by Fernando Pessoa (1888 - 1935), as Alexander Search
A Temple
Language: English
I have built my temple — wall and face — Outside the idea of space, Complex — built as a full-rigged ship; I made its walls of my fears, Its turrets many of weird thoughts and tears — And that strange temple thus unfurled Like a death's-head flag, that like a whip Stinging around my soul is curled, Is far more real than the world.
Confirmed with Fernando Pessoa, Pessoa Inédito,Orientação, coordenação e prefácio de Teresa Rita Lopes), Lisboa: Livros Horizonte, 1993, p.61
Text Authorship:
- by Fernando Pessoa (1888 - 1935), as Alexander Search, "A Temple", written 1907, first published 1993 [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 Charlotte Bray (b. 1982), "A Temple", 2011, first performed 2011 [ baritone and piano ], from Sonnets and Love Songs, no. 1, BirdSong [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2026-08-08
Line count: 9
Word count: 65