Peril

Oh man. I'm going through the worst post-something depression of my entire life after our musical Harem is over. I've been in my school's theater company for three and a half years now and never have I enjoyed a production this much and developed such a strong emotional bond with everyone involved.

I'd like to share the lyrics for the song I wrote for Harem, "Peril". Değer Turan, the writer of the entire script of the musical kindly asked me to contribute a song. For additional challenge he had me write the lyrics with Aruz, a traditional Turkish court poetry form that's a bit similar to iambic pentameter but concerns itself with the "openness" and "closeness" of syllables in the consecutive lines. Anyways. My humble words were put to music by the superb maestro Koray Demirkapı; and were sung by the delicate Aslı Salihoğlu on stage (and to my impeccable delight, by many other fellow RC Musical Theatre Company members backstage like the many other songs of Harem).

An important note: This song is part of the soon-to-be-copyrighted musical Harem; and while I can only ask anyone to not steal any of my work posted here; snatching this one would have consequences more severe than an angry me. Not that I expect any of the lovely people who bother to read this blog to do something like that.

This is what Firuzan, a girl in the Sultan's harem and a master potion-maker, sings after thinking that she accidentally killed the Shehzade; whose attention she was seeking through a love potion she brewed.

PERIL

For every single member of the RC Musical Theatre Company--may the sweet memories of each other never be in peril.

Mixing up elixir of love and dire poison
This fool of a woman killed her life’s august sun
I must hide my potions or join my dear one
And now my mystery craft is at peril!

I could brew true love and put it in little jars,
No hardship I try red rosebuds and heal scars,
Needed only a dove’s left wing uncover lies.
O but now my precious craft is my peril!

I hope you are in true bliss
I am living in abyss
I was never worth the kiss
I’ve been longing for!

And I hate myself
for causing all this!

You were alpha lion and this heart a gazelle
Jealous (of the) dove you watch in flight of the rose’s smell
I lived with a foul curse only you could dispel
Ah but now my precious craft is your peril!

I hope you are in true bliss
I am living in abyss
I was never worth the kiss
I’ve been longing for!

And I hate myself
for causing all this!