by George Gordon Noel Byron, Lord Byron (1788 - 1824)
The Gods of old are silent on their...
Language: English
The Gods of old are silent on their shore.
Since the great Pan expired, and through the roar
Of the Ionian waters broke a dread
Voice which proclaimed "the Mighty Pan is dead."
How much died with him! false or true—the dream
Was beautiful which peopled every stream
With more than finny tenants, and adorned
The woods and waters with coy nymphs that scorned
Pursuing Deities, or in the embrace
Of gods brought forth the high heroic race
Whose names are on the hills and o'er the seas.
Cephalonia, Septr. 10th. 1823
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with George Gordon Byron, The Works of Lord Byron, London : John Murray, 1905, p.566; From an autograph MS. in the possession of the Lady Dorchester
Text Authorship:
- by George Gordon Noel Byron, Lord Byron (1788 - 1824), "Aristomenes", subtitle: "Canto First", written 1823, first published 1901 [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 Natalia Pispini (b. 1966), "The Gods Of Old Are Silent", 2017, published 2017, first performed 2017 [ mixed chorus, flute and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2025-06-30
Line count: 12
Word count: 92