Short summary:
A series of songs that the Harpies – Monique’s band – may or may not put-out. The Harpies – my version of them, anyways – are Alecto, Monique, Calais and Effïndïe. Responses and opinions of these songs are always welcome.
Daria (and associated characters and locations) is copyright © 1997-2000 MTV Networks.
This poem is copyright © 2002 by Bacner (olgak531@rogers.com) and has been written for personal enjoyment. No infringement of the above rights is intended.
Sea Nymphs
In the noon, when sea-side cliffs,
By the waves mercilessly riddled
Into macadam, sea-nymphs,
Ride those waves, and laugh, and giggle.
O sea-nymphs! You look in mirrors!
O sea-nymphs! Your kind always giggles!
O sea-nymphs! Your bodies're white and blue!
O sea-nymphs! The waves come straight and true!
When the curve of tide is shining like a great inverted mirror!..
When the sun in it's reflected, each ray coming like a spear!..
O sea-nymphs! You look in mirrors!
O sea-nymphs! Your kind always giggles!
O sea-nymphs! Your bodies're white and blue!
O sea-nymphs! The waves come straight and true!
But the mirror of the tides get smashed
Into fully-fixed cliffs do the sea-waves crash!
But the sea-side cliffs remain standing tall!
Of the fickle waves remains naught at all!
O sea-nymphs! You may look in your mirrors!
O sea-nymphs! You may have your giggles!
O sea-nymphs! Your bodies may be white and blue!
O sea-nymphs! Get smashed with the waves on cliffs you surely do!
Amazon kingdom (for Ms. Barch)
The kingdom of the Amazons in Turkey once did lie.
The very happy Amazons felt like that they could fly!
For once the Amazons were horsed, they truly looked like flying,
And fickle Greeks would always flee from Amazons' war-crying!
But the centuries do fly, far beyond a war-like cry,
And just who are we to know when is each of us to die?
Brief human memory quite is, and who can now say,
Just where exactly fickle Greeks to Amazons fell prey?
Upon the sands? On the deserted coasts?
Upon some shore half-forgotten? Or just in idle boasts?
For the centuries do fly, far beyond a war-like cry,
And just who are we to know when is each of us to die?
The southern wind does range quite far, and sound with him he carries;
The Amazons their country left, the cause for that does varies...
And pearly tide - it always comes, as surely as clockwork,
And where the Amazons once stood, now only walks the fat Turk.
But the centuries do fly, far beyond a war-like cry,
And just who are we to know when is each of us to die?
Who said that Amazons are dead? Perhaps they'll make a come-back,
And when they actually do so, watch-out you mangy man-pack!
Atlant the titan
And long we went through the tableland,
'Around did cliffs arise,
And as we passed through foggy band,
Sweat covered our eyes.
Then suddenly a steep did gape -
Black underneath the sun.
And from its' depth - like murmur of silk cape,
Came the voice of the great Ocean.
And there, like to Jesus Christ,
We were visited by Satan.
And Satan spoke, "have ye faith?"
And this was early March.
And from the cliffs that stood like guards
Came a blizzard, like Ms. Barch.
And then we saw, from a mountain-peak,
That the blizzard softened instead
The snows that did shine in the East,
So woolly white, like hair of some beast,
And there, over clouds, in the range,
Our spirit guide asked: "you believe in Atlant?"
We stood upon the cliff; the mighty wind
Did its' best shot, trying to bring us down.
The pines growing in the steep, stood straight, just like a crown.
And Ocean, exhaled once, and it was like a sign,
And then we yelled, for we then knew:
"Yeah, we believe in the Titan!
Get behind us Satan, your wind may or not blew -
We're rooted to ground like Atlant!
And perplex us you no longer can't -
For the truth - like the sun - is radiant!"
Theseus
Theseus was sleeping in a laurel crown,
Unaware that his good luck made gods frown;
Theseus was sleeping fast upon his ship,
The constellation Sagittarius was shining bright and deep.
Theseus - you had some major luck;
Theseus - the girls will quite admire your pluck;
Theseus - in Athens you shall rule;
Theseus - for all that, you're a fool!
Ignoring what's above, the others fell asleep too,
Those half-awake, bits of the songs did hum...
Oh Theseus! In skies shines Sagittarius -
Your luck is partway gone!
Theseus - you had some major luck;
Theseus - the girls will quite admire your pluck;
Theseus - in Athens you shall rule;
Theseus - for all that, you're a fool!
