Testament (Aethyr version) - Romaji and Translation

We have arrived at the 3rd song of the album! So, this song has been remastered in the 9th -LostFairy-  Fantasy, where it's sung by Yuki. If I recall correctly, the lyrics have been changed. I therefore do not tag Yuki and the 冥府へ誘う灰のネクロフェスタ (Necrofesta) album yet. Ergo memento mori is Latin for "Remember you [have to] die", this is pretty much in line with the title of the song. A testament is the will you leave behind when you die.

This song is pretty vague. It basically tells us the story about devout believers (zealots) who know nothing of impurity (or death). After a while they start having doubts about their belief and are converted by a dark force, which tells them to fear it (the dark force). God might show them a holy and correct path but... there is another dark truth...  People die in this world, which they are apparently unaware of. As they have been following the holy disciplines, they are taught nothing about death or greed. This greed and mortality links to the story of Adam and Eve in the bible. Just because Eve ate an apple (forbidden fruit that the humans crave for (see translation)), humans became sinners and thus mortals.

Composition wise this song is pretty nice. The sounds are a little too muffled  sometimes though. That is definitely fixed on the 9th fantasia. If you wonder why the melody is familiar, you might have heard the original pieces classical music, as they are very popular pieces. The beginning is based on the Toccata and Fugue in d minor by Bach, a little bit of Moonlight Sonata 1st movement by Beethoven can be heard in the middle as well.


暗き聖堂に響く　古の賛美歌

kuraki seidou ni hibiku inishie no sanbika

Inside a dark cathedral, an ancient hymn echoes

穢れの無い戒律にすがり　生きる事に抱く疑念
    歪な禁断の真実支配される・・・

kegare no nai kairitsu ni sugari ikiru koto idaku ginen
    ibitsuna kindan no shinjitsu shihaisareru...

Those who harbour doubt about living while clinging to the pure disciplines,
    Become overruled by the distorted forbidden truth...

-　畏れよ、我を　-
神は慈悲深く
聖なる道を示すけれど
「白」の戒めを「黒」が蝕み
滅びの歯車が廻る
Ergo memento mori…

- osore yo, ware wo -
kami wa jihibukaku
seinaru michi wo shimesu keredo
"shiro" no imashime wo "kuro" ga mushibami
horobi no haguruma ga mawaru
Ergo memento mori

- Fear me -
God is full of mercy
He will show you the sacred path
"Darkness(black)" gnaws at the forbidden side of "Holiness(white)"
The gears of destruction start to turn
'Remember you have to die'

闇夜に集う　狂信者の祈りが
冷たい死の香りを　此処に呼び寄せる
隔たれし信仰の中で　求める自由

yamiyo ni tsudou kyoushinsha no inori ga
tsumetai shi no kaori wo koko ni yobiyoseru
hedatareshi shinkou no naka de motomeru jiyuu

The prayers of the zealots assemble in the dark night,
summoned by the smell of cold death
They seek for freedom inside their drifting belief

暗き聖堂に響く　古の賛美歌

kuraki seidou ni hibiku inishie no sanbika

Inside a dark cathedral, an ancient hymn echoes

-　畏れよ、我を　-
人間は欲深く
甘い果実を貪り合う
「白」の戒めを「黒」が蝕み
滅びの歯車が廻る
Ergo memento mori…

- osore yo, ware wo -
ningen wa yokubukaku
amai kajitsu wo musaboriau
"shiro" no imashime wo "kuro" ga mushibami
horobi no haguruma ga mawaru
Ergo memento mori...

- Fear me -
People are full of greed
They crave for the sweet fruit
"Darkness(black)" gnaws at the forbidden side of "Holiness(white)"
The gears of destruction start to turn
'Remember you have to die...'

闇夜に集う　狂信者の祈りが
冷たい死に魅せられ　飲み込まれてゆく
隔たれし信仰の先に　見えた絶望

yamiyo ni tsudou kyoushinsha no inori ga
tsumetai shi ni miserare nomikomareteyuku
hedatareshi shinkou no saki ni mieta zetsubou

The prayers of the zealots assemble in the dark night,
Enchanted by cold death, they are swallowed up
By the despair beyond their drifting belief

暗き聖堂に響く　古の賛美歌

kuraki seidou ni hibiku inishie no sanbika

Inside a dark cathedral, an ancient hymn echoes

Translation notes:
- This is a pretty vague song, it pretty much is a song inside a song.
- 「白」の戒めを「黒」が蝕み
I immediately assumed white connects to purity and black to impurity, hence I immediately translated them as "holiness" and "darkness"