Drei Lieder nach Paul Laurence Dunbar

Thy tones are silver melted into sound,
  And as I dream
I see no walls around,
  But seem to hear
  A gondolier
Sing sweetly down some slow Venetian stream.

Italian skies—that I have never seen—
  I see above.
(Ah, play again, my queen;
  Thy fingers white
  Fly swift and light
And weave for me the golden mesh of love.)

Oh, thou dusk sorceress of the dusky eyes
  And soft dark hair,
'T is thou that mak'st my skies
  So swift to change
  To far and strange:
But far and strange, thou still dost make them fair.

Now thou dost sing, and I am lost in thee
  As one who drowns
In floods of melody.
  Still in thy art
  Give me this part,
Till perfect love, the love of loving crowns.

Thou art my lute, by thee I sing,—
     My being is attuned to thee.
Thou settest all my words a-wing,
     And meltest me to melody.
 
Thou art my life, by thee I live,
     From thee proceed the joys I know;
Sweetheart, thy hand has power to give
     The meed of love—the cup of woe.
 
Thou art my love, by thee I lead
     My soul the paths of light along,
From vale to vale, from mead to mead,
     And home it in the hills of song.
 
My song, my soul, my life, my all,
     Why need I pray or make my plea,
Since my petition cannot fall;
     For I’m already one with thee!

Come when the nights are bright with stars
  Or when the moon is mellow;
Come when the sun his golden bars
  Drops on the hay-field yellow.
Come in the twilight soft and gray,
Come in the night or come in the day,
Come, O love, whene'er you may,
  And you are welcome, welcome.

You are sweet, O Love, dear Love,
You are soft as the nesting dove.
Come to my heart and bring it rest
As the bird flies home to its welcome nest.

Come when my heart is full of grief
  Or when my heart is merry;
Come with the falling of the leaf
  Or with the redd'ning cherry.
Come when the year's first blossom blows,
Come when the summer gleams and glows,
Come with the winter's drifting snows,
  And you are welcome, welcome.