ANCIENT RITES LYRICS Fatherland (1998) 1. Mother Europe 2. Aris 3. Fatherland 4. Season's Change (Solstice) 5. 13th Of October 1307 6. Dying In A Moment Of Splendour (Echoes Of Melancholy) 7. Rise And Fall (Anno Satana) 8. The Seducer (Fallen Angel) 9. Cain 1. Mother Europe Oh remember the proud Hellenic civilisation The cradle of Europe where it all began Or the Portuguese and Spanish Armada Overwhelming Thy power, a tribute to the south Bruges, Antwerp, Ghent forever in my heart Representing medieval Flemish pride Brave Teutonic, French and English knights Thy shining armour now long vanished Thy glory, however, forever remains Praised be the Scandinavian hordes Once the nightmare of the Christian world I talk of not of mercy I talk not of fear The hopeless warriors of a Willing Doom Children of Italia In ancient times "Roma Caput Mundi" De Verenigde Nederlanden, parel van het noorden Belgium and The Netherlands stood as one Mother Europe born from your womb Mother Europe on Your soil shall be my tomb I talk of not of mercy I talk not of fear The hopeless warriors of a Willing Doom Oh what that gallant spirit shall resume Leap from Europe's bank and call Thee from the tomb (Hail to the sons of eastern Europe the Slavonian soul never fades) Blessed are Scotland, Ireland and Bretagne Where the Celtic dream still lives on Shall be my tomb! 2. Aris Hear me, ancient forefather (Ambiorix) Honoured be Thy deeds Leading our tribes against the aggressor Outnumbered, a campaign that could not be won (But forever Thy blood in my veins) Gracious Spartan civilisation Eternally blessed Thy war spirit Surrounded by thousands of Persians "Molon lave" a final proud statement (None of thee survived but Thy Hellenic glory is everlasting) Noble was your cause, brave Vercingetorix Sad the day of your sacrifice An example to your Celt tribe Dying in solitude (But Thy soul) forever in my heart Remember the moment Jerusalem fell The shrieks of the conquered, the conqueror's yell The roofs that we fired, and the plunder we shared The wealthy we slaughtered, the lovely we spared Aris! And Aris shone! Mars! And Mars rose! Geuzen der Lage Landen Van Antwerpen, Amsterdam tot Den Briel Helden der Calvinistische droom Nachtmerrie der Spaans/Roomse overheerser Voor eeuwig Uw bloed in onze aderen Noble was your cause, brave Vercingetorix Sad the day of your sacrifice Hear me, ancient forefather Ambiorix Honoured be Thy deeds Leading our tribes against the aggressor Outnumbered, a campaign that could not be won Forever Thy blood in my veins Noble was your cause Sad the day of your sacrifice An example to our tribe 3. Fatherland When the restless North Sea is trying to gain more land And a merciless west wind steals my breath When the fierce waves are pounding on the beaches Plain as an endless desert Or uttermost vile storms are Teaching my people humbleness Then one can see my land resist There one can see my land fight As gloomy grey skies Cast away the northern sun I turn home.... Always turn home I turn home.... Always turn home And our cities and villages Representing centuries and centuries Seem to drown due to eternal rainfall Or the rivers turn into Gold I turn home.... Always turn home I turn home.... Always turn home Fatherland! I always turn to my Fatherland! Fatherland! Keep on turning to my Fatherland! Fatherland! Always turn to my Fatherland! Fatherland! I always turn to my Fatherland! Our cities seem to drown Due to eternal rainfall I watch the rivers Turn into Gold Under a genial sun When snow capped forests Create visions larger than life Then I realise where I belong My eyes have seen the continents The beauty of foreign civilisations An uncontrollable desire forces me to wander Yet echoes of melancholy and remembering The splendour being mine (make me turn home) Where castles and towers are the sole mountains And father time seems to have less grip Where castles and towers are the sole mountains There my land can be found I turn home.... Always turn home I turn home.... Always turn home Fatherland! I always turn to my Fatherland! Fatherland! Keep on coming to my Fatherland! Fatherland! Always turn to my Fatherland! Fatherland! Always turn to my Fatherland! 