Ballad Of The Absent Mare

Song Ballad Of The Absent Mare
Artist Leonard Cohen
Album The Complete Studio Albums Collection

Lyrics

[00:15.103] Say a prayer for the cowboy, his mare's run away
[00:21.120] And he'll walk 'til he finds her, his darling, his stray
[00:27.451] But the river's in flood and the roads are awash
[00:32.810] And the bridges break up in the panic of loss
[00:43.968] And there's nothing to follow, there's nowhere to go
[00:49.986] She's gone like the summer, gone like the snow
[00:55.887] And the crickets are breaking his heart with their song
[01:01.414] As the day caves in and the night is all wrong
[01:12.226] Did he dream, was it she who went galloping past?
[01:17.397] And bent down the fern, broke open the grass
[01:23.269] And printed the mud with the iron and the gold
[01:28.208] That he nailed to her feet when he was the lord
[01:38.954] And although she goes grazing a minute away
[01:44.489] He tracks her all night, he tracks her all day
[01:49.681] Oh, blind to her presence, except to compare
[01:55.098] His injury here with her punishment there
[02:05.141] Then at home on a branch, in the highest tree
[02:10.971] A songbird sings out, so suddenly
[02:16.074] Ah, the sun is warm and the soft winds ride
[02:20.966] On the willow trees by the river side
[02:31.352] Oh, the world is sweet, the world is wide
[02:36.877] And she's there where the light and the darkness divide
[02:41.951] And the steam's coming off her, she's huge and she's shy
[02:47.245] And she steps on the moon when she paws at the sky
[02:57.529] And she comes to his hand but she's not really tame
[03:02.921] She longs to be lost, he longs for the same
[03:08.069] And she'll bolt and she'll plunge through the first open pass
[03:13.338] To roll and to feed in the sweet mountain grass
[03:23.196] Or she'll make a break for the high plateau
[03:28.520] Where there's nothing above and there's nothing below
[03:33.250] And it's time for the burden, it's time for the whip
[03:38.324] Will she walk through the flame?
[03:41.928] Can he shoot from the hip?
[03:48.274] So he binds himself to the galloping mare
[03:53.666] And she binds herself to the rider there
[03:58.794] And there is no space but there's left and right
[04:03.885] And there is no time but there's day and night
[04:13.766] And he leans on her neck and he whispers low"Whither thou goest,I will go"
[04:24.187] And they turn as one and they head for the plain
[04:29.361] No need for the whip, ah, no need for the rein
[04:39.137] Now the clasp of this union, who fastens it tight?
[04:44.310] Who snaps it asunder the very next night?
[04:49.752] Some say the rider, some say the mare
[04:54.424] Or that love's like the smoke, beyond all repair
[05:04.229] But my darling says, "Leonard, just let it go by
[05:09.476] That old silhouette on the great Western sky”
[05:14.451] So I pick out a tune and they move right along
[05:19.458] And they're gone like the smoke
[05:22.907] And they're gone like this song

Pinyin

[00:15.103] Say a prayer for the cowboy, his mare' s run away
[00:21.120] And he' ll walk ' til he finds her, his darling, his stray
[00:27.451] But the river' s in flood and the roads are awash
[00:32.810] And the bridges break up in the panic of loss
[00:43.968] And there' s nothing to follow, there' s nowhere to go
[00:49.986] She' s gone like the summer, gone like the snow
[00:55.887] And the crickets are breaking his heart with their song
[01:01.414] As the day caves in and the night is all wrong
[01:12.226] Did he dream, was it she who went galloping past?
[01:17.397] And bent down the fern, broke open the grass
[01:23.269] And printed the mud with the iron and the gold
[01:28.208] That he nailed to her feet when he was the lord
[01:38.954] And although she goes grazing a minute away
[01:44.489] He tracks her all night, he tracks her all day
[01:49.681] Oh, blind to her presence, except to compare
[01:55.098] His injury here with her punishment there
[02:05.141] Then at home on a branch, in the highest tree
[02:10.971] A songbird sings out, so suddenly
[02:16.074] Ah, the sun is warm and the soft winds ride
[02:20.966] On the willow trees by the river side
[02:31.352] Oh, the world is sweet, the world is wide
[02:36.877] And she' s there where the light and the darkness divide
[02:41.951] And the steam' s coming off her, she' s huge and she' s shy
[02:47.245] And she steps on the moon when she paws at the sky
[02:57.529] And she comes to his hand but she' s not really tame
[03:02.921] She longs to be lost, he longs for the same
[03:08.069] And she' ll bolt and she' ll plunge through the first open pass
[03:13.338] To roll and to feed in the sweet mountain grass
[03:23.196] Or she' ll make a break for the high plateau
[03:28.520] Where there' s nothing above and there' s nothing below
[03:33.250] And it' s time for the burden, it' s time for the whip
[03:38.324] Will she walk through the flame?
[03:41.928] Can he shoot from the hip?
[03:48.274] So he binds himself to the galloping mare
[03:53.666] And she binds herself to the rider there
[03:58.794] And there is no space but there' s left and right
[04:03.885] And there is no time but there' s day and night
[04:13.766] And he leans on her neck and he whispers low" Whither thou goest, I will go"
[04:24.187] And they turn as one and they head for the plain
[04:29.361] No need for the whip, ah, no need for the rein
[04:39.137] Now the clasp of this union, who fastens it tight?
[04:44.310] Who snaps it asunder the very next night?
[04:49.752] Some say the rider, some say the mare
[04:54.424] Or that love' s like the smoke, beyond all repair
[05:04.229] But my darling says, " Leonard, just let it go by
[05:09.476] That old silhouette on the great Western sky"
[05:14.451] So I pick out a tune and they move right along
[05:19.458] And they' re gone like the smoke
[05:22.907] And they' re gone like this song