New Years Poem 2017

HERE WE GO AGAIN, GANG! OP will be updated from now until it's "done".

As always, translations are amateur and unpolished.
Please suggest better translations if you spot anything that seems amiss. It can only help the final interpretations.

ENGLISH

Look ye where the sun doth rise,
See crimson embers, dark'ning skies,
Look ye where the sun doth fall,
See azure lost amidst the squall.

JAPANESE

日出ずる場所にて生まれし
Born at the place where the sun rises

紅き輝き烈火となりて
The crimson light becomes a raging fire

日沈む場所にて生まれし
Born at the place where the sun sets

蒼き輝きを喰らわん
The azure light is consumed

GERMAN

Wo die Sonne ihren Lauf beginnt
Where the sun's drift begins

Blitzt Scharlachrot und lodert hoch zur Flamme auf
Scarlet flashes and becomes blazing flame

Bis leuchtendes Azur es niederringt
Until the shining Azure subdues it
Why is this the only language where Azure is saving the day rather than being at risk?

Azur vom End' des Sonnenlaufs
Azure from the end of the Sun's drift

FRENCH

L'ètincelle rougeoyante du levant
The reddening spark of (the) rising (sun)

  s'enflamme soudainement
  ignites suddenly

Menaçant de consumer
Threatening to consume

  la lueur bleutèe du couchant
  the blue glow of (the) setting (sun)

SIMPLE ENGLISH COMBINATION
A spark causes tensions to erupt into conflict to the East. [Theme: Crimson]
This conflict threatens to consume the West. [Theme: Azure]

NOSTRADAMOOSE GUESSWORK
Ala Mhigo is a powderkeg; when it blows, Ishgard (alt. Eorzea in general, or something related to the sea) will be dragged into it.

(Flames as the theme for all things Ala Mhigan confict again...)
I will not mention Gaius van Baelsar. I will not mention Gaius van Baelsar. I will not mention Gaius van Baelsar. I will not mention Gaius van Baelsar.
I will not mention Gaius van Baelsar. I will not mention Gaius van Baelsar. I will not mention Gaius van Baelsar. I will not mention Gaius van Baelsar.
I will not mention Gaius van Baelsar. I will not mention Gaius van Baelsar. I will not mention Gaius van Baelsar. I will not mention Gaius van Baelsar.

Griffon does something *really* stupid that brings us to Ala Mihgo. Something that causes the Garleans to respond, bringing a fast and furious war, which threatens to undo the peace we've fought for. Could he successfully summon a Primal to attack the city?

IDK, I feel like Azure is specifically about Ishgard, rather than Eorzea as a whole (at least in the beginning); now is this referring to a conflict that overshadows the end of the Dragonsong War, or a conflict that threatens to drag Ishgard into it and destruction?

Flames are red, azure is a shade of blue. Red Mage has been revealed. Blue Mage confirmed! :D

All right, jokes aside, I'll raise the suggestion that "azure" in this case could be a reference to the Warrior of Light, given that his or her aether is "blue". That makes the prophecy quite ominous, as it'll appear to say that the WoL is gonna get a hurt real bad.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TinyRedLeaf

Flames are red, azure is a shade of blue. Red Mage has been revealed. Blue Mage confirmed! :D

All right, jokes aside, I'll raise the suggestion that "azure" in this case could be a reference to the Warrior of Light, given that his or her aether is "blue". That makes the prophecy quite ominous, as it'll appear to say that the WoL is gonna get a hurt real bad.

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The warrior of lights first crystal of light is the water elemental one as well!

The flames of war are being stoked in the East (Ala Mhigo), and it's going to threaten to consume Eorzea.

Seems pretty straightforward. Usually is.

I agree with you Cilia. Also unlike previous New Years' Poems this one was not from 'Louisoix's Journal' and is merely a 'Far Eastern proverb', meaning it could be ancient and the context it was originally written was probably Othardian events or situations and not directly correspond to actual current events in another part of the world (Eorzea). Of course I've usually been wrong with my 'interpretations' of the previous years' ones though so I'm probably not the best one to be the judge of that. ;)

Oh that's interesting. Both English and French are about Azure losing/being endangered in some way. The German one is basically the opposite:

Scarlet flashes and turns into a blazing flame
Until the shining Azure wears it down

Maybe German translators were a bit too liberal once again :p

In terms of meaning:
I think it's pretty obvious that it's about Ala Mhigo and Ishgard.
Stormblood = Crimson Liberator. Crimson, blood, scarlet, all kinds of red.
Ishgard = Blue Sky of Ishgard, Azure Dragoon, Azure in the poem. All kinds of blue.

I also remember from around the first Fanfest this year that they said it would be nice to have Estinien around some more and that they'd like to develop him into a character that would not mind joining the Scions.

