The gates of Istanbul

The gates of Istanbul, Loreena McKennitt‘s 2009 a Mediterranean Odyssey, from Istanbul to Athens album.

Mckennitt’s says her Celtic muses drag her to the frontiers of Ottoman Istanbul, where the adventurers of the Silk Road approach the gates of the city, waiting to see their beloved ones. At first, I could not somewhat link it to Istanbul expecting undertones of melancholy, which is highly associated with the city itself. Â After playing a couple times, first the trading caravans plying the silk route became visible, then the encounter of the East with the West, the tension, and the curiosity lying beneath. Gripped by the lure of an ancient route that once paved a path of danger, mystery and intrigue, you realize thatÂ her muses do indeed live up to their sweet promises:)

“The Gates Of Istanbul”

There, past that far-off hill
A tower held in the sky
Hear there, in that dark blue night
The music calling us home

See there, in that far-off field
Flowers turned to the sky
Feel there, in that dark blue night
The music calling us home Stars may always guide our way,
From desert sands where winds blow harsh and long
But here’s where our hearts will pray
And all our loves will slumber with a song

Stars may always guide our way,
From desert sands where the winds blow harsh and long
But here’s where our hearts will pray
And all our loves will slumber with a song

So now, if our hearts be true
And like a pool of truth reflect the sun
We will find right honour there
And keep us safe and lead us from all harm

Then come love, let us dance all night
Until birds they waken at the dawn
Then come love, let us sing all night
And all our loves will slumber with a song