The Nobleman's Wife

The Nobleman's Wife was as fair as the sun,
And her kisses were warm as the spring,
But the Nobleman's blade was made of black steel,
And its kiss was a terrible thing.


The Nobleman's Wife would sing as she bathed,
In a voice that was sweet as a peach,
But the Nobleman's blade had a song of its own,
And a bite sharp and cold as a leech.


As he lay on the ground with the darkness around,
And the taste of his blood on his tongue,
His brother knelt by him and prayed him a prayer,
And he smiled, and he laughed, and he sung.


"Brother, o brothers, my days here are done,
The Nobleman's taken my life,
But what does it matter? For all men must die,
And I've tasted the Nobleman's Wife!"

---

The Nobleman's Wife is a popular tavern song that was written in the year 2979 JR. The song was written by Zaknefein De'Rann, a drow bard, and was first performed in the Blazing Manticore tavern in Waterdeep.
Although the narrative of the song is entirely fictional, the central characters are anything but. The Nobleman was written to resemble Lord Ethan Greyhawk, a human noble who was known for his short temper and stunningly beautiful wife. The Lord was also notable in the realm for possessing one of the legendary blacksteel Moonblades, which the song makes reference to.
Although Lord Ethan has since passed away, the song remains as popular as ever, especially in Waterdeep, where it is satirically used as 'an anthem of the common people'. The tune was originally written for both the lute and the lyre, although it is sometimes performed heartily without any musical accompaniment.