by Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830 - 1894)
Hollow‑sounding and mysterious
Language: English
There's no replying To the Wind's sighing, Telling, foretelling, Dying, undying, Dwindling and swelling, Complaining, droning, Whistling and moaning, Ever beginning, Ending, repeating, Hinting and dinning, Lagging and fleeting -- We've no replying Living or dying To the Wind's sighing. What are you telling, Variable Wind-tone? What would be teaching, O sinking, swelling, Desolate Wind-moan? Ever for ever Teaching and preaching, Never, ah never Making us wiser -- The earliest riser Catches no meaning, The last who hearkens Garners no gleaning Of wisdom's treasure, While the world darkens: -- Living or dying, In pain, in pleasure, We've no replying To wordless flying Wind's sighing.
Text Authorship:
- by Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830 - 1894), "Hollow-sounding and mysterious" [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 Robin Holloway (b. 1943), "Hollow-sounding and mysterious", op. 27 no. 3 (1974) [ soprano and piano ], from cantata The Leaves Cry, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2012-02-19
Line count: 34
Word count: 101