by Sara Teasdale (1884 - 1933)
Wood song
Language: English
I heard a wood thrush in the dusk Twirl three notes and make a star -- My heart that walked with bitterness Came back from very far. Three shining notes were all he had, And yet they made a starry call -- I caught life back against my breast And kissed it, scars and all.
Confirmed with Sara Teasdale, Love Songs, New York, The Macmillan Company, 1917, page 52.
Authorship:
- by Sara Teasdale (1884 - 1933), "Wood song", appears in Love Songs, in 2. Interlude: Songs out of Sorrow, no. 6, first published 1917 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by John Woods Duke (1899 - 1984), "Wood song", 1967 [mezzo-soprano and piano], from Songs Out of Sorrow, Six Songs for Mezzo-soprano, no. 5, Southern/Texas [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
- by Alexander Rihm , "Wood song", published 1919. [voice and piano] [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2011-02-13
Line count: 8
Word count: 53