AFTER FOREVER LYRICS Decipher (2001) 1. Ex Cathedra 2. Monolith Of Doubt 3. My Pledge Of Allegiance #1 4. Emphasis 5. Intrinsic 6. Zenith 7. Estranged 8. Imperfect Tenses 9. My Pledge Of Allegiance #2 10. The Key 11. Forlorn Hope 1. Ex Cathedra Nemo mihi obloquatur impune Ex cathedra A deo ipso verba mea ad vos proveniunt Non obsequentes exsecratio condemnabit Subicite fato vestro et obtemperate 2. Monolith Of Doubt The ordeal has begun To oblige the unknown, within me As I drown Cannot remember, cannot think As I sink, deep... Near the monolith of doubt Creeps the fear The fear to lose yourself In the severe reflection I don't know A flashing moment that has frozen me My whole existence passed by Through the trusted eyes of a mirror But it wasn't me I could see This monolith of everything that I have been Is vacillated and aghast The inexorable time has taught me once again That my features will change and macerate me See, it's me, my monolith of doubt 3. My Pledge Of Allegiance #1 She kept her beauty concealed behind a curtain of suspense And endures her fate, moulded by an ancient culture The honour wasn't allowed to be injured She is going to live as her community expects her to I find myself confined between furtive desires and feelings of guilt [The letter:] These are my last words I'm gonna leave you I can't stand your narrow mindedness any longer Forgive me... 4. Emphasis The game is over, time has taught life Open your eyes and embrace our so-called paradise All the notions and thoughts Devise a way to make it yours The enigma of a reason How can life be what you want it to be Find the emphasis in your own reality Deviate from the search with episodic glimpses Of a spectrum no one can see or feel, nor declare Slowly become aware life knows its prophecies Find the emphasis in your own reality In all life you see A sudden shifting of events What's coincidence, what's faith? The ambiguity makes the sense of our destiny worth searching for What can it induce? If our being was omniscient? There's so much you'll never know, but Your life will be what you want it to be Find the emphasis in your own reality 5. Intrinsic At night, assimilate life In the infinite realm Of our intrinsic side Find, the missing parts of the mind The hidden truth behind Our dungeon of thoughts, this labyrinth Search, it has a reason and a meaning Remembered and repeated A guide, not to be ignored Feel, there's so much to feel Amnesia must confiscate an elusive link to consciousness It's there; cause there's so much we don't know Even our own true face It's there, facing what we can't have Our ideals ain't true, naked and exposed To the bareness of what's real Boundless fantasy, becomes reality As we breathe water and run through the sand Whispers and a scream, flying high, falling down And a face with no features or name Exposed to live, we can only divine Tell me, what's your reality? 6. Zenith Is there something you feel? Is there something you furtively know? Under the spell of science, Can we declare? Can we allow ourselves to experience? Can we be open-minded enough? Won't we fear what we cannot defy? Do we need to declare? Break the force of habit! Why can't you see? Fear will impede you to break through your trivial life And find the missing aim to evolve Is this the frontier, our zenith? Can we be receptive to our ignorance? Will or won't we be able to reveal? Dulled senses and the need for proven theories Has masked our natural insight in life And mysteries Life is discussed and measurable Every aberration is observed with agony and suspicion Until it is declared again 7. Estranged Diving in the lake of thousand faces Every sign seems a delusion And fills me with doubt I shouldn't look for certainty Among these disorderly impressions But still I do... Being estranged Slowly I loose the grip on the reality Time shall shatter what we have built up Being estranged From the reliable Don't even recognize the warmth You always fulfilled me with Break through my crystallized sphere and hold me Enter my deepest inner self Imprison the pain Besieging in vain It feels like I'm in the middle of a movie Gazing at the script It shows me new insights Delighted by the bygone sufferings But already waiting for the next ones I bend forward and look between the ripples of the lake It's the leading character... Break through my crystallized sphere and hold me Wherever you are Deceitful memories mingled with reality I hold myself to the timeless spell Fascinated by never knowing if it really happened 8. Imperfect Tenses Why can't they see? They're to blame, I can't forgive It left a permanent mark behind, My weakness, my strength I'm waiting for the perfect sign To reveal what lies inside There's no lie in trying, Why do you fear me? Why can't you see? There's neither blame nor forgiveness Be strong by being susceptible, And don't quail; your frankness is your strength And shows their weakness I'm / Your waiting for the perfect sign To reveal what lies inside There's no lie in trying Why do you fear me? Why should I fear you? An open heart is just as confronting as honesty! Why can't I forgive? You must stop to condemn the past Why can't this fear be my guide? It will be your strength if you dare There's no blame in my life Nor forgiveness for the pain I will show them! Let them know who you are! This is my/your perfect revelation 9. My Pledge Of Allegiance #2 My decision is fixed The suitcases are packed I'm laying the letter on the table Tonight, I will be safe and the fears will be over I shall outline my own way again! I'm walking to the door Open it and look behind for the last time... But he's at the doorstep - this can't be real He's surprised because he notices my bags Immediately he grabs my wrists and pushes me inside I realise I'm lost... O no, what have you done? What have you done? Where is your self respect? You've defiled our honour and your throth You crossed the line You won't get out this time You won't get out There's no other solution Then requite you for this insult But he's at the doorstep - this can't be real He's surprised because he notices my bags, Immediately he grabs my wrists and pushes me inside While he's reading the letter I realise I'm lost... Faded beauty, her body trembles... The scars of this dream will always be remembered 10. The Key The eyes, looking so cold Condemn failure And seek for perfection What will never be attained They're judging the denying face which stares back A bewildered revelation Show me objectivity And let these eyes judge again You cannot touch what you can't ever obtain I'm inexhaustible As well as empty in my bitter search My words are yours, my voice speaks for your thoughts I am your mirror without remorse, your reflection without doubts I fall and fall I must learn from the bruises The scars will be my guide There's no excuse in ignorance No time for weakness or regret Face your mirror without doubt Your reflection without remorse If knowledge was wisdom And wisdom the key to inner rest Teach me... 11. Forlorn Hope An old man is proud but behind his modest smile lies the grief Only one picture of his brave son remains It seems that the vicious circle Can never be broken through The hopeful ones gathered their strength To achieve the apparent impossible But all plans seem to be in vain As a soldier of Allah He's an example for the others On his bloody way to immortality It seems that the vicious circle Can never be broken through Because old wounds are reopened every time This Intifada as a device To thwart the peace negotiations He can rely on a reward in the hereafter Eternal paradise awaits him Pugnacity With our blood Show no mercy With our soul Die for heaven An eye for an eye Burn to let them... Suffer for all their actions We will not move an inch They won't play in our hands We will not tolerate those who defy We will not hesitate To start an attack If you undermine the agreement Let them suffer! Stop to let them suffer!