While searching for the story behind the lyrics, we sometimes come across extraordinary tales to be told.
This occurred once more when we came in contact with Mephorash, where Mashkelah M’ralaa explains and analyzes the story behind their EP.
There is no need for more comments, so it is time to dive into the narration of the meaning of “Sfaíra Ti̱s Fo̱tiás” lyrics.
***
Narration by Mashkelah M’ralaa
The EP album “Sfaíra Ti̱s Fo̱tiás” is a form of analogy-based storytelling divided into two chapters.
Through the use of metaphorical symbolism and mythological references, tell an evolutionary story of Mephorash’s uprising through a myriad of hardships, spanning from musical evolution to an enormous change in spiritual influence and overall philosophy.
This is our signifying of an important milestone and our “Phoenix rebirth” if you will.
The Hendecasyllabics of Death
1.Moribunda Vivi
Papë Satan
This first part of the first track starts off with ”Moribunda,
Vivi” (meaning “Dying, Living”), a reference made in the Spanish language.
To start this whole journey off through a subtle hymn to the Mexican worship of Santa Muerte.
This is mainly due to this whole EP being solely focused on the process of death and its following state of “rebirth”.
Through an almost saintlike process of ascension.
This is also then later followed by the phrase “Papë Satan” being a hymn of unknown meaning.
Uttered by the figure Plutus in the Divine comedy “Inferno, Canto VII.”
I chose this quote due to its mysterious and hidden actual meaning, other than it being some kind of invocation to the devil.
Thus keeping the symbolism’s first part ready for “entering” as seen in the next phrase.
2.Come see the gate of the void is now opened
Let me guide you into the fire, let us scourge our souls into ash
Here we get our first metaphorical structure, built upon the concept of something referred to as “Hendecasyllabic”.
This is the term given to a poetic verse that is perfectly structured upon a system of 11 syllables.
In something that could almost be likened to a longer variant of a Haiku poem.
Through this structure, I chose to build a symbolic order of 11 words to formally invoke the “order of death” through its numerical counterpart.
(this also resting upon a paradox in that the number 11 in Hebrew Kabbalah is the number of chaos as apart from 10, the ordered number of the spheres on the ”tree of life” Etz haChayim (ץע םייחה) or Sephiroth as they are more commonly referred to as)
This sentence, however, is not only a symbolic easter egg but also the first line of mythological backstory to what this whole EP is about.
It is, along with the rest of the lyrics to come also heavily inspired by the Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri and his descent into Hell (Inferno)
3.Let me show ye a path of enlightenment
Let me show ye the white darkness
Here, with this invitation of enlightenment, I, the vocalist, invite you, like Dante’s guide in the Divine comedy ”Virgil” (the spirit of an ancient greek poet) invites him to follow him into the dark abyss of hell.
To experience the descent down into darkness in order to, after reaching the bottom, being able to see every following step as a path of ascension or enlightenment if you will.
This plays in to the aforementioned similarity in showcasing how Mephorash, at the point of this release, had multiple hardships and things falling apart.
Both in the success of the musical aspect as well as the personal life of the main members.
This, simply put, is a nudge towards the old saying
“When you hit rock bottom, the only way to go is up”
4.For as we enter this circle you will no longer know what’s behind and ahead, you will leap and you will die.
Here we face the threshold of the abyss and the sacrifice of the old ways.
The plunge into the abyss and the leaving behind of previous notions of reality.
This line refers to both the quote from the third canto: “Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch’intrate“ or as it is more commonly known “Abandon all hope ye who enters” – into the first “ring of hell” and also to our own dedication into the circle of people we (Mashkelah M’ralaa and Mishbar Bovmeph, the founders of Mephorash) entrust our highly valued passion to.
We take the leap of faith into the new and unknown and die as we the ones we were, only to arise as something new.