The Prophecy
Opera IX Lyrics


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My name is no-one and a thousand, but the old sages crowned me Queen Mother
I am the breath you can hear among the leaves of the trees
My sap emerges from the deep lakes flowing into the rivers and into the immense oceans
My blood, hot and violent, cleaves the grounding a blazing trail left by a fire dragon
Dark and deep is my womb where I generate any form of life
Here, the ancient learned to receive the old supreme art
I have created sprites and guardians, fools and sages to defend my original power
Hidden in a language written on stone shapes and symbols
Many where the children who worshipped my thousand faces with honour and respect
And I, good and terrible, fed them at my sacred springs with water and dragon's flash
Now I'm dying and so are all my faithful servants that men called Gods of Pagos
Now, the power of the only god hangs over me
And worse my fate will be if they forget about me
And with me the most ancient legend carried on by purest emotions will end
Follow the ancient path and don't turn to the false light
Raise your arms to heaven and you'll be protected
Let the spirit walk with your body and draw the cross in the circle
Abandon the sufferings that belong to your false nature
Love me and I will love you
Hate me and I will devour you
Descent into my crypts where the darkness of life reigns
And nourish the eternal sacred flame
Defend your brother tree and your sister stone because their lives are mine




Follow the snakes' trail
Because it will lead to me

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of the song 'The Prophecy' by Opera IX tells the story of a powerful and ancient goddess whose power and influence is waning and whose legends and faithful servants are all but forgotten. The goddess, known by many names but referred to as 'Queen Mother', is the embodiment of nature and the elements. She is the breath in the winds, the water in the oceans and the fire in the dragons. She is the creator of life and of the universe itself, having given birth to sprites, guardians, fools and sages who defend her original power.


The goddess laments her decline and the fading of her legends and faithful servants, who were worshipped by men as Gods of Pagos. She warns her followers not to turn to the false light of the new god and instead, urges them to follow the ancient path and the snakes' trail which will lead them back to her. She invites them to love her and be protected or to hate her and be devoured. She urges them to descend into her crypts and nourish the eternal sacred flame and to defend their brother tree and sister stone.


The lyrics of 'The Prophecy' are powerful and evocative, calling to the pagan and nature-loving side of its listeners. It is a lamentation of a bygone era and a warning for the present and the future.


Line by Line Meaning

My name is no-one and a thousand, but the old sages crowned me Queen Mother
I am known by many names but the wise elders have given me the title of Queen Mother


I am the breath you can hear among the leaves of the trees
The rustling of the leaves when the wind blows is my breath


My sap emerges from the deep lakes flowing into the rivers and into the immense oceans
My life force comes from the lakes that feed the rivers and eventually the vast oceans


My blood, hot and violent, cleaves the grounding a blazing trail left by a fire dragon
My fiercely passionate energy creates a path that burns with the intensity of a dragon's fire


Dark and deep is my womb where I generate any form of life
Deep within me lies the ability to create and give birth to any living thing


Here, the ancient learned to receive the old supreme art
In my presence, the wise have learned the ancient art of ultimate power


I have created sprites and guardians, fools and sages to defend my original power
I have crafted and summoned beings to uphold the original and pure power that stems from me


Hidden in a language written on stone shapes and symbols
The secrets of my power are concealed in the language crafted in stone shapes and symbols


Many where the children who worshipped my thousand faces with honour and respect
Many were the followers who revered my numerous forms with devotion and honor


And I, good and terrible, fed them at my sacred springs with water and dragon's flash
As both a benevolent and fearsome figure, I nourished my devotees with the water from my sacred springs and the fire of dragons


Now I'm dying and so are all my faithful servants that men called Gods of Pagos
As I fade, so do my loyal followers who were once known as the Gods of Pagos


Now, the power of the only god hangs over me
The power of the sole deity looms over me


And worse my fate will be if they forget about me
My fate is even more bleak if I am forgotten


And with me the most ancient legend carried on by purest emotions will end
As I perish, the oldest tale told through the purest emotions will come to an end


Follow the ancient path and don't turn to the false light
Stay on the ancient path and avoid the deception of the false light


Raise your arms to heaven and you'll be protected
Offer yourself up to the heavens and receive divine protection


Let the spirit walk with your body and draw the cross in the circle
Allow your spirit and body to become one and draw the cross within the circle


Abandon the sufferings that belong to your false nature
Release yourself from the pain that stems from your false nature


Love me and I will love you
If you love and honor me, I will reciprocate the sentiment


Hate me and I will devour you
If you despise and hate me, I will destroy you completely


Descent into my crypts where the darkness of life reigns
Explore my crypts where the darkness of existence holds sway


And nourish the eternal sacred flame
Sustain the immortal and holy flame


Defend your brother tree and your sister stone because their lives are mine
Protect your fellow trees and stones because their lives are inextricably tied to mine


Follow the snakes' trail
Track the winding path of the serpents, which will lead you to me




Contributed by Grace E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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