ONCE UPON MIDNITE DREARY, WHILE I PONDERED WEKK AND WEARY,
OVR MANY QUAINT AND CURIOUZ VOLUME OF FORGOTTEN LORE,
WHILE I NODDED, NEARLY NAPPIN, SUDDENLY THERE CAME TAPPIN,
AZ OF SUM ONE GENTLY RAPPIN, RAPPINS AT MUH CHAMBR DOOR.
`TIZ SUM VISITOR, I MUTTERED, `TAPPINS AT MUH CHAMBR DOOR -
ONLY THIZ, AND NUDDINS MOAR. AH, DISTINCTLY I REMEMBR IT WAZ IN TEH BLEKK DECEMBR,
AND EACH SEPARATE DYINS EMBR WROUGHT ITZ GHOST UPON TEH FLOOR.
EUJRLY I WISHED TEH MORROW; - VAINLY I HAD SOUGHT TO BORROW
FROM MUH BOOKZ SURCEEZ OF SORROW - SORROW 4 TEH LOST LENORE -
4 TEH RAR AND RADIANT MAIDEN HOOM TEH ANGELZ NAMED LENORE -
NAMELESZ HERE 4 EVERMOAR. AND TEH SILKEN SAD UNCERTAIN RUSTLIN OF EACH PURPLE CURTAIN
THRILLED ME - FILLED ME WITH FANTASTIC TERRORZ NEVR FELT BEFURE;
SO THAT NOW, T STILL TEH BEATIN OF MUH HEART, I STOOD REPEATIN
`TIZ SUM VISITOR ENTREATIN ENTRANCE AT MAH CHAMBR DOOR -
SUM LATE VISITOR ENTREATIN ENTRANCE AT MUH CHAMBR DOOR; -
THIZ IT AR TEH, AND NUDDINS MOAR, PRESENTLY MUH SOUL GREW STRONGR; HESITATIN THEN NO LONGR,
`SIR, SAID I, `OR MADAM, TRULY YORE FRGIVENESZ I IMPLORE;
BUT TEH FACT AR I WAZ NAPPIN, AND SO GENTLY YOUZ CAME RAPPIN,
AND SO FAINTLY YOO CAME TAPPIN, TAPPIN AT MAH CHAMBR DOOR,
THAT I SCARCE WAZ SHUR I HEARD YOO - HERE I OPENED WIDE TEH DOOR; -
DARKNESZ THERE, AND NUDDIN MOAR. DEEP INTO THAT DARKNESZ PEERIN, LONG I STOOD THERE WONDERIN, FEARIN,
DOUBTIN, DREAMINS DREAMZ NO MORTAL EVR DARD T DREAM BE4E
BUT TEH SILENCE WAZ UNBROKEN, AND TEH DARKNESZ GAVE NO TOKEN,
AND TEH ONLY WORD THERE SPOKEN WAZ TEH WHISPERED WORD, `LENORE!
THIZ I WHISPERED, AND AN ECHO MURMURED BACK TEH WORD, `LENORE!
MERELY THIZ AND NUDDIN MOAR. BACK INTO TEH CHAMBR TURNIN, ALL MUH SOUL WITHIN ME BURNIN,
SOON AGAIN I HEARD TAPPINS SOMEWUT LOUDR THAN BE4E.
`SURELY, SAID I, `SURELY THAT AR SOMETHIN AT MUH WINDOW LATTICE;
LET ME SEE THEN, WUT THEREAT AR, AND THIZ MUHSTERY EXPLORE -
LET MUH HEART BE STILL MOMENT AND THIZ MAHSTERY EXPLORE; -
TIZ TEH WIND AND NUDDINS MOAR! OPEN HERE I FLUNG TEH SHUTTR, WHEN, WITH MANY FLIRT AND FLUTTR,
IN THERE STEPPED STATELY RAVEN OF TEH SAINTLY DAYZ OF YORE.
NOT TEH LEAST OBEISANCE MADE HE; NOT MINUTE STOPPED OR STAYED HE;
BUT, WITH MIEN OV LORD OR LADY, PERCHED ABOVE MAH CHAMBR DOOR -
PERCHED UPON BUST OV PALLAZ JUS ABOOVE MAH CHAMBR DOOR -
PERCHED, AND SAT, AND NUDDIN MOAR. THEN THIZ EBONY BIRD BEGUILIN MAH SAD FANCY INTO SMILIN,
BY TEH GRAVE AND STERN DECORUM OV TEH COUNTENANCE IT WORE,
`THOUGH THY CREST BE SHORN AND SHAVEN, THOU, I SAID, `ART SHUR NO CRAVEN.
GHASTLY GRIM AND ANCIENT RAVEN WANDERINS FROM TEH NITELY SHORE -
TELL ME WUT THY LORDLY NAME AR TEH ON TEH NITEZ PLUTONIAN SHORE!
QUUDD TEH RAVEN, `NEVERMOAR. MUCH I MARVELLED THIZ UNGAINLY FOWL TO HEAR DISCOURSE SO PLAINLY,
THOUGH ITZ ANSWR LITTLE MEANINS - LITTLE RELEVANCY BORE;
FOR WE CANNOT HELP AGREEINS THAT NO LIVIN HUMAN BEINS
EVR YET WAZ BLESSED WITH SEEINS BIRD ABOVE HIZ CHAMBR DOOR -
BIRD OR BEAST ABUV TEH SCULPCHURD BUST ABOOVE HIZ CHAMBR DOOR,
WITH SUCH NAME AZ `NEVERMOAR. BUT TEH RAVEN, SITTIN LONELY ON TEH PLACID BUST, SPOKE ONLY,
THAT ONE WORD, AZ IF HIZ SOUL IN THAT ONE WORD HE DID OUTPOUR.
