Lyric discussion by das blaue licht 

Cover art for Det Som En Gang Var lyrics by Burzum

In English:

WHAT ONCE WAS

We stared through the bushes At the ones who reminded us of another time And it was said that hope was gone Forever...

We heard the elvensong and the trickling water

What once was is now gone All the blood... All that longing and grief that reigned And the feelings we could touch Are gone... Forever...

We are not dead. We were never alive.

If you are familiar with Varg Vikernes's worldview, it should be apparent what this song is about. If not, it refers to his belief that the best days of the Germanic peoples are behind them, and that all the things which made them great have been forgotten and can never be recaptured. This is more or less the whole "concept" of the 'Hvis Lyset Tar Oss' album, of which this track is the first.