Constantine's Dream

Constantine's Dream Lyrics

Song Constantine's Dream
Artist Patti Smith
Album Banga
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[00:02.25] In Arezzo I dreamed a dream
[00:28.43] Of Saint Francis who kneeled and prayed
[00:35.15] 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
[01:04.83] Like a distant hymn
[01:12.67] I retreated from the silence of my room
[01:16.45] Stepping down the ancient stones washed with dawn
[01:21.86] 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
[01:38.85] I kneeled and prayed
[01:46.55] And the sleep that I could not find in the night
[01:51.51] I found through him
[01:58.23] I saw before me the world of his world
[02:02.88] The bright field,the birds in abundance
[02:08.39] All of nature of which he sang
[02:12.28] Singing of him
[02:15.77] All the beauty that surrounded him as he walked
[02:20.22] His nature that was nature itself
[02:24.67] And I heard him-I heard him speak
[02:29.07] And the birds sang sweetly
[02:32.06] And the wolves licked his feet
[02:36.35] But I could not give myself to him
[02:40.29] I felt another call from basilica itself
[02:45.40] Tha call of art-the call of man
[02:48.79] And the beauty of material drew me away
[02:52.68] And I awoke,and beheld upon the wall
[02:56.52] The dream of Constantine
[03:01.98] The handiwork of Piero della Francesca
[03:07.50] Who had stood where I stood
[03:10.89] With his brush stroked The Legend of the True Cross
[03:19.17] He envisioned Constantine advancing to greet the enemy
[03:25.59] But as he was passing the river
[03:28.31] An unaccustomed fear gripped his bowels
[03:31.65] An anticipation so overwhelming that it manifested in waves
[03:47.73] All through the night a dream drew toward him
[03:52.18] As an advancing Crusade
[03:55.01] He slept in his tent on the battlefield
[03:58.60] While his men stood guard
[04:01.39] And an angel awoke him
[04:04.32] Constantine within his dream awoke
[04:10.18] And his men saw a light pass over the face of the king
[04:15.13] The troubled King
[04:18.01] And the angel came and showed to him
[04:20.75] The sign of the true cross in heaven
[04:25.80] And upon it was written
[04:29.04] (In this sign shall thou conquer)
[04:32.87] In the distance the tents of his army were lit by moonlight
[04:38.49] But another king of radiance lit the face of Constantine
[04:44.26] And in the morning light
[04:46.63] The artist,seeing his work was done
[04:51.34] Saw that it was good
[05:03.16] (In this sign shall thou conquer)
[05:08.42] He let his brush drop and passed into a sleep of his own
[05:16.15] And he dreamed of Constantine carrying into battle in his right hand
[05:21.46] An immaculate,undefiled single white Cross
[05:27.53] Piero della Francesca,as his bursh stroked the wall
[05:33.18] Was filled with a torpor
[05:38.74] And fell into a dream of his own
[05:44.86] From the geometry of his heart he mapped it out
[05:49.72] He saw the King rise,fitted with armor
[05:54.46] Set upon a white horse
[05:57.35] An immaculate cross in his right hand
[06:00.48] He advanced toward the enemy
[06:03.48] And the symmetry,the perfection of his mathematics
[06:07.31] Caused the scattering of the enemy
[06:09.95] Agitated,broken,they fled
[06:14.04] And Piero della Francesca waking,cried out
[06:20.76] All is art-all is future!
[06:26.38] Oh lord let me die on the back of advanture
[06:30.58] With a brush and an eye full of light
[06:36.14] But as he advanced in age
[06:39.58] The light was shorn from his eyes
[06:43.47] And blinded,he laid upon his bed
[06:46.91] On an October moring 1492,and whispered
[06:54.04] Oh lord let me die on the back of adventure
[07:03.44] Oh lord let me die on the back of adventure
[07:12.75] And a world away-a world away
[07:19.17] On three great ships
[07:21.44] Adventure itself as if to answer
[07:23.66] Pulling into the New World
[07:28.17] And as far as his eyes could see
[07:30.96] No longer blind
[07:36.41] All of nature unspoiled-beautiful-beautiful
[07:40.91] In such a manner that would have lifted the heart of St.Francis
[07:48.99] Into the realm of universal love
[07:55.17] Columbus set foot on the new world
[08:01.29] he witnessed beauty unspoiled
[08:06.35] all of the delights given by god
[08:09.98] as if in Eden itself
[08:13.02] as if Eden had opened up her heart to him
[08:17.00] and opened her dress
[08:20.14] and all of her fruit, gave to him
[08:27.52] and Columbus so overwhelmed
[08:30.96] fell into a sleep of his own
[08:34.55] all the world in his sleep
[08:40.15] all of the beauty
[08:43.39] all of the beauty entwined with the future
[08:47.13] the 21st century
[08:49.56] advancing like the angel
[08:51.64] advancing like the angel
[08:54.01] that had come to Constantine
[08:56.74] Constantine and history
[08:58.46] oh this is your cross to bear
[09:01.79] oh lord
[09:02.85] oh lord let me deliver
[09:07.70] hallowed adventure to all mankind
[09:11.45] in the future
[09:13.82] oh art, cried the painter
[09:15.04] oh art, oh art, cried the angel
[09:18.67] art the great material gift of man
[09:21.60] art that hath denied the hungered pleas of st Francis
[09:25.71] oh thou artist
[09:28.33] all shall crumble in the dust
[09:30.86] oh thou navigator
[09:33.03] the terrible end of man
[09:35.01] this is your gift to mankind
[09:38.55] this is your cross to bear
[09:40.93] then Columbus saw all of nature aflame
[09:43.56] the apocalyptic night
[09:46.08] and the dream of the troubled king
[09:50.12] dissolved
[09:51.89] into light
Constantine's Dream Lyrics

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