Lanternlight – English Lyrics

• By: Nightwish
• Album: Yesterwynde

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the poetic beauty of Finnish and English in Nightwish's "Lanternlight." The song's evocative lyrics about nature and memory offer a beautiful way to learn new vocabulary and explore metaphorical language. Its blend of gentle verses and powerful symphonic moments makes it a unique and moving listening experience, perfect for appreciating the storytelling power of music across languages.

[English]

Gone is the hurt, the wait

Gone is the warmth of day

A stray boat saved

Happy memories engraved

On into a velvety night

Beneath a lantern light

Last night brought the heaviest of snows

Melting the songs of old

Tying the boat, write a new one soon

Sending me to the drowning moon

Far above a lantern light

...

I'm in the light and flood

I'm in the four winds

I'm the waves, shaping pebbles, flawless gems

I am the snow on your palm

I am the secret stream

Moss beneath your feet

I am you who climbed off my back

Not long ago

A sheltered song

In a world now gone

Petrichor

The timeless

...

Turn loose, the swaying boat

...

Meltwater, sound of spring

I hear our song now, sung by the free

For a thousand more tomorrows

Of an incomplete weave

To the meadows, I go

I'll be waiting for you

Once upon a lantern light

...

I walk now toward the trees

I am the secret stream

The night falling at my feet

Into the forest of Yesterwynde

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
hurt /hɜːrt/ B2	noun - physical or emotional pain
warmth /wɔːrmθ/ B2	noun - the quality of being warm
memories /ˈmɛməriz/ A2	noun - things remembered from the past
night /naɪt/ A1	noun - the time of day when it is dark
light /laɪt/ A1	noun - the natural agent that stimulates sight
boat /boʊt/ A1	noun - a small vessel for traveling on water
snow /snoʊ/ A1	noun - frozen precipitation that falls as white flakes
moon /muːn/ A1	noun - the natural satellite of the Earth
forest /ˈfɔːrɪst/ A2	noun - a large area covered chiefly with trees and undergrowth
stream /striːm/ B1	noun - a small, narrow river
swaying /ˈsweɪɪŋ/ B2	verb - to move or cause to move slowly or rhythmically backward and forward or from side to side
waiting /ˈweɪtɪŋ/ A2	verb - to stay in one place until an expected event happens
tomorrows /təˈmɔːroʊz/ B1	noun - the day after today
meadow /ˈmɛdoʊ/ B2	noun - a piece of grassland, especially one used for hay
petrichor /ˈpɛtrɪkɔːr/ C2	noun - the pleasant, earthy smell after rain

Key Grammar Structures

• Gone is the hurt, the wait

  ➔ Inversion (subject-verb inversion)

  ➔ Normally, it would be 'The hurt, the wait is gone.' The inversion, placing 'Gone' at the beginning, adds emphasis and a slightly archaic feel.

• Happy memories engraved

  ➔ Past participle as adjective

  ➔ "Engraved" is the past participle of "engrave" and modifies "memories", acting as an adjective. It's short for "Happy memories that are engraved."

• Last night brought the heaviest of snows

  ➔ Abstract subject

  ➔ "Last night" is used as the subject, but it is not literally performing the action of "bringing". It's an example of giving an abstract or time-related noun a more active role.

• Sending me to the drowning moon

  ➔ Present participle as adjective (drowning)

  ➔ "Drowning" is a present participle describing the state of the "moon". It emphasizes the moon's appearance of being submerged or overwhelmed.

• I'm the waves, shaping pebbles, flawless gems

  ➔ Apposition

  ➔ "Shaping pebbles, flawless gems" acts as apposition to "waves", further describing the waves' action and effect.

• I am you who climbed off my back

  ➔ Relative Clause with "who"

  ➔ "Who climbed off my back" is a relative clause that modifies "you". 'Who' is used because it refers to a person. The clause provides additional information about which 'you' is being referred to.

• I hear our song now, sung by the free

  ➔ Reduced relative clause

  ➔ "Sung by the free" is a reduced relative clause. The full version would be "...our song now, which is sung by the free." The relative pronoun "which" and the verb "is" are omitted for brevity.

• For a thousand more tomorrows

  ➔ Ellipsis (omission of verb)

  ➔ There's an implied verb, likely "waiting" or "hoping", e.g., "For a thousand more tomorrows [of waiting/hoping]." This adds a sense of longing and anticipation.