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Ensiferum - From Afar lyrics



Tracks



01. By The Dividing Stream

Music by M. Toivonen
[Instrumental]

02. From Afar

Music by M. Toivonen, S. Hinkka
Lyrics by S. Hinkka, trad.
A raven came to me
Spoke to me in my dream
A long lost prophecy
A forgotten legacy

Echoes of yesterday
Won't let these dreams fade away
All the beauty I adored
At the edge of the world

Across the universe
Time is to be reversed
No shelter can be found
To this fate we are bound

Behold the final hour
The last times will be dour
All life falls into gorge
Of the end of the world

"Burning skies
On the vengeance's night
Devastating scythe
Of the Ancient Light"

I saw the might
Of the Ancient Light
And the beauty of the perishing world
There's no tomorrow
We have been warned

"The sky's bird struck fire made a flame flare up
The north wind burnt the clearing the north-east quite consumed it: it burnt all the trees to ash reduced them to dust."
(Kalevala)

03. Twilight Tavern

Music by M. Toivonen, S. Hinkka
Lyrics by S. Hinkka
We heard that enemies are approaching from the south
We marched to face them and killed their scout
But we were ambushed and slaughtered in the night
We fought so bravely but none were left alive

Now I open my eyes and what do I see?
A rainbow in the moonlight and valkyries calling me
They say: "Don't be afraid" and ask me to follow
"You've been expected, so forget your sorrow."

There warriors' souls forever rejoice!
Twilight Tavern!
Woth our ancestors we raise our horns!
Twilight Tavern!
There warriors' swords forever shine on!
Twilight Tavern!
Welcoming our brothers at the break of dawn!
Twilight Tavern!

Life is so short
Oh son of the North
You'll find your peace
At the end of the journey

Hey! All greet us when we open the door
Familiar faces, brothers it's been too long
Beer is flowing, the smell of burning meat
In the morning battle reigns like hell's been unleashed

As the sun sets behind the mountain's peak
The Master of the house shouts: "Drink and feast!"
This feels like it is too good to be true
The call for final battle will be here soon

04. Heathen Throne

Music by M. Toivonen
Lyrics by S. Hinkka
This hate inside me
It is constantly growing
Years of hollow lies
Made pagan hatred rise

They came with their troops
Destroying land and roots
Abominations under the sun
They and their poisoned truth

One by one my people fell
Under their deceptive spell
How many sons of the
North had to fall?
Before our eyes could see;
This isn't how it should be!

"Under the Northern star
We shed our blood
With the call of a battle horn
We raise our swords
Behind the fields of blood
There's a haven for us
Deep in the woods of the North
Rises the Heathen Throne"

Upholder of the skies
For too long has your name been despised,
Give us your strength and courage
When we meet our nemesis
On the shores that used to be
The place we called home

Our land and faith are raped
Somehow they're going to pay

Grant us your revenge
We are not afraid of death
Let none of them ever more
Lay a hopeful gaze upon the sky

05. Elusive Reaches

Protector of the sun arrives with light
From the edge of the world to the highest heights.
With a thunder blast he greets his twin,
And falls back to oblivion.

From the western plains where nature blooms.
Roams the swift brother in eternal blue.
Chasing the vanishing golden light.
Hasting towards an endless night.

Across the high northern skies
The eldest brother in all his might.
Guards the frozen barren land
With a token of wisdom in his hand.

Forlorn moon and dreadful mist
The youngest brother raises his fist.
All life slowly withers away
And the infinite circle begins again.

The trail of the winds remains unseen,
For mortals their realm stays concealed.
The ageless skies that stand before our eyes,
When we'll be gone they'll still be flying free.

Silvery light of the sea,
Sparkles of far beneath.
Cold breeze against their brawn,
Reminds them of cold steel and war!

06. Stone Cold Metal

Howl of a coyote wakes up a man,
A haggard shadow in this wasted land.
Vultures rise with the scorching sun.
A dry wind blows in a silent town.

Some Whiskey to clear his head
And some for the brothers who are dead.
Another day, another chase,
Vigilantes will meet their fate.

Saddle your steed
We are riding tonight
Be ready to kill
Don't flee from a fight.
Pillaging is in our blood,
We bow to no one and no one at all!

Stone cold metal in his hand,
Stirs wild rival of righteous man.
Life of an outlaw; the gallows await.
Until then they shall reign!

