by Edward George Earle Lytton Bulwer-Lytton (1803 - 1873)
Absent yet present
Language: English
As the flight of a river That flows to the sea, My soul rushes ever In tumult to thee. A twofold existence I am where thou art; My heart, in the distance, Beats close to thy heart. Look up, I am near thee, I gaze on thy face; I see thee, I hear thee, I feel thine embrace. As a magnet's control on The steel it draws to it, Is the charm of thy soul on The thoughts that pursue it. And absence but brightens The eyes that I miss, And custom but heightens The spell of thy kiss. It is not from duty, Tho' that may be owed,-- It is not from beauty, Tho' that be bestow'd; But all that I care for And all that I know, Is that, without wherefore, I worship thee so. Thro' granite as breaketh A tree to the ray, As a dreamer forsaketh The grief of the day, My soul in its fever Escapes unto thee; O dream to the griever, O light to the tree! A twofold existence I am where thou art; Hark, hear in the distance The beat of my heart!
Authorship:
- by Edward George Earle Lytton Bulwer-Lytton (1803 - 1873), "Absent, yet present" [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 Maude Valérie White (1855 - 1937), "Absent yet present", published 1880 [ voice and piano ], London, Stanley Lucas, Weber & Co., also set in French (Français), also set in German (Deutsch) [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in French (Français), a translation by Paul Solanges (d. 1914) ; composed by Maude Valérie White.
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- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by E. Ferstel, Baron ; composed by Maude Valérie White.
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Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2013-05-30
Line count: 40
Word count: 191