Per Aspera Ad Astra

The song "Per Aspera Ad Astra" by Haggard is a rich tapestry of metaphor and historical reference, woven into a narrative that explores the struggle and triumph of scientific discovery. The title itself, a Latin phrase meaning 'Through hardships to the stars,' sets the tone for a song that is both an ode to the relentless pursuit of knowledge and a reflection on the challenges that come with it.

The lyrics paint a scene of an old dungeon, illuminated by thirteen candles, which could symbolize the light of knowledge in the darkness of ignorance. The shadows and the shimmering glow might represent the interplay between known and unknown realms. The mention of a 'new dawn' and a 'new age of science' suggests a historical context, possibly the Renaissance or the Enlightenment, when science began to emerge from the shadows of superstition and dogma. The song seems to pay homage to the brave thinkers of the past whose theories, once considered heretical, paved the way for modern understanding.

The repeated Italian phrase 'Adesso sono qui' (now they are here) emphasizes the arrival or recognition of new ideas. The song also references the moons of Jupiter, discovered by Galileo Galilei, as 'children of four'—Callisto, Europa, Ganymede, and Io. These celestial bodies could be metaphors for enlightenment and the boundless potential of human curiosity. The 'clouds of lies and fear' and the 'deepest hour of darkness' suggest the persecution faced by many scientists of the era, while the ultimate shining of knowledge ('Splenderanno') reaffirms the enduring power of truth and discovery.