Nightingale
Nightingales, Nightingale singing, Bird singing at night
The nightingale is a small, plain brown bird with one of the richest voices in nature, and it often sings after dark. In a dream it carries the beauty of something you can hear but not easily see: a talent that isn't flashy, or love expressed quietly. Poets from Shakespeare to Keats made it the bird of romance and longing, so its song may stir tender feelings or memories. Hans Christian Andersen's tale of the real nightingale and the jeweled clockwork bird adds another thought: the genuine thing matters more than a polished copy.
Dream variations
- A nightingale singing outside your windowSomeone's quiet affection is reaching you. Open up to it and let them know you've noticed.
- A nightingale you can't seeSomething valuable is close by but hidden. Listen more closely to the people who don't speak loudest.
- A caged nightingaleYour talent is being kept for other people's pleasure. Make sure it also serves you.
- Singing like a nightingaleYou've found your voice, in whatever sense matters to you. Use it for something you love, not only for what's expected.
Related symbols
- CanaryFor centuries the canary has kept people company in kitchens and parlors, filling them…
- BirdBirds have always carried messages between earth and sky.
- NightNight is when the day's roles fall away and what's left is quieter and more honest.
- SingingLetting a song out takes a little courage, even in a dream, so singing is about being…
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Read more →Dream interpretations are for entertainment.