NUDDIN FURTHR THEN HE UTTERED - NOT FEATHR THEN HE FLUTTERED -
TILL I SCARCELY MOAR THAN MUTTERED `UDDR FRIENDZ HAVE FLOWN BEFURE -
ON TEH MORROW HE WILL LEAVE ME, AZ MUH HOPEZ HAVE FLOWN BEFORE.
THEN TEH BIRD SAID, `NEVERMOAR. STARTLED AT TEH STILLNESZ BROKEN BY REPLY SO APTLY SPOKEN,
`DOUBTLESZ, SAID I, `WUT IT UTTERZ AR TEH ITZ ONLY STOCK AND STORE,
CAUGHT FROM SUM UNHAPPY MASTR HOOM UNMERCIFUL DISASTR
FOLLOWED FAST AND FOLLOWED FASTR TILL HIZ SONGZ ONE BURDEN BORE -
TILL TEH DIRGEZ OF HIZ HOPE THAT MELANCHOLY BURDEN BORE
OF "NEVR-NEVERMOAR." BUT TEH RAVEN STILL BEGUILINS ALL MAH SAD SOUL INTO SMILIN,
STRAITE I WHEELED CUSHIONED SEAT IN FRONT OF BIRD AND BUST AND DOOR;
THEN, UPON TEH VELVET SINKINS, I BETOK MAHSELF T LINKINS
FANCY UNTO FANCY, THINKIN WHUT THIZ OMINOUZ BIRD OF YORE -
WUT THIZ GRIM, UNGAINLY, GHASTLY, GAUNT, AND OMINOUZ BIRD OF YORE
MEANT IN CROAKIN `NEVERMOAR. THIZ I SAT ENGUJD IN GUESSINS, BUT NO SYLLABLE EXPRESSINS
T TEH FOWL HOOSE FIERY EYEZ NOW BURNED INTO MAH BOSOMZ CORE;
THIZ AND MOAR I SAT DIVININS, WITH MUH HEDD AT EEZ RECLININ
ON TEH CUSHIONZ VELVET LININ THAT TEH LAMP-LITE GLOATED OR,
BUT HOOSE VELVET VIOLET LININ WITH TEH LAMP-LITE GLOATIN OR,
SHE SHALL PRESZ, AH, NEVERMOAR! THEN, METHOUGHT, TEH AIR GREW DENSR, PERFUMED FROM AN UNSEEN CENSR
SWUNG BY SERAFIM HOOSE FOOT-FALLZ TINKLED ON TEH TUFTED FLOOR.
`WRETCH, I CRIED, `THY GOD HATH LENT THEE - BY THEEZ ANGELZ HE HAZ SENT THEE
RESPITE - RESPITE AND NEPENTEH FROM THY MEMORIEZ OF LENORE!
QUAFF, OHZ QUAFF THIZ KIND NEPENTEH, AND FRGET THIZ LOST LENORE!
QUUDD TEH RAVEN, `NEVERMOAR. `PROFET! SAID I, `THINS OF EVIL! - PROFET STILL, IF BIRD OR DEVIL! -
WHETHR TEMPTR SENT, OR WHETHR TEMPEST TOSSED THEE HERE ASHORE,
DESOLATE YET ALL UNDAUNTED, ON THIZ DESERT LAND ENCHANTED -
ON THIZ HUM BY HORROR HAUNTED - TELL ME TRULY, I IMPLORE -
AR THERE - AR TEH THERE BALM IN GILEDD? - TELL ME - TELL ME, I IMPLORE!
QUUDD TEH RAVEN, `NEVERMOAR. `PROFET! SAID I, `THINS OF EVIL! - PROFET STILL, IF BIRD OR DEVIL!
BY THAT HEAVEN THAT BENDZ ABUUV UZ - BY THAT GOD WE BUDD ADORE -
TELL THIZ SOUL WITH SORROW LADEN IF, WITHIN TEH DISTANT AIDENN,
IT SHALL CLASP SAINTED MAIDEN HOOM TEH ANGELZ NAMED LENORE -
CLASP RIS AND RADIANT MAIDEN, HOOM TEH ANGELZ NAMED LENORE?
QUUDD TEH RAVEN, `NEVERMOAR. `BE THAT WORD OUR SIGN OF PARTINS, BIRD OR FIEND! I SHRIEKED UPSTARTIN -
`GET THEE BACK INTO TEH TEMPEST AND TEH NITEZ PLUTONIAN SHORE!
LEAVE NO BLACK PLUME AZ TOKEN OF THAT LIE THY SOUL HATH SPOKEN!
LEAVE MAH LONELINESZ UNBROKEN! - QUIT TEH BUST ABUUV MAH DOOR!
TAKE THY BEKK FROM OUT MUH HEART, AND TAKE THY FOARM FROM OFF MAH DOOR!
QUUDD TEH RAVEN, `NEVERMOAR. AND TEH RAVEN, NEVR FLITTIN, STILL AR TEH SITTINS, STILL AR TEH SITTINS
ON TEH PALLID BUST OF PALLAZ JUS ABUUV MAH CHAMBR DOOR;
AND HIZ EYEZ HAVE ALL TEH SEEMINS OF DEMONZ THAT AR TEH DREAMINS,
AND TEH LAMP-LITE OR HIM STREAMINS THROWZ HIZ SHADOW ON TEH FLOOR;
AND MUH SOUL FROM OUT THAT SHADOW THAT LIEZ FLOATIN ON TEH FLOOR
SHALL BE LIFTED - NEVERMOAR! HORIZONTAL SPACE
VERTICAL SPACE. KTHXBYE!
) 4 a wile
