"Thunder Rolls" (雷光雷鳴 〜蛮神ラムウ討滅戦〜, Raikō Raimei ~Banshin Ramū Tōmetsusen~?, lit. Thunder Rolls ~Savage God Ramuh Showdown~) is a boss theme from Final Fantasy XIV for the primal Ramuh, Lord of Levin.
It was composed by Masayoshi Soken, with the lyrics written by Michael-Christopher Koji Fox and the vocals performed by Akane Ikeya.
Lyrics
A full transcript of the lyrics were posted on the Final Fantasy XIV Developers' Blog on July 11, 2014.[1][2]
The first stanza is written in Old High Sylphic, with an adapted Eorzean translation to the right.
- English
- 【Old High Sylphic】
- Ula menida tula oh (Hoary Arbor, Lord of Light)
- Tela omnida tula ei (Thine advent quelleth creeping night)
- Ona ramuhda deme os (The wicked burn, their pyres bright)
- Nola tulama tela ei (Smote by Levin's blinding might)
- Soul without a name, heed my call
- Sin doth stain the hearts of us all
- The worm hath burrowed deep and hath grown
- Soon he too shall reap what is sown
- Step into the storm, know its mercy
- Let the wind and the rain crash down over thee
- Lightning bright, thunder bold
- Guiding us forevermore
- Soul fallen from grace, ware thee well
- Judgment thou must face, thine own hell
- The worm stirreth within, black as night
- Breeding deeper sin, foul its blight
- Soul, thine end is nigh. Take mine hand
- All life must return to the land
- Lingered hath the worm, overlong
- Purge thy flesh of fear and be strong
- Step in from the storm, praise its mercy
- Let the sting of the rain ne'er stray far from thee
- Lightning bright, thunder bold
- Freeing us forevermore
- Now lift thine heavy head and vanquish thy sorrow
- Lightning doth strike
- Thunder doth roll
- Now turn thy gaze ahead and look to the morrow
- Lightning shall strike
- Thunder shall roll on
- Japanese translation
- 【古シルフ語】
- ウラ・メニダ トゥラ・オ （森の古老 光の主）
- テラ・オムニダ トゥラ・エイ （降りたまえ 光の神）
- オナ・ラムウダ デメ・オス （雷神ラムウよ 守護と調停を）
- ノラ・トゥラマ テラ・エイ （厳正なる裁き降す 大いなる神）
- 名も無き魂よ 我が呼び声を聞き賜え
- 我ら皆 罪深き者なり
- 「悪しき蟲」心中に入りて 育ちゆく
- しかして必ずや 裁きの時来たらん
- 嵐の内に進みて 慈悲を知る
- 雨と風とが全てを洗い流さん
- 雷光奔り 雷鳴轟く
- 常しえに我らを導いてゆく
- 堕落せし魂よ 留意せよ
- 裁きを受け入れねば さらに堕ちゆく
- 「悪しき蟲」心中にて蠢く 其れは闇夜の如く
- 更なる罪を育む 其れは毒の如く
- 魂よ 終焉の時は近し さあ 我が手を取れ
- 全ての命は やがて大地に還る
- 「悪しき蟲」に蝕まれ 長き時が過ぎた
- 恐れることはない 身の内より その恐怖を払う時が来たのだ
- さあ 嵐の内より進みて 慈悲を言祝げ
- 雨に打たれしその痛み 忘れることなく
- 雷光奔り 雷鳴轟く
- 常しえに我らを解き放つ
- さあ 重き
頭 上げ 悲嘆を払え - 雷光奔り 雷鳴轟く
- さあ 我より視線離し 明日を見上げよ
- 雷光奔り 雷鳴轟き続けん
Game appearances
Final Fantasy XIV
This song plays during the confrontation with Ramuh at 
The Striking Tree (Hard) and The Striking Tree (Extreme).
It is track 23 on the Before the Fall: Final Fantasy XIV Original Soundtrack.
Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers
A new arrangement of "Thunder Rolls" by Takafumi Imamura, titled "Twice Stricken" (雷轟電撃 〜希望の園エデン：共鳴編〜, Raigō Dengeki ~Kibō no Sono Eden: Kyōmei-hen~?, lit. Thunder Roars Electric Shock ~Garden of Hope Eden: Resonance~), plays in 
Eden's Verse: Fulmination and Eden's Verse: Fulmination (Savage).
"Twice Stricken" is track 1 on the Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers - EP digital mini album and track 27 on the Death Unto Dawn: Final Fantasy XIV Original Soundtrack.
Arrangement album appearances
Final Fantasy XIV: From Astral to Umbral Arrangement Album
A band arrangement of "Thunder Rolls" performed by The Primals appears on this album, with vocals provided by Akane Ikeya. It was arranged by Soken and GUNN.
The Primals
An arrangement of "Thunder Rolls" appears on The Primals' debut album.
Pulse: Final Fantasy XIV Remix Album
A remix of "Thunder Rolls" arranged by Daiki Ishikawa appears on this album. The vocals were provided by Akane Ikeya.
Live performances
The Primals: Zepp Tour 2018 - Trial By Shadow
"Thunder Rolls" was performed by The Primals in a live concert.
Compilation album appearances
Untempered: Final Fantasy XIV Primal Battle Themes
"Thunder Rolls" is track 16 of disc 1 on the album.
Final Fantasy XIV - The Best
"Thunder Rolls" is track 41 on the album.
Time and Again 2: Final Fantasy XIV Raid Dungeon Themes
"Twice Stricken" is track 5 of disc 2 on the album.
Behind the scenes
Koji Fox posted on the forums explaining Old High Sylphic (OHS) and the lyrics. OHS was created before the launch of the original Final Fantasy XIV but was never used. When Soken asked Koji Fox for the lyrics of "Thunder Rolls", Koji Fox asked for a stanza to be in OHS which Soken agreed to.[3]
The Eorzean (English) translation in the lyrics was made to "fit the melody/available syllable count, as well as rhyme". A more literal translation would be the following:
- The burning of (ula) fire (meni) is (-da) bright (tula) because (oh)
- The quelling of (tela) the wicked (omni) is (-da) lightning (tula) the reason (ei)
- - (tula ei -> caused by lightning)
- The coming/arrival of (ona) Levinlord (ramuh) who is (-da) old tree (deme) also (os)
- The slow moving of (nola) light (tula)'s opposite is (-ma) quelling of (tela)'s reason (ei)
- - (tulama -> night)
- - (tela ei -> is quelled because of the coming of the Levinlord)
So:
- The fires burn bright because
- The wicked have been smote by lightning
- The Lord of Levin's—the old tree's—arrival
- Is the reason that the creeping night is quelled
Etymology
Thunder is the sound caused by lightning. Depending on the distance and nature of the lightning, thunder can range from a sharp, loud crack to a long, low rumble (brontide).