At the brink of Hell an island swims in lakes of fire by the darkened plains
Deserted and dead it declares its place
By spewing it's magma like blood from its veins and covering the island
In a black, poisonous haze
This was the first spot where the angel Lucifer set his foot
And claimed and declared this view as his home
He came from the north, and alone was he not
But joined by the followers from the roads he had roamed
Here he set his haven. Here where angels die
Here he baptise the newcomers in fire. On the Devil's own Sinai.
[Female]
"Sinai roars as your frail brittle bones viciously torn, mutilated and
scorched.
Bleeding lava pulsating like blood, 'neath your skin as it withers and
burns"
Still the damned gather here to hail
Amidst burning smoke beneath black skies
Hellhounds bark at the northern pale view...
This is the common abyss for all alike
Where the red, melted stone fl ow a scorching river
Into the day in north, and in south... the night.
And here (Here you are) on the outstretching fields (On Elysium grounds)
Far away (Far away from life). God (God) is out of reach
Here they gather to spit and curse and bark
From the south of heaven where angels are told
Not to approach nor to look nor to set foot
Where the truth of Armageddon will unfold
Here they sacrifice the captured saints .
Here is where the torture awaits
Here is where you abandon your faith.
On the Devil's own Sinai...
They wait and wail in ghastly pain
While digging deep inside, insane.
Inflict a wound you heal in vain
As blood pours black from pierced veins
They crush and cut, the dark stone stained
A ribcage opens, a hole that frames
A soul unstained and struggling sane
Beneath the burning rain ...
...cast into the fields of evil pleasure.
Discovering the abyss' deepest hidden treasure
Bending borders of emotional measure
Cast far into the fields of evil pleasure...
[Solo]
It's always been there, and forever it will
Stay untouched by the tooth of time
Standing with majestic intimidation
Bat-winged creatures surrounding its peak,
High above Hell they all fly
Forever screaming in demonic celebration
And here (Here you are) on the outstretching fields (On Elysium grounds)
Cast into the fields (Cast into the fields) of evil pleasure
Forever (Forever) awaiting only to (die)
[Cast into fields of evil pleasure - Comments]
[If you can imagine a spot in between worlds where one side describes the positive (yin, summer, daytime) and the other describes the opposite. We take the basic elements: Heaven and Hell. Then you imagine that the hordes of Hell have conquered this spot, and that from here they can see Heaven again, but don't really dare to go any further. This was the borderline, and now they are standing closer than ever, maybe to break loose on Heaven's green fields, maybe ready to stay on stand-by forever.]
[I think the idea of the song was just to make the borderland, but then I tended to fill it up with all kinds of nasty figures. ("Here they sacrifice the captured saints, here is where the torture awaits, here is where you abandon faith: The Devil's own Sinai"). I liked the idea of the Devil's Own Sinai, and if I was the Devil and wanted to poke God in the ribs by making my own Sinai, where would I build it but the brink of Heaven, just to say: "Yeah? Well look what I've got!". But I think my favourite line in this song must be " This is the common abyss for all alike, Where red melted stone flow a scorching river, Into the day in north, and in south; the night." I kind of like that image.]
[And here, while being poked in your guts, you can still see Heaven shining north of where you lie strapped down. Quite depressing, huh?]
[- Narrenschiff]