In happiness, we all are little kids,
The crown of laurel does a victor mark;
Ageus was a nervous wreck, black sails did he see -
And so he fed a harbour shark.
Theseus - you had some major luck;
Theseus - the girls will quite admire your pluck;
Theseus - in Athens you shall rule;
Theseus - you have killed your father, you damn fool!
Halcyone
In the waves his face flashed, all corpse-like,
With a shout, to him jumped she;
And with a shout, all ringing from joy - like -
Did two sea-gulls fly, quite free.
Hal-cy-one! Love does conquer all!
Hal-cy-one! Death may take its' toll!
Hal-cy-one! Don't fear it!
Hal-cy-one! To love, death is sh*t!
Winter-time, the seashore's wild,
Sea-swells are both salty and cold.
What's a better place for nestling/child
To grow-up both strong and bold?
Hal-cy-one! Love does conquer all!
Hal-cy-one! Death may take its' toll!
Hal-cy-one! Don't fear it!
Hal-cy-one! To love, death is sh*t!
For a week, Halcyone stops singing,
For a week, the winds do stop their ringing;
Ships are spared, sea is silver-calm,
In the steppe, oxen chew their gum,
Halcyone nests this week in peace;
For his grand-kids, Aeolus spares Greece.
Aeolus! Look on your descendants!
Aeolus! Death's toll's antedecendant!
Aeolus! Father to a bird!
Aeolus! What he promised, he kept word!
Circe (for Quinn)
The goddess sits onto tripod,
Her hair is pale red gold;
Green are her eyes, her nose straight as sword -
In a copper mirror, just the truth is told.
Circe! Kisses yours are honeyed stingers!
Circe! Kissing you starts ears ringing!
Circe! Though you may turn men to swine,
You, great Circe, always look divine!
Her body covered is velvet rice,
It hides her body's colour, pink and tender;
Like two drops of nectar, or perhaps of ice,
Two earrings shake, each on a stem or bender.
Circe! Kisses yours are honeyed stingers!
Circe! Kissing you starts ears ringing!
Circe! Though you may turn men to swine,
You, great Circe, always look divine!
Ulysses says: "Oh Circe!
You're perfect! Each detail is,
Your arms and your great hair,
And how to tell about your breasts I neither know nor care!
Oh Circe! Kisses yours are honeyed stingers!
Circe! Kissing you starts ears ringing!
Circe! Though you may turn men to swine,
You, great Circe, always look divine!"
And the goddess smiled back: "Ulysses!
Great flatterer you are, but don't forget my kisses!
My greatest treasure is my hair. My shoulders too, I guess,
But rest - I don't care!
For I'm Circe! Kisses mine - honeyed stingers!
Daughter of the sun I am! My kisses - ear-ringers!
Ulysses brave - though I look quite divine,
A sourceress I am, that turns men into swine!"
The Trojan horse
The priests began to howl - to their knees,
The populace more plain fell most eagerly.
The Trojan horse - huge, with a golden mane,
Has entered the gate, looking most regally!
Woe to you, fair Troy! With all your people singing joy -
Darkness and Greek devils are upon you!
Cassandra's prophesying cry - aside cast like a toy -
And light of future now shines quite beyond you!
Morpheus
Your garland is of fiery poppies made,
You're Guest Mysterious, you came from Chthonic darkness;
Your face is swarthy, and your gaze is sad -
How glad we am, that we're asleep, not dead!
Morpheus! You're brother to the Death!
Morpheus! You started a big mess!
Morpheus! You heard my midnight cry!
Morpheus! Hold me so that we now could fly!
Like fairy-tale flame, all glowing in the dark,
Divine wreath will take me to the fairies;
We see it all, we taste the magic berries;
There's naught that here we can't do.
Morpheus! You're brother to the Death!
Morpheus! You started a big mess!
Morpheus! You heard my midnight cry!
Morpheus! Hold me so that we now could fly!
Restraints of this world - all drop away;
In this dream-world all's free, for naught we'll pay;
Available is all, and even lack of fear,
Of knowledge that when we'll die, we'll lose all things that dear.
Morpheus! You're brother to the Death!
Morpheus! You started a big mess!
Morpheus! You heard our parting cry!
Morpheus! To you from death we fly!
