Hymn to the Night-Mare
Leslie Fish Lyrics
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In the bleak dark wood on the stone ringed hill
When the year wears down and the treas are bear
In the form of an upright white fanged mare
For where she appeases death is on the air
And someone in sight must die
Have you seen her again in the dark and cold
With her thigh bone staff and her white skull globe
With her cyclone crown and the storm cloud robe
With her red black eyes that no light can probe
When more than a few must die
We will see her again when the earth shall cry
When the hills fall down an the seas run high
She will strike her hoof on the earth's deep fault
With her twelve limbs bared to the heavens vault
She will dance in flame till the stars cry halt
And all but a few shall die
The song "Hymn to the Night-Mare" by Leslie Fish is a haunting and eerie ode to a supernatural being, a frightening white-fanged mare that appears only in the darkest of nights. The lyrics speak of a foreboding sense of doom, a feeling that if one were ever to encounter this terrifying entity, then one's life would inevitably come to an end. The song paints a vivid image of the mare, describing her staff made out of a thigh bone, a skull globe, and a crown of cyclones, all of which add to the sense of terror that she instills in those who dare to venture near her. The lyrics also suggest that the mare's mere presence brings death to those around her, as if she is some sort of conduit for the Grim Reaper.
The song's tone is one of resignation, as if the singer has come to terms with the knowledge that this creature exists and that one day, they will face it. The lyrics mention that the mare will only appear in certain circumstances, such as when the year is ending and the trees are bare, or when the earth is in turmoil, causing hills to fall and seas to run high. It is a gloomy and pessimistic viewpoint, one that suggests that death is always lurking just around the corner, waiting to claim its next victim.
Line by Line Meaning
If i see her again i must die or kill
Encounters with the white fanged mare lead to either the person's death or the death of the mare
In the bleak dark wood on the stone ringed hill
The setting of the encounter with the mare
When the year wears down and the treas are bear
The time when the encounter with the mare is most likely to happen
In the form of an upright white fanged mare
The physical appearance of the nightmare that haunts the woods
For where she appeases death is on the air
Death is inevitable where the mare is present
And someone in sight must die
A person who sees the mare must die
Have you seen her again in the dark and cold
Asking if someone has seen the mare again
The night black mare and her grim nine fold
The mare's appearance is described
With her thigh bone staff and her white skull globe
The mare's accessories are described
With her cyclone crown and the storm cloud robe
The mare's appearance continues to be described
With her red black eyes that no light can probe
The mare's eyes cannot be seen through
When more than a few must die
Multiple people will die if the mare is seen by multiple people
We will see her again when the earth shall cry
The mare will appear when there is great destruction on Earth
When the hills fall down an the seas run high
A catastrophic event on Earth signaling the coming of the mare
She will strike her hoof on the earth's deep fault
The mare will cause great destruction with her actions
With her twelve limbs bared to the heavens vault
The mare has twelve limbs and is powerful
She will dance in flame till the stars cry halt
The mare will continue to cause destruction until forced to stop
And all but a few shall die
Only a small number of people will survive the mare's appearance
Contributed by Lauren J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
W. Reid Ripley
on The Undertaker's Horse
A friend introduced Fish's music to me by saying, "Kiipling was a Gilbert who never found his Sullivan." Until Leslie Fish.