by William Schwenck Gilbert (1836 - 1911)
The distant shore
Language: English
A maiden sat at her door. And sighed as she looked at the sea: "I've a dear, dear love on a distant shore A-dying for news of me." And the wind was listening near, And saw that the maid was fair So the kind wind whispered a hope in her ear As he played with her bright brown hair: "Be of good cheer, sweetheart, I fly to that distant shore, Thy lover I'll tell thou lovest him well, Ever and evermore." The maiden dried her eyes, And a smile shone over her face, For she saw bright hope in the changing skies As the wind flew off apace. And she bade the kind wind good speed, "Hurry, O Wind," said she, "Oh, say that I love him indeed and indeed," And the wind cried over the sea: "Be of good cheer, sweetheart, I fly to that distant shore, Thy lover I'll tell thou lovest him well, Ever and evermore." The wind tore over the wave, Scattering ocean spray, But alack! the lover he flew to save, He met on his homeward way. And his good ship sank in the gale, And ev'ry soul beside, And the wind came sobbing to tell the tale, And the maiden drooped and died. Be of good cheer, poor heart, At rest on a distant shore, Where thou and thy love walk hand in hand Ever and evermore.
Authorship:
- by William Schwenck Gilbert (1836 - 1911) [author's text not yet checked 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 Arthur Sullivan, Sir (1842 - 1900), "The distant shore", published 1874 [voice and piano], Chappell & Co. [ sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Andrew Schneider [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2017-12-26
Line count: 36
Word count: 233