Angelo Branduardi

The Song Of Eternal Numbers

Angelo Branduardi


Come here my angel and sit on my knee 
and tell me what song you would hear from me. 
"Sing me the song of eternal numbers 
and from this day I shall well remember". 
One is for the reaper 
Waiting for his harvest of life, 
Two is for the oxen straining at the cart, 
Three is for the world and its every part, 
Four there are the standing stones of Merlin 
Where the hero's swords were ever sharpened... 
One is for the reaper 
Waiting for his harvest of life. 
And the sum of the golden times 
In all ages of man is five 
Sang the dwarf in a cloud of steam, 
Threw six herbs in the draught which he stirred 
And he laughed... he went "ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha," 
And there are seven suns and there are seven moons, 
Eight the blazing fires by the first of June, 
Nine is for the maidens dancing round the fountain 
Worshipping the moon rising on the mountain... 
One is for the reaper 
Waiting for his harvest of life. 
Ten is for the galleons coming from the war 
Which our young men fought on a distant shore 
And walking with their flag we counted eleven, 
All that now remain of a hundred young men... 
One is for the reaper 
Waiting for his harvest of life. 
And the sum of the golden times 
In all the ages of man is five 
And the months of the year are twelve 
Made of days, made of hours and minutes that pass 
And they pass and they pass, they pass... 
Now twelve is for the signs in the starbright sky 
In envy of his neighbour challenge and defy, 
I sing you the song of eternal numbers 
But I see a time when all is ended... 
One is for the reaper 
Waiting for his harvest of life. 
There will come a day when the trumpet splits the sky 
And thunder, fire and wind will lay waste the low and high; 
That will be the time in the song of numbers 
When the reaper tires at last of waiting... 
One is for the reaper 
And two the oxen, and three the parts, 
And four is for the stones, 
Five is for the ages, six is for the herbs, 
And seven are the suns, 
And seven are the moons, eight is for the fires, 
Nine is for the maidens, ten is for the galleons, 
Eleven for the young men, twelve is for the signs 
And twelve for time a'passing... 
One is for the reaper who laughs 
As one by one the stars blink out