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[He,]1 of his gentleness, Thirsting and hungering Walked in the Wilderness; Soft words of grace he spoke Unto lost desert-folk That listned wondering. He heard the bittern call From ruined palace-wall, Answered him brotherly; He held communion With the she-pelican Of lonely piety. Basilisk, cockatrice, Flocked to his homilies, With mail of dread device, With monstrous barbed stings, With eager dragon-eyes; Great bats on leathern wings And old, blind, broken things Mean in their miseries. Then ever with him went, Of all his wanderings Comrade, with ragged coat, Gaunt ribs -- poor innocent -- Bleeding foot, burning throat, The guileless young scapegoat; For forty nights and days Followed in Jesus' ways, Sure guard behind him kept, Tears like a lover wept.
1 Bainton: "Christ"
Text Authorship:
- by Robert Graves (1895 - 1985), "In the wilderness", appears in Over the Brazier, first published 1916 [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 Edgar Leslie Bainton (1880 - 1956), "In the wilderness", published 1928 [ SATB chorus a cappella ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Samuel Barber (1910 - 1981), "In the wilderness", op. 41 no. 3, published 1969 [ high voice and piano ], from Despite and still, no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Dans le désert", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
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: 120
Lui, plein de bonté, Ayant soif et faim, Marchait dans le désert ; Avec des mots doux pleins de grâce il parlait Au peuple perdu du désert Qui l'écoutait émerveillé. Il entendit l'appel du butor Des murs du palais en ruine, L'interrogeant fraternellement ; Il fut en communion Avec la femelle pélican D'une piété solitaire. Basilic, coquatrix, Affluèrent à ses homélies, Avec des écailles d'aspect horrible, Avec des épines monstrueusement aiguës Avec des yeux avides de dragon ; De grandes chauve-souris sur des ailes de cuir Et des créatures vieilles et aveugles Misérables dans leurs malheurs. Et toujours avec lui allait, Dans toutes ses marches, Un compagnon, avec un manteau en haillons, Les côtes décharnées -- pauvre innocent -- Les pieds en sang, la gorge brûlante, Jeune et candide bouc émissaire ; Pendant quarante nuits et quarante jours Il suivit Jésus dans ses pérégrinations, Il resta en garde sûr derrière lui, Il versa des larmes comme un amant.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from English to French (Français) copyright © 2015 by Guy Laffaille, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
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Based on:
- a text in English by Robert Graves (1895 - 1985), "In the wilderness", appears in Over the Brazier, first published 1916
This text was added to the website: 2015-06-04
Line count: 30
Word count: 152