English translations of Elden Ring boss music uncover grim, fascinating lore

True to FromSoft form, Elden Ring's soundtrack is phenomenal, bursting forth during boss fights to capture all the majesty and madness of the foes you face. The choral elements of these tracks are a big part of what makes them special, though I have to confess to not having known the actual words to any of them since the Tower Knight in Demons' Souls (and his banger of a track, HA-HAHA-HA-HA). 

But thanks to the excellent work of Daniel Olmos, we're starting to get some more insight into some of Elden Ring's most intriguing characters, as he's begun translating the boss music lyrics from Latin to English on his YouTube channel.

And, unsurprisingly, the lyrics add some depth to these encounters. For the Godrick boss battle, for example, we hear the deeply insecure runt of the divine litter arguing with his inner demons, insisting that he's of Godly blood while mocking voices scream him down. Here's a snippet:

"Midget behind all others in stature,

(background)Weak, feeble, crippled, 

(foreground) weak God

(foreground)Either way I am a God

(foreground) I do not fear the heat of the battlefield

(background)Cowardly, cowardly, cowardly…"

(Image credit: From Software)

The lyrics to the Godskin Apostles, meanwhile, rant about their anger at the Erdtree and how they wish to drape themselves in the skins of the gods. Yeesh.

There are some big feelings in those lyrics, and lore-gatherers will surely start turning to Mr. Olmos' channel (who only started uploading these videos a few days ago) as a vital source of information. Interestingly, he says in the comments to one of the videos that many of these lyrics are a little bit off grammatically, following an English rather than a Latin sentence structure. Could it be that FromSoft cut a little corner here and wrote these lyrics without consulting a Latin expert?

Olmos' channel also features translations for Starscourge Radahn and the Deacons of the Deep battle from Dark Souls 3, which gives us hope that this he'll continue translating music from across the Soulsborne series, unearthing lore that's been lying in plain sight (or, well, singing in not-so-plain sound) for years.

TOPICS

Robert is a freelance writer and chronic game tinkerer who spends many hours modding games then not playing them, and hiding behind doors with a shotgun in Hunt: Showdown. Wishes to spend his dying moments on Earth scrolling through his games library on a TV-friendly frontend that unifies all PC game launchers.

Read more
Junya Ishizaki next to an image from Elden Ring: Nightreign
Elden Ring Nightreign director didn't want to 'encroach too much' on the lore fans hold sacred by including Dark Souls bosses, but admits 'I thought it'd be kind of fun'
helldivers 2
Helldivers 2 composer recalls stomping around his apartment and channeling 'Super Patriotism' to capture Arrowhead's satirical vision in music: 'The satire works because the music believes it's a pure patriotic love without irony or criticism'
Margit, grinning
'I strive to be half the hater he is': Elden Ring Nightreign players have decided that Margit was the most annoying invader during the playtest
Double headed wizard man holding arms up looking sad
A tabletop RPG designer made a game about the way FromSoft NPCs say cryptic stuff and go 'heh heh heh' all the time, and the result is a love letter to the 'grubby little weirdos'
The Dark Queen of Mortholme screenshots
I finally understand why all those Soulslike bosses hated me so much, thanks to The Dark Queen of Mortholme, which pits you up against some plucky upstart who just keeps coming back
A trio of Guardians adorned with Baron gear in Destiny 2.
Destiny 2 players have found the true endgame: Composing spooky remixes on a giant gothic space organ
Latest in RPG
kingdom come: deliverance 2 henry looks confused
'Medieval Batman' completes Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 pacifist playthrough with zero kills and 535 knockouts
The Huntress holding a bloody spear.
The biggest update since Path of Exile 2's early access launch is coming next week, bringing a new class and a bunch of endgame changes
Key art for the Ranger class in Path of Exile 2
Path of Exile 2 director isn't worried about ARPG competition, in part thanks to seasons: 'So long as people are willing to come back and play our game for a month four times a year, then I'm good'
Wuk Lamat, a character in Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail, stares in an unimpressed manner.
'I can't really say what they were thinking' says whistleblowing modder, as Final Fantasy 14's attempt to thwart stalkers falls terribly short of the mark
Raidou Kuzonoha and pals, looking like they've about to drop the most fire single of the 1930s
Raidou Remastered is finally bringing the historical Shin Megami Tensei supernatural sleuth spinoff to PC this June
Greedfall 2
Greedfall 2 aims to turn around a disastrous early access launch with a combat overhaul and a big new boat
Latest in News
A witch riding a broom sails past a Fish and Chips shop.
Cozy gamers rejoice: Witchbrook finally has a release window, and yes, you can fly around on a broom with your friends
starcraft 2 face
StarCraft fans taunted by the announcement of a new StarCraft... board game
kingdom come: deliverance 2 henry looks confused
'Medieval Batman' completes Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 pacifist playthrough with zero kills and 535 knockouts
SUQIAN, CHINA - OCTOBER 6, 2024 - Illustration Tencent's plan to buy Ubisoft, Suqian, Jiangsu province, China, October 6, 2024. (Photo credit should read CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
Ubisoft and Tencent are forming a new company that will take control of its most successful franchises: Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six
The Huntress holding a bloody spear.
The biggest update since Path of Exile 2's early access launch is coming next week, bringing a new class and a bunch of endgame changes
Key art for the Ranger class in Path of Exile 2
Path of Exile 2 director isn't worried about ARPG competition, in part thanks to seasons: 'So long as people are willing to come back and play our game for a month four times a year, then I'm good'