I'm assuming the eyes of Nidhogg will be 'given' to the resistance to summon Rhalgr, but instead falls into the hands of ???? who activates Omega weapon for his own wishes. I'm hoping the poem refers to red/blue mages, but it could also refer to an aspect of Omega weapon?

(source: something in the HW story about Nidhogg's eyes being 'aether batteries')

For the french translation you'r missing a 'l' before the article la (la lueur bleutée du couchant). Also the last sentence maybe it was intended to say "Ancien poème des contrées de l'est, Auteur inconnu". Just seen that one too, first sentence "l'étincelle". Hope it helps ~

Its worth remembering an earlier poem had 'Only the Ivory Lance can piece the Ebony Mail..." I remember speculation back then suggested it would require Ishgard to help defeat Garlemald.

OP should be about finished, I think? FR is fixed, I think? (Thanks, Nalfein!) JP transcription is in (Thanks, Marko!), and I think the biggest hint is there. See the old kanji for "crimson" and "azure"? Those are indeed the same glyphs used for Crimson Liberators and Azure Heavens of Ishgard, the JP titles of 4.0 and 3.0, respectively.

So, Ala Mhigo is a powderkeg; we knew that. And if that keg don't blow, then there's no 4.0. (I made that up.)
It seems to be saying that the conflagration in Gyr Abania will drag Ishgard (and thus the Eorzean Alliance) into the fray.

It could also be a coincidental use of azure, of course. This expansion does include swimming and diving. But let's focus on Occam's Razor and wait for the third Fan Festival's reveals before we put that over Ishgard.

Looking at Zenos, he does have a red/black colour-scheme.

http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/...20161016172345

Ilberd, who wanted to retake ala mhigo from Zenos wore a uniform with a Blue/white colourscheme

http://img.finalfantasyxiv.com/lds/p....png?4918875v1


Ala Mhigo, which most likely is where the showdown twixt the two will happen is purple...

https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/i...x-AlaMhigo.png

Am i going crazy again? I usually do when im on the lore forums. Red/blue Black/white...

I am crazy.. but it makes perfect sense...

Its not just the colors. We have the east and west dynamic too. Perhaps it has something to do with Azys Lla, or maybe Shiva and Thordan. The Ishgardians are the first to show that more than just the beast tribes can summon primals.

"Azure lost"? You know who loves blue-- Aymeric de Borel! AYMERIC CONFIRMED TO DIE IN 4.0
Azure? Like the dragoon? Lost? Estinien is missing? FOREVER?

Jokes aside, it does seem pretty pat. East, land of the rising sun, new beginnings, red; Ala Mhigo's Crimson Liberation in the east etc.
West, land of the setting sun, a chapter ending, blue; Ishgard's Knight of the Blue Sky are gone--the focus is shifting eastward etc.

I am curious about the potential German discrepancy though??

I'm surprised no one's brought up that guy with all the fire imagery...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rocl

"Azure lost"? You know who loves blue-- Aymeric de Borel! AYMERIC CONFIRMED TO DIE IN 4.0
Azure? Like the dragoon? Lost? Estinien is missing? FOREVER?

Jokes aside, it does seem pretty pat. East, land of the rising sun, new beginnings, red; Ala Mhigo's Crimson Liberation in the east etc.
West, land of the setting sun, a chapter ending, blue; Ishgard's Knight of the Blue Sky are gone--the focus is shifting eastward etc.

I am curious about the potential German discrepancy though??

I'm surprised no one's brought up that guy with all the fire imagery...

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Aymeric dying in 4.0? Blasphemy. Do not take him like you took our Haurchy.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rocl

I am curious about the potential German discrepancy though??

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Yeah, the machine translation had a hell of a time choosing whether Bis leuchtendes Azur es niederringt was until Azure subdues it or until Azure it subdues, depending on where I broke the lines. I went with the latter, since it matches the other poems, but if someone who, like, you know, actually speaks German says otherwise, they're probably right.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Anonymoose

Yeah, the machine translation had a hell of a time choosing whether Bis leuchtendes Azur es niederringt was until Azure subdues it or until Azure it subdues, depending on where I broke the lines. I went with the latter, since it matches the other poems, but if someone who, like, you know, actually speaks German says otherwise, they're probably right.

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Not a native speaker here by any means, but had the privilige to be taught German in school when I was younger (and it helps it skirts past my native tongue, Dutch). This is the best translation I could do for you. But by no means take this as granted, as I might be off completely. Sadly enough German is a lot of interpretation, and especially in a poem, it makes little sense. But I hope this helps somewhat. I struggled very much with the last two sentences I admit, and I'm pretty sure I botched them massively. German poems and their interpretation/translation is not my jam! In any case...

When the sun rises

It thunders scarlet red and flames ignite.

