by Edwin Arlington Robinson (1869 - 1935)
L'Envoi
Language: English
Now in a thought, now in a shadowed word, Now in a voice that thrills eternity, Ever there comes an onward phrase to me Of some transcendent music I have heard; No piteous thing by soft hands dulcimered, No trumpet crash of blood-sick victory, But a glad strain of some still symphony That no proud mortal touch has ever stirred. There is no music in the world like this, No character wherewith to set it down, No kind of instrument to make it sing. No kind of instrument? Ah, yes, there is! And after time and place are overthrown, God's touch will keep its one chord quivering.
Text Authorship:
- by Edwin Arlington Robinson (1869 - 1935), appears in The Children of the Night, first published 1897 [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 David Evan Thomas (b. 1958), "L'Envoi", 2020 [ medium voice and piano ], from Children of the Night, no. 7 [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this page: David Evan Thomas
This text was added to the website: 2024-07-12
Line count: 14
Word count: 107