The Raven
Rathbone Lyrics

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Late one night, feeling tired and drained, I found myself lost in deep thought.

Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore--
I was surrounded by old, intriguing books filled with knowledge that had been long forgotten.

While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As I started to doze off, I was abruptly awakened by a gentle tapping sound.

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

'Tis some visiter,' I muttered, 'tapping at my chamber door--
I whispered to myself, 'It must be a visitor knocking on my door--

Only this and nothing more.'
there's nothing more to it than that.'

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

And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Each dying ember projected its ghostly shadow on the floor.

Eagerly I wished the morrow;--vainly I had sought to borrow
I longed for the arrival of the next day, but my attempts to find solace in my books were in vain.

From my books surcease of sorrow--sorrow for the lost Lenore--
I hoped to find relief from my grief over the loss of Lenore in the pages of my books.

For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore--
I mourned for the exceptional and beautiful woman known as Lenore, whom the angels themselves recognize.

Nameless here for evermore.
However, in this world, her name will forever remain unknown.

And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
The sound of the soft, melancholy rustling of the purple curtains

Thrilled me--filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
Sent shivers down my spine and filled me with indescribable fears I had never experienced before;

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

'Tis some visiter entreating entrance at my chamber door--
'It must be a visitor begging for entry at my chamber door--

Some late visiter entreating entrance at my chamber door;
A belated visitor seeking to gain entry to my room;

This it is and nothing more.
That's all there is to it, nothing more.

Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
Gradually, my spirit became stronger, and without hesitation,

'Sir,' said I, 'or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
I said, 'Sir or Madam, I sincerely apologize and ask for your forgiveness;

But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
But the truth is, I dozed off, and you knocked so softly,

And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
And your tapping was so weak, so feeble, on my chamber door,

That I scarce was sure I heard you'--here I opened wide the door--
That I could hardly believe I actually heard you'--at that moment, I swung the door wide open--

Darkness there and nothing more.
Only darkness greeted me, and nothing else.

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
Staring deep into that darkness, I stood there for a long time, filled with curiosity and fear,

Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortals ever dared to dream before;
Uncertain, I entertained dreams that no human being had ever dared to conjure before;

But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,
But there was complete and utter silence, and the stillness revealed no clues,

And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, 'Lenore?'
And the only word spoken there was the whispered question, 'Lenore?'

This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, 'Lenore!'--
I whispered this, and an echo softly replied with the name 'Lenore!'--

Merely this and nothing more.
Just that, and nothing more.

Back into the chamber turning, all my sour within me burning,
Turning back into the room, my emotions seething within me,

Soon again I heard a tapping something louder than before.
Once again, I heard a louder tapping than before.

'Surely,' said I, 'surely that is something at my window lattice;
I said to myself, 'Certainly, that must be something at my window lattice;

Let me see, then, what thereat is and this mystery explore--
Let me see what is causing it and investigate this mystery--

Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore;--
Let me calm my heart for a moment and investigate 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 quickly opened the window shutter, and suddenly, with much flapping and fluttering,

In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore.
A majestic Raven entered, reminiscent of the revered days of old.

Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he,
The Raven did not offer the slightest bow of respect, nor did it pause or remain just for a moment,

But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door--
But with an air of regality, it perched itself above my chamber door--

Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door--
It landed on a statue of Pallas that was placed above my chamber door--

Perched, and sat, and nothing more.
And it sat there, perched, without making any further movements.

Then the ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
The dark bird managed to charm my melancholy thoughts, bringing a smile to my face,

By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
Due to the solemn and serious expression on its face,

'Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou,' I said, 'art sure no craven,
I told the Raven, 'Even though your crown is gone and your feathers are smooth, you are undoubtedly not a coward,

Ghastly grim and ancient Raven wandering from the Nightly shore--
You are an eerie and ancient Raven, wandering from the shore of the afterlife--

Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!'
Inform me of your majestic name in the underworld of the Night!'

Quoth the Raven, 'Nevermore.'
The Raven answered, 'Nevermore.'

Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,
I was greatly amazed to hear this ungraceful creature speak so clearly,

Though its answer little meaning--little relevancy bore;
Although its answer held little meaning and relevance;

For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
Because we cannot deny that no living person

Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door--
Has ever been fortunate enough to witness a bird perched above their chamber door--

Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,
Whether it be a bird or any other creature on a sculpted bust above their chamber door,

With such name as 'Nevermore.'
Bearing the name 'Nevermore.'

But the Raven, sitting lonely on that placid bust, spoke only
However, the Raven, sitting solemnly on that calm bust, uttered nothing more

That one word, as if its soul in that one word he did outpour.
But it poured all its soul into that one word it spoke.

