Final Fantasy Vocal Collections I : Pray

Final Fantasy Pray is a vocal remix of several tracks from FFI - FFVI, inclusive of the Prelude and Final Fantasy Theme. It features the vocal and lyrical talent of Risa Ohki set to the ingenuity of Nobuo Uematsu's music. The songs are sung mainly in English, Japanese, Portuguese and French.

Having never heard the music from all those earlier Final Fantasy titles, I was pleasantly surprised by the album. From the melancholic tune of The Promised Land and the hauntingly beautiful Toki no Hourousha to the more upbeat Esperanca do Amor and soothing Au Palais de Verre . . . listeners can expect a diverse range of songs, a real aural treat.

As always, opinions would differ from people to people. Fans of mainstream types of songs would probably be unable to appreciate Pray. Some others have found the album to be pretty boring or lacklustre, especially if compared to its successor Final Fantasy Vocal Collections II : Love Will Grow. Personally, I like most of the tracks, especially since they somehow seem to transport me to a different world. The only way to judge the album yourself is to give it a listen.

Here are the lyrics to one of my favourite tracks, with translations taken from one of many available out there.


Toki no Hourousha - The Wanderer of Time (Terra's Theme FFVI)

はるか遠く夜を越えて
砂漠の海をさまよう

神を声はしんきろう
忘れられた人々

影は白く揺らめき立つ
今一たびの幻

青く燃える勇者の夢
永久に眠る人々

はるか遠く夜を越えて

Crossing the distant night,
Wandering the desert sea . . .

The gods' voices are mirages;
The forgotten people.

Shadows flicker palely, then stand;
For one moment, an illusion.

A hero's dream, burning blue,
The people, sleeping forever.

Crossing the distant night . . .