This is the land the sunset washes, These are the banks of the yellow sea; Where it rose, or whither it rushes, These are the western mystery! Night after night her purple traffic Strews the landing with opal bales; Merchantmen poise upon horizons, Dip, and vanish [with fairy sails]1.
Six Songs
Song Cycle by Ernst Bacon (1898 - 1990)
1. The banks of the yellow sea  [sung text checked 1 time]
Text Authorship:
- by Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886), no title, appears in Poems of Emily Dickinson, first published 1890
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View original text (without footnotes)1 Ippolito: "like Orioles"
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Malcolm Wren [Guest Editor]
2. Ancient Christmas Carol  [sung text checked 1 time]
He came so still where his mother was As dew in April that falleth on the grass. He came all so still where his mother lay As dew in April that falleth on the hay. He came all so still to his mother's bower As dew in April that falleth on the flow'r. Mother and maiden was never none but she; well might such a lady Jesus' mother be.
Text Authorship:
- by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
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Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]3. Omaha  [sung text checked 1 time]
Red barns and red heifers spot the green grass circles around Omaha -- the farmers haul tanks of cream and wagon loads of cheese. Shale hogbacks across the river at Council Bluffs -- and shanties hang by an eyelash to the hill slants back around Omaha. A span of steel ties up the kin of Iowa and Nebraska across the yellow, big-hoofed Missouri River. Omaha, the roughneck, feeds armies, Eats and swears from a dirty face. Omaha works to get the world a breakfast.
Text Authorship:
- by Carl Sandburg (1878 - 1967), "Omaha", appears in Smoke and Steel, first published 1920
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Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]4. No dew upon the grass  [sung text checked 1 time]
The Sun kept setting -- setting -- still No Hue of Afternoon -- Upon the Village I perceived From House to House 'twas Noon. The Dusk kept dropping -- dropping -- still No Dew upon the Grass -- But only on my Forehead stopped -- And wandered in my Face -- My Feet kept drowsing -- drowsing -- still My fingers were awake -- Yet why so little sound -- Myself Unto my Seeming -- make? How well I knew the Light before -- I could not see it now -- 'Tis Dying -- I am doing -- but I'm not afraid to know --
Text Authorship:
- by Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886), no title, appears in Poems of Emily Dickinson, first published 1890
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Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]5. A clear midnight  [sung text checked 1 time]
This is thy hour, O Soul, thy free flight into the wordless, Away from books, away from art, the day erased, the lesson done, Thee fully forth emerging, silent, gazing, pondering the themes thou lovest best, Night, sleep, death, and the stars.
Text Authorship:
- by Walt Whitman (1819 - 1892), "A clear midnight"
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Portions of this text were used in Idyll by Frederick Delius.
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
6. World, take good notice  [sung text checked 1 time]
World, take good notice, silver stars fading, Milky hue ript, weft of white detaching, Coals thirty-eight, baleful and burning, Scarlet, significant, hands off warning, Now and henceforth flaunt from these shores.
Text Authorship:
- by Walt Whitman (1819 - 1892), "World, take good notice"
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Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]