Breathe on the air in a cloud of misfortune Oh beauty oh, why be so brief? The love that I brought you was only part torture And only my right hand's thief Blade grey and silver the opals of mourning Oh why? Beauty oh why be so brief? The snake in the grass there is only a warning And everything bites that has teeth But what will you say now? How will you break out? What will you say now? How will you break out? Bury the bones that came up in the orchard Beauty oh why be so brief? Animals innocent off to the slaughter And all that is true lies beneath Bare are the branches and cold is the water Beauty why be so brief? Stand in a circle with thin pine pitch torches And bow to your partner in grief What will you say now? How will you break out? What will you say now? How will you break out? What will you say now? How will you break out? What will you say now? How will you break out?