The Raven
A Challenge of Honour Lyrics

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
In the middle of the night, while I was tired and lost in thought,

Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
I was surrounded by old books and stories, long forgotten.

While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As I was nearly drifting off to sleep, I heard a light tapping noise,

As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
As if someone was gently knocking on the door to my room.

"'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door -
"It must be a guest," I thought to myself, "knocking at the door to my room -

Only this, and nothing more."
There is nothing more to it than that."

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,
I recall it was in the cold and desolate month of December,

And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
As each ember burned out, it cast a ghostly shadow upon the floor.

Eagerly I wished the morrow; - vainly I had sought to borrow
I longed for the next day to come, but no matter how hard I tried,

From my books surcease of sorrow - sorrow for the lost Lenore -
I could not find comfort in my books or escape from my sadness over the loss of Lenore -

For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore -
The beautiful and unique woman named Lenore, whom the angels know well -

Nameless here for evermore.
But who is now nameless and lost to me forever.

And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
The soft, melancholic sound of the purple curtains as they rustle uncertainly

Thrilled me - filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
Filled me with an eerie excitement and strange fears I had never known before;

So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating,
To calm my racing heart, I kept repeating to myself,

"'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door -
"It must be a guest asking to be let in to my room -

Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door; -
A late-arriving guest asking to come in to my room -

This it is, and nothing more."
That is all it is, and nothing more."

Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
As time went on, I grew stronger and resolved to act without hesitation,

"Sir," said I, "or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
"I beg your pardon, Sir or Madam," I said sincerely,

But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
But the truth is I was sleeping, and you were knocking so softly,

And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
And you were knocking so quietly and gently on the door to my room,

That I scarce was sure I heard you"- here I opened wide the door; -
That I almost wasn't sure I had heard anything"- and so I opened the door wide;

Darkness there, and nothing more.
But there was only darkness there, and nothing more.

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
I gazed deep into the darkness, and stood there for a long time, full of wonder and fear,

Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortals ever dared to dream before;
Questioning, and dreaming dreams that no human had ever dared to imagine before;

But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,
But the still silence remained unbroken, and there was no sign or indication of anything to come,

And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, "Lenore?"
And the only sound was a whispered question:"Lenore?"

This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, "Lenore!" -
I spoke softly, and an echo repeated back the word:"Lenore!"-

Merely this, and nothing more.
Only this, and nothing more.

Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,
Turning back into my room, my entire being on fire with emotion,

Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.
Soon I heard another knock, this time a bit louder than before.

"Surely," said I, "surely that is something at my window lattice:
"Certainly," I said to myself, "this must be something at my window:

Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore -
Let me go and see what it is, and solve this mystery -

Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore; -
Let me calm my heart for a moment and solve this mystery -

'Tis the wind and nothing more!"
It's just the wind, and nothing more!"

Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
I threw open the shutter, and the window flew open with a rustling and fluttering noise,

In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore;
And in flew a majestic Raven from an ancient time long ago;

Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;
The Raven did not bow or show any deference at all; he did not stop or hesitate for even a moment;

But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door -
But he perched himself above the door to my room with the dignity of a nobleman or a lady,

Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door -
Perching on a statue of Pallas, just above the door to my room -

Perched, and sat, and nothing more.
He sat there, perched, and did nothing more.

Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
The Raven's appearance caused my melancholy state to lift and brought a smile to my face,

By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore.
By the serious and stern expression that it wore.

"Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou," I said, "art sure no craven,
"Even though your feathers are messy and unkempt," I said to the Raven, "you are still a brave and noble creature,

Ghastly grim and ancient Raven wandering from the Nightly shore -
A ghostly, grim, and old Raven wandering from the shore of the Night,

Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!"
Tell me, what is your noble name on the dark shore of the underworld?"

Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."
The Raven replied, "Nevermore."

Much I marveled this...
I was amazed at this...