wuns upon u midnuyt driry, wuyl uy pondurd, wyk and wiry,
uUvur meny u kwaynt and kYOryus volYum uv furgotun lor—
wuyl uy nodud, nirly napyng, sudunly Ter kaym u tapyng,
az uv sum wun jently rapyng, rapyng at muy caymbur dor.
“’tiz sum vizutur,” uy muturd, “tapyng at muy caymbur dor—
uUnly Tis and nuTyng mor.”
o, distingktly uy rimembur it woz in Tu blyk disembur;
and yc sepurat duyyng embur rot its guUst upon Tu flor.
ygurly uy wiSt Tu moruU;—vaynly uy had sot tU boruU
frum muy bOks sursys uv soruU—soruU for Tu lost lunor—
for Tu rer and raydyunt maydun hUm Tu aynjulz naym lunor—
naymlus hyr for evurmor.
and Tu sylkun, sad, unsurtun ruslyng uv yc purpul kurtun
Trild my—fild my wiT fantastik terurz nevur felt bifor;
suU Tat naO, tU stil Tu bytyng uv muy hort, uy stOd ripytyng
“’tiz sum vizutur intrytyng entrans at muy caymbur dor—
sum layt vizutur intrytyng entrans at muy caymbur dor;—
Tis it iz and nuTyng mor.”
prezuntly muy suUl grU strongur; hezutaytyng Ten nuU longgur,
“sur,” sed uy, “or madum, trUly Yor furgivnus uy implor;
but Tu fakt iz uy woz napyng, and suU jently YU kaym rapyng,
and suU fayntly YU kaym tapyng, tapyng at muy caymbur dor,
Tat uy skers woz SOr uy hurd YU”—hyr uy uUpund wuyd Tu dor;—
dorknus Ter and nuTyng mor.
dyp intU Tat dorknus piryng, long uy stOd Ter wunduryng, firyng,
daOtyng, drymyng drymz nuU mortul evur derd tU drym bifor;
but Tu suyluns woz unbruUkun, and Tu stilnus gayv nuU tuUkun,
and Tu uUnly wurd Ter spuUkun woz Tu wispurd wurd, “lunor?”
Tis uy wispurd, and an ekuU murmurd bak Tu wurd, “lunor!”—
mirly Tis and nuTyng mor.
bak intU Tu caymbur turnyng, ol muy suUl wiTin my burnyng,
sUn ugen uy hurd u tapyng sumwut laOdur Tan bifor.
“SOrly,” sed uy, “SOrly Tat iz sumTyng at muy winduU latus;
let my sy, Ten, wut Teryt iz, and Tis mistury iksplor—
let muy hort by stil u muUmunt and Tis mistury iksplor;—
’tiz Tu wuynd and nuTyng mor!”
uUpun hyr uy flung Tu Sutur, wen, wiT meny u flurt and flutur,
in Ter stept u staytly rayvun uv Tu sayntly dayz uv Yor;
not Tu lyst uUbysans mayd hy; not u minut stopt or stayd hy;
but, wiT myn uv lord or laydy, purct ubuv muy caymbur dor—
purct upon u bust uv palus just ubuv muy caymbur dor—
purct, and sat, and nuTyng mor.
Ten Tis ebuny burd biguylyng muy sad fansy intU smuylyng,
buy Tu grayv and sturn dikorum uv Tu kaOntununs it wor,
“TuU Tuy krest by Sorn and Sayvun, TaO,” uy sed, “ort SOr nuU krayvun,
gastly grim and ayncunt rayvun wonduryng frum Tu nuytly Sor—
tel my wut Tuy lordly naym iz on Tu nuyts plutuUnyun Sor!”
kwoT Tu rayvun “nevurmor.”
muc uy marveld Tis ungaynly faOl tU hyr diskors suU playnly,
TuU its ansur litul mynyng—litul reluvunsy bor;
for wy kanot help ugryyng Tat nuU livyng hYUmun byyng
evur Yet woz blest wiT syyng burd ubuv hiz caymbur dor—
burd or byst upon Tu skulpcurd bust ubuv hiz caymbur dor,
wiT suc naym az “nevurmor.”
but Tu rayvun, sityng luUnly on Tu plasud bust, spuUk uUnly
Tat wun wurd, az if hiz suUl in Tat wun wurd hy did aOtpor.
nuTyng forTur Ten hy uturd—not u feTur Ten hy fluturd—
til uy skersly mor Tan muturd “uTur frendz hav fluUn bifor—
on Tu moruU hy wil lyv my, az muy huUps hav fluUn bifor.”
