onsdag 20 juni 2018

Mörkrets tid lyrics


Mörkrets tid – Time of Darkness
Last song on Svavelvinter's full-length-album Mörkrets Tid.
English lyrics translation and explanations below.
Album available at Dimout Production.

Link to video (soon)

Mörkrets tid is a memento mori – a reminder that we all are mortal. It is is sung by a victorious mercenary standing in the carnage after battle. He triumphantly sings to his dead enemies, but also knows that he may be among the fallen next time.


Swedish lyrics

Till jorden vi kommit, mot hädan vi går
den ene i sjukdom, den andre med sår

Rinner i grälla strömmar 
från kullens hjässa till jordefoten
det ska brinna i mina drömmar 
från svärdets vässade egg mot roten
det kryper längs lädren 
i skorna som jag har burit
det dryper i klädren 
på offren som jag har skurit

Blodet som levde
nu levrar det sig i kroppar
på krakar som fruktade döden 
och fruktade mig.
Döden vi skänkte
snart skänkts den åt oss
Jägarn blir jagad
då slocknar i natten hans irrande bloss

Sprättar med vässat stål 
alla era kuddar och era sömmar
Jag avrättar, tar nu kål på din häst
din hund liksom dina drömmar
Silver jag söker att vandla till vackert vin
Vi ska supa som svin 
för att glömma bort alla tömda

Vi gångar åt jorden
Vi svävar åt sky
Snart dricker vi dammet 
och äter den dy
på vilken vi vandrat
vår saga är all
när döden oss kallar
vår drottning – o Ereshkigál

De rosor som stod i blom 
ligger alla brutna av vapenslakten
Vi har krossat med krigets dom 
och med våra spjut hägnat hela trakten
Ni dog för er tro
inga böner ni längre hinner
Vi tog era bon 
all er lön, alla era kvinnor


English lyrics

To the earth we came to the yonder we go
some in sickness, others by wounds

Pouring in glaring rivulets 
from head to earthly foot
it will burn in my dreams 
from sword’s edge to the root
it crawls in the leathers 
of shoes that I’ve worn
it flows in the clothes 
of victims I’ve torn

The blood that lived
now clots in bodies
of weaklings that feared death 
and feared me
The death we gave them 
soon will be given to us
The hunter turns to pray 
as the flame of his soul perishes

My sharp steel 
will gut all your pillows and seams
I butcher your horse 
your dog, and your dreams
Your silver I gladly transform into wine
We seek sweet oblivion 
by drinking as swine

We walk towards earth
We soar towards sky
Soon we drink the dust 
and eat the mud
on which we walked
our story comes to an end
when death calls us
our queen – oh Ereshkigál

The roses that blossomed 
all lie broken by our weapons
We crushed with decree of war 
and fenced off the lands with our spears
You died for your faith
no time for prayers
We took your dwellings 
your pay, and your women

# # #

Ereshkigál is the death goddess in Sumerian mythology. The pantheon in the Trachorian fantasy setting is mostly borrowed from Mesopotamia.

This song is actually mentioned in the novels as the masterpiece of undead bard Shopachinka. It originally had the title ”Gúttura från ett rykande slagfält” – ”Gúttura from a smoking carnage”, which was considered too wierd.

I'm pretty satisfied with the lyrics of this song since there's a lot of nordic-style allitteration and also four-syllable-rhymes between (Swedish) lines.

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