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The Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 3 by or: Kisari Mohan Ganguli

o >> or: Kisari Mohan Ganguli >> The Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 3

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SECTION LXIV

"Bhishma said, 'The duties in respect of all the four modes of life,
those of yatis, O son of Pandu, and the customs relating to the conduct
of men in general, are all included in kingly duties. All these acts, O
chief of the Bharatas, occur in Kshatriya duties. If the functions of
royalty are disturbed, all creatures are overtaken by evil. The duties of
men are not obvious. They have, again, many outlets.[200] Led by many
(false) systems, their eternal nature is sometimes offended against.
Others who pin their faith to the conclusions arrived at by men, without
really knowing anything about the truths of duties (as declared in the
scriptures), find themselves at last landed and confounded on faiths
whose ultimate ends are unknown. The duties imposed upon Kshatriyas are
plain, productive of great happiness, evident in respect of their
results, free from deceit, and beneficial to the whole world. As the
duties of the three orders, as also of Brahmanas and of those that have
retired from the world, O Yudhishthira, have before this been said to be
all included within those of that sacred mode of life (called
Garhasthya), even so, the whole world, with all good actions, are subject
to kingly duties. I have told thee, O monarch, how many brave kings had,
in days of old, repaired to that lord of all creatures, viz., the divine
and puissant Vishnu of great prowess, for resolving their doubts about
the science of chastisement. Those kings, mindful of the declarations of
the scriptures enforced by examples, waited in days of old upon Narayana,
after having weighed each of their acts against the duties of each of the
modes of life.[201] Those deities, viz., the Sadhyas, the Vasus, the
Aswins, the Rudras, the Viswas, the Maruts, and the Siddhas, created in
days of old by the first of gods, are all observant of Kshatriya duties.
I shall now recite to thee a history fraught with the conclusions of both
morality and profit. In days of old when the Danavas had multiplied and
swept away all barriers and distinctions[202] the powerful Mandhatri, O
monarch, became king. That ruler of the earth, viz., king Mandhatri,
performed a great sacrifice from desire of beholding the puissant
Narayana, that god of gods, without beginning, middle, and end. In that
sacrifice he worshipped with humility the great Vishnu.[203] The Supreme
Lord, assuming the form of Indra, showed himself unto him. Accompanied by
many good kings he offered his adorations to that puissant deity. The
high discourse took place between that lion among kings and that
illustrious god in the form of Indra, touching Vishnu of great
effulgence.'

"Indra said, 'What is your object, O foremost of virtuous persons, in
thus seeking to behold that Ancient and First of gods, viz., Narayana, of
inconceivable energy, and infinite illusions? Neither myself, nor Brahman
himself, can obtain a sight of that god of universal form. I shall grant
thee what other objects may be in thy heart, for thou art the foremost of
mortals. Thy soul abides in peace; thou art devoted to righteousness;
thou hast thy senses under control; and thou art possessed of heroism.
Thou seekest unflinchingly to do what is agreeable to the gods. For the
sake also of thy intelligence, devotion, and high faith, I shall grant
thee whatsoever boons may be desired by thee.'

"Mandhatri said, I bend my head for gratifying thee. Without doubt,
however, I desire to see the first of gods. O divine Lord! Casting off
all (earthly) desires, I wish to earn religious merit, and to lead the
foremost mode of life, that path of the good, highly regarded by all. By
exercising the high duties of a Kshatriya, I have earned many regions of
inexhaustible merit in the other world, and I have also, through those
duties, spread my fame. I do not, however, know how to discharge those
duties, the foremost in the world, that have flowed from the first of
gods.'

