The gray pledge

Lyrics(Music by Panchan)

We will live on…

The Holy Mother is no more
(聖母はもういない)
Mad party by fallen angels
(堕天使達による狂宴)
With ash upon the forehead…
(額に灰を付けて)
Swear revenge
(復讐を誓うよ)

この景色は君を生かす為のもの
黒で塗りつぶす必要はないわ
全ては新たに創造される
ラハブちゃんの義務だよ

(On Wednesday)
(On Thursday)
(On Friday)
(On Saturday)
(On Sunday)
(On Monday)
(On Tuesday)
After 46 days

We will live on
誘い舞い散る灰の前で
Holding back hatred
君は誓うよ

A chain of hatred lasting 3000 years
(3000年に及ぶ憎悪の連鎖)
The clash of ‘holy war’ and ‘holy severance’
(‘聖戦’と’聖絶’でぶつかり合う)
That lake was stained red
(あの湖は赤く染まる)
With ash upon the forehead…
(額に灰を付けて)
Swear revenge
(復讐を誓うよ)

この感情は君を生かす為のもの
黒で塗りつぶす必要はないわ
全ては新たに創造される
ラハブちゃんに生きて欲しいの

When I put ash on my forehead
(額に灰を付けた時)
I heard ‘Believe in the gospel’
(‘福音を信じなさい’を聞こえた)
But this is a vow of revenge
(しかしこれは復讐の誓い)
Faith without action is death
(行動のない信仰は死)
Come on,let’s keep dancing.
(さあ、踊り続けよう)
You laugh in the depths of hell
(お前は地獄の底で笑ってろ)
As long as the enemy does not stop fighting
(敵が戦いをやめない限り)
I will not stop until I excommunicate the enemy.
(わたしは敵を聖絶するまでやめない)
Because this is the will of God
(これは神様の意思だから)

Sister Luka
I’ve long been ready to give up my life
(命を捨てる覚悟はとっくに出来てる)
I just want to be beside my most beloved
(最愛の人の傍に居たいの)
But that can no longer happen
(だけどそれはもう叶わない)
I don’t believe in resurrection
(復活など信じないし)
And I no longer have any will to live
(生きる気力などもうないの)

愛と憎悪の交差
創造されるの何色かな？
この色こそ人生なんだよ
深淵への大切な鍵なの
あの樹海を思い出して
一方の色で塗りつぶさないで
透明なものを見たければ
君に奇跡が起きるから

We just keep on living
誘い舞い散る灰の前で
We just keep on dancing
ボク達踊り続ける

We will live on
誘い舞い散る灰の前で
Holding back hatred
君は誓うよ

Consideration

Analysis of “The gray pledge”

A Deep Dive into Gray Vows, Faith, Revenge, and the Dance of Life

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Introduction: The Meaning Behind “The gray pledge”

The title “The gray pledge” symbolically encapsulates the essence of this song. Gray—a color between black and white—represents ambiguity, moral complexity, and emotional nuance. Pledge is a solemn vow, a declaration of intent. By placing these two together, the title evokes a vow made not in clear-cut righteousness or evil, but within the uncertain, painful in-between.

This “gray pledge” is not a naive hope nor a blind hatred. It is a promise made in the ashes, in the aftermath of collapse, in a space where justice and sin can no longer be clearly separated. It is an anthem for those who continue to live, fight, and dance despite living in the liminal spaces of belief and despair.

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Overall Structure and Themes

The song unfolds like a poetic narrative or a mythic epic, revealing layers of emotion and belief through the following thematic arcs:

1. Loss and the Oath of Revenge (Opening ~ After 46 Days)
2. Struggles Between Faith and Action (The Ash Ritual)
3. The End of Love and the Persistence of Life (The Final Dance)

Each section deepens the psychological and emotional complexity of the narrator, revealing a world that is both spiritually ruined and yet yearning to be reborn.

