Deathspell Omega - Kénôse

Deathspell Omega - Kénôse (2005)

This little EP contains three songs, called I, II and III. All of them contain some Latin fragments , which I want to explain right now. But first, some comments about the title. The ancient greek word kenosis means emptiness and in theological contexts it means the emptying of oneself to be able to accept the divine grace.

Kénôse I - III

si non credideritis, non intellegetis - If you haven't believed, you'll not understand (Isaiah 7.9)

immaculata - the immaculated (female)

res rapta - the/a stolen/ catched thing

res rapienda - a thing that has to be stolen/ catched

in visceribus - in the entrails

et vestitus erat veste aspersa sanguine - And he was clothed with a garment sprinkled with blood (Rev. 19,13)

in abstracto - in abstract

ecce lignum crucis in quo salus mundi pependit - see the wood of the cross in which the salvation of the world hung (which is a call to the worship of the cross on Good Friday)

thesaurus ecclesiae - the treasure of the church

sanctorum communionem - the community of the saints

Et proiectus est draco ille magnus serpens antiquus qui vocatur Diabolus et Satanas qui seducit universum orbem proiectus est in terram et angeli eius cum illo missi sunt
(Revelation 12,9) - And the great dragon was cast out that old serpent called the Devil and Satan which deceiveth the whole world he was cast out into the earth and his angels were cast out with him

consummatum est - it is completed

There are some German words as well, maybe you are interested in their meaning as well:

Du wirfst mich in den Moderstaub des Todes - you throw me into the musty dust of death

Qual und Tod bringt dieser Sarg, der ihn bestürmt, sein Herz zerreißt, Sinne zerstört - agony and death brings this coffin which besieges him, tears his heart into pieces, destroys senses


The saying lamma sabacthani is the cry of Jesus and means why hast thou forsaken me?

Deathspell Omega - Si monumentum requires, circumspice

Deathspell Omega - Si monumentum requires, circumspice (2004)

Little more work to do. I don't know why I didn't write about the older DSO album before - it's full of latin phrases. So here we go:

The album's title means: If you are looking for a/the monument, look around you. I think it would have been better to use "requiris" instead of "requires". While "requiris" is present tense, "requires" is future tense and in a conditional sentence ("if...") there is no need for a future form.
So, the correct translation is: If you gonna need a/the monument, look around you.

~ First Prayer ~

Omnis humana cogitatio in fundamentis putrefactionis conditur, quam ecclesia Domini nostri ei praeposuit. - Every human consideration/ thought/ plan is based upon the fundaments of putrefaction, which the church of our Lord gave him. - Well written, without any mistake.

~ Sola fide II ~

In this song, he sings the phrase Sola Fide. Sola Deo Infernali Gloria several times. It means: Just in faith. Just (in) the glory for the infernal God. While the form "fide" is just ablative case, a case used to answer the questions when?, how?, because of what?, where? by what?, the form "sola gloria" can be nominative (who?) as well as ablative case.

~ Second prayer ~

Ita est putrefactio Dei similes, sive materialis substantia spiritus Domini in orbe terrarum. - This is how the putrefaction of God is [similar], or the material substance of the Lord's holy ghost on earth.
I'm wondering at the form "similes", which is nominative/accusative plural masculine. There is no other word in this phrase to which "similes" can correspond. Maybe the band wanted to say: Ita est putrefactio Dei similis, ... which means This is how the similiar putrefaction of God is, ... or This is how the putrefaction of the similar God is, ...

~ Hétoimasia ~

This ancient greek word ("preparation") refers to the empty throne of Christ which is prepared for his second coming. The wiki-article obout hetoimasia tells you more about this symbol.

~ Odium nostrum ~

This album title is plurivalent. "odium" means "hatred". "Nostrum" can be an adjective refering to "odium", so the correct translation is our hatred. It can also be a genitive plural form, and if so, the genitive refers to the one who feels the hatred ("our hatred" again) as well as to the one who is hated ("the hate against us").

