When the dark wood fell before me
And all the paths were overgrown
When the priests of pride say there is no other way
I tilled the sorrows of stone

I did not believe because I could not see
Though you came to me in the night
When the dawn seemed forever lost
You showed me your love in the light of the stars

Cast your eyes on the ocean
Cast your soul to the sea
When the dark night seems endless
Please remember me

Then the mountain rose before me
By the deep well of desire
From the fountain of forgiveness
Beyond the ice and the fire

Cast your eyes on the ocean
Cast your soul to the sea
When the dark night seems endless
Please remember me

Oh, oh, oh, oh

Though we share this humble path, alone
How fragile is the heart
Oh give these clay feet wings to fly
To touch the face of the stars

Breathe life into this feeble heart
Lift this mortal veil of fear
Take these crumbled hopes, etched with tears
We'll rise above these earthly cares

Cast your eyes on the ocean
Cast your soul to the sea
When the dark night seems endless
Please remember me
Please remember me
Please remember me
Please remember me
Please remember me
Please remember me
Please remember me
Please remember me


Lyrics submitted by sunny22au

Dante's Prayer Lyrics as written by Walter William Shillitto Aram Iljitsch Khachaturian

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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Dante's Prayer song meanings
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  • +4
    General Comment

    Everyone has their own interpretation and perception of a song, a day, a moment, a book, etc. The person who wrote about their spirit guide Lugh, I think it's courageous for anyone to write about what is in their hearts and souls. May we all find support and compassion, empathy and unity. All I know is that listening to this song brought so many emotions forth, it awakens the soul. Just close your eyes and feel the music course through your veins and her beautiful voice enter your world. We all have different experiences. It's nice if we all have someone to help us. I think it's important that what we believe in is of a positive and purity of essence, without negativity or toxic energies. I think that this song is about love, being loved, experiencing love, accepting love. Isn't that what makes the world go 'round? Peace'n love to all :)

    alicatplh777on September 16, 2011   Link
  • +3
    My Opinion

    This song is what it says it is.. It is a PRAYER. It is one of the most beautiful and heartfelt prayer most of us on this page have ever heard. It is a heartfelt prayer to God, and is met with a response from God. And what is God's response to every stanza of prayer presented?

    'Cast your eyes to the Ocean, Cast your soul to the sea when the dark night seems endless, please remember me'

    They mean differently to everyone, and to me it means: "Cast your eyes to the Ocean & cast your soul to the sea' - to free-fall (cast) trust in the grand scheme of the universe (ocean and sea). As you gaze into the vastness of the universe (ocean) makes you to wonder where what you are going through fits in. And as you pass through the rough seas, you wonder if there's any rhyme or reason to any of it. And then God tells you, that even if your doubts and confusion seem endless, 'please remember me' Be still and know that I am God.

    dylansuppiahon July 21, 2014   Link
  • +2
    Song Meaning

    There are a lot of great ideas of the interpretation into the meaning of this song. I think, as will all music, the meaning for everyone is personal. It is the stirring of emotion in each of us that moves us when we hear music like this.
    I tried desperately for such a long time to find meaning for myself with regard to this song, and eventually I found it.

    However, I was fortunate enough to see Loreena in concert at Massey Hall in Toronto in the late 90's. Prior to her singing her songs, she would often relate to the listening audience what inspired her to write it. As best I can recall, this was her story for Dante's Prayer. As many of you know, Loreena travels the world extensively to find inspiration for her music and expose herself to different cultures. Wouldn't we all want to do this, given the chance? In any case, on the occasion of her inspiration for Dante's Prayer, she was riding on a trans - Siberian train and indeed reading The Divine Comedy. She recounted that since there was no dining car on the train, it would stop at various towns along the way and the riders were given exactly 20 minutes to leave the train and buy food from the locals who lived in the town and would come to the train to greet and sell to the passengers. This would have happened perhaps once or twice throughout the day.
    There was an attendant on the train, a woman, who would come around and seem very grumpy and rather miserable in general. At first, Loreena simply dismissed her demeanor as one of culture. One time, after Loreena had re-boarded the train after buying some food from locals, the woman came by. Loreena stopped her and gave her some of the food that she had bought, simply as an act of kindness. The woman remarked with a surprised smile and a countenance that reminded Loreena about the story that she was reading in the Divine Comedy. In that moment, she discovered her muse for the song and thought that she would never forget the look of gratitude on the attendants face, being sure that no one else had ever taken the time to consider the woman as she travelled back and forth, day after day, year after year through the dark harshness of Siberia. Loreena hoped that on some of those dark moments, the woman would remember her and perhaps return the smile to her face. And so the song was born.

