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Insomnium - Anno 1696 lyrics



Tracks



01. 1696

Music by Markus Vanhala
Lyrics by Niilo Sevänen
Far away from the citadels of God
Far away from the court of the dying king
Deep inside the shadows of the endless woods
Here we all wander
And here we fall

Across the winter, across the night
Across the frozen lakes we ride
Beyond the twilight, beyond the cold
Beyond the grace of the White Christ

Year of the hunger, year of the wolves
Year of the distress across the North
Here we wander
And here we roam astray

Crescent moon is sharp
Sharp like the Devil's nail
Crescent moon is sharp (tonight)
And winter winds they howl (tonight)

I'm drifting in the darkness
After the waning light
I'm drifting in the darkness
With wolves on my tail

Hour of bloodshed, hour of lies
The hour of murders and vile crimes
No redemption and no pity
No forgiveness of the White Christ

World is crumbling, world is old
This world is writhing in death throes
Here we wander
And here we all shall fall

02. White Christ

Music by Markus Vanhala
Lyrics by Niilo Sevänen
In the name of our Saviour and Lord
In the name of our Monarch and the Crown
I've come to bring the law and justice to this land
I've come to bring the light and grace of the Christ

I'm the one who wields the sword of God
I'm the one who holds the sacred rod
I'm the one who finds the truth with iron
I'm the one who finds the truth with fire

Can you hear the whispers from beyond?
Can you hear the calling now?

No remorse upon the wicked
No hesitation in my deeds
No repentance in my prayers
No unbelief will stain this soul

I find the ones who mock the tenets of the God
I find the ones who spite the passion of the Christ
I find the creatures that are lurking in the dark
I redeem this land
I save us all

In times like these we must not wander off the path
In times like these we must resist the Devil's bait
Foul spirits roam these ill-starred lands
Foul thoughts will creep inside the devout sleep

Can you hear the whispers from beyond?
Can you hear the voices from the woods?
Can you hear the howling of the wolves?
Can you hear the Lucifer's call?

No remorse upon the wicked
No hesitation in my deeds
No repentance in my prayers
No unbelief will stain this soul

I find the ones who mock the tenets of the God
I find the ones who spite the passion of the Christ
I find the creatures that are lurking in the dark
I save this doomed land
I save us all

I hold the flame of the White Christ
At the edge of the dark

I hold the flame of the White Christ
Here on the verge of damnation
Here at the edge of the darkness
I hold the flame

Can you hear the whispers from beyond?
Can you hear the voices from the woods?
Can you hear the howling of the wolves?
Can you hear the Lucifer's call?

03. Godforsaken

Music by Markus Vanhala
Lyrics by Niilo Sevänen
Where is the light and the reason?
Where is the mercy of God?
Have we been cast to damnation?
Have we been banished to dark?

They say that the world freezes over
They say the The Head Wolf has come
Driving his forces to battle
Driving his forces to war

They await in the twilight
They await in the shades
They will come for the sinners
They will come for our souls

Chained in the cellar of vicar
Chained by the shackles of Christ
A maiden they accuse of witchcraft
A maiden they blame for the kills

I ask her to place her trust on me
I bid her to open her heart
For I'll find the light that has flamed out
For I'll seek the truth in the night

I wander in eternal darkness
I wander on forsaken paths
I seek for the light that has flamed out
I seek for the truth in the night

She confides to me; there is something inside
Deep in her flesh there's a wound
Bullet of lead, caught in her flank
Aching there with every move

I confide to her; there is craft that I know
I could try to pull it away
She looks into me with glistening eyes
Lines on her brow disappear

If hope, once dead, now awakes
If hope, once gone, is reborn

Deep in this forgotten realm
Deep in the shadows that reign
Far from the grace of the true God
Far from the light of the Christ

I wander in eternal darkness
I wander on forsaken paths
I seek for the light that has flamed out
I seek for the truth in the night

04. Lilian

Music by Ville-Petri Friman
Lyrics by Niilo Sevänen
Maiden at the lake shore
Sunlight's dance on waves
Lilies and heathers
Sweet scent in the air