Nothing farther then he uttered; not a feather then he fluttered--
It did not utter anything more, nor did it even flutter a single feather--

Till I scarcely more than muttered: 'Other friends have flown before--
Until I could hardly do anything but mutter: 'Other friends have abandoned me before--

On the morrow he will leave me, as my Hopes have flown before.'
Tomorrow, just like my hopes have vanished in the past, it will also leave me behind.'

Then the bird said 'Nevermore.'
To this, the bird replied, 'Nevermore.'

Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
Disturbed by the sudden silence shattered by the fitting response,

'Doubtless,' said I, 'what it utters is its only stock and store,
I said, 'Undoubtedly, what it says is the only thing it knows,

Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster
Learned from some unfortunate master who endured merciless misfortune

Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore--
That plagued him relentlessly, forcing his songs to carry a single burden--

Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore
Until the mournful tunes of his hope carried that burden of melancholy

Of 'Never--nevermore.'
Of 'Never--nevermore.'

But the Raven still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling,
However, the Raven continued to charm my sorrowful soul, making me smile,

Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird and bust and door;
Quickly, I moved a comfortable seat in front of the bird, the bust, and the door;

Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking
And sinking into the cushioned seat, I began to connect

Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore--
One imagination with another, pondering over the meaning of this foreboding bird from the past--

What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore
What this dreadful, awkward, terrifying, thin, and forewarning bird from the past

Meant in croaking 'Nevermore.'
Signified by cawing 'Nevermore.'

This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing
Engaged in guesswork, but without speaking a single word,

To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core;
To the bird whose fiery eyes seemed to penetrate the depth of my being;

This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
Continuing to decipher this and more, I relaxed with my head resting comfortably,

On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o'er,
Resting on the velvet lining of the cushion that the lamp's light embraced,

But whose velvet violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o'er
But with the lamp's light fixated upon the velvety violet lining,

She shall press, ah, nevermore!
She will never again lay her gentle touch upon it!

Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer
Then, I felt the air becoming thicker, filled with the scent of an invisible incense burner

Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.
Swung by angelic beings whose footsteps created a delicate tinkling sound on the luxurious floor.

'Wretch,' I cried, 'thy God hath lent thee--by these angels he hath sent thee
'Wretch,' I exclaimed, 'Your God has granted you--sent by these angels,

Respite--respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore!
Temporary relief--relief and a forgetfulness potion from your memories of Lenore!

Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!'
Drink, oh drink this soothing potion and erase the memory of the departed Lenore!'

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

'Prophet!' said I, 'thing of evil!--prophet still, if bird or devil!--
'Prophet!' I said, 'Creature of darkness!--prophet, whether bird or devil!--

Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
Whether you were sent as a Tempter or were thrown here by a storm,

Desolate, yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted--
Alone, yet fearless, in this enchanted barren land--

On this home by Horror haunted--tell me truly, I implore--
In this residence plagued by Horror--tell me honestly, I beg of you--

Is there--is there balm in Gilead?--tell me--tell me, I implore!'
Is there--is there a solution to my sorrows?--tell me--tell me, I beg of you!'

Quoth the Raven, 'Nevermore.'
The Raven answered, 'Nevermore.'

'Prophet!' said I, 'thing of evil!--prophet still, if bird or devil!
'Prophet!' I said, 'Creature of darkness!--prophet, whether bird or devil!

By that Heaven that bends above us--by that God we both adore--
By the sky that hovers above us--by the God we both worship--

Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,
Inform this sorrowful soul whether, in the far-off paradise,

It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore--
It will embrace a saintly maiden known as Lenore--

Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore.'
Embrace an extraordinary and radiant maiden called Lenore.'

Quoth the Raven, 'Nevermore.'
The Raven responded, 'Nevermore.'

'Be that our sign of parting, bird or fiend!' I shrieked, upstarting--
'Let that be our signal to part ways, bird or demon!' I yelled, jumping up--

'Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore!
'Go back into the storm and return to the underworld's shore of darkness!

Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul has spoken!
Do not leave behind a single black feather as a symbol of the falsehood you have uttered!

Leave my loneliness unbroken!--quit the bust above my door!
Leave my solitude intact!--depart from the bust above my door!

Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!'
Remove your beak from my heart, and remove your presence from my door!'

Quoth the Raven, 'Nevermore.'
The Raven answered, 'Nevermore.'

And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
And the Raven, never wavering, is still perched, still perched

On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
On the lifeless statue of Pallas placed just above my chamber door;

And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,
And its eyes have the appearance of a dreaming demon,

And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadows on the floor;
While the lamp's light shines upon it, casting its shadows on the floor;

And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
And my soul, emerging from the shadow that hovers over the floor

Shall be lifted - NEVERMORE!
Shall be lifted - NEVERMORE!