Beltane

As we have had just had May Day, a poem to celebrate that event. The Celtic pagan tradition is a fire festival called Beltane, also found in the Celtic Christian tradition where the Carmina Gadelica includes two Beltane blessings on lambs, while the Anglo-Saxon festival involves the May Pole and fertility dances. I thought it would be nice to marry the two together in this poem.

The poetic form is a "Rondel", a French form, which has the following structure:

1. Rhyme scheme: ABba/abAB/abbaA (uppercase letters are refrains)
2. Poem consists of 13 lines in 3 stanzas

Beltane

Light the flame, the sacred fire
Beltane comes, burning bright
By the breaking of dawn's light
Sweetest music plays on lyre

The sun is rising, ever higher
Here is time of Mayday rite
Light the flame, the sacred fire
Beltane comes, burning bright

Morris dancing, to inspire
And Mayday revels now excite
Maiden dances, dressed in white
Round the Maypole brings desire
Light the flame, the sacred fire