"Indra said, 'They that are not kings, however observant they may be of
their duties, cannot easily attain the highest rewards of duty. Kingly
duties first flowed from the original god. Other duties flowed afterwards
from his body. Infinite were the other duties, with those of the
Vanaprastha mode of life, that were created afterwards. The fruits of all
those are exhaustible. Kingly duties, however, are distinguished above
them. In them are included all other duties. For this reason Kshatriya
duties are said to be the foremost of all. In days of old, Vishnu, by
acting according to Kshatriya duties, forcibly suppressed and destroyed
his foes and thereby afforded relief to the gods and the Rishis of
immeasurable energy. If the divine Vishnu of inconceivable energy had not
slain all his foes among the Asuras, then the Brahmanas, and (Brahman)
the Creator of the worlds and Kshatriya duties, and the duties that first
flowed from the Supreme deity, would all have been destroyed. If that
first and foremost of gods had not, by putting forth his prowess,
subjugated the earth with all her Asuras, then all the duties, of the
four orders and all the duties in respect of the four modes of life would
all have been destroyed in consequence of the destruction of Brahmanas.
The eternal duties (of men) had all suffered destruction. It was by the
exercise of Kshatriya duties that they were revived.[204] In every Yuga,
the duties of Brahmanas in respect of attaining to Brahma first set in.
These, however, are all protected by kingly duties. The latter, on this
account, are regarded as the foremost. Casting away life in battle,
compassion for all creatures, knowledge of the affairs of the world,
protection of men, rescuing them from danger, relieving the distressed
and the oppressed, all these occur among Kshatriya duties practised by
Kings. Persons that do not regard wholesome restraints and that are
governed by lust and wrath, do not commit overt acts of sin from fear of
kings. Others that are docile and of righteous behaviour succeed, in
consequence of the same influence, in performing all their duties. For
this reason Kshatriya duties are regarded to be righteous. Without doubt,
all creatures live happily in the world, protected by kings exercising
Kshatriya duties like children protected by their parents. Kshatriya
duties are the foremost of all duties. Those eternal duties, regarded as
the first in the world, embrace the protection of every creature.
Themselves eternal, they lead to eternal emancipation.'"



SECTION LXV

"Indra said, 'Kshatriya duties, O king, which are possessed of such
energy, which include in their exercise all other duties, and which are
the foremost of all duties, should be observed by persons that are, like
thee, so high-souled and so employed in seeking the good of the world. If
those duties are not properly discharged, all creatures would be
overtaken by ruin. The kings possessed of compassion for all creatures,
should regard these to be the foremost of his duties, reclaiming the land
for cultivation and fertilizing it, performance of great sacrifices for
cleansing himself, a disregard for begging, and protection of subjects.
Abandonment (gift) is said by the sages to be the foremost of virtues. Of
all kinds of abandonment, again, that of the body in battle, is the
foremost. Thou hast seen with thy eyes how the rulers of the earth, ever
observant of Kshatriya duties, having duly waited upon their preceptors
and acquired great learning, at last cast off their bodies, engaged in
battle with one another. The Kshatriya, desirous of acquiring religious
merit, should, after having gone through the Brahmacharya mode, should
lead a life of domesticity which is always meritorious. In adjudicating
upon ordinary questions of right (between his subjects), he should be
thoroughly impartial. For causing all the orders to be observant of their
respective duties, for the protection they afford to all, for the diverse
contrivances and means and the prowess and exertion (with which they seek
the accomplishment of their objects). Kshatriya duties, which include all
other duties within their scope, are said to be the foremost. The other
orders are able to observe their respective duties in consequence of
kingly duties. For this reason the former are said to be dependent upon
the latter in respect of the merit they produce.[205] Those men who
disregard all wholesome restraints and who are too much attached to the
pursuit of worldly objects are said to be of the nature of brutes. They
are compelled to act with justice by the exercise of kingly duties. Those
duties, therefore, are said to be the foremost of all. That course of
conduct which has been prescribed for Brahmanas who follow the three
Vedas, and those modes of life that have been laid down for Brahmanas,
should, before everything else, be observed by every Brahmana. If a
Brahmana acts otherwise, he should be punished like a Sudra. The duties
of the four modes of life and the ritual prescribed in the Vedas, O king,
should ever be followed by a Brahmana. Know that he has no other duties.
For a Brahmana acting otherwise, a Kshatriya should not make any
arrangement for sustenance. His religious merit grows in consequence of
his acts. A Brahmana, indeed, is like Dharma's self. That Brahmana who is
employed in acts that are not laid down for him, deserves no respect. If
not engaged in his proper acts, he should not be trusted. These are the
duties that appertain to the several orders. Kshatriyas should take care
of them so that their observance may be improved. Even these are the
duties of Kshatriyas. For these reasons also, kingly duties and no other,
are the foremost of all. They are, as I believe, the duties of heroes,
and they that are heroes are foremost in practising them.'

