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In Arezzo I dreamed a dream |
[00:28.43] |
Of Saint Francis who kneeled and prayed |
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For the birds and the beasts and all humankind |
[00:51.94] |
All through the night I felt drawn in by him |
[01:00.63] |
And I heard him call |
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Like a distant hymn |
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I retreated from the silence of my room |
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Stepping down the ancient stones washed with dawn |
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And entered the basilica that bore his name |
[01:26.27] |
Seeing his effigy I bowed my head |
[01:31.46] |
And my racing heart I gave to him |
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I kneeled and prayed |
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And the sleep that I could not find in the night |
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I found through him |
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I saw before me the world of his world |
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The bright field,the birds in abundance |
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All of nature of which he sang |
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Singing of him |
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All the beauty that surrounded him as he walked |
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His nature that was nature itself |
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And I heard him-I heard him speak |
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And the birds sang sweetly |
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And the wolves licked his feet |
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But I could not give myself to him |
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I felt another call from basilica itself |
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Tha call of art-the call of man |
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And the beauty of material drew me away |
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And I awoke,and beheld upon the wall |
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The dream of Constantine |
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The handiwork of Piero della Francesca |
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Who had stood where I stood |
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With his brush stroked The Legend of the True Cross |
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He envisioned Constantine advancing to greet the enemy |
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But as he was passing the river |
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An unaccustomed fear gripped his bowels |
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An anticipation so overwhelming that it manifested in waves |
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All through the night a dream drew toward him |
[03:52.18] |
As an advancing Crusade |
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He slept in his tent on the battlefield |
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While his men stood guard |
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And an angel awoke him |
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Constantine within his dream awoke |
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And his men saw a light pass over the face of the king |
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The troubled King |
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And the angel came and showed to him |
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The sign of the true cross in heaven |
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And upon it was written |
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(In this sign shall thou conquer) |
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In the distance the tents of his army were lit by moonlight |
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But another king of radiance lit the face of Constantine |
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And in the morning light |
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The artist,seeing his work was done |
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Saw that it was good |
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(In this sign shall thou conquer) |
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He let his brush drop and passed into a sleep of his own |
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And he dreamed of Constantine carrying into battle in his right hand |
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An immaculate,undefiled single white Cross |
[05:27.53] |
Piero della Francesca,as his bursh stroked the wall |
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Was filled with a torpor |
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And fell into a dream of his own |
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From the geometry of his heart he mapped it out |
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He saw the King rise,fitted with armor |
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Set upon a white horse |
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An immaculate cross in his right hand |
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He advanced toward the enemy |
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And the symmetry,the perfection of his mathematics |
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Caused the scattering of the enemy |
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Agitated,broken,they fled |
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And Piero della Francesca waking,cried out |
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All is art-all is future! |
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Oh lord let me die on the back of advanture |
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With a brush and an eye full of light |
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But as he advanced in age |
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The light was shorn from his eyes |
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And blinded,he laid upon his bed |
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On an October moring 1492,and whispered |
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Oh lord let me die on the back of adventure |
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Oh lord let me die on the back of adventure |
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And a world away-a world away |
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On three great ships |
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Adventure itself as if to answer |
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Pulling into the New World |
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And as far as his eyes could see |
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No longer blind |
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All of nature unspoiled-beautiful-beautiful |
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In such a manner that would have lifted the heart of St.Francis |
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Into the realm of universal love |
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Columbus set foot on the new world |
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he witnessed beauty unspoiled |
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all of the delights given by god |
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as if in Eden itself |
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as if Eden had opened up her heart to him |
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and opened her dress |
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and all of her fruit, gave to him |
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and Columbus so overwhelmed |
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fell into a sleep of his own |
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all the world in his sleep |
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all of the beauty |
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all of the beauty entwined with the future |
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the 21st century |
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advancing like the angel |
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advancing like the angel |
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that had come to Constantine |
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Constantine and history |
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oh this is your cross to bear |
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oh lord |
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oh lord let me deliver |
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hallowed adventure to all mankind |
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in the future |
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oh art, cried the painter |
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oh art, oh art, cried the angel |
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art the great material gift of man |
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art that hath denied the hungered pleas of st Francis |
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oh thou artist |
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all shall crumble in the dust |
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oh thou navigator |
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the terrible end of man |
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this is your gift to mankind |
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this is your cross to bear |
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then Columbus saw all of nature aflame |
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the apocalyptic night |
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and the dream of the troubled king |
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dissolved |
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into light |