Peter Hammill - Act 6. The Haunted Palace Lyrics

In the greenest of our valleys
By good angels tenanted
Once a fair and stately palace -
Radiant palace - reared its head.
In the monarch, Thought's dominion
Like a jewel it stood there.
Never seraph spread a pinion
Over fabric half so fair.
Wanderers in that happy valley
Through two luminous windows saw
Spirits moving musically
To a lute's well-tuned law,
Round about a throne where sitting,
Side by side with his fair queen,
In state his glory well befitting,
The ruler of the realm was seen.

[Usher / Montresor]

Wait!
Did you hear it?
What was it?
It's nothing.
What was that
Distant sound?
I say, I heard nothing
All with pearl and ruby glowing
Was the glorious palace door
Through which came flowing, flowing,
Flowing and sparkling evermore
A troop of echoes, whose sweet duty
Night and day was but to sing
In voices of surpassing beauty
The wit and wisdom of their king.

[Usher / Montresor]
No!
There's something,
I heard it
Quite clear,
A voice crying.
It's nothing
I say
But the wind!
You heard the wind,
Just heard Within the House!
The wild wind crying.
But evil things, in robes of sorrow
Assailed the monarch's high estate;
Let us mourn for never morrow
Dawn upon him, desolate;
Round about his home the glory
That had always blushed and bloomed
Is but a dim-remembered story
Of the olden time entombed.

[Usher / Montresor]
There!
Yes, you heard it!
There is someone else -
There's nothing something else
I say, down there!
You hear nothing!
There's no-one there.
It is the storm Are we
That you hear. alone here?
Travellers now within that valley
Through red-litten windows see
Vast forms that move fantastically
To a discordant melody
While like a rapid, ghastly river
Through the ever open door
A hideous throng rush out forever
And laugh - but smile no more!
And laugh - but smile no more!
And laugh - but smile no more!

[Usher]
No! No! No!