The Haunted Palace
Enchanted Desolation: Echoes of a Lost Palace
Lyrics
In the greenest of our valleys
In the most lush and green valleys,
by good angels tenanted,
Inhabited by benevolent angels,
once a fair and stately palace
Once, there was an elegant and majestic palace,
radiant palace - reared its head.
A radiant palace that proudly stood.
In the monarch thought’s dominion
In the ruler's dominating thoughts,
it stood there!
It stood there!
never seraph spread a pinion
Never did an angelic being spread its wings
over fabric half so fair!
Over a structure half as beautiful!
Banners yellow, glorious, golden,
Yellow, glorious, and golden banners,
on its roof did float and flow
On its roof floated and flowed,
this, all this, was in the olden time long ago
All of this was in the ancient past, long ago.
And every gentle air that dallied,
And every gentle breeze that lingered,
in that sweet day,
In that sweet day,
along the ramparts plumed and pallid,
Along the pale and plumed fortifications,
a winged odor went away.
A winged fragrance drifted away.
Wanderers in that happy valley,
Wanderers in that blissful valley,
through two luminous windows, saw
Through two luminous windows, witnessed,
spirits moving musically
Spirits moving harmoniously
to a lute’s well-tunèd law,
To the well-tuned melody of a lute,
Round about a throne where, sitting,
Around a throne where Porphyrogene sat!
Porphyrogene!
In a state befitting his glorious majesty,
in state his glory well befitting,
The ruler of the realm was seen.
the ruler of the realm was seen
And everything, with pearl and ruby glowing,
And all with pearl and ruby glowing
Was the fair palace door,
was the fair palace door,
Through which flowed, flowed, flowed
through which came flowing, flowing, flowing
And sparkled evermore,
and sparkling evermore,
A troop of echoes, whose sweet duty
a troop of echoes, whose sweet duty
Was but to sing,
was but to sing,
In voices of surpassing beauty,
in voices of surpassing beauty,
The wit and wisdom of their king.
the wit and wisdom of their king
But evil things, in robes of sorrow,
But evil things, in robes of sorrow,
Assailed the monarch's high estate;
assailed the monarch’s high estate;
Ah, let us mourn!—for never morrow
ah, let us mourn!—for never morrow
Shall dawn upon him, desolate!
shall dawn upon him, desolate!
And around his home, the glory
And round about his home the glory
That blushed and bloomed
that blushed and bloomed
Is but a dim-remembered story
is but a dim-remembered story
Of the old time entombed.
of the old time entombed
And travelers, now, within that valley,
And travellers, now, within that valley,
Through the red-litten windows see
through the red-litten windows see
Vast forms that move fantastically
vast forms that move fantastically
To a discordant melody;
to a discordant melody;
While, like a ghastly rapid river,
while, like a ghastly rapid river,
Through the pale door
through the pale door
A hideous throng rush out forever,
a hideous throng rush out forever,
And laugh - but smile never more.
and laugh - but smile never more.
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