"Mandhatri said, 'What duties should be performed by the Yavanas, the
Kiratas, the Gandharvas, the Chinas, the Savaras, the Barbaras, the
Sakas, the Tusharas, the Kankas, the Pathavas, the Andhras, the Madrakas,
the Paundras, the Pulindas, the Ramathas, the Kamvojas, the several
castes that have sprung Lip from Brahmanas and Kshatriyas, the Vaisyas,
and the Sudras, that reside in the dominions of (Arya) kings? What are
those duties again to the observance of which kings like ourselves should
force those tribes that subsist by robbery? I desire to hear all this. O
illustrious god, instruct me. O chief of all the deities, thou art the
friend of us Kshatriyas.'

"Indra said, 'All the robber tribes should serve their mothers and
fathers, their preceptors and other seniors, and recluses living in the
woods. All the robber tribes should also serve their kings. The duties
and rites inculcated in the Vedas should also be followed by them. They
should perform sacrifices in honour of the Pitris, dig wells, (and
dedicate them to universal service), give water to thirsty travellers,
give away beds and make other seasonable presents unto Brahmanas.
Abstention from injury, truth, suppression of wrath, supporting Brahmanas
and kinsmen by giving them their dues, maintenance of wives and children,
purity, peacefulness, making presents to Brahmanas at sacrifices of every
kind, are duties that should be practised by every person of this class
who desire his own prosperity. Such a person should also perform all
kinds of Paka-yajnas with costly presents of food and wealth. These and
similar duties, O sinless one, were laid down in olden days for persons
of this class. All these acts which have been laid down for all others
should be done by persons of also the robber class, O king.'

"Mandhatri said, 'In the world of men, such wicked men may be seen living
in disguise among all the four orders and in all the four modes of life.'

"Indra said, 'Upon the disappearance of kingly duties and of the science
of chastisement, all creatures became exceedingly afflicted, O sinless
one, in consequence of the tyranny of kings. After the expiry of this the
Krita age, a confusion will set in, regarding the different modes of
life, and innumerable Bhikshus will appear with sectarian marks of
different kinds. Disregarding the Puranas and the high truths of
religion, men, urged by lust and wrath, will deviate into Wrong paths.
When sinful men are rest rained (from wicked acts) by high-souled persons
with the aid of the science of chastisement, then religion, which is
superior to everything and eternal, and which is the source of everything
good, becomes firmly established. The gifts, and libations, and offerings
to the Pitris of the man that disregards the king who is superior to
every one, become fruitless. The very gods do not disregard a virtuous
king who is truly an eternal god. The divine Lord of all creatures,
having created the universe, intended the Kshatriya to rule men regarding
their inclinations and disinclinations in respect of duties. I respect
and worship that person who, aided by his understanding, watches the
course of the duties performed by men. Upon such supervision rest
Kshatriya duties.'

"Bhishma continued, 'Having said these words, the divine and puissant
Narayana in the form of Indra, accompanied by the Maruts, repaired to his
eternal abode of inexhaustible felicity. When, O sinless one, duties as
practised by the good had such a course in days of old, what man of
cleansed soul and learning is there that would disregard the Kshatriya?
Like blind men lost on the way, creatures acting and abstaining
unrighteously meet with destruction. O tiger among men, do thou adhere to
that circle (of duties) that was first set agoing and to which the
ancients had recourse. I know, O sinless one, that thou art quite
competent to do this.'



SECTION LXVI

"Yudhishthira said, 'Thou hast spoken to me about the four modes of human
life. I desire to know more of-them. Do thou discourse on them in detail.'

