearns to be a part of it, to pledge her faith on bended knee to this joyful knight. The song captures the beauty and awe-inspiring nature of chivalry and medieval romance, and it is a fitting tribute to the knightly tradition.
Line by Line Meaning
I wandered by the turney side
I was walking by the tournament grounds
With spring's sweet heat around me
It was warm and sunny because it was springtime
My fingers braiding daisy crowns
I was making crowns out of daisies with my fingers
And my eyes shaded from the light.
My eyes were protected from the sunlight
The squire was donning armour
The squire was putting on armor
And she bade me stand beside her
She asked me to stand beside her
I wondered that a woman
I was surprised that a woman
Found the strength to face that fight.
Could be strong enough to fight
'Oh what a joyful life have I,'
She said, 'I have such a happy life'
She told me, 'neath that open sky,
She told me under the open sky
'My knight is there upon the field:
'My knight is out there on the field
How fortunate am I...
How lucky I am
For when I think to fail and yield
If I feel like giving up
One word from him inspires me.'
One word from him gives me inspiration
She bade me watch him closely
She asked me to watch him carefully
And she pointed out his shield.
And she showed me his shield
I smiled then as she left me
I smiled as she walked away
I'd been watching him already
I was already watching him
I'd watched that horse and rider dance
I saw that horse and rider moving gracefully
And vanquish all their foes.
And defeating all their opponents
I'd watched him smile like sunlight
I saw him smile brightly
As he led his men to battle
As he led his soldiers into battle
I laughed and watched that joy again
I laughed and witnessed that happiness once more
All morning as he rode.
While he rode all morning
'Oh what a joyful life have I,'
She said, 'I have such a happy life'
Some noble maid must surely cry,
Some noble woman must feel the same way
'My knight is there upon the field:
'My knight is out there on the field
How fortunate am I...
How lucky I am
How fortunate am I.'
How lucky I am
A squire may choose what lord she will
A squire can choose which lord to serve
And pledge her faith on bended knee
And show her loyalty by kneeling
Not so for those who stand and watch upon
But not for those who stand and watch from
The gallery in colours bright
The stands brightly colored
But if that choice were up to me
But if I had the choice
I'd choose that joyful knight.
I would choose that happy knight
Contributed by Alex Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.