by Thomas Hardy (1840 - 1928)
The clock of the years
Language: English
And the Spirit said, "I can make the clock of the years go backward, But am loth to stop it where you will." And I cried, "Agreed To that. Proceed: It's better than dead!" He answered, "Peace;" And called her up - as last before me; Then younger, younger she grew, to the year I first had known Her woman-grown, And I cried, "Cease! - "Thus far is good - It is enough - let her stay thus always!" But alas for me - He shook his head: No stop was there; And she waned child-fair, And to babyhood. Still less in mien To my great sorrow became she slowly, And smalled till she was nought at all In his checkless griff; And it was as if She had never been. "Better", I plained, "She were dead as before! The memory of her Had lived in me; but it cannot now!" And coldly his voice: "It was your choice To mar the ordained."
Authorship:
- by Thomas Hardy (1840 - 1928), "The Clock of the Years", appears in Moments of Vision and Miscellaneous Verses, first published 1917 [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 Gerald Finzi (1901 - 1956), "The clock of the years", subtitle: "A spirit passed before my face; the hair of my flesh stood up", op. 15 no. 8, published 1936 [ baritone, piano ], from Earth and Air and Rain, no. 8 [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 30
Word count: 164