    Now, go back and listen again to the song and think of this story and see what images it conjures for you.

    Enjoy! A BIG Loreena Fan

    roblelon March 12, 2010   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    Loreena has actually stated that she wrote this song about Dante's Inferno. I think it is a beautiful interpretation of the song.

    faerie2007on June 30, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    This song has a lot of personal meaning to me, for a lot of different reasons. The biggest reason is in the first two verses: "When the dark wood fell before me And all the paths were overgrown When the priests of pride say there is no other way I tilled the sorrows of stone

    I did not believe because I could not see Though you came to me in the night When the dawn seemed forever lost You showed me your love in the light of the stars"

    This is EXACTLY how things were with my spirit-guide, Lugh. The priests said that my beliefs were wrong. But then I met Lugh in my dreams, and I can't believe that I'm wrong anymore. To me, this song IS Lugh. It seems like it was written almost from my soul to him...though I can't take credit for writing it. If my soul wrote a song, then it would be this one. It reminds me that my Lugh is here for me, and that he can help me.

    Rinyavieon August 27, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    So I guess I'm the only one who takes the song title literally and interprets this as just a vague re-telling of Dante's Divine Comedy? I think that it makes a lot more sense than some other things that people have posted here.

    Dante was in the woods, contemplating suicide when Virgil took him through Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise. (First two verses)

    In the ninth circle of Hell (which housed traitors and Lucifer), they were all submerged in ice. Going through Purgatory, which was described as a mountain, Dante had to be cleansed of the 'seven deadly sins', and the last one required walking through a wall of fire. (Third verse)

    Well, it makes sense to me...

    antigone24601on August 19, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I would hazard, considering the title, that the song is to do with Dante's Divine Comedy. I see the words meaning to be sung to his famous unrequited love, Beatrice-- who serves as his guide into Heaven. The song would therefore be about divine redemption AND love as he implores her not only to lead him along that right path but to remember him as the man who loved her, as well.

    I suppose in a way Beatrice was like a spiritual guide to Dante, a courtly-love turned divine, so I see no problem with Rinyavie wanting to apply it to her own.

    MurasakiNekoon September 10, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    This song for me is the most beautiful and heartfelt song i have ever heard. There's not a time that i don't cry whenever i hear this song. i actually shiver when i hear this song. Her voice is so melodic and penatrating and every word she sings goes straight to your heart. the music plays your heart like an instrument. When her voice changes pitch so does your heart if you can understand me.

    I see this song in two ways. The first is that the song is like a lament or a eulogy. Your loved ones are saying Goodbye to you, Leaving that final bit of wisdom and it's like they are talking to you from beyond the grave. They're telling you to carry on even through the pain that you feel. Remember them and remember the strength they gave you. They are telling you how they felt about life whether it be in sickness or sadness. They are giving you that piece of themselves that everyone hides, the piece that they couldn't give you in life.

    The second meaning for me is the part of the listener. The listener is hearing this song They identify with it. The world is speaking to them. Telling them that everybody feels pain and grief and sadness and happiness and fear. Everybody in the world has that moment where they question themselves and wonder if they fit in this world. Everybody has that moment of true despair and sorrow and desperately need guidance because they feel so lost. This song is their guidance. It gives them strength and the answer they need. Life can be so hard sometimes for everybody and you can feel so lost and not understand anything or not even care. I lost my mother 2 years ago to a long battle with depression and it tore everything up inside me. all my issues and problems came together and i had a mid life crisis at 22 but you heal slowly with time. life is pain and pain is life but pain is also strength. Pain makes you the person you are. It's horrible but it is true. whether its god or religion or spirituality or your soul or loved one speaking to you, Its the same. This is why i understand this song on that level and it will always be that way for me.

