Romanza A La Muerte De Un Ave [CF:524-08514]

Legend has it that there was once a bird that sang only once in all its life, but more melodiously than any other creature on earth. It left its nest and immediately set about looking for a tree with thorney brancehs and could not rest until it had found it. It was then that it was torn to pieces on the longest, sharpest thorn, all the while singing through the wild brancehs. The bird was dying yet rose above its death throes with a song that surpassed that of the lark and the nightingale. A supreme song whose price was life itself. The whole world stood still to listen and God smiled in his Heaven. Because the best can only be achieved at the expense of great pain...or at least, that's what the legend tells us.