Song Meaning

This invocation addresses the "Mother of winged Loves," a divine figure presiding over both "cares and joys." The speaker urgently calls her down from the heavens in a "gilded wagon" drawn by white swans, to alight on a riverbank where a new, humble altar awaits. The scene is set for a plea, a desperate request to a benevolent goddess. The core tension lies in the speaker's offering and plea. They explicitly reject "bloody sacrifice," questioning its efficacy for a "kind" and "benevolent" goddess. Instead, they offer fragrant incense and a diverse array of herbs and flowers – violets, lilies, marjoram, sage, and roses both white and red. This choice of gentle, natural gifts underscores a desire for a purer, less violent form of devotion, seeking favor through appreciation of beauty and nature rather than appeasement through bloodshed. The most striking aspect is the specific nature of the plea: the speaker asks the goddess to either reconcile "different hearts" or to "free me." This suggests a deep personal turmoil, possibly a strained relationship or unrequited love. The ultimate request, however, transcends personal liberation; the speaker desires that both they and their beloved be yoked together under the goddess's "golden yoke," serving her as long as they both live. This transforms the plea from mere personal escape to a desire for a shared, divinely sanctioned union, extending the goddess's power and reign. What makes these lyrics resonate is the blend of grand, almost epic imagery – winged loves, gilded wagons, divine descent – with a deeply personal and relatable human yearning for connection and reconciliation. The careful selection of natural offerings, contrasting with the rejected bloody sacrifices, highlights a sophisticated understanding of devotion, seeking harmony and love through gentle persuasion and shared experience rather than fear or obligation. The final wish for eternal, shared service solidifies the plea as a profound aspiration for lasting, divinely blessed love.