We released “Alban Hefin” on the 20th of June. Let me tell you something about the making of this track!
Alban Hefin directly translates to Summer Solstice. It is the name us Druids give to the longest day of the year, naturally also the shortest night of the year. It is a significant moment in time, for no one day will be brighter than this one, which also means that all days to come until the winter solstice will grow darker and darker. Like all things in Druidism, this moment has two sides and a druid can choose which side to focus their energy on.
For the song, however, we tried to capture the full image of the celebrations and rituals that are observed during the Summer Solstice. The three songwriters wrote in their native tongue to relate meaning as precisely as possible. Alexander Isembard sings in English of the gathering of people to celebrate the bountiful green earth. Ellyn Storm sings in Turkish of the many herbs and their powers, along with their uses in communicating with souls from across the veil. Bart the Bard sings of the darkening days and how the circular way of the world means that nothing is truly ever lost.
The three songwriters involved are all wild and free spirits of mother earth. We advocate the appreciation of nature and our connection with it and strongly believe that the further we move away from nature the worse our position as humanity becomes. Druidism aligns very well with these views, being the most free of pagan religions and focusing on our connection with nature; discovering our place relative to the greater whole.
We all wish you a very generous summer, with the bounty of the earth bringing you happiness and fulfilment in this modernizing world. Have a look at the lyrics along with their translations in the music video or the text below!
LYRICS
Lyrics in English
Come all ye good kin
Come gather below
The warmth of these storied skies aglow
Give voice to our histories
Give voice to the day
As life greens anew ‘neath the linden’s shade
Cast your eyes to the vale and call
Your mind, to those who’ve gone before
Each lingering doubt, to the winds on the shore
As the summer comes roaring, roaring forth once more
Daladadeeladadaa DAAAaaaAAAAAAaaaa
Lyrics in Turkish
Masmavi gökler altında
Gündönümünü bekledim
Perde inceldi ve
Kavuştum eski ruhlara
Karanlıkta topladım
Mürver ve kantaron
Ruhumda sonsuz bekleyiş
Güneş ışıldarken
Toprak yeşerir
Translation in English
Under the bright blue skies
I waited for the solstice
The veil has thinned
And I’ve finally met the old spirits
I’ve gathered elderberry and St. John’s Wort in the dark
Endless waiting in my soul
As the sun shines
The soil turns green
Daladadeeladadaa DAAAaaaAAAAAAaaaa
Lyrics in Dutch
Ik zie de koning van
de zomer; met zijn kroon
Lengende dagen achter gelaten
en voor ons; het duister
Seizoenen draaien rug aan rug
Wie ons verlaten komen terug
Een ronde cirkel loopt nooit dood
Zij blijven bij ons
Translation in English
I see the king of
The summer; with his crown
Lengthening days behind us
And before us; the darkness
Seasons spin back to back
Those who leave us return
A round circle never ends
They stay with us.
Daladadeeladadaa DAAAaaaAAAAAAaaaa
Old English Lyrics
Wacran folgendas, freond and ieldra bearn
Hēran gehȳran stemna þæs forðgangan!
Þēah langa tīman ond gedrēfednessa a hīe þurhdrifon
Hē worhton beaga bēod on wederum and flōdum
Hwæn līf eft greneþ under līmtwigum
Sumera wong wudu scẽaþaþ
Translation in English
Wakeful followers, friends and children of elders
Hear, hear the voices of the past!
Through long times and troubles, they came through
They built a ring-giver of teachings on winds and floods
When life greens again under the linden boughs
summer clothes the wood in beauty
Bart the Bard 