[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