Listener mail
I received the following email inquiry last week, whose answer I thought I'd share with everyone:
The lyrics are indeed in Latin, written by yours truly. Very early on I hit upon the idea of using a chorus for this game's score, in order to give it an sense of epic scope and intensity. Latin was an obvious choice of language because of its universality (and I suspect the producers would have taken a dim view of a war chant in Esperanto). I didn't want to write random words, as is sometimes done. But what text would be suitable? And was it going to be a problem that I didn't know any Latin?
I came up with the idea of an ode sung from the prospective of the countless warriors whom the player will send to gory death. Those knights, marines, grenade-hurlers and so on are doing all the dirty work. Why not let them take the mic?
Approximately translated:
Since the soldiers in the game exhibit unswerving loyalty despite their grim prospects, the old addage from the Roman gladiatorial tradition seemed particularly appropriate. Latin help was provided by a few internet resources, and some fellow bloggers who were Latin enthusiasts.
The easiest place to hear the chorus sing these lyrics is in the game's menu music. I'll be featuring the EE2 score in upcoming weeks in this blog.
I'm always happy to answer questions like this. Keep 'em coming!
I am very interested in knowing more about the overture to the soundtrack for Empire Earth II. The lyrics sound Latin, and I'm wondering if you let me know what the chorus is saying, or where I might be able to find the translation.
The lyrics are indeed in Latin, written by yours truly. Very early on I hit upon the idea of using a chorus for this game's score, in order to give it an sense of epic scope and intensity. Latin was an obvious choice of language because of its universality (and I suspect the producers would have taken a dim view of a war chant in Esperanto). I didn't want to write random words, as is sometimes done. But what text would be suitable? And was it going to be a problem that I didn't know any Latin?
I came up with the idea of an ode sung from the prospective of the countless warriors whom the player will send to gory death. Those knights, marines, grenade-hurlers and so on are doing all the dirty work. Why not let them take the mic?
De profundis, de patriis
Nos vocantem te audimus
Dirige nos contra mundum
Morituri te salutant
Contra mundum, nosmet iube
Morituri te salutant
Approximately translated:
From the depths, from our homelands
We hear you call us
Direct us against the world
Those who are about to die salute you
Against the world, we obey you
Those who are about to die salute you
Since the soldiers in the game exhibit unswerving loyalty despite their grim prospects, the old addage from the Roman gladiatorial tradition seemed particularly appropriate. Latin help was provided by a few internet resources, and some fellow bloggers who were Latin enthusiasts.
The easiest place to hear the chorus sing these lyrics is in the game's menu music. I'll be featuring the EE2 score in upcoming weeks in this blog.
I'm always happy to answer questions like this. Keep 'em coming!
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