Ballad of the absent mare L. Cohen

"Ballad Of The Absent Mare" by Leonard Cohen.

Say a prayer for the cowboy 
His mare's run away 
and he'll walk till he finds her 
His darling, his stray 
but the river's in flood 
and the roads are awash 
and the bridges break up 
in the panic of loss. 
And there's nothing to follow 
There's nowhere to go 
She's gone like the summer 
gone like the snow 
And the crickets are breaking 
his heart with their song 
as the day caves in 
and the night is all wrong 

Did he dream, was it she 
who went galloping past 
and bent down the fern 
broke open the grass 
and printed the mud with 
the iron and the gold 
that he nailed to her feet 
when he was the lord 

And although she goes grazing 
a minute away 
he tracks her all night 
he tracks her all day 
Oh blind to her presence 
except to compare 
his injury here 
with her punishment there 

Then at home on a branch 
in the highest tree 
a songbird sings out 
so suddenly 
Ah the sun is warm 
and the soft winds ride 
on the willow trees 
by the river side 

Oh the world is sweet 
the world is wide 
and she's there where 
the light and the darkness divide 
and the steam's coming off her 
she's huge and she's shy 
and she steps on the moon 
when she paws at the sky 

And she comes to his hand 
but she's not really tame 
She longs to be lost 
he longs for the same 
and she'll bolt and she'll plunge 
through the first open pass 
to roll and to feed 
in the sweet mountain grass 

Or she'll make a break 
for the high plateau 
where there's nothing above 
and there's nothing below 
and it's time for the burden 
it's time for the whip 
Will she walk through the flame 
Can he shoot from the hip 

So he binds himself 
to the galloping mare 
and she binds herself 
to the rider there 
and there is no space 
but there's left and right 
and there is no time 
but there's day and night 

And he leans on her neck 
and he whispers low 
"Whither thou goes’ 
I will go" 
And they turn as one 
and they head for the plain 
No need for the whip 
Ah, no need for the rain 

Now the clasp of this union 
who fastens it tight? 
Who snaps it asunder 
the very next night 
Some say the rider 
Some say the mare 
Or that love's like the smoke 
beyond all repair 

But my darling says 
"Leonard, just let it go by 
That old silhouette 
on the great western sky" 
So I pick out a tune 
and they move right along 
and they're gone like the smoke 
and they're gone like this song