Ballad of Cham Syndulla

"Don't shrug off your role. The minstrel's song outlasts any truth, Cham. It holds more energy than any mere blaster bolt, for it cannot be stopped by a warm body."

- Gobi Glie to Cham Syndulla, on the power of a legend

The Ballad of Cham Syndulla was a song written around 22 BBY by the Twi'lek minstrel Gobi Glie on the planet Ryloth during the Clone Wars. It honored Twi'lek Cham Syndulla, who formed and led the freedom fighters, a group of his supporters, to combat against the Confederacy of Independent Systems after its invasion and subjugation of Ryloth.

Origins
"You sing a song of a legend. I'm just a soldier, Gobi.''" "''Soldiers, we have by the dozens and are still outnumbered. But our foes have no legends; that's where we dwarf them."

- Cham Syndulla and Gobi Glie

In circa 22 BBY during the Clone Wars between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems, the Separatist Council member and Techno Union foreman, Wat Tambor, sought to steal the treasures of fellow Council member and Corporate Alliance Magistrate, Passel Argente. The treasures had been pilfered from Confederate-conquered worlds, and Argente took them to the planet Ryloth to be concealed.

Tambor invaded the planet and placed its Twi'lek inhabitants under a harsh rule, and the Confederacy's subjugation of the planet led Twi'lek Cham Syndulla to form a group of his admirers for combat against the Confederacy. Syndulla and his fighters engaged the Confederate droid forces on the plains of Cazne. However, the resistance lost many lives, and the increasing number of Confederate battle droids forced the resistance to go into hiding. Syndulla and his forces took refuge under several destroyed Confederate C-9979 landing crafts and MTTs on the plains, although they continued to fight and ambush battle droid patrols.

While they took shelter, Syndulla's friend and minstrel, Twi'lek Gobi Glie, composed the Ballad of Cham Syndulla to further inspire the freedom fighters' efforts. The song included Syndulla's antagonistic views of Ryloth's Twi'lek senator, Orn Free Taa, whom Syndulla believed to be uncaring of the Twi'leks' fate on Ryloth while he remained on Coruscant, the galactic capital and headquarters of the Galactic Senate. The ballad also illustrated Syndulla's exploits and leadership of the resistance, as well with the resistance's first engagement with the Confederate forces at Cazne. Syndulla was opposed to the song and believed that it inaccurately portrayed him as a legend rather than an ordinary soldier, while Glie himself believed that the potential of inspirational leaders was an advantage the Twi'leks had over the Confederate droids.

Lyrics

 * Huddle 'round, Ryloth children,
 * By history's wan light,
 * Hear now of the exploits of Cham Syndulla


 * Did you know, Ryloth children,
 * Of history's grand fight,
 * Of the villains sent scurrying by Cham Syndulla


 * Feared by the corrupt and loved by the free
 * Unshackling our Ryloth for you and for me
 * Spine stronger and straighter than time-tested spiree
 * He took the first stand 'gainst tyrants and liars


 * "Ryloth for Twileks," his war-cry would haunt
 * The plump baron and leechee from far Coruscant
 * These words kept us starved and stole from our larder
 * But Cham said "No more," kept filled by his ardor


 * So hear now, Ryloth children,
 * Of what was to come
 * Hear now of the challenge to Cham Syndulla


 * Do you hear, Ryloth children,
 * The Separatist war drum
 * And how it was answered by Cham Syndulla




 * A new war came to Ryloth, it dropped from the skies
 * An old greed, an old hunger, wrapped in a new guise
 * In the midst of our war 'gainst the rich for the poor
 * The terrible Clone Wars arrived at our door


 * Droids preyed on the innocents, the sick and the old
 * Mechanical murder, a murder most cold
 * It made no difference what flag our foes flew
 * For Cham rallied our forces, charging boldly anew


 * In our warrens, Ryloth children,
 * We gather and hide
 * But still hear the call of Cham Syndulla


 * We aren't lost, Ryloth children,
 * We will turn the tide
 * By following into battle Cham Syndulla


 * Our brothers have fallen, tread upon by steel feet
 * We buried their bodies, we tasted defeat
 * Though we have been pushed back, our resistance won't fall
 * We're twice again in might, with headtails to the wall


 * We will continue the fight, with blasters and knives
 * With teeth bared and fists balled, we fight for our lives
 * Cham will free Ryloth, our home soil we hold dear
 * He will bring us our victory and teach droids how to fear

Behind the scenes
The Ballad of Cham Syndulla was introduced in The Clone Wars web comic of the same name, which led directly into "Liberty on Ryloth," an episode in the first season of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series. The ballad portrayed the character of Cham Syndulla, who previously appeared in the web comic Covetous and went on to appear in "Liberty on Ryloth."

Appearances

 * The Clone Wars: The Ballad of Cham Syndulla

Notes and references
Ballade von Cham Syndulla