[Intro - sparse and ancient; lyre/kithara, faint tibia-like reeds, frame drum and distant cornu; dry, earthy, no modern instruments yet] [Verse 1 - mature female alto/mezzo, calm and observant; ancient texture remains dominant] Ex pulvere surgit urbs, ignis super saxa lucet. Lex in foro, ferrum in campo, Roma nomen suum scribit. Vexilla ultra fines eunt, legiones terras secant. Senatus sub marmore sussurrat, sanguis in curia cadit. [Pre-Chorus - add cello and low strings; tension deepens, political intrigue rather than grandeur] Corona mutat dominum, venenum tacet in calice. Palatia fulgent nocte, umbra post columnas movetur. [Chorus - first broad expansion; fuller strings, restrained brass and firmer martial percussion, still controlled] Roma surgit, Roma cadit, ferrum, aurum, purpura, cinis. Saecula transeunt, vestigia manent. Roma cecidit. Roma manet. Roma vivit. [Verse 2 - richer art-rock layers enter gradually; bass, organ and restrained electric guitar join the Roman instruments] Portae fractae, templa silent, statuae vultus amittunt. Nummi sub terra dormiunt, nomina pulvere teguntur. Quod reges aeternum putant, tempus lente delet. Sed manus quaerit, lumen tangit, et memoria redit. [Bridge - strip the arrangement back; intimate voice, piano and cello, almost no percussion] Sub lumine quieto nummum vetustum manu tenes. Quod alii metallum vocant, tu aetatem ibi vides. Dicis vitam tuam sine colore esse. Sed ego aliter video: ruborem, aurum, purpuram, lucem— totum mundum in manibus tuis. [Final Chorus - rebuild from the ancient motif into full symphonic art rock; strings, brass, rock band and deep percussion expand around the voice, grand but not heroic] Roma surgit, Roma cadit, ferrum, aurum, purpura, cinis. Quod periit, per te loquitur. Saecula transeunt, vestigia manent. Roma cecidit. Roma manet. Roma vivit. [Outro - instruments fall away quickly; only a quiet female voice remains] In te vivit.
