O Glorious Dead (Theoden's Goodbye)

[Verse I]
The fields lie quiet beneath the sky,
Hooves no longer drum the plain.
Our banners rest in the evening light,
Still warm with their breath and rain.
I hear you now in the turning grass,
In the gull’s far, lonely cry—
Not gone, my sons, not lost to dark,
You only ride ahead.

[Chorus]
O glorious dead, do not linger here,
Do not bow your heads in shame.
The road goes on beyond the hill,
Beyond the sword and flame.
I walk beside you, unseen, unbound,
To guide you safely home.
Do not mourn me, do not look back—
I ride where kings are known.
Rohan's sons will ride again,
Do not weep the glorious dead

[Verse II]
Let the living sing of dawn anew,
Let the children learn your names.
Our grief is love that learned to stand
Inside the storm of days.

[Chorus]
O glorious dead, lift up your eyes,
The night has had its say.
Steel may sleep and flesh may fade,
But honor does not decay.
I am not lost to shadowed halls,
Nor bound to tomb or stone.
I ride before you, sword in hand,
To lead you safely home.
Rohan's sons will ride again,
Do not weep the glorious dead

[Bridge]
When horns are silent, hearts remember.
When fires dim, the stars remain.
No death can take your honor earned
On the green and battered plain.

[Final Chorus / Outro]
O glorious dead, rest easy now,
Your watch is finally done.
The world still turns because you stood
You would not flee nor run.
Do not miss me, do not weep—
I am no king alone.
I ride ahead, I keep the path,
Until all Rohan's riders come home.
Rohan's sons will ride again,
Do not weep the glorious dead

Folk, harp, medieval, violin, cello, medieval folk, uplifting, male, male vocals, upbeat, lament