4. Season's Change (Solstice) Torches to guide the way To walk the misty paths The forest seems like a shelter On this cold winter night A huge fire is reflecting shadows Of youth and old age As the open place is reached And the elderly take their seats This is the night of the season's change And a new fire shall be lit A silent moment to remember the deceased (The way our ancestors did) Season's change Season's change Traditional music containing the soul of a people On this cold winter night Again a circle completed and rituals more ancient As if the son of God never arrived Memories subconsciously always present Vague visions of past centuries This is the night! When season's change This is the night! When season's change The trees seem to whisper their names The wind is full of a thousand voices As if summoned from the past Though no words are needed A tribe will never die! Memories subconsciously always present Vague visions of past centuries Appearing in the mind Images of times we may have never lived Yet oh so present, so divine! This is the night when season's change 5. 13th Of October 1307 The cause of the Templar's order Was beyond religion So brilliant their splendour So wealthy their order Channelling all esoteric knowledge Into one universal thought Innovating rituals behind closed doors Occult traditions as well hidden secrets Intelligence the reason of their rise (Intelligence the reason of their fall) 13th of October Grandmaster Jacques De Molay Burned at the stake at "Ile de la Cité" A curse accompanying his last breath Within the year his enemies dead! Cultivating ideals so serene Created by minds far supreme 6. Dying In A Moment Of Splendour (Echoes Of Melancholy) Ich umarme die Finsternis Seit dem Tag an dem meine Reise began Always embraced the Dark Since the day my journey began With length of time We gain a step in knowledge With length of time A step closer to Death (However) J'ai plus de souveniers que si j'avais mille ans I have gathered as many memories As if I have lived a thousand years Only choice left Is to die in a moment of splendour Ultimate this experience shall be Echoes of melancholy Are haunting my dreams Dying in a moment of splendour Echoes of melancholy Are haunting my dreams Waiting this inevitable event Of ultimate splendour The time when Death shall arrive As a welcome companion Although immortality it is I always craved But so tragic yet divine it must be When ending in beauty As there is nothing grander left To reach out for While a larger than life experience Is achieved Ich umarme die Finsternis Seit dem Tag an dem meine Reise began Always embraced the Dark Since the day my journey began With length of time We gain a step in knowledge With length of time A step closer to Death J'ai plus de souveniers que si j'avais mille ans 7. Rise And Fall (Anno Satana) Noble Caesar, forgive me But I was the knife ending Thy ambition Yet I held Thy standard proudly As Thy legions burned the world Oh gorgeous Minoan empire Blessed were Thy art and culture Earthquakes undermined Thy glory Then I led hostile forces into Thy land [Chorus:] I am the desires most profane The pestilence cursing thousands I am the burned village Decimating diseases without a name Anno Satana! Anno Satana! Rise, rise, rise and fall! Rise, rise, rise and fall! Dear Robbespierre, hail to Thy revolution Which turned into an endless execution (So sweet Thy blood must have tasted in the hour of Thy own execution) Rise, rise, rise and fall! Rise, rise, rise and fall! Anno Satana! Anno Satana! Clever, mad Rasputin No intrigue too grand A pleasure it was watching you rise But the delight so overwhelming As I witnessed your fall Throughout history my misanthropy Always has been grander than thine 8. The Seducer (Fallen Angel) Hail to the Seducer [M:] Tired of obeying a God who rules like a tyrant [G:] You create your own kingdom [M:] Surrounded by creatures who pledge their allegiance [G:] Satan's legions none will ever see them fall Hail to you... Death! Hail to you... Kuolema! [M:] Tired of obeying a God who rules like a tyrant [G:] You create your own kingdom [M:] Surrounded by creatures who pledge their allegiance [G:] Lord Lucifer Your kingdom will come Hail to you... Death! Hail to you... Kuolema! Fallen Angel, Fallen Angel!!! [G:] Legions march to storm the gates of Heaven Legions march to storm the gates of Heaven Our kingdom will come Fallen Angel! Your kingdom will come! 9. Cain I live to die How can my father turn to a God Who creates everything to die? I feel deceived, rejected... How can one pray? All so useless, senseless, cruel... Then I prefer to turn away Then I prefer to turn away From your God who can't be mine Who can't be mine...