[Intro – Ensemble] (Who rules? Who leads? Who writes the tale?) (Gold flows! Sand moves! The empire sails!) [Nandi – The Griot] How does a boy, born beneath a golden sky, Rise to a throne, with the whole world passing by? Mali, mighty, rivers shining bright— But the weight of a kingdom don’t rest light. He wasn’t meant to rule, but fate don’t wait, When power calls, you can’t hesitate. Through the desert sands, across the trade lines, A ruler was shaped in the hands of time. [Ensemble – Mali’s People] (He gave gold! He gave more!) (He let it flow from every shore!) (But did he build? Did he learn?) (What is wealth? Can it burn?) [Nandi – The Griot] Some say he gave too much, let the kingdom break, Some say his gold wasn’t his to take. The world bowed when he walked that road, But riches fade—what’s left of gold? [Sultan Al-Nasir – Musa’s Rival in Egypt] He came to Cairo, made the city kneel, But power ain’t power if it’s just a deal. Gold can shake the land, but a throne takes steel. If Mali’s mighty, tell me—who wields the shield? [Ensemble – Mali’s Scholars & Traders] (He brought gold! He brought fame!) (But did he change or stay the same?) (A king must lead, a king must know…) (What is wealth if the mind don’t grow?) [Nandi – The Griot] The world remembers his caravan’s shine, But a ruler’s true worth is measured in time. The books he wrote, the minds he raised, Not just gold—but the future he paved. [Mansa Musa (First Words)] Gold in my hands… but is that enough? Final Chorus – Full Ensemble] Ohhh—Mali stands! (Mali stands!) Gold in our hands! (In our hands!) But power must hold! (Must hold!) Or the kingdom turns cold! (Turns cold!) [Final Question – Nandi] Tell me, Musa—what will they write of you?
