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| Photo of Master Naon's shadow as he played Golden Singer. Photo by Baron Duncan. |
By Baron Duncan Gabh MacLeod
A poem about Master Naon and his harp, the Golden Singer.
A harper and harp maker, devout of Hern
A Lady, A Widow, who loved harp song
Asked for a harp to learn the harp’s song
Paid with good silver, the Harper of Hern
The Harper and harp maker, chose of wood
Of oak, Of birch, who’s grain ran strong
Lines so clean to free the harp’s song
Strung with fine strings, make sing the harp’s wood
Now the Harper loved music, shared with us all
But good tools he had not, so he borrowed the lot
From a man that he called friend, and trusted a lot
But the man was jealous and wanted it all
The Harper and harp maker fashioned the Harp
Cutting the wood and smoothing all sides
Then gluing and stringing the Harp from inside
And placing inside it the song of the Harp
But the man was deceitful and callous and vain
And he cut his own wood and copied the Harp
He strung his with strings and but hid his false harp
In the false copy no voice had been lain
A harper and harp maker, devout of Hern
First played the harp and its voice was clear
Any who set free her voice would hold it dear
And he gave to the Lady the Harp made with Hern
Now the harp made in the dark of night
Was made without honour or joy of art
But without honour this harp had no heart
And the harp had no voice, no joy, no might
The Lady, The Widow, who loved harp song
Her fingers were not nimble but stiff and old
And she returned the Harp, lest it grow cold
But she had covered the Harp with paint of Gold!!!
Now the Harper and Harp maker, devout of Hern
Was almost in tears in fear and dismay
But he sat down and on the Harp did play
And the voice of the Harp sang out of Hern
The harp of deceit hangs on a wall
It brings no joy to harper or man
The man called friend is called no more
Its voice never filled any hall
The Golden Singer, the Harp of Hern
Has the voice of two harps loud and clear
And sings of joy and loves both far and near
And a now past Harper devout of Hern