Somnus (theme)

"Somnus" is the main theme of Final Fantasy XV. It was composed by Yoko Shimomura and arranged by Kaoru Wada and Shimomura. "Somnus" opens with a somber piano melody, and its Latin lyrics are sung by Aundréa L. Hopkins. The original lyrics were written by Tetsuya Nomura, translated into Latin by Taro Yamashita, and adapted into lyrics by Kazuhiro Komiya.
"Somnus" was first revealed for Final Fantasy Versus XIII and is its first piece of music to be revealed and released. It was first officially released on the drammatica: The Very Best Of Yoko Shimomura album.
== Lyrics ==
No official lyrics for "Somnus" were released.
;Latin
:Deus dormit
:Et liberi ignem faciunt
:Numquam extinguunt
:Ne expergisci possit
:Omnia dividit
:Tragoedia coram
:Amandum quae
:Et nocte perpetua
:In desperatione
:Auroram videre potest
:Mane tempus expergiscendi.
;Unofficial English translation 
:God sleeps
:And his sons start a fire,
:Which they cannot extinguish,
:and he will never be able to awaken.
:Every tragedy divides,
:Before our very eyes,
:those things which ought to be loved.
:And through this endless night,
:In despair,
:He can see the dawn,
:Which will awake him the next morning.
== Game appearances ==
=== Final Fantasy XV ===
"Somnus (Instrumental Version)" was also arranged by Kaoru Wada and Yoko Shimomura and features a solo violin and plays on the title screen. Another arrangement is heard each time Noctis Lucis Caelum obtains one of his ancestors' weapons in a royal tomb.
"Somnus (Instrumental Version)" is track 1 on the Final Fantasy XV: Original Soundtrack. It was released as track 1 on the Final Fantasy XV: Ultimate Collector's Edition Special Soundtrack prior to the release of the game's original soundtrack.
The original version of "Somnus" plays when Noctis and his friends return to Insomnia in the final chapter. "Somnus" is track 90 on the game's original soundtrack.
"Magna Insomnia" is an arrangement of "Somnus" and "Ardyn" by Shimomura and Shota Nakama that serves as the final boss theme against Ardyn. "Somnus Ultima" is an arrangement by Yoshitaka Suzuki that plays as Noctis deals the final blow before the end credits. "Magna Insomnia" and "Somnus Ultima" are tracks 92 and 94 on the game's original soundtrack, respectively.
In Chapter 14 of the Royal Edition and Windows Edition, an arrangement of "Somnus" by Yoshitaka Suzuki titled "Insomnia Ablaze" plays as the field theme in Insomnia after the cutscene where the party receives "a warm welcome" from Ardyn Izunia, replacing "Somnus". After defeating Ifrit, the music changes to "Somnus (Instrumental Version)". "The Founder King's Hope" is a short arrangement by Suzuki that plays after defeating the Mystic.
"Insomnia Ablaze" and "The Founder King's Hope" are track 75 and track 83 respectively on disc 1 of the Final Fantasy XV Original Soundtrack Volume 2.
====Final Fantasy XV Episode Duscae====
"Somnus (Instrumental Version)" plays on the title screen.
====Platinum Demo – Final Fantasy XV====
"Somnus (Instrumental Version)" plays on the title screen. It is track 1 on the Platinum Demo Final Fantasy XV Original Soundtrack PS Plus Edition.
====Final Fantasy XV: Comrades====
"Somnus (Instrumental Version)" plays in the cutscene after the end credits when Noctis is greeted by Libertus Ostium, other members of the Kingsglaive, and Gentiana at Angelgard.
==== Final Fantasy XV: Episode Ardyn ====
A festive arrangement of "Somnus" plays during the prologue, taking place during the Founder's Day Festival. Bars from "Somnus" are used alongside Ardyn's theme in the final boss theme that plays during the battle against Somnus.
"Magna Insomnia" plays during the Kingly Clash against Noctis.
===Theatrhythm Final Fantasy===
"Somnus" is a downloadable Field Music Sequence categorized as being from Final Fantasy Versus XIII. Its background depicts a city similar in appearance to Insomnia. "Somnus" is the only downloadable piece not to be available in the iOS version.
