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by Adelaide Anne Procter (1825 - 1864)

Where are the swallows fled?
Language: English 
Where are the swallows fled?
    Frozen and dead,
Perchance, upon some bleak and stormy shore.
    O doubting heart!
  Far over purple seas
  They wait, in sunny ease,
  The balmy southern breeze,
To bring them to their northern homes once more.
 
Why must the flowers die?
    Prison'd they lie
In the cold tomb, heedless of tears or rain.
    O doubting heart!
  They only sleep below
  The soft white ermine snow,
  While winter winds shall blow,
To breathe and smile upon you soon again.
 
The sun has hid its rays
    These many days;
Will dreary hours never leave the earth?
    O doubting heart!
  The stormy clouds on high
  Veil the same sunny sky,
  That soon (for spring is nigh)
Shall wake the summer into golden mirth.
 
Fair hope is dead, and light
    Is quench'd in night.
What sound can break the silence of despair?
    O doubting heart!
  Thy sky is overcast,
  Yet stars shall rise at last,
  Brighter for darkness past,
And angels' silver voices stir the air.

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

  • by Adelaide Anne Procter (1825 - 1864), "A doubting heart" [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 Dudley Buck (1839 - 1909), "Where are the swallows fled?", op. 36 no. 1. [
     text not verified 
    ]

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2008-07-06
Line count: 32
Word count: 166

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