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by Robert Browning (1812 - 1889)

Never the time and the place
Language: English 
Never the time and the place
  And the loved one all together!
This path -- how soft to pace!
  This May -- what magic weather!
Where is the loved one's face?
In a dream that loved one's face meets mine,
  But the house is narrow, the place is bleak
Where, outside, rain and wind combine
  With a furtive ear, if I strive to speak,
  With a hostile eye at my flushing cheek,
With a malice that marks each word, each sign!
O enemy sly and serpentine,
  Uncoil thee from the waking man!
    Do I hold the Past
    Thus firm and fast
  Yet doubt if the Future hold I can?
  This path so soft to pace shall lead
  Through the magic of May to herself indeed!
  Or narrow if needs the house must be,
  Outside are the storms and strangers: we -- 
  Oh, close, safe, warm, sleep I and she, I and she.

Text Authorship:

  • by Robert Browning (1812 - 1889), "Never the time and the place", appears in Jocoseria, first published 1883 [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 Granville Ransome Bantock, Sir (1868 - 1946), "Never the time and the place", 1921, published 1922 [voice and piano], from Dramatic Lyrics Set III, no. 2. [
     text not verified 
    ]

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2009-02-26
Line count: 21
Word count: 149

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