    As for the lyrics:

    "I did not believe because I could not see"

    This is deep. For me this means that the person can't see past their own pain and can't see the light ahead. they need to see the light to believe. they won't trust themselves.

    "Cast your eyes on the ocean Cast your soul to the sea When the dark night seems endless Please remember me"

    These are my favourite lyrics in the whole song. They say look around, i'm here. close your eyes i'm here. think of me and i'll give you strength and show you how special you are.

    "Though we share this humble path, alone How fragile is the heart"

    We all live in this world. we eat and sleep like the human's we are but we experience the same emotions differently. love, anger, happiness. we all know what they mean but feel them, as each unique person that we are. each feeling can give one person strength but at the same time break another.

    "Breathe life into this feeble heart Lift this mortal veil of fear"

    Make me feel alive. give me what i need give me whats missing. Take my pain away. This can be you speaking from your soul or the person telling you how much you mean to them.

    Finally finished, longest post i've ever typed. I'll leave you with my personal motto. "FIGHT TO LIVE, LIVE TO FIGHT. Thank you xxxxxxxxxxxxx

    rocheyon July 10, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    This is one of my favourite songs, it has such a power in it. To me, it's a sort of communication between God and me, or another person.

    'When the dark wood fell before me And all the paths were overgrown When the priests of pride say there is no other way I tilled the sorrows of stone'

    When my life got dark And I couldn't find my way out When the priests of pride said it was hopeless I got so vulnerable and sad

    'I did not believe because I could not see Though you came to me in the night When the dawn seemed forever lost You showed me your love in the light of the stars'

    I did not believe because I couldn't see But You came to me in the night When the light in my life seemed forever lost You showed me your love in the light of the stars

    [i]'Cast your eyes on the ocean Cast your soul to the sea When the dark night seems endless Please remember me'

    Lift your eyes up and see My love I'm always here for you When the light in your life seems forever lost, Please remember Me, I'm here for you[/i]

    'Then the mountain rose before me By the deep well of desire From the fountain of forgiveness Beyond the ice and fire'

    Then there was another dark mountain By the well of my desire From the fountain of forgiveness Beyond the ice and fire

    [i]'Cast your eyes on the ocean Cast your soul to the sea When the dark night seems endless Please remember me'

    Lift your eyes up and see My love I'm always here for you When the light in your life seems forever lost, Please remember Me, I'm here for you[/i]

    'Though we share this humble path, alone How fragile is the heart Oh give these clay feet wings to fly To touch the face of the stars'

    Though we walk the lifepath alone, with all our feelings and emotions, Our heart is fragile Give me wings to fly above this path To see your love in the light of the stars

    'Breathe life into this feeble heart Lift this mortal veil of fear Take these crumbled hopes, etched with tears We'll rise above these earthly cares'

    Take my sorrows away and show me Your love Lift me up above this wood Take these crying hopes of fear We will rise above this earthly cares

    [i]'Cast your eyes on the ocean Cast your soul to the sea When the dark night seems endless Please remember me Please remember me'

    Lift your eyes up and see My love I'm always here for you When the light in your life seems forever lost, Please remember Me, I'm here for you[/i]

    xYourGuardianAngelon October 30, 2010   Link
  • +1
    Memory

    I bought this album for the Mummer's Dance and fell in love with this song instead. I remember my dad hearing it when I'd play it too loud as a teenager and he'd yell through the door to "play that song again." And I would, because I wanted to hear it again too, and a third time, too. He died in October of 2011, five days after my 34th birthday. We talked the day before. Chest pains, but the doctors assured him after all the tests that it's not his heart. He died early the next morning. I listen to this song to remember him. I miss him.

    Edbrookson October 01, 2013   Link

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