"Bhishma said, 'O Yudhishthira of mighty arms, all the duties that are
practised in this world by the righteous are known to thee as they are
known to me. O foremost of virtuous persons, listen now to me about what
thou askest, viz. the merit (that a king acquires) in consequence of the
duties practised by others leading other modes of life.[206] All the
merits, O son of Kunti, that belong to persons practising the duties of
the four modes of life, attach, O foremost of men, to righteous kings. A
king who is not governed by lust and hate, who rules with the aid of the
science of chastisement, and who looks equally on all creatures, O
Yudhishthira, attains to the object of the Bhaikshya mode of life.[207]
That king who is possessed of knowledge, who makes gifts to deserving
persons on proper occasions, who knows how to favour and punish, who
conducts himself in all things according to the injunctions of the
scriptures, and who has tranquillity of soul, attains to the object of
the Garhasthya mode of life. That king who always worships those that are
deserving of worship by giving them their due, completely attains, O son
of Kunti, to the object of the Bhaikshya mode of life. That king, O
Yudhishthira, who rescues from distress, to the best of his power, his
kinsmen and relatives and friends, attains to the object of the
Vanaprashtha mode of life. That king who on every occasion honours those
that are foremost among men and those that are foremost among Yatis,
attains, O son of Kunti, to the object of the Vanaprashtha mode of life.
That king, O Partha, who daily makes offerings unto the Pitris and large
offerings unto all living creatures including men, attains to the object
of the same mode of life. That king, O tiger among men, who grinds the
kingdoms of others for protecting the righteous, attains to the object of
the same mode of life. In consequence of the protection of all creatures
as also of the proper protection of his own kingdom, a king earns the
merit of as many sacrifices as the number of creatures protected, and
accordingly attains to the object of the Sannyasa mode of life. Study of
the Vedas every day, forgiveness, and worship of preceptors, and services
rendered to one's own teacher, lead to the attainment of the object of
Brahmacharya. That king who silently recites his mantras every day and
who always worships the gods according to the ordinance, attains, O tiger
among men, to the object of the Garhasthya mode of life. That king who
engages in battle with the resolve of protecting his kingdom or meeting
with death, attains to the object of the Vanaprastha mode of life. That
king who gives unto persons leading a Vanaprastha mode of life and unto
Brahmanas versed in the three Vedas attains to the object of the
Vanaprastha mode of life. That king who displays compassion towards all
creatures and abstains entirely from cruelty, attains to the objects of
all the modes of life. That king, O Yudhishthira, who shows compassion to
the young and the old, O son of Kunti, under every circumstance, attains
to the objects of every mode of life. That king, O perpetuator of Kuru's
race, who affords relief to all oppressed people that seek his
protection, attains to the object of the Garhasthya mode of life. That
king who protects all creatures mobile and immobile, and honours them is
they deserve, attains to the object of the Garhasthya mode of life.
Bestowing favours and inflicting punishments upon the wives and brothers,
elder and younger, and upon their sons and grandsons, are the domestic
duties of a king and these constitute his best penances. By honouring
those that are righteous and deserving of worship and protecting those
that have (by their penances) acquired it knowledge of self, a king, O
tiger among men, attains to the object of the Garhasthya mode of life.
Inviting to this home, O Bharata, persons that have betaken themselves to
that Vanaprastha and other modes of life, and treating them with food,
constitute the domestic duties of a king. That king who duly adheres to
the duties laid down by the Creator, obtains the blessed merits of all
the modes of life. That king, O son of Kunti, in whom no virtue is
wanting, that foremost of men, O Yudhishthira, is said by the learned to
be a person in the observance of the Vanaprastha and all the other modes
of life. That king who duly honours the office or rank which deserves
honour, the race or family which deserves honour, and those old men that
deserve honour is said, O Yudhishthira, to live in all the modes of
life.[208] A king, O son of Kunti, by observing the duties of his country
and those of his family, acquires, O tiger among men, the merits of all
the modes of life. That king who at proper seasons bestows upon righteous
persons affluence or gifts of value, earns the merits, O king, of all the
modes of life. That king, O son of Kunti, who while overcome with danger
and fear still keeps his eye on the duties of all men,[209] earns the
merits of all the modes of life. The king obtains a share of the merits
earned under his protection by righteous people in his dominions. On the
other hand, if kings, O tiger among men, do not protect the righteous
people within their dominions, they then take the sins of the latter (of
omission and commission). Those men also, O Yudhishthira. who assist
kings (in protecting their subjects), become equally entitled, O sinless
one, to a share of the merits earned by others (in consequence of that
protection). The learned say that the Garhasthya, which we have adopted,
is superior to all the other modes of life. The conclusions in respect of
it are very clear. It is certainly sacred, O tiger among men. That man
who regards all creatures to be like his own self, who never does any
harm and has his wrath under control, obtains great happiness both here
and hereafter.[210] A king can easily cross the ocean of the world, with
kingly duties as his boat passed of great speed, urged on by the breeze
of gifts, having the scriptures for its tackle and intelligence for the
strength of its helmsman, and kept afloat by the power of righteousness.
When the principle of desire in his heart is withdrawn from every earthly
object, he is then regarded as one resting on his understanding alone. In
this state he soon attains to Brahma.[211] Becoming cheerful by
meditation and by restraining desire and other passions of the heart, O
tiger among men, it king, engaged in discharging the dully of protection,
succeeds in obtaining great merit. Do thou, therefore, O Yudhishthira,
exert thyself carefully in protecting Brahmanas of pious deeds and
devoted to the study of the Vedas, as also all other men. By exercising
the duty of protection only, O Bharata, the king earns merit that is a
hundred times greater than what is earned by recluses in their asylums
within the wood.'

