It was too sweet to sing, it wished to stay asleep.
No words could be its wing, “I’ll dream,” it said, “and weep.”
That song had sometimes wept, tears bitter, oft. times sweet
It dreamed the while it slept, it only wished to meet.
The sad, the drear, the far, and then it grew so shy
It sank back like a star, into the stillest sky.
One day, one came whose eyes could see the farthest gleam
Of stars in all the skies, or, maybe twas a dream
He heard the unsung song, he saw the hidden star
He tracked its light along, the dim realms of afar,
He looked through earthly speech, to shrine the song he heard
It said, “You cannot reach, my heart with any word."
And then I said “Song, sleep. I ne’re would thee awake.
I’ll hear thee and I’ll weep, but never shalt thou break
In words of human tongue, sleep song, and dream and pray
Yea, stay an unsung song, that will not pass away.