But bright Azure struggle trough

Azure is on the end of the horizon/Azure will appear ultimately when the sun rises.


Now, my tinfoil hat theory. The Light sect of the Fist of Rhalgr in German is referred to as the Sun sect (Sonnensekte). The person who is the most prominent known Light Sect Monk? Widargelt! So maybe they are hinting at him having a more prominent role come Stormblood? It would make sense considering his heritage. Also the thunder might hint as him once more due to well, Fist of Rhalgr, Rhalgr, lightning and all that! Might just be a wording for the Ala Mhigans, would make sense as well. Maybe it is Ishgard who decides to aid the Ala Mhigans first, even if their story focus is over with Heavensward, making the rest of the Alliance follow? Yes, tinfoil hat much. But who knows!

In any case, yes it's very far fetched but who knows.

I hadn't actually noticed before but lightning imagery does abound! A light/spark/flash becoming fire-- a squall-- etc

Nice catch! Though it could be a very generic reference to Rhalgr, yea

It's a obvious, the squall gear will be dyeable which means red Squall role players

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Anonymoose

Yeah, the machine translation had a hell of a time choosing whether Bis leuchtendes Azur es niederringt was until Azure subdues it or until Azure it subdues, depending on where I broke the lines. I went with the latter, since it matches the other poems, but if someone who, like, you know, actually speaks German says otherwise, they're probably right.

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As a German native speaker I can say for sure it is "until Azure subdues it (the Scarlet)" and not the other way round, but I wouldn't consider the difference too important, because all 3 other languages share a similar theme so it's entirely possible the German translators were just a bit more liberal with their translation.
I remember Thordan's last words being a big topic here on the lore forum before, and I was quite confused because they were really normal in German while the other languages had him questioning if the WoL was still human or something like that? So while the German translation is usually very close to the Japanese text, there are sometimes big differences in random places.

As for Velynea's translation: "Blitz" is not thunder. It's just the German word for a bright light that suddenly flashes, basically anything from the light when you snap a picture of someone, to the lightning outside, or just the way you'd describe someone suddenly turning on an artificial light. I know lightning is the element of Rhalgr, but that sentence is literally about a flame igniting, a sudden bright light, and "aufblitzen" is just the normal German word for that. So "flash" which Moose-sensei used was very fitting :)
It of course could still possibly hint towards lighting, as it shares the spark/flash/light imagery with the other languages.
The first and last line are only about the locations (beginning and end of the sun's drift) so...Anonymoose' translation software was more accurate. Eh whatever. I'll just post the corrected version here xD

Where the sun's drift begins
Scarlet flashes and turns into a blazing flame
Until the shining Azure subdues it
Azure from the end of the sun's drift.

I read somewhere that people speculate the Azure means Bluemage. Have these poems ever been about job announcements? I think I only remember them being about the story direction. So for now, I'll stick to my Azure = Ishgard belief, because of all the links they have to that color and word. The WoL = Azure theory is quite interesting too. After all, we ARE obviously going to be swept up in the whole mess. That said, it feels a little bit reaching, considering we have several light crystals, not just the blue one, and everyone's eather is whiteish-blue.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Atoli

As a German native speaker I can say for sure it is "until Azure subdues it (the Scarlet)" and not the other way round, but I wouldn't consider the difference too important, because all 3 other languages share a similar theme so it's entirely possible the German translators were just a bit more liberal with their translation.

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As a native speaker, I second that. "until Azure subdues it" is the right translation. I don't know if it matters, but I wouldn't ignore such differences, just because other things are more important. It could matter and it's better to have the facts straight.

Haha Nostradamoose...I love it lmao

anyway I think it's hints to 3.5 and 4.0. Meaning its time to leave Ishgard and time for Ala Mhigo!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Atoli

As a German native speaker I can say for sure it is "until Azure subdues it (the Scarlet)"

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Conformity bias strikes again!

Much obliged, all who helped sort out the German anomaly (even though we still don't know why it's anomalous).

Something else that catches my eye: the French language itself contains the word azur. Why then did the French team shun it in spite of their poem no longer being harmonious with the other three? Is it to remain consistent with their own translation of the 3.0 theme, Le Ciel Bleu de Ishgard? I'm even more suspicious of coincidences that work in favor of my current best-guess than vice versa. You try'n'a dupe me, French? ... Again!?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Atoli

[...] everyone's aether is whitish-blue.

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Not quite! "The WoL has blue aether" is knowledge that comes from the 60 ALC quest. Apparently everyone has a uniquely coloured "aetherial signature", and when an alchemist synthesises an arcane grimoire, his or her aetherial signature is left behind in the enchanted ink used in its creation.

