The Sleeper

Sopor Aeternus, known for their dark, gothic, and melancholic musical style, delivers a hauntingly beautiful piece with 'The Sleeper.' The lyrics, rich in imagery and metaphors, paint a vivid picture of a nocturnal scene filled with mysticism and sorrow. The song opens with the narrator standing beneath a 'mystic moon' at midnight in June, setting a dreamlike and eerie atmosphere. The 'opiate vapor' and 'dewy, dim' exhalations from the moon suggest a sense of lethargy and otherworldliness, as if the entire scene is under a spell.

The song continues to describe a landscape where nature itself seems to be in a state of slumber. The rosemary nods upon a grave, and the lily lolls upon the wave, both wrapped in fog. This imagery evokes a sense of decay and rest, as if the natural world is mourning and at peace simultaneously. The reference to Lethe, the river of forgetfulness in Greek mythology, further deepens the theme of eternal sleep and oblivion. The lake, described as taking a 'conscious slumber,' reinforces the idea that everything in this world is in a state of suspended animation, unwilling to awaken.

As the song progresses, the focus shifts to a sleeping lady, whose 'casement open to the skies' suggests vulnerability and exposure to the night. The 'wanton airs' and 'bodiless airs' that flit through her chamber create a sense of unease and supernatural presence. The narrator questions the lady's strange appearance and solemn silentness, hinting at a deeper, perhaps tragic, backstory. The repeated prayers for her sleep to be deep and lasting, and the wish for her to lie 'for ever with unopened eye,' suggest a longing for eternal peace and escape from the pains of life. The final verses, with their references to sepulchres and family funerals, underscore the themes of death, legacy, and the haunting presence of the past.