Listener Songs

Various Listener Songs, phrased as single stanzas, are revealed in the Words of Radiance epigraphs, from Chapter 13 through Chapter 34. The stanzas sing mainly about the many forms Parshendi can take, though a few stanzas sing about history or give insights into the history of the Parshendi. The stanzas also contain advice and warnings regarding the form in question.

The differing meters used in the Songs are there because the Songs are supposed to be sung to different Rhythms.

The Songs

“	The old songs spoke of hundreds of forms. Now they knew of only five.	”
–Eshonai's thoughts

Listener Song of Listing

5th Stanza
Mateform meek, for love to share,
Given to life, it brings us joy.
To find this form, one must care.
True empathy one must employ.

15th Stanza
Warform is worn for battle and reign,
Claimed by the gods, given to kill.
Unknown, unseen, but vital to gain.
It comes to those with the will.

19th Stanza
Workform worn for strength and care.
Whispering spren breathe at your ear.
Seek first this form, its mysteries to bear.
Found here is freedom from fear.

27 Stanza
Nimbleform has a delicate touch.
Gave the gods this form to many,
Tho’ once defied, by the gods they were crushed.
This form craves precision and plenty.

33th Stanza
Mediationform made for peace, it’s said.
Form of teaching and consolation.
When used by the gods, it became instead
Form of lies and desolation.

69th Stanza
Scholarform shown for patience and thought.
Beware its ambitions innate.
Though study and diligence bring the reward
Loss of innocence may be one’s fate.

90th Stanza
Artform applied for beauty and hue.
One yearns for the songs it creates.
Most misunderstood by the artist it’s true,
Come the spren to foundation’s fates.

Final Stanza
Dullform dread, with the mind most lost.
The lowest, and one not bright.
To find this form, one need banish the cost.
It finds you and brings you to blight.

Listener Song of Wind

4th Stanza
Stormform is said to cause
A tempest of winds and showers,
Beware its powers, beware its power
Though its coming brings the gods their night,
It obliges a bloodred spren.
Beware its end, beware its end.

Listener Song of Secrets

17th Stanza
Nightform predicting what will be,
The form of shadows, mind to foresee.
As the gods did leave, the nightform whispered.
A new storm will come, someday to break.
A new storm a new world to make.
A new storm a new path to take, the nightform listens.

27th Stanza
Decayform destroys the souls of dreams.
A form of gods to avoid, it seems.
Seek not its touch, nor beckon its screams, deny it.
Watch where you walk, your toes to tread,
O’er hill or rocky riverbed
Hold dear the fears that fill your head, defy it.

40th Stanza
The betrayal of spren has brought us here.
They gave their Surges to human heirs,
But not to those who know them most dear, before us.
’Tis no surprise we turned away
Unto the gods we spent our days
And to become their molding clay, they changed us.

51th Stanza
Smokeform for hiding and slipping ’tween men.
A form of power—like Surges of spren.
Do we dare to wear this form again? It spies.
Crafted of gods, this form we fear.
By Unmade touch its curse to bear,
Formed from shadow—and death is near. It lies.

Final Stanza
Our gods were born splinters of a soul,
Of one who seeks to take control,
Destroys all lands that he beholds, with spite.
They are his spren, his gift, his price.
But the nightforms speak of future life,
A challenged champion. A strife even he must requite.

Listener Song of Wars

55th Stanza
They blame our people
For the loss of that land.
The city that once covered it
Did range the eastern strand.
The power made known in the tomes of our clan
Our gods were not who shattered these plains.

Listener Song of Revisions

279th Stanza
Artform for colors beyond our ken;
For its grand songs we yearn.
We must attract creationspren;
These songs suffice ’til we learn.

Listener Song of Histories

12th Stanza
Tis said it was warm in the land far away
When Voidbringers entered our songs.
We brought them home to stay
And then those homes became their own,
It happened gradually.
And years ahead ’twil still be said ’tis how it has to be.

127th Stanza
Smokeform for hiding and slipping between men.
A form of power, like human Surges.
Bring it ’round again.
Though crafted of gods,
It was by Unmade hand.
Leaves its force to be but one of foe or friend.

Listener Song of Spren

9th Stanza
The spren betrayed us, it’s often felt.
Our minds are too close to their realm
That gives us our forms, but more is then
Demanded by the smartest spren,
We can’t provide what the humans lend,
Though broth are we, their meat is men.

10th Stanza
But it is not impossible to blend
Their Surges to ours in the end.
It has been promised and it can come.
Or do we understand the sum?
We question not if they can have us then,
But if we dare to have them again.

Notes

Only a few stanzas from each song are known, and though more stanzas might be released, the songs are not expected to be released in their entirety.