The Song of the Debt
A song sung in Arram Language Old Arram Old Arram is the first naturally evolved language in the history of Elshore, arising from the continuous cultural development of the Iru., the in-world language, that carries the burden and accounting of a debt across five verses. Its refrain - Alahïd, Alahïd - tolls beneath each verse like a heartbeat, naming the gods of Randenism Faith Randenism The Flame Doctrine, dominant faith of the Maan and state religion of the Maan Empire. as it passes.
Key traits
- Origin: sung in Arram, the in-world language of Elshore.
- Form: five runot (verses) each closed by a Pan'gu refrain.
- Refrain: "Alahïd, Alahïd, Alahïd, Alahïd," repeated under every verse.
- Names Namii Cosmology The Binary Suns Two stars share the sky of Elshore: Uhiel, the warmer and steadier light, and Namii, the smaller and more ominous companion., Randen Character Saint Randen Saint Randen is the revered and feared figure at the root of the Order of Randen and the Randenist faith, known through folktale, scripture, and institutional power in roughly e..., Ressor Cosmology The Two Moons Two moons attend Elshore: Liir, the near and swift one, and Ressor, the far and slow one., and Uhiel from the faith of Randenism.
- Theme: debt, order, and the long accounting owed across a life.
- Diacritics of the Arram text are preserved verbatim from the source.
"The Song of the Debt" is sung in Arram, the in-world language of Elshore, and unlike the performance songs that follow it, its words are kept in their own tongue rather than translated. It moves through five runot - verses - and after each one the singers fall into the Pan'gu, a tolling refrain: "Alahïd, Alahïd, Alahïd, Alahïd." The refrain runs beneath the whole song like a heartbeat or a tally, the steady count of a debt being carried and paid.
The verses name the gods and orders of Randenism - Namii, Randen, Ressor, Uhiel - and braid the language of obligation, order, and reckoning through them. What follows is the Arram text, with its diacritics preserved exactly.
Runo 1: Udhafa Place Udhafa The old capital of the Maan empire and one of the great inhabited ruins of the world, an ancient Iru-founded city in eastern Tarkdaara, carved into the bedrock below the Claw Pe...'hro hralë'llo, uhi'ïna hralïdë'llo. Ensïm Jërjestys'ïna Uhçrë'din'hro itta. Ma Namii'ïna samum'cryë'hro uunïdë ele. Lisa illë ïstën sirilla ti'Maan People Maan The most numerous people of Elshore and the baseline cultural reference of the age.'iru People Iru The progenitors, and the only naturally evolved people of Elshore. kyle'ifo.
Pan'gu - Alahïd, Alahïd, Alahïd, Alahïd.
Runo 2: Era othar'hro en'na, uun'ë vaelë'oon nousa. Dun'eltem çrëmata imïr'ïna nux'llo vëkse'ifo. Bar People Bar Towering, massively built, and engineered for high-load work and vertical terrain, the Bar are the strength line.'iru vosh'llo tulë, u'han su'hro siki nousa. Tigír sa'gida nëki, lisa cordë'koo khelïd.
Pan'gu - Alahïd, Alahïd, Alahïd, Alahïd.
Runo 3: Randen'ïna gaçum guu'oon dannum akïd. Me'ïna via gastë. "Sar uga ele," samum'sanna mianïd. Ti'gar Vigil cha malochd, lisa illë cha khelïd.
Pan'gu - Alahïd, Alahïd, Alahïd, Alahïd.
Runo 4: En'llo tem'dun'ïna, elin'ïkla naavë'hro fluïd. Ki'llo korë vaelë, Ressor'na sor'itta'hro. Poly'le'hupo walhe'ïna nigku ele. Kutta abu çrëm'nistillu kui lisa othar'oon nousa.
Pan'gu - Alahïd, Alahïd, Alahïd, Alahïd.
Runo 5: Sam'llo ker'dun'olun, ëfalë'ki gilïd'ïita ortta. Shu feëlë naavsïïë'oon gilïd, aera lilis kuu. Istu'ki Namii lisa Uhiel'na elin'llo itta. Ki'llo Krisel nav ele, lisa hinta ofi'ele liïd.
Pan'gu - Alahïd, Alahïd, Alahïd, Alahïd. (x4)