Endnotes:
In a number of fics (heck, most of them – the Sleepy Lawndale Awakens Series, “Meeting Monique” and my Christmas special (hopefully put online before New Year) to name a few) I tried to elaborate the role of Monique in the Daria-world. My version of the Harpies (and we don’t actually get them except for Monique) includes Monique herself (obviously), her sister Alecto, her friend Calais, and Alecto’s friend Effïndïe. Their past will be more actively discussed in the Sleepy Lawndale Awakens Series, which are currently in hiatus.
Now about the songs. The original Harpies were winged monsters in Greek mythology so I decided that The Harpies of Lawndale could do some Greek Mythology… their own way. And why not? Trent at least is always ready to put anything into a song, and when it comes to Daria and fairy tales… one of my favourite moments in Daria canon is when Jane tells in “Pinch Sitter: to Tad and Tricia Gupty that “the dish ran away with the spoon… but their marriage was recognized only in Hawaii.” Certainly funny and unexpected, and certainly after that stunt the Harpies can take on a few Greek Myths onto size.
Ahem. Back onto the tracks, here’s a brief summery of which myth each song is actually about.
1. Sea nymphs. Talks obviously about sea nymphs, daughters of the sea-god Nereus, and how they like to play in the surf. They’re immortal, of course, like most other non-human characters in Greek myths, so their whole association with waves dying on the shore – it’s purely Harpies’ invention.
2. The Amazon Kingdom. According to Greek myths, the Amazons had a kingdom somewhere in Asia Minor, of which Turkey was a part (or was it vice versa?). Naturally, that song is dedicated to Ms. Barch, who’s as Amazon as they come in this day and age, and whom the Harpies must’ve met at least once – at least via Monique and Trent and Jane.
3. Atlant the Titan. Atlant or Atlas was a titan whom Zeus sentenced to support the sky forever on his head and shoulders. However, the Harpies had their own ideas of how to creatively use his name in one of their songs… and used it. That is all. Otherwise, this song is probably the most non-Greek one, bringing in J.C. and the Adversary into it for some reason. Let’s not go into it at all.
4. Theseus. The myth of Theseus and the Minotaur is one of the most well spread one, I hope. Theseus, Hercules and Perseus are probably the most popular heroes of the Classical mythology, no? Anyways, the Harpies’ song is about Theseus’ return to Greece. See, Theseus left under black sails, but promised his father Aegeus, the king of Athens, that if he kills the Minotaur, he’ll replace them with white. Well, he did kill the Minotaur, but ran into some female-related problems and forgot about his promise. So when Aegeus saw his son’s ship returning with black mournful sails, he drowned himself in the sea, which was called Aegean hereafter. And the Sagittarius the Archer who is drawn in the shape of the Centaur… that’s another myth entirely, about Hercules and Deianeira and Nessus the centaur… let’s talk about them another time.
5. Halcyone. Daughter of god of the winds, Aeolus, Halcyone married king Ceicus, who drowned. In despair, Halcyone jumped after him, and Aeolus and other gods, touched, turned the pair into gods, supposedly kingfishers, through the Harpies, true to their punky attitudes, turned them into gulls instead… and seemed to hint that Aeolus had his hand in the ship-wreaking disaster that made Halcyone into a widow. That is not so, for further information about Halcyone, her husband and her father read Ovid’s Metamorphoses.
6. Circe. Daughter of the Sun-God Helios and a sea nymph (yes, one of those of whom the Harpies have already sang) Circe was the Witch-Goddess of the island of Aeaea, and had briefly turned Ulysses (or Odysseus) men into swine. That is common knowledge. However, what the wider public doesn’t usually know, that Ulysses (after turning his crew back into humans) spent an entire year on Aeaea with Circe in pretty loose arrangements, and eventually Circe had a son from him, nevermind that he already had another one back home – Telemachus. What a guy. Anyways, the Harpies dedicated this song to Quinn, who too seems to possess power to turn men into animals (but not pigs. Lapdogs or beasts of labour are my guesses.). Also, both of them seem to posses lot’s of physical beauty (though that is in the eyes of the beholder).
7. The Trojan horse. All is clear here, I believe? The Trojan horse is a well-known myth and a catch-phrase, and as for Cassandra – she’s the prophetess who foresaw Troy’s doom, but no one believed her, for that was the will of the gods.
8. Morpheus. Morpheus (or Hypnos) is god of sleep and dreams. I don’t know whom the Harpies thought he was. Probably the star of the Sandman comics or something.
Anyways, that’s that. More songs from the Harpies (hopefully) and more other fics. Response on this piece of work and others is always welcome and in place (but keep nice and civil). Bacner (Olgak531@rogers.com).