Ten Tu burd sed “nevurmor.”
stortuld at Tu stilnus bruUkun buy ripluy suU aptly spuUkun,
“daOtlus,” sed uy, “wut it uturz iz its uUnly stok and stor
kot frum sum unhapy mastur hUm unmursiful dizastur
foluUd fast and foluUd fastur til hiz songz wun burdun bor—
til Tu dirgiz uv hiz huUp Tat melunkoly burdun bor
uv ’nevur—nevurmor’.”
but Tu rayvun stil biguylyng ol muy fansy intU smuylyng,
strayt uy wyld u kOSund syt in frunt uv burd, and bust and dor;
Ten, upon Tu velvut syngkyng, uy bytOk muyself tU lyngkyng
fansy untu fansy, Tyngkyng wut Tis omunus burd uv Yor—
wut Tis grim, ungaynly, gastly, gont, and omunus burd uv Yor
ment in kruUkyng “nevurmor.”
Tis uy sat engayjd in gesyng, but nuU sylubul ikspresyng
tU Tu faOl hUz fuyury uyz naO burnd intU muy bOzums kor;
Tis and mor uy sat duvuynyng, wiT muy hed at yz rikluynyng
on Tu kOSuns velvut luynyng Tat Tu lamp-luyt gluUtid uU’ur,
but hUz velvut-vuyulit luynyng wiT Tu lamp-luyt gluUtyng uU’ur,
Sy Sal pres, o, nevurmor!
Ten, myTot, Tu er grU densur, purfYUmd frum an unsyn sensur
swung buy serafim hUz fOt-folz tyngkuld on Tu tuftud flor.
“wrec,” uy kruyd, “Tuy god haT lent Ty—buy Tyz aynjulz hy haT sent Ty
respuyt—respuyt and nepenT frum Tuy memuryz uv lunor;
kwof, uU kwof Tis kuynd nepenT and furget Tis lost lunor!”
kwoT Tu rayvun “nevurmor.”
“profut!” sed uy, “Tyng uv yvul!—profut stil, if burd or devul!—
weTur temptur sent, or weTur tempust tost Ty hyr uSor,
desulut Yet ol undontid, on Tis dezurt land encantid—
on Tis huUm buy horur hontud—tel my trUly, uy implor—
iz Ter — iz Ter bolm in gilyad?—tel my—tel my, uy implor!”
kwoT Tu rayvun “nevurmor.”
“profut!” sed uy, “Tyng uv yvul!—profut stil, if burd or devul!
buy Tat hevun Tat bendz ubuv us—buy Tat god wy buUT udor—
tel Tis suUl wiT soruU laydun if, wiTin Tu distunt ayden,
it Sal klasp u sayntid maydun hUm Tu aynjulz naym lunor—
klasp u rer and raydyunt maydun hUm Tu aynjulz naym lunor.”
kwoT Tu rayvun “nevurmor.”
“by Tat wurd aOur suyn uv portyng, burd or fynd!” uy Srykt, upstartyng—
“get Ty bak intU Tu tempust and Tu nuyts plutuUnyun Sor!
lyv nuU blak plUm az u tuUkun uv Tat luy Tuy suUl haT spuUkun!
lyv muy luUnlynus unbruUkun!—kwit Tu bust ubuv muy dor!
tayk Tuy byk frum aOt muy hort, and tayk Tuy form frum of muy dor!”
kwoT Tu rayvun “nevurmor.”
and Tu rayvun, nevur flityng, stil iz sityng, stil iz sityng
on Tu palud bust uv palus just ubuv muy caymbur dor;
and hiz uyz hav ol Tu symyng uv u dymunz Tat iz drymyng,
and Tu lamp-luyt uU’ur him strymyng TruUz hiz SaduU on Tu flor;
and muy suUl frum aOt Tat SaduU Tat luyz fluUtyng on Tu flor
Sal by liftud—nevurmor!