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1. Loss and Revenge: Ashes, Fallen Angels, and Rahab’s Duty

The opening line—“The Holy Mother is no more”—signals a world without divine protection. The loss of the Holy Mother implies the death of spiritual order and moral clarity. It’s followed by “A mad party by fallen angels”, a celebration of chaos by beings cast out of heaven—suggesting a complete reversal of divine hierarchy.

In this backdrop of holy desecration, the repeated phrase “Swear revenge” emerges not as mere hatred, but as a duty, particularly described as Rahab-chan’s responsibility.

The reference to Rahab is biblically significant. In the Book of Joshua, Rahab is a former prostitute who hides Israelite spies, thus aiding God’s cause and ultimately being saved. She is both a sinner and a savior—a figure of paradox. In this song, Rahab-chan becomes a symbol of fallen grace turned into a force of re-creation.

The lyrics “This scene exists to keep you alive” and “You don’t have to paint it all black” are powerful affirmations that even in grief and vengeance, there is a purpose—to protect and renew, not just destroy. Destruction here becomes part of a painful, necessary process of rebirth.

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2. Conflict of Faith and Action: The Ash Ritual and Divine Irony

The mention of “46 days” is likely an allusion to Lent, the 46-day period of prayer, fasting, and penance leading up to Easter in the Christian tradition. The following repetition of days of the week enhances the ritualistic nature of time passing, leading to a significant transformation.

The phrase “With ash upon the forehead” is a clear reference to Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent and symbolizes repentance and the reminder of mortality. But in this song, that ritual is repurposed into a vow of revenge.

“Faith without action is death”

This is a quote from the Epistle of James in the New Testament. It underscores the idea that faith alone is meaningless without deeds. In the context of the song, this means that the protagonist cannot simply pray or hope—they must act, even if it means taking revenge.

The lines “You laugh in the depths of hell” and “I won’t stop until I excommunicate the enemy” display righteous fury taken to its logical extreme. The speaker acts as both prophet and executioner, blending sacred language with violent determination. This is faith turned into justice, or perhaps justice turned into retribution, and it is not cleanly divided between good and evil.

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3. The End of Love and the Continuation of the Dance: The Key to the Abyss

In the final act, the focus shifts from divine imagery to deeply personal sorrow. The speaker addresses “Sister Moka”, invoking intimacy, grief, and spiritual sisterhood.

“I’ve long been ready to give up my life / I just want to be beside my most beloved”

This is a moment of vulnerability. Behind the flames of revenge lies the deepest human longing—love. Yet that desire is already lost, impossible to reclaim. The speaker admits “I don’t believe in resurrection”, signaling not just the death of a loved one, but the collapse of hope itself.

Despite this, the song refuses to end in despair. Instead, it declares:

“We just keep on living / We just keep on dancing”

Dancing becomes an act of resistance and remembrance, a metaphor for enduring life even when all reasons for living have been burned away.

The lines “Love and hatred intersect / What color will be created?” introduce a final philosophical theme: that life is not just light or dark, but a blend—a new creation born from contradiction.

“Don’t paint it all with one color / If you want to see what’s transparent / A miracle will happen to you”

This is a poetic urging to embrace the ambiguity, to accept that life—like revenge, like faith—is never pure, never simple. The miracle lies not in resolution, but in seeing clearly through the gray.

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Conclusion: Those Who Dance in the Ashes

“The gray pledge” is a story of those who lose their faith, their love, their hope—yet still choose to live, act, and dance. It is not a tale of easy forgiveness or straightforward justice. Instead, it dares to say:

• That revenge may be sacred.
• That faith requires action, even when that action is ugly.
• That love, once lost, can still motivate creation.
• That dancing in the ashes is a way to remember both the dead and the self.

The song is filled with contradictions: holiness and heresy, love and hatred, creation and destruction. Yet that is precisely what makes it resonate.

It refuses to reduce life to black and white. It instead invites us into the gray, into the ashes, where the real dance begins.

“We will live on.”
Even if love is lost.
Even if God is silent.
Even if the world is burning.

We will live on—dancing.