by William Butler Yeats (1865 - 1939)
All the heavy days are over
Language: English
All the heavy days are over; Leave the body's coloured pride Underneath the grass and clover, With the feet laid side by side. [One with her are mirth and duty; Bear the gold-embroidered dress, For she needs not her sad beauty,]1 To the scented oaken press. [Hers]2 the kiss of Mother Mary, [The long hair is on her face]3; [Still]4 she goes with footsteps wary Full of earth's old timid grace. [With white feet of angels seven Her white feet go glimmering; And above the deep of heaven, Flame on flame, and wing on wing.]5
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)1 Edmunds: "Bathed in flaming founts of duty; / She'll not ask a haughty dress, / Carry all that mournful beauty,"
2 Edmunds: "Did"
3 Edmunds: "Put the music in her face"
4 Edmunds: "Yet"
5 Edmunds: "'Mong the feet of angels seven / What a dancer glimmering! / All the heav'ns bow down to Heaven / Flame to flame and wing to wing."
Text Authorship:
- by William Butler Yeats (1865 - 1939), no title, appears in The Countess Kathleen and Various Legends and Lyrics, first published 1892 [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 John Edmunds (1913 - 1986), "The Countess Cathleen" [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by (James) Albert Mallinson (1870 - 1946), "Dream of a blessed spirit", published 1907 [ soprano or tenor ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Kenneth Tavener (1944 - 2013), "The Countess Cathleen in Paradise" [ soprano, flute, harp, viola ], from To a child dancing in the wind, no. 10 [sung text not yet checked]
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Garrett Medlock [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2008-09-18
Line count: 16
Word count: 100