And her hair is auburn
Like the bark on pine
In the wind it flutters
Blazing in summer breeze

I dare not even raise my voice
I dare not even move or breathe

I see a bare white shoulder
A dark mark on her back
Shape like a moth's wing
Sign of the nightly paths

I drift in twilight
I stray into the dusk
I'm lost in her eyes

And there I tremble before her
There I stand without the words

Bewitching eyes are staring
Piercing right through me
Deep into my wishes
And deep into my soul

05. Starless Paths

Music by Niilo Sevänen & Jani Liimatainen
Lyrics by Niilo Sevänen
Cruel is the winter's might
Dreadful the howl of wind
Beyond the pathless treks we roam
Where the church bells never toll

The bloodhounds thrash and moan
A raven takes flight and caws
Shadows glance behind every tree
The forest is watching our way

Through this moonless night
Through these starless paths
We roam
For the hunt has begun

Deeper we march into the unknown
Deeper into the hidden womb of the woods
There is no return

A lonely hut at the edge of a cliff
A lonely hut waits there at the end of the world
A house deserted and cold

Wind-watcher and healer
A woman of might
Keeper of the secrets
Of worlds above and below

I carry the torch here
I bring forth the flame
I ward off the darkness
Cast the shadows away

Hear how the spirits ride across the nightsky

Christ will scour this squalid land
Christ will hunt down the heretics and foes
So they say

Devils lurk among the shadows of the trees
Demons wait outside the fences of Lord's church yard
They wait for our souls

Through this moonless night
Through these starless paths
We roam
For the hunt will go on

Enlightenment prevails
Over surmise and hate
Over pastors and zealots
Over gallows and stocks

I draw out the lead
I stitch her wound
Outside in the coldness
I'm gasping for air

I carried the torch here
Brought reason and hope
I'm the herald of new dawn
Harbinger of light

But then there's a scream in the night

And flames they rise
And winds they blow
She's gone
Into the dark

06. The Witch Hunter

Music by Markus Vanhala
Lyrics by Niilo Sevänen
"To great heights has the power of Satan risen in this country
The Antichrist is like a wolf on the prowl, hunting the weakest"

Foul creatures roam these lands
Murderers and blasphemers
Devil's work has been done here well
Unchastity and heresy

Light of the morning star
Shines there upon her brow
Consort of the Evil One
Sorceress of deceit

Thou shalt not let the witch live
Thou shalt not mock the God's name

All shall fall
All our towers break
For all shall end
If I will fail

"Affection and envious neighbors...
Were those your words?
As if Lucifer didn't have his hand in these acts of horror
Happening in this country"

Final hour to make a stand
Final hour to turn the tide
Lord's work is to be done here now
Retribution of the one true God

If my hand won't falter
If my will won't hover
I will chain this werebeast
I will shackle her kin

If my faith won't weaken
If my heart won't give in
I will redeem this land
From the Devil's dark maw

07. The Unrest

Music by Jani Liimatainen
Lyrics by Niilo Sevänen
When the twilight slowly sets upon the land
You stand on the front steps, stare at the trees
When we wander past the will-o-the-whisps
You walk there as if in a dream

Stay here by my side
Heed not the night's call
Stay on the path we chose
Wait for our firstborn

Hear not the cries in the wind
Ward off the darkness
Mind not the whispers within
The songs of the unrest

When the moths waver behind the window pane
You lay by my side, wide awake
When the child inside you moves and turns
You let out a disquiet sigh

Stay here in my arms
Stay here forever
Heed not the voices from dusk
The wail in the treetops

08. The Rapids

Music by Markus Vanhala
Lyrics by Niilo Sevänen
Kosken pauhu korvissani soi...

