The Beast of Nabalu

In deepest, darkest Nabalu

As folks are ‘oft times prone to tell

There lived a beast well known to be

More fearsome than the hounds of hell

More vile a thing than ever roamed

On land, or swam in seas of blue

It struck fear into all who dared

Set foot in darkest Nabalu

“Make sail”, my son, “For Nabalu

Before the moon begins to wane

And by its light, dispel the night

That has become the beast’s domain

For if that light begins to fade

And darkness falls across the land

Beware the beast will surely feast

Upon the flesh of every man

Upon the flesh of every man

The beast will feed each night anew

The beast will feed on all who dare

Set foot in darkest Nabalu

And so for Nabalu he sailed

And by the night’s celestial hand

Traversed the swell of stormy seas

The drifting dunes of desert sands

The mountain tops that touched the stars

Of intertwingling silvery light

Then on to Nabalu to seek

The creature of the night

He sought it in the mountain peaks,

He sought it on the valley floors,

He sought it in the forests, deep,

He sought it on the sandy shores

He sought ‘till he could seek no more

Until the fading light

Revealed a figure slowly huffling,

Huffling through the night

Then black on black the beast it came

With fetid breath and eyes of flame

With tearing teeth, and clashing claws

It roared and gnashed its deadly jaws

When swish and shwoosh – his blade rang true

A song of steel, an arrow flew,

A deadly blow, a final roar,

A beast that was a beast no more

He placed its head upon a spike

A message from the one who slew

The beast that roamed the land once known

As deepest, darkest, Nabalu…

In deepest, darkest Nabalu

As folks are ‘oft times prone to tell

A beast was slain – no more to be

More fearsome than the hounds of hell

More vile a thing than ever roamed

On land, or swam in seas of blue

No longer would folk fear to tread
In deepest, darkest Nabalu