by Ernest Christopher Dowson (1867 - 1900)
Pale amber sunlight falls across
Language: English
Pale amber sunlight falls across The reddening October trees, That hardly sway before a breeze As soft as summer: summer's loss Seems little, dear! on days like these! Let misty autumn be our part! The twilight of the year is sweet: Where shadow and the darkness meet Our love, a twilight of the heart Eludes a little time's deceit. Are we not better and at home In dreamful Autumn, we who deem No harvest joy is worth a dream? A little while and night shall come, A little while, then, let us dream. Beyond the pearled horizons lie Winter and night: awaiting these We garner this poor hour of ease, Until love turn from us and die Beneath the drear November trees.
F. Delius sets stanzas 1-3
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Ernest Dowson, Verses, London: Leonard Smithers, 1896, page 35. Dedicated to Alexander Teixeira de Mattos.
Text Authorship:
- by Ernest Christopher Dowson (1867 - 1900), "Autumnal", appears in Verses, London, Leonard Smithers, first published 1896 [author's text checked 2 times 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 Frederick Delius (1862 - 1934), "Pale amber sunlight falls across", 1906-7, published 1911, stanzas 1-3 [ mezzo-soprano, baritone, chorus, orchestra ], from Songs of Sunset, no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Cyril Meir Scott (1879 - 1970), "Autumnal", op. 32, published 1904 [ voice and piano ], London: Boosey & Hawkes ; a revision of "Autumnal", op. 11 [sung text not yet checked]
Research team for this page: Ahmed E. Ismail , Poom Andrew Pipatjarasgit [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2005-01-23
Line count: 20
Word count: 122