No border is too sacred
To cross and to spill the cup of hatred.
Days to come are still unveiled,
Take whats yours, no time to bewail!

Waning daylight, time to move on
Under a looming crescent moon.
Another town, again to raze,
Surely someone will pass deaths gate.

In the silence of the night
Treacherous lady of the evening,
Deceived the whereabouts of marauders.

Ten bounty hunters are heading to the hideaway.
A dark red desert moon
Shimmers it gloomy light.
Upon a baneful affair of honour.

For a fleeting moment, eye meets eye.
Silent respect before an inevitable solution.
Dead or alive, Its all the same...

07. Smoking Ruins

For many years ago
He left his home behind.
No farewells or a note,
Like a thief he fled into the night.

Heart full of foolish pride,
He caused a death of his clans man
All prophesies he denied,
And now in exile he grieves.

Hear the call of the fallen ones
Wisdom of those whose time has gone
Live your life bravely my first born son,
On battlefields fight, don't run.

The wheel of time keeps turning
A boy becomes a man.
But still shame burns him.
At last he understands.

He heads back to his homeland.
He rides fast like a storm wind
But the flames in the horizon,
Tell there is only death to be found.

By the smoking ruins of his past life.
He raises his hand to the skies,
"Oh god of thunder,
God of my fathers,
Strike me down for what I've done!"

08. Tumman Virran Taa

"Yllä harmaan korven korpit laulaa,
Hurme tämän kansan roudan sulattaa,
Katso kuinka hohkaa kansi taivaan,
Kutsuu se meitä tumman virran taa,
Heikot vaipuu kuohuun sysimustaan,
Sankarit kun astuu joen rantaan,
Halki iäisyyden laulu raikaa,
Kutsuu se veljiä tumman virran taa."

09. The Longest Journey (Heathen Throne Part II)

Could my ruin have come,
My day of trouble have arrived,
In these tuonele cabins
These abodes of the dead land?
[Kalevala]

Far beyond the dark stream pagan souls will
Roam those cold lands wild and free.
Wait for the sign; a blood red sky.
Then beyond the dark stream we will ride.

The path of mortals,
So narrow and brutal.
Only bravest of them all
Will find true valours

Decaying souls of men,
Who trust in false omens,
Will drown in the stream
With their untrue beliefs.

He's been drifting
For so long,
Searching for the land.
Where heroes roam.

In the horizon,
The last ray of light,
A breeze from the other side,
Before he dies.

Dividing walls of stone,
Eternal heathen Throne,
Beneath the cold starlight.
Revealed for the purest sight.

Through constant affliction
Towards alleviations,
When a searing star is near.
Carry on, you're almost here

Far beyond the dark stream we'll meet again.
Across the wilderness and we will be home.
Gather your strength, don't be afraid.
Far beyond the dark stream, we'll meet again.

The longest journey of them all,
Has to be made all alone
A flame in the skyline reaching the stars
Guiding the seeker through the night!

10. Vandraren

Vandraren har ingenstans att gå, när han kommit fram till slutet.
Månen färgar alla skuggor blå, han är ensam kvar där ute.
Långt där borta från en enslig gård, lyser värmen ut i natten.
Väcker hungern i hans frusna kropp, som har levt på luft och vatten.

[Chorus:]
Det gör ont, men gå ändå, du kan alltid vända om.
Det gör ont, men gå ända, du är här och kom hit som en vandrare.

Klockan ringer för en ensam själ, den har lånat röst av döden.
Vill den illa eller vill den väl, när den räknar våra öden.
Sluta tänka det är svårt ändå, du får ta en dag i taget.
Vandraren har ingen stans att gå, om han går vid sista slaget.

[Chorus x2]

[English translation:]

Vandraren have nowhere to go, when he arrived at the end.
The moon will stain all shades of blue, he is the only one left out there.
Far over there from a secluded courtyard, lit the heat into the night.
Raises hunger in his frozen body, which has lived on air and water.

[Chorus:]
It hurts, but go anyway, you can always go on.
It hurts, but go right, you are here and came here as a wanderer.

Bell rings for a lonely soul, it has borrowed the voice of death.
Does it hurt or want it well, when the count of our destiny.
Stop thinking it is difficult anyway, you may take one day at a time.
Vandraren have nowhere to go, if he goes at the end of the battle.

[Chorus]