Elend is a neoclassical darkwave band from France formed in 1993 by compose… Read Full Bio ↴Elend is a neoclassical darkwave band from France formed in 1993 by composers and multi-instrumentalists Iskandar Hasnawi and Renaud Tschirner. The band's name is German for "misery", however "im Elende sein" is also an Old German expression for "to be far away". The music can be described as gothic and orchestral music with post-romanticism undertones, or simply violent neoclassical. They are often classed as a metal act due to the fact that in their earlier days, they were signed to a label that released metal music almost exclusively. In actuality, though their sound has sometimes been very violent, they have never been metal of any form.

In an interview with a French magazine posted in June 2007 on their website, Iskander Hasnawi indicated that the costs and difficulties of recording the orchestral music associated with Elend have made it impossible to continue with the Elend project. Both composers will be continuing with personal projects, including L'Ensemble Orphique.

Official website: www.elend-music.org

Melpomene
Elend Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I looked into the eyes of the Basilisk.

Beside the shores
Of silver streaming sadness to be,
She came to me disguised as Melpomene.
Like asphodels winding through the chasms of Heaven,
We were passing along the waves of the ocean
And slowly reaching the gates of the Sun.

The beams of the night preceding me...
The streams of light preluding you...

The walls were weeping blood
But feverish was our waiting, Love.
You once cherished our embrace
That day the horizon was weeping nights.
The instants of time were running low
And every shape set like bronze
Reminded me of your name.

The shore landscaping your face...
The sea piercing through your eyes...
A sea died with the salt of our tears.

As the scale of a pearl preventing her from being an eye for the Sun,
I am but death and stain within you.
As the foaming quiver of life soiling the surface of ennui,
You are the dream in me.

Surround me with colours I am longing to see
And shadow that light upon me.

Sear me in a sea of snakes.

Overall Meaning

The opening line of "I looked into the eyes of the Basilisk" sets the tone for the sinister and ominous atmosphere present in Elend's song "Melpomene". The basilisk is a mythological creature known for its deadly gaze, and this image is used to symbolize the danger and darkness that the singer has come face-to-face with. The rest of the first stanza describes the singer's encounter with Melpomene, the Greek muse of tragedy, who appears to him disguised in a human form. The imagery of "silver streaming sadness" and "waves of the ocean" adds to the melancholic and somber tone of the song.

As the song progresses, it becomes clear that the singer is caught in a sort of purgatory or limbo, waiting for someone or something that may never come. The reference to "the walls weeping blood" suggests a surreal and macabre environment. The repeated lines "The beams of the night preceding me... The streams of light preluding you..." add to the sense of disorientation and confusion. The singer seems to be trapped between two worlds, unable to move forward or let go of the past.

Overall, "Melpomene" is a haunting and thought-provoking song that explores themes of grief, loss, and the struggle to find meaning in a world that often seems absurd and incomprehensible. The use of mythical and symbolic imagery adds depth and complexity to the lyrics, inviting listeners to interpret the song in their own way.

Line by Line Meaning

Beside the shores Of silver streaming sadness to be, She came to me disguised as Melpomene.
I was beside the sad silver stream shores when Melpomene came to me in disguise. We were passing through the ocean waves and slowly approaching the gates of the Sun, with asphodels winding through the chasms of Heaven.

The beams of the night preceding me... The streams of light preluding you...
You had streams of light preceding you while I had beams of the night preceding me.

The walls were weeping blood But feverish was our waiting, Love. You once cherished our embrace That day the horizon was weeping nights. The instants of time were running low And every shape set like bronze Reminded me of your name.
The walls were bleeding, but our anticipation of meeting each other was intense. There was a day when the horizon was filled with many nights, and that day you cherished our embrace. With the time running out and everything turning bronze, every shape reminded me of your name.

The shore landscaping your face... The sea piercing through your eyes... A sea died with the salt of our tears.
As I looked at the shore, it reminded me of your face, and I could see the sea through your eyes. A sea died with the salt of our tears.

As the scale of a pearl preventing her from being an eye for the Sun, I am but death and stain within you.
I am like a pearl scale that stops the Sun from shining in my eyes, and within you, I am only a mark of death and shame.

As the foaming quiver of life soiling the surface of ennui, You are the dream in me.
You are like a foaming quiver of life making the ennui dirty, and you are the dream that lives within me.

Surround me with colours I am longing to see And shadow that light upon me.
Cover me with the colors I desire and the shadow that enlightens me.

Sear me in a sea of snakes.
Burn me in a sea of snakes.

Contributed by Chase C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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