Elders and wise
A jest this be, no more or less, and naught of import, trial or test.
A ponder, it did come to be, through discourse and through reverie
And thus before thee it be set, to seek or no as ye find best
Imagine in the land called Real, Istaria did gain great weal
And great in many minds did be, and great to those of mummery
And in the land called Hollied-Wood, great to and fro and should come would.
And to those great of mummery, a mumming they did seek must be
And great their coin and great persuading, mummers all did seek some standing
So if ye follow yet with me, then here the riddle, thine the key
Mummers walk the Real land, thus would walk this mumming band
Gifted walk among us all, Gifted that we know full well
And for those both, then paired must be, the land of Real and Istari’
So if the coin, it mattered not, and any name be gladly got
Then who might seek ye, ye the wise, were this thy task and this thy choice?
Which mummer of the Real land take the form or voice for Gifted’s stand?
For Real hath much magery, and those not two leg come to be.
And these be all the rules of dancing, speak not to thy spirit’s standing
But for who that ye be not, then some name then offer up
But not a name alone in season, but that name and more, thy reason.
Any Istari’ name might stand, woken now, lost to the land
And so this pot doth not sit empty, then some names I’ll set before thee.
Sonea of the Lightning’s power, Fool and Thunder, Sephiranoth
Carinde sleeper, dancer, dreamer, Ssilmath Paladin and leezard
Saphire drake and Awdz of Klava, Gengel sister of the mother
Thus and so I’ll end this riddle, near the end and not the middle
Mummers, Gifted, mummery, match and reasons all to see