[Intro — commanding female folk vocal; drum strikes] Лиса горо, чуєш нас? Настає відьомський час! [Full band — racing fiddle, hammered strings, thunderous guitars] [Verse 1 — low, clear female voice] I left the needle in the cloth, The half-sewn dress across the chair. The Dnipro shone between the roofs; I unwound ribbons from my hair. Above the rooftops, others flew. I took one breath and joined them too. [Pre-Chorus — drums building; women answering] Past the towers, past the bells, Past the walls that keep us well— One last light below goes dark. We descend into the sparks. [Chorus — fierce, soaring; full female harmonies] Lysa Hora! Raise the fire! Lift the circle higher, higher! Let the Dnipro bear the sound— Bald Mountain’s daughters shake the ground! By dawn, you’ll know our daylight names; Tonight, you’ll know us by the flames! [Verse 2 — driving folk rhythm; sharper delivery] An old hand beats the taut drumskin; The youngest draws the circle in. The sparks rise high, then turn to crows; They wheel where no night wind should blow. Our shadows dance beyond our feet. The hill begins to keep the beat. [Pre-Chorus — rising voices; guitars briefly drop] Hands that held the spindle tight, Hands that washed the dead in white— Open now against the sky. Hear a thousand throats reply! [Chorus — heavier guitars; bright, cutting fiddle] Lysa Hora! Raise the fire! Lift the circle higher, higher! Let the Dnipro bear the sound— Bald Mountain’s daughters shake the ground! By dawn, you’ll know our daylight names; Tonight, you’ll know us by the flames! [Bridge — intimate lead over plucked strings] Some came carrying their sorrow. Some came hungry for revenge. I came with a throat full of unsung words— I will not swallow them again. [Female ensemble — forceful, rhythmic] Лиса горо, чуєш нас? Настає відьомський час! [Short instrumental dance — fiddle and tsymbaly trade rapid phrases] [Final Chorus — enormous; lead rising above the women’s voices] Lysa Hora! Raise the fire! Lift the circle higher, higher! Let the Dnipro bear the sound— Bald Mountain’s daughters shake the ground! By dawn, you’ll know our daylight names; Tonight, you’ll know us by the flames! [Female ensemble — drums and voices only] Лиса горо, чуєш нас? Настає відьомський час! [Outro — sudden quiet; close female voice and bandura] The dress is finished by the dawn. The ash stays hidden in the hem. [One final string rings out.]