Every latin student hates this phenomenon... Or does every phenomenon hate latin students? I'm not sure, but I think I know quite well whom the mysterious guys from DSO hate.

Annotation: The album's title might be inspired by the inscription of Christopher Wren, who was the architect of St' Pauls Cathedral in London. He was buried there as well and the latin inscpription (link to a picture which I found in Dave Etzold's blog) says: Underneath lies buried the architect of this church and this city, Christopher Wren, who lived almost 90 years, not for himself, but for public wellfare. Reader, if you search a/his monument, look around.

Deathspell Omega - Paracletus

Deathspell Omega - Paracletus (2010)

Deathspell Omega calls again and for sure it's gonna be a bouquet of sophisticated, philosophic and religious thoughts - written down in english, french, latin and ancient greek. So here is my little help:

~ Paracletus ~

The album's title comes from the ancient greek word "paráklêtos" (literally: "he who was called" or "he who was send for") and means "advocate, helper". The latin form "paracletus" was often used in the Bible and in other religions.

~ Epiklesis I + II ~

the ancient greek word "epíklêsis" means "sobriquet" or , in greek texts of christian times, "invocation". In Epiklesis I and II, there is one latin line: Vestigia nulla retrorsum - no footprints backwards.

~ Wings of Predation ~

De profundis clamavi ad te, Domine is the opening line of Psalm 130 an means: Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.

~ Abscission ~

Implemini Spiritu Sancto - we are filled with the holy Ghost.

~ Dearth ~

Eritis sicut dii - you'll be like (the) Gods.

~ Phosphene ~

Ignis ardens - burning fire

~ Have you beheld the Fevers? ~

Nihil videt et omnia videt - he sees nothing and sees everything.

~ Apokatastasis Pantôn ~

The song's title again is ancient greek: "apokatástasis" means "reconstruction, rebuilding", but in the New Testament the phrase "apokatástasis pantôn" means "recreation of the universe" (literally: recreation of everything).

Finally, I doff my head to Deathspell Omega for using some fine phrases without making any mistake. Tomorrow, I'm surely going to doff my head again - after I'll have listened to their new record.

Deathspell Omega - Obombration

Deathspell Omega - Obombration - Fas - Ite, Maledicti, in Ignem Aeternum (2007)

First of all, the album's title means: divine law - go, you dispraised, into eternal fire.

The two songs "Obombration", which frame the whole album, contain Latin as well as ancient Greek words:

Hagios ho Theos, Sanctus Deus
Hagios Ischyros, Sanctus Fortis
Deus, judica me...
ut quid, Domine, recessisti longe?
Judica me... perinde ac cadaver

Deus, judica me
... et factus est sudor eius sicut guttae sanguinis decurrentis in terram.
Domine, in pulverem mortis deduxisti me
perinde ac cadaver.

holy God, holy God
Holy Power, holy Power
God, judge me
(as what), Lord, did you recede (such a long distance)?
Judge me... just as a cadaver.

 "Perinde ac cadaver" are words written by Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits. He wanted to express the necessity of unquestioning obedience to the superior in the Jesuit's order.

God, judge me
... and his sweat was made as drops of blood running down to earth.
Lord, into the dust of death you guided me
just as a cadaver.

I didn't understand the meaning of the words in parentheses: "ut" is a conjunction which means "for that, so that, like, as soon as"; "quid" is a interrogative pronoun: "what?". The adverb "longe" means "a long distance" - whereas "diu" means "a long time" - maybe that's what the band wanted to express.
PS: Some day I got an advice from XB who told me that the band took the phrase from Psalm 10. It means Why, O Lord, do you stand far off? The psalm is written in Vulgar Latin, used in the late Roman Empire an early Medieval times - while I normally have the Classical Latin's grammar rules in mind, when I translate these texts. My mistake... thanx a lot, France!

The words "hagios ho theos" and "hagios ischyros" are ancient Greek.