To the Edge

"To the Edge"

"To the Edge" is the final boss theme of patch 5.3 in Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers, composed and arranged by Masayoshi Soken, with lyrics written by Michael-Christopher Koji Fox and vocals by Jason Charles Miller. The lyric concept was conceived by Natsuko Ishikawa.

Game appearances

Final Fantasy XIV

Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers

In Reflections in Crystal, "To the Edge" plays in the final boss battle against Elidibus as a primal form of the legendary Warrior of Light in The Seat of Sacrifice.

Composition

"To the Edge" features a portion of "Shadowbringers" and is an arrangement of "'Neath Dark Waters", the theme of Amaurot, which in turn shares the same motif as the themes of the Tempest ("Full Fathom Five") and Amaurot ("Mortal Instants"). The song is written in common time, and its instrumentation mainly consists of electric guitar and percussion; the latter provides a metronomic effect.

According to Final Fantasy XIV Community Team member Sicycre, the lyrics of "To the Edge" refer to the characters present at the Seat of Sacrifice (Elidibus, Emet-Selch, Azem, and the Warrior of Darkness), describing them as "those who became incapable of bringing things to an end, and those who arrived to bring closure." As such, "To the Edge" can both be interpreted as a description of the Final Days of Amaurot, and as a description of the loss of memories that Emet-Selch and Elidibus experienced in immortality. As with most songs which refer to Azem, "To the Edge" alludes to "amber", or more precisely "Death's amber embrace".

The album Scions & Sinners: Final Fantasy XIV ~Arrangement Album~ is named in honor of the quote "Deep inside we're nothing more / Than scions and sinners" from "To the Edge".

Lyrics

The official lyrics do not include the italicized lyrics, which are either taken from "Shadowbringers" or from a previous stanza.

The lyrics were translated into Japanese by Natsuko Ishikawa.

English

One brings shadow, one brings light

Two-toned echoes tumbling through time

Threescore wasted, ten cast aside

Four-fold knowing, no end in sight

One brings shadow, one brings light

Two-toned echoes tumbling through time

Threescore wasted, ten cast aside

Four-fold knowing, no end in sight

All our splendour bathed black in silence

Our surrender a sombre reverie

Slowly drifting down into twilight

Left to sifting through faded memories

Know our places, for worth is wordless

Evanescent, this writing on the wall

Brother stay this descent to madness

Come and save us. Catch us before we fall

Riding home

Riding home

Finding hope

Don't lose hope

Like broken angels, wingless, cast from heavens' gates

(Our slumb'ring demons awake)

We only fly when falling, falling far from grace

(Hell take us, heaven can wait)

Our lives a message in a bottle cast to sea

(Disgrace untold and unseen)

Quick to their ends, our candles burn until we're free

In monochrome melodies

Our tears are painted in red

(Bleeding to the edge)

Deep inside we're nothing more

Than scions and sinners

In the rain

Do light and darkness fade

Yes, time circles endlessly

The hands of fate trained ahead

(Pointing to the edge)

All things change, drawn to the flame

To rise from the ashes.

To begin

We first must see the end

One brings shadow, one brings light

Two-toned echoes tumbling through time

Threescore wasted, ten cast aside

Four-fold knowing, no end in sight

One brings shadow, one brings light

Two-toned echoes tumbling through time

Threescore wasted, ten cast aside

Four-fold knowing, no end in sight

Rock of ages, we cast the first stone

In our cages, we know not what we do

Indecision here at the crossroads

Recognition, tomorrow's come too soon

Follow blindly like lambs to slaughter

At the mercy of those who ply the sword

As our song wends dead underwater

We're forgotten for now and evermore

Riding home

Riding home

Finding hope

Don't lose hope

Without a compass wand'ring lost in lies of faith

(Faith slowly wasting away)

Only alive in fighting Death's amber embrace

(Our hearts beat loud, unafraid)

On Hands and knees we pray to gods we've never seen

(Come shadow, come follow me)

The final hour upon us, no more time to breathe

In monochrome melodies

Our tears are painted in red

(Bleeding to the edge)

Deep inside we're nothing more

Than scions and sinners

In the rain

Do light and darkness fade

Yes, time circles endlessly

The hands of fate trained ahead

(Pointing to the edge)

All things change, drawn to the flame

To rise from the ashes.

To begin

We first must see the end

Japanese translation

我らの栄華は黒き静寂に浴し

屈することさえ叶わぬ夢

ゆっくりと黄昏へ漂う

色あせた記憶を選り分けながら

身の程を知れ、価値は言葉になりはしない

重大な兆しほど、儚く消えてしまうものなのだから

同胞よ、狂気への転落を止めてくれ

我らを救い、落ちる前に捕まえてほしい

堕天せし者のように羽をもがれ、楽園から追放された

（我らの内に眠れる過ちが目を覚ます）

落ちゆくときしか飛べず、恩寵から遠ざかる

（地獄よ、歓迎したまえ。幸福は後回しでいい）

我らの人生は寄る辺なく、海を漂う瓶詰の手紙にも似て

（計り知れぬほどの不道を犯したのだ）

いつか解き放たれるまで、この魂は業火に焼かれる

――色のない旋律の中に

互いの涙が赤で描かれる

（端まで滲んでいく）

結局のところ、お前も自分も

罪を抱いた、一端の人にすぎない

滴る雫の中でなら

光と闇も混ざり合うだろう

――そう、時は終わりなく巡っていく

運命の針はただ真っ直ぐに

（刻限を指し示す）

その炎に呑まれ、すべては変わる

灰の中から再び生まれ来るために

始めるにはまず

終わりに辿り着かねばならない

揺らがぬものには真っ先に石を投げるが

籠に入れば、何をすべきか見当もつかない

岐路においては優柔不断

明日はもう目前だと、手遅れになって気づく

結末も知らぬまま大人しく従い

剣を持つ者に翻弄される人々よ

我らの歌が水底で死んでいくように

かつての人は忘れられるのだろう、永遠に

羅針盤はなく、すがった嘘の内で彷徨う

（本当の心はゆっくりと薄れていく）

琥珀のような死の抱擁に抗うときのみ、生を知る

（恐れはない、鼓動は高まっている）

手足をついて、見たこともない神に祈りを

（降りて従え、我が影よ）

息をする間さえなく、今、最後の時が来る

Behind the scenes

"To the Edge" was written during Masayoshi Soken's stint in hospital in 2020, while undergoing treatment for cancer.

Referring to the composition of "To the Edge", Jason Charles Miller said that "Soken is indeed a genius and I'm super grateful to work with him!"