The meaning of the lyrics of the song "The Perennial Sophia" by the artist "Therion"

The text "The Perennial Sophia" by Therion draws a parallel between the biblical image of the Serpent-tempter and Sophia, who embodies wisdom. He uses the image of Lilith, Adam's first wife, who, according to legend, was expelled from paradise for disobedience and became a demon.

Therion argues that Lilith, like the Serpent, offers a path to knowledge and liberation ("Serpent, find the way to paradise and enter it, She is Lilith, fallen from heaven"). Sophia in the text appears not only as divine wisdom, but also as a source of temptation ("She is the jewel of consciousness... or else temptation for the blind"). The author wonders if we should be afraid of this wisdom, because it can both illuminate the path ("She gives me enlightenment") and lead to a fall ("Or else punish").

Therion repeatedly repeats the epithets "Eternal," "Unchanging," "Unfading," emphasizing the timeless and unchanging nature of Sophia. He likens her to a river, the source of all that exists ("You are the river, you are the source..."). The address "Shekinah, Shekinah" enhances the sacred character of the text, linking Sophia with the feminine principle of divine power in Judaism.

Overall, the text is an allegory about the search for truth and wisdom, which can be both a blessing and a test.