"I have now described, O eldest son of Pandu, the diverse duties of men.
Do thou adhere to kingly duties that are eternal and that have been
practised by great men since days of old. If thou employest thyself with
concentrated attention to the duty of protecting (thy subjects), O tiger
among men, thou mayst then, O son of Pandu, obtain the merits of all the
four modes of life and of all the four orders of men!"



SECTION LXVII

"Yudhishthira said, 'Thou hast said what the duties are of the four modes
of the life and the four orders. Tell me now, O grandsire, what are the
principal duties of a kingdom.'

"Bhishma said, 'The (election and) coronation of a king is the first duty
of a kingdom. A kingdom in which anarchy prevails becomes weak and is
soon afflicted by robbers.[212] In kingdoms torn by anarchy,
righteousness cannot dwell. The inhabitants devour one another. An
anarchy is the worst possible of states. The Srutis declare that in
crowning a king, it is Indra that is crowned (in the person of the king).
A person who is desirous of prosperity should worship the king as he
should worship Indra himself. No one should dwell in kingdoms torn by
anarchy. Agni does not convey (to the gods) the libations that are poured
upon him in kingdoms where anarchy prevails. If a powerful king
approaches kingdoms weakened by anarchy, from desire of annexing them to
his dominions, the people should go forward and receive the invader with
respect. Some conduct would be consistent with wise counsels. There is no
evil greater than anarchy. If the powerful invader be inclined to equity,
everything will be right. If, on the other hand, he be engaged, he may
exterminate all. That cow which cannot be easily milked has to suffer
much torture. On the other hand, that cow which is capable of being
easily milked, has not to suffer any torture whatever. The wood that
bends easily does not require to be heated. The tree that bends easily,
has not to suffer any torture (at the hands of the gardener). Guided by
these instances, O hero, men should bend before those that are powerful.
The man that bends his head to a powerful person really bends his head to
Indra. For these reasons, men desirous of prosperity should (elect and)
crown some person as their king. They who live in countries where anarchy
prevails cannot enjoy their wealth and wives. During times of anarchy,
the sinful man derive great pleasure by robbing the wealth of other
people. When, however, his (ill-got) wealth is snatched by others, he
wishes for a king. It is evident, therefore, that in times of anarchy the
very wicked even cannot be happy. The wealth of one is snatched away by
two. That of those two is snatched away by many acting together. He who
is not a slave is made a slave. Women, again, are forcibly abducted. For
these reasons the gods created kings for protecting the people. If there
were no king on earth for wielding the rod of chastisement, the strong
would then have preyed on the weak after the manner of fishes in the
water. In hath been heard by us that men, in days of old, in consequence
of anarchy, met with destruction, devouring one another like stronger
fishes devouring the weaker ones in the water. It hath been heard by us
that a few amongst them then, assembling together, made certain compacts,
saying, 'He who becomes harsh in speech, or violent in temper, he who
seduces or abducts other people's wives or robs the wealth that belongs
to others, should be cast off by us.' For inspiring confidence among all
classes of the people, they made such a compact and lived for some time.
Assembling after some time they proceeded in affliction to the Grandsire,
saying, 'Without a king, O divine lord, we are going to destruction.
Appoint some one as our king. All of us shall worship him and he shall
protect us.' Thus solicited, the Grandsire asked Manu. Manu, however, did
not assent to the proposal.

