Music of whispering trees
Hushed by a broad-winged breeze
Where shaken water gleams;
And evening radiance falling
With reedy bird-notes calling.
O bear me safe through dark, you low-voiced streams.
I have no need to pray
That fear may pass away;
I scorn the growl and rumble of the fight
That summons me from cool
Silence of marsh and pool
And yellow lilies is landed in light
O river of stars and shadows, lead me through the night.
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Confirmed with Siegfried Sassoon, THE OLD HUNTSMAN and other poems, William Heinemann, London, 1918, page 75
Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Avant la bataille", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust
[Administrator] , Pierre Mathé
[Guest Editor] This text was added to the website: 2008-10-19
Line count: 13
Word count: 78
Musique des arbres murmurant
Tamisée par les larges ailes de la brise,
Là miroite une eau agitée ;
Et clarté du soir qui tombe
Avec les notes flûtées d'un oiseau qui appelle.
Ô voix basses, faites-moi passer dans le noir sain et sauf.
Je n'ai pas besoin de prier
Que cette peur puisse disparaître ;
Je méprise le grondement et le bourdonnement de la bataille
Qui m'appelle depuis le frais silence
Du marécage et de l'étang
Et des nénuphars jaunes isolés sous la lumière
Ô rivière d'étoiles et d'ombres, mène-moi au bout de la nuit.