by William Blake (1757 - 1827)
The little girl found
Language: English
All the night in woe Lyca's parents go Over vallies deep, While the desarts weep. Tired and woe-begone, Hoarse with making moan, Arm in arm seven days They trac'd the desart ways. Seven nights they sleep Among the shadows deep, And dream they see their child Starv'd in desart wild. Pale, thro' pathless ways The fancied image strays Famish'd, weeping, weak, With hollow piteous shriek. Rising from unrest, The trembling woman prest With feet of weary woe: She could no further go. In his arms he bore Her, arm's with sorrow sore; Till before their way A couching lion lay. Turning back was vain: Soon his heavy mane Bore them to the ground. Then he stalk'd around, Smelling to his prey; But their fears allay When he licks their hands, And silent by them stands. They look upon his eyes Fill'd with deep surprise, And wondering behold A spirit arm'd in gold. On his head a crown, On his shoulders down Flow'd his golden hair. Gone was all their care. ``Follow me,'' he said; ``Weep not for the maid; In my palace deep Lyca lies asleep.'' Then they followed Where the vision led, And saw their sleeping child Among the tygers wild. To this day they dwell In a lonely dell; Nor fear the wolvish howl Nor the lion's growl.
Authorship:
- by William Blake (1757 - 1827), "The little girl found", appears in Songs of Innocence and Experience, in Songs of Experience, no. 6, first published 1794 [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 William Bolcom (b. 1938), "The little girl found", 1956-81 [ solo voices, chorus, orchestra ], from Songs of Experience, Volume One, no. 10 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Ole Carsten Green (b. 1922), "The little girl found", op. 27a no. 6 (1973) [ voice and piano ], from Songs of Experience, no. 6 [sung text not yet checked]
- by (Thomas) Timothy Lenk (b. 1952), "The little girl found", c1977 [ tenor, bass-baritone, flute (piccolo), clarinet, bass clarinet, and violin ], from Songs of Innocence and Experience, no. 15 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Wilfrid Howard Mellers (b. 1914), "The little girl found", 1973-4 [ chorus and instrumental ensemble ], from The Gates of the Dream [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ellen Raskin (1928 - 1984), "The little girl found", published 1966 [ voice and piano or guitar ], from Songs of Innocence, no. 21, Garden City, NY : Doubleday [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this page: Ahmed E. Ismail
This text was added to the website: 2005-01-17
Line count: 52
Word count: 220