This poem was pulled from an August 2000 Usenet posting concerning the 
origin of the Queen song "The Seven Seas of Rhye."  The poem is most 
likely based on the song, not vice versa, but interesting anyway.

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THE STORY OF RHYE
by Lady Rhye

Long ago on the dark shores of Rhye
Where the night dwellers crept
And the day creatures strolled
There descended a lord from on high
Demanding "Bring before me what is mine,
The seven seas of Rhye."

And the lord and lady preachers of the land
Saw power in the words of this one
Who commanded their very souls,
Held fast in the palm of his hand
Standing proudly, possessing all,
Standing on the sands
Before the seven seas of Rhye.

"Bring me all for all is mine,
These creatures and this land
Before me bring the chosen ones,
Those chosen by my high command
To rule this land of Rhye,
To guard my seven seas of Rhye."

And I was such a one,
So very long ago
To please this faerie queene,
To this tyrant's demanding side we go,
And embrace fast night's lordly son
On the shores of the seven seas of Rhye.

Three great ladies and four great lords
Called he to the sands
Crowned them each and every one
In diadems and coronets of night's bright bands
Binding them fast to darkling lands with blood and melting words
For love of his seven seas of Rhye.

Years and years we've dwelt upon
These shores of the seven seas
Bound by words and bound by oath to the darkling lord,
The faerie queene with love so great for all he sees,
And here we dwell forever, aye anon
On the shores of the seven seas of Rhye.
           . . .

No more the day creatures dwell.
Only night within the lord's demesne
Day-lights long since vanished, shrivelled, starved,
For the daylight never relieving night which never wanes.
And more and more the darkling hosts arrive on my shores upon inky 
swells
Under darkened skies before the seven seas of Rhye.

And here we dwell fast dusk to dawn
Below the vales, Above pit that yawns
Bound fast to honour Rhye's dark song
Along the seven seas of Rhye 


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