In order to prove that Waoud, the antagonist of the questline, is in fact an alchemist capable of making evil cloning technology (he's on trial before an Adventurers' Guild investigator and denies being an alchemist at all), you have the ALC guildmaster Severian provide you with a special powder of his own invention - "spectrolium" - which makes one's aetherial signature visible to the naked eye.
You demonstrate the powder on both yourself and Waoud before the Adventurers' Guild investigator. Sprinkling the powder on yourself gives off a Hydaelyn-blue aetherial signature, and sprinkling it on a copy of Noble Gold you made results in the same colour reaction. The spectrolium is then sprinkled on Waoud, giving off a red aetherial signature, which proves he created the Noble Gold that was found with him at his hideout, proof that he is an extremely skilled alchemist.

So each individual's aether is a unique colour, and the WoL's just happens to be azure. This is pretty obscure information, though, so I doubt it's what the poem refers to. Azure = Ishgard seems fairly straightforward to me.

I can never claim 100% accuracy (and I'm usually just plain wrong at guessing kanji from phonetics), but I think I'm the closest we have around here to a fluent Japanese speaker, so I'll weigh in as best I can.

Japanese, as usual, doesn't really do line breaks in a way that lets them be broken down into equivalent ideas in English. The more complete parsing, line breaks be damned:

"The crimson light born at the place where the sun rises becomes a raging fire to consume the azure light born at the place where the sun sets."

That doesn't tell us anything we couldn't already figure out, but it is a really unambiguous baseline to work from! Try saying it without pausing.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Atoli

<snip>

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Thank you for the corrections!

A more accurate translation of the French poem would be:
The reddening spark of sunrise
ignites suddenly
Threatening to consume
the blue glow of sunset

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Originally Posted by Rikkustrife

A more accurate translation of the French poem would be:

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Thanks!

I tried to keep the poetic agreement in the lines, but it was harder to do in literal English without actually knowing the nuances in French. It looked like levant was playing two parts, implying rising (sun), but literally pointing eastward, while coucher was implying westward while more literally describing the setting sun. I ended up swapping them for East and West rather than making assumptions and risking looking silly, lol.

Reading that last line of the poem troubled me - I immediately jumped to the conclusion that Azure referred to the Azure Dragoon (aka, Estinien), and his being lost amid the squall indicated to me that he was going to show up for the upcoming kefluffle with the resistance and wind up dead somehow. While I do understand that that is only one interpretation of the poem, it's all-too common a theme in Japanese pop culture for "extra" characters to meet an untimely end after their arc concludes, whether it be by noble sacrifice, tragic death, or out-of-nowhere diabolos ex machina, it's a tidy (and ham-fisted) way to clean up loose ends so you don't have to deal with those extra characters hanging around and wasting screen time when they're not important anymore.

I was pleased to see that Estinien escaped this fate - we freed him from Nidhogg ALIVE! I was totally expecting to kill Niddy, have Estinien's sprit rise from the corpse to thank us for saving his soul, and then disperse into the Aether. But no, we actually got the guy back intact! Just another way in which Estinien continued to impress me in his ability to steer clear of the clichés that plague his particular character type. But now, I fear, the reaper has come calling, and it's time for Estinien to leave the stage... I do hope that I'm wrong!

Estinien is not going anywhere, and he'll be out of the story until at least 4.X. If Yoshida's recent comments can be trusted.

Unless this is another case of "oh, yeah, there'll be a Roe joining the Scions and they'll be super important" and then we meet Moenbryda. If we saved him just so he could die saving Alphi and/or Ali and teaching them the importance of sacrifice, I'mma break something. FFXV and Kingsglaive already left a dent in my PS4.

If Estinien was going to be killed off then it would have happened at the end of Nidhogg's arc. He was kept alive due to being a 'fan favourite' and because he's popular with certain developers based on what recent interviews have revealed. So he'll likely be back and be safe when he does.

Estinien is deeply tied to the Eyes of Nidhogg. He was the former Azure dragoon and he displayed some control over the eye and then he was possessed by the eyes.

I can atleast see him returning in order to deal with Nidhogg's eyes either by destroying it or by hiding it like he originally intended.

In a way it still fits with the Crimson and Azure theme: The eyes are crimson and Estinien was known as the Azure dragoon

I think people are reading way too much into it. Hell, any DRG player is also the Azure Dragoon. DRG will be removed from the game! :P

While I'd normally dismiss it as a coincidence, the fact they're using the specific terms "azure" and "scarlet/crimson" in 3/4 languages is a bit suspect. One can only guess as to why; until we know a bit more I'm going to treat it as such, but the repeated use of the terms is definitely a bit intriguing.

I'm still not convinced it means anything more than "Ala Mhigo is a powder keg about to blow and it's going to drag all Eorzea into its conflict," but I'll keep my eyes peeled.

It's likely going to end up referring to multiple plot points just as patch titles typically do.