by Robert Seymour Bridges (1844 - 1930)
When my love was away
Language: English
When my love was away, Full three days were not sped, I caught my fancy astray Thinking if she were dead, And I alone, alone: It seem'd in my misery In all the world was none Ever so lone as I. I wept; but it did not shame Nor comfort my heart: away I rode as I might, and came To my love at close of day. The sight of her still'd my fears, My fairest-hearted love: And yet in her eyes were tears: Which when I question'd of, "O now thou art come," she cried, "'Tis fled: but I thought to-day I never could here abide, If thou wert longer away."
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Authorship:
- by Robert Seymour Bridges (1844 - 1930), "Absence", appears in The Shorter Poems of Robert Bridges, first published 1890 [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 Ivor (Bertie) Gurney (1890 - 1937), "When my love was away", 1925. [voice and piano] [text not verified]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2009-01-28
Line count: 20
Word count: 112