====Theatrhythm Final Fantasy All-Star Carnival====
====Theatrhythm Final Bar Line====
===Final Fantasy Record Keeper===
"Somnus Ultima" is included as part of the 7th anniversary medley.
=== Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin ===
"Will You Resist or Accept? – Motif from "Somnus"" is an arrangement of "Somnus" that is the third track that plays in Vigila Court. It was arranged with additional composition by Naoshi Mizuta. It is track 29 of disc 3 on the Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin Original Soundtrack.
== Other appearances ==
=== Final Fantasy Versus XIII ===
"Somnus" served as background music in the E3 2006 teaser trailer as well as in subsequent trailers for the planned game: the Cloud Magazine trailer, the Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete special edition trailer, and the 2011 trailer.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiIx9VJWSl8https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0SSeBcWpJc
=== Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV ===
"Somnus (Instrumental Version)" is heard during the scene in which King Regis holds a party atop Caelum Via to celebrate the signing of a peace treaty between Lucis and Niflheim. A grand piano and a violinist appear briefly on the background when the theme starts to play. "Somnus (Instrumental Version)" is track 17 of disc 1 on the Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV: Original Soundtrack and this is its first official release.
==Arrangement album appearances==
===drammatica: The Very Best Of Yoko Shimomura===
"Somnus" is a bonus track from Final Fantasy Versus XIII on the album. It was orchestrated by Kaoru Wada where the pianist was Shinko Ogata and the strings were played by the Masatsugu Shinozaki Group.
===Piano Collections: Final Fantasy XV===
"Dreaming of the Dawn -Somnus-" , arranged by Sachiko Miyano and performed by Yui Morishita (Duke of Pianeet), appears on the Piano Collections album released on 22 February, 2017.
"Dreaming of the Dawn -Somnus-" was first released as track 1 of the CD on the limited edition of the Final Fantasy XV: Original Soundtrack.
===Distant Worlds IV: more music from FINAL FANTASY===
"Somnus (Instrumental Version)" was performed by the Distant Worlds Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus and was recorded for the album. Arnie Roth performed the violin solo.
===Fantasy Worlds / Benyamin Nuss===
"Somnus" was arranged for piano and performed by Benyamin Nuss, and appears as track 9 on the album.
==Live performances==
===Final Fantasy XV Live at Abbey Road Studios===
"Somnus" was performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios on September 7, 2016.
===Yoko Shimomura Birthday Concert "pianistique"===
"Somnus" was performed by Yui Morishita at Yoko Shimomura's birthday piano concert on October 9, 2016.http://www.2083.jp/pianistique/https://twitter.com/midiplex/status/784005718122831872https://twitter.com/morige/status/784010410298966016
===Piano Collections Final Fantasy XV Concert===
"Dreaming of the Dawn -Somnus-" was performed live for the concert in 2017. The pianist for the Tokyo performance in May was Yui Morishita (Duke of Pianeet) and the pianist for the Osaka performance June was Hiroyuki Nakayama. The recording from the Osaka performance on June 2, 2017 was released in disc 2 on the Blu-ray disc version of the Final Fantasy XV Original Soundtrack Volume 2.
===Symphonic Memories Concert - music from Square Enix===
"Somnus" is part of "FINAL FANTASY XV - In the Shadow of the Crystal", the first movement of the symphony at the orchestra concert, performed live at the Culttz Kawasaki concert hall on December 14, 2019. It was arranged by Jonne Valtonen, conducted by Eckehard Stier, and performed by the Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra. It was recorded as track 2 on disc 1 of the album.
==Video performances==
===Yoko Shimomura Official===
A piano solo of "Somnus" was arranged and performed by Benyamin Nuss and uploaded on Yoko Shimomura's official channel.https://twitter.com/midiplex/status/1269940498770194432
==Compilation album appearances==
===Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary Tracks 1987-2017===
"Somnus (Instrumental Version)" is track 41 on the album.
==Behind the scenes==
The logo of Final Fantasy Versus XIII and Final Fantasy XV is designed to represent a closed eye, in reference to "Somnus." The Founder King, Somnus Lucis Caelum, appears to be named after the theme.
== Etymology ==
== References ==
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ru:Somnus
Category:Final Fantasy Versus XIII
Category:Musical themes from Final Fantasy XV
Category:Field themes from Theatrhythm Final Fantasy