Merciless the break of dawn
Desperate this encounter
Teeth are out, backs are raised
Wolves await in the tree line

Darkest mysteries revealed
Truth is plain for us to see
Bullet in her burning flesh
Kept her from turning to beast

By the side of the rapids
Here on the verge of the fall
I make peace with my maker
On this icy brink
I make peace with my God

Everything she ever did
Every cut and every bite
Every bit of blood spilled
Everything was for her child

Righteous men who read the law
Pious men who use the rod
They will never set her free
The stake and the fire await

The roar of the rapids calling my name
The roar of the rapids awaits
The end of the path here
The end of the trek
I redeem this soul of mine

May Lord in his mercy forgive my deeds
May Lord in his mercy absolve
The roar engulfs us
Death's embrace
I redeem this soul of mine

We fall
We lunge
Still fall
To abyss

09. Flowers Of The Night

Music by Markus Vanhala
Lyrics by Niilo Sevänen
Wondrous gleam of the summer night
Sneaks in through the window pane
I hear a cuckoo's calling
As I lay by her side

By the grace of the one true God
By the providence of Christ
I have found the golden maiden
I have found the fairest one

I will fold her into my arms
I will wipe away her tears
I will keep her safe from all the harm
(Forevermore)

The flowers of the night
Only open up to the dark
I hear them whispering
As I lay by her side

How did I deserve this mirth?
How did I deserve this bliss?
Hallowed glow will shine upon her brow
(Forevermore)

But the colder winds will rise
And the autumn gloom awaits
For the seed inside won't grow
No child is on the way

The winter of despair
And the silence of the nights
Slowly will take their toll
Slowly will freeze our hearts

With tears in her eyes
She repeats the mother's words;
Even the hounds will bark
When such a thing is near

Salt-ridden is this soil
And shriveled is the womb
A stain on our good name
(Forevermore)

The flowers of the night
Only open up to the dark
I hear them whispering
As I lay by her side

By the grace of the one true God
By the providence of Christ
Have I found the golden maiden?
Have I found the fairest one?

I will fold her into my arms
I will wipe away her tears
I will keep her safe from all the harm
(Forevermore)

10. Stained In Red

Music by Ville Friman
Lyrics by Niilo Sevänen
Far in the distance
Far behind the trees
Baying of the hounds
Howl of the beasts

Pallid is the break of the dawn
Gales have run their course
Wading through knee-deep snow
Dim are the stars above

Hearken to the call now
Listen to the howls
Hearken to the wail now
Listen to the winds

Following the wolf's tracks
Following the trails
Rushing through the thickets
Rushing through the woods

Behind every fir-tree
Behind every rock
Behind every snowdrift
The shadows watching me

There at the brink of the rapids
There at the edge of the ravine
Pale figure standing in he mist
Pale figure stained in red

Hearken to the call now
Listen to the howls
Hearken to the wail now
Listen to the winds

At the end of my path
Disbelief and doubt
At the end of my trek
The best now awaits

There at the end of the trail
She tells of the bygone years
Fork of the twilight paths
Wolves in human guise

She tells of the unrest inside
The longing burrowed in the soul
The yearning and the flame
The love that was not meant to be

Hearken to the call now
Listen to the howls
Hearken to the wail now
Listen to the winds

At the end of my path
The wonder and the fear
At the end of my trek
The truth is now revealed

11. Song Of The Dusk

Music by Niilo Sevänen &nMarkus Vanhala
Lyrics by Niilo Sevänen
Through the darkling woods and marshes
Through the soothing twilight
Far away from hateful pastors
Fear away from bloodhounds

No scorn or greed here
No swords or gallows
No leash around my neck
No whips to tear my flesh

We roam the twilight
We roam the night

We stalk in the shadows deep and dark
We hunt on the long-forgotten paths

Through the glades and gloomy thickets
Through the misty quagmires
Through the hidden trails that take us home

Where the church bells never toll
Where the huntsmen never tread

No scorn or greed here
No swords or gallows
No leash around my neck
No whips to tear my flesh

We stalk in the shadows deep and dark
We hunt on the long-forgotten paths

I will never kneel down
I will never serve the cross
I will never wear the chains
I choose to walk in shades

Hearken now, to the song of dusk
The forest venerates your name
Hearken now, to the laud in wind
The woods will bow before you

Hear me now, my child of the dusk
Forest venerates your name
Hear me now, my child of two worlds
The woods will bow before you