Two Shelley songs

Song Cycle by Leonard J[ordan] Lehrman (b. 1949)

1. Sonnetina #4  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English 
Nor happiness, nor majesty, nor fame,
Nor peace, nor strength, nor skill in arms or arts,
Shepherd those herds whom Tyranny makes tame;
Verse echoes not one beating of their hearts;
History is but the shadow of their shame;
Art veils her glass, or from the pageant starts,
As to Oblivion their millions fleet
Staining that Heaven with obscene imagery
Of their own likeness. What are numbers knit
By force or custom?  Man, who man would be,
Must rule the empire of himself;  in it
Must be supreme, establishing his throne
On vanquish'd will, quelling the anarchy
Of hopes and fears, -- being himself alone.

Text Authorship:

Go to the general single-text view

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

  • CZE Czech (Čeština) (Jaroslav Vrchlický) , "Politická velkost", Prague, J. Otto, first published 1901

Published by Mrs. Shelley, "Posthumous Poems", 1824.

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

2. Love's philosophy
 (Sung text)

Language: English 
 ... 
Nothing in the world is single;
  All things by a law divine
In one another's being mingle.
  Why not I with thine? -
The fountains mingle with the River 
  And the Rivers with the Ocean,
The winds of Heaven mix for ever
  With a sweet emotion;
 ... 
See the mountains kiss high Heaven
  And the waves clasp one another;
No sister-flower would be forgiven
  If it disdained its brother;
And the sunlight clasps the earth
  And the moonbeams kiss the sea:
What are all these kissings worth
  If thou kiss not me?

Text Authorship:

See other settings of this text.

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

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
Total word count: 195