New Year's Poem 2023

[Anonymoose]

Amateur transliterations / translations. Please point out errors.


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With gladness for Their blessing,
Unto the Twelve we pray,
For ten more dawns as brilliant,
As this resplendent day.
Since first began our journey,
Like many years we count,
Each step that we have taken,
A challenge to surmount.
Yet still the faint horizon,
And lands where few have gone,
Renew our weary spirits,
Together we march on.

-- From the journal of a well-traveled young man

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位の数たる十、神々を数えた十ニ、
Ten number the years, Twelve number the gods,

その数を節目として、私たちの歩みを思う。
these are the malmstones of our journey.

振り返りて、道筋に並ぶ足跡を数え感謝し、
Looking back, we count our footprints along the path and give thanks,

先を望みて、道なき大地を見て心新たにするのだ。
Looking forward, we see untouched land, trails yet blazed, and light the fire in our hearts anew.

ある青年の回想録より抜粋
-- Excerpt from the Memoirs of a Young Man


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Zehn finger will ich falten als dankend Pfand,
Ten Fingers will I fold as a thankful pledge,

denn zwölf Götter halten schützend die Hand.
for the Twelve raise their hands in protection.

Weit und zahlreich laufen die Spuren im Sand,
Far and wide the tracks reach through the sand,

und führen mich mit sich in pfadloses Land.
And lead me unto uncharted land.

Aus den Memoiren eines gewissen jungen Mannes
From the memoirs of a certain young man

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Alors que, lentement, je compte de un à dix,
While slowly I count - one to ten,

Nombre d'images de notre épopée rejaillissent.
countless images from our epic flash before my eyes,

Par les Douze guidés, de cent amis entourés,
by the Twelve guided, by a hundred friends surrounded,

Mais encore à l'orée de mille terres inviolées.
on the verge of a thousand untouched lands.

-- Extrait du journal d'un jeune homme
Excerpt from the diary of a young man


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As far as I can tell, no mysteries to unravel or ambiguities to resolve. As we've discussed before, Yoshi-P has long expressed anxiety about ending the Hydaelyn and Zodark story - that people would see it as "technically the end of FFXIV"; that everything following the end of that saga would be seen as "extras" and "supplements". If I had to guess, I would say the concreteness and clarity here is deliberate; an ongoing effort to slowly build his case for the contrary so that, when the 7.0 trailer drops, everyone is convinced beyond the shadow of a doubt: this journey is far from over.

[Iscah]

You haven't posted any text yet, but that image is fantastic.

[Tehmon]

Are we supposed to know the city in the background?

[Anonymoose]

Are we supposed to know the city in the background?

Looks like the main strip of Ul'dah at an angle to me.

[Tehmon]

Looks like the main strip of Ul'dah at an angle to me.

Oh yeah, definitely Uldah-esque, at least.

[Iscah]

Are we supposed to know the city in the background?

It looks like Ul'dah to me.

Looks like the main strip of Ul'dah at an angle to me.

Jinx.

(That doesn't mean you can't talk.)

[Enkidoh]

Yeah that's definetely Ul'dah (the domes give it away).

The poem seems to be just a reflection on the WoL's journey from 1.0 through to now, and underlining the newfound hope and determination to face whatever the future has both in-story and meta wise, which of course was the main theme of EW's resolution (I admit I'm a little relieved that there appears to be no particularly ominous words or statements in that poem, unless SE just don't want to spoil too much).

Also, welcome back Professor!

[WhiteArchmage]

The untouched lands bit obviously refers to the New World and this is the year it gets revealed in Fan Fest as we're going there next expansion (this is a joke, I am not serious, it's vague enough it could just as well be about Island Sanctuary). I do find it intriguing it mentions "twelve number the gods", and I wonder if it's just in reference that we should be getting tiers 2 and 3 of Myths this year.

Anyway, can't wait for the rest of the poems.

[Cleretic]

The untouched lands bit obviously refers to the New World and this is the year it gets revealed in Fan Fest as we're going there next expansion (this is a joke, I am not serious, it's vague enough it could just as well be about Island Sanctuary). I do find it intriguing it mentions "twelve number the gods", and I wonder if it's just in reference that we should be getting tiers 2 and 3 of Myths this year.

Anyway, can't wait for the rest of the poems.

It could also refer to Meracydia, which is actually rather more 'untouched' as far as modern society goes; the New World's had a bit of transit between it and Eorzea, while Meracydia's basically just been a hostile dead zone for millennia.

[DamianFatale]

It could also refer to Meracydia, which is actually rather more 'untouched' as far as modern society goes; the New World's had a bit of transit between it and Eorzea, while Meracydia's basically just been a hostile dead zone for millennia.

New World likely has its own city states and kingdoms. It is the biggest continent by far, and if its inspirations are indeed mainly native populations there is A LOT of ground they could cover.

Aztec, Native American, and all the proto style civilizations that existed before they got colonized by the Spanish, English, French, and etc. Contrary to what people often think, they were quite massive, and were thriving more than people realize. This could be some cool ground for exploring inspired in game cultures we have only had mere hints of.

Meracydia too, because of its obvious Australia inspirations, though Australia was largely unsettled, and Meracydia is described as likely having civilization, just people that refuse contact, and attack on sight when greeted with visitors.