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Two Dunbar Lyrics

Song Cycle by Ulysses Simpson Kay (1917 - 1995)

?. A madrigal  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English 
Dream days of fond delight and hours
  As rosy-hued as dawn, are mine.
  Love's drowsy wine,
Brewed from the heart of Passion flowers,
  Flows softly o'er my lips
  And save thee, all the world is in eclipse.

There were no light if thou wert not;
  The sun would be too sad to shine,
  And all the line
Of hours from dawn would be a blot;
  And Night would haunt the skies,
  An unlaid ghost with staring dark-ringed eyes.

Oh, love, if thou wert not my love,
  And I perchance not thine -- what then?
  Could gift of men
Or favor of the God above,
  Plant aught in this bare heart
  Or teach this tongue the singer's soulful art?

Ah, no! 'Tis love, and love alone
  That spurs my soul so surely on;
  Turns night to dawn,
And thorns to roses fairest blown;
  And winter drear to spring -- 
  Oh, were it not for love I could not sing!

Text Authorship:

  • by Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872 - 1906), "A madrigal", appears in Majors and Minors, first published 1895

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Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

?. A starry night  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English 
A cloud fell down from the heavens,
  And broke on the mountain's brow;
It scattered the dusky fragments
  All over the vale below.

The moon and the stars were anxious
  To know what its fate might be;
So they rushed to the azure op'ning,
  And all peered down to see.

Text Authorship:

  • by Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872 - 1906), "A starry night", appears in Majors and Minors, first published 1895

See other settings of this text.

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • CHI Chinese (中文) (Dr Huaixing Wang) , "繁星之夜", copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
Total word count: 206
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