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A Dream of Nightingales Lyrics by Ned Rorem

The AIDS Quilt Songbook

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The Friday before your funeral I taught
Keats to my sophomore class. Little did they
Care for the truth of beauty or the grace of truth
But his being “half in love with easeful death”
Penetrated through the smugness of youth
And I thought of you drawing me to the rear
Window one early spring to hear the rapture
A bird hidden among the flowering pear
You held your cat tight so that he could not scare
Off such music as hadn’t been heard all winter
When you flew south to escape the arctic blast
And home again heard that darkwinged creature sing
Tell me, did he then reveal himself at last
As you believed he’d be — pure and beckoning?
Credits
Ned Rorem

Ned Rorem

About “A Dream of Nightingales” by Ned Rorem

Read the complete lyrics to "A Dream of Nightingales" by Ned Rorem from the album "The AIDS Quilt Songbook". On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Pop.

"A Dream of Nightingales" is performed by Ned Rorem. from the album "The AIDS Quilt Songbook" This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "A Dream of Nightingales", explore more songs by Ned Rorem using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"A Dream of Nightingales" is credited to Ned Rorem. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"A Dream of Nightingales" appears on "The AIDS Quilt Songbook".

Visit the Ned Rorem artist page at /artist/ned-rorem for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.