(A 1924 photo of Walter de la Mare by Lady Ottoline Morrell.)When music sounds, gone is the earth I know,
And all her lovely things even lovelier grow;
Her flowers in vision flame, her forest trees
Lift burdened branches, stilled with ecstasies.
When music sounds, out of the water rise
Naiads whose beauty dims my waking eyes,
Rapt in strange dreams burns each enchanted face,
With solemn echoing stirs their dwelling-place.
When music sounds, all that I was I am
Ere to this haunt of brooding dust I came;
And from Time's woods break into distant song
The swift-winged hours, as I hasten along.
～By Walter de la Mare (1873-1956) , “Music,” from The Sunken Garden and Other Poems, published 1917.
For more information on musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies etc., choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer, click here.
3 comments:
In Japan, Walter de la Mare is better known as a novelist/writer, not much as a poet, what a shame.
This is so beautiful, thank you for introducing.
I might post the first part of the poem somewhere on my MySpace page, if you don't mind?
I'm taking a little break from MySpace and Facebook now but will be back soon :)
Glad you like the poem! I find it so beautiful as well, and very moving. It also describes how music makes me feel sometimes. Of course you're very welcome to use it on your page!
Thank you for all your lovely comments! I will respond but am leaving for Vienna today (yay!); so if I don't get a chance there, perhaps in a few days after I'm back home. :-)
You're going to Vienna again, wonderful! Hope you have a GREAT trip, will look forward to seeing even more photos after you come back lol
xoxo
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