by Thomas Hardy (1840 - 1928)
When you shall see me in the toils of...
Language: English
When you shall see me in the toils of Time, My lauded beauties carried off from me, My eyes no longer stars as in their prime, My name forgot of Maiden Fair and Free; When, in your being, heart concedes to mind, And judgment, though you scarce its process know, Recalls the excellencies I once enshrined, And you are irked that they have withered so; Remembering mine the loss is, not the blame, That Sportsman Time but rears his brood to kill, Knowing me in my soul the very same One who would die to spare you touch of ill! Will you not grant to old affection's claim The hand of friendship down Life's sunless hill?
About the headline (FAQ)
Authorship:
- by Thomas Hardy (1840 - 1928), no title, appears in Wessex Poems and Other Verses, in She, to Him, no. 1, first published 1898 [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 Gordon Ware Binkerd (1916 - 2003), "She, to him I", published 1968 [high voice and piano], from Shut out that moon, no. 1. [text not verified]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2008-01-17
Line count: 14
Word count: 116