The beautiful, unforgettable Genshin lullaby of the moon...
Hi. How has your life been in recent times? I'm a bit on edge after taking so long to publish that post on that Shigure Ui song. She already has another song featuring her loli self and her "teen" self in a "fight" with each other. We can talk about it if I want to and if I feel like it. It might or might not happen.
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| Nod Krai... |
Anyway, the song I'm gonna talk about here is really unique, since it is related to a game I have been playing for years, Genshin Impact. This song is related to the archon quest in Nod Krai. I was so looking forward to the Nod Krai archon quest (before the release of the 1st Nod Krai weekly boss). I really love the song that Columbina sing so I went and did some research on it. The name is Lullaby of the New Moon (I): Somnias a Luna. Since I have gone through that archon quest, I will discuss it here.
WARNING:-
This song is strongly tied to the lore of Nod Krai, three moons in Genshin Impact, and, of course, Columbina and the archon quest in Nod Krai. This blog is gonna be a spoiler for them, so this is your warning if you do not want to proceed with the Nod Krai archon quest after reading this.
P.S. If you want to be spoiled and/or don't mind spoilers, well, go ahead and read it; you HAVE been warned.
Introduction
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| Album cover |
The song, Lullaby of the New Moon (I): Somnias a Luna, is a beautiful piece that can be heard in the Silvermoon Hall, where Columbina hums as she walks around. It was officially released in late 2025 as part of the HOYO-MiX album "Outside It Is Growing Dark". As for your info, the song's name in Japanese, 新月の子守唄(第一章)：月と共に眠る while in Chinese, it is 新月的摇篮曲（其一）：伴月同眠.
The song is a product of high-level collaboration within HOYO-MiX:
- Composer & Arranger: Yang Lee, who shifted the typical Snezhnayan orchestral grandiosity toward a more intimate, "sacred" choral sound.
- Lyricist: Hsiang Liu, who utilised Latin to evoke an ancient, liturgical feeling, emphasising the "primordial" nature of the lore involved.
- Vocalist: Elim, whose ethereal, breathy soprano delivery provides the "spectral" quality that makes the song feel like a voice calling from the past.
The song features a beautiful, delicate string instrument accompaniment and soft, reverberating vocals, creating a sense of vast, cold space. It is just like how it sounds when you sing in the cave, like the Silvermoon Hall. It is such a beautiful lullaby that plays an important part in the Nod Krai archon quest and contributes to Columbina's character development.
Lyrics
Original
O columbula mea
Splendeat fenestra, adsint somnia flora
O cara filia lunae
Neve plumam pulvis foedet tuam
Nec iam complexum alma
Capias bona somnias a luna
Dormi cara columbula
O columbula mea
Splendeat fenestra, adsint somnia flora
O cara filia lunae
Neve plumam pulvis foedet tuam
Nec iam complexum alma
Capias bona somnias a luna
Capias bona somnias a luna
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Columbina!!! |
English Translation
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| More Columbina! |
Chinese Translation
Japanese Translation
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Columbina, you are such a beauty... |
Malay Translation
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| Columbina in-game name card |
Commentary
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| Silvermoon Hall |
Regarding this song, Gemini mentioned that its track is characterised by minimalism, relying on the string instrument (I suspect that it's a harp or something like that). Actually, it initially mentioned it's a piano, but from what I hear in the song, it is definitely not a piano. Anyway, the sound of a harp (or something similar) creates a beautiful, delicate accompaniment that complements the soft, reverberating vocals, creating a sense of vast, cold space, just one in a cave like the Silvermoon Hall that houses Columbina. It is perfect because a cave reflects sound and creates reverberation if you try to sing in there, kinda like singing in a shower. Well, shower time is a bit different though, gotta admit. Anyway, Columbina always sings this song in the Silvermoon Hall, which is a cave. So...perfect!
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| This moment...Credit to Fayato for the video for me to screenshot this moment |
Gemini also mentioned that the song functions as a requiem, a song for the dead disguised as a lullaby, musically speaking. It is not exactly wrong because it matches Barbeloth's "prediction" during Moon Prayer Night. That particular prediction is the "death card", which Barbeloth mentions doesn't just mean death but also rebirth. Well, it was perfectly pictured in the way Columbina sacrifices her life to plan her return from the Moon Goddesses' prison, the realm that the Moon Gate leads to, and in her rebirth with the help of her friends (including us, the traveller). Gemini also said the repetitive structure is intentional, designed to mimic the moon's cyclical nature and the "eternal sleep" that governs the region's lore. I agree. The repetitive structure also, I would argue, represents the long thousand-year "wait" of Columbina for her return from the Moon Goddesses' prison, uniting her soul, body, power, and authority.
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| Columbina!!!! BTW, it's my own screenshot |
Regarding the song presentation in the game, it was just so good. If you entered Slivermoon Hall recently and pay attention, you will realise that whenever we, the player, approach the Silvermoon Hall, the lyrics become clearer, as if Columbina herself is humming just out of reach. It’s a masterclass in diegetic storytelling, using music to signal the presence of a being that exists between Teyvat's reality and the three moons' memories, where two of them are getting destroyed, and one of them got thrown out of the false sky.
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| Taken from the Finnish mythology Wikipedia page |
Gemini said that Nod Krai's lore is heavily inspired by Finnish mythology, citing names such as Hiisi Island, Aino, and Luonnotar. Well, I agree with that. You can check that out yourself. Ah, I strayed a bit too far. If I start to comment about Gemini's comment on Nod Krai as the site of the fallen moon and its brief mentions about the Frostmoon Scions, it will become a comment blog post on Gemini's writing for this song.
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| Another personal screenshot when Columbina's form returns |
Back to the topic: Lorewise, this song dates to the time when Columbina was born in Nod Krai around 500 years ago. Also, the song plays as she sacrifices herself to carry out her planned return from the Moon Goddesses' prison. The song is truly beautiful, and a different rendition is played after Columbina's return. After her return, that version of the song plays throughout our battle as the traveller, with Columbina on our side, against the evil Dottore, aka Zandik. That rendition is more grandiose and powerful than her usual singing of the song in the Silvermoon Hall, which reflects the return of Columbina and the urgency to stop the evil Dottore from twisting the rules of Tevyat for his own liking with the power of two moon marrows, Eternal Moon and Iridescent Moon, and the false moon that created by himself after Columbina escapes from his imprisionment via the Moon Gate.
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| That ultimate beam!!! |
Conclusion
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| That beautiful ship that I rode during the archon quest... |
Overall, the song "Lullaby of the New Moon (I): Somnias a Luna" is more than just a background track; it is the sonic heart of the Nod-Krai arc and the lore of Columbina. The song came with her birth in Nod Krai and is a major part of Columbina's lore. I really like it. I was sad when Columbina was gone, and I couldn't listen to it in-game for a period of time. Now, I can do so after completing the archon quest, though. What a pleasure to listen to it in-game once again, and again, and again.
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| Welcome back, Columbina! T.T |
Oh, you are here? I want to say a few things before I go. I had Gemini write the article for me after a few rounds of revisions. AI is improving, they say, but is AI still making shit up and hallucinating?! Can someone figure out another way other than just using LLMs?! Oh, by the way, I did not make any changes to the translation as I think it is appropriate. Do comment if you feel the AI translations are inaccurate. Well, that's the end of this article. I hope that you enjoy reading and browsing this blog. Goodbye, and God bless you!
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May God bless you as Columbina blesses the traveller |
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