The meaning of the lyrics of the song "Mercy Mirror" by the artist "Within Temptation"

The song "Mercy Mirror" by Within Temptation depicts a lyrical heroine experiencing a profound and agonizing loss. The lyrics convey her desperate plea to a departed lover, her unwillingness to accept the loss, and her desire to maintain a connection despite everything.

"We are one forever in what remains," the heroine states, emphasizing that their bond is unbreakable despite their physical separation. The image of "bloodstream from cradle to grave" illustrates how deeply and irreversibly this person is woven into her being. She refuses to acknowledge the finality of the loss ("I don't like to think of shards"), clinging to memories and the illusion of closeness.

The "mercy mirror" she speaks of is a metaphor for her desire to see understanding and compassion for her pain in her lover's eyes, a confirmation that he, too, is not ready to let go. Her desperate cry, "Look into my mercy mirror... I'm not ready to let you go," is repeated throughout the song, emphasizing the depth of her suffering and her unwillingness to let go of the past.

The metaphor "my heart a planet, forgotten by the sun" conveys the sense of emptiness, coldness, and loneliness the heroine experiences after the loss. "Silence teaches better than words" perhaps refers to the realization that words are powerless in the face of death, and the true meaning of what happened can only be grasped through silent grieving and acceptance.

The final stanzas of the song express bitterness and resentment towards the unfairness of fate ("Life plays a wicked game"). The realization of the value of what has been lost ("what we had was so much more than I knew") intensifies the pain and regret. The final lines "if I could, I would hold, hold you" emphasize the tragedy of the situation, the impossibility of bringing back the past and expressing her love.