"Manu said, 'I fear all sinful acts. To govern a kingdom is exceedingly
difficult, especially among men who are always false and deceitful in
their behaviour.'

"Bhishma continued, 'The inhabitants of the earth then said unto him, 'Do
not fear. The sins that men commit will touch those only that commit them
(without staining thee in the least). For the increase of thy treasury,
we will give thee a fiftieth part of our animals and precious metals and
a tenth part of our grain. When our maidens also will become desirous of
wedding, we shall, when the question comes up, give thee the most
beautiful ones among them. Those amongst men who will become the foremost
of all in the use of weapons and in riding animals and driving vehicles,
shall proceed behind thee like the deities behind Indra. With thy
strength enhanced in this way, and becoming invincible and possessed of
great prowess, thou wilt be our king and protect us happily like Kuvera
protecting the Yakshas and the Rakshasas. A fourth part of the merit
which men will earn under thy protection will be thine. Strengthened by
that merit so easily obtained by thee, do thou protect us, O king, like
He of a hundred sacrifices protecting the deities. Like the Sun scorching
everything with his rays, go out for winning victories. Crush the pride
of foes and let righteousness always triumph (in the world).' Thus
addressed by those inhabitants of the earth, Manu, possessed of great
energy, proceeded, accompanied by a large force. Of high descent, he
seemed then to blaze with prowess. Beholding the might of Manu, like the
gods eyeing the might of Indra, the inhabitants of the earth became
inspired with fear and set their hearts upon their respective duties.
Manu then made his round through the world, checking everywhere all acts
of wickedness and setting all men to their respective duties, like a
rain-charged cloud (in its mission of beneficence).'

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Poster poems: Ballads
Articles published by guardian.co.uk Books

Fidel and Che: a revolutionary friendship

After last week's fairly open theme, I thought I'd go with something a bit more structured this time. As I type this, I'm listening to Steeleye Span and thinking about the great ballad traditions of Britain and Ireland. What is a ballad? I suppose the most inclusive definition would be that it's a singable narrative poem: that covers a multitude but will do for the moment.

Ballads in English stretch back to the middle ages, with fine examples to be found among the Scottish border ballads and the English Robin Hood poems. These early ballads are among the best-known poems and stories in the language, and form part of the common heritage of English speakers everywhere. They gave rise to a tradition of ballad-making that endures down to the present day.

In fact, most poets since have tried their hand at the ballad at one time or another, and the result has been to deny any definition more specific than the one I ventured in my first paragraph. If you look around the internet, you'll come up with a wide selection of poems that are called ballads but have little in common formally. Stanza length varies from two to 10 or more lines, and all sorts of metrical and rhyming patterns are used. A good number will be singable in only the loosest possible sense, and at times the narrative tends to get lost in a mesh of more-or-less successful verbal embroidery.

So, what should a ballad be? Well, "proper" ballad stanzas are quatrains in which the first and third lines have four stresses and the second and third have three. The lines will rhyme A-B-C-B or A-B-A-B. It's as simple, and as difficult, as that. Here's an example, from Robert Burns's extremely singable Comin Thro' the Rye:

Gin a body meet a body
          Comin thro' the rye,
Gin a body kiss a body –
          Need a body cry.

Burns wrote a good number of ballads, and his lead was followed by many 19th-century poets. Two examples that I particularly like are Robert Browning's Confessions and Christina Rossetti's Up-Hill, but you can find ballads by just about any Romantic or Victorian poet if you look for them.

There is a long, strong tradition of ballads and ballad singers in Ireland, too. It is hardly surprising, then, that the great appropriator of tradition, WB Yeats, tried his hand at the form. At least four of his poems have the word "ballad" in the title; the pick of the bunch, for my money, is The Ballad of Father Gilligan, which may have benefited from having been written with a specific tune in mind.

Ballads continued to be written in the 20th century; perhaps the most unexpected exponents were Ezra Pound, with his Ballad of the Goodly Fere, and WH Auden. In fact, the ballad The Quarry is probably my favourite Auden poem.

And so, this week I invite a chorus of balladeering. You may choose to go the whole hog and write in ballad stanzas or you might prefer to take a more liberal view of the formal requirements. Either way, sing up and – as they say at all the best Irish sessions when calling for a bit of hush for the singer – one voice please.

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